Susan Mallery - Only His

“Damned annoying woman,” he muttered, before leaning in and kissing her as well.

This time the contact was familiar and arousing. As he straightened and continued to glare at her, she couldn’t help smiling. Funny, after all these years, she’d suddenly become popular.

TUCKER STOOD OVER NEVADA as if warding off demons.

“I’m really okay,” she said for the fourth or fifth time.

He continued to ignore her.

Just as disturbing as her near-death experience and the realization that she could have been killed by the explosion or subsequent slide was the fact that Cat had made her move. Tucker rarely had to work to keep a woman in his life. Knowing his competition was playing for the other side made him uncomfortable.

He was aware that he’d told himself he needed to back off where Nevada was concerned. That they were too involved. But right now he didn’t give a damn about that. He wanted to stand over her, beating his chest, although he couldn’t figure out what that would accomplish.

One of the firefighters raced over, the EMTs right behind.

“Are they hurt?” the firefighter demanded, dropping to her knees by Nevada and holding a penlight up to her eyes.

“I’m perfectly fine, Charlie,” Nevada said, starting to stand.

“Don’t even think about it,” Tucker and the firefighter snapped at the same time. Nevada kept her butt on the ground.

“I’m all right, too,” Cat called, her expression bemused. “Doesn’t anyone want to fuss over me?”

“I will.” An EMT dropped to her knees and reached for Cat’s wrist. “How are you feeling, ma’am? Dizzy? Does your head hurt?”

“Did you just say ma’am?” Cat closed her eyes. “I’m dizzy now.”

Nevada chuckled.

Tucker glared at her. “Don’t laugh,” he commanded. “You might be hurt.”

A second EMT joined Charlie. They examined Nevada while Tucker watched anxiously. He was aware of a group of men climbing up the side of the mountain and shouts about something he couldn’t hear. There was a lot of activity he would have to deal with later. Right now Nevada was his main concern.

About two minutes later, the EMT removed the blood pressure cuff. “You’re fine.”

Tucker was less convinced. “What if she hit her head?”

“I didn’t,” Nevada told him.

“You might not remember.”

She rolled her eyes. “My head doesn’t hurt, I don’t have any ringing in my ears. I’m okay.”

Cat was pronounced all right as well, but she didn’t seem as anxious to get up. Nevada scrambled to her feet. She held out her arms and turned in a slow circle.

“See? Not broken.”

Cat’s EMT helped her to stand. The other woman reached for Nevada and clung to her.

“I can’t believe we went through that today,” Cat murmured. “We could have been killed.” She gazed at Nevada. “We should go back to my hotel and rest.”

Nevada slowly disentangled herself. “I don’t think so. Tucker, could you find someone to take Cat back to her hotel?”

“Sure.”

He waved Jerry over and told him to drive Cat back to her hotel. Cat protested, but eventually allowed herself to be led away. The EMTs went back to their truck.

Charlie walked over to Tucker and glared at him. “You should know better. She was standing too close.”

Nevada shook her head. “Don’t yell at him. It was my fault. I got distracted.”

“Is that what you’re calling it?” he muttered.

Nevada glared at him. “Don’t start with me.”

“You were kissing her.”

He hadn’t meant to say it, but the words came out before he could stop them.

Charlie blinked at them both. “Excuse me.”

Nevada sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“I have time.” She looked from Nevada to him and back. “But I thought…”

“Me, too,” Tucker growled, not liking anything about this. In theory, the girl-on-girl thing was appealing. But not so much when one of the girls in question was his girl.

“Oh, really?” Charlie grinned. “How was it?”

“Different.”

“Different good or different bad?”

“Are you asking for yourself?” Nevada raised her eyebrows. “Cat’s entering her feminine stage.”

“She’s not my type and I’m not interested. Just curious.”

Will hurried over to them. “Boss, you gotta come see this. When they blew the side of the mountain, a whole bunch of caves were exposed. There’s gold in them. Statues and art and stuff. It looks old. Indian, maybe.”

“Mayan,” Nevada and Charlie said at the same time.

“The Máa-zib tribe,” Tucker said, wondering what had been unearthed and how much it was going to delay construction. Surprises like this were rarely good news for the contractor.

“Can you take her to the trailer?” he asked Charlie.

“Hell, no. I want to see it, too.”

“You heard them — I’m fine,” Nevada said, walking toward the crowd. “How is this discovery going to mess everything up?”

“We’ll have to find out. It depends on where it is and what will happen to it.” He studied the blast area and the people swarming over the side of the mountain. If any more earth gave way, they were all going to fall.

“We have to get the area roped off,” he told Will. “We’ll need security.” Not just for safety purposes, but if there really was gold… He swore. Nothing about this was going to be easy.

“It’s at the far end of what’s going to be the parking lot,” Nevada pointed out. “That’s good. Maybe the caves are past the property line. Then it wouldn’t be your problem.”

“I’m not feeling that lucky.”

He put his arm around her. “Still okay? No headache or bruises?”

“I got a little banged up hitting the ground,” she said. “Otherwise, I’m good.”

They reached the base of the hill. Before they could climb up, a car drove toward them. Tucker recognized it and the older woman climbing out.

“I received a call,” Mayor Marsha said as she approached. “We have ourselves a situation.” She glanced toward the crowd on the hillside. “They can’t stay there. The ground might not be stable.”

“I’ll get my men out.”

“Good. I’ve already called Chief Barns. She’ll post her people around the area until we can figure out what’s going on.” The mayor drew in a breath. “Is there really gold?”

“That’s what I’m hearing.”

“Because a giant vagina wasn’t enough,” the mayor mused.

“At least the gold will be a distraction,” he offered.

“If you do your job and make the vagina go away, we won’t need a distraction.”

“Oh, right. Good point.”

NEVADA LEFT WORK EARLY. Between the press, the police and interested people from town, the construction site was a busy mess. She would tackle what she had to in the morning. In the meantime she wanted a hot bath and some quiet time to process her new, complicated life.

While the tub filled, she kept having flashbacks to the last time she’d used it. That had been during her night with Tucker, the one that had curled her toes more than once. The man knew what he was doing, she thought as she climbed into the water. If the sex had been half that good ten years ago, she might have tried arm wrestling Cat for him. Not that winning would have made a difference. He’d been obsessed with the artistic beauty.

What a difference time makes, she thought, sinking into the hot water and smiling. Tucker had not taken Cat’s kiss very well. He’d been more upset than she was. An interesting turn of events, considering it was her first girl kiss. But now there was a Cat problem and she didn’t know what to do about it.

Turning her down went without saying, but how to do it? As much as the woman could infuriate her, she liked Cat and wanted them to stay friends. Tomorrow…she thought, stretching out in the water and letting the heat ease her bruised muscles.

When the water cooled, she got out and dressed. She was hungry and not in the mood to cook, which usually meant take-out. Before she could decide which restaurant, someone knocked on her door.

Nevada stared at the door, half-afraid to answer. She wasn’t ready to face Cat. Their conversation would require a certain level of delicacy and preparation.

The knock came again.

Slowly, cautiously, she crossed the living room and looked out the peephole.

“Thank goodness,” she said, pulling open the door.

Tucker leaned against the doorframe, looking handsome and capable. One corner of his mouth lifted. “Expecting someone else?”

“It crossed my mind.”

“Mine, too. I’ve come to claim my woman.”

It was a new century and she supposed she should object to the claim. Truthfully, though, hearing the words made her feel all gooey inside.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“I’m taking you home with me. Pack a bag. We have dinner reservations in half an hour. I’ve already picked out the wine.”

Wine sounded nice, as did spending the night with him.

“Give me five minutes.”

TUCKER’S SUITE at the hotel had a living room with a sofa and two chairs, with a big bedroom beyond. She dropped her bag onto the bed, then turned to face him.

“Feed me.”

He chuckled. “You never were one to play games.”

“Not my style.”

He took her hand and they went downstairs. Once in the restaurant, they were shown to a corner table. The wine was already open and poured, and menus sat to one side.

“Very well prepared,” she said, sliding in.

He settled across from her. “I can be smooth.”

“It’s nice to have proof.”