Zack (Armed and Dangerous Book 1) Read online

  Zack eased closer to the open stall and peered over the wooden side rail to find a good-sized black bull yearling straining against a rope tie. The corner of Zack’s mouth twitched.

  “I’m gonna have to take you in, son,” he said with mock seriousness to the fire-eyed yearling. “For disturbing the peace and knocking around a beautiful woman.”

  The moment the last two words were out of Zack’s mouth, it seemed like the entire ranch went silent. He turned to look at Sky and he could see reality sinking in, her lips forming a frown as she narrowed her eyes.

  Now, she knew. After all these years and that awful good-bye, Zack had returned to Douglas.

  Chapter 2

  Hurt, pride, and anger flashed across Sky’s face, and then worse— indifference.

  Zack holstered his gun, then extended his hand in an offer to help Sky to her feet. She moved her fingers to her neck, like she couldn’t decide if she should ignore his hand or accept it.

  He’d forgotten that nervous habit of hers. How she’d rub the base of her throat when she was feeling self-conscious or uneasy, leaving the fair skin red. And how he’d loved to kiss that soft skin whenever she did that.

  As if she could hear his thoughts, she moved her fingers away from her throat. With a little tilt of her chin, she reached up and clasped his hand.

  That touch, that simple touch, brought back every bit of yearning he’d ever had for her, and even when she was standing, he couldn’t let go. She was tall, only four inches shorter than his six feet two. The perfect height for kissing. He had always loved that she matched him. As if she had been made just for him.

  And God, she still smelled the same—of the wind after a summer storm, and orange blossoms, the scent that always drove him wild. Memories flowed through him—of how she had explored every part of his body with her inquisitive fingers, her sexy mouth, her sweet tongue.

  “Sky.” Zack’s voice was husky with longing.

  “It’s Skylar.” She jerked her hand from his and dusted off the seat of her jeans with her palms, never taking her eyes from his.

  Zack’s gaze dropped to the rise and fall of her chest, and his throat went dry. Sky’s open pale blue western shirt exposed the swell of her breasts and taut nipples beneath a peach satin bra. Satin that he knew could be no softer than the satin of her breasts. Breasts that he wanted to caress. Nipples he wanted to taste, right there in the barn.

  “You might want to fix that.” He allowed his fingers to touch the edges of the open vee of her shirt before letting his arm drop to his side again.

  Pink touched Sky’s cheeks as she glanced down and then brought her hand to her gaping shirt. He noticed her fingers trembled as she fumbled with each snap.

  He took the opportunity to study her long legs in snug jeans, her copper hair escaping the single braid that fell across her shoulder as she bent over. When she finished, she lifted her head and her green eyes met his.

  “It’s been a long time,” Zack said in a low rumble.

  Frowning, Sky took a step forward, and to his surprise she reached out and touched the scar that creased his left cheek. Instead of flinching from the memory of how he got that mark, he felt like a tamed beast.

  “It never went away,” she said softly.

  Zack stood mesmerized by her beauty. Her touch that was almost as innocent as she had been when his face had been slashed.

  Her finger trailed the scar that went from his ear almost to his mouth. She paused, her gaze riveted on his lips, and he damn near stopped breathing.

  Sky jerked her hand away like she’d come to her senses and she took a step back, her cheeks going pink again. “So. What are you doing here?”

  I came back for you.

  Likely Sky wouldn’t be too keen on him telling her he’d come back for her ten years after he left. Instead, he said, “Is your dad around?”

  A glimmer of laughter came back into her eyes. “If he was, he’d likely run you off with his old Remington.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Zack’s mouth turned up in a slight grin, and then his tone went serious. “I’ve missed you.”

  She cocked her head and studied him for a moment. “Did you have anything in particular to say to my dad, or is it something you can tell me?”

  Zack fished his wallet out of the back pocket of his Wranglers, drew out his business card, and handed it to her.

  Sky took it from him, her fingertips lightly brushing his, and glanced at the card with the ICE logo. “So, you’re now a federal agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

  “I transferred to Douglas last week,” he said as he slid his wallet into his back pocket. “I’m out introducing myself to ranchers in the area. The mountains behind your ranch are being used to smuggle narcotics from Mexico.”

  “What’s new? That’s been going on for years.” Sky gave a little shrug. “Enough drugs and illegals come through that range to keep every law enforcement officer in the Southwest busy.”

  Zack frowned. True, it was common knowledge, but it still bothered him that Sky seemed so unconcerned that danger passed her back door daily. “If you see anything suspicious, give me a call.”

  Now if that wasn’t lame and corny, he didn’t know what the hell was.

  Sky fixed a smile on her face as she shoved the card into the front pocket of her jeans. “Great, Special Agent Hunter.”

  He shook his head. “It’s Zack to you, Sky.”

  “Skylar, not Sky.” She folded her arms beneath her breasts. “So that’s why you came back? To rid the Southwest of drug smugglers and illegal aliens.”

  “Something like that.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops.

  A horse whickered and the red roan poked his head over a stall door in the half of the huge barn that housed her Quarter Horses. Sky moved toward the roan. “How’s my boy?” she murmured as she rubbed the stallion’s nose.

  She stood in a shaft of sunlight and Zack’s breath caught in his throat. Dust motes swirled in the air around Sky, and her hair shone like burnished copper.

  “How’s your brother doing?” she asked, her attention on the horse.

  Zack swallowed, wishing Sky was stroking him instead of the damn horse. “Cabe’s a detective with the Bisbee Police Department. What’s your sister up to?”

  “Trinity got a wild hair after she graduated from college and she’s been in Europe ever since.” Sky rubbed the horse behind his ears. “Sometime before Christmas she’ll be coming home. First visit in four years.”

  Zack gave a low whistle. “That’s a long time to be gone from home.”

  “You should know, Zack.” Sky patted the horse’s neck and turned back to him. “So you went to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center like you wanted.”

  “Yeah.” Zack tensed as he saw a flicker of pain in her eyes. “After I graduated from FLETC I went into Customs, long before it was rolled into Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” He moved closer, wanting to be near her. “How about you? What’ve you been up to all this time?”

  Sky flicked a piece of straw off the top of the stall. “Other than trying to figure out who swiped fifty head of cattle, not a whole hell of a lot.”

  “Rustlers.” Zack shook his head. “I know about the thefts, but didn’t know you were hit.”

  “Yeah.” An expression of frustration and anger glinted in her eyes. “It started week before last.” She looked like she was gritting her teeth. “Bastards.”

  A frown creased her features again as she added, “How did you hear about it?”

  “Work.” Zack jerked his head in the direction of the Mexican border. “Been some concern the situation might involve thieves coming across the line.”

  “Isn’t that a little far-fetched?” Sky gestured toward the bull in the stall. “Can’t imagine herds being shuttled into Mexico without anyone noticing.”

  “Just the same, ICE is now involved,” Zack said. “How’d it start?”

  “First we noticed our herd was do
wn a few head.” Sky made a sound of irritation. “Then a dozen or so heifers just up and disappeared. Last night at least freaking fifty head were taken. Looks like the bastards are getting cockier.”

  His mouth tightened. “Or more stupid.”

  “Even though we’ve got cattle insurance,” Sky said, “this sucks big-time. There’s no way to replace the quality of the herd I’ve cultivated over the past several years.”

  With a sigh that made her frustration clear, she leaned back and braced her arms on the stall behind her. The motion caused her breasts to jut out and her blouse to gape, showing that satin bra and her generous cleavage.

  Zack swallowed. “When’ll your dad be back?”

  “He was here a week ago, so he’s not likely to visit for at least a couple of months. We expect him and his new wife for Thanksgiving or Christmas, not sure which.”

  We. Shock rippled through Zack as it occurred to him that Sky truly could be married, living at the ranch with her husband. No ring on her finger, but that didn’t mean anything. She could keep it off while she was working. Zack had thought he was prepared for the possibility, but right now he couldn’t imagine any man being with her. The thought made him want to kill the bastard, whoever he was.

  Zack had been her first lover, and he should have been her only lover.

  No, goddamnit. He’d given up that right the moment he walked away.

  His scar ached from the memories that still haunted him and he rubbed what had been a deep knife cut. “Ray retired?”

  “Couple of years ago.” Sky nodded as she spoke, crossing her arms over her chest again, as if protecting herself from Zack.

  It almost killed him to even think she could be married. “So, you and your, ah, husband run the ranch?”

  She lifted one slim brow and one corner of her mouth rose. “I run it myself.”

  Even as heat burned in Zack’s gut he had to ask. “What does your husband do?”

  “Not a darn thing,” she said, her expression still amused. Fuck. Goddamn. Shit. She is married. And apparently to a lazy sonofabitch.

  Zack would kill the bastard. Sky deserved better than that. “So where is he?”

  She cocked her head to the side. “Nowhere.”

  Zack narrowed his gaze. “What—”

  Her laughter cut across his words. “I’m not married.”

  Relief surged through him, hot and satisfying. “You never married?” His tone dropped.

  The fiery glint came back in her eyes, rivaling the devil of a yearling a few stalls down. “Well, I wasn’t pining after you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  His muscles tensed like tightly strung barbed wire as he reminded himself she’d said “we.” Hell, she could have a boyfriend. A fiance.

  Whoever he was, he was a dead man.

  This time Zack’s voice came out in a growl. “Who’d you mean by ‘we’?”

  She shrugged. “Me and my Border Collie, Blue.”

  Zack didn’t know whether that meant she was a free woman or not, but he didn’t care. He was back and in these few moments with Sky he’d made up his mind. He intended to make her his. Again.

  When Sky spoke next, her voice was low. “What about you? Did you ever marry?”

  “Who’d marry this ugly mug?”

  She cut him a sharp glance. “If you’re fishing for a compliment, you’ve come to the wrong woman.”

  “Then I’ll give you one.” Zack moved a step closer. “Sweetheart, how’d you grow to be more gorgeous than you were a decade ago?” He barely held himself back from touching her. “You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen that first time I laid eyes on you at the rodeo, when I watched you win the barrel racing competition.” He sucked in his breath at the memory. “And now look at you.”

  Sky closed her eyes. “I’d forgotten how you always knew the most charming words.”

  Before Zack realized what he was saying, he started to ask, “Sky—” He stopped himself from telling her what it was he really wanted. “You think we can be friends again?”

  Christ. Could he be any more lame?

  “Friends?” She opened her eyes and moved her fingers to her throat. After a moment’s hesitation, she gave him a shrug and a little smile. “Why not? We’re almost ten years older and we’ve both grown up. A lot.”

  Her eyes roamed over him as she spoke the last words, and he wanted her more than ever before. And that was saying something.

  When her gaze met his again, he knew she’d noticed his desire. “Yes,” she said, her voice low and husky. “We’re both all grown-up.”

  In the next instant, she dodged around him and headed to the stall with the yearling that looked like he must be the spawn of the Devil. “You little imp,” she said in a low croon as she laid her hand on the upper railing of the stall. “What am I going to do with you?”

  The bull glared, his head lowered and looking as if he’d like to take her out, and Sky smiled at him. “If you don’t settle down, you’re going to end up at the slaughterhouse rather than becoming lord of the manor with all the pretty ladies.” She shook her head. “I sunk way too much money into you, buddy, for you to turn into T-bones and hamburger.”

  “What’s his name?” Zack said.

  “Satan.” Sky glanced over her shoulder at Zack. “I thought about naming him Zack, but that’s what I named the old jackass out back.” She said it with a straight face, but he saw the wicked spark in her eyes.

  He grinned. He’d forgotten her teasing sense of humor and her ability to make him laugh. She turned to the bull, and Zack walked up behind her so that just inches separated them. He drank in the scent of her that mingled with the smells of horse, hay, sweet oats, and barn dust.

  “Sky.” He noticed the slight shiver that ran through her at the sound of his voice.

  “I keep telling you, it’s Skylar.” She spun around and her eyes widened when she saw how close he was. She tried to step away, but her back was against the side of the stall.

  “You’ve always been Sky to me,” he said softly.

  She raised her chin, and he noticed a streak of dirt across her cheek. “It’s Skylar to you now, just like everyone else.”

  Almost without thought, Zack reached up to wipe the smudge away, needing to feel the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips. Her lips parted and her eyes widened as he gently smoothed the dirt from her cheek. Slowly he trailed his thumb down her soft skin to her full lips. Needing to touch her. Needing to wipe away the memories of their good-bye.

  He felt lost in the sensation of being near Sky again, her presence seeping into his blood like wildfire. “It’s been much too long.”

  Sky’s lips trembled beneath his thumb. “Zack—”

  He didn’t give her a chance to say anything or to refuse what he wanted. Needed.

  He caught her face in his palms, slipping his fingers into her hair, and brought his mouth down on hers.

  She gasped and he took advantage of her parted lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth. He growled as he took from her and she made a slight sound of refusal. She braced her palms on his chest and tried to push him away, but he only kissed her harder, putting every bit of ten years of loss into that kiss.

  In only moments she made soft little moans and gripped his shirt in her fists as she pressed her body to his. She kissed him back and she and Zack both demanded and took what they wanted, but gave at the same time.

  She felt so good in his arms. Soft, sweet, and so perfect that he wanted to keep her against him forever. He wanted to be inside her, feeling her take him deep as they got lost in each other.

  Zack released a low, hungry groan as he rubbed his aching erection against her belly.

  Sky jerked away. Out of his arms.

  Her eyes were wide and a little wild as she brought her fingers to her mouth. She shoved past him and headed out the barn door, almost at a run.

  He followed, catching up to her in a few strides. She stopped by the driver’s side door o
f his black SUV. She had her back to him, her hands now clenched into fists to either side of her.

  Zack suddenly felt like the world’s biggest ass. “Sky—”

  “Time to hit the road, Zack.” She slowly turned around as the breeze blew a strand of copper hair across her face and she pushed it behind one ear. She had composed her expression, but her lips were red and swollen from his kiss and her eyes gave her away—he’d rattled her. More than rattled her.

  “Go,” she said.

  He couldn’t make himself leave, but he forced himself to stand where he was and not kiss her again.

  Damnit, but he needed to be near her a little longer. There was so much he wanted to ask her now that he’d seen her again. So much he wanted to know about her.

  So much time to make up for before he claimed her for good.

  Before he could get out another word, the ring of horse hooves against stone caught Zack’s attention. He turned to see a man on a Quarter Horse approaching them.

  “Luke.” The sound of relief was obvious in Sky’s voice as the man dismounted.

  In seconds, Zack sized up the man Sky called Luke. From years of law enforcement training, Zack instantly cataloged the man’s height, hair and eye color, posture, mannerisms, and the hard, intense look in his gaze.

  Zack’s body went rigid. Did this man have some kind of claim on Sky? If he did, Zack planned on clearing the ground with him. Not that the man looked like he’d be easy to take down. But the way Zack was feeling right now, he could use a good fight.

  “Everything all right, Skylar?” the man asked, his eyes fixed on Zack.

  “Of course.” Sky’s smile seemed forced. “Luke, this is Zack Hunter, an old,” she moved her gaze to Zack, “friend of mine. He’s with Immigration and Customs Enforcement now.” She gestured to the man. “Zack, this is Luke Rider, my foreman.”

  As Sky mentioned ICE, Zack could swear he saw something flicker in Rider’s eyes. Maybe Zack imagined it. Maybe not.