Page 13 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

Chapter Eight

“We have little time.” Honey unlocked the door to her apartment and walked inside.

Will followed behind her, carrying a suit bag over his shoulder.

Before leaving Bodine, Will had insisted on stopping to buy a suit for the wedding reception that evening. Honey tried to convince him not to spend too much money on a suit for the reception, but he insisted. He wanted to add a nice suit to his wardrobe.

She’d taken the opportunity to do a little shopping herself and purchased a new bracelet. She’d found it an effective way to decompress after their disappointing meeting with Cyrus. Now they were both ready to figure out a new strategy.

Will set his cowboy hat on a small table by the front door. “I can’t wait to call Dave and Joyce to tell them the news. We finally have located The Destroyer, and he’s right here in Calamity. That narrows down the search.”

“We just need to figure out a way to ferret him out.” She glanced at her watch. “That will have to wait because the reception is starting soon, and I still need to shower.”

He gave her a playful smile. “I’m a guy, so it will only take me a few minutes to get ready.”

“I know,” she said. Then another thought occurred to her. “Do you think Cyrus will tell his client about our visit?”

Will shook his head. “I think Cyrus knows how dangerous that would be. Plus, he’s smart enough to know that going to the police about any of his clients would probably ruin his business. People shy away from private investigators who won’t keep their clients’ secrets.”

“We need to find Ronnie. I’ll be honest, I thought the reason he disappeared was to get some independence from Aunt Cynthia.”

“It sounds like she does still treat him like a child, but now that we know The Destroyer lives in Calamity…”

She gulped. “Ronnie could be in real danger.”

“So, let’s put our focus on finding Ronnie. He could lead us right to The Destroyer.” Will took a step closer.

“Wow, that would be incredible.”

“We need to track his steps from the day he went missing,” Will said.

“We already know he went to his boxing gym right before he came to see me. We can go there first thing tomorrow morning. If we’re lucky, maybe someone there knew how he was planning to spend his day. Or even said something to him about The Destroyer. I just hope…”

“We’ll find Ronnie,” Will vowed. “I won’t leave Calamity until we do.”

* * *

A brief time later, Will picked up his cell phone to call Dave and Joyce and update them on the situation.

But a muffled shout froze him in his tracks.

“Help!”

Honey. He raced for her bedroom door, relieved to find it unlocked, but his relief quickly turned to worry when he found her room empty on the other side.

“Will!”

The bathroom. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried the bathroom door.

Locked.

Panic ripped through him, and his imagination went wild.

She was trapped in the bathroom with The Destroyer! Because Will hadn’t done enough to protect her. He’d been too focused on this investigation to realize she was in immediate danger.

He backed up a few steps, called out a warning to stand back, then rammed his shoulder against the bathroom door.

Wood splintered, but the door didn’t give.

He could hear Honey’s voice, but he couldn’t make out the words over the sound of the running bath water.

Was she still calling for him? Or begging for her life?

He rammed his shoulder into the door again, and this time it swung open on impact. His momentum sent him sailing into the small bathroom, his shoes hitting the slippery, wet floor. His feet flew out from under him, and he landed on the ceramic tiles with a teeth-rattling thud.

Tepid water soaked through his jeans and boxer shorts. Standing over him, Honey furiously bailed water with a plastic bucket. First dipping it into the overflowing bathtub and then dumping it in the ceramic sink.

She was safe. She was alone. He looked up. She was also naked underneath her skimpy silk robe.

Will’s heart pounding triple time. “What the hell is going on here?”

Lavender-scented steam filled the air. She dipped the plastic bucket into the tub. “The knob broke on the tap, and I can’t turn off the water.”

“Did you pull the plug?” he asked as water lapped over the edge of the tub.

“Of course, I pulled the plug,” she said, still bailing. “It didn’t help.”

Will carefully rose to his feet, then reached for the broken knob lying on top of the toilet tank. With a few deft twists and a lot of luck, he finally got the water stopped.

“Well, now I feel really stupid,” she said, her face flushed and moist with exertion. Damp blond curls clung to her shoulders. “How did you fix it?”

“I don’t have the faintest idea. Just don’t touch that knob or you could have another flood on your hands. And you’d better call maintenance before you decide to take another bath.” He straightened and wiped his wet hands on his wet jeans. “Oh, and one more thing.”

“What?”

“Never scare me like that again.” He took a step closer to her. “Do you have any idea what I thought when I heard you scream like that?”

He didn’t wait for her to answer. He grabbed her by both arms, his fear still palpable.

“I thought The Destroyer broke into your apartment while we were in Bodine. I thought…” His voice trailed off as he gazed down into her face.

“You thought… what?”

“Nothing,” he said.

“Then what are you thinking now?”

“I’m not.”

Then he did something stupid.

He kissed her.

Before she could even react, his mouth caught her lips, and his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close.

He kissed her hard and deep, with a hot, aching need that pulsed from his mouth into her own.

The heat from her sweet, supple body penetrated his damp clothes.

His fingers splayed over her cheeks. Her skin was as soft as the silk of her robe.

A ripple of desire shot through him as she pressed against his hard length.

He moved his mouth over hers, tasting the sweetness of her lips and savoring the warmth that filled him. His heart raced, and he felt himself grow harder as his tongue swept inside her mouth. He kissed her hungrily, exploring every inch of her softness with gentle caresses.

The kiss was everything he'd imagined it would be—full of passion and longing—and yet it was so much more than that. He felt a connection to her that went far beyond physical desire. It was as if he could feel her soul through their mouths, and it called to him so he couldn't explain.

His hands moved from her cheeks to the back of her neck, where they tangled in the soft curls of her hair.

He could feel himself slipping further into the moment, wanting nothing more than to stay there forever.

But then reality began to creep back in, and he slowly pulled away from her with a sigh.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, still dazed by the intensity of their kiss. For a moment, neither of them said anything. They just stared at each other in awe of what had just happened between them. Then he smiled softly and gently brushed his thumb across the corner of her lips.

He stepped away from her then, not trusting himself to stay any longer without taking things further than either of them was ready for yet.

Alarmed by the intensity of his reaction, Will broke the kiss. “You’re all wet.”

“That’s an understatement.” She cleared her throat and blinked rapidly. “I’m sorry I scared you. I guess I panicked when the water started hitting the floor.”

“I’m sorry I kissed you. I won’t let it happen again.” He backed up a step so he could think straight. “Why did you let me break down the door? Why didn’t you just open it?”

“I had to put on my robe first,” she said, tugging the sash more tightly around her waist.

Will rubbed one hand over his jaw, wondering what had come over him. He rarely acted on impulse. Tried not to let his emotions drive his actions. And always tried to calculate the potential risks of a situation.

But something had driven him to pull Honey into his arms.

That kiss had been a wake-up call. More like a wake-up punch, actually, right in his solar plexus. He couldn’t let himself lose control of this situation. Of any situation.

For a moment he let himself consider what might have happened if Honey’s life really had been threatened. He’d acted on pure impulse when he’d heard her scream. He would have fought to save her. Hell, he would have died to save her life.

“Will? Are you all right?”

He sucked in a breath as her voice returned him to reality. Honey was safe.

Beautiful. Sexy. His desire for her had sharpened into a physical ache. But he needed to go slower. Let this heat between them just simmer for a while until he got his emotions firmly back under control.

“I’m fine,” he lied.

She arched a brow and moved closer. So close that her robe grazed his chest. “Did you really mean it?”

“Mean what?” he asked, still trying to get his bearings.

“That you won’t kiss me again.”

“Of course.”

A gleam of amusement danced in her eyes. “Why should I believe you?”

“Because I’m a man of my word,” he said firmly.

The smart thing to do would be to take a giant step back from her, which would be impossible in this tiny bathroom. He was a man of his word, but he was also a man of action.

Unfortunately, even more than that, he was a man of honor.

“The next time we kiss,” he said, “you’ll be the one who initiates it.”

* * *

Honey’s knees still shook a little as she and Will entered the large reception hall.

The aftermath of his kiss still vibrated through her, making her entire body thrum.

What was wrong with her? She’d been attracted to men before.

None of them had ever been quite like Will Pierce, but she’d had her share of heart-pounding moments.