Page 51 of Claimed by the Lawman

Chapter 15

THE THUNDER ROLLED and Tyler covered her head with the blanket as she sunk deeper into the bed. The electric had gone out an hour ago. Since she was a kid she hated thunderstorms, and what made this worse was the fact that she was alone at the rental house. Since she’d walked there after leaving Kace, she’d sworn she’d heard every creak, every crack, and every dog barking.

The flickering light from the row of candles on her dresser was the only light to hold off the darkness.

Another crashing of thunder and strike of lightning nearby made her chest tighten, then another pounding sound shattered the silence.

Dragging the blanket off her head, she listened closer. Then it came again. Someone was at the door.

Getting up and dragging the blanket with her, she wrapped it around her shoulders. She stopped for a candle as she made her way down the stairs to look through the window, recognizing Kace’s truck parked on the street. Her heart took on a strange beat and her toes curled. Why was she so happy to see him? Even angry at him, she was glad that he was here.

Opening the door, she held the candle up so that she could see his face.

And her heart started thundering.

Water dripped from the rim of his Stetson. His clothes were drenched, but he looked like heaven in Wranglers.

“What are you doing here?” After their argument earlier, she didn’t expect to see him again, at least not so soon. Rightly so, she’d been a little harsh, but she’d been upset. Hurt. Aroused.

The smile he gave her made her heart pound faster and a familiar ache seeped through her body. She smiled in return, but realized it must have been a little shaky, matching the trembling in her bones. At that very instant the wall she’d built to protect herself crumbled. “Can I come in out of the rain?”

“Yes. Come in.” She took a step back to let him pass. “What are you doing here?”

“You still hate thunderstorms?” The huskiness of his voice made her nipples tighten.

“Yes,” her voice quivered.

He closed the door with his foot and took the candle from her, placing it on the table. A second later he was staring into her eyes a mere second before he pulled her into the hard safety of his body and wrapped his comforting arms around her. He was so strong, powerful, safe, and she fit so perfectly against his chest that all resistance trickled from her. She sunk into him, absorbing his warmth and security.

She closed her eyes and listened to the beating of his heart. It sounded fast and heavy as if having her so close affected him too. His hands were shaky. He was always so steady, controlled, and this was a part she didn’t often see.

When he pulled away he grinned, and it reached in and comforted her soul. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering at the pulse point on her neck. Could he sense her upheaval? Her yearning to have him kiss her?

They stood there in the quiet and dark. The only sounds were that of the rolling of thunder and her heavy pants of breath. The golden light of the candle was enough that she could see the hard set of his jaw and the wild look in his eyes.

“I’m still angry with you, darlin’,” he said in a low, pensive tone that made her inner thighs tremble.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m still upset with you too.” Truthfully, she wasn’t as upset with him as much as she was angry at her body for wanting him so desperately.

“You should have never come back here. It’s still unsafe.” His eyes bore into her. “I waited outside until I couldn’t any longer. I wanted to give you some time to cool down. Maybe I needed some time too.”

“I wasn’t thinking of anything but my anger.”

His jaw tightened as if he was playing an internal game of tug of war. She felt the tension radiating from him. How could she explain her fear to him? How could she lose him a second time?

“Got anything to drink?”

“Water. Tea,” she mumbled.

He laughed and it tickled her spine. “Something stronger, sweetheart. Got any whiskey?”

“I think so.” She stepped away from him, went into the kitchen and took the bottle from the cabinet along with two glasses and handed them over. He was already sitting at the table and pouring each of them a drink when she sat down.

He knocked his back in one gulp and she took hers slower. Her throat was on fire and so was her stomach as well as the spot between her legs, and that was all his fine doing. He stared at her with a smirk on his face and she wanted to ask why, but she refused to jump in too quickly. She wanted to reach in and read his every thought. Know everything about him again.

He refilled his glass.

“I’m sorry about this evening. I reacted from a place of anger and emotion,” he said and brought the glass to his lips again.

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