“If that hat fits…” Kessed teased as he put it on.
“Hey, this hat is going to make it so I can see where I’m going.”
Kessed averted her eyes to the windshield. “I wasn’t complaining.”
That pulled him up short. “Oh.” Maybe he needed to wear the hat more often!
Kessed spoke up. “I guess we could wait it out? I mean, usually cloudbursts don’t last too long.”
Jasper shook his head and placed his hand on the door handle. “Maybe, but I’m expecting the thunder and lightning to start any moment, and I really don’t want to be out here when they do.” He swung open the door and then closed it quickly behind him, the rain pelting his hat. Before he made it halfway to the closed gate, his jeans and T-shirt were soaked through. He walked the gate open, then fastened it into position so that if the wind kicked up, it wouldn’t blow closed. Jogging back to the truck, he heard the low rumble of thunder.
“One down,” he remarked, driving ahead as he waited for the lightning.
“And we have to do this now?” Kessed asked, her eyes like a warm touch as she gazed at him.
Jasper nodded. “Yeah, these gates lead to the stream. They’ll need access.”
“That’s right. Well, fun?” Kessed chuckled, reaching over and touching his shirt. “At least you’re not going to get any wetter.”
His skin tingled where she had gently touched him, but he kept his expression impassive. “Nope. Nothing like a rain shower,” he joked back.
He pulled up to the next gate and took off his hat.
“Don’t you need that?” Kessed asked, but he ignored her as he stripped off his soaking shirt.
No reason to wear it; his skin would dry faster than the fabric. He’d need his boots and jeans when stepping across the barbed wire to get to the gate, but the shirt was expendable.
“You’re taking the shower thing literally.” Kessed blinked.
“Almost. Don’t worry. I won’t scandalize you… yet,” he flirted and put his hat back on, running out into the rain and taking care of the gate.
When he returned, Kessed was biting back a grin.
“What?” he asked suspiciously.
“Nothing,” she sobered, but her lips still twitched slightly.
“I thought we’d been over this. Nothing is never nothing. Spill.”
He navigated to the final gate.
Kessed sighed then bit her lip again, distracting him from the flash of lightning that blazed across the sky.
“Whoa,” Kessed remarked.
Jasper counted in his head. One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four—The thunder rumbled, letting him know the storm was moving dangerously close. The Rattlesnake Hills were often hit by lightning, and he didn’t want to be out in the open when the storm was over them. He was also growing concerned about the flash flood possibility.
“Damn, this one has two very near each other. I don’t want to be out here any longer than absolutely necessary with this lightning starting up. Do you think you can open the first one, and I’ll get the second? I’m sorry about the rain….” Truck hit a rut, sending water splashing.
“Last I checked, I won’t melt.” Kessed regarded the downpour with resignation. “Let’s get this finished.”
“Thanks,” Jasper added, pulling up the truck as close as possible to Kessed’s gate. “There will be a pin to hook the gate to the fence. Just attach them, and you’re good to go.”
Jasper watched as Kessed nodded then ran out into the rain. He followed, keeping an eye on the distance, watching for lightning.
Sure enough, it struck the hill about two miles south. Relief washed over him when the smoke was immediately extinguished from the heavy rain. Heaven only knew how many brush fires they’d had over the course of the years. The rain was a huge blessing.
Dry lightning was far more dangerous.
He ran to the final gate, stomping through the normally dry streambed, noticing its visibly increasing gush as it wound down from the hills. He reached the gate and slid the pin into place so that the gate remained open. He caught sight of Kessed heading back to the truck, but she paused.
He studied her and then jumped when the thunder rumbled above them, signaling danger.
Jasper took off toward Kessed before noticing her reason for pausing. Flash floods were truly created in a flash, and this was a prime example. Not more than five minutes ago, she’d hopped the small stream without issue. But the stream was now a twisting torrent. Shallow, but swift.
“I’ll help you.” Jasper took her arm, holding her against his body as they moved forward. He’d have to navigate it as well just to get back to the truck. The wind picked up, pelting the rain against his face, and he glanced to Kessed, her hands wiping the water out of her eyes just so that she could see. In one swift movement, he took off his hat and set it on her head, hoping that it would shield her face from the whipping rain. Easing down, he jumped the eighteen-inch drop to the creek bed and turned. He grasped Kessed’s waist and guided her down. They needed to cross the creek now before it grew worse. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led them into the ankle-deep water, thankful for the boots they each wore. His knees strained to remain upright in the swift current, and he moved them steadily across the three-foot bed, dodging stray branches, tumbleweeds, and other debris. The muddy water grew deeper till it almost spilled over Kessed’s boots, but it shallowed quickly as they made it to the other side.
Lightning flashed across the expanse of sky above them, and instinctively Jasper wrapped his arms around Kessed, shielding her body with his. As the thunder rumbled, he straightened. “Let’s go!” he shouted above the wind and grumbling boom.
Kessed needed no encouragement, and she took off at a run for the pickup. Jasper opened the door for her, making sure she was in before slamming the door and rushing around to climb in himself. As he closed the door, he sighed heavily, the sound of the rain almost deafening as he threw the truck in gear and headed for the ranch house.
“Well, that was exciting,” Kessed remarked after a moment, turning to him. Her braid was dripping water down her shoulder, her pale blue T-shirt leaving nothing to the imagination as it outlined her black lacy bra.
Jasper turned back to the road, swallowing. Damn, she looked good in the rain.
“Just another day in paradise,” he replied, using her previous words.
Kessed’s laughter warmed the pickup like he’d turned the heater up full-blast, and he no longer felt the chill of the rain, just a warm smoldering heat in his chest that threatened to build.
“So, I’ve heard of flash floods, I’ve seen the aftermath, but I’ve never seen it actually happen. That was insane,” she remarked with a grave tone.
“You don’t screw with mother nature. She can be a bitch,” Jasper said honestly.
“Yeah,” Kessed agreed. “What about the steers?”
Jasper bit back a grin at how she’d finally used the right word for the cattle. “This doesn’t bother them at all. They won’t like the thunder, but it’s not going to faze them much.” He pulled up to the house, expecting Kessed to hop out.
“Are you coming in?” she asked, and damn it all, if he didn’t want to read into that simple question.
“I’m pretty soaked, I better get on home—”
“You’re a mess. And knowing you, you’ll get some call on the way and go and save some sick cow or horse or—bird.”
“Bird?” Jasper chuckled. Bird was a stretch.
“You know what I mean. Come in. Dry off. I’ll order pizza. We deserve it after herding cattle, risking our lives, and getting soaked. Don’t you think?” She crossed her arms, challenging him.
Little did she know it wouldn’t take much to convince him of anything where she was concerned.
But for her benefit—or maybe his ego—he tw
isted his lips, pretending to consider. “Only if you order pepperoni,” he added after a few moments.
“Demanding much?” Kessed replied, but her face broke into a smile that had him immediately grinning back.
“Yes. Always.”
“Noted,” she replied with humor in her tone.
The thunder rumbled again as Jasper turned off the engine, and they made a run for the house. Kessed’s giggle peppered the air as they stumbled into the foyer, dripping on the tile floor.
Kessed plucked first at her shirt then her pants as if surveying the damage. “I feel like a drowned rat.”
“You kinda look like one,” Jasper flirted, taking his hat off her head and setting it aside.
“Thanks, by the way. That actually helped.”
He gave a sideways grin as he took off his boots. “So, you’re saying thanks for the hat, not that I saved you from the rising creek.”
Kessed sighed. “Thanks for both.”
“You’re welcome,” Jasper replied with a wicked grin.
“Why must you take every opportunity to irritate me?” Kessed groaned as she pulled off her boots as well.
“It’s fun.”
“Glad I can be your entertainment.” She set her boots to the side and peeled off her shirt.
Jasper froze then forced himself to keep his eyes off her delicate curves and the way they tapered down to her dark, soaked denim.
“I hate wet clothes.” She walked toward the laundry room and tossed the shirt in the sink. “I’ll start the shower. You can use the guest bath, and I’ll use the master,” Kessed tossed over her shoulder with a small shrug while Jasper’s gaze was glued to the that ever-present sway of her hips… and the way her lacy black bra would be so easy to remove… and belatedly, the words slowly echoed through his mind sending his thoughts spiraling into a different direction down that same road.
As he heard the water start, he shook his head, pulling himself together. Damn. He was acting like a horny teenager, not a twenty-seven-year-old man! Grumbling against his own cursed lack of self-control, he strode toward the bathroom, forcing himself to meet Kessed’s gaze rather than all the other deliciously exposed skin she was revealing.
“The hot water takes forever, but at least I got you started.” She gently touched his shoulder as she passed, and his body reacted as if the touch had been much further south.
He closed his eyes and waited till he heard the door to the master bedroom click shut and then glared at the shower as steam started to pour out. What he really needed was a cold shower, icy enough to cool his fevered body. But the siren call for warmth was too strong, and he quickly stripped the rest of his wet clothes off and leaned into the warm water.
His mind replayed the sight of Kessed’s exposed skin, studying the mental picture, memorizing it. The soft curve of her neck was only the beginning of the more defined curves just below. He already knew what it was like to hold her waist in his hands, to feel the shape of her hips within his palms when he helped her down after crossing the creek. It was an easy jump to imagine what that same sensation would be if she were naked.
He started to switch the water to cold when there was a knock on the door.
“Hey, I’m grabbing your clothes. Is that okay?” Kessed asked, waiting.
“Yeah.” Though after the fact, he wondered just what he was going to wear. He peered out of the shower as Kessed walked in wearing a towel. She leaned down to pick up his waterlogged jeans.
“I’m going to start the washer so it doesn’t take forever.” She shrugged then paused, her gaze sharpening before she blushed and averted her eyes. Jasper figured that the frosted glass wasn’t exactly giving him a whole lot of privacy—especially when certain parts of his body were being rather insistent.
Kessed bit her lip, took the jeans, and disappeared through the door without another word.
Jasper sighed. Well… if she’d had any questions about his attraction to her, they had just been answered. He closed his eyes once more and tried to figure out if there was any way he could stop laying his cards on the table when it came to Kessed. First, the wedding… then, the fry fiasco—though she had kissed him—then, the big shower reveal. He chuckled at his own expense. Fate wasn’t fair, and time and time again he’d been far more direct than he was honestly comfortable with.
But it was what it was.
The door clicked, and Jasper stilled. He waited but heard nothing else and was about to disregard the sound when a shape took form on the other side of the frosted glass. The door rolled open, and Kessed stepped in, joining him.
Her brown eyes were uncertain, and he opened his mouth but was immediately silenced by her hand covering his lips. The chill of her fingers was a stark contrast to the warmth of the shower, and it was electric, jolting his already alert sense.
“Not a word.”
Amazed and willing to obey, he trained his gaze on her soulful brown eyes. Her hand slid downward, leaving a trail of need in her wake and his body tightened to an almost painful degree. Her gaze followed the motion of her fingers. First she swept along his collarbone, tracing the outline of his shoulder. His body rejoiced at the sensation of her fingers on his bare skin. When she stepped closer, a hand caressed around his neck and pulled slightly, inviting him to meet her half way as she leaned in to meet his lips. As if he needed any encouragement. He’d been dreaming of her since the wedding, every luscious inch of her.
Without hesitation, he reached around and circled her waist with his hands, fulfilling his own fantasy as his fingers claimed her soft skin, pulling her close enough to remove all distance between them as he savored the reality of her lips on his.
The hot water pelted his back, and he shivered slightly. Turning them, he guided her into some of the warm spray without breaking the kiss. Immediately, her body relaxed against him, as if the hot water caused her to melt.
Kessed traced his lips with her tongue, and his body shuddered in reply, demanding far more than just a kiss, more than a touch.
Her hands left the back of his neck and trailed down his shoulders, mapping his geography with each delicate touch. As she traveled lower, she rounded his ass and pulled him tighter. It was heaven, every thing he imagined and more erotic than he could have dreamed.
He bit back a groan of desire.
But he didn’t want to move too quickly. Lord only knew how fast it could be over if he didn’t moderate himself.
And he wanted this to last, wanted it to be as powerful and intoxicating for her as it was for him.
Kessed’s hips moved against him, begging silently, and he pressed into her leg, a low growl escaping his lips. Painfully hard, his body begged for release with each tight strain against his self-control.
Her lips fused with his, and he lifted her up, his body practically weeping with pent-up desire as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed her back against the shower wall, and she slid down just enough to align their bodies. He kissed down the line of her jaw, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he slowly slid inside, nearly blacking out from the pleasure.
Kessed’s soft moan almost destroyed whatever self-control remained, but Jasper clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, meeting her lips once more before he started to move.
Her hands knotted through his hair, tugging as he stroked her deep within, his passion building, yet reason threw a wrench into the mix, pulling him up short.
“Kessed—” he started, meeting her gaze.
“I’m on the pill. Shh, kiss me.” She pulled his neck, angling her head to fuse her lips with his own, and any other thoughts scattered. Her body arched into him, tightening as her panting breath echoed his own. She leaned back from his kiss, but pressed her forehead against his as she whimpered, wrapping her legs even tighter against his waist, demanding.
As her nails dug into his shoulders, she shat
tered against him, around him, surrounding him with her release. Her pleasure pulled the trigger on his own, and he groaned against her shoulder, shuddering with the powerful sensations rocketing through him. His heart pounded fiercely, and slowly he became aware of Kessed’s heartbeat as well, pounding against his chest, beat for beat, as he slowly took a deep breath and met her gaze.
“Hi.” Her tone was slightly surprised, but her face held the most beautiful glow of rose-colored desire.
Though he chuckled at her anticlimactic response after the intense passion they’d just shared, a swell of pride, of possession, swept through him as he regarded her swollen lips from his kiss, her flushed face from his body joining hers.
“Hi,” he replied, grinning as he slowly, gently, let her down.
Her legs untwined from around his waist and her feet landed on the shower tile.
Jasper grinned. “We should get caught in the rain more often.”
Kessed swatted his arm, her own smile teasing those perfectly pink lips. “I guess I’m in luck that it doesn’t rain here often,” she challenged.
“Time to move to Seattle,” he teased back.
Her face flushed a delicate pink color that highlighted her olive-toned skin. Her braid trailed her delicate back, and he reached out to grasp the woven locks, feeling each bump with his fingers.
“Beautiful,” Jasper murmured, reaching up to trail his fingers along her jaw, pausing at her still-swollen lips.
Her gaze was uncertain, yet it slowly melted into a warm smile. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Kessed mirrored his movements, reaching up to stroke his face.
Belatedly, he wished he’d shaved earlier since his stubble was surely rough against her palm, and earlier, against her face.
A delicate shiver shook her body, and Jasper stepped aside, pulling her fully into the warm water. He ran his hands over her shoulders, pooling the water and then letting it cascade down her arms in a fuller, heated stream.
“I didn’t realize I was so cold,” Kessed remarked as she drew her braid over her shoulder and removed the band securing the end.
The Courage of a Cowboy Page 9
