She quickly dug her rain gear out of the closet, sorry to have to be getting it out again, the rain this summer had been a pain for everyone to deal with, but this would be more than just an inconvenience. As she loaded her saddle bags, she couldn’t help but remember what had happened to her adoptive parents, what was supposed to have been a quick trip to the upper mountains of their ranch had turned deadly thanks to the weather.
Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she headed out the door just as the sky opened up and the rain that had been threatening all morning began to come down in sheets. Glad that she’d already put her slicker on, she headed for the barn at the ranch where she hoped she’d find that Jack had taken someone with him. But when she got there, she was disappointed to find that Flynn had let Jack go alone, his mood so black no one dared disagree with him. Chloe cursed him under her breath and headed for the horses at the back of the barn.
“Where are you going?” Flynn asked, following her.
“I’m going after him. He can’t be that far in front of me.” Chloe said, grabbing a saddle off the wall.
Flynn took the saddle from her, then said, “I can’t let you do that. I promised Jack that I wouldn’t let you follow him. He said I should tell you that he doesn’t believe you were cheating on him and that you’d talk when he got back. If I let you go up there, he’ll kill me.”
“If I don’t go up there he might not be alive to kill you.” Chloe said, staring Flynn down.
But he didn’t budge, “Look Chloe, I just can’t let you go. I’m sorry I interfered, but I promised Jack.”
Chloe knew when she’d been beat, but there was still Honey Hills, they had plenty of horses there. Without a word, she turned and left the barn and headed down the road through the torrent of rain, cursing again because every minute she wasted gave Jack that much more of a head start. When she got to Marissa’s her instinct was to just go to the barn, saddle a horse and leave, but she knew that she couldn’t do that so she headed into the house.
It wasn’t hard to find everyone; they were all gathered in Scott’s office at the back of the house. When she walked into the room, Marissa looked up at her and smiled, then saw the look on Chloe’s face and jumped to her feet and pulled her out of the room.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, concern on her face.
“The sheep went missing, Jack left for the upper pasture early this morning.” Chloe said, just as a huge clap of thunder shook the house.
“Oh, no that’s not good.” Marissa said, then pulled Chloe back into the office.
“I just need to barrow a horse, I’ve got to go after him.” Chloe said, trying to pull Marissa back into the hall.
“No way you’re going up there in this storm.” Marissa said, then shared Chloe’s news with the room.
The first thing Scott did was try to call Jack on his satellite phone, but there was no answer so he pulled out his computer and activated the tracking device in the phone. Marissa explained that all the phones were equipped with trackers for situations just like this. In only a few seconds, Scott pointed to a map on the screen and a tiny blinking dot. “This is him, he’s already made it half way.”
“So fast.” Chloe said, disappointed to know that he was so far in front of her.
“He’s moving fast, he’s going to reach the big river crossing soon, if he makes it past that he should be okay.” Scott said, leaning back in his chair obviously relieved.
But just then the front door opened with a bang and Calvin and Cooper came striding into the room, their faces full of anger. “The upper dam is threatening to give, the state used inferior materials on their side and it’s leaking.”
“Shit.” Scott said, not even apologizing for his language. “If that dam goes, we’re in trouble. What are we going to do?”
“The only thing we can do is open up the spillway and let some of the water out, it should take the pressure off long enough to get some repairs made, but if it keeps raining like this, it could take a while.” Cooper said, pulling a map out of a tube and spreading it out on the desk.
Chloe listened while the men talked, her frustration climbing by the minute. From what she understood, Jack was in even more danger and they had no way of warning him. More determined than ever to go after him, she quietly left the room, relieved that no one noticed as she slipped out the front door. She headed for the barn at a run, grabbing her already soaked saddlebags as she went by the four-wheeler.
Once in the barn, she saddled one of the biggest horses knowing that his size would work to her advantage when it came time to cross the swollen streams between her and Jack. Stuffing emergency food and supplies into the already stuffed saddle bags, she left Honey Hills at a gallop, the rain stinging her face as she rode. No one saw her leave and for that she was relieved, time was of the essence and nothing was going to stop her from going after Jack.
The trail was as bad as she’d expected, the mud slowing them down more than she would have liked, but she was an excellent rider so she pushed her horse as hard as she could, praying the whole time that she’d be able to catch up with Jack before something terrible happened. Hours later, she was soaked to the skin and covered with mud, but relieved to see Jack on the trail ahead of her. He was standing next to his horse, looking at the last river crossing, the usually placid stream a roaring torrent of water.
When she got close enough she called out to him, and he turned at the sound of her voice, his face lighting up at first then turning as stormy as the weather. “What are you doing here? I told Flynn not to let you come up here, it’s too dangerous.”
Chloe was immediately angry, “Then what are you doing up here? Jack this is a serious storm and the dam is going to give, we have to get back down the mountain.”
“You need to get back down. I’m going after my sheep.” He said, turning back to the stream as if the discussion was over.
Chloe got down off her horse and stood next to him. “How do plan to get across that?” She asked sarcastically.
“I haven’t quite figured that out, but don’t worry I will.” Jack said, stubbornly then started to mount his horse.
Chloe could tell that nothing she said was going to help, he was going to try and cross the stream no matter what she said. “You can’t cross alone; you’ll have to take me with you.”
“I’m not going to do that, it’s too dangerous.”
“You don’t have any choice.” She said, pulling the rope off her saddle that she always carried for just such an emergency.
Jack looked at Chloe, she was staring him down, her chin up, just daring him to disagree. “Okay fine, you probably know more about this than I do.”
Nearly an hour later, they’d crossed the rushing water safely and were back on their horses slogging through the mud. They were both soaked to the skin and shivering but Jack pressed on knowing that they were only a mile away from the upper pasture and hopefully the sheep. Their efforts were rewarded by the sight of the sheep, wet and unhappy, bunched in the middle of the pasture.
Jack was so excited, he let out of whoop of joy, but that joy was short lived when they heard a roaring in the mountains above them. “Jack, we have to get to higher ground, they must have opened up the spillway, in a few minutes this pasture is going to be flooded.” Chloe said, pointing to the stream that ran thought the pasture.
They both looked around them considering which way would be the best, then Chloe remembered that she’d seen an upper plateau that would keep them well away from the flooding. “We’re going to have to lead the sheep through the trees. They aren’t going to like it, but about a mile to the west is a place we should be safe.”
It took Jack only a second to decide that Chloe knew something he didn’t. “Lead the way.” He said, shaking the rain off his poncho.
Chloe jumped down off her horse and dropped his reins knowing that he would follow, then began leading the sheep into the trees. Jack watched her for a few minutes then remembered the lessons she’d give
n him all those weeks ago and got off his horse to help. When they came out of the trees, they were on the top of a big plateau, high enough from the river that they’d be safe even if the dam gave way.
They herded the sheep toward the back side of the plateau where there was a cliff that would provide them with some protection from the wind and rain. Chloe was so accustomed to being half-blinded by the wind and rain that it was a shock when they reached the shelter of the cliff. She hadn’t realized just how bad the storm had gotten until they stopped to catch their breath and looked back across the plateau.
Chapter 14
After they’d done all they could for the sheep, Chloe looked around for a place they could set up their tents; it wouldn’t be comfortable but at least it would be relatively dry. But then she spotted an opening in the rock through the sheets of rain still coming down, not daring to hope that she’d found a cave, she made her way across the muddy ground.
To her relief, the opening did turn out to be a cave just big enough for them to take shelter in. After they’d seen to the horses, they took their gear into the cave pleased to see that someone had not only been using it as shelter, but had left them an ample supply of firewood and even a stack of supplies. Shrugging out of several layers of their wet clothes, they built a fire which soon had the little cave warm enough that they both began to stop shivering.
Silently they unpacked the gear they’d brought with them, then dug though the pile in the back of the cave. “There’s enough food here for a few days.” Chloe said, knowing that they could easily be stuck here for far longer than that. “But it’s not going to be enough.”
For the first time since he’d left the ranch, Jack understood how crazy it had been to come up here. But one look at Chloe’s face told him that he needed to be the strong one right then, she’d gotten them across the river to safety, it was up to him to keep them alive. Chloe had a panicked look on her face and he was pretty sure he knew what she was thinking about.
“This is exactly what happened to my parents.” She said, her voice catching in her throat.
Jack had her in his arms so fast she didn’t have time to let the panic get the better of her. He was wet and his clothes were cold, but he still smelled like Jack and she felt better almost immediately. After he’d held her for a long time, he tipped her head up and kissed her, knowing that she needed the reassurance that everything was over between them as much as he did.
When he felt her beginning to relax, he said, “We’re going to be okay. We’ll eat this food until the weather clears, then I’m sure I’ll be able to catch us enough food to keep us alive. They know we’re up here Chloe, they’ll come for us as soon as it’s safe. It’s going to be okay.”
“Jack, it could take a week or longer for the water to recede.” Chloe desperately wanted to believe that they’d be okay, but she was frightened, knowing all too well how easily things could go wrong.
“Trust me, between the two of us we’ll be okay. You’re a strong woman Chloe, use your knowledge and I’ll use mine.” Jack said, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
Chloe took a deep breath knowing that letting her emotions get away from her was only a waste of energy. “I’ll be okay. I’m sorry I just had a moment of panic.” She finally said, pulling away from Jack.
“Good now, let’s see about setting up camp.” Jack said, suddenly all business, reminding Chloe that they still had things to talk about.
Before long they had the cave in livable condition. Chloe had gathered all the food together along with the mess kits they’d both packed and set up a makeshift kitchen. Jack had managed to create a bed with the tarps from the supplies in the back of the cave and the sleeping bags that they’d brought. It was close enough to the fire that they’d stay warm at night, although it made Chloe suddenly nervous to see that he expected them to sleep together. They hung a rope across the opening of the cave and hung all their wet clothes up to dry, each wrapped in a blanket to stay warm, it would take hours for their clothes to dry and neither had any that were dry.
When they finally sat down to a dinner of freeze dried spaghetti and meatballs, they were both exhausted. After one final check on the animals, they climbed into the bed Jack had made and were both asleep in minutes, the events of the day leaving no energy for talk. As they fell asleep, Jack pulled Chloe into his arms and she didn’t resist, it just felt too good. Tomorrow they’d have to talk, but for tonight they both needed to sleep.
The next morning, it was still raining but it had slacked off to a gentle patter, which under different circumstances might have been romantic. After a half way decent breakfast, which included a cup of coffee, they checked on the animals and collected more firewood, which would take hours to dry out enough to burn, then they built the fire up to dry off once again.
Chloe knew that the time had come to try and fix things with Jack, but she was nervous. Jack must have sensed her mood because he pulled her down by the fire and put his arm around her. “Do you want to tell me what happened with Brandon?” He asked, making it easy for her.
“Nothing.” She said, looking into his eyes, willing him to believe her. “He showed up at Marissa’s and told her that we were friends and that I was expecting him. Jack, you must believe me. I haven’t talked to him since I left LA. He kissed me, I didn’t kiss him.”
Jack was silent for a long time, his eyes never leaving hers, then he said, “I believe you Chloe.”
Chloe was so relieved she couldn’t hold back the tears, but she still managed to say, “Jack I love you, I didn’t want to but I do.”
To her utter disbelief he started to laugh, when he’d finally gotten himself under control he said, “If I already didn’t know that, I sure would now. Only someone in love would risk their life to come after a stupid Australian like me. I’m sorry I acted like an idiot Chloe, but I was so jealous I was afraid I was going to hurt someone.”
“Jealous, looked to me like you were mad.” Chloe said, confused.
“I thought I was mad too, but it turns out that I was jealous, more so than I’ve ever been in my life. I didn’t recognize what I was feeling until I got on the trail, then I just couldn’t make myself turn back, it was stupid of me. I love you Chloe, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Chloe was so happy she was speechless; she’d been waiting to hear those words for so long. She threw herself into Jack’s arms and kissed him, then got up and took his hand and led him to the back of the cave and the bed they shared. When he reached for her, she pushed his hands away and began to pull his clothes off one piece at a time, kissing and caressing his bare skin as it became exposed.
Jack was growling in his throat by the time she’d dropped to her knees in front of him, looking up at him she took his throbbing erection in her hands and stroked him until he threw his head back and moaned. Thrilled by his reaction, she took the tip of her tongue and ran it along the length of him. Jack pulled the tie from her hair and let it cascade over her shoulders, then laced his finger through it and held on to her head.
Chloe had no idea that giving Jack pleasure would give her just as much pleasure, but that familiar coil of desire was already building deep inside of her. When she took his length fully into her mouth, he said her name with such a huge sigh of pleasure that she felt the wetness blooming between her legs. Using her mouth and hands, she brought Jack just to the brink of orgasm then slowed down until he was panting with pleasure. Finally, Jack couldn’t stand it anymore and he pulled her to her feet.
“As good as that feels love, it’s your turn.” He said, removing her clothes just as she had his.
By the time Chloe was standing naked in front of him they were both panting with desire, Chloe desperate for Jack’s hands to find her most sensitive spots. When he finally laid her down on their bed, he knelt between her legs but instead of entering her, he dipped his head down and slid his tongue over her clit. After only a few more strokes of his tongue, she came in a blinding rush of plea
sure so intense she could only hold onto his shoulder as her body rocked with the force of her orgasm.
Chloe was clawing at Jack’s shoulders; she wanted him inside her with a desperation she’d never felt before. “Please, Jack.” She begged. “I need you inside me.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he slid up her body and placed his throbbing erection just at her pulsing opening. Chloe threw her head back, her body more than ready for his penetration, but Jack wasn’t ready to enter her just yet.
“Look at me Chloe, I want to see your eyes when we become one.” Jack said, desperate to enter her, but needing to see the love in her eyes.
Chloe looked up at Jack all the love she felt for him laid bare to his gaze, when he entered her with one long slow thrust, she thought she’d burst right then but Jack held back just enough to deny her that final pleasure. His eyes never leaving hers, he filled repeatedly, taking them higher and higher until they were both just on the edge, but he still wasn’t ready to let them soar together over the precipice of satisfaction.
Pulling out of Chloe, he flipped her onto her stomach, then pulled her to her hands and knees. When he gently pushed her legs apart, grabbed her hips and entered her from behind Chloe cried out in pleasure, moaning as Jack filled her deeper than ever before. When he reached under her and found her clit with his finger, Chloe cried out again, the pleasure so intense she was beyond any rational thought.
He teased her clit with his finger, rubbing until it was swollen and her moisture was slick on them both. Chloe had never felt such pleasure before, her body alive with pure sensation, her orgasm building until it was a hard coil deep inside her. As the waves of pleasure began to spread through her body, Chloe called out Jack’s name sure that she was about to shatter into a million pieces. Panting his name over and over again, she begged him to take her over the edge, and Jack knew that he wasn’t going to last much longer.
Be My Everything (Brothers From Money Book 11) Page 14
