Dakota Heat (Book 3 - Dakota Hearts) Page 6

  To his surprise, when he reached the top of the stairs the door opened. Summer stood in the doorway wearing a fluffy pink terry robe that looked two sizes too big for her frame. Her hair was tousled on one side as if she’d been tossing in bed.

  “You couldn’t sleep either?” she asked.

  Sam shook his head. Stepping aside, Summer opened the door wider so he could come inside.

  “I usually make myself a cup of tea when I can’t sleep,” she said.

  “Do you want to go over to the kitchen? I’m sure there’s some tea—”

  “No, I don’t want tea,” she said. Her voice, slightly rough from fatigue, caressed him as much as the cool night breeze he’d felt as he’d walked over.

  She shut the door behind him. He stood in front of the oversized chair in the corner of the room that he and Wade had struggled mightily to get up the stairs and through the door years ago.

  He’d known exactly what he wanted when he’d left the house. He wanted Summer in any way he could have her. He’d wanted so much to make love to her last night, but it wasn’t right. She was upset. She needed his comfort and his strength, not a man to take advantage of her vulnerability. His body still ached from wanting her and yet he was at war with his desire for her and his need to protect her from all the uncertainty surrounding her right now.

  But right now, the woman standing in front of him wasn’t gazing at him with fear in her eyes. All he saw was the same red hot desire that was burning inside him.

  * * *

  Summer could feel the same heat blazing in Sam’s eyes that was burning within her. Whatever doubts she had about loving Sam McKinnon were long gone. She’d live with whatever heartache that remained when it ended. All she knew now was that Sam wanted her just as she wanted him.

  She raised herself on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his. Sam’s lips caressed hers softly, gently until her body was tingling with anticipation. His hands grazed her back, but the heat of his hands couldn’t penetrate through the fabric of her thick terry robe. She wanted his heat. She wanted it all.

  His lips left her mouth and made a trail of kisses along her neck until he nuzzled his face between her neck and the terry robe, tickling her with his breath and his kisses. She pulled the fabric back to give him more access. He brought his lips back to hers and pulled her closer to him, their bodies fitting against each other like they were meant to be. And when his tongue dipped into her mouth to stroke hers, she couldn’t hold back the moan of pleasure that erupted from within her.

  Sam went rigid against her and her heart almost stopped. Holding her waist, Sam pulled back and looked down at her. Summer looked up at him, trying to hold back the twinge of fear that was beginning to build within her.

  “Summer, I…” Sam said, hesitating. “I want you so much right now. I’ve wanted you. But…” And then he whispered, “I need you to be sure. I need to know that you want this as much as I do.”

  Summer said nothing as she looked at the concern flashing in his eyes – concern for her, mixed with restrained desire. And she knew, without a doubt, what she really wanted. Leaning in, she kissed him softly, feeling the rigidity of his body melt away to be replaced with the building tension of his arousal.

  Cupping her face, he said softly, “You’re an amazing woman, Summer Bigelow. Last night I damn near died lying in that bed with you for wanting you so much. I know you’ve heard talk—”

  “Ssh,” she said, placing a finger against his lips. “You talk too much.”

  “I don’t want you to think I’m the bastard others have made me out to be. Not where you’re concerned anyway.”

  “Last night you were a gentleman,” she said, looking up at him, trying to show him just how sincere she was about the way he’d treated her. “And there’s nothing sexier than a gentleman.”

  His lips lifted to a sexy grin that made her knees weak.

  “Sam,” she whispered against his lips. “Make love to me.”

  Sam pulled back to look at her and Summer held his gaze, hoping he’d feel the depth of her emotions. A moment later, he picked her up and crossed the distance to her bed in two strides. Laying her down on the soft covers, he climbed on top of her, pressing his body against hers so she could feel his arousal.

  There was too much between them. She pulled back the robe and watched as flames ignited in his eyes at the sight of her nakedness.

  “You didn’t think it was just you wanting this, did you?” she asked with a smile. “I was waiting for you.”

  As he claimed her mouth with scorching desire, the world slipped away. Summer could feel nothing but Sam as she gave in to the rough feel of his calloused hands as they teased her breast, and the passion in his kisses as his mouth claimed her swollen nipple. She cried out in exquisite pleasure.

  Pulling at his tee-shirt, she whispered. “We need this off. Now.”

  They rid themselves of the rest of their clothes and joined together, hot flesh against hot flesh. Her hands roamed his body, exploring, discovering places that drove Sam wild. And he did the same, using his mouth, his hands, his fingers, until Summer thought she’d die.

  And when he finally entered her, Summer cried out from the depths of her soul at the beauty of their joining. He moved inside her and she joined in his rhythm perfectly, breathing hard, matching him with every sigh and moan until they both reached the pinnacle of their pleasure. Pure pleasure exploded inside her as she threw her head back and urged Sam to claim all of her. And then everything seemed to shatter inside her until she floated back to a place where she could regain her composure.

  Sam followed moments later, his body tightening around her, inside her until his orgasm claimed him and he fell against her body, completely spent from their love making.

  And even as she continued to ignore it, a voice from deep within her said what she’d always known. She had fallen helplessly in love with Samuel McKinnon.

  # # #

  Chapter 9

  Summer blinked as sunlight streamed through the sheer drapes that covered the windows of her bedroom. Sam’s warm, naked body was snuggled against her. Her own body was still achy from making love the night before, a beautiful reminder of a memory that would stay with her long after she left Rudolph.

  It had been three weeks since Matt had told her about the murder of the woman in Montgomery. Despite the fear that had sent her here, Summer was finally able to put her guard down and just allow herself to live and feel in the moment.

  She and Sam spent every precious moment they could together. She loved waking up with sunlight streaming through her window and spending the day naked and loved by Sam McKinnon. Here in the room above the garage, Summer had found more peace and happiness than she’d had in a long time.

  Each day Summer work dispatch while Sam was out in the field with the crew. Some days were longer than others. Sometimes she’d come back to her room alone and Sam would spend the night in the Crew Haul with the others crew members while he finished his shift. He’d come back to basecamp and shower off all the dirt and soot fighting fires had deposited on him and then they’d go back to her room and make love again.

  Summer cracked her eyes open as moonlight streamed through the window. It had only been a few hours since they’d made love and still she could feel every touch of Sam’s hands on her body.

  A shy smile curved her lips as she recalled every intimate detail of the night. She turned to see Sam fast asleep, his arm outstretched as he lay on his back. Shifting closer to him, she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. Strong. Steady. Comforting.

  Sam instinctively moved, pulling her against him as he turned onto his side. Summer felt a deep sense of contentment within her as her eyelids drifted shut.

  The shrill ring of Sam’s cell phone jolted her awake before she could fall fully asleep. Instantly awake, Sam grabbed the phone off the table next to him as he sat up.

  “Adam?” he said, his voice gruff with sleep.

 
Summer watched as Sam listened to whatever Adam was saying. His expression was grim. “I’ll be right there,” he finally said and disconnected the line.

  “What’s going on?” Summer asked, suddenly apprehensive.

  “Adam needs me to come in. The wind shifted. The containment field is now gone and in the last two hours the fire has doubled in size and spread fast.”

  “Tomorrow is your day off.”

  “Today. But the crew that’s out there has been out all night. We have more Hotshots and Smokejumpers coming in tomorrow. Right now Adam needs me.”

  * * *

  Sam watched Summer as she stared at the kettle, waiting for it to switch off. She was wearing a loose tee-shirt and a pair of shorts – clothes meant for comfort. And yet, he had never seen anyone look more beautiful.

  He wanted to hold her to himself, to keep the world and all its dangers away from her, to feel her soft skin under his fingers, to feel her tongue as it brushed against his and to feel her around him as he gazed into the depths of her beautiful blue eyes.

  The click of the kettle resounded in the silent night, snapping Sam back to reality. He watched Summer as she moved around preparing the tea and a pot of coffee. And he realized that although he wanted Summer, his first priority was to keep her safe and to keep his mind on the work he had ahead of him.

  “You promise you’ll stay here every night. No taking risks. No going off without protection.”

  “Ethan is here at night and there are a whole slew of people at the basecamp during the day. I’ll either be there or here. I don’t want you worrying about me.”

  Sam sighed. “At least Mom hasn’t woken up.”

  He didn’t need to see the worried look on her face or allow himself to be distracted by it.

  “Here you go,” Summer said, placing the travel mug full of coffee in his hand.

  “Thanks.” He took in the gravity of her heavy sigh. “You know, you didn’t have to get up. You’re not due at the basecamp for another few hours. You need the sleep.”

  Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tight.

  “I’m not going to let you leave without this,” she said.

  Sam stood stunned for a moment before draping his arms around her waist. He’d seen her terrified before. But this time it was for his safety and he hated that.

  “I’m glad,” he said, his voice soft as her scent took over him. She smelled of flowers and nature and the scent took him back to when he’d kissed her.

  He pulled away from her just enough to look into her eyes and knew, in that moment, that he had lost the battle he had been fighting against his own desires. He’d never worried about going out on a fire for days. But seeing the worried look in Summer’s eyes, worry that she held for him, not the maniac that had made her flee from her home, caught him off guard.

  He suddenly realized just what his mother had been battling for years. But where Kate didn’t mince words about her worry, Summer kept it to herself. Everything she felt was written in her expression.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said.

  Smiling weakly, she said, “I look a mess.”

  “A beautiful mess.”

  And at the same time, he felt a pull to stay that he’d never felt before. This fire was a monster of a different kind, one that Sam knew they’d be fighting for days if the wind in the canyon didn’t cooperate. That meant he could conceivably be out in the field for a week or more, leaving Summer alone.

  He knew Ethan would be here at night and there would be protection while Summer was at basecamp. But they couldn’t account for every moment of the day. He didn’t want to spend the night in a Crew Haul truck. He wanted to feel Summer’s naked and warm body against his every night.

  For the first time since he’d become a fire fighter, Sam hated his job.

  * * *

  Days were long. After three days of fighting a monster fire that the canyon winds fed with wind, the crews were getting tired. Sam and his team had come back to basecamp for a day of rest and were already going out again. Luckily Adam had called for more Hotshots and Smokejumpers from out of state to come in and help battle the blaze.

  Summer held her breath while she focused on her job, thankful for the need to throw herself into something that would keep her mind off Sam directly. She poured over maps, fed information into the radio and only felt a little relief when Sam’s voice would come back over the radio.

  The EMTs had taken care of several fire fighters who’d become over exhausted and over heated by the flames and long days. They’d rest for a day and put themselves right back on the roster to go back out in the field. Each morning during the briefing they listened to Adam talk about spread and containment or hot spots that the NOAA predicted. This morning it had been a new spot that flared up fast and threatened to join the other fire Sam and his crew had been fighting.

  “It could be a ‘perfect storm’,” Adam was saying. “If we don’t get this one under control, it’ll create a wall of fire so big it’ll threaten homes on the outskirts of town. We’ve already evacuated most of the homes in line with the fire. But there will probably be more evacuations over the coming days.”

  Sam was already in his gear, ready to jump into the utility transport with the rest of his crew.

  “Ethan is out evacuating people. Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

  Summer reached up on her toes and kissed him. “You, too. When do you think you’ll back?” Summer asked, fear balling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Sam in the middle of a roaring, uncontrollable fire.

  “You heard Adam. It’s fixing to be a giant,” Sam said, his gaze burning into Summer’s as he turned back. “And it’s growing. Those canyon winds never let up this time of year. Don’t look so worried. I’m going to be fine.”

  “You’d better be. I want you to come back to me, Sam McKinnon. I’m not done loving you.”

  His eyes widened with her words. “How can I resist that?”

  Dipping his head, he brushed his lips across her temple. With a reassuring smile, he stepped away and rushed to the truck.

  Summer stood rooted to her spot, her eyes following the truck as it left until she could see nothing but a cloud of dust. Sam was gone and she had no idea if he would make it back to her safe and sound. And for the first time in her life, in spite of everything that was happening to her, she realized what true fear felt like.

  “Summer!” Derek called out. “Let’s get to it.”

  She followed Derek to the dispatch room. There were maps to mark and fuel orders to make so that the tankers could drop retardant where needed. They all had work to do. She had to stop thinking about Sam and do her job for the sake of all the fire fighters out there today.

  # # #

  Chapter 10

  Summer got up from bed for the umpteenth time and paced the floor. Why had she made that ridiculous promise to Sam that she’d sleep at the house instead of basecamp?

  She’d spent the last hour revisiting every moment she’d shared with Sam. From the first time they’d kissed, Summer had known she wanted much more. She wanted the warmth and safety that Sam’s arms offered, she wanted his lips to caress her skin, she wanted his fingers to explore her body and she wanted to feel him joined to her as they made love.

  She couldn’t forget the feel of his lips on hers and the soft brush of his tongue against her lips. And it only made her want him more with each passing day.

  Every moment Sam was gone, memories of him haunted Summer. Her only lifeline was the radio and hearing Sam’s voice come through. And then relief would wash over her that he was safe.

  Summer walked to the window and pushed back the drapes, giving her a hazy view of the night sky. As she stared out window, Summer thought of Sam and the monster fire he and the rest of the crew were facing. She didn’t want to be back in her room, safe and sound in a warm bed without Sam. She wanted to be at the basecamp, listening to the radio and making sure the man she’d fallen helplessly in love wi
th was safe and would come home to her.

  Home. This wasn’t her home. It was Sam’s. And only when he was in Rudolph. When all was said and done, she’d be going back to Providence. Alone. And Sam would go off somewhere else.

  A light in the kitchen turned on in the main house. Someone was awake. And Summer had a good idea who it was.

  * * *

  “Sometimes I think it’s worse when he’s home,” Kate said, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of her.

  She hadn’t taken a sip. Neither had Summer.

  “Donald can sleep through anything. Me? I’m a zombie. When Sam is in Colorado or California or wherever he goes, I worry when I listen to the news. But here…”

  “You can’t get away from it,” Summer said. “You know when he’s out there.”

  Kate nodded. “Ethan said there has been no word about the serial killer in Providence. No lead on where he is.”

  Summer drew in a deep breath, thankful for the change of subject and finding it odd that she’d rather talk about a serial killer hunting her than a monster fire Sam was in the middle of. “But there haven’t been any more killings, so that’s a good thing.”

  “What will you do if they don’t find him? Where will you go?”

  She hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I guess I always assumed they’d find him. But if they don’t…I guess I could always move to Florida with my parents.”

  “What about Sam?”

  “What about him?”

  “You two have become quite close.”

  Summer smiled. She couldn’t deny it, nor did she want to hide her feelings from Kate. She genuinely liked the woman and felt comfortable with her.

  “Sam hasn’t even told me he loves me.”

  “But you love him.”

  Feeling the weight of emotion deep in her chest, Summer nodded.

  “I don’t even know what I’m doing here when all I want to do is be on the other end of that radio so I can hear what’s going on. It’s killing me.”

  Kate smiled slowly, fatigue pulling at her tired eyes. “So what’s keeping you?”