Hidden Prey Read online

  He leaned one hip against a counter. “I have to say it would be nice to have a decent home-cooked meal. Other than Sunday dinner at my mom’s, I live on frozen dinners.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  “But first a drink.” He reached into a cabinet with his good arm and brought out a wine bottle and glanced at her. “For a red, I have merlot.”

  “Perfect.” She smiled. “I can help.”

  He reached into a cabinet and brought out a wine glass. “How are you at using a corkscrew?”

  “If I don’t ruin the cork, I’ll be doing well.” She took the bottle from him along with the corkscrew and went to work.

  She successfully removed the cork, a minor triumph since she ranked about fifty-fifty on the ability to take one out with a simple corkscrew and not get small pieces of cork in the wine. He took the bottle from her and poured wine into the glass. He grabbed a bottle of beer out of the fridge, managed to open it on his own and set the beer on the breakfast bar. He carried the glass of red wine to her before picking up his own bottle.

  Tori raised her glass. “To survival.”

  Landon clinked his bottle against her glass. “Survival.”

  After a sip of wine, Tori set the glass down. “Let’s see what you have as far as food goes.” She pointed to a door. “The pantry?”

  He gave a nod. “All yours.”

  Tori went to the pantry and searched it. She looked over her shoulder. “This is about as well stocked as a safe house.”

  He leaned against a counter again. “In other words, I need to go shopping.”

  “We just had spaghetti the other day and it looks like another pasta dinner from what I see in here.” Tori gathered a package of ziti from the pantry, along with cheese from the fridge, pork sausage from the freezer, and a few other odds and ends. She set it all out on the counter and got to work.

  * * *

  Every time Landon was around Tori, he wanted to run his hands over her soft curves, slide his fingers into her hair, and get lost forever in the depths of her dark eyes. He wanted to kiss her senseless and he wanted to be inside her again.

  He hadn’t felt this way about any woman since Stacy. He’d expected to feel guilty for being attracted to another woman, but with Tori he didn’t feel as if he betrayed Stacy’s memory. He felt as if Stacy had said, “Time to move on, Landon.”

  Could Tori be the right woman to move on with? She was a witness and it was his job to protect her, to get her safely to and through her testimony and nothing beyond that.

  Well, he’d gone way past protecting her when he’d spent the night with her. Way past.

  Landon insisted on helping by making garlic toast with inch-thick slices from a loaf of Texas toast he’d had on the countertop, plus butter and garlic salt. He managed pretty well for a guy with one useful arm.

  When he finished getting the garlic bread ready, he took a stack of newspapers off a stool at the breakfast bar and set them aside. He sat on the stool and studied Tori as she fixed dinner. She always moved gracefully and he remembered what she’d looked like when she’d played her clarinet. He frowned. Damn, her clarinet had been lost in the explosion.

  A thought occurred to him. “Do you play guitar?”

  She glanced at him. “A little. It’s an instrument I’ve wanted to improve on for a long time. I just haven’t fit it into my schedule.”

  “I can show you a few things on mine even though I can’t play with this bum shoulder.” He leaned back in his seat. “I’m not exceptional by any means, but I know my way around a guitar well enough to play a tune or two.”

  “I’d love it.” She gave a small sad smile. “Now that the clarinet my parents gave me is gone, I’d love another distraction.”

  “Good.” He wanted her to really smile but wondered if she could so soon after all she’d been through. “I’ll get it out after dinner.”

  It didn’t take too long to prepare dinner. For a macaroni dish, the ziti couldn’t be beat and he ate three helpings. She’d also steamed a package of broccoli she’d taken out of the freezer and served, as well as the toasted garlic bread.

  Tori had remained quiet during most of dinner and he had no doubt her mind was churning through everything that had happened.

  “I want to know how my parents are.” She raised her gaze from her plate and met his gaze. “I want to make sure they’re all right. Can’t we call?”

  “We can’t take the chance.” He leaned forward, his forearms on the breakfast bar as he focused on her. “I turned off my phone so I can’t be tracked and we took care of yours at Beth’s house. I don’t want anyone to figure out too soon we made it out of there alive.” His mind weighed every option he could think of. “And right now, I don’t know who the hell to trust.”

  “I’m scared, Landon.” She looked down and away. “How long can I keep running before they find me?”

  He touched the side of her face and gently made her turn to him again. “I’m not going to let them hurt you. Trust me.”

  “I do trust you,” she whispered. “You’re the only person I trust.”

  Would she still feel the same way when he told her that he had killed her brother during the drug raid? Was now the right time?

  No time would be a good time to talk about it. But it had to be done.

  He opened his mouth to tell her about her brother, but she spoke before he could. “Where’s your guitar?”

  “In my bedroom.” Maybe he should wait until she made it through what had become a terrifying ordeal for her. “I’ll throw the dishes in the dishwasher then grab my acoustic.”

  “I’ll help.”

  When they finished, he retrieved his instrument and they both sat on the couch. Once he handed it to her, she immediately held it correctly and strummed a few chords.

  “Needs a little tuning.” She looked thoughtful as she tuned the strings.

  They spent the next hour or so with Tori playing the guitar. She played tunes she had already learned on the instrument and he taught her a country song. She looked surprised but pleased as he sang along.

  “You have a wonderful voice.” She smiled when the song ended. “Do you sing often?”

  He shook his head. “Not even in the shower.”

  She laughed, a light, carefree sound. For a moment she seemed to forget all that had torn her life to shreds and the danger she faced.

  It only lasted a moment before the haunted look filled her eyes. She turned her attention to the guitar. “Teach me another one.” She picked up everything so quickly it amazed him. She only had to be told once and she had the tune memorized. “I haven’t listened to a lot of country music.” She easily repeated a melody he had just taught her. “One thing I’ve always admired about the music is the artists are such amazing storytellers.”

  “I grew up with country music.” His mind traveled back to his school years. “Mom plays the piano and Dad handles a guitar pretty well and they both have great voices. I’ve always thought my mom sings like an angel.” He couldn’t help a smile as he thought of those days. “They taught my sisters and me from the time we were big enough to sing and play guitar or piano.”

  “You clearly have vocal talent.” She picked through another melody. “I’d like to hear you play sometime.”

  He glanced at his injured arm then back to Tori. “Give me a few days and I’ll be back in fine shape.”

  “Dr. Fallon said it’s going to take longer than that to recover.” Tori set the guitar flat on her lap, exhaustion in her eyes. “But she also said you’d be hard to keep down.”

  “She knows me pretty well.” He glanced at a digital display on the DVD player, noting the time. “It’s getting late. You’ve had a hell of a day and not much rest last night.”

  Tori set the guitar on the floor and leaned it against an end table. “Sleep sounds so good.”

  He rose at the same time she got to her feet and he stepped toward her. He touched her face with his fingers and he realized then he wa
nted her more than he’d wanted anyone in his life.

  Her dark eyes grew heavy-lidded as he brought her close and he sensed the force of her desire.

  “What about your head?” She lightly touched his forehead with her fingertips. “Dr. Fallon said you might have a concussion.”

  “I feel perfectly fine.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “More than fine.”

  Chapter 22

  Tori shivered beneath Landon’s touch, watching arousal darken his green eyes. Her exhaustion fled and renewed energy surged through her. She craved his touch with a power that awakened the fire inside her that had burned so hot last night.

  When he lowered his head, she met him halfway and his mouth covered hers. His palm warmed her cheek and the heat traveled through her body. He sucked her tongue, drawing it into his mouth, and a thrill traveled straight between her thighs, causing her to grow wetter.

  Her breasts ached and her taut nipples pushed against her T-shirt. His touch and the certainty that he desired her as much as she wanted him made her even hotter for him. She wanted to feel his length and thickness inside her as he filled her once again. It had been amazing having him inside her last night and she wanted to feel that sense of completion once more, the exquisite feeling of fullness.

  He slid his fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head, holding her to him. She loved the feel of the dominant, possessive move. She leaned closer and felt his arm between them. In her haze of lust and need, she had forgotten something important.

  She drew away and his fingers took possession of her hair. She breathed hard as she looked up at him. “Your arm. You’re injured.”

  A slow and sensual smile curved the corner of his mouth. “The rest of me isn’t.”

  Her belly fluttered and she inched her palms up his broad chest, feeling the rise and fall, and she linked her arms around his neck, ever careful of his wound. “If you think you can handle me.”

  He studied her from beneath his heavy-lidded eyes. “Honey, I can handle anything you dish out.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Butterflies darting around in her belly, she stepped back and captured his hand in hers. “I plan on riding you hard, cowboy.”

  “You’re killing me.” He squeezed her hand in his and led her down the hall, his strides long, as if he couldn’t wait to be inside her.

  Her heart thumped and a shivery sense of excitement prickled her skin. He flipped on a bedside light as he brought her into a bedroom. The soft glow of the lamp illuminated the room that had a king-size bed in the center with an old-fashioned travel trunk at its foot. A bureau, a large rocking chair, and two nightstands completed the furniture.

  Landon stole her attention. In moments she could only think about him, only cared about him.

  “I want to see your body.” He skimmed his knuckles along the side of her neck, his expression filled with passion that nearly swept her away. “Show me all of you.”

  Could she even breathe, much less take off her clothing? He parted from her, smoothing his hand down her arm before they were separated. She stepped back a few feet and thought about how she wanted to drive him crazy and all the things she wanted to do to him and have done to her.

  She grasped the bottom of her T-shirt then pulled it up in a sensual movement meant to tease and tantalize him. By his taut expression, she knew it worked. She wiggled, tugging the shirt over her head then throwing it aside.

  His hungry gaze and the bulge beneath his jeans gave her a feeling of power she’d never experienced before. She watched the heat flare in his eyes as she reached behind her, unfastened her bra, and dropped it to the floor.

  He took a step forward, but she held up one hand, her palm facing him. “Stay right there.” She heard the huskiness in her own voice, the incredible need building and building within her.

  His jaw tightened and he looked as if he had to restrain himself. “Keep teasing me, honey, and all bets are off.”

  “No touching. Not yet.” She shook her finger at him. “I’ll let you know when you’re allowed to.”

  His eyes narrowed as if he would come undone. He kicked off one of his shoes then the other, all the time watching her.

  Her gaze held his as she kicked off the cheap, new athletic shoes and moved her fingers to the button of her jeans. She unbuttoned them and drew the zipper down in a slow, tantalizing motion.

  “You are driving me out of my mind.” His husky voice sent tremors through her. The veins in his arm stood out as he clenched his fists.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet.” She shimmied out of her jeans, easing them down to her bare feet. As much as she wanted him, she didn’t plan to hurry this erotic dance. It was too exciting, too breathtaking, knowing he wanted her so badly he could barely hold himself back.

  He groaned when she hooked her thumbs in the sides of her panties and slipped them over her hips and thighs, inch by aching inch. When they reached her feet, she stepped out of the panties and the jeans.

  He took another step forward, but again she raised her hand. “I’ll tell you when.”

  His gaze followed her hands skimming over her belly and continuing up to cup her breasts. She felt the weight of them in her hands and his breath hitched as she pinched her nipples and rolled them between her thumbs and forefingers. Her sensitive nipples begged for his mouth, but she intended to finish torturing him erotically.

  He took in her every movement as she slid one hand down to her mound. She slipped her finger into her wetness and stroked her clit. Her own touch on the sensitized nub caused her to moan.

  He watched her like an animal straining against its leash. It made her ache even more between her thighs and she had to assuage the need. She circled her clit before sliding her fingers lower and dipping them into her wet core.

  “I’m warning you, woman.” He had to clear his throat to speak. “I’m about to take you over my knee and spank you for teasing me the way you are.”

  “Next time, you can spank me.” She gave him a smile meant to fuel the fire she saw in his eyes. “This time, you watch.”

  * * *

  Landon knew he would lose it, and lose it big. He would come in his jeans if he didn’t succeed in restraining himself, or if Tori didn’t stop.

  Her sensual smile and the way she touched herself made his cock swell and feel as if his jeans were strangling it. Her lips parted and her lids lowered and she watched him through the slits of her eyelids as she took him to the very edge.

  She moaned at the touch of her finger slipping over her clit while she pinched her nipple with her other hand. Her finger moved faster and she gasped, looking ready to climax. He almost dropped to his knees, wanting to lick her sweet flesh and bring her to orgasm with his mouth.

  But she clearly enjoyed what she did to him. Her breathing became harsher and she tipped her head back, falling into the sensations. A few more strokes and she gave a cry. Her hips bucked against her hand and her whole body seemed to shudder.

  Unable to stop himself, he took the few steps between them and trailed his hand to her lower back as he brought his mouth down on hers. Her body still vibrated from her orgasm, drawn out with her fingers. He stole the rest of her breath with his kiss, needing to feel her orgasm when he held her. When her body stilled, he raised his head and looked down at her.

  He put his hand over her heart, feeling the rapid beat beneath his palm. She took a deep breath, tension easing from her features, and she freed her fingers from her wet folds.

  Her pupils dilated as he replaced her fingers with his and she shuddered when he touched her clit. He brought his fingers from her folds and raised them to his nose. He inhaled her scent, drawing it into him, and a rumble rose up in his chest. Her lips parted, her gaze smoky, as he slipped his fingers into his mouth and tasted her.

  He slid his fingers from his mouth. “I love how you taste. “I want to make you come with my mouth and my tongue.”

  The flash of pure desire in her eyes almost drove him to his
knees. “I have the control and I intend to take full advantage of you.”

  Before he could form a reply, she gave him a sensual look and slipped from his grasp to kneel on the floor in front of him.

  He nearly groaned aloud. What she’d done before—he’d never been with a woman who could deep-throat him, taking all of him. Last night she hadn’t even come up for air often when she’d sucked him. He didn’t think he could handle another round.

  She pushed up his shirt and splayed her fingers on his abs. A sigh escaped her as she slid her palms higher, touching the expanse of his chest before running her hands down to the waistband of his jeans. He swallowed when she trailed her fingers along his skin, just beneath the waistband above his erection, and his heartbeat grew louder in his ears.

  “I loved having your cock in my mouth last night.” She smiled, deftly releasing the button with her musician’s hands. “I want it again. More than anything.” She looked up and met his gaze as she pulled his zipper. “Almost anything.”

  She pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down just enough to release his cock and balls and he groaned. She was too much. “I’m warning you—” Words failed him as she grasped his cock and he hissed out a breath.

  She circled the head of his cock with her tongue before licking the pre-cum. He clenched his fist at his side and gritted his teeth. Damn it, he refused to climax. He intended to fuck her—if he survived.

  “I love the taste of your come.” She sighed, her breath warm on his cock and causing him to damn near orgasm without her even taking him completely into her mouth. “I love the salt of your skin.”

  “Damn it, Tori.” He tried to make it sound like a warning, but he could barely get it out through gritted teeth.

  Her eyes never left his as she caressed her mouth along its length.

  “Jesus.” He grasped a handful of her hair and pushed her head all the way down. She took him willingly all the way into her throat. “I never knew musicians were so damned talented.”