In the Arms of Danger

FIFTEEN

A deep groan came from him mere seconds before his mouth covered hers. She flung her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Explosions erupted in her head; heated tingles cascaded over her while he took her in his tender embrace.

She missed this. Missed him. Missed the way they were while together.

"Taylor you taste just like you used to. Sweet and Heavenly."

She melted against him as her hands slipped down his back, wanting to lift his shirt and touch his glorious muscles...

But the screaming of her daughter yanked her out of her passion and into reality. Cory swore, jumped away and darted toward the stairs, his hand over his gun. She ran behind him on shaky legs, her heart rattling a different rhythm in her chest this time.

"Mommy," Meggie cried louder.

Cory rushed into the room first, his free hand holding Taylor back.

"Mommy. I want my mommy."

From over his shoulder he nodded for Taylor to come inside. She hurried to her crying daughter and gathered her in her arms. "I'm here, honey."

Tears were on the brink of spilling down her own face as she rocked her quivering little girl against her chest. Taylor squeezed her eyes closed. What had she been thinking? Why had she been so easily seduced by a man who had been a cold-blooded killer?

He stood beside her and stroked Meggie's hair. "Shhh...it's all right now." His gentle tone twisted Taylor's heart.

Cory crouched to their level. "Meggie? Was someone in the room?"

Her daughter pulled just far enough away to look at him. "No."

"Did you have a bad dream?" he asked.

Meggie nodded, and buried her face in Taylor's chest. Cory's gaze lifted to hers. Lines creased his forehead and around his mouth. Once again, her heart flipped. Curse him for acting this way. Cold-blooded killers don't have hearts. They don't care. So why does he?

He leaned up, and she thought he was going to try and kiss her again. Instead, he whispered, "I'm going to check outside one more time."

He pulled away and stood. As he walked out of the room, she released a gush of air between her lips. Thankfully, something had stopped their kiss and kept Taylor from following her urges while in his arms.

Bundling her daughter closer, she shut her eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek.

Please Lord. End this torture for me before it grows worse.

Minutes blended together in an immeasurable frame of time until Meggie finally fell asleep. Quietly, Taylor laid her daughter down and pulled the blankets over her. As she tiptoed out of the room, her thoughts strayed to Cory and what they'd been doing earlier. She really didn't want to talk to him about it. Shoot, she couldn't even dissect the scrambled thoughts in her own mind, let alone explain to him what had happened. Something needed to be said so it wouldn't happen again.

The cabin remained quiet except for the firewood popping in the hearth. "Cory?"

No answer.

She walked to the front door and opened it. The cool night air chilled her within seconds, so she closed the door. After finding her jacket, she stepped outside. The full moon lit the woods but left shadows near the trees. An owl's gentle cooing and the chirping of crickets relayed serenity about her.

"Cory?"

Her heart dropped. What happened to him? She took a quick glance around the darkened area and panicked.

On unsteady legs, Taylor ventured further away from the cabin, her ears strained to hear other sounds...anything that might tell her where Cory had gone. What if the truck he'd heard earlier had really been the stalker? What if Cory was lying injured somewhere in the bushes?

Or dead?

Then she heard it. Instead of just the gurgle of the water, loud kerplunks rang through the night like someone throwing rocks in the lake.

The closer she hurried to the water, the louder the noise became until Cory's figure appeared in the shadows. A relieved gush of air escaped her lips. The full moon outlined his glorious physique as he stood near the lake, trying to skip rocks while his foot rested on the motorboat parked on the sand.

A cold shiver ran through her and she bundled her jacket closer around her neck. As she neared, he stopped and turned his head to look at her.

"How's Meggie?"

"Asleep."

"How's her mother?"

Her heart did a little flip. She smiled. "I'm all right...considering."

He nodded and turned back to the lake, tossing another rock. "I've been thinking."

She stepped closer. "That's what most people do when they stand by the lake and skip rocks."

Glancing over his shoulder, he smiled. "Really? I take it you've done this before?"

"Many times."

"Do you want to show me how?"

She arched a brow. "Skip rocks...or think?"

A small laugh bubble up from his throat. "Skip rocks."

"Do you mean to tell me you've never skipped rocks?"

"Never."

"Well, first thing you need is a bunch of flat rocks. The rounder the stone, the better." She glanced around the shoreline.

He pointed to a pile he'd already collected. "Will these work?"

She laughed. "Yes." She bent and picked one up. "Have you ever played baseball before and thrown the ball sidearm?"

"Of course."

"Good, then you've already got the wrist movement down. Curve your finger around the outer rim of the stone and hold the rock horizontally, flat side down. As you throw, you flip your wrist and give it a slight twist as you release the rock." She demonstrated, but didn't throw the rock. "When you aim, envision a convex arc a few inches above the water." She handed him the rock. "Go ahead. Give it a try."

He took the rock and held it the way she'd told him. She nodded. "When you throw the rock, make sure it's low and parallel to the water's surface."

Sticking out his tongue to the edge of his lips as if in concentration, he narrowed his eyes toward the water. Of all times for the rhythm of her heart to pick up, it would have to be at this exact moment. Why did he look so adorable right now?

He let the rock fly, but it didn't do a lot of skipping. He growled and picked up another stone.

"Cory, this time when you release the rock, do it with a snap of your wrist. That movement will give the rock a spin so that when it hits the water, it'll skip."

He tried again, but failed. She scooped up a stone and stepped closer to him, sliding it in his hand.

"Like this." She guided his hand in the movement he needed. When she lifted her gaze to his, a familiar softness touched his eyes, making her chest tighten.

"Try it again," she whispered.

He smiled and stepped away from her, closer to the water. He aimed, and then threw. The rock skipped. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Then five.

Cory laughed and punched his fist into the air. She clapped and stepped closer. "See, I knew you could do it."

He nudged her with his arm and leaned in. His face loomed very near to hers.

He c****d his head. "Would you consider yourself a pro?"

She chuckled. "No. I don't do it enough."

"So what do you say about having a little contest? Right here. Right now."

Her heart leapt. "Tomorrow. When there's more light." Heaven knows she shouldn't be in the shadows with him for very long.

With his face so near hers, she couldn't resist lowering her gaze to his lips. Earlier she'd been in his arms where she'd willingly allowed him to kiss her with so much passion. Yet now, even when she knew it was wrong, she yearned to be in his arms again. For him to hold her while his lips crushed against hers as they basked in the throes of passion.

Her heart sped out of control. All thoughts of reason whirled into another oblivion. Right now she didn't care where she ended up...as long as he kissed her good and hard.

He lifted his hand and stroked his fingers across her cheek. "You shouldn't look at me that way."

His deep voice sent shivers over her and warmed her at the same time.

"Sorry." But she wasn't, because she couldn't turn away.

He cupped her face with both hands, his thumbs brushing her chin in a soft caress. "Our last kiss is still fresh in my mind. If you don't stop this insanity, I'll be tempted to kiss you again."

She licked her lips. "I know."

"Is that what you want?"

"Right now," she paused to moisten her dry throat with a swallow, "I don't know what I want."

"Tell me to stop and I will."

She nodded, but still didn't turn him away like she should. His nearness and his knee-buckling scent sapped any kind of strength she might have had.

His lips drew nearer. She closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting, hoping, and anticipating the fireworks she'd experienced not too long ago.

With much tenderness, he brushed his mouth over hers. She sighed and pushed herself into him, sliding her arms around his waist and tilting her head as she opened for more. This kiss was as powerful as the first. Soft, yet exciting. Wild and abandoned. Clutching his shirt, she answered his kiss with a desperate plea. She wanted more. Much more. She wanted Bermuda back. She wanted the man he'd been when they first met.

A nagging thought in the back of her head struggled to surface. Had he really been a good FBI agent who'd turned bad? How can I kiss him this way knowing his past and what I witnessed? Gads, not long ago, she hadn't trusted him.

So why was she kissing him like there was no tomorrow?

Quickly, she withdrew and took a couple steps back. She clutched her head, trying to relieve the pounding pressure.

Several minutes passed in silence. Only the gurgle of the water running over the rocks and the chirping of night's insects echoed in the shadows. The moon reflected in the water, making it appear larger than it was. Cory's silhouette, also reflected in the water, stood still. She didn't dare look at him. Not yet. She especially couldn't bear to see what emotions flickered in his eyes.

"Cory?"

"Yes."

"We...we can't do that again."

"I know."

A lump formed in her throat, but she tried to swallow it so her voice didn't squeak when she talked. "Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"You won't let it happen again."

A deep sigh came from him and she dared to look his way. He dropped his hand by his side and glanced at her. "I can't make that promise."

Another shiver ran through her, one that didn't have anything to do with the cooling temperature. In fact, it was the warm surge of anticipation.

"Why?"

"For the same reason I couldn't stop this time, and the time inside the kitchen, from happening." He shrugged. "There's been too much between us. Five years ago we had a wonderful month together. It's hard to forget."

She dropped her gaze to her feet. Drawing a circle in the sand with the toe of her shoe, she nodded. "But we can't let it happen. I...I don't...want it to happen again."

After she'd said it, she knew it was a lie. Curse her weakened soul.

Cory sighed and knocked his boot against the motorboat. He turned toward the cabin and took two steps before stopping. "I'll do all in my power to try and stop it next time."

His clipped tone left a bitter taste in her mouth, and as he walked away, her heart sank lower with each step he took. Her throat tightened all the while convincing herself that keeping her distance was the right thing to do.