Hiding Out At The Circle C

Chapter 3

Haley kept busy for the rest of the day because she had to. If she didn't, the humiliation of the barn scene would kill her. And if that didn't, then the horror of what she'd learned would.

Lloyd dead. Only three of them left now, assuming Bob was indeed still alive. The pain in her gut made her decide not to think about it.

It seemed all her life there had been things from her past she'd needed to avoid thinking about. Losing her father before she'd known him. Being shunned by a high-society mother who couldn't handle the burden of raising a "special" child. Being responsible for the deaths of too many people to count, when all she'd ever wanted was to make the world a safer place.

She needed to forget, just for a little while, or she'd self-destruct. Besides, she'd been bred to work, and without it, she felt useless.

The big house was lovely but, as she quickly discovered, clean only on the surface. She found someone's stiff, dirty socks under a cushion on the couch, a stack of long-forgotten mail behind a potted plant in desperate need of water, and a half-eaten tortilla, crisp with age, in a far corner of the patio. She cleaned it all, and shocked herself by how much she actually enjoyed doing it.

But even with the peace and solitude, there was the knowledge that all this was temporary. Soon, she'd have to come up with a better plan. Such as how to get help without getting herself extradited to South America.

Even sooner, she'd have to figure out what she could manage for dinner; but one worry at a time. She took a stack of rugs outside to shake out the dirt, and spotted the wooden-raid fence in the side yard. She decided to throw the rugs over it so she could shake the dust loose with her broom.

Laying out the rugs with great concentration allowed room for no other thoughts to intrude. Not the raw grief from seeing the bodies of two of her team members scattered in their own blood, not the bitter disappointment of the destruction of her earth-movement system, and certainly not the fact that she owed her existence at this moment to a big, fat lie.

The rugs took up the entire length of the fence. She couldn't see the other side, but she'd stopped jumping at every little noise. No one knew where she was or they would have come for her by now. Momentarily sidetracked by the wide, open sky and vast expanse of land around her, Haley took a deep breath of fresh and blessedly cool air. Something settled inside her.

She hadn't been back in the States for so long, she almost didn't recognize the content feeling for what it was. And she didn't realize she wasn't alone until she glanced up and saw the huge bovine head-as wide as her body and nearly half as long-hanging over the fence like one of her rugs, its face inches from her own.

With a muffled scream, she stepped back and tripped over her broom to land gracelessly on her bottom in the dust.

"Moooooo," the cow offered, gazing at her with a curious-but-blank stare.

Rich male laughter rang out and Haley closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Why, of all the people living in this house, did it have to be him to witness her second most embarrassing moment of the day?

She opened her eyes to find Cameron squatted in front of her, proffering a hand. Childish as it was, she couldn't resist, and before he could so much as blink-or make the comment she could see he was itching to make-she'd grabbed his hand and pulled him down into the dirt beside her.

Haley didn't know what she expected-anger, indignation, bafflement? Anything but more laughter. On his butt, there in the dirt, Cam tipped his hat back and roared.

She waited, simmering, until he subsided. When he did, she pushed to her feet, brushed the dust off her jeans and shot him a look that would have withered anyone else.

He just grinned. "What a hot temper you've got, Haley Williams. And a hell of a right arm, too."

She turned from him and nearly stumbled again. The cow still stared at her from less than a foot away. Haley's startled curse earned her another laugh from Cameron.

"Margaret won't hurt you. Her only thought is Where's my food?" He stood and patted the cow on the head affectionately. "She's sweet, but not too bright."

"Margaret? You name your cows?"

He shrugged and gave her that harmless, I'm-so-innocent smile. As if he'd ever been innocent. "Why not?"

Haley looked at the cow and suddenly couldn't help herself. Never having been within miles of a cow before, she wanted to touch it. Tentatively, she reached out a hand, then whipped it back when Margaret shifted her huge head to gaze balefully at her with those big brown eyes.

"She doesn't see too well," Cam said. "But you can touch her. Go on, she won't bite." He took her wrist, drawing her hand close until she could smooth it over the cow's soft, warm forehead.

She couldn't contain her small smile.

Cam watched her. "Never touched one before, huh?"

"No," she admitted.

"Well, for a city girl you're doing okay, then."

The funny-and sad-thing was, she was no more a city girl than a country one. She truly belonged nowhere. Her entire life had been spent studying, observing and scrutinizing. Locked away from reality, Haley hadn't realized until that very moment that she didn't seem to fit into any one, specific setting.

She didn't belong anywhere. Or to anyone.

Forcing the thought away, she reached again for the cow and just managed not to flinch when Margaret snorted very wetly and noisily. With one last look at Cameron and Haley, the cow slowly lumbered away in search of more grass. Or whatever cows went in search of.

Cameron's eyes sparkled, and she knew he wanted to laugh at her. She liked to think he didn't dare. "I've got work," she said with as much dignity as she could manage.

His lips twitched. "So you've said." He rocked back on his heels and looked at the perfect sky marred only by a few streaks of white cloud. "Storm's brewing. We'll have rain tonight."

She wrinkled her nose, squinting at the sky. "There're no rain clouds."

"I can feel it," he said simply. "I love the rain."

She did, too. No matter where she'd lived, whether the rain had beaten against wide, frothy fronds of palm trees, whipped at the desert floor, or streamed down mountainsides, she'd loved it. To find this unlikely common ground set her further off-balance. Purposefully, she picked up her broom and went to move away, but he reached out and took her hand.

"Do you like it here, Haley?"

She glanced down at their joined hands pointedly, hoping he'd take the hint and let go. He didn't, so she pulled free. "I haven't been here very long. Only a day."

"All right, then. Could you be happy here?"

The big house stood behind him; wide, open and inviting. She'd never had a home-or a real one, anyway. Boarding schools had been her haven as a child, since her mother had never sent for her and had visited only occasionally. After that had come college. Then her work, which had her either closeted away in a laboratory, or traveling all over the globe. She'd always dreamed of a permanent place to belong… but what would she do with one?

"Haley?" Cam stepped closer, ducking his face to look into hers.

"I don't know," she said quite honestly. "I've never really had a place like this to stay before."

"Where's your home?" His voice, with its low, rich quality, almost lulled her into answering more truthfully than she intended.

"I don't have one."

He tipped his head, considering. "Everyone comes from somewhere."

"Not me."

His smile faded. "You're full of secrets, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said honestly. "I'm sorry."

He let out a long, frustrated breath, once again showing that slightly rough, earth edge she'd sensed earlier. "It's my problem, not yours." Taking the broom from her hand, he stepped up to the first rug she'd hung and smacked it. Dust swirled and he shook his head. "I never noticed how dirty these were," he said a little apologetically. When dust had stopped rising from the rug, he moved to the second.

"Wait! That's my job."

He twisted to glance at her over his shoulder. "I'll do it. You look tired."

She looked tired. "I'm the housekeeper."

"It's okay, Haley." Smack! Smack!

She wrestled the broom from him and blew the hair from her face. "It's my job. Now go away and leave me to it."

"Can I watch?" As her eyes narrowed dangerously, he backed up, raising his hands in surrender. "Wow. You should see how blue your eyes get when you're riled. They're something."

She thought about wielding the broom as a weapon and bounced it in her hands. "You've got to have work to do. Go do it. Go ranch."

"My brothers are doing that."

"Then go… do something. Make another shelf."

He grinned in his usual easygoing way as she turned the broom in her hands, holding it like a baseball bat. "I don't feel like it."

God save her from lazy cowboys. "Well, go feel like something. You're in my way."

The grin spread. "You like me."

She rolled her eyes and turned her back to him, listening to him whistle as he sauntered away.

"Oh, and Haley?" he called out. She refused to look at him, but that didn't stop him from yelling, "Don't scare any more cows. It's not good for milk production."

His laughter rang out in the cool, afternoon air.

That night, standing in the kitchen, at a total loss over what to make for dinner, Haley began to panic.

Zach came in. "Hey, Haley. How's it going?"

"Fine," she said politely, thankful this brother didn't seem as innately curious as his younger one.

"The house looks great," he said, proceeding past her to the refrigerator. "It hasn't been so clean since… Well, ever." He stuffed an apple into his mouth, grabbed two armfuls of chilled food, and dumped it all on the counter, kicking the door closed with his foot. He smiled around the apple when he noticed her staring, then began to open an assortment of containers.

"What are you doing?"

He pulled the apple from his mouth, taking a huge bite. "I'm making a sandwich. I'm hungry."

She moved to his side to protest. "But I'm going to cook dinner for you."

"Oh, don't bother for me, thanks. I'm studying." Another bite, and the apple had nearly disappeared.

"Well, at least let me make whatever it is you're going to make for yourself."

He shot her a smile. "You worked hard today, take a break."

"Dinner's my job," she protested, watching him make short work of a piece of chicken he found in some foil. Where, she wondered, eyeing his tall, lean body, did he put all that food?

"Nellie and Jason are going out to dinner to be alone," he said, rolling his eyes. "Take advantage."

Nellie's absence explained why Max had been trailing her for the past hour. But it didn't rid Haley of guilt. She had to work. She owed these people everything.

"Cam's in his studio," Zach continued, starting on the second piece of chicken. "He'll be there all night."

She tried not to wonder why the mention of his brother's name made her stomach tingle. "All night?"

"Yeah." He pulled out a huge roll that surely one person couldn't eat by himself, especially one who'd already eaten an apple and two pieces of chicken. "He's in the mood to work, for a change."

She saw that he spoke without rancor or bitterness. Just plain acceptance… and love. "What is it he does, exactly?"

Zach laughed softly as if she'd told a joke, but in truth, she had no idea what was so funny. "It's amazing, isn't it? People from three states over clamor for his furniture, not even minding that he won't give them a finish date. He'll just get to it when he gets to it, he says, and they agree. I still don't understand it."

Haley watched as he stacked cheese and meat four inches thick on the huge roll, wondering how he would get his mouth around it. "Is he any good?"

"The best," Zach said simply.

"What are you studying?" she asked, fascinated by his appetite.

"For the bar exam."

"An attorney. That's impressive."

"For a cowboy, you mean?" He smiled and piled three-quarters of a new bag of chips on the plate. Then, as an afterthought, he dumped the rest onto the plate, too. "Don't be too impressed," he said wryly. "I seem to collect occupations. I was a cop once. A bartender, too." He balanced the plate and three cans of soda easily in those long gangly arms and made his way to the door before he paused. "It's nice to have you here, Haley," he said sincerely. "It's nice to be looked after."

She nearly laughed. "But you're not letting me look after you at all."

"We don't want to take advantage."

"But you're paying me to do this."

He grinned. "No, not me. Cam is. He'll get his money's worth, believe me. He always does." His color drained and he looked as if he wanted to hit himself. "Wait. That didn't come out right."

She'd taken an involuntary step backward, but common sense prevailed. Last night, her safety had taken a back seat to escape. Going home with strangers had been infinitely preferable to the alternative of being dead. But after a night and a day with these people, she sensed she was safe. Especially after the barn fiasco when she'd unintentionally thrown herself at her new boss and he'd acted with gentlemanly restraint, if not a great deal of humor.

Even so, she wanted to clarify things. In her profession, where she was required to carefully observe and study, she'd found it the best method. "I'm a housekeeper," she said firmly. "Nothing more."

"We know that," Zach said quickly, sincerely. He shrugged his wide shoulders in emphasis, since his hands were completely full of food. "And no one expects more. In fact, if either of my brothers even looks at you cross-eyed, I'll sue them for you-I promise."

She smiled at that, as he'd intended. "I thought brothers tended to wrestle and fight, not sue."

"When we were younger, but not anymore," he vowed. "I may be the oldest, but Cam's the strongest. Neither of us messes with him now. Besides, suing him hurts where it counts the most-his wallet."

Haley had a hard time picturing Cameron expending enough energy to worry about anything, much less his financial situation. "He doesn't seem to care about money much."

"No." Zach sighed dramatically. "He doesn't." And then he eyed her strangely. "Haley, I meant what I said. You're safe here. If there's ever anything you want us to know, or if you need any help, you could just tell us. We'd be there."

"Okay," she said slowly, trying to read between the lines. Did he know something, suspect something? When he only stood there, looking at her expectantly, she lifted a shoulder self-consciously. "What?"

Disappointment crossed his features. "Nothing. Have a good night."

She watched him go, once again marveling at how much food he was going to consume, then turned to the empty kitchen. She should have been relieved at her miraculous respite, but she felt oddly… unsettled.

It was quiet, almost too much so. She went out the back door and saw little Max, fast asleep on his padded bed. Standing on the porch, listening to him snore softly, she watched the daylight fade into night. A gigantic cloud hung where the sun was making its lazy descent behind the shadowed mountains. A fat, black cloud that, as Cameron had told her earlier, promised rain.

Rain would suit her mood.

She stood there in the very cool air, her arms wrapped around her middle, wondering at the strange and unexpected turn her life had taken. What had really happened there in South America? Someone-Alda? Bob?-had gotten greedy. Someone had decided they wanted the system for themselves. Who? The system was destroyed now; did they think they could recreate it? She didn't want to blame either of them, but no one else alive knew what they'd created. Where were they now? Were they hiding, as she was? Both were American, and both had worked previously for the United States Geological Survey. If she called the USGS, would they know what had happened? Would they even believe her? She knew she had to try.

It was time to stop burying her head in the sand. Because of the time difference between Los Angeles and Colorado, it was too late today. But first thing in the morning, she'd call the USGS base in California. It might give her peace of mind.

They'd probably want her to come work for them, tell them what she knew. She didn't want to go back to being a geologist. It was ironic that she'd lost the taste for it, since once upon a time, it had been all she'd ever wanted. But she wouldn't reproduce that system, no matter what. With the knowledge in the wrong hands, anything could happen. Terrorists could blackmail governments for billions with the threat of a massive earthquake or volcano.

The implications were terrifying. Good Lord, no wonder someone wanted her dead.

Darkness had fallen while she stood there and she'd never seen such a complete and utterly still black night. There were no sounds as a huge, ominous cloud stretched across the entire yawning sky. She couldn't even see her little house, only fifty yards away. Little Max snored on.

Never in her life had Haley felt so alone, so isolated.

Suddenly lightning bolted, and she nearly leaped off the porch. She braced for the thunder, but still wasn't prepared for the resounding boom that had Max jumping up with a cry, straight into her arms. She pulled him close, her heart pounding, and at the next crack, whirled toward the door with every intention of turning on each and every light in the entire house.

"Don't go."

She swallowed her scream as the next brilliant flash lit the Colorado night like day, highlighting the planes and hollows of Cameron's rugged face from where he stood on the porch steps.

"Lightning storm," he said simply, moving up the few steps to stand before her. "You haven't lived until you've seen the entire show. Come on." Taking the whining puppy in the crook of one arm, he grabbed her hand.

"It's going to rain," she said inanely, her heart still thundering in tune to the storm.

"Oh, yeah. It's going to rain." He tugged at her hand gently, murmuring quietly to Max. He led them to a beautiful, wide wooden bench on the far end of the veranda.

"I… should go in."

"Sit down a sec." He did, and pulled her down next to him. Max huddled pathetically in his lap while Cam ran a large soothing hand over his quivering back. Then he pointed off into the far distance where the entire sky had rippled with jagged streaks of blue light. "Watch," he said, his voice filled with awe. The air split with the crash of thunder.

"I thought you were working."

"The work'll wait."

"But-"

"Shh. Just listen, it's beautiful."

It seemed decadent. Wasting precious moments sitting on a bench, with a man she didn't really know, watching nothing but time go by. Haley hadn't spent much time in leisure, if any. Her time had never been her own. But the wild sky, churning and venting violence like a casual whim, had caught her. She couldn't look away.

"You'll be hungry," she said during a brief lull, feeling as if she had to say something.

"No." His face was turned upward, raptly watching as flash after flash of lightning exploded like a fireworks display, streaking the sky with jagged lines of light.

"I really should go-"

For a man who looked so at ease, lounging back against the bench, he sure could move fast, reaching for her with a hand corded with strength. "Come on, Ms. Restless, just sit a minute. Can't you do that?" His eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Just sit and watch the rain?"

"Just sit and watch the rain. You don't always have to be doing something. Or do you?"

His eyes were as dark as the night, and surprisingly, as full of secrets, but not necessarily happy ones. His scent floated on the wind; an intriguing mix of horses, wood and pure man. On her chilled arm, the warmth of his hand soaked into her, and even as she thought it, his fingers loosened to run along the length of her skin, causing a strange sort of shiver.

"You're cold."

Goodness, he was dangerous to her pulse. "I'm fine."

He shook his head. "You're stubborn, is what you are." He moved the now sleeping Max off his lap to the bench and slid closer to her until his body brushed against hers. She didn't want to think about how deliciously warm he felt. "Now watch. The rain's coming."

Another surprise-somewhere over the past few minutes, her loneliness had vanished, along with her nervousness about the dark night. She didn't want to think about the reasons for that, but she had to laugh when he casually stretched his long arm over the back of her shoulders.

"What?" he asked, blinking innocently.

She stared pointedly at his work-roughened fingers, settled inches from her shoulder, then turned to him. "Your move. It wasn't very subtle."

He sighed. "Just like a woman, you can't be quiet for five seconds."

Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to retort.

"Shh." He squeezed her shoulder gently, then pointed. "Look."

The first drop fell, then another. Within a split second, the sky had simply opened itself up, dumping upon the dry and crusted earth below. Each individual, fat drop bounced off the ground with a little ping. More lightning. More thunder. Ping, ping, ping. Fascinated by the unexpected concert of nature, she sat mesmerized.

They stayed there in silence, simply enjoying the night. She found that since she'd made the decision to call the USGS in the morning, she felt better. So she sat, content.

Even when she shivered again, she didn't want to move, for the lightning came at regular intervals, marring the black sky and riveting her gaze. She'd seen storms before-hundreds-but never anything like this.

She hadn't forgotten about Cameron; that would have been impossible. He filled her senses. She felt him, watched him, could almost taste him. He pulled her closer, and she realized she was shaking with cold. "I'd give you my jacket," he drawled in her ear with a husky voice that invoked its own shiver. "But I already did."

And she hadn't returned it. Remorse hit her and she started to rise. "I'm sorry-"

He held her close. "Don't be. Just make sure you don't wash it before you give it back."

"Why?" She made the mistake of looking at him. His dark, heavy-lidded eyes smoldered.

"I want it to smell like you." He leaned close, laughing a little when she flinched at the drum of thunder.

She pulled her head back and stumbled over her words. "The storm was beautiful, thanks, but I've got to go."

"You ought to do that more," he said, letting her go this time when she pulled away.

She reached the back door. "Do what?"

"Relax." Standing, he stretched lazily, then came toward her with that same long-legged easy grace she'd admired in Zach. Only this time, in Cameron, it didn't seem quite so harmless.

As for Cam, he wished he didn't invoke that particular expression on her face-the one that clearly stated how uneasy she felt around him, how wary she still was. Wanting to delay her, he said, "It's early yet. Want to sit some more?"

Haley hesitated, her hand on the door as if ready to bolt at the slightest movement from him. "What for?"

He laughed. "Just because. We could watch the storm again, or just talk."

She shook her head slowly. "I don't think so. I really have-"

"I know," he said, shaking his head. "You have stuff to do. Well, it's my stuff and it can wait."

She sighed and looked away. "You don't put a very high priority on work, do you?"

"The work will always be there." He moved closer. "But fun… That's another thing entirely. You have to grab it when you can."

"Hmm."

"Now take today…" She tensed and he knew she expected him to grill her about the barn incident, but he didn't work that way. "When you caught your first glimpse of Margaret-" he grinned wide "-that was fun."

"I see." One brow rose haughtily, her chin lifted.

Despite his good intentions to remain distant and wary, he liked her. Especially when she used that prim, annoyed tone as a defense. He pictured her as a teacher, and not for the first time, wondered exactly what it was she'd done before. "Fun is easy, Haley. Everyone likes fun."

"It has its time and place," she admitted. "But there are other things."

Her blue eyes were full of mysteries he could only guess at as she watched the rain fall. "Like what?"

"Like responsibility."

"Something I'd guess you'd be very good at." Because he couldn't resist touching her, he tucked a wayward strand of silky dark hair behind her ear. "What is it you really do, Haley?"

She licked her lips when he stepped closer, but didn't move away or object. "I told you, I'm a housekeeper."

"Now, maybe."

"You don't think I've done this before?"

Nellie had told him she'd caught Haley sitting on the kitchen floor, avidly reading the directions on a bottle of pine-scented cleaner, muttering to herself. She'd thought it cute and meticulous, but to Cam, it told him much more than that. It told him she wasn't used to using it. "You're avoiding my question."

"And you said you weren't going to ask me any," she reminded him.

He smiled, though it was a struggle. He wanted her to open up, to tell him she wasn't normally a person who hid things, who lied. That she had a really, really good reason for doing so now. Fool that he was, he'd probably believe her. "I said I wouldn't push you about where you'd come from and what you'd done. And I won't. This was just a harmless question, part of our casual conversations. You know, from one person to another."

"And therefore," she concluded, lifting a brow, "a different matter entirely, right?"

"That's right." Yeah, he really liked the way she got all huffy and pompous. It suited her. And stirred his juices. "So, are you going to tell me?"

"No." She glanced over at the next sharp flash of lightning while he tensed. The thunder rumbled. The rain still fell, dripping off the patio, creating an intimate aura. She turned her head back to his and once again, their faces were only inches apart. Slyly, he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Kind of clichéd, isn't it, Cameron? Using a storm as a scene of seduction?"

"Only if it works," he said, laughing, loosening up again. "Is it?"

"Not a chance."

"Ouch," he said good-naturedly, experienced enough not to back away. Yet. He was pleased that her breathing didn't seem so even, because his had all but stopped. Her skin glowed softly in the soft light from the kitchen window. The cold had added a touch of color to her pale cheeks. Nellie's sweater, a little too big for Haley's thin shoulders, kept slipping down, giving him tantalizing glimpses of more creamy skin that he ached to touch. The burst of arousal didn't surprise him so much as experiencing it here, now, with her. She was someone he wanted to help. That was it.

But already, she'd become far more.

Tread carefully, he told himself. This one had thorns. Well, so did he. "I know it's not all men because I've seen you smile at Zach and Jason, so why me?"

"Why you what?"

Their bodies didn't touch except where his arm curled around her waist, but the electrical current running between them made it feel as if they were. He could almost feel her soft curves resting against him. "Why are you so wary of me?"

"I'm not," she replied, dropping her gaze. But she raised her hands and pushed him back a foot or so.

He went willingly. "I don't bite. I'd like to, but I won't."

Her lips twitched and that sparkle he liked to see so much in her eyes came back. "I'd bite back."

Laughing, he dared to step toward her again. "Want to play?"

She shook her head, her eyes still smiling.

"Don't suppose you'll invite me to walk you back to the guesthouse?"

"With a man who's already threatened to bite?"

He sighed. "Guess we'll have to do it here."

Alarm flashed across her face. "Do what?"

Slowly, very slowly, he drew her against him, keeping his gaze locked on hers. "Dance in the rain."

"There's no music," she said, sounding breathless. Her hands were fisted tight against his chest, her entire body rigid.

"Of course there is, darlin'." He slid his hands around her waist, realizing just how tiny she was. "Listen to it," he whispered, then fell silent, willing her to relax, to hear the incredible beat of the storm that crashed all around them.

He twirled her around the porch to the rain and thunder, until she relaxed slightly, then even more. When he dipped her, she clutched at him, startled, then smiled in genuine pleasure. He did it again-to see that smile, to feel her hold him, appreciating the little laugh she gave when he bent her low over his arm.

More rain, more thunder, and still they danced. Haley settled against him, holding on to his shoulders and moving easily. The fluid way she swayed against him had him pulling her closer, nuzzling his face in her hair. "Fun?" he murmured.

"Well… maybe, yes, a little."

He whirled and twirled them slowly about the wooden patio in tune with the falling rain, enjoying how perfect she felt in his arms, the heat of her skin beneath the sweater.

Contrasts, he thought. The woman was full of them. Fire and ice. Sweet and wary. Her arms slid up his shoulders, glided around his neck. He rubbed his cheek against hers, reveling in the abandonment with which she finally let go.

He wondered if she'd do the same when making love.

The thought brought him up short. He didn't deny a definite sexual pull, but since Lorraine had nearly destroyed him, he'd preferred the slow, lazy route of getting a woman to bed. He liked the chase, and the control. But right now, he didn't feel so leisurely, or in control, and he didn't think this was a good thing. Haley had done funny things to his head, as if he'd had too much wine. He wanted to run with her through the rain, toss her onto the cottage bed and bury himself in deep.

Yet she was lying, hiding. He badly wanted to believe that she was just another unfortunate victim in a cruel world, but he couldn't be sure. Was there a violent ex? Or something far more sinister, such as she'd committed a crime?

No, he wouldn't picture that. Couldn't.

Sucker, claimed the cynical little voice inside his head.

"I hear the music," she whispered.

"Me, too, darlin'." Her thighs bumped against his. He could smell the storm in her hair, feel the silkiness of her skin and he was going crazy. "You feel good, Haley. Real good." Finding his lips near her ear, he sank his teeth into the soft lobe, smiling when she shivered. He knew exactly what was happening to her because it was happening to him, too. He dipped her again, but she didn't laugh this time. And he saw that her eyes were closed, her mouth open a little as if she needed to force air into her lungs. Good Lord, but she did something to his insides. It startled him, for she hadn't been honest, and ever since Lorraine, honesty had been a major criterion for him.

He couldn't seem to help himself.

He brought Haley upright, cruising his lips along her jawbone, making his way toward that delicious-looking mouth. He was hard just thinking about the things he was going to do to those lips, but before he got there, she slapped a hand against his chest, drew a ragged breath and leaned back.

"Wait."

He blinked, and Haley watched warily as those brown, glazed eyes focused in on her. "Wait?"

She shook her head, unable to believe how she'd lost herself in that dance. "Don't kiss me."

He stared at her for a minute. Her heat slammed against her chest as his hands made one last sweep down her spine before he released her and took a step back.

"Don't kiss you," he repeated.

She managed a quick smile. "You sound like a parrot."

"Sorry." He winced, ran a hand through his hair. "That was some dance, Haley. We'll have to do this again sometime."

No chance of that, she silently promised herself. The man was simply too smooth. Far too smooth. She considered herself as unsensuous as they came, but even she had nearly melted into a little pool of longing at his feet when he'd run his hands over her back. "I don't think so."

"Now that's a challenge," he said, leaning back against the railing. "But you look beat, so it will have to wait for another time." The rain had stopped. He took her hand, tucked Max in his other, and walked them to her little house. At her front door, he set down the puppy and smiled. "You're okay when you let go, Haley. And a great dance partner."

"Flattery won't get you a kiss." She had no intention of encouraging him.

"Ah." He sighed. "And you say such nice things."

Laughter babbled, but she didn't dare vent it. He'd just take it as an invitation.

"It's good to have you here." His eyes were unusually serious. "Are you going to stay?"

She went from amused to instantly wary. "What makes you think I'm not?"

"Do you really want to get into that?" he asked softly.

She had an image of death and mayhem. "No," she managed, though the weak woman in her wanted to throw herself down and weep out her troubles. "No," she repeated, more firmly. "But… I'm not sure how long I'll stay." Maybe only as long as tomorrow, she thought with a burst of sadness, if the USGS thought they could help her.

Cameron looked as if he wanted to say more, but he didn't. His sharp eyes shuttered again, but still she saw a flash of temper, reminding her this man could be much more than a handsome cowboy. His expression was carefully blank now, and very distant, which for some reason, made her want to cry. "I've… never danced in the rain before," she admitted in a conciliatory voice.

He looked at her with those mesmerizing eyes for a long moment. "No? Well, then, I'm glad it was me the first time." He bent and she stiffened, but all he did was kiss her cheek lightly. "You haven't had much time for frivolous things, have you?"

She shook her head, resisting the urge to touch where he'd just kissed.

"Maybe you'll make time now."

Being with him tonight had been exciting in a way she hadn't expected, but as fun and as frivolous as it had been, she couldn't repeat it. "I don't think so."

"Ah, another challenge. But I figure you've had a rough few days so we'll save it." He ran a finger over her jaw. "Sleep good, Haley. Dream of me."

His touch had her stomach all aflutter. "I'd rather not."

He laughed. His thumb skimmed her lower lip. "But you will."

Then he sauntered away, and only when he'd disappeared into the night, did she allow her weak knees a break, sinking to the step with a long, shaky breath. Max crawled into her lap, and she nuzzled him close.

"I won't dream of him," she whispered to the puppy.

But damn him, she did.