by Cindy Stark
“Can we go now? I really want to be away from here.”
“Of course. Hang here for a minute while I return to the house to say goodbye and give Lydia her gun. Then we’ll go.”
****
Scarlett shivered the entire time she waited for Jesse and the whole ride home. The evening was cold, but it was Hank’s presence that had chilled her, as though he’d immersed her in a tub full of ice water. True to his word, Jesse drove past his house and then circled back to make sure he hadn’t been followed. He parked around back and kept the interior lights in his truck off, leaving them to walk in complete darkness to the house. He closed all the blinds before he turned on a light.
Once back in the safety of his house, her fears lessened, and she allowed Jesse to help her with her coat. His presence was the only reason she could face the events that had transpired that evening. “I can’t believe he came all the way here. I can’t imagine where he might have checked before coming to Moose Meadows.”
He tugged her against him, wrapping her in his safe, strong arms. “Seems like he’s grasping at straws. That’s one of the reasons I think he won’t be back. I’m sure he’s checked numerous places, and it’s a totally desperate, final pitch that he’d even come here.”
“I’m sure it’s because Marie helped me on the side of the road that day. She wouldn’t leave me alone with him. Insisted we stay put until help arrived. She stood up to his authority, and that wouldn’t go unnoticed with him. Especially when I turned up missing. He’d know someone helped me. She’s the most likely suspect.”
“Makes sense. But you weren’t here as far as he knows. I expect he’ll ask around town, but no one knows you’re living with me, so they’ll corroborate our stories. He’ll discover there’s nothing to see, and he’ll leave.”
She had to believe he was right. Otherwise, her future looked bleak. “I hope so. I’m going to ask if Marie could email if it seems he’s left town for any length of time.”
“Great idea. We should have done that already.”
The urge to ask if she could stay with him in his bed that night gnawed at her. Yes, they’d made love, but they’d always found their way back to their own beds afterward. She wasn’t sure why, and she’d never questioned it. She supposed sleeping together made it seem more serious than they were. After all, once they started living like husband and wife, how would they stop?
Apparently, neither of them was ready for that level.
But she couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping alone that night. For one, it was doubtful she’d get any sleep after her close call. But secondly, she ached to claim this sanctuary for her own and that included the right to snuggle into Jesse’s arms.
She caught his gaze and widened her eyes. “Do you think we could sit on the couch for a while? My stomach is all fluttery, and I don’t think I can sleep.”
He glanced at the clock, and she knew she was asking for a lot. He’d need to be up early, and for a man who worked hard all day, he needed to get to bed, not babysit her. “Are you still scared?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit it. “A little.”
“Can I take you to bed with me? No sex. I’d feel better with you close anyway. At least until we know Psycho is back home.”
Gratitude blossomed inside her. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
He shrugged off her sentiment. “I’m not sure why we don’t sleep together anyway.”
Her heart trembled from the implication. “Me, either.”
His irresistible smile appeared. “Unless you want to have sex. Then I’d be down with that.”
She rolled her eyes as she playfully pushed against his chest. “Life or death situation, and all you can think about is sex.”
Jesse tightened his hold, sending a tempting pulse racing through her. “It’s not all I think about.” He lowered his lips to hers in a soft kiss. “And you were never in danger.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “You just met him. How can you not see he’s crazy? You just called him psycho yourself.”
Dark eyes bored into hers, the intensity leaving her unsettled. “Because I’d have to be dead in my grave before he’ll touch you again.”
The muscles in her throat tightened with emotion. “Don’t talk about you dying. Ever. Under any circumstances.” She’d survived a lot, but she didn’t think she could come this far, find this wonderful man, and then suffer through that loss, too.
“I’m not afraid of him, Scarlett. He’s a spineless asshole who pushes women around. He’s not going to fuck with me. I’d take him down, and he knows it.”
“How can you know that?”
“I saw it in his eyes earlier. The way he talked to Lydia. The look in his eye when he talked to me.”
She didn’t know why she’d questioned him. She’d already known that about Hank. He preyed on those he considered weaker. “Tomorrow, would you show me how to use a gun? I love that you’re willing to protect me from him. I’d like to be able to do that for myself, too.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll show you where I keep my guns, too. I have a pistol in the truck glove box that will be easy for you to handle.”
His agreement helped to ease her nerves.
A spark of mischief caught in his eye. “I should mention though, I usually charge for those services.”
She tilted her head and worked to give him an annoyed look. “You know I don’t have any money. At least not until you start paying me.”
He lifted his brows in an innocent gesture. “I suppose we could go back to the old-fashioned way of bartering.”
She knew exactly where he was headed with their conversation. “Bartering?” she asked, playing along.
“Trading goods or services for other goods or services.”
She tucked her lips in for a moment to keep from smiling. “I have no goods to barter with.”
“Services?” he asked with a devilish grin.
She stepped back so she could better look him in the eye, and she placed her hands on her hips. “You’d like me to perform a service for you?”
“Yes.” He grinned and reached for her, but she escaped his grasp. “I’d like you to rub my back.”
She laughed then. “You, sir, are a scoundrel,” she said, using a favorite line from a romance novel she’d read earlier that day, back before everything had gone to hell.
“Scoundrel, huh? I kind of like that.” He lunged for her, and this time, he caught her. She protested as he lifted her into his arms and headed for the stairs. But not too much, for she was right where she wanted to be.
Chapter Twenty
Scarlett straddled Jesse’s ass as he lay sprawled over his bed. Her hands pressed deep into his shoulders, and she took more gratification than she should have with each groan or sigh of pleasure. She loved touching him. The smooth skin on his back. The way his shoulders narrowed to his hips. The way having his powerful body between her thighs left her head spinning.
She was a wanton woman. A jezebel by all means. Offering her body, one that legally belonged to another, and taking no shame in the pleasure she’d found with Jesse. Worse, the more she touched him, the more she wanted him.
Had he known that when he’d settled for a back rub? Neither of them could mistake the chemistry that sizzled between them. It burned hotter than blue fire, but what would happen when it burned out? She shouldn’t have crossed that line with him. But she had, and she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.
He was everything she wanted in a man and more. So much more. She’d paid a humongous price for settling the first time around. Now, she wanted a second chance.
No. She deserved one. And the one she wanted was currently beneath her.
Using her palms, she pressed firmly, moving from hip level up both sides of Jesse’s spine.
“Ah…God. You’re killing me.”
“Do you want me to stop?” she offered as she straightened.
He didn’t hesitate to answer. “No.�
�
Good. Because she had no intention of stopping. Not until she had him right where she wanted him.
“We’re going to have to step up the number of back rubs. You’re as tense as ever,” she said as she shimmied off the tank she usually wore to bed. He couldn’t see that she’d bared her breasts and that all she wore was a tiny pair of boy shorts. But he would soon. Sweet anticipation built, and she could hardly wait for his reaction when he discovered her intent.
“I know,” he groaned against the pillow. “I work too hard. You’ve told me a million times. Didn’t help with all the shit that went down tonight.”
She didn’t want to think about that right now. “You need to relax more,” she crooned.
“I am. Right now.”
“More,” she whispered. She repeated the previous stroke up his back, not pressing quite as hard, but this time, instead of straightening, she continued until she lay flat on him. The sensual thrill of her bare skin next to his left her shivering.
“Scarlett,” he groaned as his body tightened.
“Shhh…” She kissed the side of his neck as she slid her arms outward over his. “I want to feel you.”
His arms were much longer, but she liked that her body mirrored his. She buried her nose against his hair and breathed him in. “You smell good. I like your shampoo.”
“I like your shampoo, too,” he countered. With one quick move, he bucked her off him and tossed her onto her back. She landed next to him, and he wasted no time claiming the top spot. He lifted a lock of hair that lay across her chest and circled it around his finger before he kissed it.
“Oh, hey. What’s this?” he asked as though he’d barely discovered she wore no shirt, which she knew wasn’t true. He cupped a breast from beneath, sending shivers cascading through her.
She laughed and squirmed, enjoying his teasing right up until he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Then everything changed. She gasped at the tiny explosions that broke across her skin. One moment she was laughing, the next holding on for dear life, eager to lose herself in ecstasy.
It didn’t matter how long she lived. She’d never get enough of him.
Still nuzzling her, he settled between her thighs, and she wrapped her legs around him, never wanting to let him go. She buried her fingers in his hair as he made sweet love to her breasts.
When he lifted his head, his intense gaze caught her off guard. She’d expected him to be lost in a similar sensual haze as she was, but he was stone-cold serious. “I don’t know if I can live without this, Scarlett. Without you.”
What? Her heart paused, and she couldn’t breathe.
He studied her eyes, electric currents flashing between them. “Say something.”
“I…” His confession jumbled her thoughts, and she couldn’t sort them fast enough.
“I need to know.” His voice was low and controlled. “Is this thing between us something you’re doing to pass the time? Are we together because it’s convenient?”
She swallowed. “Convenient?”
He confirmed with a tip of his head. “Until you feel safe enough to leave? Is our time together entertainment? A way to pass the days because you’re stuck here with me?”
“No,” she said with a rush of emotion. “How could you think that?” Unless… “Is it for you?” If so, her heart was screwed.
His features softened as he studied her. “No.” He drew a roughened finger from her temple to her chin. “I’ve tried to love you like there’s no tomorrow, like today might be all we have. But I’ve found I can’t. I want more. Unless of course this is all a game for you. If so, we need to stop. I can’t get any deeper if you’re playing with me.”
Her heart ached for the pain that lay beneath his words. His ex-wife had left deep scars that Scarlett longed to erase. She framed his face with her hands. “I’m not playing with you. That’s not me.”
He sighed. “I know,” he whispered. “It’s not either of us.”
But she could tell he was still scared of heartbreak. “I talked to Lydia today. She figured us out.”
A smile cracked on his lips. “Should have known she would.”
“We talked about me getting a divorce. She has a cousin who’s a lawyer, and she’s going to ask him if I need to show up in court for the decree. She thinks he could keep my location a secret, too.”
He stared at her for endless seconds. “Really?”
She nodded, a smile rising to her lips. Speaking it out loud, promising this amazing man, cemented it in her mind. Despite how terrifying it might be, she would be free of her tormenter. She’d been brave enough to come this far, and she could go farther. Though she hadn’t told him in specific terms, she’d taken his fears and promised she’d treasure his heart.
“Best thing I’ve heard in forever.” He cradled her head and lowered his lips to hers. His kiss ignited intense sensations like she’d never known, and fierce desire ripped through her like a wildfire through parched timber.
He paused long enough to capture her gaze and then drove into her like a man possessed by incredible need. She gasped at the powerful way he’d claimed her and then fell headfirst into a pool of all-consuming love and desire.
He owned her body like he owned this beautiful land, and she couldn’t be happier. She dug her nails into the firm flesh of his shoulders, knowing that he was hers as well. The prospect of keeping him in her life swelled in her heart and mixed with the potent need pulsing through her veins. It whispered that he was the one, and she needed to cherish him forever.
She closed her eyes as physical sensations overpowered her mind. Each stroke of him inside her stole her rationality until she was nothing but a mass of fiery nerves. Intensity built, and she fought to control it, wanting to savor the exquisite feeling of hovering on the brink.
Then it overpowered her. The rush of spasms and mind-blowing sensations thundered through her like a herd of wild horses, all beautiful and crazy chaos that made perfect sense in her mind.
The fierceness of his lovemaking increased until he stiffened and his body shuddered over top of hers. He held her gaze as he emptied his seed and then collapsed next to her on the bed.
No one needed to tell her their act had been much more than physical. They’d shared bodies and hearts in a way that would never allow an unraveling without decimating both their hearts.
Her path had been marked and staked, and there could be no other way for her now.
Chapter Twenty-One
Scarlett scanned the figures from Jesse’s operation for the previous year. There had to be a way to squeeze a little more from his budget and a little less from expenses. She needed to find a way to make them meet in the middle and keep him on solid ground. Things looked bleak. Too bleak, and he hadn’t gotten as much as he needed from the sale of his cattle.
Her mind often tried to wander down the road of what would happen to Jesse and to her if he lost everything. Where would they go? Would he even be able to take her with him? He could barely carry his own weight as it was.
Maybe she could renegotiate the price they paid for hay. Or maybe ask to extend the payment period. He’d purchased feed from them for years and was a good customer. It would be in their best interest, too, if they didn’t lose a loyal client.
Tired of scrutinizing numbers, she sighed and closed her eyes for several long moments. She should probably work on something else instead of this fruitless, frustrating endeavor. At least she wouldn’t be spinning her wheels.
Before she did, she checked email and smiled at the daily reassurance Marie now sent telling her Hank was in town. Even though the state of her future was still unknown, she’d take uncertainty with Jesse at her side rather than anything else.
On days like these when she knew Hank couldn’t be hovering amongst the trees, she wasn’t afraid of venturing outside, to the barn, maybe even farther. If it wasn’t so cold, she’d practice shooting again. Jesse had been an excellent coach. He’d helped her to feel comfortable with a
weapon in her hand, and her aim was getting better and better.
Maybe, come spring, when she was more certain Hank wouldn’t come back, she’d go into town like Jesse encouraged her to do. For now, she was happy on his ranch.
Winter’s chill had set in, but she didn’t care. The crisp, clear air would tear through her, reminding her of how alive she was and how pure and beautiful life could be.
More than two months had passed since she’d left Hank, and she was surprised how much she’d changed since gaining her freedom. Even if Hank somehow found her now, she was no longer the shell of a woman he’d carved her into before. She doubted he’d like her very much at all.
But she loved herself. Loved the more confident woman she’d become. Loved the quaint life she’d come to know. She didn’t need to get out in the big, wide world to find where she belonged. She’d just needed to find the right, small space, and she had.
Blinking her way back to the present, she closed the spreadsheet she’d been studying. She clicked to shut down the computer, but the sound of the front door slamming open brought her straight to her feet. Panic surged, and her first thought was to retrieve one of Jesse’s guns, but the closest was in the kitchen, and she was in the office next to the front door. Before she could consider other options, Jesse stormed past.
“Hey,” she called out to stop him.
He appeared in the doorway, out of breath. “What have you done?” He held several pieces of paper and gestured to her with them for effect.
She caught sight of the Internal Revenue Service’s logo and froze. “What do you mean?” Had her attempts to help him actually hurt him?
“I mean what is this? Why is the I.R.S. contacting me again? What did you do?”
She swallowed as all blood drained into her feet, leaving her light-headed. “I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”
