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© 2005, Barbara
Baldwin Reviews For HOW FAR WILL YOU GO? by Barbara Baldwin " How Far Will You Go? is a fun, heated romp that showcases Barbara Baldwin’s talent of blending passion, friendship, and suspense with characters that are sure to delight readers. Kelly and Lou are as well matched out of bed as they are in. The author has crafted their scenes in such a way that readers easily recognize the friendship and passion that exists between them. Kelly’s explosive temper makes for some entertaining moments, while Lou’s assignment in Dexter adds an element of suspense. Their love scenes are not to be missed. As these two discover just how far they will go for love, readers will be hooked." Reviewed by: Amanda 4 angels RECOMMENDED READ Sample Chapter For HOW FAR WILL YOU GO? by Barbara Baldwin Kelly Baker had always been the one willing to take a dare. That attribute had led to her breaking her leg by jumping off a garage roof in grade school, getting rip-roaring drunk on beer at a party in middle school, and losing her virginity to Lou Kincaid after the Spring Fling when she was a sophomore in high school. That last thought slammed into her chest, constricting her breathing when the aforementioned person walked into the Crystal Water Café late one summer afternoon. Walked wasn’t exactly how Kelly would describe the arrogant swagger and rolling gait of the boy she hadn’t seen in the last ten years. In fact, boy certainly wasn’t the right word either, but then again her brain had turned to mush the moment he had come through the door. She never would have recognized him if it hadn’t been for the scar curving across his cheek to the edge of his jaw. So why was he showing up in Dexter now? “Are you listening, Kelly?” Maggie rattled the papers under Kelly’s nose. “What?” She couldn’t drag her gaze from the tight jeans clad butt that had just straddled a stool up at the counter. Loukota Kincaid, in the flesh. And oh, there was so much more to his flesh than there had been in high school. “The reunion. Hello?” Maggie tried to capture her attention again, then turned to see what Kelly was staring at. “Oh, my,” her best friend breathed. “I forgive you.” Kelly didn’t bother answering, her gaze riveted on Lou, or what she could see from the back, which was enough to make her heart beat faster and her breath catch. Of course, he looked nothing like the kid that she had made out with back in high school. Then, he had worn glasses and had braces on his teeth and he had been several inches shorter than her five foot, eight inch gangly frame. What had started out as a dare from her friends had turned into the most mind-boggling sex she had ever had. Well, given that she was a virgin when she and Lou wrestled in the hayloft at his parents’ ranch, she hadn’t had anything to compare it to back then. However, even in her naivety she had realized that nineteen-year-old Lou had certainly known his way around a girl's erogenous zones. “Who on earth is that hunk?” Maggie whispered, though Kelly figured her voice could probably be heard next door. “Shh. It’s Lou Kincaid.” “No way!” “Yes, way.” “But he was…” Her friend gestured with her hands, apparently unable to come up with any adjectives to properly describe him. “A nerdy, Future Farmer of America, hayseed cowboy?” Kelly quirked a brow. Her friend’s eyes grew round as she nodded. “And you made out with him!” “Yeah,” Kelly sighed. The dare had been only to neck, get a hickey to prove she had, and report back to her friends. She had never even told Maggie what had really happened. “Man, how come he didn’t look like that in high school?” Maggie groused. He had; or at least Kelly had seen the potential when he had stripped down in the hayloft, tossing his glasses to the ground. She remembered his eyes, dark with passion, so different when not hidden behind the thick lenses of his glasses. Working on the ranch and wrestling steers had given him broad shoulders and tight muscles even back then, but Kelly could see he had filled out considerably in the years since. “Are you going to wait on him?” Maggie hunched over the table to whisper to her. Kelly’s stomach dropped. It was slow that afternoon at the Crystal Water Café, so she had told Maggie to come down to go over plans for the reunion. She looked down at the candy-striped apron she wore over a white tee shirt and jean shorts. There was nothing wrong with hard work, so why was she suddenly embarrassed that Lou might think she still worked in her mom’s café after all these years? She had no idea what he had done with his life since he left the small town of Dexter, Colorado after graduation. Two years later, she had gone off to college and a career, and had only come home six months ago to help her mom after her dad died. From the looks of his clothes, he must still be riding the rodeo circuit, but somehow, she just knew he had made something more of himself. Probably something grand that involved lots of prestige and money. And with his looks, no doubt had women at his beck and call. Now why did that disturb her so much? “Ouch!” She jerked her arm back when Maggie pinched her. “You’ve been doing that to me since grade school and I wish you’d stop!” she hissed under her breath. “Well, geez, maybe if you paid attention, I wouldn’t have to.” Maggie wrinkled her nose. “Get your butt over there and talk to him.” Kelly sighed. Her mom was off this afternoon and Bill apparently wasn’t coming out of the kitchen. In the middle of a weekday afternoon, that only left her. She slid out of the booth. “Okay, but no snickers from the peanut gallery. And for God’s sake, don’t holler my name across the room. Maybe he won’t recognize me.” She quickly came around the end of the counter, grabbing a menu along the way. She laid it on the counter in front of him, willing her voice to come out normal. “May I help you?” The minute he lifted his head and his gaze found hers, she had to clutch the edge of the counter to keep from melting right into a puddle. Those eyes were just as dark as she remembered, his hair just as black. He wore it rather long, and the wind had blown it into a tousled, bad boy style. His western shirt was open part way down his chest and she could see that he was deeply tanned. Whatever he did with his life, he apparently did it without a shirt the majority of the time. The very thought made her hot. Without taking his eyes off her, he lifted the menu. His hands were big; the faintest hint of dark hair dusting his knuckles. Her breasts ached with the thought of those hands caressing her. Damn, it had been ten years and it wasn’t like she had been celibate since then. She returned her gaze to his face. He quirked a brow in question. She wasn’t about to offer any information about herself, if that was what he wanted. Thank God her mom didn’t require them to wear nametags. “What’ll you have?” she said instead. That brought a grin to his lips. His mouth had changed. His lips were fuller and his smile quirked up higher on one side than the other. She noticed a tiny spot of gold on one of his front teeth, right where it touched the next. “What are you offering?” The innuendo in his words had her stomach rolling. Since he didn’t act like he recognized her, she could only assume that he talked to all women that way. That thought effectively shut down her raging hormones. “You’re too late for breakfast and too early for dinner,” she said. “So about all you’ll get is a burger and fries.” “That’s all?” The grin was still there and try as she might, she couldn’t keep an answering smile off her lips. “There might be some pie left,” she conceded. “If I remember, Nancy’s peach pie is the best in five counties. Got any of that?” She turned to get his pie and thought about telling him that her mother didn’t bake the pies any more. She did. “Can I have some coffee to go with that?” She placed the pie in front of him and poured a mug of coffee. She automatically moved the cream and sugar within reach, knowing that was how he drank it. He reached for the sugar at the same time and their hands touched. Absolute awareness shot through Kelly, hotter than the Front Range in July. She could feel her face flush, her breasts swell, and an ache began between her thighs. Her hand shook as she quickly pulled it back, knowing she had to get away from him before she did something really stupid. Like jerk his body right over the counter and ravage him on the spot. She fled to the kitchen without looking back. * * * * Kelly Baker. Lou couldn’t believe it was her. He had only come to the Crystal Water Café in hopes of asking her mother her whereabouts. He hadn’t actually expected her to be working here in Dexter after all these years. He’d had the hots for her from the minute she started high school but had refrained from acting on it because he knew the minute he asked her out, there was no way he was going to stop with a few good night kisses at the door. Besides, he had been the geek with glasses and braces, and she had played volleyball and ran with the most popular kids in school. But when she had asked him to the Spring Fling dance his senior year, he had readily accepted, even though he had found out it was because of a dare from her friends. Now, one particular part of his male anatomy jerked to attention as she turned and practically ran to the kitchen. Damn, she had a sweet ass. She had certainly filled out to generous proportions since he had last seen her. He took a bite of pie and rolled his eyes heavenward. Colorado peach pie; there was nothing better. For all the traveling he did, overseas and stateside, he still favored the simple food he had been brought up on. Meat and potatoes, fresh vegetables, fruit in the summer, and peach pie. He looked around the old café. The girl who had been sitting with Kelly when he first came in was gone. He could barely hear Kelly’s voice talking to someone in the kitchen. The cook he supposed. He drained his coffee mug and thought about banging it on the counter so she would have to come out and give him a refill. He smiled when he thought of her nervousness. He didn’t know if it was because she recognized him or not since she hadn’t said anything. Damn, he couldn’t get over the fact that she was right here in town. He contemplated his good fortune. Of course, he wasn’t back home on vacation. He was working, but given the circumstances, he figured there would be plenty of free time on this job. Absently lifting his mug again, he frowned, then simply reached over the counter and grabbed the handle to the coffee pot, filling it himself. He groaned at the stretch of muscles as he carefully sat back down. Why had he said he’d use the rodeo as a cover for his work this time? Although he frequently rode, he no longer followed the rodeo circuit, and his muscles were telling him he was too old to be doing it now. He’d been practicing for nearly a week out at his folks and though his cutting time was getting better, his dad had laughed when he said he was entering the competition at the fair. “I’d suggest you print yourself up some credentials stating you’re a salesman or some such,” Louis Kincaid had said just that morning when Lou had fallen off one of the mustangs his dad was taming. His dad knew what he really did for a living, but as far as Mom knew, he simply owned his own security company. If she knew it was far more involved and dangerous than that, she would probably try and forbid him from leaving the house, even though he was thirty years old. Checking his watch, he noticed it was close to chore time and it would take him a good thirty minutes to get out to the ranch. Kelly still hadn’t ventured out of the backroom and he grinned as he shook his head. Well, maybe she just needed a little incentive and Lou figured he was just the man for the job. Taking a couple bills from his wallet, Lou jotted a note on a napkin and left it all by his empty plate. Whistling, he walked out the door into the late afternoon sunlight. * * * * “Oh, God, he knows.” Kelly practically whimpered when she saw his note. She had surreptitiously been keeping an eye on him from the kitchen but couldn’t make herself come out until she saw him leave. Now, she looked down at the scribbled words and clutched the napkin to her breast. How about a roll in the hay? It said, followed by only the initial ‘L’. She quickly looked out the café windows but he had already disappeared. A dozen questions bounced around in her head. Where was he staying? What had brought him back to Dexter? And most importantly, did he really mean what he had written on the napkin? The bell over the door tinkled and she gave a sigh. There would be no time to find out the answers to her questions now. “Hey, Kelly, what’s happening?” “Hi, Heather. I’m glad you’re here. I’ll let you take over and I’ll get busy on tomorrow’s pies.” Heather was another of the waitresses who worked the evening shift. She was only eighteen and would be leaving for college in the fall, but for the time being, she was efficient and could handle just about anything that came up. While Heather started fresh coffee and filled the various condiment containers, Kelly went into the kitchen, automatically getting out the ingredients for her piecrusts. She usually made the crusts at night, putting them in the fridge so it was less to do in the morning. Her mom opened the café at six and Kelly would come in later and make pies, helping wait tables if it got too busy for Becky and Mom. She worried about her mother, who hadn’t been the same since her dad died. He had only been fifty-six, but the cancer had taken him quicker than the doctors had expected. Kelly had mixed emotions about her dad’s death. They had never been close; in fact, had fought constantly but she loved her mother dearly, and it had scared her to death when she had gone into a deep depression even before her dad died. That had been the impetus for quitting her job with the Pentagon and staying in Dexter after the funeral. She rolled the pastry into a neat circle, almost perfectly matching the size to the pie plate she slipped it into. She laughed at her flour-coated hands. Little over half a year ago, these same hands could fly over a computer keyboard faster than you could see; translating computer language; breaking codes, and doing myriad other tasks that her job as computer analyst required. Oh, well, life was unpredictable, and at times, she enjoyed the slower, laid back pace of Dexter better than the high level, hectic life in DC. Especially now, she added, as she took the folded napkin out of the pocket of her apron when she hung it on the peg for the night. She thought about calling Lou’s folks, figuring even if he wasn’t staying out at the Rocking K, they would probably know how to contact him. Her stomach flip-flopped at the thought. What would she say? Hi, where’s Lou? I want his body. While it was true beyond a shadow of a doubt, she decided she was going to wait for him to call her. After all, it had been ten years; what was another day or two? She tucked the napkin into her bra with a sigh, knowing that another day or two meant an equal number of nights when she would probably not get any sleep at all. And if she did, her dreams would be full of a dark-haired man with the face of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint. * * * * Lou had helped his dad with the chores, eaten supper with both his parents, and now at two in the morning he sat in a small, cramped hidey-hole in the side of the mountain waiting for something to happen. There was no moon to lighten the hills and gully that he scanned with the infrared binoculars, yet if a twig moved, he would know it. From the time he was five, his grandfather Wicasa had taken him up into the mountains, showing him how to follow tracks, learn the name and nature of every tree, bush and flower and how to live off the land. His grandfather had been full-blooded Dakota, as was his mom, and Lou missed him on nights like this. Even though it was summer, the evenings in the foothills of the Rockies got cool and Wicasa would have started a small fire, feeding it dried, broken sticks that Lou had gathered from the ground. “Never cut a living tree when you can gather from the ground beneath it,” Grandfather would say. “You may need that tree for shelter, or climb it to keep away from a wild animal.” His grandfather’s name meant Sage, or wise one in Dakota and Lou remembered everything the old man had ever taught him. That knowledge came in handy in his current job, although usually he was in a city environment. Still, many of the lessons could be applied there as well. As quickly as he thought it, he pulled the knife from his boot and came to a crouch; the snap of a twig alerting him that someone was nearby. “Shit.” The single expletive allowed Lou to relax his stance, recross his legs and drop to the ground. “You’re about as quiet as that plague of cicadas that infested DC this spring,” Lou said to the man who came to squat beside him. “Yeah, well, not all of us have your aptitude for stealth,” Domonic Harris complained. “Damn, it’s cold tonight.” Lou couldn’t chance a fire that could be seen for miles, and had dressed accordingly. He noticed that his partner also had on the special thermal gear that would keep the damp air away from his skin. Dom just liked to bitch. “Anything?” Dom lifted Lou’s binoculars to his eyes, carefully scanning the area just as Lou had minutes ago. “Nothing. If our information hadn’t come from a reliable source, I would begin to think this is a hoax.” National Security Intelligence Corporation, the company Lou and Dom owned together, had been hired to keep the CoKan Beef Packing Plant under surveillance. Word had come through Homeland Security of possible terrorist activity somehow related to CoKan. The plant was in close enough proximity to NORAD that the government had been concerned. Rather than send the Feds out at this point, N-sic had been hired. It wasn’t out of place for either Dom or him to be seen around Dexter—and thus the beef packing plant—since they had both grown up here. Dom had come into town two weeks before Lou and had gotten a job at the plant. Lou’s cover was simply a cowboy on the rodeo circuit. He groaned as he stood, stretching aching muscles that had knotted after hours of sitting without relief. At the moment, he thought Dom had the easier job slinging slabs of meat all day. “I’m too old for this,” he said. Dom snorted. “Try shoving cattle
carcasses around all day, then tell me you’re old.” “Maybe we should bring Tasha into the rotation,” Dom stated, referring to a Fed that Ashford had working in Dexter. “It’s getting tough working all day and spending half the night on the side of a mountain.” “Know what you mean. I’ll mention it to Ashford.” Lou collected his fanny pack and lightweight blanket from the ground. “Get some rest,” his partner said. “I hear they’ve got some mean broncs for the rodeo. Wouldn’t want you to get thrown and damage that pretty face of yours.” “Kiss my ass,” Lou replied without heat. As he trudged down the side of the mountain to where he had parked the truck, he knew he wouldn’t get any sleep even when he crawled into bed. Blue eyes and peach colored lips had been haunting his thoughts ever since he had left the Crystal Water Café. Even the idea of terrorists hadn’t kept him from thinking of what it would be like to get Kelly Baker into the sack for some long overdue, extremely hot sex. * * * * Kelly had Tuesdays off, and after finishing up the laundry and dishes, she took a shower and dressed. Finding herself at loose ends until her five o’clock class, she grabbed her keys and hopped in the Jeep. Instead of heading for the community center, she turned left from her mom’s house and was soon crossing the bridge over the Crystal River. Like so many of Colorado’s rivers, this one was as clear as its name. She didn’t know how far into the mountains it started, but as it came down and through town, the water was cold and clear all year round. Now that the snow had melted, the water wasn’t as fast moving or turbulent, but it still cut a wide swath through the countryside. On the other side of the river on the outskirts of town, the county fairgrounds spread out over several acres. Kelly could tell herself she was just taking an early afternoon drive, but there was no one around to lie to so she might as well admit the truth. She hoped Lou was out here. She didn’t have any reason to think that, except that he had been active in rodeo years ago, and with the state championships less than a month away, she could only assume that he was going to ride. And maybe it was just plain wishful thinking, she told herself as she parked the Jeep by the practice arena. She walked around the backside of the grandstand to the pens. Several people were milling around, working on horses, and a few were riding. She was just about to give up when she heard someone call his name. “Hey, Lou, you’re up.” She turned around to see Sonny Thompson climb up the wooden rail of the arena, hooking a booted foot over the top. She followed his gaze. Lou was standing at the end of the grandstand, his back to her, checking the cinch on his saddle. Kelly could feel her eyes narrow because a gorgeous blonde was holding his horse by the bridle as she pet its nose and talked to Lou. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but Lou laughed and the woman grinned. Who the hell was she? Not a local, that’s for sure, but since the rodeo was the biggest event Dexter had all year, there were any number of outsiders in town. Even though Kelly hadn’t been in town long herself, she knew she would have recalled seeing anyone with that color hair. Probably out of a bottle, she thought, not in the least sorry for being spiteful. She knew she had no reason to be jealous. It wasn’t like she had a claim on Lou or anything. Mad at herself now for coming out to see him, and glad that she hadn’t done something to make a fool of herself, she started to turn and leave when the woman’s gaze caught hers. The woman said something to Lou and he immediately turned towards her, pulling his hat lower on his forehead to shade his eyes from the sun. A grin split his features as he started towards her, and like the fool she had told herself she wouldn’t be, she stood rooted to the spot waiting for him. “Hey, Lou, you going to ride or what?” Sonny called him again from the railing. “Pull the next rider,” Lou answered, never taking his eyes off hers. “I think I’m going to be busy.” “Hi, Kelly. Didn’t see you there.” Sonny hopped to the ground on her side of the fence. “Whatcha doing out here?” Kelly swung her gaze to Sonny, another guy she had known all her life and had become reacquainted with when she moved back to town. Before she could think of an answer, Lou was at her side. “Oh, dumb question.” Sonny grinned; making the assumption she had come out here to see Lou. She opened her mouth to refute him, but broad shoulders suddenly blocked her view. “Hey,” Lou said, tipping his cowboy hat back on his head. “Hey yourself,” she replied coolly as her gaze slid back to where the blonde was patiently holding his horse. “Don’t let me keep you from anything.” She could hear the snide sound of her voice but couldn’t seem to help it. Jealousy flared quickly, taking her by surprise. Lou just grinned at her. “Wanna ride?” “I haven’t been riding in years,” she replied. His voice dropped to a deep smoky timbre. “Oh, I doubt it’s something you forget how to do.” She immediately tingled in places she shouldn’t have been tingling; especially given they were standing out in the middle of the fairgrounds, people all around. She had the distinct impression he wasn’t talking about riding a horse. “I wondered yesterday if you remembered me.” Like she could ever forget, Kelly thought, but didn’t say. His nearness and the very male scent of him had her completely flustered. “Can I take you to dinner?” She finally found her voice. “I can’t. I’m busy.” He quirked a brow in question and she hurried to explain. “I teach a conversational English class down at the community center on Tuesdays.” “Afterwards then.” He urged. “No, I’m busy then, too.” She nervously looked left then right, not meeting his gaze for fear he would see she was lying. Well, not exactly. Tuesday was her night to hang out at the Circle R and play pool with friends—nothing she couldn’t get out of. She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to go. See you around.” She quickly turned and walked away, but not before she heard his comment. “You can count on it, babe.” Her heart thudded all the way back to the Jeep. She climbed in and dropped her forehead against the steering wheel with a groan. She had come out here in hopes of seeing Lou, so why was she in such a panic when she did? And why had she refused to have dinner with him? The sharp tingling sensation between her legs gave her the answer she didn’t want to acknowledge. She didn’t want to have dinner with Loukota Kincaid; she wanted desperately to drag him down to the ground and have hot, consuming sex with him any which way he wanted it. |