A Hard-Hearted Man Page 12

“Oh, no, don’t...”

  “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t stop,” Lilah said. “Please...”

  Ross laughed softly, low in his throat, with a husky sound almost like a growl. “We’ve had too many interruptions already, haven’t we.”

  He guided her back toward one of the living room couches, where he gathered her into his lap and began to touch the skin of her neck with slow, shivery kisses. “Now it’s time,” he murmured, his lips against her collarbone, “to take care of unfinished business.”

  He slid one hand possessively around the curve of her hip, and his fingers began to trace long, smooth trails up and down her legs.

  Lilah’s breath caught in her throat as his rough fingertips curved in toward her inner thighs, stroking the delicate skin there with teasing, circling motions, slipping under the hem of her shorts to move higher, and higher... A soft whimper escaped her, and as she struggled to sit up, Ross shifted, turning her so that she was suddenly below him, with the weight of his body crushing her into the soft couch.

  “Hey,” she said weakly, but the exclamation was smothered on her lips as Ross’s mouth claimed hers again.

  Lilah kissed him back with reckless abandon, her hands pushing up under his shirt to explore the hollows of his back.

  She felt him inhale against her lips as her fingers stroked over his naked skin, and he broke off the kiss to raise himself on one elbow, reaching between them to undo the buttons of his shirt. It fell open around him, exposing his tanned, muscled chest.

  He smiled. “Your turn.”

  Lilah leaned her head back against the cushions as Ross caught the edge of her T-shirt, pulling it up and off. She closed her eyes, suddenly shy as she felt the touch of his lean fingers at the clasp of her bra.

  “My God, Lilah,” he murmured, his voice low and rough with passion. “You’re beautiful.”

  Her bra fell away, and his hands moved up to stroke the curves of her breasts, tracing small arcs there, each feeling like a tiny trail of fire that lingered hot on her skin.

  The light, exploratory touch was maddening, and Lilah pushed up slightly, into his hand, and moaned as his fingers opened to cup the weight of one swollen breast.

  She opened her eyes to see his tousled dark hair as he bent his head over her to caress her with his lips, bringing her nipples to taut, aching points as he kissed them. Her body arched toward him, and he began to brush her skin with fiery-hot kisses in a frail that moved lower and lower until his hands and mouth were stroking over the exquisitely sensitive skin of her abdomen and upper thighs.

  She cried out, she couldn’t help it. His touch made her nerve endings jump and crackle, and she writhed beneath him against the cushions.

  It was almost more than she could bear when he pushed down her shorts and panties and slid one hand around to the inside of her thigh to stroke, gently but relentlessly, between her legs where she was damp and aching. His lean fingers kept moving silkily back and forth as she struggled for breath and clenched her thighs together around his hand.

  “Oh, God, Ross...please,” she gasped, feeling as if she was going to explode.

  Ross moved back up to cover her with his body, twining his strong legs with hers, and Lilah felt him reach down to undo the buttons of his pants. Her hands slipped over his back and traveled downward, helping him to push away the rough khaki cotton, wanting no more barriers between them.

  “Ross, please, now. Don’t wait. I can’t...”

  She heard him laugh softly, huskily, his breath hot against her skin. “I won’t,” he said. “I want you too much to wait any longer.”

  Moonlight glinted palely on his shoulders as he leaned over her, caging her between the two strong pillars of his arms.

  “Look at me,” he whispered, and when Lilah met his eyes, the heat she saw there sent a sizzling mixture of fear and excitement through her.

  She made a soft, imploring sound, and Ross bent to kiss her with an urgent passion, smothering her gasp as their bodies merged.

  Lilah could feel the tension swelling inside her, rising fast and hot like a cresting wave, and just when she was sure that it was too much to bear, it exploded in a glorious blaze of sensation, leaving her limp and wracked with shudders of pleasure.

  She clung blindly to Ross, loving the strong, smooth motion of his body against her as, with a ragged groan, he allowed himself his own release.

  He collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her hair, and Lilah reached up to stroke his back as they rested, tangled together, their breathing slowing to normal.

  Her eyes began to feel heavy as her body relaxed, and she closed them, letting herself sink down into a warm languor, feeling Ross’s even breathing matching her own.

  She woke as she felt Ross move, and opened her eyes to see that he had rolled away to lean on his elbow, and was gazing down at her, his eyes smoky in the darkness. Cool air drifted between their bodies, chilling Lilah’s sweat-damp skin, and she sighed, without intending to.

  There was a sudden wariness on his face. “Regrets already?”

  “No,” she said, snuggling closer to him and pressing her exposed skin against his warm chest. “I’m cold. Don’t move.”

  He laughed softly, and she felt him relax. “I didn’t want to crush you.”

  “I don’t mind.” Sleepiness dulled the edges of her mind, and she was glad. She didn’t want to think right now, not when everything felt so right. She needed the strength of him against her, and she wished that she could melt into the heat of his body.

  He bent his head to kiss the slope of her shoulder, tracing lines on her skin with his lips and tongue until the tickling, feathery feeling was too much for her still-sensitized skin. She began to squirm, and felt his arm tighten around her waist, holding her firmly against him.

  Her skin quivered as he teased it, and she moved her head to catch his mouth with her own. His lips were cool and firm but his tongue was hot, and they kissed slowly, lingeringly, exploring the feel and taste of each other. Lilah felt her tired body awakening to a warm flow of desire moving like honey through her veins.

  Before she realized what he was doing, Ross reached down to hook one arm under her knees, and curved his other around her back, scooping her toward him as he stood up.

  Lilah gasped, and instinctively linked her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”

  Amusement flickered in his eyes. “Taking you to bed.”

  “To sleep?”

  “Not necessarily.”

  She smiled up at him. “This is much nicer than the first night I spent here. I never thought this would happen.”

  “I did.”

  “You did? When?”

  “The next morning, when I came into the guest room and saw you tangled up in the sheets. You were all flushed and sleepy, and that’s when I knew I wanted you in my own bed, sooner or later.”

  “I see,” she said slowly. “And here I am. Do you always get what you want so quickly?”

  He nodded. “I told you that I don’t like wasting time.”

  His gaze was warm and intimate, but his words troubled her. Wasting time was only a concern when it was something limited, needing to be rationed, and that was exactly how Ross saw their time together.

  Shadows pooled in the contours of his face, and the beauty of him made her heart ache.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath. “I’m thinking about how much I wanted this, too,” she said. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”

  It was the truth. Whatever the circumstances, whatever the terms, the only place she wanted to be was here with Ross, in his arms. That was all that mattered right now.

  Chapter 11

  Lilah was rummaging around her tent early on the morning of her Nairobi trip when Ted poked his head in through the canvas flap. “Looking for these?”

  “Hey, my letters. Thanks.”

  “I found them in the storage tent. In the dry food box.” Ted frowned
at her. “You’re not usually so absentminded, Lilah.”

  “No, I guess not,” she said, and shrugged. “Oh, well.”

  “I think you have something on your mind.”

  “I have lots of things on my mind. The excavation, the research permit—”

  “Ross Bradford?”

  Lilah put down her bag. “Ted, that’s personal, and I’d rather not discuss it. Do you want anything from town? Stamps? Chocolate? Don’t tell me you don’t want chocolate. I have an order from everyone else.”

  “Not for me. Look, Lilah, I have something here you should see.” He held out a magazine, folded open. It was an old Newsweek, the one with the article about Ross and his company, ECO.

  “Read this,” Ted said. “You might be surprised.”

  Lilah looked suspiciously at him. “Why?”

  “Well, you’re dating Ross Bradford, aren’t you? Has he told you what he really does for a living?”

  “Of course he has,” she said. “He’s the head of ECO, a big international company that does conservation work.”

  Ted snorted. “The man is a radical. Did he tell you about his latest project? He’s setting up a new national park in the Central African rain forest, and he’s turned the area into a war zone. Read it! It’s all right here.” He shook the magazine at her. “The research group he sent out there is trying to keep poachers from slaughtering the forest elephants for ivory.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Lilah, I’m trying to look out for your best interests, that’s all. Illegal ivory is a big business, and everybody out there has automatic weapons. It’s like the old Wild West. The poachers are shooting at Ross’s group, and his group is shooting back. Is this the kind of man you want to be involved with? Some kind of conservation commando?”

  “I don’t want to continue this discussion,” Lilah said coldly, and stepped past him, out of the tent.

  She could hear Ross’s Land Rover coming down the camp road, and she quickened her pace, aware that Ted was following her.

  “What if he gets killed out there?” Ted called out. “What if he kills someone else? He may be legally right, but morally?”

  Lilah ignored him, not wanting to hear any more. She was surprised and shocked by what Ted had just told her. Was Ross’s work really so dangerous? He did seem to play for high stakes, if the issue of the ranch was any measure. She would have to ask him herself. It couldn’t really be that bad.

  “Morning,” Ross said to the group, as he stepped out of the car. He was dressed for business, but at the moment his tie was loosened and his shirtsleeves were rolled up to expose his tanned forearms.

  “Hi,” Lilah said, her heart leaping at the sight of him. In spite of his professional clothes, it wasn’t hard to picture him out in the jungle, his rifle in his hand. What was it he’d said to her that first night when he caught her trespassing? I never miss. How much experience did he have with guns anyway?

  She took a deep breath. “You’re here early. Want some coffee?”

  “Thanks, no. I just had my morning cup. We can go when you’re ready.”

  Lilah felt someone poke her in the back as she stepped forward, and she turned to see Ted standing behind her, giving her a disapproving look.

  “I hope he has his gun,” Ted said in a sarcastic stage whisper. “He might want to shoot somebody!”

  Ross couldn’t help overhearing, and raised his eyebrows, but Ted suddenly appeared to be very interested in the bread he was toasting over the fire.

  “What was that all about?” Ross asked, as he helped her into the car.

  “Ted’s been trying to tell me that your work involves running around in the jungle shooting people,” Lilah said. “Of course he must be exaggerating.”

  She paused, waiting for Ross to agree, but he didn’t say anything.

  She looked sharply at him. “Isn’t he?”

  “Not entirely. It’s been bad over there for the past few months.”

  “Wait a minute, are you telling me this is true? That you are shooting at people? I thought you were setting up a national park.”

  “I am. And it’s mainly the other way around. Certain people out there are shooting at us.”

  “Why?” Lilah asked incredulously.

  “Because we’re trying to stop the illegal ivory trade before it wipes out all the area’s elephants.”

  “I can’t believe this. How bad is it?”

  “It’s been getting progressively worse. Ken Harding, one of my biologists, ran into a group of poachers last month when he was doing a game count. They fired at his car and it was either luck or damn good driving that got him out of there with only a bullet in his shoulder.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. But this is big money. Black-market ivory is a multimillion dollar business.”

  “I can’t believe this,” she said again. “Here I was, thinking that you were just a nice, peaceful CEO with a desk job.”

  Ross grinned. “You should know by now that I’m not nice or peaceful.”

  “Then this situation with Jake Wyatt and the ranch isn’t unusual for you at all.”

  “No, it’s not,” Ross admitted. “And it’s small-scale compared to most of the deals my company handles. It may look like conservation, but it’s really about money. It didn’t take me long to stop being surprised at what some people will do for money. You look troubled,” he said, glancing at her. “Why?”

  “Why? Isn’t that obvious? People are shooting at you on a regular basis and you want to know why I’m troubled?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re actually worried about me.”

  “Don’t tell me you’d care if I was,” Lilah said, imitating his mocking tone. She sighed. “Is it worth it, Ross? I know elephants are an endangered species, but putting yourself on a firing range to set up a park to protect them?”

  “Yes,” he said immediately. “Absolutely worth it. If I stayed out of this because of the danger, instead of working for what I believe in, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Safe and guilty is not how I want to spend my life. I’ll be damned if I’ll sit back and watch a few criminals get rich and powerful by selling illegal tusks on the black market. Does that make sense?” he added. “Or do you think I’m crazy? A lot of people do, so you’d have company.”

  “No,” she said reluctantly. “I understand. It’s an important thing to do, and you’re probably very good at it. Just...be careful, okay?”

  It was a useless thing to say, really, but Ross didn’t seem to mind. He smiled slightly. “I’m always careful.”

  “I hope so.”

  They were silent for a moment, and Lilah frowned down at her hands. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with some nice, workaholic professor who rarely left the safety of his office? She just had to feel this way about a man who took being shot at as a typical job hazard. There was no good way to look at it, so she decided to change the subject.

  “Any news about Jake Wyatt?”

  Ross shook his head. “None. There’s been no sign of the prowler, and as far as I know, Wyatt hasn’t had any meetings or dealings with the government for days now. I don’t like it.”

  “Isn’t that good?”

  “The idea that he’s backed off is too good to be true. I think something’s brewing. I want to know what it is.”

  “Any more parties coming up? I can keep working on him.”

  “Not until next week, unfortunately. But Otieno’s cousin Joseph works as an aide for one of the officials involved in the development plans, and he’s been briefing us on what happens in the meetings with Wyatt. He’ll keep us posted until then.”

  “What? You mean I’m not your only spy? How disappointing.”

  Ross grinned. “Sorry.”

  “I guess it’s just as well. My espionage skills are better than I thought, but not that much better. I don’t think I’ll be putting them on my résumé. We archaeologists are a pretty conservative bu
nch.”

  “That reminds me,” he said. “I made a few phone calls this morning about your research permit, and I’m planning to bring up the subject in my meetings today. No guarantees, but this should at least get the wheels turning.”

  “Thank you, Ross,” she said, touched that he would offer his help. She smiled at him, feeling warm inside. That was the kind of thing a man would do for someone he cared about, wasn’t it? He wouldn’t go to all that trouble for just a friend, even if that friend was also a lover.

  “I’m glad to do it,” he said. “I thought I ought to get started now. These things can take a long time, and I won’t be able to do much to help next month when I’m back in the rain forest.”

  “Oh,” she said “I see.”

  It was painful to hear the certainty in his voice when he spoke of leaving Kenya in a few weeks. He wasn’t even thinking twice about going.

  She made her voice deliberately casual. “You haven’t considered sticking around to help expand the park? I thought you said something about that when we were at the embassy.”

  “To Des Peters? Whatever I said to him was probably just intended to make a point. I’ve done a little preliminary setup work with the Park Bureau, but it’s not really necessary. Things will be in good hands here, and I need to get back to our real project.”

  “Of course,” Lilah said, her voice not betraying the tight feeling in her throat. And in her heart.

  When they pulled into a street-side parking spot in Nairobi, they were immediately surrounded by a crowd of skinny young boys insisting that they would watch the car for Ross. He nodded, solemnly handed out a few shillings to the oldest ones, and thanked them in Swahili.

  “What was that all about?” Lilah asked.

  Ross grinned. “It’s an ingenious system, actually. No one puts money into the parking meters. Instead, the kids get paid, and they wait until the policeman comes down the street, then run ahead of him and slip a coin into your meter for you. That way, the boys make money, the city gets paid, and you never have to worry about getting a parking ticket.”

  Nairobi was hot under the morning sun, but the air was spicy and sweet, free of the clouds of diesel exhaust that would accumulate by later in the day.