Damn it. After all these years, one look could still turn her into a puddle of need. Regardless of everything that had happened between them, lust surged through her veins. Every inch of his virile body tensed as if poised to pounce. The vein on the side of his neck pulsed in time with her racing heart. She licked her bottom lip, wishing she could taste the beer on his lips.
He looked away, breaking the spell.
The waitress arrived with the herbal tea. “Your sandwich’ll be up in a minute. Can I get you something, handsome?”
Brady smiled. “Another beer would be great.”
Rachel frowned. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough already?”
“No. And since when are you my mother? You sure as hell don’t look like her.” His gaze burned across her body, setting her on fire.
The waitress jutted her hip out and leaned her hand on it. “Well?”
“Beer,” he said.
As soon as the waitress left, he fixed his gaze on Rachel. “Why did you come here?”
“I like the food.”
“I don’t mean to the bar. Why did you come out to the ranch?”
She stalled by opening the tea’s wrapper. She repeatedly dunked the tea bag into the steaming cup of hot water in an attempt to buy more time. Now would be a horrible time to tell him about Jimmy. Drunk and pissed off, he’d outright refuse to have anything to do with her or Jimmy. She’d have to wait until she could catch him in a sober, rational state of mind.
He leaned forward and grabbed her wrist lightly. “Why?”
As she pulled away, her stomach flipped. The longer she tried to talk to him, the worse the conversation would go. She couldn’t risk Jimmy’s life by approaching Brady at the wrong moment.
She slid out of the booth.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
“So there is something you want to talk to me about?”
“Yes, but now is clearly not the right time.”
She flipped the hood up on her coat and dropped some cash on the table. It should be enough to cover the bill and tip. She didn’t want to wait for the food. She wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway.
“Goodbye, Brady.”
A stunned expression crossed his face. “Wait.”
“I can’t.” She turned and walked away from the only man she’d ever loved.
Outside, a snowstorm raged. Furious northern winds whipped across the edges of her coat as if looking for an opening. Snowflakes pelted her face. She shoved her hands into the jacket pockets and hurried toward her car.
After settling into the driver’s seat, she shoved the key in the ignition and turned. Nothing happened.
“God, not now.”
She turned the key again. The car clicked a few times then stopped. She slammed her hands against the steering wheel. Seriously? Like she didn’t have enough to deal with already? Of course her damned car had chosen tonight to die.
She leaned her head against the freezing faux leather and fought back tears. Sometimes it seemed like the entire world was conspiring against her. When would she finally catch a break?
She stared out the snow-crusted window. Light from a nearby lamp fractured across the glass. In another life, she’d probably be enjoying the peaceful silence of a winter night. But tonight, the music of the night included howling wind and the choking sobs of a broken woman.
***
Brady stumbled out of the bar into the lashing storm. Across the street, he recognized the form of a woman bent over the steering wheel of her car. Was she in trouble? Maybe he’d be able to help her and at least do one thing right today.
The closer he came to the car, the more the woman’s shoulders heaved. She appeared to be crying. He sighed. Great, just what he needed right now, a hysterical woman. Like he didn’t already have enough problems now that Rachel had blown back into his life.
He leaned into the wind and forced one foot in front of the other. His progress wasn’t very steady, but he’d get there eventually.
When he finally reached the car, he swiped a hand across the driver’s side window and peered in. “Oh, hell.”
Startled, Rachel stared up at him through red-rimmed eyes. She unlocked the door and opened it a crack. “What are you doing?”
“I was checking to see if you needed any help. I didn’t know it was you.” Damn, he didn’t mean for it to come out that way.
She wiped a tear from underneath her eye. “I don’t need your help.”
“Of course you don’t. You never did, right? What’s wrong? Car problem?”
“I can’t get it to start.”
“Pop the hood.”
The hood snapped open. He circled around to the front of the car and peeked in at the engine. After wiggling and checking the connections, he stood back and closed the hood.
Rachel leaned out of the window. “What do you think?”
“My guess would be the battery. I have jumper cables in my truck. I’ll be right back.”
“You can’t drive right now. You just drank a bunch of beer.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. My plan was to stay until closing so I could sober up. But now, I just want to get home and sleep this off.”
“Where’s your car?”
“Around the corner.”
“We’ll walk over there together and I’ll drive your truck. After we jump mine, I’ll drive you home. One of your brothers can bring you back in the morning to get your truck.”
“I can just call one of them to pick me up. I wouldn’t want to put you out.”
“Either way, I just want you to get home safely.”
“Thanks.”
She followed him to the alley behind the bar. He jumped into the truck’s bed and opened a metal locker. After rooting around for a minute, he cursed under his breath. The one time he needed the damn things and they weren’t in the truck.
“I could have sworn I had cables with me,” he muttered.
“It’s okay. I can walk.”
He locked the lid then jumped down. “Where are you staying tonight? Your mom’s? That’s close enough to walk to.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m staying at the Morning Glory Econo Lodge. My mom’s studio is tiny.”
“Do you need to pick up your son tonight?”
“No. I told her I’d be back in the morning. I just needed a night off.”
“Kids are a lot of work, huh?”
“Yeah, but totally worth it.”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t know.”
“You never had any with anyone else?”
“There hasn’t been anyone else.” At least not anyone important. Sure, he’d had the occasional fling, but nothing resembling a relationship. Nothing like what they’d shared together before he’d joined the Marines.
She said, “Well, I’d be happy to drive you home in your car.”
“You can’t stay with me.”
She frowned. “I didn’t ask to stay. Look, if you don’t want my help. No problem. Stay here and sober up. I can walk to the Econo Lodge.”
“It’s on the other side of town.”
“The town’s only four blocks square. I’m sure I can walk there without a problem.”
He shook his head. No way would he let a lone woman walk through a snowstorm alone. Whatever issues they had could be set aside long enough to get her to the hotel safely.
He said, “Come on. I’ll let you drive my truck to the hotel. We can just leave it there and I’ll walk back to the bar.”
As she stepped toward the truck, her foot slid enough to throw her off balance. He lunged forward and caught her in his arms. A rush of almond-scented soap filled the air. He’d never forget her signature scent. It wasn’t even perfume. Apparently, she still liked those girly oatmeal almond soap bars she’d always used. During the time they’d been apart, he hadn’t been able to smell almonds withou
t thinking of her.
As she righted herself, she pushed away from his chest. Frigid air swirled between them to whisk away any trace of heat. But he still felt it all the way to the soles of his feet. God, he wanted her. Even after all this time, he couldn’t close his eyes without seeing her face. To have her standing in front of him with such a look of vulnerability broke something inside of him. A dam of emotion rushed up to drown him in desire. She stood less than a foot from him, close enough to kiss, close enough to pull her into his arms and never let go.
As he moved closer to her, she took a step back. “We should get going.”
He sighed and looked away. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Before he could do something he’d end up regretting, he turned and walked toward the passenger side. Wind whipped away the crunch of her small footsteps as she moved toward the driver’s side. Although he wasn’t exactly sober, he’d do whatever he could to protect her and get her home safely.
Clearly, the beer had messed up his usual ability to control his emotions. His inner bear roared in turmoil. He wanted the soft, beautiful woman spread out and ready for a night of passionate sex. But that’s all it would be. And what would be the point? He could have meaningless sex with a bevy of willing women, so why open up a can of worms by going after the only woman who’d ever rejected him?
“Thanks,” she said.
“Just be careful. She’s brand new.”
“Your truck?”
“Yeah, the ranch did pretty well last year.”
“That’s good. I’m glad things are going well for you,” she said softly.
He glanced at her. A faint beam of light slanted through the window to reflect the delicate features on her face. Her plump pink lips mashed together as she twisted the ignition key. The truck roared to life.
The trek from her car to the truck had taken less than five minutes, but by the time they’d arrived, he was already half-frozen. He couldn’t imagine how cold she was, but he had a pretty good idea. As her body shivered, her teeth chattered. Distressed by her disheveled state, he quickly turned on the heater. A blast of warm air swirled through her hair. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat and looked away.
A couple of minutes later, they pulled into the Econo Lodge parking lot. He wanted to make sure she made it to her room safely, so he jumped out of the truck. It was a terrible move which left him listing to one side. Damn beer. Now he remembered why he always hated drinking.
Rachel met him at the rear of the truck. She held out the keys. “I’ll give these to you, but only if you swear you won’t use them until the bar closes. Go back, order some food and drink a bunch of water so you sober up.”
“Yes, Mom,” he joked.
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Okay. Well, thank you. I guess…. I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
He wasn’t ready to let her go. He put his palm on the small of her back and guided her into the hotel’s lobby. “Does your room have a fireplace?”
She laughed. “I can’t afford such luxury. I can’t even afford this place. I offered to spend the night on the floor in my mom’s studio, but she refused and said I needed a proper bed. She paid for this place.”
“That was nice of her.”
“She’s the best. Always looking out for me.” Rachel punched a button to call the elevator. “Thanks for walking me in.”
“How long are you planning on staying in town?”
A flash of sadness passed across her face so quickly that he almost missed it. “I’m not sure. I think I made a mistake coming here.”
Before his mind could fully process her last statement, the elevator doors opened. When she stepped in, he followed her. She turned and jumped, startled to find him directly behind her. “Oh, I can make it the rest of the way myself.”
“I’d feel more comfortable knowing that you made it all the way to your room.”
“Okay.”
He cocked his head to one side. “What did you mean when you said you made a mistake coming here?”
She bit the edge of her lip. Hesitation, or maybe trepidation, furrowed her brows. “I… I just thought… I thought maybe I could reclaim something I’d lost.”
He stepped between her and the door. He raised his hands and leaned them against the wall on either side of her shoulders. “What do you think you lost?”
Chapter Four
Every inch of Rachel’s body quivered as she whispered, “You. I lost you.”
“But you didn’t want me.”
“I did. I wanted you to stay.”
“You know I couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t you?”
The elevator chimed as the doors slid open. She ducked under his arm and jumped into the hallway. When she turned, he was right behind her. She retreated until her back hit the wall. With nowhere to go, she gathered up what little courage she had left.
“You should go.”
When he didn’t immediately respond, butterflies beat furiously in her belly. His eyes glimmered with unspoken desire. His breath came fast and hard with just a hint of alcohol. Close enough to see the wash of stubble on his cheeks, she flicked her tongue out to wet her lips and, in doing so, made a huge mistake.
In an instant, Brady wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. His lips slashed across hers in a demanding kiss that stole her breath. Even if she’d wanted to fight him, she couldn’t. She knew, without a doubt, that she’d awakened the beast lurking inside him—his bear.
His tongue slid between hers, eliciting a gasp from deep within her chest. All thoughts of fighting him vanished as he claimed her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down to deepen the kiss. It had been so long since she’d kissed someone that the overwhelming rush of pleasure made her half-faint with wanton need.
He broke away long enough to gasp. “Which room?”
“Two-fifteen.”
He scooped her into his arms as if she were lighter than a feather. When they reached the door, she yanked the keycard out of her jeans and jammed it into the lock. The second it clicked open, he kicked the door with his boot. He carried her inside and kicked the door closed behind him.
She couldn’t look at anything but the twin dark pools of desire in his eyes. The pure, masculine scent of erotic need rolled off of him in waves. She inhaled deeply, drawing in his essence.
After setting her down, he cupped her face with his palms. “If you want me to stop…”
She shook her head, unable to make her lips move. This was crazy, but she couldn’t think about the consequences now. She needed him, wanted him, and wouldn’t stop until she had him.
He pulled at the front of her jacket, quickly unbuttoning as he went. When he flicked the outer flap open, he groaned. “Damn zippers.”
She smiled and laced her fingers through his luxurious hair. “It keeps me extra warm.”
As he pushed the coat off of her shoulders, she wriggled out of it. His hands flew to the hem of her long-sleeved shirt. With a tug, he pulled it up and over her head.
She wanted him just as naked, so she unzipped his jacket and yanked it off. After making quick work of the buttons on his shirt, she smoothed her hands between the open edges and caressed it off of his broad shoulders.
He stilled. His hands rested at her waist for a second while he gazed down at her with pure, animalistic intent. The smooth skin on his biceps glided under her fingertips. When he shivered, she smiled. She remembered every inch of his body and what he liked.
And so did he.
His lips fell to capture her sensitive earlobe in a firm kiss that had her melting into him.
She gasped, “Brady.”
“Mmm?”
“Oh, God.”
His hands roamed across her back, stopping only to unhook her bra. The sensible cotton garment fell to the floor. If she’d had any idea she’d be naked in his arms, she would have worn lace, but after
the way he’d greeted her at the ranch, she had absolutely no expectation of ending up in bed with him.
A flash of rational thought broke through the hazy lust but vanished the second his warm hands closed over her breasts. She tossed her head back and moaned. He walked her backward until her knees hit the bed. They fell onto the squeaking mattress together in a tangle of limbs.
He pinned her hands over her head and murmured. “Let me look at you.”
She whimpered in response.
“You’re stunning.”
She tried to suck in her belly but realized it didn’t matter. He’d always said he loved every inch of her and he didn’t seem bothered by the extra pounds she’d put on since having her son.
With deft hands, he scooped her large breasts up and squeezed them together. He bent to kiss the tip of each nipple before lashing his hot tongue over the swollen buds. She squirmed beneath him. The rigid length of him dug into her thigh. She pulled away from his grasp and shoved her hands between them to unbutton his pants.
As he wriggled his hips, she pushed the jeans past his tight, hard ass. She grabbed the firm muscles and squeezed. Her fantasies about his body weren’t wrong. Over the last few years, she’d tried to convince herself that he wasn’t as sexy as she remembered. He couldn’t have been as phenomenal in bed as she recalled….but he was.
He knelt between her thighs. Slowly, with the slightest graze of skin on skin, he traced his fingertips down from her breasts, across her quivering belly to the top of her jeans. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession. A wet heat spread in the tight space between her thighs. She’d never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him right now.
“Take off my pants,” she commanded.
He groaned and worked the button free. After yanking the zipper down, he dragged the jeans off and tossed them over the edge of the bed. He crawled out of his jeans and kicked them off. She propped up to get a better look at his rock-hard abs and hair-dusted chest. Her gaze wound down to the rigid length of his arousal. It strained against his boxers as if trying to break free.
Spring Feve Page 63
