Sydney couldn’t quite believe she was kissing Jake, that he was kissing her, and that she didn’t want this kiss to end. Jake rotated her until her back was against the stall. “Sydney,” he whispered, kissing along her jaw.
“What?” she whispered back as her insides melted at the sensations running through her at his touch.
His answer was another full kiss on her mouth as he seemed to drink her in, as if she was his oasis.
Sydney had never really thought she’d missed out on kissing. She’d kissed plenty of men and had enjoyed it enough. But Jake was all encompassing, taking command of every sense she’d ever known, and some that might be new. Who said there were five senses? There had to be at least twenty.
“Sydney,” Jake said again.
“Jake,” Sydney replied, feeling like laughing, or giggling, or simply swooning.
He drew back enough to gaze at her. He smiled, then lowered his head again to kiss the throbbing pulse in her neck. “Mmm,” he murmured. “Better than I thought.”
She ran her hands along his shoulders, then rested them on his chest, feeling the thump of his heart. “Better than what?”
“You taste better than I imagined.” He was looking at her again, and Sydney’s heart flipped.
She wasn’t sure if she’d ever had a man look at her with such complete... want. “What did you imagine?” she whispered.
“Sweetness, maybe with a little spice,” he said, grinning.
“And what did you get?”
“A lot more spice.” He brushed his mouth against hers, lingering. After another few moments, he said, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I opened my brother’s door.”
“In your towel?”
“Yeah, that would have been really forward,” he said with a chuckle. “So be happy I restrained myself.” He released her waist and lifted his hand to trace a finger along her jaw, then down her neck.
“You seriously wanted to kiss me when you first saw me?” she asked, staring at him and trying to stay calm, although his touch was making her breathing do crazy things. “How does that happen?”
“I’m not a scientist. I know what I want, I guess.”
“I like that about you,” Sydney admitted.
Jake gazed at her for another long moment, then dipped his head. This kiss was more defined, more urgent, and definitely more passionate.
Sydney was heating up fast, and if she wasn’t careful, she might be dragging him to the hayloft. Not that he’d need dragging by the way he was kissing her.
“Jake,” Sydney said, breaking off the kiss. “Aren’t your parents going to wonder where we are?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
The sheepish look on his face made Sydney laugh.
“Promise you’ll stay tonight,” Jake said. “I don’t want you to leave yet.”
Staying tonight might be a wise thing or a foolish thing, but Sydney didn’t care at this moment. “I’ll stay.”
His smile was slow. “Mmm. Good.” He drew back and stepped away.
It seemed he, too, needed space to cool down.
They spent the next few minutes saddling the two horses. Leading them out of the stables and into the gorgeous surroundings that nearly took Sydney’s breath away. “I get why you love this ranch,” she said.
Jake looked over at her. “Do you?” he asked in a thoughtful tone.
She looked away because the intensity in his eyes made her heart leap into her throat, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to kiss him, to touch him, and to have his hands on her. “Where are we riding to?”
“Just around the perimeter of the ranch,” Jake said. “Nothing too intense.”
His gaze was intense enough.
“Here,” he said, grasping the reins of her horse. “Let me help you mount.” He held the horse steady, and she placed her left foot into the stirrup, then hoisted herself up and swung over.
“Got it?” Jake asked, looking up at her, his hand on her calf.
Heat was starting to travel up her leg. “Got it,” she said.
Jake smiled, then mounted his own horse and flicked the reins.
They rode at an easy pace, and Jake pointed out the ranch’s property lines, which extended well beyond the grazing fields. He told her about the cattle they grazed and the number of employees they had, which amounted to four ranch hands in addition to Jake’s parents.
Sydney was surprised at the small number. “Do you think your parents will ever retire?”
“Not fully,” Jake said. “I’m sure my mother would be happy to turn over the books someday, but she’ll never stop bossing everyone around.”
Sydney laughed. She could very well imagine that.
They reached a small valley that dipped below the main ranch property. “Come on,” Jake said, pulling ahead of her on a narrow path that wound through a copse of trees. “There’s a stream down here.”
Sydney followed him on her horse, and moments later, they arrived at a meadow that was edged by a stream. Wild flowers dotted the meadow, and the sound of the gurgling water made the place look like it was out of some fairytale. A few boulders lined the other side of the stream.
“Those are my thinking rocks,” Jake said, pointing to the boulders.
“Thinking rocks?”
Jake reined his horse to a stop and dismounted. Then he held out his hand to Sydney and helped her dismount. She slipped to the ground, landing right next to Jake, who hadn’t stepped back to give her room.
“Yeah,” Jake said, his hands resting on her waist. “This is where I come to think... since I was a little boy. My dad showed me the place. Once, when we were in an argument over something I don’t even remember, both my dad and I showed up here. It was pretty funny.”
Sydney smiled up at him. “Did you fight over the rocks?”
Jake pulled her close, looping his arms about her waist. “We both saw the irony of the situation, and our argument was forgotten. For the moment, at least.”
“Your dad seems like a great guy,” Sydney said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “And he’s lucky to have you for a son.”
Lines creased the space between his brows, and Sydney reached up to smooth them. “You can’t make up for your brother’s actions, you know.”
“I know,” Jake said, but Sydney didn’t miss the storm gathering in his gray eyes.
“I’m glad your parents have you,” Sydney said.
Jake stared at her for a moment, and then he leaned down and kissed her.
This kiss was gentle, more familiar, and sweeter than anything Sydney had ever experienced. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself become lost in him as the sun’s rays surrounded them.
“It looks like you do more than think in this place,” Sydney said in a quiet voice when he broke off the kiss.
“Now I do.” He gave her a half smile. “Come on,” he continued, releasing her and wrapping her hand in his. “You have to try one of the rocks.”
She laughed as they walked together and crossed the stream. She perched on a medium-sized rock, while Jake sat on the one next to her. “Show me how it’s done,” she said.
He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, then stared across the stream.
“That doesn’t look too hard,” she said, mimicking him.
Jake looked at her from the corner of his eye, holding back a smile. “It gets easier with practice.”
She didn’t like the space between them, so she slid off her rock and walked toward Jake. He straightened and reached for her, pulling her on his lap.
“That’s better,” she said, looping her arms about his neck. Sydney couldn’t get enough of this man. It was like his brother had become a distant memory, a boyfriend she once had... But Jake was real. Not her past, but her present.
Jake’s arms settled about her waist, and they gazed at the stream and meadow together.
Sydney leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes for a few moments.
“Is it allowed to ask what you’re thinking about?”
Jake chuckled, his chest vibrating against her. “No.”
Sydney heaved a sigh and relaxed further into him, then started to trail her fingers along his neck, then up into his hair. “Please?” she whispered.
He smiled but didn’t say anything.
His cell phone buzzed, and they both ignored it. When it rang, Sydney drew away. “Maybe it’s your parents looking for us.”
Jake shifted and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Damn.”
Sydney’s eyes widened as she saw Rian’s name glowing on the screen. She moved off Jake’s lap to give him space while he answered the phone.
“Where the hell’s all my stuff?” Rian’s voice came through the phone, loud enough for Sydney to hear.
“What are you talking about?” Jake asked.
“I’m at my condo and found some guy changing out the locks,” Rian said, his voice hard and angry. “The manager told me you packed up all my stuff and took it.”
Jake stared past Sydney, as if he couldn’t quite believe the conversation. “I stored it in a storage unit. What are you doing back, Rian? Come to face the charges like a man?”
Rian laughed. “I’ve come to get my stuff. Found a job in Canada. As soon as I talk to Sydney, we’ll be out of here. She hates her job anyway.”
“Sydney?” Jake said, his face paling as his eyes connected with hers.
Sydney felt as if a rock had slammed into her stomach.
“I’m coming back to Santa Rosa,” Jake said. “Don’t leave before I get there.”
“You know I can’t promise you that, man,” Rian said.
“Sydney’s with me,” Jake said.
“What?” Rian sputtered. “What is—”
“I’m on my way,” Jake said, then hung up the phone. Without looking at Sydney, he slid the phone into his pocket. “I guess you have a decision to make.”
Sydney stared at him. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged, still not looking at her. “My brother wants you back, apparently. Wants you to move to Canada with him. Are you going?”
Sydney’s face and chest heated with indignation. “Do you think I’d go back to Rian... after... after...” She couldn’t even put it into words, she was so angry.
Jake shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at her. His eyes were dark, his face a mask of stone.
Tears burned in her eyes. She and Jake had just been kissing, and she’d thought they were totally in synch. Apparently, he thought she was about as flaky as his brother.
Jake moved away, without waiting for her to collect her thoughts. She watched him cross the stream and gather up the horses.
Sydney was too stunned to think straight. Both with Rian’s return and with Jake’s apparent dismissal of her.
She crossed the stream and mounted her horse without waiting for Jake to help her.
She urged her horse forward and started across the meadow. Jake had caught up with her in seconds but said nothing. Sydney knew if she tried to say anything, defend herself, or argue, she’d cry. So she kept her emotions in check and blinked back any tears that threatened.
The drive back to Santa Rosa was silent. Sydney wiped at her cheeks a time or two but avoided sniffling. If anything, seeing Rian again would give her closure. And she wanted the opportunity to give him a piece of her mind. Jake... was an entirely different story. So they’d flirted, a lot, and kissed, a lot, but really, she’d only known him for a few days. They had no real history, just a lot of chemistry.
From the corner of her eye, she could see that he was totally focused on the road and that his jaw seemed to be locked tight. After they’d put the horses away in the barn, she’d walked to the truck and climbed in. Her overnight bag was still in there. He’d gone inside the house to talk to his parents, or at least she assumed that was what he he’d done.
When he’d climbed into the truck, he’d glanced over at her, and for a moment she’d thought he might say something, but instead he’d started the truck and begun driving.
Now, as they pulled into the parking lot of Rian’s condo complex, Sydney’s stomach knotted as she saw Rian’s car in his usual reserved spot. The last time she’d seen his vehicle was before she found out all of his secrets.
Jake parked the truck and shut off the engine.
Sydney popped open her door before he could say anything, not that she was expecting him to speak anyway. They hadn’t talked for the past hour.
Rian must have been watching out the window, because his door opened before she reached the landing.
Rian looked like hell. His eyes had dark circles, as if he hadn’t slept for days, and his usual sexy scruff was overgrown. His clothing looked as if he hadn’t showered or changed in days, which he probably hadn’t.
Rian folded his arms, staring at Sydney, and then his gaze reverted to Jake, who was coming up the stairs.
“What’s going on?” he said, not to anyone in particular. Then his blue eyes went to Sydney’s. “Why are you with my brother?”
“Oh, I didn’t know you had a brother,” Sydney said, continuing toward him. Over an hour of stewing in the car had her pretty pissed off. And the accusation in Rian’s gaze was pushing her over the edge. “I didn’t know you had parents, either, and grew up an hour from here on a ranch.”
Rian dropped his arms to his side and took a step back into his condo.
Sydney kept walking. “And I didn’t know you were married before, multiple times.”
Rian’s gaze narrowed. “Sounds like you’ve been doing some investigating.”
“No investigating necessary,” she shot back, stepping into the condo. “Jake was very helpful.”
“I can see that,” Rian said in a harsh tone. “Jake has always been more than helpful.”
Jake came inside the condo and shut the door. Then he turned to Sydney and grasped her arm. “Let me talk to him,” he said in a low voice.
Sydney tugged out of his grasp. “I’m not finished,” she said without looking at Jake. She was equally mad at him.
“You’re cozy,” Rian said, his gaze darting between the two of them. “Looks like you weren’t too upset with my leaving after all,” he added.
Sydney took another step toward Rian and shoved him in the chest.
Rian’s eyes bulged as he nearly stumbled from the unexpected force.
“What I do is no longer any of your business,” Sydney said, her face heating and her voice trembling. “Our engagement ended when you decided to steal from your boss. Maybe it never really started. If I had known half of what you’ve done, I would have never even gone on a date with you.”
Rian’s face twisted into a cocky smile. “Come on. I’m not all that bad. You can’t believe everything Jake says. Besides, you told me you were always drawn to bad boys. That you were tired of always being the perfect one out of your friends. You don’t think someone who looks like me would have a squeaky-clean history, do you?”
“You’re a fraud, Rian,” she said.
He shrugged and chuckled. “It depends on who you believe. There are always two sides to the story.” His gaze moved down the length of her body. “Let’s get out of here. Forget my brother and whatever he told you. Things were good between us, and I’ve got a killer job in Canada. You won’t even have to work.”
Sydney stepped back. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” Rian moved closer.
“I don’t even know you anymore,” Sydney said, holding up her hand. She looked over at Jake. He’d been silent so far, but she could see that storm in his eyes.
“What’s going on with you two?” Rian asked, looking at Jake. “Are you in cahoots against me? Took all my stuff? Cleaned me out?” He narrowed his eyes at Sydney. “Found my replacement, huh? In the saintly older brother? Was he good in bed, Sydney?”
Sydney opened her mouth to speak, but Jake stepped in front of her and drove his fist into the side of Rian’s jaw.
Jake lunged at him, lifting Rian off his feet and slamming him against the wall. Rian slid to the floor with a thud.
“Stop it!” Sydney yelled. The men didn’t pay attention. They were full-out fighting, and Sydney didn’t know what to do. Call the cops? Run to the building manager?
Rian got a couple of good slugs in, but it was clear that Jake was dominating.
“I’m calling the cops if you don’t stop right now,” Sydney said in a shaky voice.
Jake raised his hands, taking a step back. Rian shoved at him one last time. But Jake continued to move away. Both men were bleeding, and Rian stayed on the couch, dabbing his bleeding nose with the edge of his shirt.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jake said to Sydney, turning to her and searching her gaze, as if he was still questioning her.
But this wasn’t the time to argue and to tell him she was still upset with him. So, with a final look at Rian, she walked to the door and opened it.
“I’ll be pressing charges, brother,” Rian called out.
“Go ahead,” Jake said, pausing at the door, his tone steely. “Let the investigators dig up your past.”
Sydney wanted to get away from this place, but Rian had parting words for her too. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Sydney,” he called out.
Jake stiffened and turned, so Sydney grabbed his hand. “Come on, Jake.” She pulled the door shut, blocking out all sight of Rian. “You’ve done enough. We need to leave.”
Jake didn’t move, but finally he looked at her, then exhaled. “Are you okay?”
Sydney didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry from the stress of what had happened between the two brothers. “You’re the one who’s bleeding.” She touched the edge of his lip that had blood on it. He’d be sporting a nice black eye soon, too.
The sound of a siren made her draw back. “Did the neighbors call the cops?”
“Let’s not wait to find out,” Jake said, tugging her with him. They hurried down the stairs, then climbed into his truck. “I don’t want you going back to your apartment alone until Rian is gone for good.”
“Do you think he’ll really go to Canada?”
The Falling Series Box Set Page 23
