Wanted: Fairy Godmother

by Laurie LeClair

  Duke really wanted me.

  Callie had just breathed hope into his barren soul, shedding light, shedding love.

  Chapter 17

  Callie huddled close to the piping hot woodstove. She felt chilled to the bone. Telling Jake about her family had been necessary for him, but risky for her. A little piece of her heart now resided with him, forever ripped from her and entrusted to him. She hoped he’d take real good care of it.

  “Here,” Jake said, wrapping one of the heavy blankets around her shoulders. “I could hear your teeth chatter halfway across the room.”

  Smiling weakly, she glanced up at him. “Thanks,” she choked out, too overcome by the empathy shining in his gaze.

  He stepped back, and then plopped down on a cot. Reclining, he entwined his fingers behind his head.

  She sensed his discomfort. With the door closed, the cabin seemed tighter than a beef truck packed with precious cargo. The heavy, suffocating air swirled between Jake and her. Suppressed passion, Callie suspected. Half of her mind wondered why he’d pulled back, the other half admired his willpower.

  Sneaking a peek, she noticed the tense lines in his face. And despite his attempt to appear relaxed, she took in the rigid muscles all along his long, lean body.

  She had few choices the way she saw it: drag up the taboo subject of making love, ignore the highly charged atmosphere altogether, or divert both their attention to a safe topic. She chose the last.

  “Got any cards lying around?”

  He continued to stare up at the ceiling. “And just sit back and watch you beat the pants off of me?”

  The impish side of her took full rein. “Hey, now that’s an idea. I’ve never played strip poker before. Are you game?”

  He jerked his head around so fast she thought she heard it crack. His features reflected a mixture of eagerness and agony.

  She sucked in a breath, waiting, wondering.

  “No can do, honey,” he said gruffly.

  Disappointment shafted through her. She longed to feel his touch once again. “No cards, huh?” Humor came to her rescue.

  He smiled sadly. “Yeah.”

  Averting her gaze from his heart-stopping look, she caught the edge of her saddlebags poking out from under the cot. “Well, maybe the guys packed something interesting.” Stretching, she snagged the leather flap, and then tugged.

  Within minutes, she had one side open and began to pull out odd objects. “Hmmm…A hairbrush, compact, lipstick, mascara, perfume, and…” She stopped dead, her hand clenching a familiar picture frame. Curling her fingers, she gripped it even tighter. The heavy metal edge dug painfully into her palm.

  “What’s wrong? All the color’s drained from your face.” He shifted so now he lay on his side, propped up on one elbow.

  Regrouping, she said, “Your cousins are a piece of work. They set me up, too.” She released her death grip on the picture of her and Jake, dropping the small, palm-sized frame to the bottom once again.

  “I figured they were in on it. The make-up did it for you, huh?”

  She forced a chuckle. It sounded high-pitched and scratchy to her ears. “Unless of course, they can explain to me why I should be gussied up for your cattle.”

  He laughed softly. “I think even that one will strain their powers of persuasion.” He nodded to her, asking, “What’s in the other one?”

  Callie quickly stuffed the make-up back into the leather pouch, and then turned the saddlebags around to yank on the buckle for the other side. Lifting the flap, she dreaded what she’d find. “Oh, Lord!” With her thumb and forefinger, she daintily plucked out the multicolored condom box. “Uh…this is definitely for you. I see they took your little talk to heart.” She tossed it to him.

  He caught it deftly with his right hand. Engrossed in the label, Jake frowned. Slowly, he looked up, capturing her gaze. Her breath, trapped in her throat, burned with squelched desire. He smiled wickedly, sending jolts of awareness clear to her curled toes. “Too small,” he declared, and then chucked it over his shoulder. It hit the floor with a muted clatter.

  She gasped at his audacity, and then laughed. He joined her; the rich, deep grumble sounded like the sweetest music she had ever heard, enveloping her in a warm safe cocoon of happiness.

  ***

  “Your turn,” Jake said, looking at the checkerboard intently. He stared at the black and red pieces for some time, rubbing his thumb along his jaw in contemplation. “Callie?” He jerked his gaze upward.

  Sleeping soundly in her straight back chair at the table, her head bobbed and weaved.

  A well of tenderness swamped him. From the very first day, she tapped into a pool of hidden emotions. She’d found that tiny crevice and broken it wide open, making him experience a multitude of very wonderful, very scary feelings. This woman stirred him in ways he dared not voice.

  “Well, Lassiter, you won this round,” he murmured, thinking he’d much rather have given in to the primitive animal residing inside him. Instead, he’d endured hours of titillating conversation, sharp-almost painful-longing, a constant state of arousal, and the captivating angelic face of a fairy godmother. He figured he deserved a medal for perseverance and frustration.

  She listed to the side even more, forcing Jake into making a difficult decision. He hadn’t planned to tuck her into bed tonight, but he had little choice in the matter if he didn’t want to wake her.

  He rose, skirted the table, and then scooped her up in his arms. She moaned in her sleep, startling him. When she snuggled closer, putting her arms around his neck, he thought he died and gone to heaven.

  For long moments, he held her, delighting in the way she fit perfectly against him. Her lush breasts pressed into his chest, exciting him beyond reason. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent, wildflowers and her own special brand of woman. Finally, unable to resist the enticing temptation, he touched his lips to her neck, nibbling, tasting the tangy saltiness of her. He groaned, wanting so much more.

  “Jake,” she said in a sultry, breathy voice that whipped his senses to a fever pitch.

  “Callie, honey, stop me now.” He peppered kisses along her neck and felt a series of shivers rack her body.

  Callie drew back, lifting heavy eyelids. She gasped at the open, naked desire lighting his brandy-colored eyes. “Please, if I’m dreaming, don’t wake me.”

  “It’s no dream.”

  Part anguish, part lust chased across his features, telling her far more than he could. He fought for control, clearly waiting for her to call an end to everything.

  “Oh, dear, sweet Jake,” she whispered just before she captured his lips in a searing embrace.

  He growled, low and deep. The seductive noise reverberated through her whole body, licking flames of hunger to high intensity. His tongue danced with hers, spearing, darting at first, and then twirling in an intimate mating ritual as old as time itself.

  Callie’s head spun. She couldn’t say whether it occurred when he strode to the cots or due to the heady man himself. Either way, she felt on fire, disoriented, and out of control.

  All of a sudden the bed met her back, Jake’s arm pinned between the two and holding her. He began to pull away. She protested, clinging to his broad shoulders.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

  Opening her eyes, she looked her fill, amazed and in awe of the powerful feelings coursing through her veins at the mere sight of this man. She frowned slightly, realizing he stopped.

  He smoothed out the scowl and brushed away several flyaway pieces of her hair. When his gaze returned to hers, she filled with heat, hot and searing.

  “I’ve got to slow this down or I won’t be any good for you.”

  He dragged his thumb over her lips. Liquid fire rushed through her like hot, spewing lava. “Kiss me, please.” At any other time she’d be ashamed to beg, but not now-not like this, not with him.

  Flashing her a wicked smile, he ever so slowly leaned down. “Your wish is
my command.”

  ***

  She hugged him close, relishing his gentle touch and trail of tender kisses. I love you, Jake, she said silently, feeling the warm, flowering afterglow wrap her in a protective haven.

  He pulled her into the curve of him and brushed back damp tendrils of her hair. He kissed her lightly on the temple, endearing himself even more to her.

  “Mmmmm,” she murmured, snuggling close and relaxing. Somewhere in the back of her sleepy mind, Callie thought this was the beginning of all her dreams come true.

  She must have dozed off; the next thing she became aware of was a muffled swear word and the subsequent metal clatter skidding across the wooden floor.

  Bolting upright, she called, “Jake, are you all right?”

  “Yes, damn it,” he bit out. “I tripped over your saddlebags.”

  She heard the scratch of the match, and then saw the flare. The kerosene wick caught quickly enough and soon the room filled with blinding light. Callie shaded her eyes until Jake twisted the knob down a turn.

  She sucked in a breath when his illuminated naked body grabbed her attention. A moan from deep inside her erupted.

  “Don’t look at me like that, honey,” he warned softly, a wicked grin slashing across his lips. “I’m liable to take advantage of it.”

  A warm glow suffused her, igniting banked, passionate embers. Flicking the heavy blanket off her, she said seductively, “Be my guest.”

  His eyes sparked in answer to her invitation. Advancing toward her, he stepped on something. Stooping, he picked up the item, asking, “What’s this?”

  Callie’s heat stilled. Nooo! her mind cried as he turned the small picture frame over in his hand. Jumping from the bed, she raced to him, grabbing for the one piece of evidence that condemned her. “That’s mine.”

  Jake lifted his arm higher, out of her grasp. “What’s all the fuss over? It’s just a picture, right?”

  Gazing at the woman he’d just made love to, he found a stranger in place of the warm, sexy, responsive lady. She blanched, her skin appearing almost paper-thin.

  Her eyes, usually a light green, grew dark and shadowed. He noted her delectable nude body, half of him aware of the almost painful tug of desire coursing through him, while the other half grew concerned at the sight of tremors racking her.

  He frowned, sensing the picture he held would unlock the mystery. He shifted his stare to the frame.

  “Please don’t,” she begged in a husky whisper.

  Too late, he thought, looking intently at the photograph. Sucked back in time, he faced the past, faced two familiar children. Shock waves crashed down on his shoulders. A dull roar rang in his ears, blending and cresting with the sound of his pounding heart rate. “What are you doing with a picture of me?” he asked, holding the picture up next to her as pieces of a jumbled puzzle fell into place. “Callie? It’s you? You’re CJ!”

  Chapter 18

  Hours later, shivers still slithered down Callie’s spine as she wrapped the blanket closer, pursuing warmth, seeking assurance. The straight back chair held little comfort. And Jake’s long bouts of silence after his initial explosion unnerved her, setting her on edge even more.

  It’s all over now.

  “Just how long did you plan this?” His abrupt question startled her.

  Confused, she looked over at him sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands and his elbows propped on his jean-clad thighs. “I don’t know what you mean. Plan what?”

  He jerked his head up, stabbing her with a glare. “Everything. Invading my life, getting the boys on your side, being in cahoots with my friends, wrapping me around your little finger, the seduction, every damn little thing, CJ!” The way he spat the last out in disgust told her more than words how he now felt about her. Her middle clenched in pain.

  Would coming clean now even pacify him? she wondered, blowing out a puff of hot air. Would he even believe her?

  Taking a deep breath and crossing her fingers under the blanket, she knew she had to try if she wanted to keep in contact with the boys; she sensed she’d already lost him, that’s if she ever really had him to begin with. The ache in her grew, but she pressed on. “The only thing I planned was coming back home to Montana and one day buying back Gramps’ ranch.”

  He snorted. “Tell the truth. It was no secret you had a crush on me as a kid. You pestered me and followed me every chance you got.”

  Her heart twisted in agony. His feelings on her childhood yearnings appeared crystal-clear. He hated it. “I swear to you, Jake, I had no idea it was you when I answered that ad in the paper. I was shocked to discover who you were when we met at the diner. I must have sat there for a half hour before I heard Flossie mention you.”

  “Ah, Flossie. Now it makes sense. She set me up. You and she kept in touch all these years, right?”

  “Wrong.” Lord, how thickheaded could this man be? she wondered, not for the first time since he found her out. She’d had all the grilling she’d sit still for. “Now, you listen to me, Jake Lassiter, because I’m only going to say this one more time and then that’s it.” A well of pride stole over her when he gave her his undivided attention. He looked downright receptive.

  “I’m all ears,” he said grudgingly.

  “I did not plan any of it, with the exception of getting back what is rightfully mine, understand? I needed the money to live on and save for my ranch. I saw your ad and called. For crying out loud, I didn’t even trust you at first. Why else would I ask for a darn reference from you?” She noticed him mulling that over. “Furthermore, Flossie recognized me, remember? Now, if she was in on something, would she nearly spill the beans? I don’t think so.”

  He dragged a hand over his face, sighing heavily. “Ah hell. Are you finished?”

  “No, not by a long shot. Now, if your cousins had been privy to such goings-on, do you really think they’d keep it quiet? They’ve got to be some of the most indiscreet young men I have ever met.”

  He chuckled. “Well, you’re right about that. They’ve never been known to keep a secret for very long.” He smiled fondly, giving her a ray of hope.

  “I have had no contact with anyone in Montana since my grandfather’s funeral.” Her voice broke.

  “If you haven’t, then how do you know so much about ranching? You can’t tell me that after all these years you still recall in precise minute detail, as well as execute all the right moves, ranch life.” Doubts chased across his features.

  “I badgered my mother into letting me hang around at a nearby ranch in California. I worked on the place in exchange for riding privileges.” She smiled at the rush of sweet memories. “The owner reminded me of Gramps. He and his wife sorta took me under their wing and encouraged me. That’s where I learned everything, including the rope tricks. They used to perform as a team.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “They both died in an accident when I was visiting with my father overseas.” She shrugged, the pain still biting at the lack of compassion from her parents. They had seen it as a blessing, hoping their daughter ceased her silly dreams of owning her own ranch.

  “I’m sorry.” His softly spoken apology struck a chord inside of her, healing the open wound.

  Clearing her throat, she switched back to the subject at hand. “So, you see, I didn’t plot a conspiracy against you and your precious freedom.”

  She thought he’d snicker at that, but he didn’t even so much as lift a corner of his mouth. Instead, he looked at her as if he’d been betrayed, cutting her heart in two.

  “You could’ve told me who you were,” he said, his voice heavy with accusation.

  “I couldn’t risk losing the only job I could find in a month. Admit it-if you’d known, you would have never hired me on.”

  “Probably not,” he conceded. “But you used me and it just proves to me I can’t trust you to do the right thing.”

  Hurt crashed down on her. An invisible hand clenched her chest, squeez
ing the breath from her. Then the anger swept through Callie, washing away her numb state. “The right thing,” she said softly, and then repeated it in a much louder voice, “The right thing! That’s rich coming from you, Jake Lassiter. I’m not the one trying to shuck off my responsibilities and throw three orphaned teenagers out on their own to sink or swim.”

  “That is none of your business.” His voice dropped dangerously low.

  “Like hell it isn’t,” she muttered, crossing her arms and pelting him with a frosty stare. The boys were like family to her. She needed them as much as they needed her.

  “We’re talking about you here, not about me.”

  “Oh, really?” she asked sweetly. “And what about the us part?” She held her breath for his reply, hoping he cared just a little bit.

  “There is no us.”

  His words cut like a knife, blade-sharp and slicing. She tried to lessen the tension in the room, praying that if she introduced a humorous note, he’d unbend. Pasting a smile on her mouth, she said, “I thought that a few hours ago there was a very definite, very steamy us.” Try to deny that one.

  The banked light in his eyes flared to life, ensnaring her as if she were a trapped animal in the glare of headlights.

  “That was before I knew who you were, before I realized how desperate you’d become even after all these years. I’ve had women try all sorts of things to get me in their bed, but this beats them all.”

  “Desperate?” Did I miss something important? she wondered, frowning in confusion.

  “You used my cousins to get to me. And don’t tell me you’re denying that you’re still hanging on to the crush you had as a little girl, CJ.” He captured her gaze, and then lifted his eyebrow in question. “Are you?”

  In that moment, she felt like a hundred bulls stampeded her, trampling, bruising. She could either go on being tossed around or she could stand up and say her piece; she knew she’d never get this chance again.