Luke (Armed and Dangerous Book 2) Read online

  After she took a couple of deep breaths, Trinity climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her. A dog barked from inside the house and the tawny glow of lights spilled through the kitchen’s curtains.

  She paused for a moment to look up at the now almost clear star-spattered sky. Wow. She’d missed the sight of all those stars. It was so dark out here in the middle of nowhere that stars were far more plentiful and brilliant, and the Milky Way was like white cotton candy spun across the universe.

  Dirt and rocks crunched under her shoes as she made herself walk toward the house. Rain-fresh desert air filled her senses, along with the instantly familiar ranch smells of cattle and horses. The weeping willows and oaks had sure grown in the past four years.

  Wooden stairs squeaked as she jogged up them to the plant- crowded porch, thick enough that it looked like a small jungle.

  A porch light flicked on as Trinity reached the front door, and she blinked away the sudden brightness. The rattle of the doorknob caused the knots in her belly and chest to double. Then triple.

  The door swung open, but Trinity couldn’t make out the shadowed figure in the entrance, until the person stepped onto the porch.

  Skylar. She hadn’t changed much in four years—if anything she was more beautiful than ever. Her auburn hair flowed around her shoulders, her skin as flawless and perfect as it had always been.

  Only she seemed happy. Happier than Trinity remembered ever seeing her.

  “Yes?” Skylar cocked her head, a puzzled smile on her pretty face. “Can I—” Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Trinity?”

  Trinity gave her sister a little smile, pleased that Skylar had remembered to use that name and not Madeline. “Hey, Skylar.”

  “You brat!” In the next moment Skylar had her arms wrapped around Trinity, hugging her so tight that the air whooshed out of her lungs. Skylar still smelled of orange blossoms, and her embrace was warm and loving. “I missed you so much, knothead,” Skylar whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

  Trinity pulled away and smiled, swallowing hard and fighting back tears that she’d never expected. “I missed you, too, string bean. I didn’t realize just how much till now.”

  “You look so—so different.” Skylar shook her head as she held Trinity by the shoulders and looked her up and down. “I thought you had to be someone who’d gotten lost or something. Until I saw your eyes. You have Mom’s eyes, you know.”

  A dog barked as though in agreement, and Trinity reached down to pet the black-and-white Border Collie. “That’s Blue,” Skylar said as Trinity rubbed the dog behind his ears.

  “What a gorgeous boy you are,” Trinity crooned.

  “Think you might like to let her in out of the cold, Sky?” a masculine voice asked. Only one man had ever called Skylar “Sky.” Trinity’s gaze shot up to see Zack Hunter standing just behind Skylar.

  “Zack?” was all Trinity could manage as she stood straight and looked at the man who had once been her sister’s boyfriend— about ten years ago.

  “I was saving this as a surprise, for the next time we talked.” Skylar grinned up at Zack before looking back to Trinity. “Come on in and say hello to my husband.”

  “Your husband?” Trinity stumbled across the threshold as she followed Skylar, Zack, and Blue into the ranch house, and let the door swing shut behind her. “You’re married?”

  “Almost two months.” Skylar held up her left hand, the marquis stone in her wedding band glittering in the light. To each side of the diamond a peridot was set in the gold band. “It happened too fast to send out invitations and do all the formalities.”

  “Wow.” Trinity sighed with admiration at the ring. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Welcome home.” Zack settled his arm around Trinity’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. “Sky, why don’t I leave you ladies to catch up while I head to the study?” he said as he released her.

  “To watch the end of the football game no doubt.” Skylar grabbed him by his shirt collar and reached up to brush her lips over his.

  “Watch it, woman.” Zack’s voice rumbled as he wrapped his arms around Skylar’s waist. “I might just throw you over my shoulder and cart you off to the bedroom, reunion with your sister be damned.”

  “Mmmm,” Skylar murmured against his lips. “Promises.”

  Zack gave Skylar a smoldering look that reminded Trinity of the way Luke had looked at her earlier. Hot, sensual, and possessive. The kind of look that curled a woman’s toes.

  I’ve. Got. To. Stop.

  No more. No more about Luke.

  Zack gave Skylar a hard kiss and then winked at Trinity before walking past the enormous Christmas tree and striding down the hall toward the study.

  For a moment Trinity had to stand and absorb the living room of the place that had been her home since her birth until she left for Europe. There had been some changes in the past four years. Lots more house plants filled the room that was decorated in a Southwestern motif. Navajo rugs were scattered across the tile floor and the walls were covered with a combination of Southwestern oil paintings and family portraits. Skylar still had all the pictures of Trinity and other members of the family on the end tables, as well as lots of new ones that she’d have to spend time looking at later.

  The room smelled of pine from the Christmas tree, and of leather from the overstuffed chairs and couches. And there was that old rocker that their mom used to rock them in when they were little, long before she’d died.

  When Trinity’s eyes met Skylar’s, her sister flashed a grin and motioned toward the kitchen. “Let’s fill one another in over our favorite chatty food.”

  “Rocky road?” Trinity laughed as her sister headed toward the freezer with Blue at their heels. “Remember all the times we’d sit at the table with a half gallon of the stuff and eat it straight from the carton with a spoon?”

  “Ohhhh, do I ever.” Skylar yanked open the freezer door, then dug out the ice cream carton.

  After grabbing a couple of clean spoons out of the dishwasher, Skylar and Trinity settled at the table in the breakfast nook, while Blue curled up at Skylar’s feet. A peridot heart pendant sparkled at Skylar’s throat, and Trinity shook her head, remembering all those years ago when Skylar had said she’d never wear it again.

  Incredible how things change. How people change.

  The carton made a sucking sound as Trinity popped off the lid. “You bought this just because I was coming home, I’ll bet.”

  Skylar stuck her spoon into the container and scooped out a spoonful. “Uh-huh.” Her gaze lighted on Trinity’s left ear, and then she tilted her head and looked at Trinity’s right. “Very cool. Definitely suits your sexy new image.”

  Trinity shook her head and laughed. Thinking of herself as sexy was taking some getting used to.

  The sisters spent the next three hours bringing one another up to date on their lives. Skylar told Trinity how Zack had come back, determined to make up for lost time. “And have we ever,” she said with a laugh.

  Trinity shared with Skylar all she’d done while living abroad, the places she’d been, the people she worked with, and even a bit about Race. She was surprised at her reluctance to talk about the man she’s been with for two years. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Skylar that she thought he was going to give her an engagement ring for Christmas.

  And she definitely couldn’t bring up the cowboy she’d met tonight. No, that was better left unsaid.

  One kiss, one night, end of story.

  Even after the sisters had hugged and said good night, and Trinity had crawled into the four poster bed in her old bedroom, she couldn’t get Luke Rider off her mind.

  Instead she stared up at the canopy, looking at the patterns of colorful light on the white fabric that were reflected there from her Tiffany lamp with the stained-glass shade. In place of the colors, she saw Luke, reliving every touch of his hands, his lips, his body.

  Trinity pulled her nightgown over her head
and tossed it on the floor before she shimmied out of her thong and ditched it, too. She brought her hands up to her breasts and pinched the bare nipples. Instead of the one man she’d had sex with for the past two years, she could only visualize Luke. Could only imagine his hands caressing her, flicking his thumbs over her nipples.

  Her nipples beaded even tighter in the bedroom’s cool air. Her pulse picked up at the thought of Luke’s mouth on her nipples, licking and sucking, and biting her the same way he’d kissed her.

  Slipping one hand between her thighs, Trinity ran her fingertips along her folds and shivered. She’d never been so wet before. So hot.

  Trinity let go of the guilt, let go of everything but the fantasy of letting that cowboy make her his own. She slid her fingers into her drenched folds and gasped when she stroked herself. She was so close to exploding, when it usually took her awhile to reach orgasm.

  With her free hand she cupped one breast and raised it up while lowering her mouth. Her breasts were big enough that she could flick her tongue against her nipple while she fingered herself.

  She closed her eyes, imagining it was Luke who licked her nipples. Luke rubbing his cock against her before sliding deep inside her. And how it would feel to have Luke driving into her. She could still feel that long hard length of his cock as he’d pressed up against her on the dance floor. Oh, God. He’d take her so deep and hard, rough and wild, and he’d make her scream.

  Trinity bit back a cry as her orgasm spiked through her, and her eyes flew open. Her hips rocked against her hand as she drew out her orgasm as long as she possibly could, enjoying every electrifying jolt.

  When she could catch her breath, she rolled over and switched off the Tiffany lamp and tried to relax on her pillow.

  She turned one way. Tossed the other. Kicked off her covers. Pulled them back up.

  Wasn’t happening.

  She’d never get to sleep with Luke constantly in her thoughts.

  Only a kiss, she told herself as she closed her eyes. It was only a kiss.

  That was a lie, wasn’t it?

  Trinity sighed.

  She might be a lot of things—confused, insecure, worried about her homecoming—but she wasn’t stupid.

  The way she’d enjoyed Luke Rider’s touch, it might not mean a thing about where she’d go with that cowboy, but it damn sure meant a lot about where she should go with Race.

  And where she shouldn’t.

  Trinity turned on her lamp again, and estimated the time in England.

  Not optimal, but then, it never would be, would it?

  She got up naked, feeling half out of her own body as she made her way to her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

  Her heart thudded as she realized what she was about to do. She was going to dump the man she’d been with for two years, a man she was close to being engaged to.

  For what? A kiss by a cowboy she might never see again?

  The thudding of her heart slowed and she was surprised at how calm she felt when she heard Race’s familiar, cultured voice answer on the other end of the line.

  Two years together, yet it only took a few minutes to tell him it was over between them.

  Race was far too much of a gentleman to pitch a fit over getting dumped, even suddenly, and long-distance instead of face-to-face.

  Trinity almost wished he would have made a little fuss, fought for her in some way—even threatened to fly straight to the States and talk sense into her. But of course, he didn’t, and that really summed up her problems with Race.

  He was hurt. Polite. And in the end, cool and distant. The man had absolutely no fire at all, at least not for her.

  By the time Trinity turned off her phone and slipped back into bed, she was positive she’d done the right thing. She knew she’d be able to sleep, maybe better than she had in months.

  Her hand moved back to the warm, damp place between her legs, and she closed her eyes.

  First, though—another fantasy.

  This time, without a drop of guilt...

  Chapter 11

  After the party, Luke headed back to the Flying M Ranch, refusing to let himself consider that Trinity MacKenna was staying in the main house. She was practically close enough he could smell her, if he let himself go sniffing.

  Which he damned sure didn’t need to do.

  Luke bypassed the main house. He saw the strange Mustang convertible and knew the sweet little treasure was tucked somewhere inside the house. His pulse throbbed in a vein at his throat to know she must really be there as he made his way to the foreman’s cabin behind the bunkhouse. Shit. He had to get his mind on his job. For now.

  Out of habit ingrained from years of training, he made sure the building was secure before he let himself into the small cabin. He’d installed his own security locks on the front and back doors, as well as pull-down shades at the windows, and he always chose a different means of identifying if anyone had been in his quarters in his absence. Today the almost invisible threads had still been intact at both the front and rear entrances, and he found nothing suspicious.

  Once he’d made a quick round of the living room, single bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, he slung his duster on the coat rack beside the door. He tossed his Stetson on the knobby top, where it rocked back and forth for a moment before going still.

  From out of his duster pocket he withdrew his PDA—a slim palm device. From the holster he pulled out his cell phone and switched it so that it would hum instead of vibrate, and then kicked back in the comfortable leather recliner in the cabin’s small living room. The room always smelled of mesquite wood from the pile stacked next to the old woodstove and of leather from the worn couch and armchairs.

  The furnishings weren’t much to look at, but it was neat and clean. A pair of ancient deer antlers was mounted on the wall beside the black stovepipe of the old woodstove. A few throw rugs were scattered around the tiled floor and the room had been paneled in a rustic knotty pine.

  On one of the wooden tables perched a small potted Christmas tree with miniature decorations, courtesy of Skylar who figured all her ranch hands needed something Christmassy in their quarters. The tree she’d put in the bunkhouse had been a little too big for his tastes, but the men had gotten a kick out of it.

  Luke managed to keep his mind off Trinity MacKenna—sort of—as he set to work. He turned on his palm device and used the stylus to tab through the pages of notes he’d made during the cattle rustling case, until he came to his short list of subjects and suspects, people he thought might be players in the Guerrero operation, or potential competitors.

  He added in Joyce Butler and Gina Garcia, though he wasn’t happy about it. Ralston thought Guerrero was using more than his charm to rope women into doing his dirty work—and Ralston’s instincts had proven pretty sharp in the past. As for Guerrero, damn, but that bastard deserved something worse than a bullet between the eyes.

  Maybe he and Rios could accidentally castrate the fucker when they took him down?

  Luke wanted to smack the PDA on the table, but stopped himself before he destroyed the little piece of technology. He needed to get the sociopathic drug lord out of circulation, and fast, but he hated the idea of having to lean on scared, vulnerable women to get the information he needed.

  Guerrero probably knew that, too.

  Tomorrow Luke had plans to head down to the county hospital to interview a UDA who’d been used as a mule to smuggle drugs in from Mexico. The man had been beaten half to death by the coyotes who had been loosely connected to the cattle rustling they’d stopped at this ranch a few months back. Maybe he’d get enough information from the mule to leave Butler and Garcia out of the picture.

  The hum of his cell phone snapped Luke out of his consideration of the suspects to date. He picked up the phone from the end table and saw by the caller ID that it was Rios.

  “Denver,” Luke said into the phone at the same time he shut off the PDA.

  “Just talked with Miguel Cotino,”
Rios said.

  “The Special Ops supervisor over at CBP?”

  “Yeah.” A feminine giggle could be heard in the background and Rios’s voice lowered. “Said to not bother heading to the hospital to interrogate that mule. He’s dead.”

  “Shit.” Luke ground his teeth and thumped the PDA onto the end table after all. “Anything else?”

  “Nah. Catch you tomorrow. I got me a hot little thing waiting for me.”

  “Lucky bastard,” Luke said before punching the phone off and setting it back down.

  At least Rios was getting some tonight. He could use a distraction himself, like Trinity MacKenna. That was about as likely as a tornado in Arizona.

  With a frustrated sigh, Luke got up from the recliner. Damn the coyotes. Damn, damn, damn. Without the mule, what did he have, other than suspicions and scared women?

  Scrubbing his hand over his stubbled face, Luke considered what to do next. He’d never get to sleep feeling as restless and edgy as he was.

  And as for distractions—well, he could go into town, but he didn’t think generic hookups would work so well, due to one sexy little strawberry blonde he couldn’t get off his mind.

  Didn’t help that he was sure she was only a few yards away from him.

  It took only a few minutes to lock up and secure the cabin. Luke found himself striding through the dark night and toward the MacKenna house without any real purpose or plan. Just on the hope of seeing Trinity, maybe catching her outside or in the kitchen, and getting to talk to her for a few minutes.

  He passed by the corrals and barn, the sounds of a horse whickering, the low of a cow, and the singsong of crickets filling the night.

  Luke knew the sounds well. He’d visited Douglas dozens of times as a kid, to see his favorite aunt on her little ranch that had been sold years ago. Not to mention he was a native Texan. He owned his own nice spread near Houston, full of its own cows and crickets. Once this case was closed and cleaned up, he intended to head back there.