Ranger's Family in Danger Read online

  It only made him want her more.

  He’d felt it when he hugged her goodbye—that tug of lust. It had always been bubbling just beneath the surface, but he’d never made a move. He’d known, on some instinctual level, that she wasn’t the kind for a casual fling. And thanks to the demands of his job and a complete lack of interest in settling down, he hadn’t asked her out. It had been better, easier, to keep his distance.

  And that strategy had worked. But now that he’d seen the raw need on her face, he wasn’t going to be able to let her go without knowing what she tasted like.

  She walked over and unlocked the door, his jacket still in her arms.

  A moment of heated awareness shimmered between them.

  He stepped inside, shutting them in together. Then he moved closer until their bodies almost touched.

  Sophia swallowed hard. “You forgot this.” She held up his jacket.

  Carter took it from her, then tossed it onto a nearby table. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I forgot this.”

  He reached out to cup her face with his hands. Her skin was so soft against his palms, her cheeks warm. He dropped his head, then brushed his lips against hers. She sucked in a breath at the contact, and he smiled.

  Carter drew back, eyes on her face, as he waited for her response. She tilted up her head, emotions swirling in her beautiful brown gaze. He saw surprise, disbelief, pleasure...and something more.

  Desire.

  He registered the flash of intent on her face a split second before she moved. The next thing he knew, she was reaching up to thread her fingers in his hair and pulling him down again.

  There was nothing hesitant about this kiss. Apparently, she was finished with subtle explorations. This was lust and need and desire given free rein—passion burned so hot it threatened to consume them.

  Carter’s blood raced south so quickly it left him feeling light-headed. Sophia’s hands roamed over his chest, his back, his stomach, her touch setting off tiny spikes of sensations that merged into a wave of intoxicating pleasure.

  He gave as good as he got, wanting—no, needing—to feel the heat of her skin against his own. Tugging at the hem of her shirt, exposing a stretch of skin to his touch, he ran his fingertips down her side. Pure male satisfaction coursed through him as he felt her shiver against him.

  Then she tore her mouth from his and muttered something against his lips.

  “What?” He struggled to hear her over the rush of blood in his ears.

  “Hank’s office,” she repeated. She started walking backward, tugging him with her as she moved.

  It took a few minutes, and several run-ins with tables and chairs along the way, but they finally made it to the office door. Sophia fumbled behind her for the knob, letting out a grunt of frustration when she couldn’t find it. Carter released her long enough to reach behind her and twist it open.

  They tumbled into the room together, drawing up short just before crashing into the old desk that sat opposite the door. Sophia pushed him back a few steps until Carter felt his calves hit something. Trusting her, he let himself fall and landed on a threadbare couch. The cushion springs let out a squeak of protest, but the sofa held his weight.

  “Stay there,” Sophia commanded. She walked to the beat-up wooden bookcase in the far corner of the room and reached for something on a shelf. He caught sight of the label and laughed.

  “How’d you know Hank keeps condoms in here?” He glanced down at the couch, evaluating it in a new light.

  “It’s for the men’s-room dispenser,” she said, returning with a foil packet in hand. She glanced at his face and smiled. “Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “Hank doesn’t use this sofa for anything other than sitting.”

  “That’s good to know.” He reached for her, but she shook her head.

  “You take care of that.” She tossed the condom onto his lap. “And I’ll take care of this.” She moved her hands to her belt buckle and began to loosen her belt.

  Carter knew he was supposed to be dealing with the protection, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Sophia. Her hands slid down her body, revealing more skin, inch by tantalizing inch. He barely had time to appreciate the sight of her pink lace panties when she dropped them to the floor and stood bare before him.

  “Do I need to do everything?” He looked up to see her teasing smile as she gestured to his lap.

  Carter simply nodded, his throat too dry to speak. She came forward and knelt between his knees, her nimble fingers working the button of his jeans. He tensed a bit as she tugged down the zipper over his erection, but she moved so carefully he had nothing to fear. Trying to be helpful, he lifted his hips off the sofa and slid down his jeans and boxer-briefs, freeing himself from the confines of his clothes.

  Sophia made a low humming sound that sounded like a feminine purr. She leaned forward, and his heart nearly stopped as he felt the tip of her tongue trace his length. He jerked reflexively as she followed the wet trail with those clever fingers, caressing and squeezing in all the right places.

  He closed his eyes, seeing stars as she touched him. But as his pleasure continued to build, he grew restless. This was too one-sided; he wanted to touch her, to explore her delectable body with the same attention to detail she was giving him.

  He placed his hands on her shoulders, urging her up.

  “What?” she asked, her voice sounding dazed. “Is everything all right?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he growled. “But it’s my turn now.”

  He pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling his legs. Then he lowered his hand, touching her intimately as he kissed her again.

  As he stroked her most sensitive places, she squirmed against him, emitting soft sounds of pleasure as he brushed his thumb over her. He captured the sounds with his mouth, dipping his tongue inside to taste her as she gasped for breath.

  Her hips moved rhythmically, and he could tell she was searching for release. Her words confirmed it a second later. “Please,” she whispered breathlessly. “Don’t make me wait.”

  Carter took his hands off her body long enough to slip on the condom. Then he grabbed her hips and guided her into position.

  She sank onto him with a groan, biting her bottom lip as he filled her. He could have stayed like that forever, surrounded by her warm heat, but then she began to move, rocking with a pace that made his eyes roll back in his head.

  “I’m not gonna last long,” he warned, panting between each word.

  “Me, neither.” She gripped his shoulders tightly, her short nails digging into his skin. The subtle pain only served to heighten his pleasure, a delicious combination that chipped away at his control.

  He could tell she was getting close, too. Her movements changed, her pace becoming more frantic as she chased her release. He reached between their bodies to stroke her sensitive nub with the pad of his thumb.

  That was all it took. Sophia threw back her head and moaned his name, her body clenching around him as her hips slowed and then stilled.

  Watching her surrender completely was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Knowing he was the cause of it pushed him over the edge. He gripped her tightly and held her in place as he thrust up into her.

  The moment seemed to last forever, pleasure arcing between them like an electric current. Slowly, gradually, he came back to earth. Sophia slumped against his chest, her body now limp and boneless in his arms. It felt as though they had melted together, and to be honest, the thought of remaining attached to her all night long didn’t bother him in the slightest.

  He wasn’t sure how long they stayed that way, her head on his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her body. Finally she stirred, pushing up to look at him with sleepy, satisfied eyes.

  “Did we just—?” She sounded as though she couldn’t quite believe it.

  “Yeah.” He laughed, f
eeling just as surprised. Now that he knew how good they were together, he was kicking himself for not having suggested this sooner. “Do you really have to move tomorrow?”

  She smiled, but he saw a twinge of regret cross her face. “I do.” She looked down, shook her head. “How’s that for timing?”

  Carter reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pushing aside a sense of disappointment over their missed opportunity. “What’s that line? At least we’ll always have Paris?” He wasn’t going to pretend they could make a long-distance thing work. His work as a park ranger in Big Bend was intense, and he knew she was about to start a master’s program. She wasn’t going to have time for romantic entanglements, and he’d rather walk away with this cherished memory than watch their connection wither to nothing over the next few months, with all the hurt feelings that would accompany their decline.

  “Something like that.” Sophia climbed off him, and they spent the next few minutes putting themselves back together. They didn’t speak, but the silence wasn’t awkward or embarrassing. He felt comfortable around her, and it wasn’t just the aftereffects of the great sex they’d just shared. She’d always put him at ease, even when she was simply watching him from across the bar while he played with the guys.

  “I wish we had more time.” They walked out of the office together, and she closed the door behind them. He wasn’t just talking about tonight, either. Even though they’d just slept together, he already wanted her again. It was going to take more than one encounter to get her out of his system.

  But since that wasn’t an option, he was looking at a future of cold showers.

  “Me, too.” She smiled up at him. “I had no idea things would be so...intense between us.”

  Yeah, that was a good way to put it. So was off the charts. Their chemistry was undeniable, a force to be reckoned with.

  They walked to the door together, and she flipped off the lights before they stepped outside. He watched as she locked up, the streetlights in the parking lot bathing her in a pale glow.

  “Are you sure I can’t help you move tomorrow?” It would only be prolonging the inevitable, but he’d take whatever time he could get.

  Sophia shook her head. “That will only make it harder,” she said. “Let’s just say goodbye now, while things are still simple.”

  She was right, and he knew it. So he stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug. She squeezed him tightly, making his heart stutter in his chest.

  “I’m going to miss you,” he said softly. “And not just because of the sex.”

  She laughed, her chest vibrating against his. “I feel the same way about you.”

  Carter released her, knowing she needed to go. “If you ever come back to visit your grandfather, look me up.” Maybe they couldn’t have a serious relationship, but he wouldn’t be opposed to a friends-with-benefits situation. Anything to keep her in his life.

  A mischievous look crossed her face. “Now that I know what you’re capable of, I think I will.”

  Before he could laugh, she rose to her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. Then she turned and headed for her car, leaving him standing by the door.

  Carter watched her walk away, his amusement fading into a suspicion that he’d just let something wonderful slip through his fingers.

  Sophia waved at him as she drove out of the parking lot. He waved back and set out for his truck, shaking his head at the unexpected turn this night had taken. A breeze kicked up, making him shiver as the cold air danced along his skin.

  “Dammit.” The realization hit as he reached his truck, and he put his head on the glass of the driver’s-side window, kicking himself.

  His jacket was still in the bar.

  Chapter 2

  One month later...

  Carter opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn’t. Sunlight speared his retinas with the precision and intensity of a laser beam, making his eyes water. He blinked and tried to raise his hand to shield his face.

  But his arm wouldn’t obey his brain’s commands.

  What the—?

  He tried to move again, and that was when the pain hit. A wave of agony rolled over him, stealing his breath. His vision fuzzed into gray despite the sun’s brightness as every muscle and bone in his body screamed for attention. For a few seconds his world went black as his brain seemed to short-circuit in the face of so much bombardment.

  Then he was back, consciousness returning with a fresh surge of torment. He took a breath, trying not to scream as his chest expanded.

  Am I dying?

  The words cut through the haze, a bright flash in the corner of his awareness. He could feel his mind shrinking, collapsing into a kind of primitive state as it tried to process the overwhelming damage to his body. It was a terrifying sensation, feeling his thoughts disappear in the wake of every agonizing heartbeat, every shaky breath.

  He tried to swallow, registering the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. Grit coated his mouth, the back of his throat. He felt it in his nose, too. God, maybe he was drowning in it.

  There was a thunderous grating sound to his right.Then a shadow fell over him. His heart leaped in his chest, his body instinctively reacting to the unknown danger.

  Not that he could do anything about it.

  Carter heard a noise above him, though he couldn’t place it. He squinted, trying to determine what was standing over him.

  Finally, it hit him.

  A face.

  As soon as he realized it was a person looking down at him, a switch flipped on inside his head and he understood what he was hearing.

  “Oh, my God. You’re alive!”

  Carter tried to speak, but it was too much work.

  “Don’t talk,” the man said. “Please, don’t do anything.” He ran his gaze down the length of Carter’s body, and Carter could tell by the look in the young man’s eyes that things were bad.

  It wasn’t exactly new information, but he felt a tingling of panic at the base of his spine. If someone else was here, seeing him like this, then he wasn’t having some kind of strange, hyperreal nightmare. This was actually happening.

  He was dying.

  “I’m going to take your walkie-talkie,” the young man said. “I’ve got to call for help.”

  Carter felt a tug on his belt as the guy pulled his radio free. He heard the urgency in the man’s voice as he made contact with someone and begged for help. When he was done, he placed the radio on the ground and loomed over Carter once more.

  “You hang on, okay? They’ll be here soon.”

  Carter tried to smile, appreciating the young man’s attempt at encouragement. But he knew on a visceral level that while help was on the way, they wouldn’t be quick. Big Bend was too remote for that.

  Things were starting to come back to him. Nothing terribly helpful, just snippets of memories flitting on the edges of his awareness. If he tried to focus on images, they faded into nothingness. So he avoided chasing them too hard. Gradually, a picture began to emerge.

  He’d been on patrol. Where, though?

  Didn’t matter. He’d been walking—that much he remembered. And thinking of Sophia.

  The vision of her face danced through his mind once more, and for a moment, the pain receded. She was beautiful, intoxicatingly so. What he wouldn’t give to see her again! Especially now, knowing he didn’t have much time left. Why hadn’t he approached her before? They could have had months or even years together, instead of that one breathless encounter.

  Anger and sadness surged, causing Sophia’s memory to fade from his mind. He’d been so afraid of being tied down, of missing out on having fun with his friends and his music, that he’d passed up an opportunity to experience something extraordinary with her.

  “You fell.” The young man’s voice cut through the chaos of his thoughts. “I was on the
trail, about a half mile under you. I heard you yell, and when I looked up, I saw you fall off the ledge.” He ran a hand down his face, still clearly shaken by what he’d witnessed.

  The words triggered a memory. “Snake.” Carter’s voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. He grimaced and swallowed reflexively, but it didn’t help.

  Fortunately, the young man heard him. “Rattler?”

  Carter didn’t bother to try to speak. He simply blinked in acknowledgment. He remembered now—he’d been walking, lost in thought. The telltale rasp of the snake had been his first clue that he was in trouble. Rather than stay calm, he’d reacted on instinct, jumping back in a bid to get away from the animal. Too late, he’d realized his mistake. His careless reaction had taken him right over the edge of the narrow trail, sending him flying through the air. His stomach heaved as he recalled the nauseating weightlessness of the free fall. He’d barely had time to curse his own stupidity before he’d hit the ground and his world had gone black.

  The man shook his head. “Oh, man. Were you bit?”

  “Don’t think so,” Carter rasped. Though at this point, did it really matter? He’d fallen at least thirty feet, onto the rocky trail below. Everything hurt, and there was no telling what kind of internal damage he’d sustained.

  With effort, he pushed aside the cynical thoughts. He was in a tough spot, to be sure. But that didn’t mean he should give up.

  “Can you drink?” The young man held up his water bottle. Then he frowned. “Do you think it’s okay to have water in your condition?”

  “Can’t hurt,” Carter said.

  The water was deliciously cool in his mouth. His rescuer was careful to give him small sips, making sure Carter swallowed before giving him more. After he’d had enough, Carter closed his eyes and shook his head ever so slightly.

  The guy sat back. “Okay,” he said, clearly thinking out loud. “Let me see if I can get some shade for you. Do you have anything in your pack?” He reached for Carter’s backpack, still trapped under his body. But he yelped before the young man could move him.