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“Both the physical and wartime action between the comrades ramp up the excitement in this UNIFORMLY HOT! tale.”

—RT Book Reviews on Coming Up for Air

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—RT Book Reviews on No Going Back

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Dear Reader,

I’ve always been fascinated by stories about coal miners. Maybe it’s because my great-grandfather lost his dad and his four brothers in a coal-mining disaster. Or maybe it’s because I’m constantly amazed by the coal miner’s indomitable spirit, courage and resilience. And—I’ll admit it—there’s something incredibly sexy about a guy who’s not afraid to get dirty.

Like my heroine, I’m a little claustrophobic and afraid of the dark, so I’m truly in awe of the men and women who willingly descend hundreds of feet below the earth’s surface every day, away from the sunlight, in order to support their families. When I decided to write a story about a coal miner, I knew he had to have that same strength and heroic spirit.

Cole Mackinnon is a true hero, willing to put his job, his reputation and his heart on the line for what he believes in. And he believes in Lacey Delaney, the brilliant design engineer who is determined to push him to his breaking point. She’s spent most of her life trying to conquer her own fears, but it’s not until she meets Cole that she realizes some of the best things happen in the dark …

I hope you enjoy Cole and Lacey’s story!

Happy reading,

Karen Foley

About the Author

KAREN FOLEY is an incurable romantic. When she’s not working for the Department of Defense, she’s writing sexy romances with strong heroes and happy endings. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters, an overgrown puppy and two very spoiled cats. Karen enjoys hearing from her readers. You can find out more about her by visiting www.karenefoley. com.

A Kiss in the Dark
Karen Foley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to my amazing mother.

1

MORE THAN ANYTHING, Lacey Delaney hated the dark—of being alone in the dark. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but at twenty-seven years old, she still slept with a bedside light on. It didn’t always keep the nightmares at bay, but at least when she woke up, panicked and gasping for breath, she wasn’t engulfed in utter blackness. Even now, sitting in the relative safety of her car, she had only to close her eyes to envision her father buried alive in a coal mining disaster so horrific that his body had never been recovered.

Maybe her friend, Julia, was right and she should just find herself a man to keep her so pleasurably occupied at night that she’d be too sated and tired to dream. Unfortunately, both her job as a design engineer for StarPoint Technologies and her overprotective mother kept her too busy to meet many eligible men. Katherine Delaney gave a whole new meaning to the term helicopter parent. She didn’t just hover; she flew fully armed, ready to obliterate any obstacles in Lacey’s path, or to extract her from any danger.

Now here she was … alone, broken down in the middle of nowhere, with darkness pressing in on all sides. If her mother could see her now, she’d have a complete fit. The thought made Lacey smile. Her mother hadn’t wanted Lacey to travel to Kentucky; had urged her to give the assignment to somebody else. Of course, the more her mother insisted that Lacey stay home, the more determined she was to go. Sometimes it felt as if the entire course of her life had been dictated by her mother’s belief that something would happen to Lacey if she wasn’t there to protect her.

Lacey understood the genesis of her mother’s anxiety. She’d been just eight years old when her father was killed, and her mother lived in fear that something terrible would happen to Lacey, too. That worry hadn’t diminished as Lacey grew older; if anything, it had ballooned into an irrational need to cocoon her against all dangers, real or perceived. And for a long time, Lacey had allowed it. But what had once seemed like parental concern for her welfare now felt like micromanagement of her life. More and more, Lacey found herself resenting her mother’s intrusive habits.

She loved her mom, but she wanted to be free, to experience life, and all its pitfalls, on her own terms. She wanted to be taken seriously, and not viewed as someone who needed to be taken care of. Unfortunately, her small stature seemed to bring out a protective instinct in those she worked with, and Lacey was getting a little tired of insisting that she could do things on her own. So when StarPoint Technologies had offered the opportunity to field-test STAR, the new Subterranean Advanced Receiver unit that would become the latest technology in NASA’s arsenal of global positioning systems, Lacey had jumped at it.

Her boss had been skeptical, since Lacey’s experience was limited to the design lab. She had never before ventured into the field. But Lacey knew if she wanted to be respected as an engineer and a scientist, she needed to be familiar with all aspects of the job, including fieldwork. She just hadn’t been prepared for how remote this particular field assignment would be.

The parking lot of the diner, where a short time ago she’d halfheartedly picked at a plate of meatloaf, was completely dark except for one light pole near the entrance. She’d been unable to pick up a signal on her cell phone, and was grateful that the owner of the diner had at least called for a tow truck before he’d snapped off the lights and locked the door, assuring her she’d be fine until Sully—the tow truck driver, she presumed—arrived.

Sighing, she sat behind the wheel of her rental car and left the door open for whatever small breeze might happen by. God, it was hot. Of course, New England could get sticky in the summer as well, but it was only early June and already Kentucky sweltered with heat.

Resting her head against the seat back, Lacey listened to the night bugs in the surrounding trees and watched the tiny blinking lights of the seemingly hundreds of fireflies. Generally, the heat didn’t bother her, but tonight was different. Tonight she would have to return to the pathetic little motel she had checked into earlier that evening, knowing she wouldn’t sleep a wink. She wasn’t a snob by nature, but the only other patrons she had seen were several itinerant coal miners who had been well on their way to getting completely drunk. Knowing a slim length of chain was all that prevented one of them from entering her room would ensure she slept with her clothes on. And to top it off, the room would be about a million degrees since the air-conditioning didn’t work.

Her small carry-on bag sat on the passenger seat beside her, and now she dug through the contents, pulling out an emergency pair of panties and bra—courtesy of her mom, just in case the airline lost her luggage—and an eReader as she hunted for the bottled water she had stashed there earlier. Blowing a strand of hair from her face, she took a long swallow of the water and decided it would only be for one night. Tomorrow, she would meet with Sheriff Hathaway, her point of contact while she was in Black Stone Gap, and ask him to recommend somewhere to stay other than the seedy Blackwater Inn. If there was any other place, she thought glumly. The motel should have been named the Backwater Inn, because it was literally in the middle of nowhere. Her own frantic hunt through the phone book she’d found in the bedside table hadn’t turned up any other hotels or motels in the area.

She reminded herself again that she wasn’t here on vacation. Where she slept didn’t matter. She had a job to do, and a dingy motel room wasn’t going to deter her. StarPoint Technologies was under contract to NASA to develop a GPS unit that would operate underground, capable of sending and receiving signals through hundreds of feet of rock. Lacey had spent the past three years of her life designing and developing the unit, affectionately dubbed STAR.

Now that the development phase was complete, all that was required before they could turn the unit over to NASA was the final testing. For Lacey, this meant a chance not only to prove herself as a field scientist, but also to get out on her own. She could do whatever she wanted, within limits.

But Lacey was tired of limits.

She’d do her job, but she also intended to have some fun on this trip. Her friend Julia was right; allowing her mother to have so much influence over her life was unhealthy, no matter how good her intentions might be. This was an opportunity to spread her wings a bit and explore her own capabilities.

She’d spend three days with the local search-and-rescue team, demonstrating the use of handheld GPS units designed by her firm, and then one week at the local coal mines, testing STAR. But she’d also have some free time in which to sightsee. She’d spent part of the flight from Boston to Roanoke consulting her tourist book, considering the things she might do while she was in Kentucky. An evening pub crawl with free samples of Kentucky’s finest bourbon sounded fun, but so did zip-lining over a forest canopy. Of course, how much free time she had depended on how smoothly the field tests went.

The opportunity to utilize the local coal mines to test STAR had been too good to pass up. Not only would the coal mines that riddled the area around Black Stone Gap provide a perfect test environment, but Lacey owed it to her father to ensure the unit worked deep inside the tunnels, where it could do the most good. If she could prevent even one miner from suffering the same fate as her father, she would be satisfied.

It seemed only minutes had passed when headlights swung toward her through the parking lot. Lifting her head, she peered at a large, beefy tow truck as it turned into the lot where she was stranded. It approached from the side and parked facing her door. The headlights bathed her in a blinding glare as she sat up and shielded her eyes.

She couldn’t see who was in the driver’s seat, but felt their scrutiny as if it were a palpable thing. She suddenly knew how a deer felt when caught in a car’s headlights. Here she was, alone and vulnerable and out in the middle of nowhere, and she could only imagine who watched her from the cab of that tow truck. Lacey had completed a self-defense course in college and she had no doubt that she could take care of herself, but when she heard the opening and closing of the driver’s door, it galvanized her into action. Better to be safe than sorry. Swiftly, she pulled her own car door shut and punched the lock down. A figure stepped into the light, silhouetted for a moment in the brightness.

Lacey’s breath caught.

His body was lean and powerful, with broad, sloping shoulders and narrow hips. It was a body that turned a woman’s thoughts instantly to sex. The light behind him shadowed his features, but she knew with a certainty they would be as arresting as his body.

He came closer, and as Lacey sat immobile, he leaned down to peer in at her. Her mouth fell open as she stared wordlessly into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. They weren’t just your average blue, either. Even in the dim light she could see they were an opulent shade of blue-green that reminded her of tropical waters and warm, secluded beaches.

“Ma’am?” His voice carried low and clear through the car window, and she could see the concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

She recognized his voice as the man she had spoken to on the telephone earlier. She would have preferred to roll her window down to talk with him, but with the engine off, the power windows were useless. If she wanted to communicate, she would have to either shout through the glass, or open the door. Already, the air inside the car was suffocatingly hot. She studied him for a moment, and then drawing in a deep breath, pushed her door open but made no move to get out.

He stepped into the opening, bracing one hand on the roof and the other arm along the top of the door frame. He grinned down at her, a lazy this-must-be-my-lucky-night kind of grin. His teeth were white in the darkness of his face. He wore a faded black T-shirt that clung to his muscled torso, and from her vantage point below him, Lacey could see the impressive bulge of his biceps as he leaned into the car.

“You called for a tow truck?” Deep indents flashed in his lean cheeks. His voice was lazy and warm.

Lacey didn’t know what was wrong with her. She couldn’t seem to find her voice. “Um, yes.” She gulped. “I did. My car doesn’t seem to want to start.”

She wasn’t prepared when he suddenly crouched down beside her. Now he was eye level with her and she could see he had close-cropped, dark hair. Balancing on the balls of his feet, he edged forward and reached toward her legs.

“Mind if I take a peek?” he asked.

A surge of heat coursed through Lacey that had nothing to do with the outside temperature. For one wild, crazy second she was sure he was going to flip back the skirt of her little sundress and, heaven help her, she was going to let him.

But his hand went with unerring skill to the hood release located just under the dash, and only when she heard the popping of the catch did she realize she had been holding her breath. He rose to his feet in one fluid movement and rounded the front of her car to raise the hood, pulling a slim flashlight out of a back pocket.

Lacey sagged back against the seat. If she’d had a fan, it would have been working overtime to try and cool her suddenly flushed skin. He was, without a doubt, the most sinful-looking man she had ever seen, and she thought it had as much to do with the way he looked at her as it did with the way he looked.

She struggled to get a grip on her rioting thoughts. What was she thinking? A tow truck driver? She could almost see Julia doing a victory dance. Despite his amazing eyes, he was probably not much better than the leering, beer-swigging coal miners at the Blackwater Inn.

But an image of that leanly muscled physique came back to her, and she knew instinctively she was wrong. He wasn’t at all like those men. He was the sort who would take his time with a woman, ensuring her pleasure before reaching his own. He would be assertive, playful and maybe even a little kinky. For one wild instant, her imagination surged. Images of a secluded mountain cabin and fur-strewn floors lingered in her mind. She envisioned him clearly, his tautly muscled body moving softly over her own in the darkness, murmuring husky words of encouragement against her throat, her lips …

He came back around to her door and bent down, interrupting her wayward thoughts. “Ma’am, do you mind if I try to start her up?”

“Oh, of course not!” Unable to meet his eyes, Lacey scooted out of the car to stand out of his way.

She watched as he folded his long frame into the driver’s seat and turned the key. Still nothing. He tried again, and then sat back for a moment, considering. Looking up at her, he gave her a lopsided grin.

“Looks like you’re going to need my services, after all,” he drawled.

Lacey’s pulse reacted immediately. If he only knew.

Sensing those tropical water eyes on her, Lacey glanced at him. His expression held a heat that made her breath catch, and she knew in that instant that he was interested in her. Then he looked away, his features shuttered.

“Do—do you know what’s wrong with the engine?” she asked, clearing her throat against the sudden restriction she felt there.

“Why don’t I show you?”

Climbing out of the car, he indicated she should precede him, and her nerves jumped when he placed a hand at the small of her back to guide her. Just that light touch of his fingers seemed to burn through the thin fabric of her cotton dress. A tiny shiver rippled through her. She felt strange, all fluttery and anxious, and her heartbeat pulsed loudly in her ears. She felt shivery, yet flushed with heat. And all because this man had touched her.

He leaned over her engine compartment and flicked his flashlight into its dark interior. He spoke, and she listened to the warm, rich tones of his voice even as she admired the fit of his jeans across his backside. She envisioned those leanly muscled orbs cupped in the palms of her hands.

The next moment she was appalled. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a moonstruck teenager. It wasn’t as if she’d never been this close to a gorgeous guy before. She’d had relationships. Okay, so she hadn’t been intimate with anyone on any level in several years, and she was probably more than a little sexually frustrated. But between her job and her mother’s nearly constant vigilance, she hadn’t had an opportunity to develop any relationships, meaningful or otherwise. But here she was, with nobody to tell her what she could or couldn’t do. While she didn’t think she’d reached the point where she would jump the first attractive stranger she encountered, it was a wonderful feeling to know that she could, provided the stranger was also willing.

With a start, she realized the stranger had stopped talking and was watching her, resting one hip against the frame of the car, arms crossed casually over his chest as he waited for her to return to earth.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “You were saying?”

He grinned then, slowly, as if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. “I was saying that it looks like you have an abrasion in the insulation of the wiring harness.”

“Oh.” Lacey looked at him blankly. “What does that mean?”

The indents in those lean cheeks deepened. “Well, when the wiring isn’t seated right, there’s too much friction and an abrasion can occur, resulting in a hot spot.” He eased himself away from the car and took a step toward Lacey. “When that happens,” he said slowly, his voice languid and dark, “the wiring can overheat, melting everything right back to the driveshaft.”

Lacey blinked. Her cheeks grew warm. “Really.” She slid her gaze away from the sudden heat in those translucent eyes. “A hot spot, huh?”

“Mm-hmm. You’re definitely going to need my services.”

Turning away, Lacey pressed a palm against her chest and forced herself to breathe normally. “Okay, then. It’s a rental car, so whatever’s wrong with it, they can fix it. I’ll call the rental agency and let them know where they can collect it.” She drew in a steadying breath before turning back to face him. “Should I pay you now, or let the rental agency pay you when they come to get the car?”

He shrugged. “Let them pay for it. Here, I’ll give you a business card.”

She watched as he strode over to the tow truck and began rummaging around inside the cab. He swore softly. “I know they’re in here somewhere. Aha!” He came back and handed her a small card. “Give this number to the rental agency.”

Lacey glanced at the card. There was the business name, Sully’s Towing Service, but not his first name. Pushing down her disappointment, she looked back up at him. “Thanks. If you’ll wait just a moment, I’ll get my things out of the car.”

She popped the trunk release and was hauling her presentation materials and the case that contained STAR out, when he leaned in through the driver’s door and across the seat. She paused for a moment, peeking around the trunk to admire his ass. When he finally straightened, she realized he was holding her lingerie and carry-on bag in one hand, and her little pocketbook in the other.

“You don’t want to forget these.”

The delicate satin panties looked ridiculously fragile in his large hand, and she had a sudden image of him sliding them slowly down over her hips. Her eyes flew to his. Those mesmerizing dimples were back again as he handed her belongings to her.

Taking the items wordlessly from him, she struggled to lift the heavy case out of the trunk when he reached in and took it easily from her hands. Then, lifting her presentation case in his other hand, he strode over to the tow truck and tossed them both into the cargo area behind the seats.

“What are you doing?”

He gave her a smile that sent her heart lurching. “I’m taking you home.”

Her voice, when she finally found it, came out as no more than a squeak. “You’re what?”

“Well, I wouldn’t feel right leaving you in a deserted parking lot,” he said, running a hand over his crop of short hair and managing to look endearingly concerned. “So unless somebody’s already on their way to pick you up, I’ll run you wherever you need to go.” He gave her a questioning look.

Logically, Lacey knew that what he said made sense. He couldn’t leave her here, without a way to get back to the motel. But his words still caused her imagination to surge.

“No,” she finally managed. “There’s nobody coming to get me. I’m only here for a few days.”

“Ah,” he said meaningfully. “Well then, why don’t you hop into the cab and I’ll hook the car up.”

Hesitating only briefly, Lacey did as he suggested, sliding past him as he held the door open and taking his proffered hand to hitch herself up onto the bench seat. His skin was warm, his fingers strong and sure as they closed over her own.

She watched him as he came around to the driver’s side and pulled himself up behind the wheel. Mere inches away from her, in the confined space of the cab his presence was overwhelming, the sheer maleness of him assailing her senses.

Suddenly, he turned toward her on the bench seat, one arm sliding along the seat back behind her shoulders as he craned to peer through the rear window and align the truck up with her car. Lacey’s nostrils flared. She could smell him. A clean scent of male sweat and soap. She realized she had only to turn her face and her lips would brush along the smooth bulge of his biceps where they rested on the back of the seat.

Rigid, Lacey clutched her overnight bag with both hands and forced herself to look straight ahead, but found herself staring at his thighs. They were lean and well-muscled beneath the close-fitting blue jeans. She swallowed. His hand on the steering wheel was strong, with long, tapered fingers and neat, clean nails. She noted he wore no rings and felt an unreasonable sense of relief. Sliding a sideways glance at him as he maneuvered the tow truck into position, she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about her.

COLE MACKINNON COULD scarcely believe his good fortune as he jumped down from the cab and began the process of hitching the car to the tow truck. He’d been back in Black Stone Gap for less than two days and had stopped by Sully’s garage that night on a whim. They’d been kicking back with a cold beer when the call had come in. Sully, his longtime buddy, had been on another line so Cole had automatically picked up the second phone when it began to ring off the hook. He’d helped Sully out before so it was no big deal when he’d offered to tow this one in. He actually enjoyed playing the Good Samaritan. But when the headlights of the truck had first swung over the car, he’d been nearly speechless at the sight of the woman who reclined in the driver’s seat.

She was pale and slim, with bare arms and legs, and ginger hair that fell as soft and straight as summer rain to skim her smooth shoulders. In the stifling heat of the Kentucky night, she looked as cool and refreshing as a tall glass of mint tea. When he’d reached under the dash to release the hood, he’d had to fight the urge to skate his palm along the silken length of her leg, fiercely reminding himself that he was there to help her. He had absolutely no intentions of seducing her. No way, not a one.

None.

He finished fastening the coupling on the hitch. As he straightened, he glanced through the rear window of the tow truck in time to see her scoop that silky hair up in both hands and pile it on top of her head, exposing the sweet, vulnerable curve of her neck.

Damn.

He stood transfixed, all his good intentions vanishing, scattering like so many fireflies into the heat of the night.

2

SHE WAS UNEASY. Cole glanced over at her as he eased the truck into gear and slowly maneuvered it out of the parking lot and onto the dark main road. Hell, she should be. If she’d even an inkling of the thoughts that were racing through his head, she’d be a whole lot more nervous. She tried to act casual, but he didn’t miss how she stole furtive glances at him, and continually smoothed her fingers over the skirt of her dress.

Everything about her, from her accent to her little designer purse, shouted Northerner. He was betting from somewhere in the Northeast. Which meant she was probably as frigid as a New York winter. She’d no doubt be shocked if she knew of the lustful imaginings he’d just had of her. She’d probably never had a fantasy in her entire life. His eyes slid to the overnight bag that rested on the seat between them. And he remembered what had been spilling out of that bag only moments before.

Scraps of satin and lace.

He felt a smile twitch the corners of his mouth. Okay, so perhaps she did harbor a fantasy or two. He’d give a lot to know what they were. Then do his damnedest to make them all come true.

He’d returned to Black Stone Gap just two days earlier, having been gone for more than five years. Not even Sully knew his real reason for coming back. He’d told his friend that he was looking for work in the coal mines, knowing the word would spread quickly in the small community. A good mining engineer was worth his weight in gold.

But what he hadn’t told Sully was that he didn’t really need the work; he was undercover for the Department of Labor, investigating an alarming spike in the number of accidents in Black River Mine No. 2, the biggest and most active coal mine in the region. He hadn’t wanted to come back; he’d been happy enough in Norfolk, working as a structural engineer for the state of Virginia. Until the night he’d received a call from a friend and former instructor at Virginia Tech.

Cole had studied mining engineering under Stu Zollweg, and had later participated as part of an inspection team led by Zollweg to identify safety issues in several West Virginia mines. He’d found the fieldwork both challenging and satisfying. After obtaining his Master’s degree, he’d returned to Black Stone Gap and been hired as an engineer in the Black River Mines. But less than six months into the job, he’d lost a good friend in a tunnel collapse. He’d been consumed with guilt and anger; he should have known about the weak tunnel structure. He should have been able to avert the accident.

Instead of sticking around to help uncover what had gone wrong, he’d bolted. He’d moved to Norfolk the day after his friend’s funeral and had gotten a job as a structural engineer, helping to build highway tunnels and bridges.

When Stu Zollweg had called out of the blue, Cole couldn’t have been more surprised. But the offer he made was even more surprising. Stu worked part-time for the Department of Labor as a mine safety inspector. The Bureau of Mines had sent safety inspectors into the Black River Mines on several occasions, but had failed to uncover any significant safety infractions. So they couldn’t understand why the accident rate in the Black River Mines was higher than other mines in the country. Now the feds wanted someone to go into those mines undercover and find out why the accident rate was climbing. Stu had recommended Cole for the job.

If he could gain access to the tunnels, he could provide evidence of what he had long suspected—that the mines were operating in direct violation of Federal safety codes. He just needed to prove it.

The air-conditioning in the cab was strong enough to softly stir the fabric of her dress, and even by the dim dashboard lights he could see goose bumps raised along her slim arms.

“Cold?” he asked. “I can turn down the air if you’d like.”

“No, thanks. It feels good.”

She started to say something more when the radio unit on the dash emitted a sudden, loud squawk and a disembodied, static voice filled the cab of the truck.

“Mac, you there? Over.”

Cole lifted a handheld mouthpiece from its cradle and pressed a button, speaking into the instrument. “Yeah, I’m here. I’m giving the client a lift home, and then I’ll bring the truck and car in. Over.”

“Do me a favor, Mac,” came the reply. “Can you bring the truck back first? I just got a call that Stu Barlow’s boy wrecked his truck out on the gap road and forced another car into the ravine. The kid’s fine, but his vehicle’s blocking the road. Bobby just headed over there with the other wrecker, so I’ll take yours and meet him there. Over.”

“Got it. See you in two. Over and out.” Cole replaced the mouthpiece and gave his passenger an apologetic smile. “Looks like I need to bring the truck back to Sully first, then I’ll give you that lift to wherever it is you’re staying.” When she didn’t immediately answer, he gave her a quick glance. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”

Her attention had sharpened on him. “You’re not Sully?”

Cole grinned. “No, ma’am.” Keeping one eye on the dark road, he extended a hand toward her. “Name’s Cole MacKinnon.”

After a moment, she took his hand. Her fingers were slender and cool. “I’m Lacey Delaney.”

Cole thought the name suited her. Soft. Feminine. It conjured up images of delicate lingerie, like the stuff she had in that bag. He slanted her a smile. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” She made no move to withdraw her hand, and Cole’s grin broadened as he saw the turnoff to Sully’s garage come into view. “Uh, ma’am?” She gave him a questioning look and he dropped his gaze pointedly to their clasped hands. “I’ll have to shift in another minute, but in order to do that I’ll need—”

She snatched her fingers from his.

LACEY HAD BEEN so busy mooning at the man, she hadn’t even realized she was hanging on to his hand. Worse, he was completely aware of her reaction to him. She cleared her throat uncomfortably as the truck turned into a gravel parking lot. There was a large, multibay garage at the far end and she could see lights on in the small office there. A sign over it read Sully’s Garage—24 Hour Towing. At the other end of the building were two blue taxicabs, and a smaller sign that read Tara’s Taxi Service.

As Cole maneuvered the rental car into a nearby space, the door to the office opened and a huge bear of a man emerged. Sully, she presumed. He had a head of unruly dark hair and half of his face was obscured by a beard and moustache.

Cole glanced over at Lacey. “Wait here where it’s cool. I’ll unhitch the car first, and then get your things out of the back. No need for you to stand around in this heat.”

Without waiting for an answer, he opened his door and jumped down. Lacey watched as the other man approached him. She couldn’t hear their words, but she didn’t miss when Cole jerked his thumb in the direction of the truck. The bearded man turned his head toward her and Lacey barely resisted the urge to slide down lower in her seat. Sully grinned and said something, and slapped Cole on the back. Lacey heard him laughing as he strode back toward the office.

What had Cole said to him? And why did she suddenly feel like a cheap pickup? But when Cole turned and came alongside the truck to unhitch her car, she could see he wasn’t smiling. His face wore an expression of such annoyance that Lacey felt an unexpected rush of gratitude toward him. Clearly he wasn’t pleased with whatever conclusion Sully had drawn of his decision to drive her back to the motel.

But when he opened her door, his features were schooled into a mask of politeness. He extended a hand to help her down, and Lacey fumbled for a moment, trying to grasp both her overnight bag and purse. He reached in wordlessly and took the bag from her. As Lacey swung her legs around, her skirt scooted halfway up her thighs, but with one hand firmly clutched around her purse and the other warmly encased in Cole’s, she had no chance to tug it down. She heard him suck in his breath, and when she glanced at his face, she saw the heat was back in those translucent eyes.

“C’mon,” he muttered. “Let’s get out of here before Sully decides to come back out.”

She waited as he reached into the back and withdrew her presentation case and STAR, hefting them both in a single grip. “Is he your boss?”

Cole gave a bark of surprised laughter. “Sully? No, he’s just a friend. I help him out once in a while, that’s all. He’s a good guy, but he doesn’t have much in the way of manners. Trust me when I say you’re better off not getting an introduction. It still amazes me that he actually managed to find himself a wife.” He nodded his head toward the opposite side of the parking lot. “This way.”

Lacey waited while Cole stowed her gear in an oversize toolbox secured in the bed of a large, black pickup truck. There was no lighting in this area of the lot, and with his dark jeans and T-shirt, the surrounding gloom all but swallowed him up. Lacey hung back, standing just outside the ring of darkness.

She considered herself to be an intelligent woman, but taking a ride from a complete stranger had to be the height of stupidity. It had seemed a perfectly reasonable solution when they were in the tow truck with her rental car hitched to the back. After all, she had been the customer, securing the services of a professional. But discovering he wasn’t even affiliated with the towing company, and then accepting a ride in his personal truck seemed somehow … well, personal. Intimate.

“Hey.” His voice was quiet, interrupting her thoughts. He had taken a step toward her and now stood watching her. “Having second thoughts?”

The man was perceptive. “No, of course not.”

He laughed softly and stepped closer. “Liar.”

Lacey barely resisted the urge to step backward as he advanced. His knowing look, combined with a smile that could only be called predatory, should have had her running full-tilt in the opposite direction. Instead, it caused a bolt of awareness to surge through her, rooting her where she stood.

“Why would I be having second thoughts? You don’t look like an ax murderer, but if you are, I have witnesses who’ve seen you with me.” She indicated with a nod of her head to where Sully was climbing into the cab of the tow truck. Her voice was light. “You’d never get away with it.”

Cole’s dimples flashed as he gave her a wolfish grin. “Rest assured, when it comes to pretty women, hurting them is the last thing I have in mind.”

Lacey felt her pulse quicken. What, exactly, did he have in mind for her? And how would he react if she indicated, by word or gesture, that she might be a willing participant? The sudden images that swamped her imagination were so vivid and so strong that heat flooded her face, making her grateful for the dim light.

Cole’s glance moved beyond Lacey. “If you are having second thoughts, now’s your chance to say so. Once Sully’s gone, it’s just you and me.”

Lacey turned and watched in silence as the tow truck slowly made its way across the parking lot. She saw Sully raise a hand in brief salute, and then the taillights vanished as the vehicle swung out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Drawing a fortifying breath, she turned back to face Cole with a bright smile. “I guess you have your answer.”

He considered her silently for a moment, his expression inscrutable, before stepping back to open the driver’s door of the pickup truck. “I guess I do.”

He extended a hand toward Lacey, and once more she found her fingers wrapped in the warm strength of his own as he helped her up into the cab. Lacey scooted across the bench seat only to be halted midway by the sight of an enormous animal sprawled on the far side. Its tongue lolled wetly from an open mouth bracketed by long, loose jowls as it regarded her drowsily, and a long tail thumped in greeting against the seat. Her mouth fell open in wordless surprise.

“That’s Copper,” said Cole, sliding in behind the wheel. “He has a tendency to slobber, so you might not want to get too close.” He grinned. “I think he has a thing for redheads.”

Lacey recoiled as the dog shook its head, flinging long ropes of saliva against the back of the seat. “Oh, my,” she said, laughing in spite of herself, “you weren’t kidding. He really does slobber!”

“Sorry,” Cole said, sounding anything but apologetic as Lacey drew closer to him in an effort to avoid being splattered. “Once we get going, he’ll hang his head out the window, so you’ll be safe.”

At least from the dog, thought Lacey. With Copper taking up more than his fair share of the seat, it was nearly impossible to maintain a respectable distance from Cole. She could feel the heat that radiated from his lean body, even as he reached over and flipped on the air-conditioning and a blast of lukewarm air billowed her skirt up over her thighs. Lacey pushed it back down and placed her purse over her knees in an effort to keep the fabric firmly where it belonged.

“Here,” said Cole, “let me adjust those vents.”

He extended one arm across her knees and flipped the louvers upward. His shoulder pressed against hers and his arm brushed against her breast as he pulled back. It was purely accidental, but Lacey was helpless to prevent a swift intake of breath at the intimate contact. If Cole noticed her reaction, he gave no sign, but Lacey thought he reversed with slightly more force than necessary, the tires churning up loose gravel before he changed gears and headed out of the parking lot.

As Cole had predicted, Copper heaved himself to his feet and happily thrust his head out of the open window, his long ears streaming behind him. His hindquarters were dangerously close to Lacey’s face, and when his tail started to knock steadily against her chest, she gave a soft exclamation of surprise and gingerly swatted at the offending length.

Cole laughed, the sound sliding over Lacey’s senses like warm honey. “That dog,” he said ruefully, “has no sense of personal space.”

Neither, apparently, did Cole as he leaned suddenly across Lacey’s body and with one hand pushed gently but firmly on the dog’s rear, forcing it into a sitting position. “There,” he said, and his glance slid over Lacey as she pressed herself against the seat. “You okay?”

Lacey met his gaze. Even in the darkened cab, there was no mistaking the expression of taut awareness on his face. In that instant, Lacey knew he wanted her.

The knowledge thrilled her.

Terrified her.

Caused her heart to slam against her rib cage so that she was sure he would hear its betraying rhythm. “I’m fine,” she finally managed, hating the way her voice sounded breathless, even to her own ears.

“Where are you staying?” he asked. “Mozelle or Cumberland?”

Lacey looked at him blankly. “Are those hotels? Because I checked and—”

Cole laughed softly again. “No, ma’am, those are towns. The closest ones with decent hotels, at any rate. Unless you’re staying with friends here in the Gap?”

Lacey peered at him suspiciously. “Just how close are those two towns?”

Cole shrugged. “Well, they’re in opposite directions from here, but I’d guess they’re both about an hour away.”

Lacey gaped at him. “You’d be willing to drive me all that way?”

He turned to her then, surprise evident on his face. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

Lacey stared at him for a long moment before dragging her gaze away. Of course he was willing to drive her that far. He probably thought he’d be well rewarded for his efforts. After all, she’d done nothing but ogle him since she’d first laid eyes on him. For a moment, Lacey battled with herself, torn between doubt and anticipation, because a part of her wanted him to want her. But she didn’t want him to think she was an easy conquest.

His lips tightened before he returned his attention to the road. “I see. You think I’ll want some sort of payment in return for the lift.”

“No—” Lacey began, ready to deny what she had, in fact, been thinking.

But Cole held up one hand, forestalling any further words. “It’s okay,” he said. “Because you know what?” He slanted her one long, meaningful look. “You’re right. I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.” He gave a low, self-deprecating laugh. “Hell, it’s been the single thing on my mind since I first saw you.”

Lacey’s breath hitched. His husky confession caused a liquid heat to slip along the underside of her skin, and her pulse began a heavy, languorous thudding. She focused on the dark road, watching as the truck swallowed up the pavement, unable to think of an appropriate response.

“However,” he continued easily, “I don’t need to use coercion or guilt to get a woman to sleep with me. It’s either completely mutual, or it doesn’t happen. So you can relax, okay?”

Relax? Was he kidding? Lacey thought she might spontaneously combust. Of course he didn’t need to use coercion—he was the kind of guy women fantasized about. Not only gorgeous, but considerate, too. In that moment, she made up her mind. Her friend Julia was right; she’d denied herself for way too long, always putting the needs of others before her own, always conscious of what her mother might think. But out here, there was just her and this man. She was only going to be in Black Stone Gap for ten days. Why shouldn’t she do as she pleased? Lord knew when she’d have another opportunity.

She glanced over at Cole. “I’m actually staying here in Black Stone Gap,” she ventured, “so you won’t need to drive me too far.” To collect your reward.

He tilted her a questioning look. “Oh, yeah? Where?”

“The Blackwater Inn.”

“What?” He bit the word out, his face incredulous.

“There were no other hotels,” she said defensively. “The Blackwater Inn is a little grungy, but otherwise it’s fine.”

He gave a snort of disgust. “Yeah, if you’re an itinerant coal miner or a horny barfly.”

Lacey looked at him in dismay, recalling the men she’d seen at the motel earlier that night. “I did try to make other arrangements, but there wasn’t anything else even close.”

Cole ran a hand over his hair. “Hell,” he muttered. “If anyone sees you, every guy who’s staying there’ll be panting at your door. I’ll walk you to your room. Once you’re inside with the door locked, you should be okay.” He shook his head again. “The Blackwater Inn?”

When they pulled into the motel several minutes later, Lacey saw that the bar across the street was doing a brisk business. The parking lot was completely full and the overflow had spilled into the motel’s lot. As Cole parked the truck, the door of the bar opened and a man and woman lurched outside, briefly illuminated by the shaft of light from inside the establishment.

Hanging on to each other, they made their way across the darkened street. As they approached the Blackwater Inn, they stopped to exchange a deep kiss. They swayed, stumbled, and then laughingly broke apart to stagger over to one of the guestroom doors. Lacey watched as the woman fitted a key into the lock. The man was groping her from behind. He bent his head and nuzzled her neck even as one hand snaked around to fondle a breast. The woman laughed again and they all but fell through the open door. Lacey caught a glimpse of the two coming together for a passionate embrace before the man kicked the door closed with one booted foot.

Lacey found she couldn’t look over at Cole. The raw sexuality she had just witnessed too closely mirrored the fantasy she had briefly entertained about him.

“C’mon,” he muttered. “Let’s get you to your room.”

Opening his door, he slid out and stood back to wait for her. Copper drew his head in from the passenger window and flopped down on the seat once more, staring at them with an expression that stated clearly he was accustomed to being left in the truck. Cole retrieved her gear from his lockbox and indicated she should precede him.

“I’m in the back,” she said, aware of his eyes on her as she led him around to the rear of the building. A group of men had pulled several of the plastic patio chairs around a small table on the walkway and were playing cards. Beer cans littered the grass and cigarette smoke hung heavy on the humid air. They paused when they saw Lacey, and the nearest one leered appreciatively at her from over the rim of a beer can.

“Evenin’ boys.”

Cole’s voice was cordial but cool as he hefted Lacey’s presentation case over one shoulder and took her elbow with his free hand, propelling her along. Lacey cast a wary look at the men, noting the sullen, almost defiant manner in which they watched her. Despite Cole’s casual attitude, she sensed he was on full alert, every muscle in his lean body tightly coiled. He was staring at the men, his eyes challenging them to say something, anything. Two of the men mumbled a greeting and one by one they lowered their eyes beneath Cole’s unwavering glare.

“I’m in here,” Lacey said when they reached her door. Would he expect her to invite him in? Or would he simply say goodbye? She glanced up at him. He was so close that one small step back would bring her smack up against that tautly muscled chest. He was crowding her, his larger physique shielding her from the nearby men.

“Get your key out and open the door.” His voice was low in her ear, brooking no argument.

Turning the knob, she pushed the door open, startled when he hustled her inside and closed it behind them. In the sudden and complete darkness of the room, her chest constricted and she couldn’t control her suddenly rapid pulse or the perspiration that popped out along her hairline. She closed her eyes and dragged in several deep breaths, telling herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She heard Cole set her cases down on the floor. When he flipped on the overhead light, she blinked and exhaled in relief, and then sank down on the edge of the bed. Cole opened the door an inch or so and examined the broken deadbolt, testing it. Then he fingered the dangling chain.

“This lock is broken.” He slanted her a questioning look. “Did you realize that?”

Lacey swallowed, momentarily unable to form a response. She thought she’d gotten a good look at him in the truck. She’d thought him gorgeous then, but by the glaring light of the overhead fixture she realized she had been wrong. The man wasn’t just gorgeous.

He was magnificent.

His face was a masterpiece of lean, chiseled features paired with a sensuous mouth. For an instant, Lacey imagined feasting on those lips with her own. His blue eyes were fringed with thick, dark lashes and his short hair was a deep, rich brown. His skin was bronzed by the sun and his arms were an incredible mix of bulging muscles and lean sinews. Her hands would probably be incapable of spanning those impressive biceps. When he wasn’t smiling, like now, he had a decidedly dangerous aura. In the confines of the room, he seemed inordinately large. Lacey should have been nervous, but she wasn’t. She’d been an apt self-defense pupil, and if things began to turn sour, she was more than capable of defending herself.

“Yes.” She nodded. “I notified the front desk, but apparently there aren’t any other rooms available.”

Cole closed the door with a click and took several steps into the room. His gaze swept over the gaudy bedspread and stained carpeting, missing nothing. “It’s hot as hell in here.”

He was right. Fine beads of moisture had gathered on Lacey’s skin and her sundress clung damply to her. In the confined room, the heat was suffocating. “It’s just for one night. I’ll find something else in the morning.”

Cole looked doubtfully at her as he fiddled with the thermostat. “I doubt you’ll survive a night in this furnace.” He flicked the wall thermometer in disgust. “Looks like the air-conditioning is on the blink.” He moved to the window and Lacey watched with renewed interest when the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunched with effort as he tried unsuccessfully to raise the sash. After a moment, he stepped back. “Unbelievable. I think they’ve permanently nailed it shut.”

He turned to look down at her, his expression inscrutable. Lacey smoothed her skirt down over her knees and tried not to think about the fact that she was alone in a motel room with an absolutely mouthwatering man. Any fantasy she might have harbored about him had been completely dashed the moment he stepped through the door. He was obviously disgusted by the seediness of the room, and the temperature alone was enough to wilt any blossoming desire. She steeled herself for his departure, unwilling to examine why she felt so depressed at the prospect of his leaving.

She’d been ready to take the plunge with this guy, to step out of her comfort zone and do something thrilling and naughty. The realization that she’d be spending the night alone in this tawdry motel room was a complete letdown. But she could at least accept the inevitable with good grace. There was no way she would let him see her disappointment.

“Well.” She pushed to her feet and stood by the door, her hand on the latch. Outside, she could hear raised voices as an argument broke out among the men playing cards. She forced a brisk, businesslike tone to her voice, but found she couldn’t meet his eyes. “Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

There was silence, and when Lacey finally looked up, it was to find Cole standing with his hands braced on his hips, watching her with a bemused expression. He dominated the small room. Lacey’s eyes traveled slowly up the length of his body, noting how the black T-shirt emphasized the taut flatness of his stomach and the muscled planes of his chest. There was a light sheen of sweat on the strong column of his throat and she imagined tracing her tongue along that slick skin.

“You don’t actually think I’m going to leave you here, do you?” he asked.

Now it was her turn to look bemused, even as her pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”

Her eyes widened when he turned and scooped her discarded pantsuit from the back of a chair where she had tossed it. He folded it neatly in half, dropped it into her open suitcase and flipped the case shut.

“There’s really only one thing to do.” His mouth curved in a rueful grin. “I’m taking you home with me.”

3

LACEY WAS CERTAIN he had to be kidding, but there was nothing humorous in his manner as he zipped her case shut, hefted it neatly in one hand, and stepped toward the door.

“Wait a minute.” Lacey threw up a hand to forestall him. “You can’t be serious.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Cole’s voice was low. “You’re definitely better off staying here. I’m sure those men out there will be more than happy to take care of you tonight.” He stabbed a finger toward the commotion outside. “From the sound of things, they’re well on their way to getting completely messed up. If I leave you here, how long do you think it’ll take for them to decide you’re fair game? Hmm? Do you really think you’re safe in this room?”

Lacey was silent. He had verbalized what she had been thinking. But to go home with Cole? Did she dare? Because she’d be lying to herself if she believed nothing would happen between them. Even now, the tension in the room was almost palpable.

“Look,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “I know what you’re thinking.” Reaching into his back pocket, he produced a slim wallet, flipped it open and extended it toward her. “Here’s my I.D. If you want to take a look and then call somebody to let them know who you’re with, go ahead.”

Glancing at him, Lacey took the proffered wallet and looked down at the I.D. beneath the plastic protector. It was a Virginia driver’s license with a Norfolk address. The photograph had captured the incredible blueness of his eyes. She tried not to stare.

“You’re not even from around here,” she said, handing him the wallet. “Were you planning on driving back to Norfolk? That’s what—five hundred miles from here?”

Cole pocketed the wallet, frustration evident in his expression. “I grew up here in the Gap, but I moved to Norfolk after I got out of school. My family has a place not too far from here, and everyone in town knows who I am. You’re safer with me than you are here.”

Lacey didn’t know about that. Her intentions where Cole was concerned could be classified as anything but safe.

He looked expectantly at her. “Okay? Are we good? Now can we please get the hell out of here before we both suffocate?”

He was right. The heat in the room was oppressive. Still, Lacey hesitated. Once she committed to going with him, there would be no turning back.

Seeing her misgivings, Cole sighed, put the suitcase down and spread his hands out in a supplicating gesture. “Look, you’re going to have to trust me on this one, okay? I promise, you’re absolutely safe with me. I’m staying just a couple of miles from here and there’s a separate guest suite so you’ll be completely private.” He gave a small snort of laughter and muttered an expletive beneath his breath. “I’ll even go spend the night at Sully’s if it’ll make you feel better. But there is no way in hell you’re staying here tonight, okay?”

Lacey had the distinct impression that if she refused to go with him, he’d throw her over one broad shoulder and haul her bodily out of the room. She knew instinctively he wouldn’t hurt her, would even put himself in harm’s way to protect her. It was herself she didn’t trust. Just the thought of being alone with this man for an entire night caused her body to react in a way she was unfamiliar with. Her knees felt shaky when she looked at him. There was a fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach. She’d never been so acutely aware of her own body before.

“Okay,” she said, before she could change her mind. “I’ll stay at your place, but just for tonight.”

“Good.” There was no mistaking the satisfaction in his voice.

Lacey followed him outside, unwilling to look at the men as they passed, aware they had ceased arguing the moment she and Cole had emerged from the room. But when one of the men abruptly stood up, shoving the flimsy chair back and nearly upsetting the makeshift card table, Lacey understood why Cole had deliberately positioned himself between her and them.

“Hey, baby,” the man crooned, “why you want to go with him, eh?”

“Yeah, stay wi’ us,” slurred a second man. “We’ll show you a good time … a real good time.”

Lacey edged closer to Cole’s protective bulk.

“Don’t worry,” he said in a low voice, “they’re not coming near you.”

Lacey looked at the men and knew it was true. While they might muster enough courage to throw comments at hers and Cole’s retreating backs, they didn’t have the guts to confront the hard-eyed man who propelled her along with one hand at the base of her spine.

Copper lay panting on the seat where they had left him, and now he thumped his tail lazily in greeting. After stowing her gear in the back, Cole started the truck and swung out onto the road. The dog made no move to clamber to its feet and hang its head out the window, as if the heat had finally sapped what remained of his energy. Instead, he gave a jaw-splitting yawn and dropped his head onto Lacey’s thighs with a contented huff of breath.

Lacey snatched her hands from her lap and looked down in consternation at the animal. “Well, he certainly isn’t shy,” she remarked with a laugh. Her hands hovered uncertainly over the dog. “Will he mind if I pet him?”

Cole gave a laugh that was half groan, and eyed the dog with something like envy. “Are you kidding? He thinks he just died and went to heaven.”

Smiling in spite of herself, she tentatively stroked the animal’s head and ran her fingers over his long ears. “He’s so soft,” she murmured. “What kind of dog is he?”

“He’s a bloodhound.”

“Like the kind you see in movies, tracking escaped criminals?”

Cole laughed. “Yeah, except Copper’s never had that particular honor. He’s retired now, but when he was younger he had no problem tracking down kids and hikers who’d gone missing in the hills around here.”

“Really!” Lacey was impressed, and gave Copper a generous scratching behind his ears to show it. “What a good boy. I hope you got an extra treat and a nice, long tummy rub for that.”

Cole laughed, a warm sound that caused Lacey to smile back at him. “What’s so funny?”

He hesitated, then impaled her with the full heat of his aquamarine eyes. They locked gazes briefly before he returned his attention to the road. “I was just thinking,” he murmured, “what an incentive that would be for the local search-and-rescue team. Coming from you, that is.”

“What would be?”

Cole slanted her a swift glance. “An extra treat and a tummy rub. Their success rate for rescues would be about a million percent.”

Lacey’s breath hitched. She stared at his profile, unable to rid her mind of the images his words evoked. Images of her hands stroking over the taut hardness of his stomach, and lower.

She cleared her throat. “Do you happen to know the team?”

“Yeah. But forget about getting an introduction.” His mouth tilted in a small smile. “They’d eat you alive.”

Lacey laughed softly. They could try.

“So,” Cole said, changing the subject, “where are you from and what brings you to Black Stone Gap?”

Lacey couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice. She was born in West Virginia, less than three hundred miles from Black Stone Gap, but she and her mother had moved to New England after her father’s death.

“I’m from New Hampshire,” she answered, “and part of the reason I’m here is to work with the Black Mountain Search and Rescue Team.”

There was a momentary stunned silence, and then Cole laughed ruefully. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope.”

“Don’t tell me—you’re here to demonstrate the GPS units.”

“Right. But how did you know that?”

Cole looked at her. “Sully mentioned something about it earlier tonight. Bringing the rescue team into the twenty-first century is big news around here. Their equipment is all but obsolete, and I understand they’re pretty excited about the new devices. But I thought the company was sending a man.” His gaze skimmed briefly over her, missing nothing. “And, sweetheart, you’re a far cry from that.”

Lacey felt herself go warm beneath his regard. “There was initially some talk about sending one of our sales reps out to demonstrate the GPS units, but I volunteered.” She sensed his curiosity. “I’m here on other business, in addition to showing the rescue team the benefits of the handheld units.”

“I see.” There was a pause. “Does Cyrus know about this?”

“Who?”

“Forget it. If he did, he’d never have allowed you to stay at the Blackwater Inn. He’d have insisted on putting you up at his place.”

“Oh, you mean Sheriff Hathaway. I was planning to talk with him in the morning and see if he could recommend somewhere else to stay.”

Cole gave a short laugh and his voice was like rough sandpaper. “There is no other place to stay, unless you don’t mind driving an hour or so each way. Even Cyrus lives a good ten miles outside of Black Stone Gap.”

Lacey digested this in silence. She didn’t want to stay an hour away, didn’t want to traverse the winding mountain roads each day. She’d stay with Cole tonight, but even if they ended up in bed together, she couldn’t assume that he’d want her living with him for the entire time she was in Black Stone Gap. That would just be awkward.

Cole swung off the main route, and they made their way up a steeply winding road, pressed close on both sides by dark forest. Twice, the headlights of the truck reflected the glowing eyes of some woodland creature before it darted into the dense underbrush.

Suddenly, they emerged into a clearing and Cole drew the pickup truck alongside a large log cabin. Lacey had envisioned him in a mountain cabin with fur-strewn floors, but even her imagination couldn’t have created this charming structure, perched on the mountain crest and bathed in moonlight.

She peered through the windshield, taking in the sweeping porch that surrounded the house, the soaring stone chimney and dramatic windows. It may have been constructed of logs, but the architecture was pure elegance.

“This is your home?” Lacey couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

“Well, it’s more like the family retreat. I share ownership with my siblings.” He opened his door and looked over at her. “Don’t worry—they’re not here now. We sort of take turns coming out here. C’mon in and make yourself comfortable.”

Before she could respond, Lacey’s cell phone rang. By the time she fished it out of her bag, the ringing had stopped. “Wow,” she commented, reading the signal bar, “you get really good reception up here.”

“One of the many benefits to living on top of a mountain.” He smiled. “I’ll wait outside for you.”

Lacey scrolled through her missed calls and saw that her mother had tried calling her eleven times. She sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk to her right now, but she knew her mother would fret until she called. She answered on the first ring.

“Lacey? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is great, Mom. Really.”

“I’ve been trying to call you for hours. Why haven’t you answered?” Her mother’s tone was reproachful.

“The cell phone reception is terrible, Mom. But I made it here safely and I’ll be meeting with Sheriff Hathaway in the morning. Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

“Give me the name of your hotel so I can reach you on their phone.”

Lacey hesitated. There was no way she could tell her mother the truth about where she was staying. “It’s called the Blackwater Inn, in Black Stone Gap. But I’ll hardly be there, Mom. Why don’t we just agree that I’ll call you each evening?”

“But what if I need to reach you? I need to be able to reach you, Lacey.”

She suppressed a frustrated sigh. “Then by all means try my cell phone, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll always be able to get through, or that I’ll answer.” She glanced out the window to where Cole sat on the bottom step of his porch, scratching Copper behind his ears. “Look, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Good night, I love you!”

She closed the phone, pushing down the guilt she invariably felt after talking with her mother. Then, just in case her mom decided they hadn’t finished their conversation, she turned the cell phone off. Sliding out of the truck, she walked toward Cole, watching as he stood and gathered up her cases. Copper stretched lazily before plodding his way up the steps to the porch.

“Did you grow up here?” Lacey asked. “I mean, in this house?”

Cole snorted. “Not likely. My folks had a ramshackle house at the bottom of the hill, on the main road. My younger brother owns a timber-frame company. After Dad retired, we pitched in and had this place built for him and my mom.”

“Are your parents …?”

“Passed away, yeah. They had a few good years here, though.”

He spoke matter-of-factly, but Lacey thought she detected a note of regret in his voice. “You said you don’t live here year-round.” She turned to stare at him in bemusement. “Why not?”

Cole gave a shrug as he preceded her up the steps. “I couldn’t wait to get out of Black Stone Gap. I found work in Virginia, and I didn’t look back.”

Lacey followed him onto the wide porch, waiting while he opened the door. “So what brings you back now? Are you on vacation?”

“Actually, I came back because I got laid off from my job over in Norfolk, but was fortunate enough to find work here in the Gap.”

Something in his voice caused Lacey to glance sharply at him, but his expression was carefully blank. She didn’t know Cole at all, but she guessed it must be difficult for him to admit that he had been laid off.

“What kind of work?” she asked, but she suspected that she already knew.

“I got a job at the Black River coal mine.”

Lacey shouldn’t have been surprised, since the coal mines were probably the largest employer in the region, but she hadn’t envisioned him as a miner. Although, she acknowledged reluctantly, beggars couldn’t always be choosers. He probably knew people who worked in the mines; may even have asked them to pull a few strings in order to get him a job. But she couldn’t stop her imagination from conjuring up images of Cole, buried beneath hundreds of feet of earth. She shivered.

Leaning forward, he thrust the door open, leaned in to flip on a light switch, and then stood back to allow her to enter.

Lacey stepped past, unable to prevent herself from brushing against him in the confines of the door frame. She glanced up at him, and with the interior light slanting across his face, his eyes glowed with an intensity that caused a primal awareness to surge through her.

As she stepped inside she had a general impression of soaring ceilings crisscrossed with massive beams, a stone fireplace that dominated one wall, and casually comfortable furnishings strewn with throw pillows and the odd quilt. The coffee table still bore the remnants of his morning coffee, and newspapers, books and paperwork littered the end tables. The natural wood of the floor and walls lent a warm, golden glow to the entire room and Lacey gave a soft exclamation of pleasure.

“Wow,” she said. “This is nice.”

“Thanks.” Striding to the coffee table, he began gathering up the loose papers and stuffing them into a folder. He glanced at her as he shoved the entire packet into a leather attaché case. “It’s probably a little rougher than you’re accustomed to, but it’s comfortable.”

“Why would you say that?” she asked, genuinely surprised by his comment.

Cole looked embarrassed. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess I just picture you in one of those expensive old brownstones in the city.”

Lacey made a noncommittal sound, neither denying nor confirming his words. She didn’t want him to know the truth; that she still lived with her mother. After her father died—she made a mental correction—after the state declared her father dead, she and her mom had moved to New Hampshire and bought a small house near the coast. Right after college, Lacey had moved into an apartment with two other girls, and she’d loved the freedom. But her mother would frequently drop in unannounced, and then spend hours redecorating the small space, cleaning, or cooking enough food to keep them fed for a week.

At first, her visits had been welcome, but it wasn’t long before Lacey’s roommates began to view them as intrusive. When Lacey had tried to talk to her mother about it, to insist that she really was okay on her own, her mother would become emotional, leaving Lacey racked with guilt for even suggesting that she not visit so often. Eventually, Lacey had acknowledged that living on her own wasn’t working, and she had moved back home.

But now here she was, alone with a guy whom she found incredibly sexy, with nothing to prevent her from doing whatever she wanted. Knowing that he found her attractive, too, gave her added courage. The fact that he was a coal miner was a little disconcerting, but it wasn’t as if she was going to marry the guy, right? After what had happened to her father, and what she’d seen her mother go through following his death, she’d made a promise to herself never to get involved with a miner.

She reminded herself again that she was only here for a few days. She would deliver the handheld GPS units to the search-and-rescue team, and then work with the owner of the local mines to test STAR. And then she would return to New England. End of story. So whatever developed between her and Cole would be limited to the time she was here.

She allowed her gaze to drift over him, taking in the wide shoulders and lean hips. With her overnight bag and laptop slung over one shoulder, his T-shirt was pulled taut across a chest that was unmistakably muscular.

“I like your house.” She gave him a meaningful look. “And everything in it.”

The response was instantaneous as the heat smoldering in his eyes flared to life. A muscle worked in one lean cheek as he took a step toward her. His eyes raked her features.

Lacey stopped breathing. He was going to touch her. This was it. The moment when she would either cross the line or step back.

He stopped just short of her and his gaze held hers for a long moment. He was close enough that she could see the amazing striation of blues and greens in his irises, see the individual stubble of whiskers that shadowed his lean jaw and the small scar that bisected his upper lip and made her ache to trace her fingertip across it. His mouth fascinated her. It was a hedonistic mouth, capable of doing wicked things. She stared at it, mesmerized. As if time itself had slowed, he bent his head fractionally toward hers. Lacey’s eyes drifted closed and her lips parted slightly in anticipation.

“I’ll show you to your room.”

The words were like a dash of cold water, and her eyes flew open. He had stepped abruptly away from her and was now striding across the room.

Lacey almost sagged in disappointment. She had been so certain he was going to kiss her; couldn’t believe she had misread him so completely. With a small huff of laughter, she turned to follow Cole.

He made his way up a wide, open staircase to a loft area that overlooked the living room. There was a cozy sitting area complete with armchair, floor lamp and television. Cole pushed open an adjoining door to a darkened bedroom. She stood in the doorway and watched as he set her gear down, moved to a bedside table and switched on a small lamp, bathing the room in a soft glow. A large bed dominated the room. The vaulted ceiling was angled overhead, and through two enormous skylights, Lacey could see the stars against the velvet backdrop of the night sky.

Cole turned to look at her, and there was a taut awareness about him that was almost palpable. She hovered in the doorway, unwilling to be deceived by what she was now certain was her own cranked up libido.

“Thanks,” she said, forcing herself to smile. “It’s perfect, and just like you said—completely private.”

“Yeah, well, the bathroom’s next door and you should find everything you need. Help yourself to whatever’s there.”

“Okay, thanks.” Lacey stood back to let him pass, but he continued to stand there, watching her.

COLE KNEW HE should leave. He should go back downstairs and leave her alone, but man, oh, man, all he could think about was this woman in his bathroom. Standing naked in his shower with water sluicing down that gorgeous body.

It had taken every vestige of willpower and restraint he had not to kiss her earlier. He knew she had wanted him to, had seen the spark of heat in her eyes that said she would welcome the feel of his lips against hers. She had all but invited him free rein to that sweet, tempting mouth. He knew the attraction that smoldered between them wasn’t just in his imagination. He could practically feel her need and everything in him longed to satisfy it, but he had promised that she would be safe with him.

But there was no denying the fact he wanted her. Wanted her with a fierce urgency he couldn’t recall feeling for another woman in a long time. It was with extreme difficulty that he managed to get a grip on his rampant imagination.

“How about something cold to drink? A beer, maybe?”

To his relief, she smiled. “That sounds great. But do you have anything nonalcoholic? I have to get up early tomorrow morning.”

“No problem. How about some lemonade?”

“Sounds good.”

He indicated she should precede him back down the stairs, and he could have sworn that was a look of longing and regret she flicked between him and the bed before she turned away. With an inward groan, Cole followed her.

In the kitchen, he watched her covertly as he mixed up a pitcher of lemonade and poured two glasses, taking a long swallow from his own. She was standing and looking at a display of framed photos on the nearby wall.

“Is this your father, here?” She indicated a photo of him standing next to an older man, dangling a pair of freshly caught trout from a fishing line.

“Yeah.”

She slanted him a sidelong look and a quick smile. “I can see where you get your good looks.”

Cole laughed softly. Oh, baby, flattery will get you everything. He came around the corner of the island to hand her a chilled glass of lemonade. “Thanks.”

She took the proffered glass and turned back to the collage of photos. She sipped at the drink, and as Cole watched, a bead of condensation slid slowly down the length of the glass, hung suspended for a brief instant, and then plopped wetly onto the fragile line of her collarbone. She made no move to wipe it away, but continued to study the photos. Mesmerized, Cole followed the droplet’s path down over the smooth plane of her upper chest until it slid slowly from sight beneath the edge of her sundress.

“Are these your siblings?”

Cole dragged his gaze upward. “Huh?”

“It looks like you come from a large family.”

Cole leaned over her shoulder to inspect the picture she was pointing to. Damn, she even smelled delicious. He tried not to inhale as he peered at the photograph. “Yeah, that’s me with my brothers and sisters, taken a few years ago.”

“There are so many of you!” She gave an amazed laugh. “That must have been fun, growing up in such a big family.”

“Fun? I don’t know if that’s the word I would’ve necessarily chosen. Interesting, maybe. Chaotic, definitely.”

He didn’t want to talk about himself or his upbringing. What would a woman like her know about the hardships of living in a small coal-mining town, with barely enough money to scrape by? Or that he and his six siblings had pretty much raised themselves while their mother worked double shifts at a hospital nearly an hour from Black Stone Gap? Nope. Definitely not stimulating conversation. And not nearly as exciting as standing directly behind her.

He couldn’t help himself. He bent his head fractionally and allowed himself to breathe deeply. There was the clean fragrance of her hair and the subtle scent of a light perfume. Beneath that was the delicate fragrance that was hers alone. The combination was intoxicating.

She turned her head and he heard her suck her breath in sharply, as if she was suddenly aware of just how close he was. He knew he should back off, but was momentarily transfixed by the small pulse that beat frantically along the side of her neck. Just that tiny disturbance beneath her smooth skin completely distracted him. Made him ditch every good intention he had of maintaining a respectable distance.

She turned slowly, and his eyes skimmed over her face. God, she was pretty. Gray-green eyes, clear skin combined with a faint dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and a pair of lips so pink and lush he ached to caress them with his own. This time, he knew he wouldn’t resist.

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