Bare Essentials

At her car, she opened her purse. Slid on sunglasses.

“Cassie.”

Pulling out her keys, she opened her door, and would have slid inside if he hadn’t put a hand on her waist.

Going still, she stared down at his hand, which looked large and imposing on the paler, softer skin of her very tantalizing middle. “I paid the debt the other night,” she said very quietly. “We’re even, remember?”

With a rather unprofessional oath, he dropped his hand. “Do you think I care about that?”

“You’ve got a penis, don’t you?”

He sucked in a slow careful breath because something about her stoked his temper every time. “You wanted the teddy bear, I won it for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. He-Man. And I paid your price.”

“That’s right,” he said, keeping his voice even with effort. “End of story.”

“Then why are we still talking about it?”

“Because you brought it up!” Lord, she could try the patience of a saint. He took a deep breath. “I want to hear about the restraining order. About your threatening mail.”

“Yeah, well that was a private conversation and you were eavesdropping.” But she seemed less hostile now and he forced himself to relax.

Forced himself to be the calm cop he knew he was. And once he did that, he had to admit it bugged the hell out of him that she thought he’d insist on more “payment” for that damn teddy bear.

Had she really never met a guy who didn’t want something from her? He knew she didn’t have a father around—never had. He knew what Biff had wanted from her. But what about others? Hadn’t there been others? Anyone who’d just been there for her? Given her attitude, he had to doubt it. That thought unsettled him to the core, and if the kiss hadn’t so rocked his world, he might have spared a moment to feel guilty he’d asked her for that much.

Then he realized something else, that she was avoiding looking at him, and when he took a good look, he saw why.

She was uncomfortable around him. Interesting. If she’d paid the debt, and it was as over as she’d said, why wouldn’t she look at him? “Cassie, talk to me.” He paused. “Please.”

With an exaggerated sigh, she tipped her head and looked skyward. “You know me. Wild Cassie Tremaine. I go looking for trouble. Just ask anyone.”

“Pleasantville isn’t Mayberry,” Tag said. “We have our fair share of village idiots.” With his cousin leading the pack.

“Surely you’ve heard the stories.”

“And I sincerely doubt any of them are true.”

Her gaze jerked up to his. Oh, yeah, he’d managed to surprise her. Had no one ever believed in her?

“I’m just having some trouble with an obsessed guy, that’s all,” she said finally.

“A fan?”

“Sort of.”

This he didn’t like. He imagined, given her chosen occupation, she faced similar problems all the time. That she actually needed a restraining order was deeply disturbing. “How serious is the trouble?”

She lifted a shoulder and didn’t look at him.

“Serious enough for a restraining order.” He turned her to face him, left his hands on her bare upper arms because he wanted her unsettled enough to talk. “I can find out with or without you, but I’d rather you tell me.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.” She shrugged him off. “I’m safe here. Nothing bad can happen in Pleasantville, right…Sheriff?”

“Do you have a thing against all cops or just me?”

“Oh, definitely all cops, but especially second generation ones.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d wondered. “You know my father.”

“I grew up here, didn’t I? Right here in good old Pleasantville, where, like I said, nothing bad could ever happen.” Her laugh didn’t convince him, but mostly because it wasn’t humor in her eyes now but…hurt? If he had to guess, he’d have said plenty of bad things had happened to her, right here in Pleasantville.

“Look, I just…had a long night last night and got a little spooked. Okay?”

“I can’t imagine you being spooked for anything less than a good reason.”

“I know. I’m so tough I’d scare away the mob.”

She didn’t look so tough right now. “Cassie. You’re scaring me.”

“Look, Pete’s just a typical guy. He thought he could have something I didn’t want to give him, and he’s pissed. He’ll get over it.”

“Pete. A…lover?”

She ripped off her sunglasses, her eyes gleaming. “None of your damn business. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m headed to the lake for some time alone.”

“It’s going to be getting dark soon.”

“Thanks, Einstein.”

He looked into the open convertible. Miss Priss lay asleep on the passenger seat, next to a picnic basket and a book. “The Rogue’s Kiss?” he asked in surprise, staring at the historical romance novel with the half-naked guy on the cover.

“Do you think underwear models can’t read?”

“You read…romance?”

“Shockers, isn’t it?”

What was shocking was the layers to her. Who’d have thought Cassie Tremaine would have a romantic side?

She sank into the car, started it. “Unless you didn’t meet your ticket quota for the week, back off. I’d hate to run over those toes on my way outta here.”

Risking it, he held open her door. “Is that why you’re in town? To get out of the limelight for a while to avoid this guy?”

“I’m in town opening—”

“Bare Essentials. Yeah, yeah.” He gripped the hand that would have slid on her sunglasses again. “I’m not buying that anymore, Cassie. You’re here because you’re scared. How long are you staying?”

“Until I feel like hitting the road again. Now move.”

He did, only because he felt the tremble in her fingers and it shocked him. Vulnerability? He’d seen a flash of it before and dismissed it because it was unthinkable. The smart-ass, tough-as-hell Cassie couldn’t be vulnerable.

Or was she? He couldn’t help but feel that he’d missed something about her. That there was more to the tall, incredibly beautiful, distant woman than she wanted everyone to see.

He watched her peel out of the parking lot, heading toward the lake. It frustrated him that he’d been unable to figure out who the hell she really was.

He went back inside the station, thinking maybe he’d just try harder.

Roxy looked at him with a raised brow. “What’s up with the lingerie lady?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

“You’d better get one.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well…” Roxy glanced at the door, a worried look on her face. “I know people like to whisper about her behind her back, talk about her like she was the wild child from hell all those years ago…”

“And?”

“And I think it was just that…talk. I think she’s got guts, coming back here. She holds her head up like it doesn’t matter what people say, but…”

He sighed, because Roxy was always like this, always had to be coaxed out of her stories. “But?”

“But she’s scared, Sheriff. A woman like that, who’s been through so much…she doesn’t get scared easily. And yet she is.”

Tag thought about that as he changed out of his uniform. As he promised himself pizza and a beer. But then the funniest thing happened.

His car drove to the lake, just as the sun took its final dip beneath the horizon. Bypassing the popular swimming hole, he drove around to the east side, where a quiet bay surrounded by trees and growth made a more private area.

It was where he’d kissed Cassie only a few nights before.

He parked next to the only other car around, a sunshine-yellow Porsche.

It was open and unlocked, and he shook his head. She should be more careful. He stopped to stroke Miss Priss, who stretched, purred, and went right back to sleep on the passenger seat. “If only your mistress was as easy to please,” he said, then headed off on the trail down to the beach.

The night was a dark one already, with just a few silvery clouds. The heat from the day hadn’t begun to fade, which was why the sound of the water hitting the shore in gentle waves made him yearn to dive in.

The small bay was deserted—unless he counted the sexy mermaid playing around in the water. She popped up about twenty feet out, her back to him. Her long wet hair clung to her shoulders, which gleamed in the meager light. Tipping her head back to the night sky, her eyes were closed, and on her face was an expression he’d never seen before.

Contentment.

Then she bent to dive deep. For a second he had the magnificent view of her backside, and the small patch of wet material dividing the most perfect set of buns he’d ever seen.

Then she was gone.

He stared at the water, waiting for her to surface, and she didn’t disappoint. She came up only about five feet out now, and facing him. “I already ate the picnic,” she said, treading water.

“I’m not hungry.” For food, that is.

Still treading water, she studied him, only her elegant neck and face showing. “You coming in?”

And have that long, sleek, wet body within reach? Slowly he shook his head. “That would be a bad idea.”

“No bathing suit, huh?”

“No.”

“That can be fixed.” She reached behind her back for a moment, then flung something that landed at his feet.

He scooped up two tiny triangles and some string, dangled it from his fingers. Her bikini top.

His mouth went dry.

Then something equally wet hit him in the chest. Catching it with his other hand, he held up…her bottoms. This time it wasn’t just his mouth that reacted. “What are you doing?”

“Treading water. Naked.” She smiled the smile of an angel.

And if he could have, he would have laughed. “Cassie.”

“You sure say my name a lot. Don’t worry, slick. Your virtue is safe with me. I just thought I’d put us on even playing ground. You can strip down and come in now.”

Hallelujah, cried his body.

Holy shit, cried his mind.

Good thing his mind was in control, barely. “You want me to come in. Without my clothes.”

“Unless you want to get them wet.”

“I want to talk about your visit to the station. What the hell is going on?”

Instead of answering, she floated on her back for a moment before executing a perfect back somersault. At the flash of generous breasts, then flat belly, then…he nearly swallowed his tongue. Tan lines. She had lots of tan lines.

He loved tan lines. Christ, just shoot him now.

“Are you coming?” she asked when she surfaced.

Nearly in his pants. “About the restraining order—”

“I’m tired of shouting.”

“So you’ll talk to me if I come in.”

“You’re quick, Tag.”

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t believe her. “Why are you being…nice?”

She blinked at that.

“Is it because I’m not in my uniform?”

Now those eyes chilled and she dipped down to her chin. “Your uniform has nothing to do with this.”

“Really?” Ripping his T-shirt over his head, his hands went to the buttons on his Levi’s. To hell with being stoic. To hell with restraint. To hell with not taking what he wanted when it was being offered to him. “Then why do you only talk to me when I’m out of it?”

“Because I don’t like it?”

He undid his first button, watching her watch him very closely, the desire unmistakable. Good. She wanted him, too. They could scratch this itch and get it the hell out of their way. But he wanted to hear her say it, wanted to hear that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

“You look hot.” She splashed him, just a little.

And he opened another button. “You want to watch what you start, Cassie.”

“Oh, I’m watching.” And she was. She hit him with another splash.

Another button.

More desire.

“Get in the water, Tag. Cool off.” With that, she allowed the very tips of her breasts to break the surface.

His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he kicked off his shoes and socks.

Then shoved off the rest of his clothes.

And my, oh, my, Cassie thought, her body humming already, he looked amazing naked. She splashed him again for the sheer pleasure of watching water running down his big, strong, sleek form in little rivulets she suddenly wanted to lick off. Broad, tanned shoulders, hard chest tapering to a narrow waist, powerful legs…and what lay between those thighs made her breath catch. “Coming?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Oh, yeah. With any luck, they’d both come.

She needed this, she decided. She deserved it. And afterward, she’d feel better. More relaxed. They could go back to ignoring each other. But damn, he looked good strutting into the deliciously cool water without so much as a wince, never breaking eye contact, until, a few feet from her, he vanished into the water.

With the lack of a moon, she couldn’t see where he was headed, but she wasn’t stupid. Braced and ready, she let out only a cool smile when he surfaced again, slowly, confidently, only a fraction of an inch in front of her.

He shook his hair back. Water ran down his jaw. A jaw she suddenly wanted to touch. Strange, that urge. Sex was a tool and only a tool. A stimulus. A muscle relaxant. A great way to guarantee a good night’s sleep.

Nothing more.

So this urge to be tender bugged the hell out of her. Forget tender. She wanted hard and fast, and then she wanted him gone. To facilitate the matter, she put her arms over his shoulders, letting him do all the work to keep them afloat.

It also slid their bodies in direct contact. Chest to chest, thigh to thigh, and everything in between. And oh, baby, was there a lot in between. Her nipples brushed the light hair on his chest. His legs entangled with hers. And his erection…Mmm, she slid it between her legs, loving the feeling of having him there. He was hot, pulsing. Huge. And it wasn’t easy to keep her eyes open on his, to keep her thoughts straight, when her entire body had melted so that she had no bones left.

“Cassie.” One large hand danced down her spine, cupped her bottom and pressed her against his hot, hard body as he supported her weight. “I’m ready to hear about the restraining order,” he said very quietly, keeping them above water with no apparent effort.

“I…” He had his hand on her ass, his penis between her legs. “Um…” Her heart was pounding dully in her ears. Her nipples had long ago pebbled to hard, needy beads. And between her clenched thighs she was creamy. Rational thought escaped her and he hadn’t done anything yet. “What?”

He let out a slow, knowing smile.

Damn him and his unbearable control. Well, she had enough left to know she had to destroy it. Sinking her fingers into his hair, she shifted even closer so their mouths were just touching. “So. You really want to…” She wrapped her legs around his waist, thrilling to his quickly indrawn breath. “Talk?”

Now both hands held her bottom, hard, his fingers squeezing. She was so close to him they’d melted together. And because she’d spread her legs wide, wrapping them around his waist so satisfactorily, the tip of his penis…oh, yes, nearly slid home.

Nearly. Because he held back. Everything. “You want me?” he asked, his voice rough and serrated, his mouth so close to hers, but not close enough. His hands still gripped her bottom, holding her slightly away, so that his wonderfully hot, hard, huge erection only teased the very center of her universe.

“I think that’s fairly obvious,” she answered.

“Then talk to me.”

“Uh…”

Looking fierce and hot, and so damn sexy she wanted to gobble him up in one bite, he stroked her again. This time his chest lightly brushed her nipples, and she could barely breathe.

“Maybe you skipped the birds and the bees lesson,” she said. “But you should know, talking has little to do with wanting you.”

He looked down at her breasts, two hard, aching points brushing against his chest, and groaned. Slowly he lifted her up a little, dipping his head so he could rub his jaw across the very tips. “Can Pete find you here?”

No, she wouldn’t talk about this, even if he’d forced a pathetic, needy whimper from her throat.

“Cassie?” Another little stroke with his not-so-little penis. Her entire body quivered, dancing on the very edge of an orgasm she wanted with all her heart.

“Can he?” he growled.

She stared down at his mouth, wanting it on hers. At the look, he groaned low and deep. His fingers, still supporting her, glided farther down her backside and dipped between her legs. Unerringly found her flash point.

Unable to help herself, she thrust against him and he groaned again, the sound melding with hers. She’d never had an orgasm without purposeful, calculated thought before, and yet here she was, quivering on the very edge without a thought in her head other than…more, please, more.

They weren’t very far out in the water. Not too far to miss the fact that her cell phone was ringing. She stared at the spot where she’d left it while he stared at her.

“You get a lot of calls?” he asked hoarsely.

“Very few now that I’m off work.” She closed her eyes, then jerked them open when she felt his mouth slide over hers in a far too brief kiss.

Bending his head, he sighed and rubbed his jaw lightly over her breasts, making them both moan again. “Get it,” he said and with one last perfectly aimed stroke with his fingers, gently unwrapped her legs from around him. “It might be important.”

Walking out of the water, feeling him alongside her, Cassie wondered at the amazing control of the man. She wondered how he’d gotten that way, and—

And all else fell from her mind as she scooped up the phone from her towel. She’d missed the call. But the caller had a New York area code that didn’t belong to her agent. And then the phone rang again…same number. “Hello?” she said.

“Hello, Cassie,” said Pete. “I’m here and you’re not.”

Cassie looked up into Tag’s face and felt the blood drain from her own.

6

“YOU HAVEN’T CALLED,” Pete said in a congenial voice. “Even though I know you had some…car trouble before you left. Why didn’t you call, Cassie?”

Very aware that Tag stood less than a foot away, still as gloriously naked as was she, Cassie didn’t say a word. Pete’s voice gave her goose bumps, as did his casual reference to how he’d slashed her tires.

“We’re friends,” he went on. “Friends, Cassie. And we’re so much more than that, too. Did you know I haven’t come to find you, not because I couldn’t, but because I wanted you to come find me?”

His words disturbed her, made her feel sick. She’d liked this man, had let him into her life, and that her instincts had been so far off, so wrong, cut deeply.

“We belong together, you know this,” Pete said in her ear. “We were meant to be. I’m going to make it happen.”

Her skin crawled. “No—”

“Yes.” His voice hardened. “You can’t treat me this way, Cassie, vanishing from my world like this. It’s not okay. Friends don’t do that to one another.”

“Friends.” Suddenly she felt cold, so very cold, and she grabbed for something to cover herself. That it happened to be Tag’s T-shirt didn’t stop her; she shoved it over her wet head and body, then wrapped her free arm around herself. “Funny you use that word. I don’t have any.”

“Cassie.” His voice was low now, conciliatory, quick to soothe. “Just tell me where you are, I can make it all up to you.”

He was insane. And she hadn’t seen it until it had been almost too late. “Don’t call me again, Pete.” She clicked off, tossed the phone down by her sandals, and stared off into the night, telling herself he still had no idea where she was or he’d have come for her by now.

Tag came up beside her. He was still looking at her with his sharp, probing gaze, still naked and apparently unconcerned about that fact. She knew male models, tons of them, and had never seen a man so comfortable in his own skin. He was beautiful, and the way he looked at her…in another place and time she might have been tempted to let herself weaken for him.

Who was she fooling? She had weakened for him, had very nearly trusted him with anything he wanted to do. Good God, what was wrong with her? He was a sheriff, of all things, a man with authority and power over her if he so chose, and more than that, he was his father’s son. No doubt Sheriff Sean Taggart couldn’t be trusted any more than Richard could be, and yet she’d nearly…

He pulled his jeans over his still-wet body but didn’t fasten them. He looked like a Greek god standing there next to her, staring out into the night.

Until he turned to look at her. Those eyes of his weren’t a god’s. They were a cop’s. “Pete.”

“Yes.”

“Another threat?”

“He’s upset because he can’t find me.”

“Well, thank God for small favors.” When she didn’t answer, he sighed, put his hands on her and pulled her close. That her body wanted to be even closer felt like a betrayal. “You’re not going to ask me for help,” he guessed.

“No.”

“Then I’m going to ask you.” He shook her lightly until she locked gazes with him. “Let me help you, Cassie. Please. Let me do this for you.”

“I don’t need—”

“No, you don’t want.” His hands slid up her arms, cupped her face. “You’re independent, I get that. You’re proud. I get that, too. But you’re not stupid. You need help. We’re friends, if nothing else, and—”

“Oh, no.” She let out a short mirthless laugh and backed up. “Not you, too.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What, is the word friend a trigger word for you?”

“I’ll admit, we’re…almost lovers. Sparring partners, maybe. But not friends.” When he stepped close again, she took a shaky breath because her heart suddenly and inexplicably hurt. “We’re not. We’ll never be that.”

She saw surprise flash across his features and, damn it, hurt, too, but that wouldn’t stop her. It was a dog-eat-dog world and she had to stay on top. “A man can’t be a woman’s friend, not—”

“That’s bullshit.”

“—when—” she continued coolly while shaking like a leaf inside. “Not when all he wants is sex.”

He stopped cold, stared at her. She could see the shock in his eyes. Then he pulled away, turned his back.

Oh, yeah, she’d hit the mark that time. He felt guilty as hell, and that should have been tremendously satisfying. But the victory felt hollow.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s nothing personal.”

“Like hell.” But he merely slid his hands into his pockets. “You came back here to Pleasantville to hide. That’s fact. You came here even with bitter childhood memories because you knew one thing…you knew you’d be safe.”

“You don’t know a single truth about my past.”

“I would if you told me.”

She wasn’t going to tell him anything.

“Fine,” he said angrily. “I’ll have to guess then, and you have no one to blame but yourself if I’m wrong.”

“You’ve already heard what I was like.”

“I have.” He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes dark and intense. “But as I’ve already told you, I think the truth is radically different.”

He didn’t believe the gossip. So what did he believe?

“You were right to come here.” He still looked toward the lake. “You’ll be safe. You’ll come to the station and let someone know if you feel Pete has managed to track you.”

“Yes,” she told his sleek, still-wet back. The back she’d wanted to touch, wanted to put her mouth to.

She’d tell him anything if he’d go away and leave her be, with her burning eyes and burning throat. “I’ll come to the station if I need help.”

With one short nod, he bent, scooped up her towel and tossed it to her. He looked at her for a long, long moment, then his lips curved slowly. Solemnly. “Be careful, Cassie.”

And then she was alone. Just as she’d wanted.

* * *

WELL, HELL, Tag thought, stretching out in the hammock in his vast front yard, studying the stars. He’d certainly learned a few things about himself at the lake tonight, hadn’t he. And none of it was anything to be particularly proud of.

First, he’d apparently proven to Cassie that all men were scum. Every one of them. Not that she hadn’t apparently already formed that opinion, but he’d definitely enforced it.