by Lise Fuller
More important, had he done the right thing by letting the woman live in his house? He thought so but he had Jesse to consider.
“I told you she was a looker.” Jake about hollered when Gramps materialized and startled him.
“Gramps,” Jake growled, “you scared the hell out of me.” He pointed a finger at the ghost to make himself clear. “You leave her alone. Stay away from her, especially when she takes a bath. From the way she looks, she’s had enough frights.”
“Boy, I’m not gonna bother her. I’m leaving her for you.”
“Lord almighty, old man, don’t you think one messed-up woman in my life was enough?”
“Son, don’t give up too easy. All I can tell you is this,” he said as he faded, “ifn’ I was after her, I wouldn’t wait too long. She’s a rare prize.”
“Yeah.” Jake rubbed his face. “You could tell me what she’s done. I’d feel better.”
Gramps popped back from thin air in a flash. “If I tell yuh everything, me boy, it’d take all the fun out of the pursuit. Trust me, Jake. She’s the one for you.” He left in a wink.
Jake heard the door open behind him. He turned as Marie poked her head out. “Who are you talking to?”
Jake rested his hands on his hips. “Nobody.” He rubbed his forehead. “I, uh, talk to myself. Runs in the family.”
She gave him another strange look and shrugged. “Okay.”
“Thought I’d warn you.” Jake jerked his chin in a nod then walked down the hallway and out the front door.
Given his state of mind, the clear, cold night air would do him good.
—
Naked and clean, Marie sank into the down comforter hidden under the intricately stitched quilt. She’d luxuriated in the hot bath, let her body slide into the water while she imagined that Jake had actually kissed her. She’d thought he would when they were on the bed.
But she’d been wrong. He’d only checked to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
Disappointment flooded her, yet she couldn’t help the empty ache in her gut, the yen to have him touch her like a lover—and mean it.
The muscles around her sex clenched. She groaned and spread her legs as she savored the feel of the clean sheets. As tense as she’d been of late, she could use the release his sexy body could bring.
She closed her eyes and fantasized about the large man, his hard body as it lay next to her. She imagined his deep voice as he whispered words of desire in her ear, his calloused hands as they outlined her hip and moved higher to slip beneath her breast and cup her flesh. Marie skimmed her hand underneath the covers and let her fingers glide over her damp skin. She caressed a nipple, moaned with a soft breath, almost feeling Jake’s firm but tender touch on her bare flesh. Her clit tingled. She relished how protective he’d been, how kind he’d treated her, how each touch of his body made her want for more.
She closed her eyes and fingered herself. Pinched the nipple with just enough pressure and tugged on it until it peaked. She let go of her grip a moment and licked her fingers then touched the nub of her breast again and pulled. She pretended Jake’s mouth was on her, that his lips sucked her and laved the tender nib with his tongue.
She rolled to her side, turned her face into the pillow so no one would hear her cries of pleasure. She needed to come. Needed his hard penis to penetrate her, but this fantasy would have to do. She thought of him, when he’d been on top of her, on this bed. His body had tensed then, his breaths had grown ragged. His penis had hardened into a state of need. Jake the sheriff may not want her, but damn, Jake the man sure did.
And that’s what she thought of, the man. At least tonight. She didn’t want to mull over anything else. Not her troubles. Not what Jake would do if he found her out. She wanted to savor the sensation of his hard body as he lay on her, of the penis that pulsed in his pants, wanting to come out and play.
She giggled at that imagery, let her hand explore lower. Her mind filled in the blanks—Jake as he stripped and eased his body next to hers, his deep voice as he whispered words of sex, of his wanting, of his taking her.
She rolled on her stomach, fondled her clit and stroked the lust-heightened skin. Her labia grew wet. She flattened her hand and outlined her nether lips with her fingers then ground her hips across her palm, pushing the nub of her sex into it.
But it wasn’t enough.
She lifted herself on her other arm, rested on her elbow in an attempt to angle her hips. The motion put more pressure on her lowered hand as she ground her hips into her palm and let the tip of the middle finger slide in and out of her.
She pressed her face into the pillow. The effort wasn’t even close.
Jake’s voice sounded outside her door. Her breath hitched in surprise until she realized he spoke to Jesse to tell the boy to go to bed.
His footsteps sounded in the hall. She let her mind wander, let herself dream he would come to this room, to her. “Mmmm,” she sighed in her lowest tone, the demand for sexual completion heightened once again.
The steps stopped at her door, as if Jake stood there and listened. God, she hoped he didn’t hear her.
After a moment, the door of his bedroom opened. His steps sounded on the oak wood floor as he walked into his room. The hinges creaked as he closed the door behind him.
Marie exhaled in relief but the thought of him so close gave her what she needed. In her mind’s eye, he was in her room. And he wanted her. He pulled her hand away and took over for himself. She ground her hips harder, pretended it was his long hard flesh fucking her instead of the finger she used. She felt the seductive rise, the sense of contentment that only sex could bring.
She peaked, buried her head in the pillow and parted her lips. She groaned as the sensation washed over her.
Panting, she rolled onto her back. It took a moment but her pulse finally slowed. She stared at the ceiling. Jake Colder was the sheriff, but damn, her body craved him.
“The Freudian thing,” she whispered. Reality needed to smack her in the face, especially with the thoughts she was having. She lived in the man’s house, for God’s sake. He had a son. Have a fling with the sheriff? Not in this lifetime, not when her problems ran so deep.
Still, being here… She glanced around the room as her eyes watered. For the first time since she’d left D.C., she felt safe—and more. Hearing Jake, listening to his footsteps, the sound of Jesse’s TV program that echoed in the house. The quiet noises were the sounds of a home, something she hadn’t had in quite some time. She took pleasure in them, not knowing when she’d ever be able to do so again.
She blinked, snuggled into the soft pillow and pretended she was part of Jake’s life. Marie huffed at the bizarre thought. This wasn’t her home nor would it ever be. She didn’t belong here and she had too much wrong to even contemplate such an idea. She stayed petrified that she would be discovered by one of the crooked apes from the Back to America Movement. Then she’d be on the run again, as far and as fast as she could go.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize about it. As she stared at the door, her tears welled. Jake took her in knowing she’d run away. She wasn’t sure what to make of that or what to make of him. If he ever discovered her real dilemma, would he help her or turn her in? If she told him, would he believe the truth? She swallowed. She couldn’t risk the chance. From what she could tell, the man bound himself to his duty.
You’ll be safe here, he’d told her. Provided you haven’t done anything wrong.
“Oh, but I have.” She rolled over, hid her face in the pillow and let the drops fall. “I have.”
—
Gramps popped in and watched the beautiful woman turn out the lamplight. Her sobs pissed him off. “Let ’em come,” he threatened and wanted to spit. He looked around for a spittoon. “Damn, Jake.” He gnawed the tobacco back up in his cheek and heard her sniffle in her sleep. “It’s okay, li’l lady. Old Jake and I, we’ll fix ’em. You wait and see.”
He knew she didn’t hear h
im but the sobs lessened, as if she’d been reassured. For the time being, he hoped she’d forget the worries that plagued her. Right now, he could worry enough for the both of them—and for Jake, though the boy didn’t know it yet.
Marie’s safety concerned the grandfather in him. She was the one for Jake. The woman, like his own Josephine, who could make Jake happy. But murderous folks looked for her. People filled with deadly greed. As an ethereal creature, he could only interfere so much. Rules, as they say, were rules. And as a ghost, when it came to heavenly precepts, keeping them grew more important. He couldn’t let Jake know about the danger. But would his grandson be ready for them when the time came?
Would Marie?
He floated next to the bed. Marie had fallen asleep, thank heaven.
He looked at her in the peaceful repose, decided he could still stretch those rules a mite more. He’d watch over her in his own way—until Jake realized the depth of her problems.
Satisfied with his decision, Master Sergeant Thaddeus P. Colder winked, his mission clear. Then he disappeared, ready for duty.
Chapter Four
For Jake, the day hit early. He had the morning off, unless there was some emergency. He’d decided the night before they’d move a small head of cows down to their normal wintering spot and he’d pushed Jesse up before the crack of dawn to help him and Cal with the horses and a few other chores that needed to be done before he and Cal left.
Jake was glad he did. He hadn’t slept well. Kept tossing and turning, thinking about Marie and what her problems were.
If she slept naked.
He gritted his teeth. The chore would occupy him and give Marie some time to adjust to his home without him or anyone else around to pressure her. Getting up to work in the cool autumn morning made so much sense.
The sun had been up about an hour when he came back. Jake sniffed the air as he opened the door to the kitchen. “Bacon.” He stomped the dust off his boots and walked toward the stove. Marie’s back was turned as she stood at the counter. She wore a pair of fitted pants. The cut emphasized her taut ass and lean legs. His dick twitched again. He stifled the urge to gawp at her and stepped up to the frying pan. “Smells good.”
She turned her head and smiled. “Well, you said you liked bacon. I’m not much of a cook but I can make a mean omelet. I saw Jesse and another man out there. You guys hungry?”
“You bet.”
She walked over to the sink and cracked a few eggs in a bowl. He watched her. He admired the swell of her hips, thought his hands would fit well on the curvature of her backside. He raked his gaze over her while she couldn’t see him and allowed himself the view of her legs, her butt, the waist that curved nicely inward, the long dark hair that he’d love to run his fingers through to see how silky it felt.
He wanted her, but he couldn’t have her yet. He wanted to know whatever was wrong with her first. But the wait plagued him.
She added some salt to the dish. A slight smile creased the faint lines around her lips. He liked that. Liked her in his kitchen. The scene was homey, comfortable. He hoped she’d consider staying on. Wanted her to believe that he could protect her, from whoever it was she ran from. The way she’d reacted last night, Jake suspected it was an ex-lover but he wasn’t sure. She’d tensed when he’d mentioned a boyfriend but had quickly said she hadn’t had one. Perhaps it was some guy who was pissed because she told him no? Jake didn’t know but he wanted to find out. But he needed her to trust him first, and when she did, then maybe she’d let him get closer and he could get this damn lust out of his system.
The vision of their nude bodies intertwined made his throat run dry. Blood rushed to his groin. He closed his eyes and savored the notion of her in his arms a moment then released it. He didn’t want to get hard and needy again.
Still, he wanted her. Yeah, he’d had a few affairs with some of the women in the valley but, in reality, he’d been alone a long time. He wanted a good woman to warm his bed. And he wanted Jesse to have a real mother. Gramps said Marie was the one, said not to lose her. Not that Jake put stock in the ravings of the old coot but who knew? The ghost had never played matchmaker before. Could this woman become part of his life?
Jake frowned and pondered the idea. She was a woman on the run. Why would she stay? What did Gramps know about her that he didn’t? Jake hated being kept in the dark. Without any details, he couldn’t tell where the trouble would come.
But there was nothing to be done about it right now.
Jake put his hands in his pockets and stepped close behind her. The scent of her came to him. Clean, fresh. The smells of a woman. He wanted to brush the hair off her neck and taste her.
But he couldn’t, he reminded himself. Not yet. “You sleep well last night?” He lowered his voice, let his breath skim the strands of her hair. He thought it a fair question since he hadn’t slept at all.
She tilted her head to look at him. Her mouth was close. He could kiss her from where he stood. Her pupils dilated. The green around them deepened. “Yes, fine. Thank you.” She used that bedroom voice again.
“I have the morning off. The boys and I are set to move a few cows from the upper pasture. It isn’t far but it’ll take a few hours. Unless I get called in, we won’t be back ’til after lunch. Maybe later.”
Her lush lips parted. He liked the shape of them. Thought they would fit well with his. God, how he wanted to taste her.
“Cows?” She licked her lips.
Jake lifted a corner of his mouth. He affected her too. He could tell. And he was damn glad of it. He reached around her, got as close as he could without coming on too strong, and broke a piece off a strip of bacon. “This is a ranch. We still have a herd, even though it’s a small one.”
“Oh.” Marie’s chest rose with the intake of her breath. Her lashes lowered. She sucked on her bottom lip then turned her head and went back to her work. “You make much at that?”
“No,” he grunted. “Which is why I needed the two hundred bucks. The place usually loses money. This year we got lucky. We might break even.” He popped the meat in his mouth. Perhaps Gramps was right and her being here was providence. And if not, at least the association could be fun.
“If you don’t make money then why do it?”
He shrugged and finished chewing. “It’s in the blood. I want to keep the ranch a working one. We have our good years.”
“Well, I have a double shift at the diner.” Marie looked at him over her shoulder. “You still want me to be your housekeeper?”
“Hell yeah.” Her question pleased him. “Like I said, I can’t really pay you but I can give you some spending money every now and then. Mostly the deal will be free room and board.”
“And an occasional night off?”
He nodded. “If you want it. But I need you to watch Jesse when I’m not here, particularly if I get an emergency. He’s nine. I don’t like leaving him in the house by himself. Especially at night. You saw how far away we are from town. If something were to happen, I’d never forgive myself.”
When she smiled her eyes shone. “Agreed.”
He pushed up the brim of his Stetson. “You know much about computers?”
She folded her arms and leaned against the counter. “Maybe.”
He slid his hands in his pockets and gave her his sexiest, hometown grin. “It’d be nice if you could help with his school work too. He gets on that damn Internet and I can’t get him off.”
“Internet? You have Internet access here?”
“Honey, we may be backwoods but we still have all the modern conveniences.”
Her lips twitched. She covered them with her hand. “I’ll think about it.” She pressed her palm against his chest to move him out of the way then stepped to the stove and poured the eggs into the hot pan. “Meanwhile, I still need cash so I’ll be working at the diner. I won’t always be here when Jesse gets home.”
“That’s okay, ma’am.”
She still wore her smile. Sh
e eyed him a minute. “In that case, maybe you ought to get the ‘boys’ in for breakfast.”
He nodded and plastered a stupid grin to his face but he didn’t care. She would stay. That was the important part. Turning, he strolled out the door. For a short time, at least, one problem was solved.
—
Marie stirred the eggs in the hot pan and watched Jake leave. He looked different this morning in a pair of faded denims. He was more relaxed and, as she watched his prize-winning buns saunter, probably more deadly to her resolve to keep her distance. She shook her head. “Marie, if you can keep your wits about you right now, you’re a strong woman,” she grumbled.
Even with the temptation his body brought, after last night, she decided it’d be in her best interest for him to be close by. Internet access was an additional benefit. It would give her some freedom. Besides, Jake said he’d keep her safe and for some reason, she believed him. He had known about her almost as soon as she got there. If a stranger came into town, Jake would know that too. If she stayed at the ranch then Marie would be the next one to find out whom any new person was.
A crusty old cowhand walked into the kitchen and let the screen door slam behind him. “Ma’am.” He nodded once to Marie as Jesse barreled in behind him and almost knocked him down. The cowboy turned to Jesse and chastised him with a whisper. “What’s the matter with you, boy? I’m trying to make a good impression.”
Jake entered behind them. “Marie, this is Cal Henderson, our foreman. He’s been around since I wore diapers, the cloth ones, that is.”
That warm feeling bubbled in her again. “Well, sit down. You guys can tell me what you think of my cooking. After that,” she bent over and put Jake’s plate in front of him, “you may change your mind about me staying.”
“You’re stayin’? Cool.” Jesse sat and rubbed his grimy hands together.
