TexasKnightsBundle

by Unknown

  She thought about him running out after the bomber—how she had hated always worrying about him. She didn’t want to go back to that constant anguish, and somehow she knew that Jonah would always do something that would distress her about his safety.

  Has it ever occurred to you that I might have changed? Remembering his question, she knew he hadn’t. He was still the same through and through. Yet she couldn’t stop wanting to be with him. Tonight had been wonderful, moments when all their differences had fallen away and they had enjoyed being together as a family, even with their attention almost totally on Henry. She crossed the room to get ready for bed, knowing sleep wasn’t going to come easily.

  Just as Kate guessed, Henry was eager to visit his grandparents, so early Saturday morning she packed a bag for him and a small one for herself, because she and Jonah would spend Saturday night with his family.

  The drive was longer than the flight had been, and Henry was excited, chattering cheerfully all the way. Kate had a good time and knew that Jonah and Henry did, as well. And at his parents, all the other relatives came over. Trent brought a backpack, because he was going to sleep over with Henry.

  In some ways it was like old times, wonderful times, except that night Kate slept in a bedroom by herself and she knew Jonah was on a sofa.

  She lay in the dark and thought how marvelous the day had been and how she loved his family. And she knew she might as well face the fact that she loved Jonah and probably always would all of her life.

  Should she try to get their marriage together again? As swiftly as she asked herself that question, she knew the answer. Jonah wouldn’t. I won’t ever trust Kate again. His words would haunt her the rest of her life, too.

  What a muddle she had made of everything! She loved Jonah, Henry loved Jonah and there was no going back. She had fought being with him, tried to forget, tried to resist, but it was useless and she knew why. She loved the man with all her heart.

  Would she love him when he started doing dangerous things again?

  She couldn’t answer that question, because she hated it every time he rushed into danger. She had hated living with that constant threat.

  She rubbed her forehead and felt caught in the same dilemma she had been in when they were married. If they went back together now—if he ever would—could she live with his willingness to take risks?

  She didn’t think she could if it was like it had been before. With Henry, she would worry even more when Jonah did something risky, because not only would it mean her losing Jonah, it would mean Henry losing the father he adored.

  And Henry adored Jonah. There was no mistaking the bond that had swiftly forged between father and son. It was mutual and permanent. Thank goodness Henry had none of that penchant for doing daredevil things. She knew Jonah saw his son as shy and quiet, but Kate was thankful for Henry’s caution.

  She stared into the darkness. “I love you, Jonah Whitewolf,” she whispered in the empty room. “I always have and I always will.” She might not want to be married to him, but she had to admit that she loved him still, and there was little likelihood that was ever going to change.

  It definitely wouldn’t change as long as she was living in the same house with him, seeing him daily, doing things with him constantly.

  She ached with wanting him, yet couldn’t get up and go to the kitchen or swim or sit on the balcony at his parent’s house. She was stuck in the bedroom, unable to sleep, facing the truth for the first time in a long time about her feelings for Jonah.

  It was late Sunday afternoon when they kissed everyone goodbye. Dressed in shorts and a black tank top, Kate held Henry tightly. “Be good, and call me anytime you want. Daddy gave you a cell phone to keep while you’re here, and you can call on that. I love you.”

  “I love you,” he said, kissing her cheek. She hugged him tightly and set him down, watching as Jonah hugged him in turn. Her heart lurched at the sight of father and son together. Jonah was in a T-shirt and jeans, Henry dressed the same. Henry’s thin arms wrapped around Jonah’s neck tightly.

  Then Maggie hugged Kate. “Don’t worry about Henry,” the older woman said quietly. “If he gets unhappy, I’ll call you.”

  “I don’t think he’s going to miss us at all,” Kate said, smiling at her mother-in-law.

  “There are a lot of little boys here for him to play with.”

  Nodding, Kate turned to hug Neighbor. She hugged other relatives, kissed Henry again, and it was another ten minutes before they were in Jonah’s car, driving south on the sweeping highway bordered by endless fields of grass. In the far distance, sky and earth meshed and were indistinguishable.

  Overhead, its wings spread wide, a hawk circled on warm air currents high above the rush of cars on the interstate, and Kate marveled at this new state she resided in, so different from North Carolina. Texas and Jonah were synonymous to her. Texans were so friendly, yet as tough and enduring as the land beneath their feet.

  “I meant to get away an hour earlier so you wouldn’t be pressed getting up to go to work tomorrow,” Jonah remarked.

  “I’ll be fine. We’ll get home about ten. You know, I’ve been thinking. I keep scrapbooks of Henry’s pictures, so we ought to start getting two copies of everything. I can keep one for you, too.”

  “Sounds fine to me. It was a fabulous weekend, Kate.”

  “Yes, it was, except I’ll bet you didn’t sleep much on that short sofa.”

  “I slept on the floor,” he admitted.

  She laughed. “Sorry, Jonah. I had the bed.”

  “Which you didn’t offer to share,” he teased.

  “At your parents’? I don’t think so!”

  “We’ve shared one there before plenty of times, and if we had, my back wouldn’t have a crook in it today.”

  “We were married then, and I don’t think your back has a crook in it at all.”

  “Want to see?” he asked.

  She laughed, feeling bubbly and exhilarated. “No, I don’t! You keep your hands on the wheel, or let me drive.”

  “I might let you drive, and then I can sit and look at you while we talk.”

  “Jonah, you’re flirting again.”

  “It’s harmless and makes the drive a lot more interesting. And if it makes you laugh, that’s great! I’ll meet you in town and take you to dinner tomorrow night.”

  “I thought we agreed that while Henry is gone, we were going to try to avoid each other.”

  “It’s just to eat dinner, which you have to do anyway. Come on, Kate, lighten up. I’m trying to get over the anger I felt. Help me out here.”

  She stared at him in consternation. “I want you to get over your anger toward me, but at the same time, you and I have…” Her voice trailed away and she bit her lip.

  “Have what?” he asked, his brow arching as he glanced at her and then looked back at the road. “What, Kate? I can’t wait to hear the rest.”

  “You know good and well that we have this chemistry between us that’s like dynamite. We ought to keep a million miles between us.”

  “That’s dull and careful and far too practical. Life is meant for living. And we can bank some of that chemistry. Look at us now—we’re doing all right and having a friendly conversation. Nothing more.”

  “That’s because you have to drive this car,” she remarked dryly. “If we were sitting on your terrace at home, I don’t think things would be so circumspect.”

  “I’ll bet they would. I’ll wager the price of dinner tomorrow night. Wanna bet me?”

  She had to laugh at him. “Jonah, you’re hopeless and you’re going to do what you’re going to do whether it’s wise or not.”

  He grinned. “Isn’t this a lot better than driving home not speaking to each other?”

  “Yes, of course it is,” she said softly, feeling her resistance weakening. It hadn’t been even twenty-four hours since she had promised herself to be extra cautious around him this week. Yet they were in the car and he had to keep his h
ands on the wheel and his attention on the road. The minute they reached the house, they’d need to go their separate ways. If they couldn’t resist each other when each of them was hurt and angry, it would be impossible if they had no buffers between them. This friendly atmosphere was the road to seduction and hurt.

  “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “I’m thinking we just increased the risk for more heartache.”

  “By being friendly? I don’t think so, Kate. Life is meant to be lived, not spent in anger.”

  “So forgive and forget and trust again?”

  He drew a deep breath and became silent, and she knew that she had just brought his anger back. But it had been a happy interlude.

  “See, Jonah, friendship is only skin deep.”

  “You used to be the best friend I had in the whole world,” he said gruffly, and she noticed his fingers had tightened on the steering wheel.

  “And you were mine,” she said.

  For another twenty minutes they rode in silence. Kate found herself wrapped in thoughts about Henry, remembering something funny he had told her the night before.

  “Jonah, last night when Henry said his prayers at bedtime, he had a line wrong. He said ‘deliver us from eagles.”’

  Jonah smiled. “Did you tell him he doesn’t need to pray to be delivered from eagles? It’s evil that he needs to worry about?”

  “Yes. He asked me if evil was someone trying to bomb our barn.”

  “Do you think he’s frightened about the bombing?”

  “No. It doesn’t mean much in his life, and he slept through it.”

  “I don’t know where he gets that sound sleeping. Not from you or me or anyone in my family. I guess your dad could sleep through most things.”

  “That he could. Clementine is the one who is upset over it.”

  “I know she is,” Jonah answered. “I’ve given her and Marvella more time off. Both women will come in just once a week for now.”

  As the miles sped past, they talked about Henry, and Jonah’s nieces and nephews. They stopped along the road to get sandwiches, and soon conversation was back on a friendly basis. But there was no more flirting, and the talk was the same as it would have been between two casual acquaintances. Yet Kate was relaxed and enjoyed the ride with him.

  By the time they reached the ranch, it was dark. When they entered the kitchen, Jonah turned to her. “Let’s swim and have a cold drink. I know you’re not going to sleep this early, and I’m not, either.”

  When she hesitated, he said, “C’mon, that’s a big pool.”

  Knowing she was once again tossing aside all promises she had made to herself, she nodded. “Why are you always so irresistible?”

  His brows arched, and he crossed the room to her, setting her pulse racing. He stopped only a foot away, entirely too close. “I’m not the irresistible one, Kate. That’s you. I can’t stop flirting or wanting you or dreaming about you or a million other things. We both know we should avoid each other, yet neither one of us wants to do that. I damn well don’t want to tonight. I’ll miss Henry and so will you. It’s as if he’s been in my life always. So let’s swim like crazy and maybe wear ourselves out enough that we won’t want to make love.”

  “Oh, Jonah!” She looked into his dark eyes, which blazed with desire. He trailed his finger along her cheek and his touch was electric, causing her nerves to quiver and her skin to tingle.

  “Dammit, Kate, it’s impossible,” he whispered, and she saw that he was going to kiss her.

  Chapter 11

  H e stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

  She gasped, looking up at him, and then desire raged like wildfire, heating her and making her tremble. Pent-up longing was impossible to hold back.

  He bent his head, his mouth coming down to cover hers. She opened her mouth, her tongue stroking his while she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him.

  His arms tightened and he moved closer, pulling her close in his embrace. With the first masterful stroke of his own tongue, her body turned boneless and desire became all-consuming, tearing at her and making her want him more than she ever had before in her life.

  Wrong or right, hurt and heartache, it no longer mattered. She wanted his loving and wanted to love him.

  As if a dam had burst, all her longing pounded through her veins, setting her pulse racing.

  “Jonah, Jonah!” she exclaimed, while her hands slid along the strong column of his neck. Her fingers tangled in his thick, straight hair. She wanted to explore and touch him everywhere, as if she had never done so before in her life.

  She pressed her hips against his, feeling his hard arousal. He wanted her—his kisses were proof of that. Scalding kisses that made her hot and shaky and eager.

  All those promises to herself of resistance were going up in smoke. And she didn’t care. She loved the man and she wanted to love him and be loved by him.

  Desire was white-hot, blazing uncontrollably in her, burning away caution. She wanted to love him the rest of the night. She wanted his kisses and his hands on her, his body on hers. She had to kiss and touch him everywhere.

  “Jonah,” she breathed, gasping and then kissing him again. His hands slipped over her back and down to her buttocks, and she moaned. Every touch, each kiss was fuel on a fire already raging out of control. How could she want him this badly?

  His arms tightened, and he leaned over her, causing her to cling to him, her body molding to his as his kisses devoured and inflamed her. His tongue stroked hers, deeply and passionately, making it clear that his desire was overwhelming, too.

  She shook, stunned by the force of their attraction.

  “Kate, I want you,” he muttered, almost growling the words as his tongue traced the curve of her ear and his warm breath caused more tingles.

  She ached for him deep inside, wanting all of the loving he could give her. His hands drifted slowly over her bottom, tugging her tank top out of her shorts. He stepped back, pulled the top over her head and flung it aside.

  With the same desperate movements, her fingers shaking, she pulled his T-shirt out of his jeans and over his head, looking into his eyes. She saw his surprise and knew he had expected her to say no or push against him or give some token of resistance. He hadn’t ever guessed that she would want him as desperately as he seemed to want her.

  He wound his fingers in her hair and tilted her head up to look down into her eyes, and she gasped at the hot desire in his gaze. “You want this, don’t you?”

  “Yes!” she cried. “Oh, yes, I want you!”

  “Kate—” He broke off to kiss her once more, demolishing all reason. When he raised his head again, his dark brown eyes pierced hers like laser beams. “What we do to each other,” he said, as if the words were forced from him. His fingers tightened in her hair, and she didn’t know whether anger or desire was driving him now.

  “What we do to each other is ecstasy,” she murmured, trailing her tongue across his chest, running her palm over one nipple while her tongue stroked the other one.

  He inhaled sharply and dropped his hands to the waist of her shorts, quickly unfastening them and pushing them away. He unsnapped the clasp of her lacy bra, removed it and stepped back to cup her breasts, looking at her with so much desire and heat that she quivered and wanted back in his embrace.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman on earth,” he whispered, and bent his head to take her nipple in his mouth, to bite gently, to lick and tease while she gasped with pleasure, an exquisite torment.

  She wrapped her fingers in his hair, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back, momentarily riveted by sensations that shot through every inch of her and then pooled low, a raging desire.

  “Jonah,” she gasped, leaning forward to nip lightly along his neck and shoulder, her hands running over his upper arms, feeling the taut, powerful muscles. She dragged her palms over his muscled chest and down over a flat, washboard stomach that was as muscled as the r
est of him.

  With fumbling fingers, she tugged open the buttons of his jeans and pushed them away. She hooked her fingers in his briefs and pushed them down, sliding her hands along his strong thighs.

  “Jonah!” Gazing at him, she snagged his wrists so that he couldn’t touch her. She knelt, her tongue flicking out, trailing along the inside of his thigh, while her hand wrapped around his thick shaft and she stroked him.

  He moaned and a tremor shook him when she trailed her tongue higher, then along his hard length, taking him in her mouth.

  He slid his hands under her arms to lift her up, and when she looked into his eyes, her heart thudded with the hunger she saw mirrored in his gaze. He wrapped her in his embrace, kissing her senseless again.

  Jonah shook with desire. He wanted Kate as he had never wanted her before, knowing that he was finally letting loose all the pent-up longing he had kept bottled up for so long.

  His shock when she had indicated she wanted him still reverberated through him. He’d expected the resistance and reluctance he had gotten ever since their divorce. But it was gone. She was wild in his arms, giving back as much as she got, driving him to a point where it was an almighty struggle to maintain his iron control.

  But he wanted to keep that control and make this last. She might not ever yield eagerly to him again. Yield and give with a total, passionate response that all but melted his insides.

  She was breathtakingly beautiful, her body so incredibly desirable. He was rock hard, hurting, ready and wanting her, yet he wanted so much more. He had dreamed of this moment for over five years now, longed for it. Imagined it when he had been stuck in dangerous situations where he had to just sit and wait.

  Now the time was here and he wanted it to last. He wanted to savor every second of it and every inch of her luscious body, which she was offering so eagerly.

  Her hands were all over him, driving him wild. Every touch, every movement, every kiss from her sent his pulse racing and his heart pounding. Did she know that, at this point in time, he would do anything for her?