She said through her tears, “I don’t cry over just anything.”
He didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. Not wanting her to think that he saw her tears as a weakness, he leaned down, took her face in his, and very lightly kissed her mouth.
He hadn’t planned to. But he wanted to stop her crying. No, that wasn’t it at all. He’d wanted to kiss her again since the moment he’d done so on the slope. And before that. When he’d laid eyes on her in Bertha’s kitchen, the cinnamon sugar sparkling on her lips. He’d wanted to lick off the spicy granules, taste the sweetness in her mouth, and feel that soft and curvy body pulled up tight against him.
He separated his lips from hers, expecting her to be horrified or shocked but certainly not smiling.
“To stop the tears,” he said, clearing his throat and apologizing, although he wanted to kiss her again. More. Deeper. Longer. Like at the ski resort.
“I… think they’re coming on again,” she said very softly but sincerely, looking up at him from beneath her dewy lashes, her expression both wickedly appealing and sweet.
He chuckled and kissed her again. His kiss was tempered with tenderness, meant only to soothe her for what had happened. Not that he didn’t want more. Kissing her led to stronger passion, desire, and need. None of which he could fulfill.
She seemed needy, the way she clung to his waist, pressed against him, and sought more. He wanted to give her the affection she seemed so desperate to have. She soaked it up, matching his pacing, her lips parting, her tongue flicking across his mouth, and she seemed to love his kisses. But she also stiffened her arm, as if fighting the pain in her wrist, and he had to stop.
“Elizabeth,” he said, caressing her soft, wet cheeks. “We should go.”
“Yeah.” She sounded reluctant but acquiescent, the fight knocked out of her.
He led her down the hall toward the living room.
“It’s okay, dear,” Bertha said, looking like a sympathetic momma wolf as Elizabeth wiped her eyes.
Tom called his brother back, his hand resting on Elizabeth’s shoulder, wanting the contact to reassure her. “I’m bringing her up to the house.”
“I called Trevor and Peter to investigate the B and B. They’re on their way.”
“All right, Darien. Anything else you want me to do before we leave?”
“No, just bring her over. Carol arrived with Ryan to have dinner with us. She’ll provide some nursing care until we eat dinner, if Elizabeth needs it.”
“Thanks, Darien.” Tom ended the call and said to Bertha, “Trevor and Peter will be here shortly to investigate the break-in. Did you hear anything at all?”
“All my guests were at the slopes. I ran to the grocery store for fresh eggs, fruit, and milk for tomorrow’s breakfast, so they must have done it when I was out.”
“Is that a regular routine for you?” Tom asked.
“No.”
“Then someone must have been watching the B and B,” Elizabeth said.
“Why would someone target you?” Tom asked.
Elizabeth looked away from him. “My ID was in that drawer. I can’t fly home without it.”
She had purposely avoided answering his question, but she was under enough stress already so he didn’t press her. For now.
“We can take care of that for you when the time comes. We’re headed to Darien’s house,” Tom said, but he wasn’t leaving until Trevor or Peter arrived to ensure Bertha wasn’t at risk if the burglar or burglars returned. He peered out the picture window. “Deputy Trevor Osgood is pulling up now.”
Trevor was dark-haired, his brown eyes nearly black, his khaki police uniform perfectly pressed with a jacket hanging open over it. His Stetson shaded his eyes, giving him an even darker-tempered appearance. “What the hell’s going on now?” he asked Tom as he and Elizabeth emerged from the B and B. Trevor nodded in Elizabeth’s direction in greeting.
After helping Elizabeth into his truck, Tom gave Trevor a sketchy explanation of the situation. Peter could fill him in on the ski accident; Tom wanted to get Elizabeth settled at Darien’s place pronto.
“All right,” Trevor said. “I’ll do some preliminary investigating until Peter arrives.”
“Let us know if you discover anything important,” Tom said.
“I will.” Trevor headed for the B and B.
Tom drove them out of Silver Town to Darien and Lelandi’s home in the country. Tom still lived there, but because of Darien and Lelandi’s babies growing into toddlers, he planned to buy a place of his own this spring. He enjoyed helping with the toddlers so he hadn’t bothered looking before this, but Darien and Lelandi would need the additional room as the toddlers grew bigger.