AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Charlotte stood listening to the sheriff’s deputies drive away with her son before she dropped to her knees and, after years of being unable to shed a tear, sobbed her heart out.
ITWASSTILLdark out when Pickett woke, a shaft of moonlight splayed across the bed. Even with his eyes open, he wasn’t sure where he was or how he’d gotten there for a moment. Then Oakley came into view. She was leaning over him, propped up on one elbow, staring down at him in the semidarkness of the room.
For a startled moment he thought something might be wrong, but she quickly pressed a finger to his lips before removing it and replacing it with her mouth. The kiss was sweet, her tongue teasing, her mouth so tempting.
He could think of a half dozen reasons this was a bad idea. They were in the McKenna house’s guest room. Anyone could walk in. Duffy could walk in.
As if seeing his concern, Oakley got out of bed, padded barefoot and stark naked to lock the door. The shaft of moonlight played on her pale skin as she turned to look at him. It glowed on her full breasts, her flat stomach, her long legs, while making her erect nipples darker than the V between her legs.
But it was the look in those green eyes that was his undoing. He would give this woman anything. She moved slowly to him, stealing his breath as she climbed into his side of the bed. Her nipples brushed his bare chest as she bent over him to kiss him again.
“Oakley?” he whispered. Last night he’d gotten up and pulled on the pajama bottoms of the larger of the pairs Elaine had left for them. At that time his only thought was keeping Oakley warm. Now he was having trouble reining in his thoughts as she put a finger to his lips again for a moment before she reached under the covers and pulled off his pajama bottoms, tossing them aside.
He wanted to ask her if she was sure about this. To tell her he didn’t have any protection on him. But even a weak attempt to make her stop was met with a shake of her head. He was already hard and throbbing. If she touched him... He had to slow this down. He cupped her slim waist with his hands, lifted her and swung her back over on her side of the bed, pulling the covers over the two of them. Leaning over her, he kissed her, tonguing away her protests when he wouldn’t let her touch him.
“PICKETT,”SHEWHISPERED,a plea. She needed him inside her. He pulled back, his gaze locking with hers as he gently cupped her breast. His callused thumb brushed over the hard and aching nipple, making her arch against his hand.
Again, she reached for him, but he pushed her hand away, shaking his head, before leaning down to take her nipple into his mouth. He sucked, he nibbled, he pulled, moving to her other breast as she tried not to wake the rest of the household with her stifled moans of pleasure.
“Pickett,” she breathed against his mouth again as he kissed her before trailing kisses down between her aching breasts and over her stomach. He gently spread her legs as she cupped his head in her hands and arched against his mouth. His tongue had barely touched her, his lips had only started to suck her, when she had to put her hand over her mouth as she came.
He moved slowly up her body until she thought she might scream. She grabbed for him, drawing him down on her, whispering his name against his warm flesh, against his lips, as he started to lower himself and stopped.
She stared at him, eyes wide in warning. If he didn’t want her waking the entire household... She’d never wanted anything more than to feel him inside her. Her need overpowered everything. She saw the question he was asking in his eyes. She nodded and pulled him toward her. Their gazes locked as he entered her. For a moment he didn’t move. They were frozen in time, cast in moonlight, as if the two of them were the only two people left in the world.
Then he began to move. She lifted her hips, rocking with him to the age-old rhythm as the pleasure mounted to a breath-stealing crescendo. They shuddered, locked together in the intimate act. He said her name as he collapsed in her arms. She held on to him, arms wrapped tightly around him, never going to let him go.
“You saved my life,” she whispered as she remembered being under the freezing water last night. She’d been so sure that she would die there. Her own fault. She’d jeopardized not only her own life but also Pickett’s and Duffy’s.
She shuddered at the memory of the creek. He pulled her tighter. She’d never imagined it could be like this. She looked into his handsome face, her smile so broad it actually hurt as tears rushed her eyes. Pickett Hanson. Her hero.
“You know I’m headed for jail,” she said.
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” he said and rolled to his back to pull her over to him.
She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as he held her and whispered her name like a promise.
PICKETTCOULDN’TBELIEVEthat just before daylight they made love again, both of them ending up in the shower together. He’d left Oakley in the shower. When he’d come out of the bathroom, he’d found their clothing from the night before dried and folded neatly on a chair by the bed.Elaine,he thought.
He could hear loud voices somewhere beyond the guest room. He dressed quickly, feeling like a teenager. He couldn’t get enough of this woman and if he’d waited in the bathroom to help dry her off, they would have ended up making love again in the bed.
“I need to call the sheriff’s office,” Pickett said, sticking his head into the bathroom. Through the steam he could see her behind the glass. He quickly closed the door and tamped down his desire.
The truth was he had a feeling based on the sound of the loud voices that he wouldn’t have to call the sheriff’s office. As he walked into the living room, he saw that Holden and Elaine were at the breakfast table, surprised that there were no uniforms.
It was late. Holly Jo would have already left for school. Apparently, Duffy and Treyton either hadn’t come down yet or were already gone. He thought about what he’d learned about Treyton yesterday. He hadn’t had a chance to tell Duffy.
“Pickett, come join us,” Holden called to him.
“Thank you, but I need to call the sheriff’s department. I should have done it last night.”
“Oakley needed you. That was more important.” Holden waved him to a seat at the table. “Please come have some breakfast. You’ll see the deputies soon enough. How is she?”
“Good,” Pickett said, avoiding his gaze.
“Have some breakfast. Two deputies are waiting outside. Before I let them in, I thought we should talk.” Holden passed pancakes, bacon and eggs to him.
The deputies were waiting outside? He started to rise again, but Elaine touched his arm as she poured him a cup of coffee.
