Crime & Passion 3: A Fraudulent Encounter

Dax opened the car door for Natasha, and she climbed into his truck. He practically ran around the front, over to the driver’s door, and leaped in. The quicker he got rid of her, the better he’d feel. Maybe the guilt associated with his attraction for her would subside.

He pulled onto the highway and accelerated. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Natasha’s sideways glance at his speedometer. Following her line of sight, he realized he was already five miles per hour over the speed limit. It wouldn’t be good if he got caught speeding. Or worse yet, if they wound up in the ditch. The snow had let up to nearly nothing falling, and the highway was freshly plowed, but it could still be slippery in spots.

He forced a chuckle. “Guess I’d better slow down.”

She nodded. “I’m such a chicken driver. I spun out on the ice once shortly after I got my license. Almost went down a large embankment. Would have probably rolled the car if I had. Could have hurt or killed me and my sister and brothers. I’ve never forgotten it. I remember the whole incident as if it happened yesterday. To this day, I hate driving in winter.”

Boy, he could relate to her comments. Why was it bad memories were like that—always fresh. Certainly, he recalled the overabundance of good memories of his life with Jillian, but the bad memories—one bad memory—overshadowed them all.

Natasha pulled off her gloves, set them on the console between them, and placed her hands on her lap.

“Are you too warm? I can turn the heat down.”

“Maybe just a little. I can get it,” she said as she reached toward the knob as he did.

“Sorry,” he uttered as he reeled back, but not before the light brush of her warm fingers ignited his flesh. The sensation spread through his entire body like a wildfire.

He gripped the steering wheel so tight he thought his fingers might break.

When she finished adjusting the heat, she rested her arm on the console. Her palm pressed flat to it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her concerned gaze. Why wouldn’t she look at him that way? He’d acted like a nervous teenager. He needed to pull his shit together before she or anyone else at work figured out what a hot mess he was.

“So, Florida, huh? It’ll be nice to get away from the cold and snow,” he said to rid the uncomfortable silence from the vehicle.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. My sister has asked me to go along for the past several years. This is the first time I’m taking her up on the offer.”

“I’m sure it will be great.”

He heard her sigh and his peripheral vision caught the slump of her shoulders

“I thought you were looking forward to the trip.”

She turned her head to face him. “I am. I love my sister, but sometimes she meddles, so I’m hoping she doesn’t go there. I just want to relax and have fun.”

Dax chuckled. “Isn’t that what family is for? Meddling.”

His passenger’s sweet, soft laugh filled the cab causing his pulse to kick up a notch.

“I guess,” she replied.

“The bigger problem is what are we going to do without you?”

She giggled again. Another pleasant treat for his eardrums.

“I think you guys will be okay for the week I’m gone.”

He shook his head. “I doubt it. You’re the glue that holds us together. Without you, we’ll be lost. Nobody will know what’s going on.”

“Funny, half the time I feel like nobody listens to a word I say.”

“That couldn’t be further from the truth. Your opinion and counsel are the ones that matter the most. You know what’s really going on, big-picture-wise. We all run our departments, and you manage them as a whole. We’re just pieces of the puzzle of your financial world.”

She tapped her fingernails nervously against the hard plastic console, turned her head, and stared out the side window. Her nervous reaction to his compliment didn’t fully surprise him. He knew she had self-esteem issues. Had witnessed similar behavior from her in the past. That ex of hers had really done a number on her.

A compelling need to help her understand her worth overcame him. He reached over and covered her hand with his. Her warm fingers stilled, but she didn’t pull away. Nor did he.

“I mean it. You’re a great finance director. The city is lucky to have you. We are all lucky to have you.”

Heat rose in his body. Remembering how soft and warm his late wife’s hand had felt in his sent a rush of guilt and grief straight to his heart. His palm perspired. He wanted to pull back, yet didn’t want to at the same time. The lovely creature in the passenger seat had truly awakened feelings and desires he no longer thought possible.

As he kept his hand resting over the top of hers, he couldn’t decide—figure out what to do. Keep it there, curl his fingers around hers, or pull away. If she’d just look at him, he might get some sort of indication as to what she wanted him to do, but she continued to stare out the passenger window.

Good God, he didn’t know how to do this. It had been over twenty-seven years since he’d had to figure out how to make a move, ask someone out, go on a first date. He’d met Jillian in college when they were twenty-one years old. They dated exclusively from the first moment, then married when they were twenty-three.

The awkwardness of the situation had him wanting to pull away, but the need for companionship froze him in place.

Natasha focused out the passenger window, frozen in place debating whether or not she should flip her hand over and weave her fingers among Dax’s. The man had just said the kindest words ever to her. Words she needed to hear. Her ex had succeeded in making her feel completely worthless so hearing a compliment with such conviction was music to her ears and instantly lifted her spirits.

But, was he genuine? She’d thought her ex was at one point, and boy had she been fooled.

She knew she should pull away. Yet, that large, warm hand covering hers felt so soothing she couldn’t. Instead, she flipped her hand over and wove her fingers among his, and turned her head toward him. He glanced at her, smiled softly, and tightened his grip before returning his gaze to the road. If this car ride lasted forever, she would die a happy and content woman. But, as luck would have it, they were almost home.

A spark of fear ignited in her. What would he do when he dropped her off at her house? Surely, like the time before, he’d walk her to the door. That was a given. Would he try to kiss her? Heat spread throughout her body. Did she want him to kiss her?

She drew in what she’d hoped to be a calming breath, and that sultry, leathery scent of his caused her heart to skip a beat, thereby, answering her question. Yes, she wanted to be kissed by Dax. Good heavens, it had been so long since she’d been kissed, would she even remember how?

Her lips tingled. She’d bet her life a man like him, a sweet, yet take-charge, kind of guy, could really kiss. His life was all about reading people, and he was good at it. Knowing that about him, she’d bet her last dollar, he’d know what she’d want and deliver.

Oh man, what was she thinking? She once loved and trusted her husband. Practically thought he walked on water, and look what had happened. Secrets, lies, and divorce.

Dax released her hand, flipped on his blinker, and turned off the desolate highway. They were almost to her house, just a couple of more blocks. She slipped her gloves on and rested her hands on her lap.

He pulled up to the curb in front of her house, put the vehicle in park, but left the engine running. He practically leaped out of the vehicle and was to her side of the truck before she had the passenger door fully opened.

Slush had frozen to the running board. Assuming it would be slick, she gripped the handlebar by the window and attempted to get a good footing before moving off the seat. Her foot skidded off the icy platform, and she slid right into Dax’s strong, waiting arms. Her heart fluttered.

Though he lowered her to the ground, he didn’t release her. She leaned into him, staring into those amber eyes of his, hoping for the kiss that he seemed on the verge of offering.

Ever so slightly his head tipped toward her. Her breath hitched. He stilled, and when he slowly inched back, sheer disappointment rippled through her. Still, he didn’t fully let go of her. Instead, he wrapped his large hand around her arm, just above her elbow, offering assistance as she stepped away from the vehicle. With his other hand, he shut the door. He held her securely as she made her way up the icy sidewalk. His concern warmed her heart.

“Someone shoveled for you,” Dax commented.

“Yeah. If I don’t get to it right away, my neighbor takes care of it.”

“That’s nice. Do you have any salt? I can spread some before I leave.”

Her insides went a little gooey at his thoughtfulness. He was so sweet.

“I have a bucket of it in the garage, but you don’t have to do it. I can.”

“It’s no trouble.”

She keyed her way through her front door. This time without help from him and he followed her into the house.

The light patter of Cocoa’s footsteps sounded from down the hall, quickly drawing closer. The second the cat’s gaze caught Dax, he halted on a dime and arched his back. Then he hightailed it back to where he’d come from.

She met Dax’s gaze. “He’s a bit of a fraidy cat.”

“Looks like it,” the kind man replied.

His deep chuckle rang pleasantly in the living room. Happiness was a welcomed emotion in her otherwise quiet, drab, and dull home.

She kicked off her shoes and he wiped his feet on the mat.

He pointed through the living room, toward the kitchen.

“I take it the door to the garage is through there.”

She didn’t see any point in telling him a second time that she could spread the salt herself, because she knew he’d do it anyway.

“Yes. The salt is right next to the access door.”

Without hesitation, he walked through her living room and kitchen and returned a moment later with the bucket of salt.

She watched him through the living room window as he tossed the salt over her sidewalk. How was it this simple act made her so happy?

He came back into the house, took the bucket back to the garage, and then returned to the living room where she stood, keeping a distance of a couple of feet from her.

“Thank you for doing that and for letting me ride with you tonight,” she said.

“No problem.”

His gaze moved to the window overlooking the street in front of her house.

“Well, I guess I’d better get going,” he said with some reluctance in his tone as he turned and took a few steps toward the front door.

She followed him. “Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Yep.”

His gaze stayed on her as if waiting for her to say something else. Did he want her to ask him to stay for a while? Did she want him to? Yes. No. She wasn’t sure. Those enticing flecks of green sparkling in his amber eyes had her longing to keep his company, but that old familiar feeling of rejection her ex had instilled in her surfaced causing the cat to hold her tongue. The moment grew even more awkward than any other part of their evening.

Turning back toward the door he let himself out, closing it behind him.

She hustled over to the living room window and watch him walk toward his truck, taking note of how his jeans fit nicely over his butt and thighs. As he rounded the back of his vehicle, he stopped, turned his head, and looked at her house. She jumped back so he wouldn’t see her staring out the window at him.

Just as she’d begun to lean toward the window to take another peek, a knock on her front door startled her. Peering through the front window she noticed Dax’s truck still parked at the curb, but it no longer ran. Her heart beat rapidly as she spun and opened the front door.

Those amber eyes of his focused on her and darkened. She stepped back to let him in.

His gaze intensified. “I’d like to kiss you.”

Adrenaline rushed her veins. “I’d like it if you would.”

He reached up and placed his warm hands on her already flaming cheeks as he kicked the door shut behind him.

His touch was nothing short of marvelous. Leaning in, he pressed his lips lightly to hers. The sensations of his soft, sweet kisses hypnotized her. She couldn’t think, only do. It felt amazing as he stirred up feelings and desires she thought were no longer possible after having gotten the boot as she had from her ex.

A tinge of fear crept into her at that thought, but Dax’s sweet, mesmerizing kisses pushed the fear away.

His large hands slid from her cheeks, down to her neck, and over her shoulders. They stilled for only a moment before he edged away from her. Her lips instantly cooled and begged her to lean toward him, but then she realized what he was about to do. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the coat tree where she’d hung hers when he was out salting her sidewalk. Excitement ripped through her. How long did he plan on staying? How long did she want him to stay? She wasn’t sure. This was new territory for her.

Dax narrowed the gap between them and found her lips again. This time, his kisses were more fierce—hungry. Awakened, she met his pace, opening her mouth wider. His hot tongue probed, stirring up more desire within her. His arms tightened around her waist, and he pulled her firmly to his hard-muscled body. It was a good thing he held her so tightly because her weakened knees were about to give out.

Without losing contact with her mouth, he edged her back, making his way to her sofa. He sat and pulled her down onto his lap. She sat sideways, her back against the armrest. She kissed him with all she had to give. It was as if madness overcame her and she couldn’t think, only do—react. Changing position, she straddled him and kissed him some more. She felt so in sync with him and found some sort of routine going from soft and sweet, hungry and wet, then back to soft and sweet. His hands stayed outside of her clothing, yet her flesh heated from his touch as if his bare fingertips had made contact with her unexposed, sensitized skin.

Unaware as to how it happened, Natasha found herself lying on her couch, wrapped tightly in Dax’s strong arms. The front of his long, lean frame pressed to hers. Though both still fully clothed, her body soaked up heat from his. The glorious man’s eyes were shut. His breaths were shallow and even. He kissed her senseless, to exhaustion. Judging from his closed eyes, she suspected it was the same for him. He asked for nothing more than she was prepared to give, and her the same.

She had no clue what time it was, and with as much as she wanted to know, the last thing she desired was to leave the comfort of this man’s hold. But she also knew if his truck remained in front of her home until morning, the small-town rumor mill would run rampant at first light.

Easing her arm out from between the two of them, she glanced at her watch—just after midnight.

Natasha moved her gaze back to Dax’s face and examined him. He looked honorable and appeared to have high moral standards. But did he? She’d once thought that about her ex-husband.

A tinge of doubt raked through her at the thought of how her marriage had turned out. Damn her ex.

She glanced away from Dax and drew in a slow breath. His sultry, leathery scent brought her to refocus on him. This man was nothing like her ex.

Studying him, she noticed the worry lines normally etched at the corners of his eyes were gone. The skin usually pulled taut over his square jaw seemed looser—relaxed. As much as she wanted to leave him to rest in his tranquil state, she knew she should wake him so he could go home before they became tomorrow’s town topic.

Lightly, she brushed her fingertips to his chiseled cheek.

His eyes opened, and he smiled softly. The flecks of green in his amber irises lit up as he leaned forward and touched her lips ever so lightly with his.

He eased back. “What time is it?”

“Just after midnight.”

At first, he didn’t look shocked about the time, but then she could see the awareness set in with him as it had done with her.

“I’d better go.”

With some reluctance, she pushed herself into a seated position, and he followed suit. After a moment, he rose and stretched, his fingertips nearly touching the ceiling.

He walked over to the coat tree, snagged his jacket off the hook, and slipped into it before turning to face her. A perplexed look washed over him. Not one normally displayed by him—a man in full control, a police chief.

He cleared his throat. “I feel awkward like I don’t know how to do this. It’s been so…”

She stepped toward him, stretched onto the tips of her toes, and kissed him on the cheek. “Me, too. I’ll see you at work.”

“About that, do you think we can keep this to ourselves for now?”

She knew exactly why he’d asked. A relationship between the two of them wouldn’t look good in the workplace and with as much as she hated secrets, she agreed with this one. Unlike the ones her ex had kept about his affair.

Relationship. Is that where this was going?