In His Arms Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons--living or dead--is entirely coincidental

  In His Arms copyright @ 2014 by Shelly Pierce. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

  IN HIS ARMS

  Haley Jones slammed the trunk of her four-year-old coupe and stepped back. Somehow, she’d managed to get everything she would need for her three-month trip around the country stuffed into it. After all the long years earning her Master of Culinary Arts degree, she deserved a break. Hell, she deserved an adventure, and today, it would begin.

  As she hugged her mom and dad goodbye with a promise to call every week, she could barely contain her excitement. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she blew them a kiss and angled away from the curb, pointing her car in the general direction of the open road.

  She’d spent weeks pouring over maps and plotting her course, determined to experience everything. She’d meet new people and see new sights. Most importantly, she’d taste the regional foods of America. Haley had always wanted to compare New York pizza to Chicago-style pizza, taste Maryland crab cakes and Texas chili and learn the secrets of cooking authentic Cajun food in Louisiana.

  As she headed south from her small New England town, she stopped at every little mom and pop eatery she could. She used her girl-next-door looks and big doe eyes to full advantage and found she was almost always able to get into the kitchen to learn how the local dishes were prepared.

  It was when she was driving west into Virginia from the nation’s capital that things went wrong for her. She got very, very lost. As she drove around trying to find her way back to the main highway, she noticed that her check engine light was brightly lit on her dashboard. Had it just come on or had she been driving with it lit?

  It didn’t matter, because in the next second there was a squeal and a pop and smoke began pouring out from under the hood of her car. As she searched for a place to pull off the road and make a phone call, that she noticed that many of the buildings lining the dark street were boarded up or covered in graffiti. Not far up ahead, she saw a single building that was brightly lit. However, the neon beer signs in the windows and the motorcycles parked outside did not invoke confidence in her. She had no choice, though; she had to get off the road.

  Haley brought her car limping into the parking lot and, fearing that the engine would catch on fire, quickly shut it off. She sat there for a moment as the smoke enveloped her car and wished she was somewhere else — anywhere else. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she jabbed at the on button a couple of times before realizing it was dead. She stared at it stupidly before resigning herself to the fact that she’d have to go into the bar. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she got out of the car, squared her shoulders, and walked through the door into the unknown.

  The haze of cigarette smoke that languished in the air was so thick Haley could almost feel it. She looked around, taking in the loud Southern rock music and more denim and leather than she had ever seen in her life. Spotting a payphone in the corner, she made a beeline for it. She had almost reached it when her path was blocked by a wall wearing a beer-stained t-shirt.

  Haley had always thought 5’7” was a decent height, not too tall, not too short, but when she looked up at the person in front of her, she had to look way up. He leered down at her, making her heart jump into her throat. Instinctively, she backed away, only to run smack into the chest of another man she hadn’t noticed come up behind her. The odor of stale beer and cigarettes was overwhelming as the man behind her clasped fat fingers around her arms, pulling her toward him.

  The giant in front of her looked over her head to his partner. “What do we have here, Tiny?” He grinned, revealing dull, yellow teeth, and reached out to touch her hair. “Ain’t redheads supposed to be wild in the sack?”

  The man behind her chortled, “Heard something like that before, Lou. I heard they wiggle like fish when you pin them down.” He leaned down by Haley’s ear and said, “You gonna wiggle like a fish for us, sweetheart?”

  A stab of cold fear pierced Haley’s heart. She was so afraid, she almost couldn’t speak. Looking around frantically for help, she quickly realized that none would be forthcoming. She managed to squeak out, “Please, my car broke down. I just need to use the payphone.”

  “Lucky for you, me and Lou are handy with cars. Ain’t we, Lou?”

  The man in front of her grinned again. “Yep. C’mon out to the parking lot and we’ll fix your car real good.”

  Tiny cruelly tightened his grip on her arms and they started to move. Haley took a breath and tensed up, ready to fight for her life, when she heard another voice from behind her. “It doesn’t seem like the lady wants to go with you fellas.” A man moved around to the side and said, “I think you should let go of her, Tiny.”

  The hands holding her arms immediately released her, and she could feel him take a step back. “I told you what would happen if you did this again, boys. That’s not how I run my club.” He paused and nodded to someone beyond Haley’s line of vision. “You’re out.”

  “Wait a minute, Nate!” protested Lou. “We’ve always been good members. What do you mean we’re out?”

  “Like I said, I warned you,” Nate answered. Then, speaking to the man standing beside him, he said, “Cal, make sure these two find their way home. Bring back their colors.” He pulled Haley away from the group and pushed her roughly behind him. She was finally able to take a look at the other man who threatened her and suppressed a shudder. He was as round as his companion was tall. Neither looked like anyone you’d want to mess with.

  “C’mon Nate, you can’t be serious!” A look of fear flashed across Lou’s face as other members of the club joined them in escorting them to the door.

  “Loyalty is everything, Lou. Maybe the Satan’s Disciples will take you.” Nate grabbed Cal’s arm and whispered loud enough for Haley to overhear, “Don’t let the boys get too carried away. We don’t need the cops sniffing around.”

  At least two-thirds of the bar emptied out as other club members got wind of what was going on. When they had finally all filed out, Nate said to Haley, “You can use the phone in my office, uh…What’s your name?”

  “Haley,” she answered. She followed him to a small room just beyond the kitchen and, after a moment of trepidation, walked through the door he held open for her. Only a dull thump of bass from the jukebox could be heard after he closed the door behind her. She realized belatedly that she might have just walked into a predicament as bad as the one he had rescued her from. He stood behind her for a beat longer than a second, and she could feel his eyes on her back.

  Moving around her, he took a seat behind the desk situated along the far wall. Haley let out a long, slow breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Taking an uncertain step forward, she looked around the small room. It looked like any other office she’d seen. There was a wooden desk with a laptop open on the right side of it and two chairs situated in front of it. There was a calendar on the wall as well as a metal file cabinet and a small bookcase.

  “You were in the army?” she asked, peering intently at a photo on the bookcase. “Where was this taken?” She looked harder at the man standing next to him and realized it was Cal, the man to whom he whispered those mysterious instructions.

  “Kandahar, Afghanistan,” he replied.

  There was a pair of monitors set up against the wall to the left of the desk, and she could see the bartender
and remaining patrons clearly in one of them and a view of the parking lot in the other. So that was how he had showed up at just the right time. She watched as the last of the motorcycles pulled away from the lot and found the courage to ask the question that she’d wanted to ask ever since she’d heard Nate’s instructions to Cal.

  “What did you mean when you told your friend to bring back their colors?” she asked, moving to sit down in the chair he indicated. “And what did you mean, ‘Don’t let them get carried away’?” She was met with silence and looked up at the man who had come to her rescue.

  His face was inscrutable as he answered, “Colors are their jackets showing the Black Hills Brotherhood insignia on the back. You get kicked out, your colors get burned.” He paused, his eyes still holding hers. “As for the second question,” his lips quirked up into what might be a smile, “you look too innocent to hear the answer.”

  Slightly disconcerted, Haley continued to look at him, taking in his rough but handsome features. A light scar ran above his left eyebrow and his nose was a bit crooked as though it had been broken before. His hair was longish and so dark it was nearly black. The scruff of a day-old beard accentuated his strong jawline and made him look dangerous. She took all of this in calmly, feeling more curious than threatened by him.

  When her scrutiny reached his eyes, though, she forgot to breathe again. They were the most luminescent blue she’d ever seen. Framed in dark lashes as they were, they almost glowed. He looked intently back at her and she watched as his pupils dilated to the point where only a sliver of brilliant blue could be seen rimming the dark pools of his pupils. She’d read somewhere that it meant something when someone’s eyes did that, but she couldn’t remember what it was.

  She stared back at him, her cocoa brown eyes wide and unblinking. She’d never seen anyone before who looked as fascinating as Nate did. He cleared his throat, breaking her trance, and said, “You wanted to use the phone?

  “What?” Haley asked, momentarily confused. “Oh! Oh, yes, I need to call a tow truck. My car broke down.”

  Nate chuckled. “You won’t get one this time of night. The garage is closed.”

  “The garage? There’s only one garage?” Haley asked in disbelief.

  “Here’s a phone book,” he answered with a wry grin. “Give it your best shot.”

  She looked down at the thin phonebook he’d laid down in front of her with surprise. “How small is this town?” she asked, now visibly concerned.

  “Small. You won’t find a motel nearby, either.”

  “Oh,” was all she could think to say as she thought frantically about what she was going to do tonight. She had just about resigned herself to sleeping in her car when Nate interrupted her unpleasant train of thought.

  “You look upset. Do you want a beer or something?” She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Her wide-eyed gaze stirred something in him that he could not remember feeling before. He was baffled by a nearly undeniable desire to gather her in his arms and comfort her. Instead, he reached in the drawer and pulled out a travel pack of tissues, tossing them to her. “I’ll be right back.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with me?” he muttered under his breath as he closed the door behind him and headed to the bar. His head cleared a bit as he told Reggie, the bartender¸ what he wanted. Halfway back to his office, he said over his shoulder, “Call me when they get back.” Reggie nodded in assent and went about preparing the drinks Nate had ordered.

  Haley seemed to have regained control while he was gone. She turned those big, brown eyes on him and he knew a moment of uncertainty, a feeling that was very foreign to him. He was again questioning himself when Reggie knocked on the door.

  Nate took the drinks from him and set the tray on the desk. Instead of sitting in his own chair, he sat down in the one next to hers. He handed the bourbon to her, saying, “Here, this’ll make things seem a little better.”

  She looked at it suspiciously, obviously checking to see if anything was amiss with it. With a sigh he said, “Switch glasses with me if you’re so worried.” He held his glass out to her and she took it, handing hers to him at the same time. He clinked his glass with hers and she rewarded him with a small smile.

  She gulped half of it down at once. Her throat and nose, and she swore even her ears, caught fire as she struggled to catch her breath. Nate reached over to pat her on the back as she gained control and he inhaled a scent that could only be described as spring. She smelled like freshly mown grass and cut flowers. It was an alluring difference from any of the other women he usually spent time with. Most of them smelled of cheap perfume and cigarettes. Haley was literally like a breath of fresh air.

  He backed away from her, confused by his thoughts, trying to regain control of himself. Nate Donovan was not one to get moony-eyed over any girl, especially one that looked as innocent and untried as this one. He should move back behind his desk, put some space between them.

  “You probably should just sip it. Here, wash it down with a beer.” He held both open beers out to her and let her choose which one she wanted.

  She took a long swallow and hiccuped. She looked at him wide-eyed and hiccuped again. “I don’t drink much,” she said, blushing.

  Oh man, he thought. She was like a lamb who had wandered away from the safety of the flock. Although his usual role would be that of the Big Bad Wolf, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Maybe he just pitied the girl, or maybe he had just lost his mind. Either way, the next words that came out of his mouth surprised even him. “You can use my spare room.”

  She looked around as though he had a spare room hidden under the desk or something. He rolled his eyes and said, “You really don’t drink much, do you? I meant the spare room in my house.”

  Although she’d really rather sleep in a bed rather than her cramped back seat, she wasn’t sure she could trust him. She looked at him, considering. He had rescued her from those two goons and he was being kind to her. But what if he was just trying to get her alone? What if they got into the house and he attacked her?

  “If I wanted to rape you, I’d have you bent over the desk already,” he said, reading her thoughts. “Look, you can lock the bedroom door and push the dresser up against it for all I care.” He paused. “Or you can sleep in your car. Up to you.”

  Haley looked around the office again and realized he could have done anything to her in the time they’d been alone. So, why did the image of him bending her over the desk excite her instead of terrify her? Why, when he had leaned over her to pat her on the back, had she imagined how his hands would feel against her skin? She searched his face, her eyes landing on his lips. How would his lips would feel pressed against hers? “Thank you. I’ll use your spare room tonight,” she answered, though she thought she might have to lock the door to keep herself in rather than to keep him out. She took a long drink of her beer in an effort to erase the images that were running through her head. It was so hard, though, with him sitting there looking at her with those amazing, clear blue eyes. Wow, she thought. That bourbon went straight to my head.

  She set her beer down, announcing, “I’m ready when you are.” She seemed to have to work hard to stand up and stay there. She reached out to steady herself and found Nate’s hand was there for her.

  Nate stood, towering over her, and although she knew she should have been intimidated by the sheer size of him, she stepped closer to him anyway. Her legs were like rubber and she swayed against him. Looking up, she watched his eyes darken and she licked her lips in anticipation.

  “Let’s go,” he said instead, and she was hard-pressed to understand her disappointment. Haley followed him out to her car so she could retrieve her overnight bag before he led her down a well-worn path to his house.

  Stepping inside, he flicked a light on and Haley looked around in fascination. This was not was she had expected. There was a subtle mix of masculine and domestic furnishings. For example, the television was huge and the couch lo
oked very comfortable, but the curtains had a somewhat feminine flair.

  He caught her looking at them and said, “Ex-girlfriend.”

  She nodded and followed him down a short hall where he showed her a small bedroom and the bathroom. “Mind if I hop in the shower? It’s been a long day.” She tilted her head up at him and met his eyes.

  A fleeting image of her wet and soapy from the shower with her hair slicked back and those big, brown eyes looking up at him.… Just the thought of it sent blood rushing to all points south and he found himself focusing on her lips again, but stepped back abruptly before he let himself give in to the temptation of kissing her. He was furiously trying to quiet the voice in his head that was yelling at him that the bed was right there and that she was obviously attracted to him. If she were any other woman, he would have had her twice in his office and been done with her. Usually so harsh and controlled, he was completely bewildered by his lack of action with Haley.

  Haley sighed and turned to gather some clothes to change into as she asked, “Towels?”

  “On the shelf by the tub.” He turned and left the room before he made a fool of himself. He settled himself on the couch with two fingers of his favorite top-shelf bourbon and clicked on the television.