or two passed between them and that was all it took to get Rick’s blood rushing and his body tightening. But Sadie swayed unsteadily.
“Hey,” he asked. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she murmured, though she didn’t look it. “I’m just surprised to see you, that’s all. I didn’t know you were home.”
“Only arrived yesterday,” he told her. “Guess the town gossip chain needs a little time to get up and running.”
“I suppose so.”
Her cheeks got even paler and she looked uneasy. Rick wondered why.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry about running into you. Coming out of the gloom of that man-cave into the bright daylight, I couldn’t see and I was just so darn mad at Brad….”
Good to know, he told himself. He’d much rather she be furious with her brother than him. The one night they’d spent together had been haunting him for three long years. He’d spent a lot of time in the desert, remembering her taste, her touch. She was the kind of woman who slipped up on a man. Got under his defenses. Which was why he’d been glad to be leaving for his tour of duty right after their night together. He hadn’t been looking for permanent back then, and Sadie Price was not the kind of woman to settle for a one-night stand.
He took a breath, inhaling her scent—that soft swirl of summer rain and flowers that always seemed to cling to her skin. That scent had stayed with him while he was deployed. And it didn’t seem to matter where he was stationed or the misery that surrounded him … if he closed his eyes, she was there.
Thoughts of her had pulled him through some dark times. Looking down into her blue eyes, he could only think, Damn, it’s good to be home.
“How about you?” he asked. “Last I heard you were living in Houston.” Which was why he’d planned to drive into the city to look her up in a day or two. Much handier this way—having her right here in Royal.
“I was,” she said and chewed at her bottom lip. Her gaze shifted from him. “I, um, moved back a few weeks ago.”
“You okay?” he asked, noticing just how nervous she really was. Shaken, really, and he didn’t like how pale she was, either. In fact, she looked small and fragile and every protective instinct he had rose to the surface, temporarily, at least burying his physical reaction to her.
“You know what? Let’s just go back inside and sit in the cool for a minute. You don’t look too steady on your feet.”
She shook her head and said, “Oh, I’m fine, really. I just …”
“You’re not fine. You look like you’re going to pass out. This heat’ll kill you if you’re not careful. Come on.” He took her elbow in a firm grip and steered her right back into the clubhouse.
“Really, Rick. I don’t need to rest, I just need to go home.”
“And you can, as soon as you’ve cooled off a little.” He drew her to the bench seat beneath the legendary plaque that read Leadership, Justice and Peace.
She took a breath and Rick watched her gather herself. Her fingers clutched at her purse until her knuckles whitened and he had to wonder what the hell had her so upset? Was it seeing him again? Was she embarrassed by the memory of their night together?
“What’s going on, Sadie?” he whispered and shook his head as one of the club attendants stepped up to see if he could help.
She laughed shortly, but there was no humor in it. Her gaze lifted to his and he read worry and trepidation in her eyes. Now he was really confused. “Just talk to me.”
For most of his life, Sadie Price had been the dream girl for him. She was beautiful, popular and even as kids, out of his league. Rick ran with a crowd that didn’t appreciate the country-club parties that Sadie and her friends attended. He’d always thought of her as pretty much perfect, except for the prim and proper attitude. He used to dream about getting past all of her barriers to find out who she really was.
Then he’d joined the Corps and Sadie married a rat bastard who’d ended up cheating on her and making her miserable. Three years ago though, Sadie had been divorced and Rick was about to ship out for Afghanistan when they ran into each other at Claire’s restaurant. They’d shared a drink, then dinner … then a hell of a lot more.
Just remembering that night had his body stirring to life again with a kind of hunger he’d never known before. After three long years, she was close enough to touch again. And damned if he was going to waste any time.
“You’re just as beautiful as I remember,” he said, lifting one hand to smooth her silky blond hair back from her cheek. His fingertips skimmed along her skin and he felt a jolt of heat hit him hard.
She sucked in a breath of air at his touch and he smiled to know that she felt the same sizzle he had.
“You know, why don’t we head over to Claire’s?” He leaned in closer. “We could get some lunch and catch up. Tell me everything you’ve been up to the last few years.”
“What I’ve been up to,” she repeated, then huffed out a sigh and looked up into his eyes. “That’s going to take some time. Oh, God. Rick … we really have to talk.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” he told her, a smile curving his mouth.
“No,” she said, “I mean we have to talk.” She looked around and seemed relieved that no one was close by before she turned back to him and added, “But not here.”
“All right,” he said, a little wary now. What the hell was going on with her? At first she’d just seemed shocked to see him. Now she was a little jumpy. Not exactly the welcome-home response he would have hoped for. “You want to tell me what this is all about?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
“Sadie …”
She stood up, tucked her purse under her arm and said, “Just, take me to my parents’ house, will you Rick? I’m staying with Dad until I get my own place. Once we’re there, I’ll explain everything.”
Standing, he nodded. Whatever the hell was going on, Rick would deal with it as he did everything else in his life. Head-on. “Right. Then let’s get going.”
Two
Sitting in Rick Pruitt’s black truck brought back a flood of memories. Three years ago, she and Rick had shared one amazingly hot, sexy night that had changed her life forever. The next morning he left, reporting for a tour of duty in the Middle East.
And maybe that was partly why Sadie had given into her impulse to grab at that one night with him. She had known he’d be leaving again right away. But the reality was, Sadie had just needed someone. Back then, she had felt as though she was disappearing. Becoming nothing more than the socialite daughter of a wealthy man. She never did anything for herself. Never stepped out of line from what was expected.
Until that night. Neither of them had made the other any promises. Neither of them had been looking for anything more than exactly what they had found together. A little magic.
But the truth was, that night with Rick had changed Sadie’s life forever—and he had no idea.
She looked at him from the corner of her eye and felt a flutter low down in her belly. His square jaw, gorgeous mouth and deep brown eyes were enough to make her body tremble with a need she hadn’t felt since that long-ago night. She remembered it all so well. The soft touches, the hungry sighs, the frantic whispers. She could almost feel his hands on her skin again. His hard-muscled body covering hers, his heavy thickness sliding deep inside—
“So,” he asked companionably, “how’ve you been?”
Sadie jolted, called herself an idiot and forced a smile. She wasn’t going to have the conversation they needed to have while riding