Texas Ranch Justice (HQR Romantic Suspense)

by Karen Whiddon

  At that moment, he would have promised her the moon. “I’ll try,” he answered. “What is it?”

  “Would you kiss me again?” she breathed.

  Just like that, she managed to rip away every shred of the armor he’d attempted to build around him. With a groan, he lowered his mouth to her, claiming her lips with a hunger that tore through and gutted him.

  Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him back with equal fervor. This time, he let his hand explore—her soft skin, the curve of her waist and hips, the swell of her breasts. And she, she touched him as though she’d been as starved for him as he’d been for her. She skimmed her fingertips over his torso, sliding them around the waistband of his jeans, hesitating while his aroused body swelled even more.

  Rock hard, he could barely move, never mind think. While he wasn’t entirely sure she knew what she was doing to him, he knew if she kept it up, he’d lose the last shred of what little self-control he’d managed to hang on to.

  “Scarlett,” he growled.

  She must have heard the warning in his voice, because her hands stilled. Though she didn’t move away from him, not yet. And she had to, because right now the only movement he felt capable of making would be ripping off their clothes and pushing himself up inside of her.

  “We need to stop,” he made himself say.

  “Do we?” Pushing slightly back, she gazed up at him, her lips swollen from his kisses and her eyes dark with desire.

  Unbidden, his body surged against her, the movement involuntary, though she certainly had to feel it.

  Judging by the way her lips curved in a sexy, suggestive smile, she did.

  “Are you saying...” He could barely get the words out through clenched teeth. Holding himself back took every ounce of energy.

  “Yes.” With both hands, she pulled him down to her for a deep, drugging kiss that left him reeling. “Make love to me, Travis. Right here, right now.”

  He groaned, but retained enough presence of mind to urge her down the hall to her bedroom. Then, once he’d kicked the door closed, he turned and began feverishly undressing her. She did the same for him, her trembling fingers fumbling with his belt. When she finally removed that, she struggled with his zipper, straining over his arousal.

  Somehow, he managed to get her clothes off her without tearing anything. Then, he yanked his own shirt over his head and stepped out of his jeans, taking a moment to slip on a condom.

  “Come here,” he said, drinking in the sight of her naked.

  Instead, as she let her gaze roam over him, she crawled up onto her bed and held out both arms. “No, Travis. Come here instead.”

  Chapter 8

  Heaven help her, Scarlett thought she’d never seen a more perfect male body. Muscular in all the right places, from his washboard abs to his narrow waist and broad shoulders.

  And his arousal... Her entire body clenched in anticipation.

  At her invitation, he crossed the distance between them, the desire blazing from his gaze setting her on fire before he reached her.

  He kissed her again, as he lowered his body over hers. She arched herself up to meet him halfway, eager to feel the swollen length of him inside her. Already more than ready, she gasped as he entered her and then, with one swift move, filled her completely.

  This, she thought dazedly, this was what she’d been missing her entire life.

  When he began to move, slowly, she raised herself up to meet every thrust, trying to make him go faster, harder.

  But he only laughed, his expression dark with passion. Finally, he gave in to her unspoken request. She fairly vibrated with the force of him, passion pounding through her with every thrust. The world shifted, and the first starbursts morphed into an explosion that went on and on and on.

  Then, as her body clenched around him while waves of release shook her, he cried out and found his own shuddering release.

  After, he held her for a few minutes, both of them silent. She wondered if their lovemaking had rocked his world the way it had hers.

  Sated, she must have fallen asleep. She woke up to find herself alone in her bed, wrapped up in tangled sheets. The digital clock on her nightstand read 12:03 a.m.

  Had he really sneaked out and gone home once she’d fallen asleep? Without even a kiss or a goodbye?

  But then her bedroom door snicked open and Travis returned. Apparently, he’d been to the bathroom across the hall and now, not realizing she was awake, he got dressed, using the flashlight on his phone to find his clothes.

  Finally, he’d finished. He crossed the room and stood by the edge of the bed, staring down at her. Though she really wanted to see what he’d do, she refused to play games and feign sleep, so she smiled up at him. “Hey there,” she murmured.

  “I’ve got to go.” He leaned in and breathed a kiss on her forehead.

  Slowly, she nodded. “Good idea. Everyone would know if you spent the night. Imagine the gossip.” Though she was only half joking, she was also right. While she might not mind if Vivian, Amber and even Delilah suspected she and Travis had been intimate, she sure as heck didn’t want Hal to hear about it.

  “Exactly,” he drawled. He turned around and left, closing her door quietly behind him.

  She lay absolutely still, listening for the sound of his truck starting. Only once she’d heard it drive away did she roll back over and try to go back to sleep.

  * * *

  The next morning, she woke up feeling unsettled. What had she been thinking, giving in to that sizzling attraction she had for Travis? Even worse, what was he thinking? She’d pretty much thrown herself at him.

  Argh. Usually, Scarlett considered herself a self-confident person. She’d never been prone to second-guessing her decisions or questioning her judgment. Nor would she start that kind of craziness now. She and Travis were adults and they’d both been consenting.

  Plus, the entire experience had been absolutely, freaking amazing. In fact, she could think of only one small problem. Instead of satisfying her curiosity and desire, making love with him only made her want him again.

  Restless, she showered and dressed and then made her way to the kitchen. Hal still slept, which made her slightly worried. The seizure must have taken a greater toll on him than she’d realized. She debated checking on him and finally decided she had to. If something were wrong, she’d need to get him help right away. She didn’t have the luxury of waiting for Delilah to arrive.

  Taking care to move quietly, she opened the door to Hal’s room and crept to his bedside. As far as she could tell, he seemed to be deeply asleep. His chest rose and fell as he breathed. Since she didn’t want to wake him, she went back to the kitchen. If he wasn’t up and moving around by the time Delilah got there, she’d ask the other woman to check on him.

  Fortified by two strong cups of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs, she stepped out on the back porch and breathed deeply. The unusually warm air actually contained a hint of crispness, hinting of fall. She remembered hearing on the weather report that a cold front was on the way. The kind of perfect weather to do something outside.

  But what? Since Travis hadn’t yet gotten around to giving her those riding lessons, she couldn’t stroll out to the barn, saddle up one of the horses and go for a ride. Or could she? For a brief moment, she actually considered trying, but since she had no idea how to even saddle one of those huge beasts, she discarded that idea.

  What did it mean, that she and Travis had made love? How would this change their relationship, for the better or worse? Would they try to pretend nothing had happened? Putting her hands to her flushed cheeks, she hoped not. But then again, she wasn’t sure how Hal would react if he were to find out. And what about the others—Vivian and Amber? She could only imagine how quickly the gossip would spread.

  And...she’d gotten ahead of herself. Again. Deep breaths. She and Travi
s had gotten together and had one night of amazing sex. So what? They were both adults. What they chose to do or not do wasn’t anyone else’s business but theirs.

  Despite her pep talk to herself, she still felt on edge. Since she couldn’t ride yet, she decided to take a walk. She could use the exercise and getting outdoors would help clear her head.

  She went inside and changed into her sneakers. While the boots were more comfortable than she’d expected, she needed the running shoes to cover long distances comfortably.

  Back outside, she power walked down the long driveway. When she got to the end, the sight of the mailbox reminded her of the odd, mildly threatening letter, which gave her a moment of unease. She’d even caught herself wondering if Travis’s ex-fiancée had written it in a bit of pique once learning another woman resided in Hal’s house. Either way, no one else seemed worried about it, so Scarlett wouldn’t either. She’d enjoy her walk and just keep her eyes out for anything unusual.

  Now that she’d decided, she turned left and then right. The same dirt road traveled east to west. This time, instead of going the way she’d gone on her last walk, she chose the opposite direction. As far as she could tell, the HG Ranch land went on for farther than she could possibly go on foot. It’d be nice to take in some different scenery, even if they were only pastures.

  She walked until the trees obscured the main house. As she’d suspected, there were more pastures, some of them occupied by horses rather than cattle.

  Step by step, she felt the tension leave her body. While she certainly hadn’t expected to, she actually liked this part of the country. East Texas had turned out to be more like her beloved Georgia than she’d expected.

  The road curved around a thicket of trees. When she came out on the other side, a small lake spread out before her, the blue water sparkling in the sunshine. She found the unexpected sight so beautiful she paused to take a long look at it. For the first time she could actually see the appeal of exploring the ranch on horseback.

  Briefly she considered going closer, though doing so would involve going under or over the fence and trudging through pasture where she might possibly encounter livestock, so she decided against it. Instead, she decided to continue to follow the road and see what else she might see.

  On the other side of the lake, she saw a plume of smoke or dust. A fire? Squinting, she realized it was a vehicle, traveling fast. Had something happened to Hal? Since she knew she was in the middle of ranch land, the vehicle had to be heading toward the main house.

  Worried, she checked her phone. No messages from Delilah or Travis. That helped her relax somewhat, since she knew they’d have reached out to her. And—she looked again—the absence of flashing lights meant it wasn’t an ambulance. Assuming they used such things here in the middle of nowhere.

  As the vehicle drew closer, she saw it was a white pickup truck barreling down the dirt road. Shading her eyes with her hand, Scarlett wondered if it was one of the ranch vehicles. For whatever reason, it was traveling way too fast for the bumpy dirt road. The truck bounced and fishtailed, yet each time the driver managed to get it under control.

  Teenagers out for a joyride? Or one of the neighboring ranchers with a pressing emergency? Either way, she stepped to the side of the road, and then moved several feet closer to the pasture, right up against the fence, just to be safe. While so far the driver appeared to have great control of the truck, she didn’t want to take any chances.

  Since she wore a bright red shirt and stood in plain view, she figured they had to have seen her. As the truck approached, still going far too fast, she waved, just to be safe. Due to the tinted windows, she couldn’t tell if the driver waved back.

  Only one curve and a few hundred feet separated them.

  Yet instead of racing past, the truck hit a huge rut and skidded off the road, sliding sideways directly toward her.

  She didn’t have time to think, just react. She jumped up, hitting the fence seconds before the truck did. Barbed wire tore at her clothing and her skin, but she made it in time to avoid the vehicle.

  Somehow the driver managed to regain control, spinning the truck back toward the road. Bleeding, Scarlett climbed to her feet, waiting for the vehicle to stop, but instead, the pickup swerved toward the gravel road and then back around. For one heart-stopping moment, she thought the driver meant to gun it toward her and mow her down, but instead it made another rotation. Once the tires regained traction on the road, it sped off, back in the direction it had come.

  Stunned, in shock, Scarlett looked down at her bleeding arms and torn shirt. Had that been on purpose or some kind of crazy accident? The fact that the driver hadn’t bothered to stop pointed more toward deliberate. But why? No one even knew she was out here.

  Where had the truck been going before it had nearly killed her? And why had it turned around and gone back the way it had come?

  Slightly dizzy, Scarlett took stock of her injuries. Nothing serious, though some of the cuts looked deep and hurt like crazy. She reached in her back jeans pocket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. It must have fallen out when she’d taken that dive over the fence.

  Slowly, she retraced her steps. As she did, she realized her jeans were also ripped and she’d gotten a deep cut in one leg. Part of the fence was down, which meant the truck would have scratches too, making it easier to identify.

  Praying one of the tires hadn’t crushed her phone, she finally located it in a clump of tall grass. Luckily, it appeared unharmed. She scrolled through her phone until she located Travis’s number and called.

  “It’s Scarlett,” she managed, glad he’d answered.

  “What is it?” he asked. “Did you change your mind about going to the ball with me?”

  “No.” She swallowed, willing her voice to remain steady. “I need your help.”

  “What’s wrong?” The teasing note vanished from his voice. “Is Hal all right?”

  “As far as I know, he’s fine.” She took a deep breath, hating the slight hitch in her tone. Quickly, she explained what had happened.

  “Where are you?”

  “That’s just it, I don’t know. Near the lake?”

  “Lake?” Clearly perplexed, he went silent for a second or two. “The nearest lake is at least half an hour away. Did you drive there?”

  She glanced back at the shining body of water. “No, I’m still on ranch land. Maybe it’s a pond, I don’t know. It’s water. I turned left at the end of the main house driveway and kept walking. The road curves and there’s a large pond or something. The fence is down too.”

  “That’s one of the stock tanks,” he told her. “That one has a nice underground spring that keeps it filled. Stay put. I’m on my way to get you.” And he ended the call.

  Staring down at the phone, she slipped it into her back pocket and struggled not to cry. She didn’t want to be a mess when Travis got there—she had to be strong.

  * * *

  Travis told one of his hands he had to go, and put the younger man in charge for the rest of the day. After hopping into his truck, he drove as fast as he could. The area where Scarlett waited was clear on the opposite side of the ranch from where he’d been working, so would take some time to get to her. While he might have been able to shave off some time by going cross-country through the fields, the moments where he’d have to stop and open gates would negate that completely, so he stuck to the road.

  He saw her long before he reached her. At first, he feared the bright red of her shirt might be blood, which nearly stopped his heart. But as he drew closer, he realized she seemed mainly unharmed, except for gashes on her arms and a particularly bad one on her leg.

  Skidding to a stop on the edge of the road, he jumped out and ran toward her. Though he ached to gather her in his arms and hold her, he didn’t want to hurt her, so instead he settled for taking her hand. “Are you all right?”
/>   She nodded, clearly blinking back tears. Seeing that, he decided the hell with it, and carefully folded her into his arms.

  Shoulders shaking, she cried silently while he, a man who hated feeling helpless, felt exactly that. Turning her gently, he steered her toward his truck. The sooner he could get her inside and cleaned up, the better she’d feel.

  Once he got her settled in the passenger seat, he made a quick phone call to some of his crew, directing them to send a couple of guys to fix the fence. Then he climbed up in the truck and started the ignition.

  “I’m thinking we should get you checked out at the hospital,” he said. “That cut on your leg might need stitches. How long has it been since you had a tetanus shot?”

  “I don’t know. Not since I was a kid, I’m thinking. But I’m not sure I need a hospital. What about one of those quick-care places? Do you have them around here?”

  He thought for a moment. “As a matter of fact, I think one just opened up off Main Street. We’ll go check it out.”

  “Okay.” Wiping at her eyes, she stared out the window. “I’d like to file a police report after that.”

  “We can call and get an officer to come while you’re getting checked out at the clinic. Did you happen to get the license plate of the truck that hit you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I was too busy trying to stay alive. All I know was it was a white pickup truck.”

  “Chevy, Ford, or Dodge?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sorry.” Swallowing hard, she looked down at her leg. “The bleeding has stopped, so I don’t think this is deep enough for stitches.”

  He patted her shoulder. “We’ll let the doctor decide, all right?”

  “Sure.” Now she appeared disinterested. “I just don’t understand why someone just tried to kill me.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?”

  “Obviously not,” she shot back. “If they’d lost control and nearly mowed me down by mistake, why would they have left the scene?”