Rich Rancher's Redemption

by Maureen Child

  Jillian looked at the apartment and gave a short sigh of satisfaction. The walls were now a soft green. There were framed photos from magazines of places she one day wanted to visit on the walls and a few brightly colored rugs she’d found at the consignment shop on the floor. She’d made a room divider from two old doors she’d found at a garage sale and used it to block her bed from the rest of the room. It was still small, of course, but now it had personality. It was home. Hers and Mac’s.

  “I can’t believe you did all of this. It looks great.”

  “Thanks.” She picked up her small, black bag and swung the rose-colored wrap Lucy had loaned her over her shoulders.

  Jesse looked her up and down again and said, “You keep surprising me.”

  “Is that bad?” she asked, meeting his gaze.

  “No. I like surprises.”

  The look in his eyes sent heat sizzling across her skin. Jillian took a breath and relished the burn. What he could do to her with his eyes was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. “Me, too.”

  His eyes flashed. “Good to know.”

  Oh, boy. She turned for the door. He grabbed her upper arm, spun her around and pulled her in tightly to him.

  “Surprise,” he whispered just before he bent his head and took her mouth with the kind of hunger that vanquished anything that stood in its way.

  At the first touch of his mouth, Jillian gasped, then sighed, lifting her arms to hook them around his neck. He parted her lips with his tongue and she welcomed it, tangling her tongue with his in a seductive dance that had her heart hammering in her chest and her blood rushing through her veins.

  She felt a burning ache awaken deep inside her and it throbbed in time with her heartbeat. Jesse’s hands dropped from her waist to her hips, then swept beneath the short hem of her skirt to explore the curve of her behind with wide, callused palms. Jillian groaned in the back of her throat and held him more tightly.

  He caressed her rear with long, sure strokes until she was quivering in his grasp. Jillian’s breath staggered in her lungs. It was as if she were actually living one of the dreams she’d been having the last few weeks. Only better. Much better. He was so tall, so strong, so overwhelming to every one of her senses, she could hardly think straight.

  When he tore his mouth from hers and looked down into her eyes, he blew out a breath. “I had to have that taste of you,” he admitted, voice rough and low.

  “I’m glad,” she said, then stroked her fingertips along his jaw.

  “Yeah. I hate to say it, but we’ve got to go to that damn party.” He ran one hand through her hair, letting the silky strands slide through his fingers. “And if we don’t go now...”

  Jillian dropped her forehead to his chest and fought for air. Kissing him had opened up a whole new world of sensation for her and she was shaking in response. She wanted more. But she knew he was right.

  “You’re right,” she said, lifting her gaze to his. “We should go. Besides, I think I need a drink.”

  He grinned briefly. “You are not alone.”

  * * *

  The Texas Cattlemen’s Club was crowded, noisy and decorated with black and white balloons and hundreds of strings of tiny white lights. Waiters moved through the mob of people like ballet dancers, balancing silver trays loaded with either canapés or flutes of champagne. Music streamed from the far end of the great room where a local five-piece band played on a stage.

  Jesse supposed it was a good party, and he knew this one night would raise thousands of dollars for the Royal Health Clinic. Still, he thought, as he looked at the beautiful woman on his arm, he wished the evening were over so they could be alone again. That kiss still burned through him. His body felt tight and if he didn’t keep his mind off the taste of Jillian, he wouldn’t be able to walk.

  “It looks beautiful,” she said, looking up at him, eyes shining, wide, delicious mouth curved in a smile.

  “No, it looks nice. You’re beautiful.” She just stared at him, her eyes warm and soft, and Jesse had to tear his gaze from hers before he gave in to that nagging urge to taste her again. “How about some champagne?”

  “Sure. Thank you.”

  He stopped a passing waiter, took two glasses from him and handed one to Jillian.

  “It looks like half the town is here,” she said, leaning in to make sure he could hear her over the crush of conversations and swell of music.

  “That sounds about right,” he said, letting his gaze slide over the gathered crowd. He nodded to old friends, then spotted someone he thought Jillian should meet. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to Will’s wife.”

  “His wife? Oh, that’s right. She was at the service, too. Who’s the other woman?”

  “Allison Cartwright.”

  “Megan, Allison, good to see you both,” he said. “I wanted you to meet my new business partner, Jillian Norris.”

  Beside him, Jillian jolted, clearly surprised at his introduction.

  He looked at her and whispered, “The whole town will know soon enough.”

  “You’re right.” She nodded and shook hands with both women.

  “So what kind of business are you in?” Megan asked.

  “I’m opening a pie shop.”

  “Oh, lovely,” Allison said on a deep sigh. “I do love a good pie.”

  “That’s a great accent,” Jillian said, focusing on the lovely redhead. “Ireland?”

  Allison grinned. “You’ve a good ear. Most don’t guess right first off.”

  “Well, I’m from Vegas and we got visitors from all over the world, so I recognize different accents.” She took a sip of champagne. “Have you moved here permanently, Allison?”

  “I wish I could, but sadly, my visa is soon to expire.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “So am I,” Megan said and dropped one arm around Allison’s shoulders. “We’re going to try to get it extended, though, right?”

  “Worth a try.” Allison flipped her long red hair back over her shoulder. “I’m having a lovely time in your country. There’s so much to see and do and I’m not nearly ready to go home yet.”

  “Hopefully you won’t have to,” Jesse said.

  He took hold of Jillian’s hand and she curled her fingers around his. That simple connection with her, the feel of her warm, soft hand was enough to awaken barely banked embers inside him.

  Allison beamed at their joined hands and Jesse made a mental note to talk to Rand Gibson at some point about the woman’s visa. Rand was second in command to Will as CEO at Spark Energy Solutions. Will couldn’t do it since he was still in hiding. So as much as Jesse hated getting involved in the business end of the family empire, it would be up to him to check on this.

  But tonight wasn’t about business. Tonight was to show Jillian around. He’d already noticed that every man in the room had watched her walking across the room. And he couldn’t blame them. Hell, he could hardly take his eyes off her himself. That dress was designed to break a man. Her hair, long and wavy, was a golden blond temptation. Those heels she wore made her long legs look even longer than usual, and every time she took a breath, her breasts lifted beneath the deeply cut bodice and the view about stopped his heart.

  And he couldn’t get the taste of her out of his mind. The feel of her body pressed to his. The sigh of her breath against his cheek. Her eager response to his kiss. His body tightened, and Jesse silently wished they’d never left her tiny apartment.

  He gave Jillian’s hand a squeeze and held on. “I promised Jillian a dance, so if you ladies will excuse us...”

  “Absolutely,” Megan said, lifting her glass in a toast. “Enjoy yourselves.”

  The woman’s smile was wistful, and Jesse understood why. He felt bad for Megan. She’d been sucked into the world’s weirdest soap opera. But she was a standup, he’d give her that.
She was sticking with Will and doing everything she could to help them find the bastard who had screwed with all of their lives.

  But he wasn’t going to think about any of that tonight, either. Jesse led Jillian through the crowd and idly noticed Rand Gibson standing in the shadows where he was close enough to have been listening in on the conversation he and Jillian had been having with Megan and Allison. Jesse frowned to himself. Why the hell would Rand be eavesdropping?

  Shaking his head, Jesse took Jillian’s champagne flute and together with his, left them on an empty table. Then keeping a firm grip on her hand, he threaded their way toward the dance floor. Several times he paused briefly along the way to introduce Jillian to different people. Everyone was excited by the idea of a pie shop opening on Main Street and that boded well for business. And, he told himself, once people tasted Jillian’s pies, they’d be customers for life.

  “Who’s that?” Jillian poked his shoulder then discreetly pointed at a couple who were being toasted by a small crowd.

  Jesse smiled briefly. “That’s Knox McCoy and Selena Jacobs. They’re just recently engaged, so that’s a celebration.”

  “Aw, that’s so nice.” Jillian sighed a little, and he wondered what it was about talk of weddings that turned women into marshmallows. On the dance floor, he swung her into his arms and began moving to the music, steering her smoothly into the steps.

  “You’re a good dancer,” she said.

  “Don’t sound so surprised.” Jesse slid his open palm up and down her bare back. “Cora Lee made sure both of her sons wouldn’t stomp a girl’s feet flat on the dance floor.”

  She laughed, tipping her head back to gaze up at him. “I knew I liked your mother.”

  He looked down into her eyes and fresh heat erupted between them. She took a breath and licked her lips, and Jesse nearly groaned. He was in a bad way here and fighting like hell to hold on to the few slippery threads of his control.

  He trailed his fingers along her spine, and she shivered, her eyes going a little glassy. “I really like this dress,” he said.

  “Right now,” she said softly, “I really like it, too.”

  “I don’t think I even told you how beautiful you look tonight.”

  “You did. And just did again.”

  “It deserves repeating.” He moved into a turn, holding her tightly, watching her long, silky hair fly out around her shoulders. “You puzzle me.”

  She grinned. “Isn’t that a nice thing to say?”

  “There it is again. Puzzlement.”

  “I’m an open book, Jesse.”

  He laughed. “Women always say that, but doesn’t matter if the book’s open if it’s written in a language you can’t read.”

  “You seem to do all right.”

  He shook his head and looked into eyes that haunted him day and night. “No. There isn’t a man alive who can translate that book.”

  She smiled, laid her head on his shoulder and followed his lead. The music flowed on from one song to the next without breaking stride, and so Jesse continued to glide across the floor, holding her pressed to him.

  “Thank you for bringing me here tonight,” she said quietly, lifting her head to look up at him. “I know you didn’t want to come, but you did anyway.”

  “It was worth it to see you in that dress.” His gaze locked on hers.

  “You look very handsome in that tux.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted briefly. “The tux is a small price to pay for dancing with the most beautiful woman here.”

  “You’re pretty smooth when you want to be, aren’t you?”

  “You bring it out in me.”

  “Not until tonight,” she said, laughing.

  “Well, a lot of things changed tonight.”

  She sighed a little and again chewed at that bottom lip. He’d noticed she did that a lot when she was nervous, or unsteady about something, and he was glad to know she was as on edge as he was.

  “I guess so,” she said, and shivered. “That kiss...”

  Instantly, his body fisted. He trailed his fingers up and down her spine, enjoying the sparks in her eyes as she reacted to his touch. “Yeah, I’m thinking about that, too.”

  “What’re you thinking exactly?”

  “I’m thinking we should do it again as soon as we get clear of this place.” He waited to see her reaction.

  “And I think that’s a great idea.” She slid her hand along his shoulder to the back of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair.

  He gritted his teeth, glanced around the crowded room, then shifted his gaze back to hers. “Then let’s do some fast introducing you to a few more of these people and get the hell outta Dodge.”

  That smile of hers was all the encouragement he needed. Leading her off the floor, Jesse made stops at several groups of people. If his friends wondered about why he stopped to say hello and then left again seconds later, it didn’t matter to Jesse. Jillian charmed them all and he watched with a weird sense of pride. She’d been dropped into a new town, without knowing a soul, and she was handling it all with a lot more confidence and style than most would have. She was stronger than she thought and that appealed to him on multiple levels.

  She was creative and kind and ambitious. She was a damn good mother and a hell of a kisser. Everything he discovered about Jillian Norris made him want to learn more.

  A part of him was bothered by that realization. As he’d told Will, Jesse wasn’t in a position to offer Jillian all the things a man should. He already had a family he had to look out for because of his own carelessness. How could he promise someone else forever when he already owed a debt to his sister and her son that he could never repay?

  A sinking sensation opened up in his gut as he watched Jillian smile and laugh at something Sheriff Nathan Battle said. His wife, Amanda, slapped her husband’s forearm playfully, then leaned in and whispered something he didn’t catch to Jillian.

  Still smiling, Jillian looked up at him and everything in Jesse turned over. Her eyes, her smile, the fall of her hair and the touch of her hand all combined to twist Jesse up into so many different knots he couldn’t begin to untangle them. All he knew for sure was that he wanted her more than his next breath.

  Eight

  Twenty minutes later, they were headed for the door. Jesse got her wrap and his hat, then led her out into the cool summer night. The black sky glittered with stars that not even the streetlights could dim. A soft wind shot down the street, lifting the ends of Jillian’s hair and flipping at the hem of her skirt.

  She laughed and admitted, “I won’t remember half of the people I just met.”

  “You’ll meet ’em again,” he told her. “When they come to buy our pies.”

  “Our pies?”

  He winked. “Partners, remember? For now.”

  For now.

  Jillian told herself she’d do well to remember those two words if nothing else from tonight. And she wondered if he wasn’t trying to tell her that more than their business partnership was “for now.” What they felt when they were together wasn’t a declaration of love buzzing between them. This was plain old-fashioned lust. Nothing wrong with that—as long as you didn’t try to convince yourself it was something more.

  A pang of regret jangled her nerves before she could stop it and she shivered a little as she tried to let it go.

  “You’re not cold, are you?”

  “No, it’s nice tonight.”

  He studied her in the dim glow of a streetlight, and Jillian tried to read what he was thinking, feeling, and failed. “If you’ve changed your mind about this, just say so. I’ll walk funny for a week, but it’s all right.”

  Shaking her head, Jillian reached up, cupped his face between her palms and drew him down for a kiss that seared them both. Lust or love, this was too big to ignore. She
had to have him with her even if it was only for this one night.

  His arms came around her like steel bands. He lifted her off her feet and a part of her thrilled to it. In the glow of a streetlight, he kissed her deeply, letting her know without words that he wanted her as badly as she did him. That was powerful and for tonight, it was enough.

  When he finally tore his mouth free of hers and drew in a deep breath, he said, “It’s been killing me, waiting to get another taste of you.”

  A laughing couple burst through the door behind them and Jesse reluctantly set her on her feet. “But this isn’t the place for it.”

  Last chance, she thought. Last chance to change her mind and turn away from what she was feeling before it overwhelmed her. But even as she thought it, Jillian knew it was already too late to go back. Maybe it had been too late since the first day she’d met him.

  “My apartment’s close,” she said, locking her gaze with his.

  “Not close enough.” He grabbed her hand and hurried to his black Range Rover.

  The drive was a short one, but two miles had never seemed so long to her before. Sitting beside him in the warm darkness, every nerve inside her lit up. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man and she’d never been with one like Jesse. He was the quintessential cowboy. Strong, mostly silent and a kindness underlying his strength that made him darn near irresistible. And she was done trying to resist him.

  He parked the car in her building’s lot and in a few minutes, they were up the elevator, and through her front door. He closed it behind them, threw the lock, then picked her up and slammed her against the door. “Have to touch you. Now.”

  “Yes,” she said on a breathy sigh.

  “You in this dress? Driving me crazy all night. Especially,” he said, “since I’ve already had my hands under your skirt and I know you’re not wearing much beneath it.”

  She lifted her chin and turned her head to the side, giving him access to her throat. He dragged his mouth along the column of her neck, and Jillian held tightly to his shoulders. “They’re black.”