by Jane Godman
When she moaned, the vibration triggered electric shocks right through his shaft. It was all too much. Rylan felt the first shudder of release and gripped the mattress so hard he thought his fingers might go right through. Bree’s nails dug hard into his thighs, and he gave himself up to a climax so intense he almost blacked out.
When his vision cleared, Bree was crawling back up the bed. She kissed him briefly on the lips. “I can probably sleep now.”
He growled as he tipped her onto her back. “Sleep? Not a chance. It’s payback time...”
She smiled, stretching lazily as he spread her legs apart and knelt between them. Bending his head, Rylan kissed the inside of her leg, just above her knee. Working his way upward, he licked the soft skin of her thigh.
Bree shuddered. “Nice.”
He moved to the other leg, tracing a path with the tip of his tongue, slowing as he got closer to the top of her thigh. Shifting position, he held her legs apart with his shoulders and blew gently on her center. Bree’s hips lifted off the bed.
“Rylan! You tease...”
Chuckling to himself, he swept his tongue along her core. Long and slow. Steady and firm. Back and forth. Stopping just short of her clitoris each time. He waited until she was squirming with desire, until he could tell her mind had become suspended, and her body had reached a point where the sensations of pleasure had taken over. She was breathing fast and moaning softly.
On the next lick, he passed over the tiny nub, stopping to wiggle the tip of his tongue over it for a few seconds. He pulled away for a brief count, then did it again. Bree tangled her fingers in his hair.
“Don’t stop.”
Rylan continued the action, increasing in speed as she cried out and bucked her hips. He could feel her orgasm building. Her back arched and her thighs trembled.
“Yes. Oh, Rylan...”
She cried out, falling over the edge and riding the lightning bolts of her release. It took several minutes for her body to stop quivering. Rylan moved to her side, cradling her in his arms as they both caught their breath. They lay that way for a while, not speaking, just enjoying the warmth of one another’s body. Eventually, Bree’s breathing slowed and became rhythmic. Rylan smiled into her hair. She had finally fallen asleep.
* * *
A few hours later, Rylan leaned over and moved Bree’s hair aside, tickling her ear with his breath. “Why don’t you get up and come for a run with me?”
“Still asleep,” she mumbled.
“You’ll enjoy it once you get moving.”
“Moving. Ugh.” She wriggled farther beneath the bedsheets.
He laughed and headed out the door. Jekyll, who had finally been persuaded to stay in the kitchen overnight, gave him a calculating look before sinking back into his own bed.
“Two of a kind.” Rylan shook his head and left them to it.
He enjoyed his early morning runs at this time of year. The smell of the flowers starting to bloom throughout the valley tempted his nostrils, the birds began to sing as the sun rose and the crisp breeze of spring was in the air. April might just be the best time to see this vast landscape. The mountain peaks that fed the rivers below were still dusted with soft touches of winter, but the sun’s rays were casting their golden tint.
Stopping by the kennels, he unlocked the doors. A few of the dogs chose to join him. Others pretended not to see him and remained in their beds.
Rylan tried to clear his head when he exercised, focusing on the views, his land and his animals. The only difference today was that Bree would be waiting for him when he got back to the house. It was his dream of how every day should be.
He hadn’t been running for long when his cell phone buzzed. Without breaking his stride, he pulled it from his pocket. The message from Trey was simple.
On my way over.
Switching direction, Rylan ran back the way he had come. He tried not to speculate on why Bree’s brother would need to come to see them so early, and so soon after they had spoken. Since it clearly wasn’t something he was prepared to discuss in a call, it must be important.
Bree was in exactly the same position he had left her. “Wake up, wise gal.”
“No.” She pulled a pillow over her head.
“Trey is on his way.”
She became a blur of movement, leaping from the bed and diving into the bathroom to shower. Rylan headed to his own room to get ready. When Trey arrived, they were sitting on the porch, drinking coffee and eating cereal.
“You look like a man who hasn’t slept.” Rylan poured another cup of coffee as Trey strode toward them.
“I managed to catch a few hours.” Trey pulled out a chair. “But then I got the news that David Swanson was arrested in Canada yesterday afternoon.”
Rylan straightened. “You got the word out to international law enforcement already?”
Trey shook his head. “Things don’t work that fast. We froze his bank accounts as soon as he went on the run, but we have no idea how much cash he could have stashed away. Or if he has accounts that we don’t know about. It’s even possible Lone Wolf is bankrolling him behind the scenes. No-fly lists are for hardened terrorists rather than a fugitive like David Swanson, and it takes time to get international law enforcement involved. But I got a call from the police in Winnipeg telling me they had him in a cell.”
“I’m not following this story,” Rylan said.
“He was picked up by a patrol car for driving erratically, whatever that means.” Trey took a long slug of his coffee. “They approached him, asked him to get out of the car and he tried to run. When they caught him, he resisted arrest. He admitted that he was wanted here in Colorado. Even gave them my name.”
“Is it just me, or does that sound a lot like a man who was trying to get himself captured?” Rylan asked. If David was running from American law enforcement, surely he would lie low when he reached a new country? Unless the stress of evading capture had gotten to him?
“That’s what I thought,” Trey said. “Maybe his friendship with Lone Wolf wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped, and he wanted some distance. Possibly, he thought the Canadian police would be more lenient. Whatever the reason, the identification papers they faxed through check out. It looks like I’m headed for Winnipeg to interview him.”
“Where does this leave me?” Bree’s voice was very quiet.
“Of course. You want to go home and get back to work.” Trey turned to Rylan. “This changes everything. With David in police detention in Canada, I don’t see why Bree can’t go back to Roaring Springs.”
Rylan felt like a dark cloud had just swallowed the sunlight.
Think fast. Find a way to make her stay. “What about Lone Wolf?”
“You said it yourself. Lone Wolf may not exist. If he does, he has been happy to stay in the background and do the planning while David carries out the actual attacks. He’s certainly not the person who is obsessed with Bree.” Trey finished his coffee and checked his watch. He spoke directly to his sister. “As long as you take every precaution, there’s no reason why you can’t come back to town with me right now.”
She raised her eyes to Rylan’s face, and everything he wanted to know was right there. He only had to speak now, and she would stay. But how could he, when he didn’t know what the right words were? With Trey sitting there tapping his foot, how could he begin to explain that he wasn’t the person she thought he was?
Tough guy. Wimp. Protector. Worthless. Honest. Fake.
The silence stretched out between them and the hopeful light died out of Bree’s eyes. In those excruciatingly long moments, Rylan found out it was possible to hate himself even more than he already did.
“So, I guess your time as my bodyguard is over.” She tried to smile, but her lips trembled too much. “Can I ask you a favor? I’d like to keep Jekyll...”
“You’
ll be the one doing me a favor.” He had to speak quickly around the tightening of his throat. He got to his feet. “I hope you guys will excuse me, I need to see to the animals.”
Walking away from her was like walking over hot coals. This was why he’d avoided falling in love. It wasn’t the love that hurt; it was the loss. This was the side of loving that should come with a warning. When you gave your heart to another person, you never got it back again. Leaving her drained the color from the world and turned it into a dark, shadowy place.
“Oh.” He turned back. The flare of hope in Bree’s eyes was a knife to his chest. “Before I forget... I got a call from Blaine. He’s being discharged. He told me he’ll be back in Roaring Springs real soon.”
* * *
“Want to talk about it?” The sympathy in Trey’s voice almost tipped Bree over the edge into uncontrollable sobs.
“There’s nothing to say.” She hugged Jekyll, and turned her face away, watching the familiar scenery roll past the passenger window.
Missing Rylan was already a physical pain. She wanted to be alone to ask herself the same questions repeatedly. To seek the answer that she must have missed the first time. What could she have done differently? How could she have shaken a response from him? Only then could she work on the acceptance that he had no place in her life from now on.
How had she tumbled so fast and so hard? From never having come close to falling in love with anyone ever before, she’d thrown her heart and soul into loving Rylan. Usually reserved, she had opened up to him, letting him see every part of her. It was because of the warm, comfortable feeling she had when he was next to her. Now she was lost. Would she ever feel safe again?
“For what it’s worth, I think he loves you,” Trey said.
Bree was touched. Her big, tough brother had actually taken the time to notice what was going on in her life. Even more amazing, he was prepared to comment on it.
She took a shaky breath, unsure whether her voice would work. “That’s not the problem.”
“It seems like an important starting point.”
She brushed away a tear. “When did you get all wise?”
“Hey. This is as far as I go with relationship advice.” He pulled into the parking lot of the Diamond. “Mom will already be in the gallery. It’s your call. Do you want to go in there, or shall we take your stuff up to your apartment?”
“I don’t feel ready to face Mom or work just yet.” Who’d have thought she’d ever say either of those things? “I’ll help Jekyll settle into his new home, and maybe head down to the gallery later.”
Once Trey had carried her belongings up to the loft, it took Bree a few minutes to persuade him that she really was fine on her own. “I’ll call you if I need you,” she promised. “But David Swanson is in a jail cell in another country, and Mom is downstairs.”
“You could call Rylan if you need anything,” he reminded her.
“Stop matchmaking.” She pushed him toward the door.
When he’d gone, she turned back to survey her familiar apartment. It hadn’t changed, but it seemed different. It no longer felt like home. Although the broken pipe under the sink was a reminder of David’s presence, that wasn’t the reason. Her thoughts went to Rylan’s ranch, and she determinedly pushed them away.
“So, this is where we live now,” she said to Jekyll. “What do you think?”
Since the dog had just noticed the rug in the center of the hardwood floor, he ignored her. Approaching the strange object with caution, he sniffed one corner of it. Apparently emboldened by its passive behavior, he growled at it, then ran away and hid beneath the coffee table.
“It’s not going to hurt you.” Bree laughed as she went into the kitchen.
This left Jekyll with a horrible new dilemma. If he wanted to go with her, he would have to walk across the rug he had just threatened. He tried howling loudly, but Bree just clicked her fingers and offered him a treat. Summoning all his courage, he made a mad dash into the kitchen.
“You funny little guy.” Bree picked him up and rubbed his ears. “Dog logic. How does that work?”
She poured him a bowl of water and gave him some food. Trey had set her bags down by the front door, and she studied them with a feeling of gloom. It seemed such a long time ago that she had reluctantly packed them up. Back then, hurt and bewildered by Rylan’s betrayal, she hadn’t wanted to go with him to his ranch. If she could turn back time, would she do things differently?
“I’d find a way to show him that his dad was wrong,” she said to Jekyll. The dog tilted his head as though trying to understand her. “He’s not worthless. He’s got a heart as big as the sky.” Bree choked back a sob. “And I’d make sure he knows how much I love him for that.”
She sank down onto the tiled floor, clutching the little dog to her as the tears came thick and fast.
It took a long time, but when she was all cried out, she got to her feet. Going to the bathroom, she grimaced at the pitiful reflection in the mirror. After splashing water on her face, brushing her teeth and tidying her hair, she started to feel more human.
She returned to the living area where Jekyll had resumed his staring competition with the rug.
“Come on.” Bree picked up his leash. “I’ll introduce you to your grandma Audrey.”
* * *
While he tended to the animals, Rylan mentally called himself every foul name he could think of. The dogs sensed his mood and either fussed around him or kept their distance. Only Papadum seemed to understand. Leaning against his legs, the big dog forced him into a moment of stillness.
Rylan sat on an upturned barrel and rested his hand on Papadum’s head. “You’ll miss her too, won’t you, big guy?”
Bree loved his animals as much as he did. They would all feel her loss.
Despite his efforts to remain clear-headed, Rylan’s mind swam with half-formed regrets. He thought of his frame of mind as he’d started his run earlier in the day. Now, even the colors of spring were drab, the birdsong shrill, grating his nerves. His mood was his personal rain cloud, pouring sorrow onto the perfect vista.
“I suppose you think I’m an idiot.” Papadum nudged his hand. “Okay. I am an idiot. But how could I tell her I love her? Think about it from her perspective. When we first got together, I was pretending to be someone else. She forgave me.” He managed a ragged laugh. “Although I didn’t deserve it, she gave me a second chance. But how do I explain to the most wonderful, perfect woman in the world that I’m still pretending to be someone else?”
Papadum grunted and placed a heavy paw on his knee. “That’s where we’re different,” Rylan said. “You’d just slobber all over her face, then eat her soap.”
By evening, the silence in the house was unbearable. How had he ever thought this was peaceful? He even missed Jekyll. Wandering aimlessly from room to room, he told himself he would avoid going into Bree’s bedroom. Who was he kidding? That’s exactly where he’d been going all along.
Although she’d removed all her belongings, a trace of her floral perfume lingered in the air. Rylan closed the door and leaned on it, breathing in the delicious scent. It was sweet torture. For a second, he panicked. What would happen when it faded?
His eye was drawn to the bed. Bree had pulled the bed covers neatly into place, but there was an object on the pillows. If she’d left something behind, he would have to contact her...
Ruthlessly, Rylan quelled the burst of optimism. His heart couldn’t stand that sort of stop-start elation. If Bree had forgotten something, he would give it to Trey to pass on to her.
As he stepped closer, he saw it was a sketch. A smile dawned when he realized it was a picture of him. He had no idea when she’d drawn it, and it was hardly flattering, but she’d captured him perfectly as he slept. Half squished into the pillow, his face had a softness that was lacking when he was awake. He appeared young
er, more carefree...more sensitive.
He realized he was looking at himself as Bree saw him. He’d never fooled her. She’d seen through the tough guy image to the person beneath. The picture revealed the truth. With the strokes of her pencil, she had shown him her heart.
Instead of her usual B signature, she’d written luv, bree in loopy childish letters. He knew how difficult she found writing, and that simple gesture touched him almost as much as the picture itself.
He’d never moved so fast. Dashing through the house, he grabbed up his jacket and keys, sending a text message to Dinah as he ran. The journey to Roaring Springs seemed to take twice as long as usual. In his head, he’d rehearsed the conversation where he told Bree he was a wimp. Now, he had to start a new one. It began with the words I’m an idiot...
When he reached the Diamond, Wise Gal was already closed. Darkness was falling and the Diamond was coming alive. As Rylan raced toward the steps to Bree’s apartment, he caught a glimpse of her heading toward the restaurants and bars. She was wearing a long orange jacket and carrying Jekyll.
She was too far away for him to call out her name, so he followed her into the crowded area. Luckily, she stood out easily because of the color of her coat. Just as he got within shouting distance, someone else stepped in front of her. Rylan bit back a curse as he recognized Lucas Brewer.
Remaining in the background, Rylan watched as Bree chatted with Lucas for a few minutes. They were too far away for him to hear the conversation, but when the other man pointed to On the Rocks and mimed getting a drink, he was unable to stop his hands from clenching into fists. He relaxed when Bree shook her head and indicated Sushi Stop, the Japanese takeout place.
As she walked away from Lucas, Rylan’s cell phone buzzed. It was a call from Trey.
The sheriff didn’t bother with a greeting. “It’s not him.”
“What?” Rylan covered his free ear with one hand to block out some of the background noise.
