Spring Seduction (Wyoming Fever Book 1)

by Elizabeth Lennox

“I know,” he sighed, rubbing his jawline. “But I’ll feel better once I find her.”

  “Let’s go,” Arik urged, leading the way around the house.

  The doors to the barn were slightly ajar, but as they approached, Simon realized that Jade wasn’t inside. The lights were off and…it just felt quiet.

  “Don’t go in there!” a feminine voice yelled from behind him.

  Simon and Arik turned as Jade leapt through the back door of her house, racing down the stone steps in her bare feet. Simon scowled, watching her flinch when she stepped on a sharp rock.

  “Jade, where are your boots?”

  She was panting and…damn it, she was wearing another of those tee-shirts! Had she just woken up? Or hadn’t she gone to sleep yet? Simon glanced at his watch, noticing that it was just past nine o’clock in the morning. “When did you go to sleep?”

  Jade didn’t answer. Instead, she placed herself between the men and the barn doors and quickly pulled the doors closed.

  When she turned around, she appeared flustered, with a cute flush to her cheeks that made her look…beautiful. Not that she didn’t always look gorgeous. But today, with the morning sunshine streaming down over her long, brown hair and…damn! Purple panties this time! Didn’t the woman own a pair of plain, white cotton panties?

  On second thought, why was he mentally grumbling about the color of her panties?

  Because he was dreaming about taking the colorful pieces of silk and satin off! Until he had that right, he was going to grumble!

  “You can’t go in there,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

  “Why not?” Simon demanded, his fists resting on his hips.

  Jade watched as the two big men frowned down at her. She groped for a reasonable explanation. Obviously they’d come by to do more investigating or research or whatever into the poor Albert’s death. But still, she’d gone a bit off her design plan last night while working on her latest project and…well, she simply couldn’t let them in. Not now. Not yet.

  “Why don’t you come back later today? I’ll have everything cleaned up and you can investigate and measure to your heart’s delight?”

  Simon’s eyes narrowed on her. “Why not now?”

  She started to bite her lower lip, but stopped herself, remembering that it was a nervous tic. “Because you can’t.”

  He shifted, facing her more fully. “I think we should,” he countered with a smooth, sexy voice.

  His tone startled her for a moment, but she rallied quickly. “I won’t let you,” she shot back, mimicking his arrogant stance. Although, on her, the effort wasn’t nearly as effective. She needed the extra foot of height to make it work.

  “Are you hiding something in there?” he asked.

  Jade couldn’t stop from rolling her eyes. “Of course I’m hiding something, Simon!” she glanced over at Arik and shrugged. “Sorry. I’m hiding it from you too.”

  “No problem,” Arik replied, easily. But he didn’t leave. Instead, he leaned a muscular shoulder against the barn, waiting for…whatever!

  Jade turned back to Simon, needing him gone before he discovered what was behind the doors. “Simon, just…walk away. Please?”

  “Not going to happen, Jade. We need to check something in your barn. We came out here and this might be the last step in Albert’s investigation.”

  She considered that for a long moment, then nodded. “Okay, well then come back this afternoon. Like I said, I’ll…oomph!”

  Simon simply picked her up, moving out of the way so Arik could open the double doors.

  When he stepped into the barn and flipped on the lights, Arik froze. For a long moment, he stood still in the doorway. Staring.

  Without missing a beat, Arik turned around and nodded. “Call me if you need a ride home.” He turned and hurried away, walking toward the driveway.

  “What the hell?” Simon called out after his partner.

  Jade was entirely focused on getting Simon away from the barn. “Simon, please don’t go in there,” Jade begged.

  He looked down at her. “I’m going in, Jade. What are you hiding from me?”

  Simon moved closer, his eyes sparkling down at her with curiosity.

  “I’m going to see what’s in that barn, Jade,” he warned.

  Her chin lifted defiantly. “No, Simon. You’re not.”

  “Who is going to stop me?”

  She grinned. “I’m revoking your right to enter my property, Detective Kershaw.”

  He chuckled, moving closer still. Jade watched, her eyes widening, as he took his badge off his belt and placed it on the stone wall behind her. “Okay, now I’m not a detective. I’m just a guy who is interested in a woman wearing purple panties and no shoes, who is hiding something interesting in that building behind me.”

  Jade glanced over at his badge, then back up at him. “Can you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Just shut off being a detective?”

  He laughed. “I just did.”

  “Yeah, but is it legal? I mean, seriously, aren’t you always on duty? Don’t you have an obligation to uphold the law at all times?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you can’t enter my property without my permission or a warrant,” she replied saucily, enjoying this moment of defiance.

  “Think so?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.”

  He stared down at her for a long moment, then he shook his head. “I’m going in, Jade.”

  Her amusement vanished, she watched open mouthed as he turned and walked towards the barn. There were only a few steps for him to take before he was there and could see – and she jumped into action. “No!”

  He turned and looked back at her. “Tell me why I shouldn’t look in there.”

  “Because what I’ve done in there is personal,” she replied back.

  “Too personal to show the man you’re going to have sex with?”

  Sex? Who said anything about sex? She’d given up on men, hadn’t she?

  “We’re not having sex, Simon.”

  He laughed softly, then winked at her. “Keep on telling yourself that,” he said, then with a solid push with one hand, he slid the door open.

  Jade pulled back, wanting to run, to get away from the humiliation of what he was about to see. But Simon was faster. He grabbed her wrist. He didn’t do anything more than that. Just held her steady as he took in the mosaic tile design she’d built over the last twenty-four hours.

  “You did this?” he finally asked, his voice filled with wonder and awe.

  “Yes,” she replied, some of her anxiety dissipating with his reverential tone.

  “And…is that you?”

  Jade glanced over her shoulder at the image of the woman with long, dark hair. “Yes.”

  He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Is that me?” he asked, pointing to the man with dark brown hair. The couple was kissing, their hair flying around them, as if the wind were pulling at their locks. Or the passion between them during the kiss was making their hair fly up. However the viewer wanted to interpret the picture.

  “It’s incredible!” he whispered, towing her along as he stepped closer. He reached out, then pulled his hand back. “I shouldn’t touch it, right?’

  Jade felt herself warm with his concern as well as his admiration. “You can touch it,” she replied. “It’s one of the reasons I prefer this medium over painting. Glass mosaics allow a person to touch and feel. It invokes texture and movement more than oils or acrylics, in my opinion.”

  He shook his head, still staring at the design. “I can’t believe you did this in just twenty four hours, Jade. It’s incredible! I can feel your lips against mine. I can hear the wind in the design.”

  Jade’s heart soared. Those were exactly the sensations she was striving for. He got it! He really got it!

  “You don’t think it’s too…juvenile?”

  His eyes sliced to hers,
noting her anxiety. When he turned to look back at the picture, he pulled her against his side. “Not juvenile at all, Jade. It’s extraordinary!”

  “Thank you!” she gushed, relief surging through her. He liked it! Simon really liked it! She’d worked so hard on this mosaic and the surge of relief nearly made her dizzy!

  He turned back to look at her, focusing on Jade’s reaction instead of the details. That was just as startling.

  “Why would you be worried about my impressions of your work, Jade?” he asked softly, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “I just…it’s different, that’s all.”

  He watched her, looking carefully not at what she was telling him, but listening to what she wasn’t saying. “This kind of art is what your father doesn’t respect, am I right?”

  Jade shrugged and looked away, not wanting to put into words her father’s painful rejection.

  “And every time he does that, you’re crushed, aren’t you?”

  That was simple enough to answer. “Yes.”

  He moved closer, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. “Ah, Jade. Why do you listen to him?”

  “Sage and I moved here from New York, so that we wouldn’t have to listen,” she explained.

  “Yeah, but he’s still in your head, isn’t he?”

  Jade closed her eyes, wishing she could deny it. But it was true. “Yes. He’s an incredibly forceful personality.”

  He lifted her chin. “So are you, Jade. You’re strong and powerful and,” he glanced over his shoulder, “incredibly talented!”

  She smiled, his words lightening her mood. “Thank you!” she repeated, lifting up onto her toes to kiss him lightly.

  But that wasn’t enough for Simon. He pulled her closer, his hands moving to her waist. “What time did you get to sleep last night?” he asked her, kissing her lips again before moving to her neck, her ears, then back to her neck when she shivered.

  “Late,” she replied, closing her eyes. Surely this wasn’t bad, right? Simon felt so incredibly good, especially when he kissed her there. Yes! Right there!

  “Simon,” she groaned, tilting her head back, loving the way he nibbled on her neck. Unconsciously, she lifted her hands, holding onto his broad, powerful shoulders to steady herself. But that wasn’t enough. Moving closer, she pressed her body against his, reveling in the feel of him.

  “You feel so soft, Jade,” he groaned, his hands lifting her against him.

  She wanted to respond, but he was kissing her and there wasn’t any way that she would stop this kiss. It made her feel…extraordinary! Like she was flying!

  The slamming of the door caused her to look around only to discover that she wasn’t flying. Simon was carrying her into her house. Jade considered objecting but…she didn’t want to object. She wanted this! She wanted to feel and touch and understand all things Simon.

  Her nightshirt whipped over her head and she stood in front of Simon in just her panties, breathing heavily, worried that he wouldn’t like what he was seeing. Then he lifted his hands, cupping her breasts as if they were precious and she groaned. A fraction of a second later, that groan shifted to a hiss when his thumbs slid over each nipple, causing her to shiver as need and desire washed over her like a hot rush of lava!

  “Damn, you feel good!” he whispered, lifting her up and placing her in the middle of her rumbled bed. “Stay there, just like that, Jade,” he ordered, almost ripping his shirt in an effort to divest himself of the cumbersome clothing. When he was just as naked as she was, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out several condoms. Jade smiled at that, grateful that he was the responsible type. She was on the pill, but a man who used condoms? That was hot! It gave her a whole new level of respect for Simon!

  When he came down over her, Jade shivered, surprised by how much she wanted this. Hadn’t she and Sage vowed that they would be date-free going forward?

  Then Simon’s legs pressed between hers and Jade couldn’t think any longer. As he pressed his body against hers, the skin to skin contact was…glorious! Amazing! Automatically, Jade lifted her legs in order to cradle Simon more perfectly against him.

  When he lowered his mouth to kiss her, she was overwhelmed with sensations. There was fear, but it was tamped down by the need his touch and his kiss. Everything was just too much, but Jade couldn’t stop the whirlwind. All she could do was hang onto Simon and…feel! Goodness, she loved touching him! Her fingers moved everywhere, only stopping when his mouth latched onto her nipple, sucking and teasing before he lifted his mouth to blow cold air. Jade’s fingers dove into his dark hair, but he didn’t stop. Nor was she sure if she wanted him to stop or…or keep going…or stop!

  “I can’t take much more,” she whispered, running her hands down over his shoulders and arms, feeling the edges of his muscles underneath the skin.

  “I bet you can,” he muttered, moving lower. And lower!

  “Simon, this isn’t necessary,” she squeaked.

  His only response was to laugh and press her legs wider. Before she had a chance to tell him that this kind of thing didn’t work on her, his tongue licked her and she gasped, unaware of her hips shifting, silently begging him for more attention.

  When his finger slid into her heat, she wanted to cry because of the aching, desperate need in her. It was low and almost desperate. Her fingers held onto his hair and…was she pulling his hair? Jade tried to stop but then he did something with his mouth and she lost control. Her body just…exploded!

  Simon watched as Jade writhed under his mouth and hands, her body throbbing with her release. It was hot and beautiful and she tasted like sweetness! He wanted more, but he pulled back, knowing that she was probably too sensitive now.

  Kneeling above her, he grabbed one of the condoms and rolled it down over his shaft, watching her the whole time. The smile on her face told him everything he needed to know.

  When he moved back over her, he pulled her knee higher, giving his hips more room. “You recovered from the first one?” he asked.

  Jade laughed, her back arching slightly as she rolled her head on the bed. “First one?” she asked, then gasped, her hands once again grabbing onto his shoulders as he slowly pressed into her heat. Gently, feeling her inner muscles clench around him, he pressed deeper and deeper, watching her face to make sure that she was okay.

  “Simon!” she gasped, shifting her hips to take all of him into her body.

  “You okay?”

  She laughed, arching her back and he moved deeper. “Shut up and move!” she whispered, sliding her hands over his chest.

  That was all the invitation he needed. Thrusting slowly at first, he moved into her heat and pulled back, only to repeat that slow rhythm over and over again, watching her features. For several moments, it seemed as if she were checked out. But he moved slightly to the right and her eyes popped open in shock while her fingers tightened on his arms. He did it again and again, making sure to hit that spot. A moment later, her hips shifted as well and he knew that she was close.

  Before he’d even finished that thought, her body shivered, her mouth opened up and she let out a silent scream as her body convulsed in her second climax. Simon valiantly tried to hold off, to prolong her pleasure for a few more seconds. But feeling her body tighten around him like that was too much. He thrust faster and faster, his own orgasm bursting over him and he held onto Jade, trying desperately not to hurt her.

  A long time later, he lifted his head from where he’d fallen against her and looked around. The world was still bright and sunny and Jade was still warm and beautiful, smiling with her eyes closed as she held onto him.

  “You okay?” he asked, pulling away from her and standing up.

  “Yeah,” she replied, licking her lips as if she were thirsty. “Yeah.”

  He smiled and walked to the bathroom, cleaning up for a moment before he walked out of the bathroom and into her kitchen. He grabbed her a glass of water, then carried it back to the
bedroom.

  As he stepped back into her room, he almost laughed at the sweet, misty smile she shot his way. It was so completely different from their initial introduction. Simon wasn’t sure which he liked better.

  “Have some water,” he urged, pulling her into his arms and handing her the glass. She sipped eagerly, then handed the last half to him. He drank that down and set the glass on the nightstand before pulling her back into his arms. He thought she might struggle against him. Instead, she sighed happily and snuggled up against him, her hand resting over his heart.

  Simon struggled to find something to say to her, but seconds later, he felt her body…fade. She’d fallen asleep? Simon almost laughed, but smothered his response because he didn’t want to wake her up. She looked exhausted. Beautiful, but completely worn out.

  Stuffing a few more pillows behind his back, he promised himself that he’d talk to her later. Much later, he thought as his mind shut off as well.

  Chapter 6

  “Jade! Get up, get up, get up!”

  Jade jerked awake. Blinking, she realized that Simon was already on his feet, completely naked, with a gun in his hand pointed at her bedroom door. Just as quickly as he’d reacted a moment ago, Simon relaxed as his mind recognized the feminine voice calling out to Jade.

  Groaning, he flipped the safety back on his weapon and put it down on the bedside table. “Your sister is here,” he grumbled, already half asleep again, now that he knew there wasn’t a threat. The man climbed back into bed and, with a big, strong, muscular arm, pulled her back against his chest.

  “Jade! Get up!” her sister called frantically. “You have to hurry! I don’t know how much time we have!”

  “I have to go,” Jade whispered, slipping out of his arms. She quickly grabbed…something…from the floor and covered herself with it.

  “I’ll be there in a minute!” Jade called to her sister. She heard a groan from behind, but ignored Simon’s mutter of protest as she hurried into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, then gritted her teeth as she stepped under the still cold water. She didn’t have time to let the water warm up. If Sage discovered Simon in her bed, her sister would be hurt and confused.