“Do you know if anyone will even be awake to check us in this late?” He cast a sideways glance at her, and she could feel the tension radiating off him. She wanted to laugh. Clearly, he shared her feelings after being trapped together on the long drive. She hated that he didn’t want her as she wanted him and knew she would be thinking about him sleeping in a nearby cabin, wondering if he slept in the nude or not. Her cheeks burned at the thought.
“I told the owner we’d arrive late, and he assured me someone would be available to give us keys. I think the office is over there.” She pointed to a small building set slightly back from the historic cabins.
“I don’t see a light on in that building.” A muscle near his eye twitched.
“Don’t worry. Maybe they dozed off, but I’m sure someone will come to the door as soon as we knock.” She lifted her chin when he cast her a dubious look, hoping she looked confident. She’d never stayed at a B and B before and hoped the owner proved as professional as he’d seemed over the phone.
Phantom threw the truck into park, the headlights shining on the tiny building, and Elena breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a light flip on inside. She quickly unfastened her seat belt. “I’ll be back soon.”
He said nothing, but joined her at the front of the truck near the stairs leading up to the hut serving as an office. His desire to make certain she stayed safe didn’t surprise her. She only wished his desire extended beyond the chivalrous idea of protecting her.
The soft click of the dead bolt being unfastened sounded just before the door swung open and an older man faced them. He ran a hand through his gray hair and down his wrinkled, drowsy face. “You must be Elena.”
The slight anxiety that crossed his features made her nervous. “Yes. You’re Adam, right? I let you know we’d be arriving late today.”
The elderly man glanced at the clock on his desk as he stepped back so they could enter. “Technically, it’s already tomorrow. When you said ‘late,’ I thought you meant ten o’clock, not the next day.”
Phantom closed the door behind them. “Sorry for the delay. We were held up at the barn longer than we expected. I’m sure you want to catch some sleep as much as we do, so we’ll sign whatever papers are needed and take the keys off your hands.”
Adam lowered his head and shuffled his boots on the hardwood floor. “Yeah, about that…” He lifted his head and looked at Elena, then Phantom. “Since it was so late, I thought you might not turn up. I had a last-minute customer show up, and I gave them one of the cabins you reserved.”
Elena blinked rapidly, certain she must be so tired she had misheard him. “You did what?”
“If I hadn’t fallen asleep at the desk, I wouldn’t even be here. You’re lucky we still have one cabin left.”
“Wait—you only have one cabin available in this entire place?” The muscle near Phantom’s eye twitched again.
“You’re lucky we have that, son. It’s a very busy time of the year in Austin, and as big as Dripping Springs has become, people take advantage of our little home-away-from-home atmosphere here too. I really didn’t think y’all were coming.”
Elena tried to control her rising ire with the man. He had a business to run and had made a decision to make sure he capitalized on the busy weekend. She couldn’t fault him for that, tired and annoyed as she was. “We’ll take the last cabin.”
Phantom didn’t look at her as he pulled out his wallet and paid for the rental. She strongly suspected she would hear his thoughts on the situation once they were out of Adam’s earshot. After a quick transaction, the older man handed Phantom an old-fashioned key on a key chain with the B and B logo and escorted them out of the hut, locking it up behind them.
“We usually put out a breakfast spread about seven in the morning in the main house.” Adam didn’t offer any further information, just gave a curt nod, then strolled on the rock-paved path toward the large house in the dark distance.
Phantom glanced at the key chain, then searched their surroundings. “We’re in that cabin over there.” He pointed to their left, and Elena could just barely make out the shape of a small building. She didn’t say anything as they jumped back into the truck and drove to the cabin set a few hundred yards from the next old homestead.
She hopped out of the truck before he killed the engine and grabbed her overnight bag from the back seat. Drawing a deep breath, she leaned against the truck for a moment. She had to pull it together to get through the weekend with him.
He waited for her by the front of the truck, a simple backpack slung over his shoulder. When she began to charge forward toward the cabin, his finger hooked in one of her belt loops, pulling her back. He shook his head at her. “I’ll lead.”
Her heart stuttered. She could feel the warmth of his fingers as they grazed her side when he removed his hand. While she took pride in being independent and taking care of herself, his strength and control over the situation made her feel safe.
In the faint moonlight she watched the way his eyes scanned the area before he led them up the three short steps to the door. “Wait here,” he said, his tone indicating there was no room for her to question why or argue.
He moved into the small cabin slowly, silently…a phantom in the night.
After a minute, the lights flicked on inside and he opened the door fully, his eyes boring into her. “‘Small’ is a compliment for this cabin. Jail cells are larger.”
“Oh, you’re being overly dramatic. It only feels small. You’re just oversized.” She flashed him one of the forced smiles she had been perfecting and slid under the arm that he had braced in the doorway, entering the cabin.
She instantly fell in love with its charm. There was nothing fancy about it, but it wasn’t supposed to be. Being a genuine cabin that had been built in the 1850s, it showed the labor and hard work that had gone into its construction. The hand-cut wood had been layered with plaster made from a mixture of mud to make walls. A king bed placed off to one corner and a small table under the window were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Had it not been for the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, Elena would have thought they had stepped back in time.
A soft smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she turned back around, but it dropped quickly at the look on Phantom’s face. “Right. So it isn’t what we thought we were getting, but we’ll make the best of the situation.”
He glanced at the bed before looking at her again. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Elena frowned at him. “We’re intelligent, rational adults. We can sleep in the same bed for one night. Or are you offended by the very idea?”
Phantom clenched his hands at his sides twice before responding. “It’s awkward, and I won’t put you in such a position.”
“I don’t think so. We should just share the bed. There’s no need to argue about it.”
Imagining what it would be like to be in the same bed with him brought a blush to her cheeks. She wanted to know what it would feel like to rest her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat after they had passionately made love. She wanted to explore every inch of his body. Her wayward thoughts made her blush even more, and she was grateful there wasn’t much light in the cabin.
She had fought her desire for him ever since he had pushed her away in the barn, but she hadn’t succeeded in erasing the emotions he stirred in her. Now, with him standing so determined and strong in front of her, she couldn’t stop her mind from traveling such a path. He represented the traits she found appealing in a man, but not just superficially. Yes, the man held his own when it came to an impressive male physique, and handsome hardly seemed a sufficient word to describe his features. But he represented patience, caring, generosity, and a good heart.
After their first meeting weeks ago when he’d told her he didn’t need her services, he had surprised her over and over again. He had shown her his kind and ge
ntle side, something she hadn’t thought she could ever find in a man. Her mind wandered back to the moment at the diner after the Edinburg horse show and the way his fingers had so gently wiped away her tears. There had been sincerity in his expression and in his words.
He had been humble enough to admit he needed her help with the horses. On top of that, he had allowed her to enter his personal world, inviting her to have dinner with his business partners and showing his fun side when they had played spades the other night.
She liked everything about him, even though he didn’t seem to share the same feelings. But if he really didn’t enjoy her presence, why had he asked her to stay for dinner and insisted on being her partner when they played spades? Could he have emotions for her after all, emotions that, for some reason, he didn’t want to acknowledge?
He took a step forward and stood so close she could smell his musky cologne as well as the lingering aroma of the fresh hay they had fed the horses before leaving the show barn. She had to tilt her head back to see his eyes darken as he watched her slightest movement. “If I tell you what’s running through my mind, if I tell you the things I’m really thinking about when I consider lying in a bed with you, you’ll beg me to sleep on the floor.”
“What happens if that only makes me more determined to have you sleep next to me tonight?” she whispered.
He raised a hand as if to stroke a strand of hair off her cheek, then clenched his fingers into a fist, slowly lowering it back to his side. “We may both lose sleep tonight if I join you on that bed.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Elena…”
She could tell by the expression on his face he didn’t want to agree with her. She shrugged. “I’m going to get comfortable.” She turned her back on him and walked over to the bed. Setting down her overnight bag, she slowly drew a deep breath. Her hands trembled as she reached for the zipper on the bag.
A small bathroom had been added to the back of the cabin, obviously not part of the original structure. There wasn’t a door on the bathroom, just a small curtain to divide it from the room. She could tell the curtain didn’t close all the way, which meant he could see in if he looked in that direction. Her heart began to race, and her palms began to sweat. She wasn’t about to be a prude and ask him to look away until she finished changing.
Suck it up, buttercup. I didn’t expect to be put in this situation, but it’s what we have, and we’ll make the most of it. Or, at the very least, I will. He can sulk all night if he wants, but he’s sleeping in the damned bed!
She headed into the bathroom and closed the curtain as far as she could, leaving a large gap that refused to shut. She swallowed, even though her mouth was dry, as she tugged her T-shirt out from the waistband of her jeans and quickly whisked it over her head. The faster she got into her pajamas, the better. She had just slid the straps of her bra down her arms when she heard the door open and close again behind him. She should have been grateful he’d stepped out.
Instead she felt disappointment. She wanted him to desire her the way she desired him. She wanted him to be interested in her and unable to take his eyes off her. She sighed heavily. She might as well ask for the moon.
* * *
The air in Dripping Springs was cooler than in Hebbronville. It was still humid and muggy, but nothing like it was back home. Phantom stood on the porch, his hands crammed in his pockets and his mouth turned down in a frown. Home. He hadn’t had a home since he was a kid. Even as a teenager he had felt out of place in his parents’ house. He had felt restless and unwanted, even though he knew his parents loved him tremendously. They just hadn’t known what to do with him.
But now, out of nowhere, his mind had identified the ranch as home. He had fallen in love with the ranch and the town, and that left him in uncharted territory. He had started to feel comfortable in his own skin. He had never felt more at peace than when he worked in the barn with Elena.
Elena. Good grief, the woman would be the death of him. She was too stubborn for her own good. He had been unable to tear his eyes off her when she entered the bathroom. When she had pulled her T-shirt over her head, the incredible lines of her body had become obvious. She had her hair piled on top of her head, exposing her long neck and the way it curved down to her shoulders.
She wore a navy-blue bra, and the contrast of the color against her dark skin could only be described as exquisite. Her breasts were rounded enough that, even standing behind her, he could see the swells from the side. Adding in his vibrant memory of the way she had felt pressed into his chest during their passionate kiss, his imagination quickly painted a picture of what her breasts would feel like if he slid up behind her and cupped them in his hands. Then his imagination had caused sweat to break out between his shoulder blades, overwhelming him with an idea of the way her nipples would become erect and stab into his palms.
Her waist tucked in gradually from the swells of her breasts, and he remembered how she had felt when his arm had wrapped around her. Her tiny frame and luscious curves seemed built precisely to fit his needs. He’d heard the zipper of her jeans, and his eyes had slid down to where her hips flared out slightly to her heart-shaped ass—and it had suddenly become hard to breathe.
He hadn’t even realized he had left the cabin until the soft breeze hit him. He stood on the porch, breathing in the night air, and tried to calm his body. What the hell was he supposed to do? He needed to find self-restraint so he could lie next to her through the night without giving in to the desire to hold her sweet body against his.
Heaven help him. That bed wasn’t large enough to put the kind of distance between them that he needed to keep his sanity. He wanted her with every cell in his body, but he needed to make things right between them. He had to confess to her that he had wanted her all along but had made the mistake of assuming what would be best for her instead of letting her decide for herself.
He had no doubt he would be able to pleasure her. In his dreams, she cried out his name as he brought her to ecstasy. More than one night, he’d woken up so hard that even the light touch of the sheet across his skin felt like torture. He knew that being with Elena would be different than what he had experienced with any other woman.
But then what? After the pleasure, after they were both satiated, he had nothing to offer her. He could be deployed any day, and he would have to leave her without explanation—with the added strong chance that he wouldn’t be coming back home. He couldn’t put her through that. She deserved a man who could give her added stability in her life, not leave her questioning whether he would return alive.
Feeling calmer, he drew in a deep breath and turned back to the cabin, entering through the door with barely a sound. He froze. She had let her hair down and wore a simple pair of silk pajama pants and a tank top. She had a hoodie on the bed waiting to be pulled on. Her breasts, freed from the constraint of her bra, pushed against the fabric. She had just set her bag in the corner and had turned to face him when he entered, and her large eyes settled on him. She arched an eyebrow, obviously wanting to know his decision.
Heaven help him. His body had made the decision before he had even stepped into the room. To his surprise, his mind completely agreed.
Chapter 14
Elena’s heart began to pound faster as Phantom didn’t break eye contact. He started to pull his T-shirt out of the waistband of his jeans. Her breath hitched as he pulled it over his head, and his muscles rippled as he tossed it over into the corner where he had set his backpack.
Her imagination had not done him justice. His shoulders were broad and thick with muscle. His arms were as big around as one of her legs, corded and powerful, not bunched like a bodybuilder’s. Covered with a light spattering of brown hair, his chest had definition that made her hands itch to touch. She had heard of six-pack abs, and based on the muscles that rippled with every move, he made an average six-pack look w
eak.
Elena suddenly became aware she had been staring at his body and forced her eyes to travel back up to his face. To her shock, he had lost his closed-off expression. Desire flared in his eyes, and a muscle jumped in his tight jaw. Surprise and hope made her nervous, and she almost squeaked when he took a step toward her.
With only a couple of long strides, he stood in front of her, one hand sliding into her hair as the other slid over the silk of her pants and cupped her ass. He hauled her up against his body and closed his fist around her hair, pulling her head back. “Oh!” she gasped, just before his lips came crashing down on hers.
This wasn’t a slow, gentle kiss like they had shared in the barn a couple of weeks ago. This kiss demanded, took, and claimed. A shudder rippled through her. Deep within, her body clenched with excitement and need. Her hands reached for his chest, and he sucked in a deep breath when her fingers brushed over his pecs.
He let go of her suddenly, and her knees wobbled, but his hands grabbed hers before she could fall. He forced her hands up above her head as his thighs pressed against her, driving her backward until her back slammed against the wall. With their bodies locked together, she felt the evidence of his desire pressing hard against her lower belly, and excitement hummed through her.
She moaned into his mouth as he devoured her. He paused briefly to suck on her lower lip before sweeping his tongue back into her mouth, tasting her everywhere. She breathed rapidly through her nose, tangling her tongue with his. She could smell the musky scent of his aftershave and the ever-present aroma of horses, leather, and man, and knew she would never get tired of his scent.
He kept her hands pinned above her head with only one of his large ones. His other hand slid down her arm, following the curve of her body, until it settled on her hip. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to taste even more of him, and was rewarded by him crushing her hard against the wall.
A SEAL Always Wins Page 14
