by Sara Orwig
The music changed to a fast number and Jared shoved a table out of the way, moved two chairs and then came over to take her hand. “C’mon. Dance with me.”
“Jared, we weren’t—”
“Live a little, Allison,” he said, smiling and still holding out his hand.
The music was as tempting as Jared, weaving a spell, making her want to dance while his green eyes coaxed. She took his hand and stood, falling into step with him as they danced to a fast number. She had dropped his hand and danced around him, watching his sexy moves, hearing his boots scrape on the polished floor. As he twisted and watched her, tension increased. She could feel sparks crackle in the air around them. Her body hummed with need that increased every minute she watched him.
The next piece was even faster, rock music from another era, but an old favorite of hers. As they danced to the enticing beat, she could feel some of her pent-up frustrations relaxing, and she let herself go. When he came close to her, his hips bumping hers, she felt her desire build.
The song ended, and he caught her wrist lightly. “Come on. We’ll get our drinks and have dinner.”
In a short time, she faced him across the table near the fire. The succulent, tender roast fell apart. But she had lost her appetite. Jared was being his most charming, and the evening was turning into a night she would never be able to forget.
All through dinner he entertained her, and afterward he built up the roaring fire again.
“Jared, look at the moon,” she said, standing by one of the windows to look at the huge white ball over a mountain peak.
“If you want to see a real view without climbing one of the mountains, come with me,” he said. She followed him as they ascended the stairs to his suite.
She remembered the breathtaking view from the sitting room in the daytime. But it couldn’t compare to what she saw at night: the outline of dark mountains, their snow-covered peaks glistening in the moonlight against a sky holding myriad stars that she’d never seen in Dallas or Houston or in any city.
He turned on a light and led her to a spiral staircase. She took the opportunity to look at the furnishings in the sitting room: a mammoth television, an antique desk and armoire, a suit of armor in a corner that she suspected was authentic. Two matching thick Oriental area rugs covered the polished plank floor. Upstairs, they went through a loft-style sitting room that overlooked the downstairs and on into a bedroom with a canopied king-size bed. Logs were stacked in the fireplace as they had been in his sitting room below.
“I’m going to build a fire. We’ll want it shortly.” He pushed a button and music played, this time an old song that she loved.
“We’re not where you can see the spectacular view yet. That was my primary goal in this location for a home.” He paused to get two coats out of a closet and held one out to her. “We’re going outside. You’ll need this.”
She shrugged into it. “I hope we’re not climbing out onto the roof,” she said, amused and wondering where he was taking her.
“No. I have a balcony off my bedroom.”
They walked out onto a large balcony with a wooden railing. A light wind blew and cold air enveloped her. Taking her hand, Jared led her up a few more steps to a higher level of the balcony that held two chairs and a table.
“Now look.”
She was already taking in the vast world spread before her. Moonlight spilled over the mountains and, far below, meadows. The moon’s brightness caught silver glints in dark ponds when the wind stirred wavelets, and the sky twinkled with what looked like a million stars. Jared stepped close behind her, wrapping his arms around her. He was warm, shutting away the cold.
“It is so beautiful,” she said, knowing far beyond the spectacular view, she would remember most of all the tall, exciting man holding her close. Turning in his arms, she looked up at him.
“You know I can’t forget this,” she whispered. “You’re not going to forget standing here with me, either,” she added solemnly. “I’m here, Jared, and I want more from you. If that scares you, you’d better run,” she said softly.
She wrapped her arms around him beneath his coat while his hands slipped beneath hers to pull her close inside his open jacket. Warmth from their bodies banished the chill. Desire was a blanket of warmth that heated and heightened temptation. This appealing man, who ignited sparks whenever they were together, had started the blaze, had fanned its fire, and she wasn’t letting go without giving some of the heat back to him. She didn’t intend for him to easily forget her, toss her into the history of women in his life. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed Jared full on the mouth, her tongue going deep as her body quivered with longing.
A blast of cold wind swept across the mountain, whistling through the pines at the end of the balcony and buffeting them. His body, his arms, his kisses shut away the cold. Bending over her, he kissed her passionately, making her want more. She pressed more tightly against his hard body.
Another blast of wind whistled around the house and became a deep sigh through pine branches while Allison pressed into him, kissing him hungrily. Desire fanned the longing, and Jared stood in her arms, showering kisses on her. She wanted him, and tightened her arms around him while she continued to kiss him. Memories came stronger than the wind, running over her, tugging at her.
“Jared,” she breathed, pausing momentarily to look up at this tall man she couldn’t resist. Awareness of him intensified. Memories of his hard body, his kisses and lovemaking taunted her, held promises of rapture, of bonding and release.
“Let’s get out of the wind,” she whispered.
He picked her up, holding her in his arms to go back.
“I can walk,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I want you in my arms. I have to hold you,” he answered, ignoring her remarks and carrying her inside to set her on her feet. He passed her, closing the door and locking it. She was barely aware when he shed his coat and hers, tossing them over a leather chair.
His gaze rested on her. Intense and heavy lidded, his green eyes held blatant desire that made her draw a deep breath. He wrapped her in his embrace, leaning over her to kiss her. The moment their lips met, she was lost to everything else.
Her insides felt as if she were in a free fall. She wanted to kiss him for the rest of the night. She wanted him with all the restrained longings, memories and dreams she’d had about him in the intervening years.
His tongue went deep while his hands moved so lightly over her. Desire unfolded and spread. She could not hold back. She decided to try to make him feel some of the frustration that she felt. He had flirted, teased, kissed and caressed her since he had walked into the Houston mansion. Jared was human—his heart was not locked away in a vault. Yielding to determination and desire, she let go of her resolve to avoid complications. He was capable of falling in love, maybe was more vulnerable than he thought. Jared was in her arms and she wanted him, wanted the intimacy, the fulfillment.
Smoldering and sensual, his green eyes made her breathing short. He pulled her sweater over her head to toss it away. Spreading a blanket on the thick rug, he turned to pick her up, carrying her closer to the fire. Once he released his hold on her, his sweater went next, and she inhaled, running her fingers over his broad, muscled chest. Urgency seemed to grip him as much as it did her. Along with clothes that were shed, her emotional barriers were flung aside. They stood with only the light from the fire spilling over them, a reddish glow that highlighted the planes of his hard body.
He was aroused, ready, drawing her against him to kiss her while his hands moved over her, drifting between her legs to touch her intimately.
Jared was in her arms once again. Years fell away and longing mushroomed. Thrills rocked her while she relished every kiss, each touch. Her moans were from exquisite pleasure, her gasps from fiery need.
His hands were everywhere until she pushed him down on the blanket and moved over him to trail kisses along his body, tasting the salty skin of his neck and going lower.
She caressed his marvelous body. And he let her, winding his fingers in her hair and propping his head up with the other hand to watch her only seconds before he groaned and pulled her into his embrace to kiss her.
He picked her up to place her on the blanket and come down between her legs. She watched when he opened a packet to put on protection.
“Jared,” she whispered, rubbing his hips with her long legs. “Jared, come here.”
“Darlin’,” he whispered, an endearment she loved. Then he filled her, slowly, and in minutes his control was gone. Urgency drove him, and she clung to him, moving with him. Need for him coiled into a tight spring. He was slippery with sweat from loving, hard, his muscles bulging, his perfect body making her want him more than ever.
Sensation enveloped her, lifted her until she crashed, spinning out in rapture that was total. “Jared,” she cried, holding him as if he would vanish.
Pumping, he shuddered with his release, sensations still bombarding her until finally they both slowed, gasping for breath.
Gradually she became aware of things beyond Jared. The fire burned steadily as a log crackled and fell, sending a shower of orange-red sparks up the chimney. The low flames spilled heat over them while the thick blanket and carpet beneath them cushioned them from the hard floor.
He rolled over to keep her close with their legs entangled. He showered light kisses on her temple, her throat.
“Perfect, love,” he whispered and she turned her head a fraction to kiss him, stopping him from speaking, wanting to savor the moment and keep the world and words shut away.
He showered kisses over her, caressing her with feathery touches. “Allison, you’re the best,” he whispered.
She smiled, stroking his smooth back lightly, winding her fingers in his thick hair, relishing every inch of him pressed against her. Memories of the past moments thrilled and dazzled her. “I wish I could say ‘abracadabra,’ and you would always remember this night when you go out on your balcony or, even better, when you’re in here.”
“I’ll remember. I remember the night we were together before. I recall it in great detail.” She traced his lips with her finger, and he turned slightly to kiss her hand. “This is perfect, Allison. I’m glad you’re here with me.” He propped his head on his hand and looked down at her, combing her long hair away from her face with his fingers. “When it’s daylight, we’ll go out on the end of my balcony again, and you can see what a spectacular view I have. But it’s not nearly as good as the view in here right now.”
“I need a sheet or my shirt or something to have a shred of modesty.”
“Oh, no, you don’t. I want to look and touch and kiss you all night.”
She smiled at him and hugged him lightly. “So does this ranch of yours have a name?”
“Of course. River Bend Ranch. Very original,” he added drily. “The brand is a combination of RBR.”
“Sounds original to me. Is there a river?”
“Sure. Allison, when this job is over, can you take a weekend to come back up here with me? It’ll be later in the spring and even prettier by then.”
“Let’s not talk about the future yet. I don’t want to think about tomorrow.”
“That’s fine with me,” he said, lying down again on his back and pulling her close against him. “In a few more minutes, before my side is toast, we’ll get up. We can shower together or run a tub of hot water. What holds the most appeal for you?”
“The tub of hot water sounds fabulous right now.”
“Then that’s what it’ll be. Let’s go, and I’ll show you my big bathroom that cost a fortune to build.”
They stood, and she caught up the blanket to wrap it around herself beneath her arms. He looked amused. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to be modest.”
“I think you tossed modesty aside an hour ago. We’re getting into a tub together, too. No room for modesty there. Or are you wearing that blanket into the tub?”
“Of course not.”
“Then you don’t need it now. Do you want me to cover up?”
She moved closer and ran her hand over his backside and then up his chest. “Oh, I don’t think so,” she replied in a breathless, sexy voice. “No. This is definitely a spectacular view,” she said.
“I know a far more enticing sight.” He unwrapped the blanket from her and tossed it away. Then he picked her up to carry her.
She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly. “Has it ever occurred to you that you might fall in love someday even if you don’t intend to and don’t want to, and it will upset all your plans for adventures?”
“I don’t think that will happen. I think I’ve made that clear to anyone who has an interest in a future together.”
“You might not have total control over love.”
“Of course I do. Everyone does.”
“You think?” she asked, amused by his certainty he could control falling in love. “Now maybe you’re flinging a challenge my way.”
One dark eyebrow arched in speculation. “Maybe I am. Try to make me fall in love, Allison. We’ll see if I can resist.”
She laughed softly. “That’s a challenge I think I will let drift right on past. I’m not out to capture your heart,” she said, her words stirring a twinge of guilt.
“If any woman could, it would be you.”
She looked at him, suddenly solemn. “I won’t be the one. I couldn’t take the life you lead. Not in someone I deeply love. Each time you walked out the door, it would tear me up inside.” She smiled. “Jared, darling, you’re quite safe from my seductive wiles,” she stated in a sultry voice, running her fingers along his jaw.
“You keep that up, and we’ll never even get to the tub,” he said in a deep voice that had lost all amusement.
“Oh, my. I didn’t know I could do that to you. What else can I do?” she teased, always enjoying flirting with him.
They entered his bathroom that was actually two large rooms, one with mirrors, plants, a massage table, a wingback chair, a rack of magazines and a flat-screen television. In one corner was an enclosed shower.
She followed him into another large room with a stand holding folded fresh towels and a large sunken marble tub. He began to run water, turning back to look at her, a tantalizingly slow, thorough perusal that had the same effect as caresses would have.
“Jared,” she whispered, stepping closer to him.
He was aroused, studying her now with hunger in his eyes.
“We just made love. We have a tub of hot water waiting. C’mon.” She took his hand and they climbed into the tub. He turned off the faucets before they sat. He pulled her between his legs and she reclined back against his warm body while hot water swirled around them.
They talked, and when the water cooled, he added more hot water until she finally raised a hand in front of his face. “Look, I’m withering.”
“I don’t think you’re withering. Let me see,” he said, cupping her breasts to run his hands lightly over her. His hands were warm, the water making their skin slippery as he slowly caressed and stroked her.
“Jared,” she gasped and wriggled away slightly, rubbing against him with each move she made.
Standing, she splashed water, stepping away from him. He stepped out of the tub and pulled her close as they began to dry each other with thick, fluffy beige towels. He was aroused again. His green eyes had darkened with desire. He framed her face with his hands and looked down at her before he kissed her.
Stepping close, she slipped one arm around his waist to hold him while her other hand ran over his shoulder and down his back. Hi
s arm circled her waist tightly, and he drew her closer as they kissed.
* * *
It was hours later when he pulled her close against him, and she put her head on his chest.
“I’d say we fit together rather well,” Jared murmured.
She felt his warm breath on the top of her head as they lay once again on the blanket before the fire. They had made love again, but it still wasn’t enough.
“When we get back to Texas,” he asked her, “will you come to the rodeo with me? You won’t be scared I’ll get hurt. It’s not that wild and woolly.”
“Of course it’s that wild, or you wouldn’t be doing it. Yes, I’ll watch you ride, but if you get hurt, you’ll never bring up the subject of going again.”
“That’s an easy promise, since we may not see each other in the future. Sure, I promise,” he said lightly.
His words dissolved the euphoria she had been enveloped in. The reminder of her future without Jared was a cold dash of reality that she’d hoped to put off until morning. It was knowledge she knew full well but hadn’t wanted to think about it tonight.
“Jared, why do you take such risks? Why are you drawn to so many wild sports?”
“I like the challenge, the discovery. It seems incredibly exciting to think about climbing Mount Everest and seeing that spectacular landscape. Life is filled with marvelous adventures that are thrilling, and I want to do them all. I want to see and do and experience life.”
“You remind me of my mother, of all people—sort of larger-than-life with a zest and hunger for adventure, living every moment to the fullest. She could get excited over a rose or over jumping out of a plane—which, by the way, she did.”
“I knew a little about her but was shocked the first time Sloan started telling me more about her. Since you, your dad and Sloan are all worriers—your dad not as badly—I figured she was, too.”
“Just the opposite,” she said. “And my brother Chad was like Mom. He was the life of the party, always fun, always could cheer anyone up. He had loads of friends, and my mom was invited to a lot of parties, and she had loads of friends. They just seemed to wring more out of each moment of their lives, which was good because their lives were cut short,” she added. “I’ll always miss them.”
