by Leah Brooke
By the time he lifted his head, she could barely open her eyes, but the need to see his face compelled her to try.
Rewarded with his slow smile, she reached for him, warmed when he took her hand in his.
“You were supposed to make love to me.”
He paused to kiss her abdomen before getting up from the bed and throwing the covers over her. “I told you that I wouldn’t. You tried to manipulate me into doing so, but I want to make sure you’re all right before I take you again. I want that vibrator.”
Rolling to her side, Lana closed her eyes and smiled, not about to tell him that it was safely tucked in the back of her drawer—at her apartment. “No.”
“I’ll have it, Lana, and when I do, you’re gonna be in big trouble.”
“I’m real scared, cowboy.”
Her words slurred, making him smile.
No. You’re not scared at all.
Filled with satisfaction, J.W. adopted a stern tone while adjusting the covers over her so she wouldn’t get chilled in the air conditioning. “You should be.”
Snuggling deeper into the covers, Lana frowned without opening her eyes. “Why don’t you lie next to me? I want to look at your back.”
Bending to kiss her hair, which was the only thing not hidden by the covers, J.W. smiled. “My back’s fine. I’ll let you rub some liniment on it later. Right now, I want to go check on Apollo.”
And find out how Tommy Avery managed to get so close.
Chapter Thirteen
Lana stared up at Apollo, her smile tremulous. “Are you sure it’s all right?”
She’d insisted on coming around to see Apollo and the other horses several times since she’d almost been thrown, and she still seemed nervous around them.
“Of course. Apollo’s fine. You don’t have to do this, you know.”
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and stepped closer to Apollo, reaching out to touch the saddle. “I need to do this.”
J.W. gave her a smile of encouragement, aware that the ranch hands watched her but kept their distance, not wanting to pressure her.
“Then let’s go for a ride so I can show you your new home.”
“J.W., this isn’t my new home. I told you that I have to go back to my apartment. I’m becoming entirely too dependent on you.”
Hoping that talking would keep her distracted, he mounted Apollo and reached down for her. “Yes. We’re going back to your apartment. To get some more clothes. Give me your hand and put your foot on mine.”
Once he’d settled her in front of him, he started out, holding her tense body close to his. Unable to resist, he bent to nuzzle her neck, one hand pressing against her abdomen, disappointed that it was still flat. “If you’re pregnant, I’m going to have to buy you new clothes.”
Holding on to his arm, Lana smiled at the others as they passed. “I’m perfectly capable of buying my own.”
Irritated, J.W. frowned. “I appreciate the fact that you want to be independent. I admire it. I respect it. But sometimes it’s a pain in the ass.”
“Spoken like a man. From what I’ve seen, men want women to lean on them until it’s inconvenient. Then they want them to stay away from them.”
“Women are mysterious. Full of contradictions.” He kept his horse at a slow pace, not wanting to startle Lana. Running his hand over her arm, he nuzzled her neck again and slowed Apollo even more. “They have the ability to be so soft and yet so strong. I like that you need me in so many ways, but I don’t think you understand that I need you just as much as you need me.”
“You don’t need anyone.”
He smiled humorously at the sadness in her voice. “I didn’t think so either—until I met you. You’ve become indispensable to me. I need your softness. I need your love.”
Lana stiffened. “You don’t need me. I’m no good for you.”
“Bullshit.” His arm tightened around her. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
* * * *
Shaking her head, Lana hurriedly blinked back tears. “I’ve got too much baggage. I’m not the kind of woman you need.”
His lips caressed her neck again, slipping lower to her collarbone. “You’re exactly what I need.”
Lana blew out a breath, but it did nothing to ease the tension. “You need a woman you can fuss over and take care of. I know I’m a mess right now, but I don’t plan to be this way for long.”
“I know that.” Cupping her cheek, he tilted her head back until it rested against his shoulder. His eyes, shadowed by the brim of his hat, searched hers. “I’ve seen glimpses of the woman you were before the attack, and that side of you excites and intrigues me just as much as the vulnerable side of you.”
Shaking her head, Lana tried to pull away, but J.W. firmed his grip, keeping her face turned to his. “You don’t know that side of me.” She gestured toward the land and mountains around them. “This is all beautiful, probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, but the life you’ve chosen isn’t an easy one. You need a strong woman standing beside you, and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be that woman again. What if I do get stronger? What if that happens, and we don’t even get along anymore?”
J.W. slid his hands up to cover her breasts, massaging gently. “We’re both hardheaded and passionate people. We’re gonna fight, Lana.” Nuzzling her neck again, he chuckled softly. “Then we can make up.”
Leaning back against him, she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck, meeting his gaze. “I’m scared, J.W.”
He hadn’t even told her that he loved her.
Brushing his lips against hers, he nodded once. “I know, baby. We’ll take it slow, but I’m sure as hell not going anywhere, and neither are you.”
* * * *
When they returned to the ranch a few hours later, J.W. could see that she’d started to tire, a sharp reminder that she hadn’t fully recovered from the aftereffects of her attack.
Lack of sleep and not eating right had taken their toll, but he was pleased to note that she seemed stronger and had more color each day.
With an arm around her waist, he led her through the back door and into the mudroom. “Hungry?” He knew that Alice had been casually questioning Lana about foods that she liked and had been fixing her favorites.
Smothering a yawn, and probably thinking he hadn’t noticed, she smiled. “Starving. It must be something in the air.”
I got you to relax.
“Did you like riding?”
“Sure, but I didn’t really ride, did I? I sat on your lap.”
So I could hold you and make sure you didn’t fall.
J.W. shrugged, sitting down on the bench to remove his boots. “You’ll learn to ride when you’re ready. I wanted to show you the ranch with no distractions anyway, and I’m a little nervous about you riding when it’s possible that you could be pregnant.”
“I’m probably not, and if I am, I’m not the first woman to be in that condition. Stop fussing.” Lana smiled tiredly, seeming to have trouble keeping her eyes open. “It’s a big ranch, bigger than I thought. You said I only saw a small part of it.”
“You did.” Setting his boots aside, he saw that she’d managed to take one boot off but struggled with the other. “Little by little, you’ll see all of it.” He helped her remove her other boot and helped her to her feet, taking her weight without appearing to do so. “Whatever Alice made smells delicious.”
He’d made it clear that he wanted to keep Lana moving, but didn’t want to tire her, and that she needed to eat and build up her strength.
Alice had immediately become his accomplice.
As J.W. led her to the table where fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a large salad waited, he exchanged a look with Alice. “Lana had her first horseback ride. She’s going to take a bath after lunch to soak so she doesn’t get sore.”
Alice nodded. “I’m sure she’ll feel better after a bath.”
Lana smiled. “I’ll probably take a shower. I
want to get rid of the smell of horses. The chicken smells delicious.”
J.W. watched her eat, smiling when her eyes began to droop.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t seem to stay awake.”
Alice hovered over her, refilling her glass of lemonade. “All that fresh air will do it to you. You’ve been in New York. Ain’t no fresh air there.”
Laughing softly, Lana rose. “I think I’m going to go take a shower. Hopefully it’ll wake me up a little.”
J.W. watched her go, waiting until she’d disappeared into the bedroom before turning to Alice. “Keep an eye on her for me, will you?”
“Of course. Poor thing.”
“Just don’t let her know you’re watching her. I want her to rest as much as possible.”
Sitting back, he looked down the hallway to the closed door to the master bedroom, finding it extremely satisfying to know that she was in there.
“I want her to feel comfortable here. I want her to feel at home.”
“She’s special, isn’t she?”
J.W. smiled at the sound of the shower running, resisting the urge to go to her. He wanted to be there for her, but he’d promised to give her space. “Yes. She is.”
* * * *
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Buck Avery took the bottle of whiskey from his brother with a laugh. “Looks like those rumors we’ve been hearin’ are true. J.W.’s got himself a woman. Funny that our man didn’t mention it.” He took a healthy gulp of whiskey, watching the back of the big ranch house, his mind spinning.
Turning to his brother, he gestured toward the ranch with the bottle. “We’ve been tryin’ to get even with him by causing trouble on the ranch. He’s got so much money that he just fixes it right away like nothin’ happened.”
He took another swig of whiskey and turned back to stare at the ranch, a plan forming in his mind. “It looks like we got an opportunity here to cause a lot more trouble.”
“What are you thinkin’?” Tommy glanced away from the ranch. “I didn’t get to see him get bucked off of Apollo, but he doesn’t seem to have broken anything.”
Buck took another swig of whiskey, loving the slight burn as it went down. “Our man said that J.W.’s woman is the one who got bucked off. I’m thinkin’ that I figured out a way to get J.W.’s attention without a whole lot of trouble.”
“How?”
“We can steal her away.” The more he thought about it, the better he liked the idea. “We’ll watch the house for a few days and figure out their routine. We take her and demand ransom.” He took another sip of whiskey, getting more excited by the minute. “He’ll pay anything to get her back, and we’ll have enough money to get away and go anywhere we want. We’ll even take Ma. She can do the cookin’ and cleanin’.”
“Even Mexico?”
“Yeah. Mexico sounds real good. We’ll make sure we’re there before we let him know where she is. There’s no way he’ll ever find us.”
“We’ll live like kings.”
Buck took another sip of whiskey before handing the bottle to his brother. “Yeah, and no more busting our asses just to be broke again by Monday. J.W. had some nerve firin’ us. We’ll make him pay for it. Come on. We’ve got some plannin’ to do.”
Chapter Fourteen
Aware of J.W.’s searching look, Lana stabbed a fork into a bite of egg, her face burning. “Stop it.” Reaching out, she swiped a slice of bacon from his plate, biting into it with a satisfying crunch.
J.W.’s brow went up, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he pushed the plate of bacon closer. “Stop what, baby?”
“Stop staring at me.” Keeping her voice low so that Alice didn’t overhear her, Lana eyed J.W., her body still humming from their early morning lovemaking and loose from the massage he’d given her afterward.
Reaching for his coffee, J.W. shook his head. “Can’t do that.”
Surprised, she blinked at him across the table, lowering her fork and the half-eaten slice of bacon to her plate. “Why not?”
“Because you’re beautiful. Because I can’t stop wanting you and because I want to know how you’re feeling. You look a little more relaxed. Did the massage help? I know the sex helped me.”
Leaning forward, Lana glanced toward the doorway, keeping her voice at a whisper. “Keep your voice down. Alice might hear you.”
Leaning close, J.W. smiled and whispered back. “I think Alice knows we have sex.”
Her face burned hotter as she reached for her fork again. “That doesn’t mean we have to broadcast it.”
Straightening, J.W. reached for his coffee. “For living in New York and being a model, you’re awfully shy about sex. I’ve seen some of the layouts you did. Very sexy.”
Fidgeting in her chair, Lana finished her slice of bacon and reached for another. “That’s different. In case you’ve forgotten, I was very naïve.”
J.W.’s grin made her heart race. “Oh, I remember. It’s something I’ll never forget. Now tell me, did the massage help? I know you were a little sore from yesterday.”
“Yes. Thank you. I don’t know why I was sore. You did all the work. No wonder your thighs are as hard as stone.”
J.W. grinned. “That’s not all that’s hard as stone.”
Listening for Alice’s returning footsteps, Lana breathed a sigh of relief when the sound of the vacuum came from the other room. “But we just had sex less than an hour ago!”
“With you, it never seems to be enough.” His eyes narrowed, his gaze lowering to her breasts. “Judging by the way your nipples are poking at the front of your shirt, and the way you’re fidgeting in your chair, you’re just as aroused as I am.”
Lana couldn’t hold back a smile. “We’re not teenagers, J.W. What the hell’s wrong with us?”
J.W. smiled. “You’ll figure it out. I like that dress on you.” His gaze lingered on her arms before shifting to her rounded neckline.
Her hand automatically lifted to the scar on her neck that went to her collarbone. “Thank you.”
“Don’t.” Reaching across the table, J.W. took her hand in his. “No one but you even notices. Your scars seem to be fading more each day, certainly more than when I met you.” Leaning forward, he kissed her hand before releasing it. “You don’t wear as much makeup anymore either. I like it. Very natural. Very sexy.”
Her face burned hotter. “It didn’t seem to do any good. Every time I put makeup on, it just ended up rubbing off on you.”
His eyes narrowed, a small smile playing at his lips. “Are you complaining that I touch you too much?”
“Yeah.” Lana shook her head and swiped another slice of bacon. “That’s why I melt every time you touch me and why I’m always aroused. This can’t last. We’ll end up killing each other.”
“Can you think of a better way to go?” Sitting forward, he eyed her intently. “Do you feel any different? Do you think you’re pregnant?”
Lana shrugged and took another bite of scrambled egg. “No. I feel the same. J.W., I already told you that it’s not something you have to worry about. I’m perfectly capable—”
His jaw clenched, his eyes going flat and cold. “If you think you’re raising my baby on your own, you’re sadly mistaken.” He stood abruptly. “I’ve got work to do.”
Lana watched him go, resting her head on her hand until long after he’d gone.
Alice walked into the room, shaking her head. “Men’ll make you crazy, won’t they?”
“What do you mean?”
Alice started clearing the table, waving away Lana’s attempt to help. “I’ve got it.” Smiling, she gathered J.W.’s dishes. “I saw the way you looked when he left. Men can be a pain, especially the strong ones like J.W., but he’s got a heart of gold. He’s a good man, probably one of the best I’ve ever met, but he’s a strong man with his own opinions.” Turning from the sink, she came back to the table to refill Lana’s coffee cup. “It’s gonna take a strong woman to handle him.”
�
��That leaves me out.” At Alice’s frown, Lana forced a smile. “Ignore me. I just don’t see any woman being enough for a man like J.W.”
Alice smiled. “You might be surprised. You’re here, aren’t you? He’s never let any woman move in before, and he practically dragged you here.”
“How do you know that?”
“Are you kidding? J.W.’s a very popular man around here, and the men on the ranch are real happy to see him with a woman of his own.”
“They talk about him?”
“Oh, not the way you think. They think the sun rises and sets on J.W., so they naturally talk about him, but it’s all good.”
Thinking of the former employees who’d been causing trouble for him, Lana frowned. “Apparently not all of them.”
“Powerful men make enemies, and J.W. is a very powerful man in these parts. Those fools that are causin’ trouble around here are just mad because J.W. fired them. They’re scared to face him, so they cause trouble around the ranch. As you’ve seen, it’s a big place. The ranch hands can’t be everywhere at once, and the Avery brothers know that. They’ll get caught sooner or later. I just hope J.W. is the one who catches them and gets to teach them a lesson before the police get here.”
* * * *
J.W. looked at the sun starting to set and glanced in the direction of the house. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way he and Lana had parted that morning, the panic of her brushing him off tightening his gut.
He sure as hell wouldn’t let her raise his child on her own, and the very real fear of her leaving nearly paralyzed him.
She’d stayed longer than he could have hoped for, and he just had to take it day by day until he could convince her to stay.
“J.W., we can’t find any sign of trouble.”
Turning to Rod, J.W. frowned. “Keep an eye out. Those two aren’t done. I have a feeling we won’t stop them until we catch ’em.”
Stopping his horse beside Apollo, Rod stared out toward the mountains. “You don’t think they’ve given up?”
