Zack (Armed and Dangerous Book 1) Page 18

  “Once or twice.” Sky kissed the corner of his mouth, fighting the temptation to try for another time. The man probably needed some time to regenerate.

  Good Lord, was she becoming a nympho?

  Damn straight.

  Before she knew what he was doing, he grabbed her around the waist and set her on the front seat of the truck cab, then slid her thong completely off.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he spread her legs, staring at her mound.

  His voice was rough as he replied, “I’ve got to taste you.” He hooked her legs over his shoulders and buried his face between her thighs before she had a chance to form a thought.

  “Zack!” Sky cupped her breasts, as he sucked and licked her clit. She squirmed, crying out when he plunged his fingers into her, his satisfied groan against her clit sending vibrations through her already sensitized body.

  The leather seat was slick with her sweat as he devoured her, his cheek stubble rough against her soft skin. She pinched and twisted her nipples, clenching her knees tight around his head. A buzzing filled her mind and she no longer felt anything but his tongue licking her clit, his fingers thrusting inside, and the climax rising within her.

  When Sky came, she dug her hands into the leather seat and shouted his name. Zack continued licking her, pushing his face against her until she climaxed yet another time. Her body shuddered with wave after wave of sensation.

  When he stopped, she felt so sated and limp that she knew she’d never move again.

  Zack pulled back and rested his head on her leg as Sky continued to feel aftershocks from her orgasms. “You taste so good, sweetheart,” he murmured as he touched her clit with his finger, causing her body to spasm even harder.

  “Doooon’t,” Sky moaned. “I can’t take any more.”

  “You know what they say about revenge.” Zack raised himself up and grabbed Sky’s hands, pulling her to a sitting position.

  “Revenge?” Her head was still fuzzy from the orgasms. Pressing her close to him, Zack slowly kissed her. She tasted her own musk on his lips. When he raised his head, he smiled. “For that ‘down under’ experience at the restaurant.”

  “Oh. That.” Sky ran her fingers along the scar that made him seem almost dangerous in the moonlight. “I like your kind of revenge.”

  After he fastened his belt and jeans, Zack helped Sky straighten her clothes. He closed the door of his truck, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and walked her to the house.

  The corner of Zack’s mouth turned up and she went weak- kneed at the sight of his devastating smile. “What am I going to do with you?” he murmured as they walked up the porch steps.

  They stopped in front of the door and she reached up and brushed her lips over his. “Anything you want.”

  He placed his hands around her waist and nuzzled the top of her head. “Anything?”

  Sky gave a sigh, feeling so contented that she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. The emotions rolling through her were making her dizzy. She couldn’t tell one from another, and the thought of what they could be scared her, twisting her stomach into knots.

  She couldn’t be falling in love with Zack Hunter all over again.

  Chapter 24

  The next morning, Thursday, Sky shifted from one foot to the other in Hector’s hospital room as she looked down at him. A twinge of guilt ran through her at the thought of how much she’d enjoyed herself with Zack while Hector lay in his hospital bed, his body battered and broken.

  Outside the door stood the wiry, goateed Deputy Blalock, who was Hector’s guard today.

  Hector’s fingers felt hot against Sky’s as she squeezed them gently—the parts of his fingers that weren’t covered by the cast.

  Sky tried to ignore the hospital smell of disinfectant that didn’t disguise the lingering odors of death left behind by other patients.

  The smells reminded her too much of when her mother had passed away from cancer. Nina MacKenna had been a large woman with soft, full curves that were made for hugging. Sky had felt like she was the most loved child on earth whenever her mother embraced her. When her light had finally left the world, Nina had been nothing but a skeleton, a remnant of that once vibrant soul.

  Just the memories made more tears try to fight their way forward. Throughout her illness, Nina MacKenna had gone from being a robust woman full of life to a frail, thin woman gripping the hand of death.

  The last time Sky had seen her mother, her thin lips had formed a weak smile as she looked from Trinity to Sky. They each held one of their mother’s hands as tears flooded their cheeks.

  “I love you,” their mother had whispered before slipping away.

  Her last three words. I love you.

  Sky bit the inside of her cheek and focused on Hector, trying not to cry from the memories of her mother’s death.

  “I’m so sorry, Hector.” Sky pulled a green-padded chair close to his bed, then gripped his fingers again. “We’ll get the bastards who did this to you.”

  Surprise jolted through Sky when Hector squeezed her fingers. He rolled his head to face her and his lips moved like he was trying to form words.

  Sky’s heart beat faster and she held her breath for a moment before she asked, “What is it? Who did this?”

  The sound that rose from Hector’s bruised throat was a horrible grating noise. His lips moved and she leaned closer as he tried to speak out of the side of his mouth where the jaw wasn’t broken.

  “Wu... wu...” His swollen throat worked as he swallowed. His eyelids fluttered as if the effort to speak was exhausting him.

  “Water?” Sky said as she squeezed his fingers.

  She thought for a moment he was trying to move his head from side to side.

  “Deputy Blalock.” Sky raised her voice. “Hector’s trying to speak.”

  “Wu...” Hector tried again just before the deputy entered the room.

  Hector’s body slackened and he fully closed his swollen eyes.

  At first a burst of fear hit Sky full in the chest as the thought slammed into her that he could be dead. But she relaxed as she saw the steady rise and fall of his chest and the vital signs on the monitors didn’t vary.

  “Ms. MacKenna?” the deputy said as he looked down at her with concern.

  Sky explained what had happened. “I imagine he was asking for water, but I’d hoped he’d be able to tell us who did this to him—that’s why I called you into the room.”

  Deputy Blalock nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on him to see if he wakes again.”

  Sky took a deep breath. “Thanks.”

  After the deputy left, Sky turned back to Hector. “You get some rest.” She lightly settled her hand on his cast as the backs of her eyes stung. “We’ll take care of everything.”

  She squeezed his fingers one last time before she left Hector’s hospital room. The deputy guarding the room gave her a short nod, and she tried to answer it with a smile but failed and turned away to head out of the hospital.

  Her sneakers squeaked on the county hospital’s cracked linoleum floor. Sky stopped and spoke to the nurse manning the reception desk and let her know that Hector had tried to talk and that she thought he was asking for water.

  Sky took the cell phone from the clip on her western leather belt and called Zack’s number that he’d given her back when he’d been working with Satan.

  A few rings and then she was directed to his voice mail. “Hey, Zack,” she said as her gaze roved the parking lot through the glass front doors. “I just visited Hector Ramirez at the hospital. He tried to talk but was only able to get out a ‘wu’ sound. He was probably asking for water but I thought you might want to know he woke long enough to attempt to speak.”

  When she finished, she closed her cell phone and reclipped it to her belt. She took a deep breath and pushed open the hospital’s glass front doors and stepped into the chilly but clear October morning.

  After saddling Empress, Sky s
wung up and onto the sorrel mare. Leather creaked as Sky seated herself and loosely held the reins of the bridle. Blue stood calmly by Empress, waiting for them to head out.

  Dust motes glittered in a shaft of sunlight, particles of hay floating with the dust. The familiar scents of alfalfa, manure, horse, and cob with molasses calmed Sky and the ongoing tightness in her belly relaxed. She could almost forget all that had happened over the past few weeks. This was normal. This was how things should be.

  She smiled at the memory of the crazy-wonderful sex she’d had with Zack. Good Lord. Zack had given her an orgasm in a restaurant while feeding her cheesecake. And then she’d gone down on him under the table, making him come twice. God, and the sex half in, half out of the truck had been so hot.

  Sky had woken at dawn just as Zack had been ready to leave.

  He had to change at his place and get to work. Then she’d gotten up, showered, and gone to the hospital to visit Hector.

  Her smile vanished into a frown and she couldn’t help a deep sigh. Damn, damn, damn.

  Sky clicked her tongue and pressed her knees into the sorrel’s sides. “Let’s go, girl.” Empress tossed her head, the bit firmly in her mouth. “You, too, Blue,” Sky added to her Border Collie. “We’re escaping this place and getting some fresh air and sunshine.”

  Sky always found herself talking to Blue and Empress like they were people. They certainly were just as intelligent, if not smarter than a lot of people.

  Blue trotted at Empress’s side as Sky guided the sorrel out of the barn into the cool October afternoon. The copper-red Quarter Horse was one of the finest on the ranch and of Sky’s best breeding stock.

  In the house, Sky had tucked her S&W in its holster at her side, her long overshirt covering the weapon. The S&W was the only company she wanted right now, other than Blue, who was a damned good guard dog when she needed him to be.

  Of course her cell phone was in its clip on her leather belt, the phone set on vibrate. She wished she could turn it off for a while. She didn’t want any interruption to break the afternoon’s peace, but she was the owner of a large ranch and if she was needed, she had to be available.

  In one saddlebag she’d shoved a pair of pliers, her heavy-duty leather work gloves, and a small spool of baling wire in case she found any downed fence lines. She could do a temporary patch to keep the cattle in if she needed to and send one of the hands out to finish the job later. As usual when she worked, she had her utility knife shoved into the right front pocket of her jeans.

  The other saddlebag contained her snack—a banana and a granola bar—along with some treats for Blue and Empress. Of course she had a couple of large bottles of water.

  Sky’s long braid swung across her back as she, Empress, and Blue headed out to the south pasture. The hay had been harvested in August and the bales now filled the southern end of the cattle barn.

  It was the middle of October and the fields had turned yellow. The scent of fall was in the air and she was thankful for the overshirt to protect her arms from the slight chill. Overnight the weather could turn and she’d be freezing her ass off the next time she rode out onto her acreage to work or just to get some fresh air.

  In another month roundup would begin so that her cattle could be vaccinated and wormed. Then part of her herd would be cut and shipped. The calves would be castrated, tagged, and branded with the more-than-a-century-old Flying M brand. She tightened her jaw. Luke would have a better idea at that time just how many of her cattle had been rustled. And damnit, she was afraid it was more than they had figured.

  Blue bounded ahead of her, head down every now and then as he sniffed the path they were taking. Empress’s hooves sank into the earth that was still damp from the rain the night Hector had been beaten.

  Sky frowned and her stomach did an angry flip. Thank God Hector was going to pull through. “At least Hector’s alive.” Sky used her knees to guide Empress south. “That’s what counts right now.”

  The mare whickered and tossed her head. Blue looked over his shoulder and gave a short woof. It sounded as if they both agreed.

  Sky had to smile at that.

  It wasn’t long before they reached the fence dividing the Flying M and Wade’s ranch, Coyote Pass.

  A jackrabbit bounded across Empress’s path, but the sorrel was so well trained she didn’t so much as step sideways. Blue watched the rabbit, but he was just as well trained as the mare and didn’t give chase. The Border Collie was trained to work cattle and obeyed Sky’s every order.

  For a while Sky traveled along the length of the fence line with her two companions. They reached the eastern pasture where her cattle grazed. The southern pasture had already been harvested or Sky would have had them herded there. As it was, the only grazing fodder was in the eastern pasture and they’d been forced to leave the cattle where they were, regardless of the rustlers.

  Sky swung down from her saddle to open the gate from the southern to the eastern pasture. She guided Empress through with Blue following before she shut the gate behind them. She mounted the horse again, settling comfortably in the well-worn saddle.

  Sky let out a huff of breath as she looked down the stretch of fence that had been patched in several places where it had been cut.

  She scowled at the tire tracks and flattened grass that told her where the rustlers had broken through to take her cattle. Luke and Zack, along with Sheriff Wayland, had already investigated the area and were checking to see if the prints along this fence line matched those where Hector had been beaten.

  If her ranch weren’t a thousand acres, it might have been easier to patrol the eastern range, but as it was they didn’t have the man power. Her ranch hands were at a minimum until roundup in the fall and spring.

  Horse hooves hitting the earth hard caught Sky’s attention. She glanced back the way she’d come. On the other side of the fence, a rider approached at a gallop and a whirling sensation tingled in Sky’s belly. The man was large and rangy and she wasn’t positive who it was. As for the horse, at first Sky just saw the head and chest, which were cinnamon red in color. But then she got a glimpse of the horse’s hindquarters and saw that it was an Appal oosa.

  Wade, she realized as he and his horse got closer. Just great. After his last visit she’d rather put him on the end of a stick and roast him on a barbeque spit.

  A low rumble rose in Blue’s throat and she glanced at the Border Collie. She turned back to watch the approaching man. “I did tell you that you had permission to bite him in the ass the next time you saw him.”

  Blue growled a little louder and Sky looked at the dog. “Let’s hold off on the ass biting for a moment. Okay, boy?”

  The border collie stopped growling but remained at Sky and Empress’s side.

  When Wade reached them he pulled his mount up short. His green eyes looked as fiery and obstinate as ever.

  Empress shifted beneath Sky as if sensing her irritation—or perhaps because she was pressing her knees tight to the mare’s sides without realizing it. Sky relaxed the pressure as she tilted her chin and met his gaze. “What can I do for you, Wade?” She said with a hint of ice to her tone.

  Wade removed his straw western hat, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His collar was soaked and perspiration glistened on his face. Despite obviously working a long, hard, sweaty day, he was still a handsome man. It was easy to see the sexual appeal in him that she’d found enticing. She’d grown up around Wade, but she’d been too much younger than him to really know him—four years was a big gap as kids. It wasn’t until he truly turned into a man and she was older that she’d found him attractive.

  She certainly hadn’t found him too attractive when he’d been by last, though.

  “I planned to come by your place later,” Wade said as he wiped the back of his sleeve over his sweaty forehead. “But I saw you heading on out this way and I thought I’d meet up with you so that we could talk.”

  Sky narrowed her eyes. “I think you said
enough.”

  His jaw tightened before his eyes met and held hers. “I think we could have had something if Hunter hadn’t returned.”

  “You and I didn’t have a relationship beyond being friends.” A strange sensation swirled in her stomach as she watched his darkening expression. “We hadn’t even dated for a couple of months.”

  “Only because you were too busy.” His scowl deepened. “At least you said you were.”

  “I was busy,” she said, suddenly feeling the need to be careful of every word she spoke. “But I also didn’t realize you thought our relationship was more than casual.”

  “I’ve had a thing for you for years.” Wade’s gelding sidestepped and Wade brought the horse back in line. “You know that.”

  “You’ve always been a good friend.” She gripped Empress’s reins. “I thought that would be enough for our relationship to go somewhere, but it never felt right to me.”

  Wade’s knuckles looked a little white as he clenched the Appaloosa’s reins. “You’re making a mistake.”

  A crawling sensation tickled the back of her neck. Something wasn’t right.

  His voice came out harsh when he continued speaking. “Everything changes. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”

  Blue growled and the way Wade said those words sent a chill along Sky’s spine. “What do you mean?”

  His eyes returned to hers, his gaze hard now. “Nothing to concern yourself with.”

  A lead weight went straight to Sky’s stomach. For the first time she noticed the Remington rifle secured on his saddle. His pistol was in the holster strapped to his thigh as usual, like a cowboy gunslinger from a century ago.

  Wade used the horse’s reins to wheel the Appaloosa around, facing his ranch. “Watch out for yourself, Skylar,” he said before he snapped his reins and urged the gelding away at a steady gallop.

  Sky swallowed as she watched the horse and rider fade from sight. Shit. Did Wade have something to do with the rustling? Did he have some kind of personal vendetta—maybe against her? What had that all been about?

  She caught her breath. No way he’d be jealous enough to go after Zack, right?