Her Desert Treasure (Entangled Ignite)

by Larie Brannick

  “Hey, Jakey! Man, I thought I heard you pull in.”

  Jake jerked his head back at the abrupt interruption. The man standing at the back door of the restaurant wasn’t as tall as Jake, but was twice as round and had a jovial laugh. His white apron contrasted with his olive coloring.

  “Hey, yourself, Paul.” Jake grinned broadly. “You wouldn’t happen to have a seat in there for two more, would you?”

  Holding the screen door open, Paul laughed and said, “Get in here. You know I always have a table for you,” he eyed Meg appreciatively, “and your friends.”

  “Thanks, Paul.” Jake released Meg’s waist but grabbed her hand as he led her to the door. He extended his free hand for a handshake, but Paul pulled Jake into a tight bear hug. Meg heard Jake exhale with a whoosh.

  Laughing, Jake said, “Wow, it’s good to see you, too.” He pulled Meg up to his side and introduced the two. “Paul Costas meet Megan Reynolds.”

  Meg grinned as she held out her hand, “Call me Meg, please. It’s nice to meet you, Paul.” Of course, her stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. Perfect.

  Paul clapped his hands together. “Good. You’re hungry.” He turned, leading them through the kitchen into the dining room. “I’ll make something special for you tonight.” He showed them to a small table in a quiet corner.

  “Please, don’t go to any trouble.” Meg said as Jake held out her chair.

  “It’s my pleasure.” He winked.

  “Paul.” Jake’s warning tone had Meg curious. “Nothing too special.”

  “Stop worrying. I’ll send out your salads and bread.”

  Meg turned to Jake. “Am I missing something?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Paul is an incredible cook. But every now and again he likes to think he’s competing on Iron Chef or something. Let’s just say, I’ve been his guinea pig for some pretty interesting dishes.”

  Intrigued, Meg leaned forward. “Like what?”

  “Hmm. There was the beet ravioli. Coconut milk and mushroom soup. Oh, and my personal favorite, head cheese pizza.”

  She laughed at his mock shudder. At least she thought he was joking. A young man approached their table holding up a bottle of wine. “Compliments of the chef. Would you like me to pour?”

  Taking the bottle, Jake shook his head. “No, I’ll do that. Thanks, Rico.”

  While the two men chatted, Meg took in the sights and sounds of the other diners. Her gaze went to the large picture window and the view took her breath away. The sun cast deep pink and red reflections over the tops of the stunning rock formations in the distance. The sight brought back memories of summers spent with her grandparents and visions of her new future.

  Jake sat back in his chair and admired his view…of Meg. She was the picture of an angel in the candlelight. Her blonde hair had been pulled up into a simple twist that gave him full view of her graceful neck. The flickering light cast a golden glow on her creamy skin, beckoning him to caress it. God, how he wanted to kiss that smooth skin, to hold her in his arms and taste her mouth, to feel her bare skin with his hands. He imagined himself touching her, standing behind her while gliding his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. Pulling her back against his chest and moving his hands lower over her hips, across her flat stomach, inching lower still…

  Down boy. Man, he was in trouble here. He’d been completely satisfied, living here on his own, taking each day as it came without giving a thought to his solitary existence. But now he was becoming aroused simply sitting here watching this woman, powerless to do anything about it, a moth drawn to her flame. It was all he could do to drag his eyes away from her long enough to pour the wine. He filled two glasses and set one in front of her.

  She picked up her glass and swirled the golden liquid inside before bringing it to her nose, testing its bouquet. Tipping her glass toward his she asked, “What shall we toast to?”

  To the start of a long night of their hot bodies tangled in his cool sheets, maybe? He opted for a safer subject and raised his glass. “To Rex and a speedy recovery.”

  “To Rex.” They touched glasses, and Jake sucked in a deep breath. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she took a sip then slowly licked her lips in appreciation. “Mmm, nice.” She glanced around the room. “Do you know everyone who works here?”

  “Most of Paul’s employees have been with him for years. He treats them well, and they’re busy like this most of the time so they make great tips. I’ve gotten to know most of them fairly well,” he said, taking a drink from his own glass.

  The waiter brought their salads and bread, and their conversation stopped for a moment when they began to eat.

  It wasn’t long before Paul delivered their entrees personally. “I hope you like shrimp…and a little heat.”

  Jake noted Paul’s nervousness as he waited while Meg tried her first bite. She closed her eyes and made a low moaning sound. “Ooh, this is heavenly. Paul, you’re a genius.”

  Jake stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. The look of pleasure on her face was doing crazy things to his insides. He pictured her stretched out on his bed, wondered if she would look like that when she climaxed, if she’d moan when she said his name. He shook himself. How was he ever going to survive this evening with her and not be able to touch her?

  “Thank you. It’s always a pleasure to hear someone enjoys my food.”

  “It’s delicious. What do you call this dish?”

  Jake couldn’t take his eyes off Meg. Her smile was electric, her enthusiasm genuine. Paul’s chest puffed out with pride as he described the food he’d prepared. “Creole Poached Shrimp Linguine. Shrimp, Andouille sausage, my special spice blend.”

  “I taste thyme, and the green onion is nice. Maybe paprika?”

  “Ah, ah, ah.” He wagged his index finger. “My secret.”

  She took another bite, chewed it slowly.

  Jake sat there, mesmerized.

  Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. “Hmm. Cayenne for sure. And fresh garlic in the cream sauce.”

  Several heads turned in their direction when Paul’s booming laughter filled the dining room. He slapped Jake on the shoulder. “You have your hands full with this one, man.” He reached for Meg’s hand and kissed the back of it. “It was a true pleasure meeting you, Meg. Enjoy your meal. And come back any time!”

  She smiled at his friendliness. “It was nice to meet you, too, Paul.” He left them to return to the kitchen, and she called after him, “I also see red pepper flakes!” Her creamy skin was flushed when she turned back to Jake.

  Her happiness was contagious, and he found himself laughing with her. “I think you’ve earned yourself an honorary spot in the Costas family.”

  “It was probably mean to tease him like that. I’ve heard chefs can be pretty territorial about their recipes, but that was fun.”

  “He enjoyed every minute of it. It’s good for him.”

  She twirled another bite around the tines of her fork and caught Jake watching her. “Is something wrong? You haven’t even tasted yours yet.”

  Jake finally put the bite he’d forgotten in his mouth. The spice of the sausage and the mellow sauce blended perfectly with the seasoning on the shrimp. He understood Meg’s moan. “It’s fantastic. I think he has a winner here.”

  They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, but every bite Meg took ratcheted up Jake’s awareness of her. The heat in the dish didn’t hold a candle to the heat his body was generating. He tried to cool down with a drink of his wine and cleared his throat. “I told you about my family back at the house. Tell me about yours, Meg.”

  She finished chewing the bite in her mouth and swallowed. “My grandfather probably told you most of the story. My parents died when I was five, and I came to Colorado to live with my grandparents, my mom’s parents. Their farm is…was…northeast of here. My grandmother died a couple of years back, and Grandpa sold the place.” She swallowed again. “You know the rest. I don’t have any
family anymore.”

  “Meg, I’m so sorry. I...” Jake couldn’t begin to imagine what his life would be like without his family. Even though they did drive him crazy on occasion.

  “Thank you.” She smiled sadly, accepting his sympathy. “How did you know my grandpa?”

  He smiled, thinking about John Clark. “He was a good man, your grandfather. He kind of took me under his wing when I first came to town. I think he could tell I was completely out of my element here.”

  “You’re not a native?”

  “Hardly.” He laughed. “I moved here from Chicago two years ago.”

  “Chicago? I never would have guessed. What brought you to Colorado? And Big Rock, of all places?”

  Where to start? He wouldn’t go into all the reasons he left the city. Meg would probably run far and fast if she knew the truth about him. He was a disappointment. To the people he loved, yes, but mostly to himself. Of course, everyone had tried to reassure him that he wasn’t to blame for the actions of others, but he couldn’t buy into it, not when he knew he’d failed. Maybe it’d been chickenshit of him to leave, but he’d needed the distance. He’d never forget the guilt he felt, but out here, at least, it wasn’t front and center in his mind.

  Front and center now was the woman sitting across the table from him. Even in the dimness of the restaurant, her violet eyes were bright, everything about her was sunshine. Such a contrast to the drab, shadowed life he’d carved out for himself. Her light seeped into his darkness, and he wanted more of it.

  Even if he didn’t deserve it.

  “We took a family trip one summer and kind of discovered it by accident. My mom loves to play the slots, and she’d found out about the casino on the Ute reservation. We made the detour so she could spend a couple hours there and came back through Big Rock. I was hooked. When I heard about the animal hospital coming up for sale, I jumped on it.”

  “Wow. Happy accident.” She sipped her wine. “When did you meet my grandfather?”

  He raised his glass and tipped his head toward her. “I’m getting to that. My plan was to buy the practice and turn it into a horse breeding operation.” He smiled at her raised eyebrow. “I specialize in equine medicine—not a high-demand specialty in the city. I thought this would be the perfect place to get started. But the first day I was here, there were people and their pets lined up at the door. I couldn’t turn them away. When word got around about my knack with horses, your grandfather came to see me and invited me out to the canyon to see the wild horse herd.”

  She sat up in her chair, wine sloshing precariously near the rim of her glass. “That’s right. The wild horses. Grandpa talked about them whenever I called.”

  God, she was so pretty. The sun, or maybe the wine, had given her cheeks a pink glow, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. He struggled to find his voice. “I’d, uh… never seen anything like it before. You haven’t seen them?”

  She lowered her gaze, the contents of her wine glass suddenly held her interest. “No. I haven’t been back…for a while. From what Grandpa said, the herd migrated here and decided to make the canyon their home.” She looked up. “He said he’d been talking with a veterinarian about a way to examine them, maybe give vaccinations. He was talking about you.”

  It wasn’t a question. He nodded. “We had actually been working on plans for a refuge. Someplace they’d be safe and protected. Maybe even start some kind of adoption program in conjunction with the BLM—Bureau of Land Management.”

  “Really? A refuge?”

  He wrapped her fingers in his. “Yes. I’d like to see John’s wishes become reality. I’m still committed to starting the refuge. Those animals are special, Meg. They’re living history, and they deserve to have a permanent home.” Would she consider giving him access to the land now that he’d explained the importance of the refuge? He hadn’t intended to talk about it tonight, but he was glad the subject had come up. “In fact, I’d like to make an appointment with one of the wildlife officers to come out to see what we had planned.”

  She bit her bottom lip, and Jake couldn’t help but stare. He was a big fan of her mouth. Wanted to experience the feel and taste for himself. Wanted to soothe the spot where her teeth had left a faint indentation.

  “When were you planning to do that?”

  Maybe she would be willing to hear him out. At the very least, allow him to keep studying the animals and ask the BLM not to relocate them. His brain started working a mile a minute. It would be stupid to assume anything, but he wanted her on board. “I guess not until I have your permission to come to the canyon.”

  Her face flushed darker. “I’m sorry about yesterday, Jake. Really.”

  He stroked his thumb across her knuckles. “I told you, I understand why you reacted the way you did. No hard feelings.” His pulse quickened with anticipation. He knew it was more than just the hope of being able to continue his work with the horses. The prospect of seeing her whenever he visited the property made him happier than anything had in a long while.

  “I’m glad you feel that way. I don’t mind if you come out to study the herd.” She pulled her hands away. “But I’m afraid you can’t bring anyone else on the property right now or make any plans involving the refuge.”

  What? He couldn’t have heard her correctly. This was her grandfather’s dream. He schooled his features to keep her from seeing his disbelief. “I don’t understand.” Her face fell, and he clasped her hand again. “Meg?”

  “I’m sorry, but I have my reasons. I can’t commit to anything about the wild horses.”

  She appeared to be absolutely miserable. His frustration demanded he question her, to get to the bottom of her reasons. But it was clear whatever was going on had her upset. “Will you tell me if there is anything I can do to help?”

  She nodded, but Jake got the feeling she still didn’t know if she could trust him. He wanted to change that. Even if she wasn’t willing to let him continue his work with the horses, he was, nevertheless, interested in her. He wanted to know more about her, wanted to know everything. “Where did you live before you came here to be with your grandparents? If you don’t mind my asking.”

  Not her favorite topic of conversation, but he seemed to be genuinely interested. “Texas. Like I said, my parents died when I was five. I was actually here with Grandma and Grandpa when my parents were killed.”

  The warmth of his hand was a constant reassurance while she spoke. “My folks were taking a romantic vacation. It was the first time they’d ever left me for more than an evening, and my grandparents jumped at the chance to have me for a month. Since we lived so far away, they didn’t get to see us much, so it was the perfect arrangement.”

  The sight of their locked hands, of his thumb gently caressing her knuckles, gave her the strength to continue. “Gram and Grandpa were wonderful to me. Some of the best times of my life were spent on the property here.”

  “I wasn’t lucky enough to meet your grandmother, but John was a great man, you were lucky to have them.”

  “I adored them. I miss them both so much.”

  “You really don’t have any other family?”

  “Nope. Just me.” She tried to lighten the mood with a smile. “My father had an older sister, Aunt Marge, but I don’t remember much about her. She died not long after my parents. I remember my grandfather talking about her son. I think I met him once when I was really little. I have no idea what happened to him.” She retrieved her hand and laughed, shaking her head. “God, it sounds like a bad soap opera. You must think…well, I can only imagine what you must think.”

  “I think you’re an incredibly strong person to have gone through so much already in your life.”

  There was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice, his eyes, and some of her tension eased. “Thank you, Jake.”

  They returned their attention to their food and were both silent for a few minutes until their waiter reappeared. “How was everything?”

  “Great as always,
Rico.”

  “Wonderful. More wine?”

  Jake arched a brow at Meg, who shook her head. “No thanks, Rico. Just the check please. And tell Paul thanks, and I’ll talk to him later.” He turned to her. “Do you feel like a walk? The downtown area has a lot going on after dark.”

  She hesitated, and Jake hoped he hadn’t pressed too far. Then she smiled. “A walk sounds perfect. Thank you. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a meal so much.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. And thank you. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed the company so much.” He stood and dropped some bills on the table then walked around to her side of the table and helped her with her chair. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Chapter Six

  The evening air was warm, and it was beginning to get dark. The downtown shops were busy with tourists, the sidewalks crowded with people. Jake took Meg’s hand as they crossed the street and didn’t let go when they got to the other side.

  “How about some ice cream? This little shop has a great soda fountain. We can sit out front and watch people and talk.”

  “Okay.”

  When was the last time he’d felt more comfortable and relaxed? Ever? He really didn’t need any ice cream, but he didn’t want the evening to end yet. They went inside and ordered—a chocolate malt for him and a small, strawberry ice cream cone for her. They took their treats outside and chose a small, wrought iron table in the seating area. They settled into a comfortable silence while they enjoyed their ice cream, idly watching people as they walked by.

  At least she was watching the people. Jake watched her. Every long, slow lick of her cone, each swirl of her tongue around the ice cream turned him on until it became uncomfortable to be in a sitting position. Good God, there was going to be an imprint of the metal teeth of his zipper on his dick if he didn’t do something fast. Adjusting his junk in public wasn’t an option, so he tried turning his attention to something else. A familiar voice called to him from across the street.