Silence greeted her. She could almost visualize the look of shock that passed over her best friend’s face. Hurrying to fill the quiet, Gabrielle added, “He’s working on my generator right now.”
“You slept with him, didn’t you?”
“Um.”
“What the hell are you thinking? Is this a casual thing? Are you two going somewhere with this? Good God, Gabrielle, have you lost your mind?”
Gabrielle sank down into the nearby chair, surrendering to the inevitable questions. When Margie finished drilling them, she lifted the walkie talkie back to her mouth and forged on. “I don’t know. I don’t know any of the answers. I really like him, Margie. I don’t know how that happened either. But I can’t talk about this right now.”
Margie paused. A long tick of silence passed before she said, “Do me a favor?”
“What?”
“I know you. You don’t do casual. You also don’t bring home strangers without a damn good reason. And I think for the first time in your life, you just let someone call you Gabby without going off the deep end. So, heed my advice. Don’t ask for answers. Just go with the flow.”
Laughing, Gabrielle answered, “I already had that conversation with myself. Don’t worry, I won’t.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jake pushed his plate away and leaned back in his chair with an exaggerated pat to his stomach. “That was good, Gabrielle.” Good didn’t do the meal justice. He hadn’t had a home-cooked meal, not even for holidays, in so many years he’d forgotten how they could fill a man up. Even the simple pork chops on rice she’d made after he got her generator going tasted like a five-course meal at a fine dining establishment.
She grinned, her amusement making her eyes sparkle. “It was the least I could do after you spent all day tinkering in my garage and helping in the barn.”
As he leaned forward, his chair legs came down with a muffled thump. “Speaking of. Do we need to get water out to the barn?”
Her plate in her hand, she stood up and reached for his. As she crossed the narrow kitchen to her sink, she shook her head. “They’ll be all right for the night. I’ll hook up the hoses to the house spigot in the morning.”
Though she kept her voice light, the way her shoulders dropped and the slowness in her steps spoke of exhaustion. She’d surprised him with the dinner. He’d half-expected her to pop a microwave meal in. Truth be told, he probably would have. But then he didn’t cook. Period.
Instead, she’d stayed on her feet, cleaning up her house while she waited for the food. She’d hand-washed the dishes, picked up their blankets from in front of the fire, given her bathroom a cursory once-over, and sifted through her refrigerator to insure the brief power-outage hadn’t spoiled anything.
Five hours of sleep, roughly, and the woman hadn’t quit yet.
Not what he expected from a spoiled little rich girl. She should be complaining about all they’d done today or curled up with a book while he entertained himself.
“Well, we’ve got rudimentary power,” she observed as she turned around and gazed up at the kitchen light. The stove had used most of the available power, and rest of the house was dark, save for a lamp in the front room.
He recognized the comment as an attempt to fill the momentary silence with conversation. What had her so agitated? Couldn’t she just sit down and relax? He kicked out the chair beside him and gestured at it. “Sit down. Quit doing,” he suggested with a chuckle.
“You want some coffee? I’ve been dying for a cup all day.”
Jake rose to his feet and set his hands on her shoulders with a gentle squeeze. “Why don’t you sit? Tell me where the stuff is, and I’ll fix the coffee. While I’m doing that, you can tell me more about why an Arizona girl chose Ransom, Kansas, for her stable.”
As he talked, he steered her to the table. A miniscule push put her in the chair. “Where’s the coffee?”
She indicated a cabinet near the entry to the dining room. “Over there.”
“So tell me what brought you here.”
From the corner of his eye, he caught the way she lifted her chin, the sudden rigidity in her spine. Interesting. Simple question, not so simple response. Something about Arizona? Or the reasons for coming here? A love affair gone bad, maybe?
“Margie.”
He chuckled as he opened the cabinet. “That must be who threatened to walk over here?”
She nodded. “She’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember. After veterinary school, she took a position in Dodge. But the environment wasn’t good. She saved almost all of her three years of salary and opened a traveling clinic in the back of her truck, working mainly on cattle. A year later she installed a clinic in the basement of her house.”
“And she wanted company out here in this lonely little town?”
“No.” Gabrielle looked to the window. Her hands twined in her lap.
Definitely more to the story than she was letting him in on. So far, he hadn’t heard a thing that would warrant her restlessness.
“She knew I had an itch to leave Arizona. When this place came on the market, she told me about it. She’d already moved into a house beyond that wheat field outside, and I’d heard a lot about the community and nearby Ness. I figured with my own personal vet so close, I couldn’t go wrong.”
Her nervous laugh didn’t portray the confidence he suspected she wanted it to. But Jake refrained from comment. Whatever secret she harbored, he didn’t have the right to push. Lord knew he had his own, and nothing could pull those free.
Yet, something didn’t add up. The horses in her barn were some of the best quality he’d seen in a long time. He even recognized a few names as descendants of champion bloodlines. Why in the hell would she pick up and leave one of the most lucrative areas for Arabian breeding to come to a town with fewer than three hundred people? Arizona held all the resources she’d ever need. Not to mention her parents’ influence. Why start over when she could have just branched off? A joint venture with her family, and they’d be unstoppable in the show ring.
The coffeepot gurgled. Jake filled two mugs and passed her one. “Want to join me in the living room?”
She looked his way, but her expression was far away. “Hm?”
“Do you want to move this conversation to more comfortable chairs?”
A light pink stain filled her cheeks as she nodded. “Sure.”
He led the way, taking a seat in an overstuffed armchair wide enough to hold two of him. Well, maybe not two, but one and a half. It damn sure didn’t match Gabrielle’s petite build. Dropping down into it, he caught her hand as she walked by, and with a gentle tug, pulled her into his lap.
“That’s better.” He nuzzled the side of her neck, savoring the sweet fragrance that clung to her hair. Unable to resist the pull of her silky skin, he trailed light kisses down to the junction of her shoulder. “I’ve been craving touching you since that kiss in the barn.”
True, but he hadn’t quite intended to let that confession slip out. She didn’t need to know that just looking at her made his heart quicken and stood his nerve endings at attention. Not to mention the other parts that stood up and took note when she touched him. Like now.
With an inward curse, he repositioned her and gave himself a little more lap room. Although he completely intended to indulge himself later, he wanted to unwind. Discover more about this spoiled little rich girl who embodied nothing of her stereotype.
She curled against his side, rested her head on his shoulder, and held her mug in both hands. “I kinda like it when you touch me.” Her blush returned with the remark, despite the hint of laughter that mingled in her voice.
“Kinda, huh?”
She lifted her lashes to look at him, her smile full of coy innocence. “Just kinda.”
He set his mug on the end table and brushed aside her hair, exposing her delicate neck more fully. With a low chuckle, he nipped her soft skin. “I don’t think last night falls into kinda.”
<
br /> As her blush deepened, his heart thumped hard. Tiny freckles leapt out across her cheeks, heightening the color of her eyes. But what caught his attention the most was the sudden way her pulse jumped to life along the side of her throat. In a heartbeat’s passing, visions of last night, of Gabrielle oh-so-willing, took life in his mind. Was she always so incredibly responsive? Or did she suffer from the same uncontrollable desire that she somehow awakened in him?
Tamping down the swift burst of arousal, he lifted his mouth and dropped his head to the back of the chair. Better to keep his mind on conversation. Otherwise, he’d have her naked in seconds, and this chair, despite its over-large size, wouldn’t provide him the room to explore her the way he wanted to.
“You’ve got beautiful horses, sugar.”
She nodded as she took a drink. “Thank you. I looked long and hard for the mares. Spent a lot of time over the last year researching bloodlines and offspring. I think you and Margie are the only people who’ve been able to appreciate the result.”
His brows drew together in a frown. “Your folks don’t?”
Gabrielle’s attempt at laughter came out as more of a snort. “Nobody owns horses nicer than Daddy.”
If it weren’t for the touch of sarcasm behind her reply, he’d have assumed she’d just complimented her father. She was right, of course, but he couldn’t very well probe further. She had no idea he knew her background. Playing stupid, he prodded, “Did your father help you pick out your stock then?”
There was no mistaking the rigidity in her shoulders as she slowly lowered her mug to her lap. “No.” Short, to the point…and full of bitterness.
Before he could dig deeper, she slid out of his lap. “I’m going to take a quick shower. It’s still a bit chilly in here. The furnace hasn’t caught up yet, I guess.”
She smoothed down her jeans and bent over him to set her mug beside his.
He caught her wrist, thwarting her retreat. “How about a bath?” When she gave him a confused look, he added, “For two.”
“Oh.” She blinked, and that captivating blush crawled back to her cheeks. “Oh! Right. Um. Sure.”
Standing, he slid his hands down her shoulders to capture both her hands in his. He leaned closer and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. “You don’t sound sure.”
Her embarrassment fled, replaced by a slow, provocative smile. She rose to her toes, shook her hands free to loop her arms around his neck, and took a step closer. “I’m sure.” As if to prove her point, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and gave it a tug.
Holy hell, the woman was going to be the death of him. Chasing after her retreating mouth, he tightened his hold on her and brought her right back where he wanted her. Her lips on his, their tongues twining together in a dance so intimate it made him dizzy. He forgot what they’d been talking about, where they’d been planning to go. Didn’t particularly care if they ever left the living room.
Dropping his hands to her bottom, he pulled her hips flush with his. Closer. Must get closer. Had to have all of her. If he didn’t, he’d come apart at the seams. What this little redhead did to him surpassed logic. Bordered on insanity. He had no right to selfishly pursue her when he knew he would leave. But, by God, he couldn’t stop himself. Something about her quieted the noise in his head that constantly plagued him. Tempered the hollow emptiness in his gut. Here, in her arms, no matter how he wanted to ignore it, lay the sweetest comfort he’d ever known.
As desire flooded his senses, demanding he peel off those jeans and take her on the carpet, he drew back and pulled in a jagged breath. He loosed his hold to frame her face between his hands and gaze down into those compelling eyes. Last night, he’d lost himself. Forgotten how to take his time. Tonight would be different if it killed him.
“The bath,” he whispered against her cheek. “I need a minute.”
Demurely, she nodded and eased out of his clutches. Tossing a shy smile over her shoulder, she disappeared into the darkness. A few moments later, the rush of water in the pipes echoed through the house. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.
Calm down. Don’t get caught up in her. It’s just sex. It has to be.
****
Gabrielle’s hands shook as she stirred the water. She told herself it wasn’t the way Jake kissed her that had her stomach in knots and her insides all shaky. It was the conversation. He’d come too close to learning the things only Margie knew. All her life she’d sought her father’s approval, only to be shunned at every opportunity. Almost confiding that to Jake—a man who was still a stranger despite how intimately she might know his body—was more frightening than the feelings Jake aroused.
Truthfully, it went deeper than either issue. The entire day had her jittery. Jake fit into her world too smoothly. Opened her eyes to new possibilities, things she’d never considered when she purchased the forty acres and fled Arizona a year ago. She wanted to confide in him. Craved the comfort and understanding she imagined he would offer. And she wanted him to stay.
Which seemed absurd, inappropriate, and borderline crazy. Common sense alone told her she had no business thinking those kinds of things about a man she’d known less than twenty-four hours. The fact that she entertained those thoughts only made her feel like a naive schoolgirl. Sex, commitment, love—none of them went hand in hand. And they certainly didn’t culminate from one intimate night together.
But something about Jake intrigued her. He exuded strength. Not just the physical kind, but the kind a woman could depend on when the world crashed around her. His quiet demeanor with the horses spoke to a gentle nature. A heart that knew compassion equally as well as it knew fiery passion.
He made her want to do things for him, made her want to…please him. And she’d spent so long blocking out that urge with her father, intent on standing on her own and forging her own way regardless of Daddy’s approval, the fact a man could evoke that feeling terrified her. What if she couldn’t? What if everything she did pushed Jake away? What if, in the end, she wasn’t good enough for him too?
The tub full, she spun off the faucets and pulled towels from the floor-to-ceiling cabinet. What ifs didn’t matter. Not until Jake said something to indicate she had a reason to worry about a future together. He hadn’t, and she needed to get it through her head he likely wouldn’t. Circumstance brought them together. Reality would push them apart.
They lived in two different worlds.
“Hey, sugar.”
His low murmur vibrated through her. Before she could turn to greet him, his hands slid around her waist and fanned over her belly. He brought her back against his chest, bare skin meeting bare skin. He dusted kisses over her exposed shoulder, inching her bra strap off. The white lace tumbled to her elbow.
In an instant, her insides turned to jelly. Heat washed over her body, seeped through her veins, and gathered between her legs. She sagged against him and rested her head on his shoulder, allowing him freedom to explore by taste.
Little nips blended with the flickering touch of his tongue. Each sharp bite pulled a soft gasp. Each velvety stroke left her shivering. His hands glided up her ribs, a slow ascent that stopped when he cupped her breasts. Lifting them into his palms, he massaged and kneaded. As his thumbs rolled over her nipples, they pebbled beneath the thin covering of lace.
She bit down on her lower lip to silence a pleasured cry. The smothered sound came out as a low moan.
“I can’t keep my hands off you,” Jake whispered.
His rough voice scraped pleasantly over her, his breath hot against her opposite shoulder. She shivered at the sensation. A wash of cool air danced across her skin as the other strap tumbled loose, and he freed the clasp in front, exposing her completely.
He stepped away long enough to let the garment fall to the floor before he caught her back against him, one hand returning to her breast. The other flattened against her abdomen and pulled her body into his. The hard length of his desire nestled against her butto
cks, and a fresh new surge of arousal flooded her as she realized he’d shed all of his clothes before entering the bathroom.
He was fully naked behind her, the only thing separating them her thong panties.
The very same panties his fingertips dipped beneath as his mouth inched over the back of her neck.
Oh, sweet Mary.
“So pretty,” he murmured. “So soft.”
One finger slipped lower, delving into the folds of her sex. A lazy glide through her moistened flesh, and her knees went weak. Reflexively, she parted her knees, making room for his tender exploration.
At her breast, between her legs, his hands worked magic. His mouth, the kisses he scattered over her shoulders, against her neck, turned her into a pool of molten wax. She arched her hips, the press of his palm imprisoning her against his swollen cock. He slid a finger inside her, and Gabrielle’s world splintered into pieces.
With a soft cry, unexpected release crashed through her. Her hands found his forearms, her fingernails biting into his skin as she shuddered. A wave of dizziness threatened to bring her to her knees. He held her up, refused to let her fall.
“Jake,” she whispered.
“Right here, sugar.” He wound his arms around her middle, holding her close. “You better get in that tub before I can’t.”
He let go long enough to clasp her hand. With one last, quick kiss to her shoulder, he led her to the waiting bath.
Chapter Fifteen
Sharing a bath with Jake gave Gabrielle the opportunity to witness his full splendor. Last night, things had happened so fast she hadn’t had the chance. Now, she indulged.
He leaned against the back of the tub, his muscular legs bent around her as she faced him. Wide shoulders covered most of the beige tiles on the wall. A sparse covering of dark hair accented the well-defined contours of his expansive chest and scattered across his taut belly before disappearing beneath the water’s surface. Her eyes traveled down his arms, noting the thick cording in his relaxed muscles. His thighs were equally muscular and nicely proportioned against the rest of his powerful build.
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