Thunder exploded again, the sound ricocheting around the room. Even storms were bigger in Texas, she thought.
“It’s okay,” Noah whispered. “Go back to sleep.” He gently pulled her down next to him, put his arm around her waist, and dragged her up against him until her back was pressed snugly against his chest.
Go back to sleep? Impossible. She was stark na*ed and in bed with Noah. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. The memory of their lovemaking filled her thoughts. My God, she’d had sex with Noah…over and over again. She sighed softly. It had been amazing…and astonishing…and perfect, but there had also been a stunning discovery. Who knew that sex could be so wonderful? She certainly hadn’t known until Noah. Just thinking about the way he had touched her made her whole body shiver…and crave more.
It had seemed the most natural thing in the world to fall asleep in his arms. She’d felt so safe and protected. And loved, she admitted. She’d felt loved. If being loved by Noah, even for one night, was a fantasy, she wanted to indulge. What was the harm? She was a big girl. She could protect herself.
She remembered all the wonderful things they had done, the different ways they had made love, and her heart raced. He was a voracious lover. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do or coax her into doing. He wasn’t the least bit shy with her and had proved it again and again. Around two he’d nudged her awake…or had she awakened him? She didn’t think there was an inch of her body that he hadn’t kissed or touched.
Apparently she was also insatiable. She had become a wild woman in his arms, and knowing Noah, Jordan would never be able to live it down.
She rolled over and kissed the base of his neck, her mouth lingering on the pulse. She loved his scent—so sexy, so male—and the taste of his warm skin. She kissed him again, but that didn’t seem to get much of a reaction until she began to caress him. Her mouth and her fingertips trailed down his chest, circled his navel, and moved lower.
He groaned. “You’re killing me, Sugar.”
Did that mean he wanted her to stop? She pulled back. “Do you want…”
“Oh, yeah, I want.”
He pushed her onto her back and covered her with his body. He kissed her hungrily and showed her just how much he wanted her. Their lovemaking was as fierce as the storm raging around them.
Thoroughly sated, she collapsed on top of him and fell asleep.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when he shook her awake. She rolled over to kiss him, opened her eyes, and saw him walk away. He was fully dressed.
“Get moving, Jordan,” he called. “We’ve got to go.”
No kiss. No words of endearment. Not even a “good morning.” She watched him disappear into his room and then rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Why hadn’t he kissed her?
Don’t go there, she told herself. Don’t let what happened last night become part of something much bigger…like falling hopelessly in love with a man who never, ever would commit to a lasting relationship. Last night had been earthshaking, but things had a way of changing in the bright light of day.
She groaned loudly as she stretched and forced herself to get up and stagger into her bathroom.
Halfway through her shower, her mind cleared. Noah had certainly been blasé. In fact, his attitude had bordered on indifferent. She thought about it while drying her hair. He had told her to get moving, but that was it. He hadn’t even said where they were going. Were they leaving town? She slipped into a skirt and a fitted pale blue blouse. She hoped they were leaving town. She needed to get out of Serenity and away from this man before she became so emotionally attached that she turned into what she most despised, an NCG, a clinger. She would never let that happen. By the time she’d applied sunscreen and a little makeup and lip gloss, her resolve was firmly in place. She grabbed her lens case and went back into the bedroom. Noah was on the phone.
She waited in the doorway until he finished the call. “Where are we going? Should I pack and check out?”
He shook his head and didn’t look up as he secured his gun and holster. “We’re to meet Sheriff Randy at ten,” he said. “We’ll check out when we get back.”
“Just let me grab my key and my glasses.”
“They’re still on the nightstand,” he remarked.
And that comment was as close to an acknowledgment that he had been in her bed as she was going to get.
“You ready?” he said. He grabbed his room key and headed for the door.
She picked up her purse and shoved her things inside. How could he be so unemotional about last night? And how come she was so frickin’ emotional? She could feel her heart beginning to sink, but she braced herself and followed after him.
She knew what Kate would say. Her friend would tell her it was simply the difference between men and women. And maybe she would be right. But that didn’t matter. Noah’s behavior still stung, and his attitude was not only insensitive but also downright mean. The big jerk. Okay, now she felt better. She had placed the blame where it belonged. Noah was the one with a problem, not her. She frowned at him as she walked out the door. He didn’t seem to notice she wasn’t in the best of moods, or if he did, he didn’t mention it.
They broke protocol and ate breakfast at a run-down diner on the east side of town. Everything looked greasy, even the orange juice. Jordan settled on a slice of toast and hot tea. Noah, on the other hand, had a Texas-sized breakfast.
She nibbled on her toast and stared at him from across the table.
“Something bothering you?” he asked.
She slowly nodded.
He smiled. “Are you gonna tell me what it is, or am I supposed to guess?”
“We had sex last night. Lots and lots of sex.”
Unfortunately, she’d made the emphatic statement just as the waitress was placing the bill on the table. The older woman with big hair giggled like a young teenager. Jordan was mortified and could feel her face heating. Noah’s smile turned into a broad grin, and there was a sparkle in his eyes. He was getting a real kick out of her discomfort. As soon as the waitress walked away, no doubt to tell the other employees about the slut at table three, Noah said, “Yes, we did.”
She sat back. “Okay then.”
“Okay then?” he repeated.
She nodded. “That’s all I wanted. An acknowledgment.”
As far as she was concerned, the subject was closed. She folded her napkin and placed it on the table, checked the time, and said, “We’d better hurry. It’s almost ten.”
The cook was staring at her through the order window, as were the two waitresses huddled together behind the counter. Jordan kept her head high as she walked out.
She knew that Noah didn’t understand why she needed an acknowledgment, but that didn’t matter to her. From this moment on, they were going to go back to the way things used to be. He would be her brother’s friend and partner, and she would be a boring but decidedly happy woman who lived in a safe comfort zone.
Noah had just slid in behind the steering wheel when he noticed her scowl. “What’s going on with you?”
“I just had a revelation,” she said.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I was thinking about comfort zones…my comfort zone. You know, that place you said was so boring and safe?”
“It is boring and safe. I remember what I said.”
“And I was wondering—what was missing from my dull, boring life?”
“Sex.”
Okay, that too, she admitted to herself. “Besides sex,” she said, disgruntled.
“Fun? Laughter? Hot sex?”
He was maddening. “You already said sex,” she reminded him.
“My mistake,” he replied.
Ignoring his sarcasm, she continued. “I’ll tell you what was missing. Dead bodies, Noah. There were never any dead bodies in my comfort zone.”
Chapter Twenty-five
J. D. USED TO BRAG TO HIS BROTHER THAT IF HE DIDN’T WANT to be found, he wouldn’t be found. He knew all the best hiding places in and around Serenity.
Randy knew about some of J. D’s hidey-holes, but he didn’t know about all of them. For example, J. D. had never told Randy about the abandoned mine he’d accidentally found last year when cutting across Eli Whitaker’s land. He’d known he was trespassing, but since Eli hadn’t yet put up a fence, J. D. figured it was all right, especially if he didn’t tell anyone.
The mine had become his own private getaway. When he was there, he was pulling one over on Eli, and that made J. D. feel good. It wasn’t right the way Eli gobbled up all the prime land and had all that money.
J. D.’s second home wasn’t much to look at, but he liked it just fine. He’d put down a couple of old sleeping bags and brought in a cooler he’d periodically fill with ice and beer. His only other accessories were two flashlights and extra batteries. He didn’t want to run out of light at night when he was reading his girly magazines. He was proud to admit he didn’t read the articles. Looking at the nudie girls was all he wanted or needed.
He even entertained the notion of bringing a couple of the girls from The Lux out for a little howdy-do. He didn’t though. He liked having a secret place only he knew about.
The location was perfect. The mine was just far enough outside of Serenity to be forgotten, but close enough to keep a signal on his cell phone. The last couple of days he’d had to be on twenty-four-hour call in case his employer needed something.
He considered calling Randy several times to find out if there was a warrant out for him, but every time he’d start to punch in the numbers, he’d change his mind. He just didn’t want to listen to another long lecture. Besides, the boss would find out if there was a warrant out for J. D. or not. He had connections all over town, and at most it would only take a couple of phone calls to find out if that Buchanan bitch had decided to go after him.
Fortunately the disposable phone he’d stolen from Professor MacKenna’s house had the number taped on the back. The boss was the only person who knew it.
J. D. was getting anxious waiting to hear from him. Not only would he find out if he was wanted by the police but also today was payday, and he sure could use the cash.
He practically jumped on the phone when it rang.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m on my way,” the boss said.
“To the house?” J. D. asked.
There was a long pause. “Yes. That’s where we agreed to meet.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll leave right now.”
“Remember to park at least three blocks away and walk over.”
“I will,” J. D. promised. “Did you remember today is payday?”
“Of course I did. We have a lot of loose ends to tie up before nightfall.”
“I know,” J. D. said. “Did you find out anything about a warrant?”
“Not yet.”
“The new chief isn’t going to let two murders go unsolved. I was thinking we ought to come up with a couple of names. If there was a way to pin those murders—”
“I’ve already got someone in mind to take the fall, but to pull it off I’ll need your help. We should be able to wrap it up within a week.”
“I knew you’d figure something out. You’re so smart about stuff like this.”
“I’ve had practice. Now, hurry up. We’ve got work to do.”
Chapter Twenty-six
WHEN JORDAN AND NOAH WALKED INTO THE POLICE station, Sheriff Randy was in Chief Davis’s office trying to pace in front of the desk. Since the office was so small, he could only take two steps forward and two back.
Noah made her stay behind him as he entered. She knew Noah didn’t want to give J. D. another opportunity to punch her.
But J. D. was nowhere in sight. Joe spotted them and waved. “Come on in,” he called out.
Noah didn’t waste time on introductions. “Where’s your brother?”
“I don’t know where he is,” Randy said. “I swear to you I’ve looked high and low for him, and I’ve left at least five messages on his home phone and twice that many on his cell phone telling him to come in, and that it was going to be okay because Miss Buchanan agreed not to press charges…” He tried to see around Noah. “I was right, wasn’t I, Miss Buchanan? Joe told me you weren’t going to press charges.”
Although Noah took up most of the doorway, she was able to squeeze in next to him. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I’m trying my best to help J. D. make some good decisions, but it’s an uphill battle.”
He sounded sincere and contrite, and Jordan suddenly felt sorry for him. It must be awful trying to keep his punch-happy brother in line.
Randy once again addressed Noah. “I know he messed up, but he’s my brother, and the only family I have. I really am trying to help him move forward and stay out of trouble. I thought he was on the right path. He was closing down The Lux, and that’s a real positive step.”
Noah didn’t care about that. “How did he know there was a body in Jordan’s car trunk?”
“J. D. told me he got a tip on his cell phone.”
“I want to know exactly what J. D. told you.”
“We were supposed to go fishing, and I went by his place to pick him up. He came tearing out of his house and told me about the tip.”
“Who called him?” Noah asked. “Did he tell you who the tip was from?”
“A woman,” Randy answered. “It took a long while for me to get that much out of him. He wouldn’t tell me her name though. J. D. said he had to protect her, that he’d promised. To be honest, I don’t know if he was telling the truth or not.” He added fervently, “I hope to God he was.”
Looking defeated now, Randy leaned back against the desk. “J. D. is always looking for the big score. He has this pipe dream to buy a ranch. He doesn’t know the first thing about ranching, but that don’t matter to him. He thinks he’s clever, but he isn’t, and that’s why he gets into trouble. He’s done some real stupid things, and he’s got a temper, that’s for sure, but he wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“He went to prison because he killed someone,” Joe pointed out.
“It was a bar fight J. D. didn’t start. That was bad luck all around.”
“Bad luck seems to chase J. D., doesn’t it?” Joe remarked. “I’ve got the sheriff’s deputies combing the county looking for him,” he told Noah. He suddenly noticed Jordan. “Where are my manners? Jordan, come on in here and have a seat.”