Chapter Two
Jessie woke from a dead sleep when the cabin door flew open
. So
meone flipped on the light
,
and she threw up a hand
to shield her eyes
, b
li
nki
ng in the sudden glare
of the bedside lamp
.
“
Jess!
”
She barely had time for
Bridgette
’
s excited squeal
to register
before her friend landed on top of her.
“
You
’
re here!
”
Jessie managed a sleepy smile and patted
Bridgette
’
s
back.
That excited greeting made
all
the day
’
s trials and tribulations worthwhile.
“
Yeah.
”
Though she could have done without the exuberant welcome until the morning. Or maybe it was morning. She checked her watch
over her friend
’
s shoulder
. Almost three.
Bridgette let her go and stood up
, dragging a hand through her long blonde hair
on her way to her bunk
.
“
I just got back
from the campfire with
my cousin
,
Shannon
,
and
her cousin
,
Sara
.
Charissa
isn
’
t here yet, but you
’
ll meet her tomorrow when she gets in.
”
She threw her a grin.
“
Did everything go okay with Deacon?
”
“
Yeah, fine.
”
Though she wasn
’
t sure he liked her much. He
’
d been civil
enough
, but
beneath the manners
she sensed a
steely
edge to him.
He definitely wasn
’
t hard on her eyes though.
“
I met
Dustin, too.
”
“
Aren
’
t they something?
”
Bridgette sighed.
“
If I wasn
’
t getting married
,
I
’
d be all over the chance at
hooking up with one of those boys
for the weekend
.
”
Jessica raised her eyebrows but kept quiet.
Bridgette
crossed
to her bunk and started going through her suitcase. After grabbing something, she dis
appeared into the tiny bathroom and o
n the way out,
spotted
Jessie
’
s
laptop.
Heaving a sigh, she
propped a hand on her hip
and gave her an accusing glare
.
“
Seriously? You
’
re going to work this weekend?
”
“
Not
for long
,
”
she answered, feeling defensive.
This trip had been a last minute thing, and she still had responsibilities to take care of.
Bridgette made a sour face
.
“
You take your
job
way
too seriously.
”
“
I do not.
”
“
Yeah, honey
. You do.
Lucky for us
,
y
ou might
have trouble getting phone and I
nt
ernet access.
”
“
Dustin
already told me
that.
”
“
Did he? And did he tell you that
he used to date
Shannon
?
”
Bridgette
wagged
her eye
brow
s.
“
I don
’
t know about you, but this weekend is going to be very interesting
and I plan on having one hell of a good time
. Those D
umen brothers are
hot
.
”
No argument here.
“
As hot as your fiancé, you mean?
”
“
Nearly
.
”
She climbed into bed.
“
Shannon
spent a lot of time he
re back in t
he day, so m
aybe
she
can show us around tomorrow.
”
“
Sure
.
”
As soon as I get my work done
.
Bridgette yawned and grinned.
“
Thanks for coming, babe. Sweet dreams
.
”
“
You
,
too.
”
When Bridgette turned off the lamp,
Jessica rolled over and pulled the covers up, thinking of Deacon. Th
e memory of th
ose knowing
blue eyes and
his
commanding
touch heated he
r all over. If he starred in her dreams tonight
, they
’
d be sweet
ones
for sure
.
****
The next morning
Jessie slipped from the cabin w
hile Bridgette was
still sle
eping and walked through the thin veil of mist to the lodge
.
Several horses poked their heads over the
far
corral fence and nickered at her as she passed.
The heavy wooden door wasn
’
t locked
but a few lights were on
, so she went in and made herself comfortable at one of the tables set up in the main room
.
The inside was done all in
natural
wood, with thick beams holding the
roof
up. A Longhorn head
was mounted
over the stone fireplace and wagon wheel lamps hung from the ceiling.
Cozy and comfortab
le, and for the moment, empty. The p
erfect
spot for her
to get some work done. Sh
e booted up her laptop, optimistic
she
’
d be able to get a connection
.
“
Morning,
”
a feminine voice called out.
Jessie
glanced up to see a tall, thin
blonde woman walk through the office door.
“
Morning.
”
“
I
’
m
Ashley
,
”
the woman said.
“
I
’
m the office manager,
plus I
help out the boys when they need me. Which is
pretty
often.
”
She grinned and tossed her honey-blonde locks over her shoulder
.
“
I
’
m Jessica.
”
“
Nice to meet you. Coffee
’
s on if you want some.
”
“
Oh. That
’
d be great.
”
God knew she could use the caffeine. She rose and followed
Ashley
into the dining room and helped herself to a steaming mug.
“
The boys like their coffee strong and first thing when they show up,
”
Ashley
said, passing her some cream.
Jessica made a polite noise to
indicate
she was listening, then footsteps
sounded
from the back door
.
Ashley
gave a happy sigh and rested a hip against the table.
“
And there
’
s one of my caffeine-deprived men now.
”
Over the obvious affection in her voice, Jessica detected a wistful note.
She
turned her head as Deacon and another man strode into the room, and her stomach did a funny little flip
when their eyes met
. His
dark
hair was damp
from a recent
shower
,
and he filled out his jeans and
T
-shirt
to perfection
.
He crossed the room toward her,
his lips curving slightly. Not
really
a smile, but close.
“
Mornin
’
.
”
“
Morning.
”
“
Sleep okay?
”
“
Fine,
”
she lied.
After Bridgette
’
s wake up call, she
’
d lain awake until almost dawn.
“
This is my little brother,
Dane
,
”
he said, nodding over his shoulder to the handsome man with sandy blond hair that brushed his collar
.
They exchanged hellos, then
Jessie
looked
back
at
Deacon.
“
Thanks again for picking me up last night.
”
“
No problem.
”
He
stepped
up beside her to snag a mug for himself
, his muscular arm nearly brushing her shoulder
.
“
Smells good,
Ash
.
”
The blonde beamed and
moved
away
from the table to lean
into him
and
rest her head on his shoulder.
“
I made it just for you
, darlin
’
.
”
Jessica spun around to hide her hiked eyebrows
and started to walk away, feeling like she was intruding. Either they were together, or t
he woman wasn
’
t very subtle about her interest in her boss.
Not that it was any of her business.
She
’
d taken two steps back to the main room when Deke
’
s voice stopped her.
“
How come you
’
re up so early? Aren
’
t you still on Pacific Time?
”
Unfortunately, yes.
“
I wanted to get a jump on things.
”
He gave her a funny look and followed her
back to her table
.
When he saw her computer, his eyebrows shot up.
“
You
’
re working?
”
Her jaw tensed.
What was everyone
’
s problem with that?
She took
the responsibilities that came with
her job very seriously. Aside from taking pride in her work, she had no one else to rely on to help pay her bills. Being single and financially
independent
demanded certain sacrifices.
“
Yeah,
trading in New York starts any minute now.
”
He seemed surprised.
“
God, don
’
t tell
Dane
what you
’
re doing
. He
’
ll talk your damn ear off.
”
“
Why, is he a stock broker
,
too?
”
“
Nah
, but he
’
s got a business degree and always wanted to work on Wall Street.
”
He straightened and took a sip of his coffee
.
Assuming
the
polite
conversation was over, s
he sat at her computer, relieved to see she had three bar
s of reception. And
voilà
,
the I
nternet seemed to be working.
She opened her e-mail account
, eager to get everything buttoned up
and ease some of the guilt she felt for
taking time away from
the office
.
In the middle of reading her first e-mail, a
big hand planted itself on the table next to her laptop.
Strong and long-fingered, the kind that would make a woman purr and sigh when it stroked her bare skin
.
“
You
are
planning on having some fun while you
’
re here, right?
”
His voice held a note of amusement.
S
he swung her
gaze
up
to look at him
and got an eyeful of sculpted muscles
beneath his
skin-tight
T
-shirt before
continuing
up to his clean-shaven face
. His closeness unnerved her because it awakened feminine interest that had been
buried
for a long time.
Was he doing it on purpose? She couldn
’
t tell
, but obviously the man didn
’
t lack confidence with the opposite sex
.
He smelled deliciously clean, a mix of soap and some sort of woodsy cologne
.
She leaned back in her seat, trying to subtly put a few more inches between them. The
cowboy
was way too handsome for his own good, and something told her he knew it. His
self-assurance
bordered right on arrogance, but
so far
he
’
d
balanced it with enough
manners
that he managed not to come off looking like a jerk.
Until he opened his mouth
and made her feel defensive
, that is
.
“
I
’
ve just got a few things to take care of,
”
she said, fighting to keep her tone civil. If she had to explain herself one more time to anyone
this weekend
,
she wasn
’
t going to be
as
polite.
“
I
’
ll have this wrapped up by the time everyone else gets here for breakfast
anyway
.
”
His dark blue eyes swept over her face and down to her cleavage
, and the heated desire
in them
made her breath catch
. Men didn
’
t look at her like that.
“
Suit yourself.
”
He left her staring after him, a hot blush rising in her cheeks.
Had she imagined that
interested
look in his eyes
?
Oh, stop it. Like you
’
d do anything about it anyhow.
Still, she couldn
’
t help but sneak a peek at his
butt
as he sauntered away
in those snug jeans. Mmm, t
he man looked as good going as he did coming.
In another lifetime, she might have been daring enough to flirt a little and see where things went
, but not anymore
.
She had too much to do and had never been into flings
anyway.
And wasn
’
t that a shame.
****
Decaon didn
’
t mind helping his brothers out with the ranch while their parents were away, but since
his task master big brother
had ordered him to
accompany
the group
to the bar
tomorrow night, this
afternoon
w
as pretty much his only free time
for the
whole
weekend.
A
run into San An
t
onio
was exactly what he needed
to shake off this feeling of restlessness
.
Besides, he was uncomfortably attracted to
a certain
little brunette staying at the ranch
, and
Dillon
had given him the okay to take off for the night
.
Truth be told, h
e could use a break from the both of them
.
With Toby Keith
turned up
and the AC cranked
in the comfy leather cab of his new truck, he got onto the
long
road that led to
the main gate. The sun was
already
sinking behind the hills, bathing the ranch in a blaze of orange and scarlet.
Pretty, but
somehow
it didn
’
t feel like home anymore. Nowhere did.
About a quarter mile from the gate, he saw someone walking ahead of him on the road. A woman in complete silhouette against the setting sun, and she had one hell of a figure. One of the guests? What the hell was she doing all the way out here by herself
,
on foot? She carried some kind of bag over her shoulder, and her head was bent
so he couldn
’
t see her profile
.
He slowed
as he pulled up behind her
, and she turned when she
finally
heard the truck.
“
What the
…”
Jessica
?
Deke rolled down the passenger window and
stopped
beside her, tipping his sunglasses up onto his head
so she could see his face
better. Christ, she had her phone in her hand and her
damn
briefcase with her.
“
What are you doing?
”
he
demanded
before he could temper his words.
She
ignored his curt tone and
waved the phone around in frustration.
“
I couldn
’
t get a signal at the ranch house, and
Ashley
said she always gets reception near the gate.
”
Good God, s
he was serious. She
’
d walked all the way from the ranch house
in ninety degree heat
just to get a cell signal.
In some sort of flip-flops with a little flower nestled between her
pedicured
toes.
The woman was a piece of work.
“
Get in,
”
he said, popping the passenger door open.
Jessica hesitated a moment, then climbed in.
“
Thanks.
”
He shot her a sidelong look as he headed for the gate
, taking in her snug tank top and jeans.
She filled them out real nice, and with her long dark curls framing her flushed cheeks, she made a very sexy picture sitting there in his truck.
What kind of lingerie was she wearing
today?
“
I thought you came here for a vacation.
”
She scowled.
“
You sound like Bridgette.
”
“
Just sayin
’
. I
t
’
s not
real common for our guests to spend their weekend
here
working.
”
Let alone at the end of the driveway.
God knew she
’
d paid enough to be here, with the flights and all.
Her expression turned almost mutinous.
“
I
tried to get everything done this morning
before breakfast
, but it didn
’
t happen. I have
some important things to finish up,
then I
’
m free for the rest of the weekend
.
”
“
Why didn
’
t you just ask someone to drive you instead of walking all this way?
”
She shrugged.
“
I
didn
’
t want to bug anyone
,
and
I needed
the exercise.
”
If she wanted exercise, he
’
d gladly help her
out
.
Orgasms burned up
a lot
of calories.
He
’
d love to muss her up
a little
, make her let go of her inhibitions.
Her gaze settled on his face.
“
What about you? You aren
’
t going to the shooting
range with the others
?
”
He almost laughed.
“
Not likely.
”
“
How come?
”
“
I got my fill of shooting in the Air Force.
”
Her eyes brightened.
“
You were in the Air Force?
”
He nodded.
“
For twelve years.
”
And he missed it like hell.
Likely always would.
“
My favorite uncle
’
s an Air Force vet.
A pilot.
What did you do?
”
“
A bit of everything
,
except flying
,
”
he said evasively
, but it was the truth.
A j
ack of
all
trades, master of none
,
went the Pararescue
saying
.
She studied him for a long moment.
“
You seem
…
harder than the average military guy.
There
’
s an edge to you
.
”
Her scrutiny made him uncomfortable because she was dead on.
He shrugged.
“
I did some time in Special Ops.
”
“
Ah. Thought so.
”
He had to admit her
analysis impressed him.
But he wasn
’
t going to say as much.
The gate loomed ahead, the black iron slats backlit by the sunset. Someone had yanked the
“
N
”
down again, making the sign read
“
Dume Ranch
.
”
Do Me Ranch
, as the local kids liked to tease
.
Dillon
was going to shit a brick when he saw it.
Deke
grinned at the thought and decided to leave it for his hard-ass eldest brother to find in the morning during his daily perimeter check
,
or maybe later tonight
.
No doubt he was still out doing chores somewhere on the property.
Pulling up at the gate, he was surprised when Jessica grabbed her door handle and
started to push
it open.
“
Thanks for the lift.
”
Without thinking, he
shot out a hand and caught her forearm.
Her skin was warm and silk
y smooth beneath his encircling fingers.
She looked over her shoulder a
t him with
startled amber eyes
.
“
What?
”
“
What are you going to do, sit by the gate while you make some calls and
finish up your work?
”
“
Yeah, why?
”
Jesus, the woman was as
relentless
as
Dillon
. He put the truck into park.
“
Get back in here
,
and shut the door.
”
Her chin lifted, and
a
spark of irritation
lit
her eyes.
“
No thanks. You carry on to wherever it is you
’
re going.
”
He firmed his grip on her arm.
“
I
’
m not going to drive off and leave you sitting out here in the dust all by yourself.
Get back inside.
”
Her eyes narrowed.
“
Are you this rude to everyone, or do I just annoy you more than most?
”
It took him a moment to
shut his open mouth.
“
No,
”
he
bit out and felt like shit for being so curt.
“
Sorry. It
’
s not
you.
”
He drew a deep breath.
“
I meant y
ou can finish up in here where there
’
s air conditioning, then I
’
ll drive you back to the
lodge
.
”
Jessica studied him for a moment
,
as if
she
were
trying to decide
whether
the offer was
genuine
, then
glanced
toward the gate.
“
I
’
m fine, really. And I don
’
t want to keep you from your plans.
”
He
bit back a sigh and
tried to soften his tone.
“
I don
’
t have any set plans, so you might as well sit in here where it
’
s comfortable and do what you have to do.
”
Must
have
be
en
a hell of an important job she was finishing if it warranted walking almost a mile in this heat.
“
All right,
”
she finally
said
.
“
Thanks.
It won
’
t take long.
”
He nodded and left the engine idling so they could
take advantage of
the AC. Her face brightened when she checked her phone.
“
It
’
s working.
”
“
I
’
m glad for you, sugar.
”
He couldn
’
t help the
sardonic
edge to his voice.
Tossing him
a
wry
grin
, she dialed a number. He
eased
back into his seat and listened to her chat with someone back in Seattle.
He liked the sound of her voice, and the confidence she displayed in her work.
She was a dedicated employee, he
’
d give her that
, and obviously smart
. With brisk efficiency she got her laptop up and running as she discussed certain trades and files, then dug into her briefcase to run through some paperwork.
“
Say that last one again. Pete?
”
A frown
suddenly
marred her brow as she
reviewed
some figures.
“
Hello?
”
H
er expression became distressed
,
and she
came out of
her seat, almost crawling up onto the dash
with her phone still attached to her ear
.
“
Hello?
”
She
checked the display and
set the phone down.
“
Damn. Lost him.
”
She
dialed
a couple more times, but to no avail. W
hen she finally hung up
,
she
looked at him
with such disappointment that he almost laughed
.
Well
,
he wasn
’
t going to drive the
damn
truck back and forth
in the driveway
just to keep the signal for her.
“
Tell you what. Come into town with me
,
and I
’
ll find you a coff
ee shop to sit and work.
”
H
e
’
d drive p
ast a Starbucks sooner or later, and there were worse things in life than spending time with a sexy woman
, even if she was
more interested in her paperwork than talking to him
.
Her eyebrows
shot
up
.
“
You
’
d do that?
”
“
Yeah.
”
He was sitting in his truck at the end of the driveway for her, wasn
’
t he
?
She lowered her gaze.
“
It
’
s just that you don
’
t seem to like me
much
, so
…”
Like her?
“
Sugar, I like you fine.
”
She was sweet, and f
or damn sure he was attracted to her.
He
’
d like to do
a lot more than sit in his truck and talk with her, but she
’
d never go for that
. Besides, she was a guest, and company policy dictated he and his brothers had to keep their hands off.
Yet t
he thought of stroking those firm curves made him tempted to break the rules.
Pushing the thought aside, h
e turned out of the gates and headed for Bandera
.
Her quiet statement
about
him
not liking her
made him feel like an asshole
. He hadn
’
t always been so gruff. At one time
,
he
’
d been
fun loving and smooth as butter with the ladies.
The accident had changed all that. The low gr
ade pain
he suffered
on a daily basis
wore on him, but
somewhere along the way
he
’
d developed a habit of growling at peop
le and didn
’
t even realize it. Then h
is divorce had soured him on the whole idea of a long term relationship. If he wanted a woman
,
he went after her, but only for a night or two.
Not with a woman like Jessica though.
Even if company policy allowed that kind of thing, he doubted
she
’
d
be into that sort of arrangement
.
Though he had to admit, he was damned curious about what she
’
d be like in bed. Her shy and introverted nature clashed with
the interested glint in her eyes when she looked at him
.
And then there was that lacy
push-up
bra she
’
d worn last night that he couldn
’
t stop thinking about. He wondered
if
she wore
something as sexy
today.
Would she be
shy
or aggressive
during sex
? He
imagined
letting
her on top
to
rid
e
him while her pert breasts bobbed and her dark curls flowed down her back
, but that didn
’
t
feel right
.
He
’
d much rather pin her to the bed and make her eyes flare with the
realization
she was trapped beneath him
. The faintest hint of uncertainty to mix with the heat as she realized she was helpless and at his mercy. And when her body finally trembled
,
then melted in
acknowledgement of
his
command
over her
, he
’
d
give
her
the pleasure
she needed.
The thought made his cock swell in his jeans.
With effort, h
e yanked his mind out of the gutter.
“
So, Jessica. How come you
’
re not spending more time with the girls this weekend?
”
She folded her arms under her delectable breasts
in an almost defensive gesture
.
“
I
’
ve spent lots of time with them today,
and
now
I need to finish up a few things.
”
“
But you
’
re not really having fun now, are you?
”
“
I am.
”
She fidgeted in her seat.
“
I mean, I
’
m not exactly a live wire, but
I like the ranch and the girls are nice. Your brothers
,
too.
”
He hid a grin.
“
But not me?
”
She flushed.
“
Of course
,
you too. It
’
s just that I kind of got roped into this whole thing
at the last second
.
”
The mention of the word rope made him think of her bound and helpless while he had his wicked way with her.
Would she ever relinquish that much control?
She didn
’
t seem the
submissive
type, but it made for an awesome fantasy.
He shifted in his seat, cursing his suddenly too-tight jeans.
“
So what do you like to do for fun then?
”
She looked away.
“
I like to read, go for walks, see movies.
Dinner with friends.
”
She shrugged.
“
I
’
m not much of a party animal.
”
He
’
d noticed. Truth be told, he
kind of
found it a refreshing change from the women he
’
d been with lately.
“
Anyway, what about you?
”
He flipped up the sun visor.
“
What about me?
”
“
What are you into?
”
That was a loaded question. And if he answered it honestly, he
’
d shock her to the tips of her
pink-painted
toe
nail
s. He chuckled at the thought of how bright she
’
d blush.
“
What?
”
“
Nothing. I
’
m into typical guy stuff
,
I guess
.
”
Except
for
his sexual preferences. He might not be fully into the BDSM scene and want
submission outside of the
sexual relationship
like
some Doms did
from their partners
, but he had a dominant streak
a mile wide and it definitely translated into the bedroom.
An
other
image popped into his head of tying Jessica to his bed while she gazed up at him with those wide golden-brown eyes. They
’
d be full of
apprehension
at first, but later they
’
d
smolder
with pure
lust
as he peeled back all the civilized layers she
’
d wrapped herself in
and revealed the true hunger simmering within
. He was willing to bet there was a
highly
sensual woman in there somewhere
.
The thought didn
’
t help the fit of
his jeans, so h
e
switched the subject.
“
I was going to head into San Antonio, but Bandera
’
s got a coffee shop you might like.
”
Her smile was genuine and full of pleasure
, and he liked being the one to
put it there
.
“
Sounds great.
”
He drove her into town and went into the shop with her while she finished up her work, then sat and drank the coffee
she
’
d insisted on buying him. As much as her neurotic need to work during her vacation
perplexed
him, h
e admired her
for it
, too.
“
Your man ever get jealous of your laptop?
”
he asked her
once she
’
d finished
.
She swallowed
a
sip of coffee and set her cup down.
“
What?
No, I
’
m single.
”
Goo
d to know. Not that it mattered
because she wasn
’
t his type
, and vice versa
.
“
Not dating anyone?
”
She looked down at her cup
and shook her head
.
“
No.
You?
”
“
Divorced.
”
“
Oh, I
’
m sorry.
”
“
Don
’
t be. It
’
s for the best.
”
She
lifted her gaze to his and
smiled.
“
I know what you mean
.
It
’
s a long story, but I was engaged until a few months ago.
”
He
frowned
.
“
The piece of shit cheat on you?
”
“
No, nothing like that.
”
She toyed with her cup.
“
I just didn
’
t feel like we were in love anymore, so
after counselling didn
’
t seem to help I called it off.
”
When she tilted her head, h
er gaze was sincere and full of
empathy
.
“
Why
? D
id your ex
…
cheat on you?
”
He nodded, and she winced.
“
It was more than that, though.
At first things were rocky because she
couldn
’
t
handle me being away for long
stretches
.
”
Jessica
tilted her head
, giving him her full attenti
on.
Like she was truly interested in what he had to say.
“
And that
’
s it
?
”
“
No
. Then I buggered up my back
real bad
,
and she found someone else
while I was laid up
in the hospital
.
”
Her eyes narrowed
in outrage
.
“
She cheated on you while you were
in the
hospital
?
”
“
Yep. During my
rehab
stint
at Walter Reed.
”
She made a sound of disgust, then quickly smoothed out her features.
“
I
’
m sorry. That must have been really hard.
”
“
I
’
m better off.
”
“
Yes
,
you are.
”
The fierce note in her voice took him off guard, and he grinned.
She definitely had passion in her. He
’
d love to find out firsthand how much.
She shrugged.
“
Loyalty
’
s a big deal to me.
”
Her words made him think
while he walked her around the rows of shops in Bandera
later
, and
on the way back to the ranch
afterward
.
Loyalty was a big deal to him
,
too. In the end, that
’
s why he
’
d agreed to the divorce. His ex
’
s
affair
had shown a fundamental lack of respect on her part, and he
’
d known
even
before all the counselling that
the marriage was over.
That
small
glimpse of fire beneath
Jessica
’
s
reserved exterior intrigued him.
Sh
e chatted away during the drive
and had him laughing a few times with her sharp wit.
Funny how she was so confident with her job, yet see
med shy
and slow to warm up
with him
.
When he parked in front of the ranch house, he was actually sorry to see her go.
It was dark
out
, and no one was around.
None of the cabin windows were lit either.
“
Looks like we missed the
bonfire
.
”
“
I
’
m not sorry. I had a good time.
”
“
Me
,
too.
”
Imagine that. When was the last time he
’
d spent a platonic evening with a woman and enjoyed it? He shook his head.
“
Y
o
u know what? I
’
ve
never met him, but your ex is an idiot
.
”
Her low laugh made him want to lean forward and nibble at the tender spot beneath her ear
, turn that sound into a moan
.
“
Yours
,
too.
”
She glanced back at him when she opened her door
, the dome light making her hair and eyes shine
.
“
Thanks again, for everything. I appreciate it.
”
“
Anytime.
”
She started to slide out of the truck.
Before he realized what he was doing, he grabbed her arm
to stop her
and
crowded
in
close. She froze in the seat, staring up at him with wide amber eyes
when he leaned into her
.
He slid a hand into her
thick curls and
lowered
his mouth to hers
, absorbing her quick intake of breath
.
Holding her in place while he fought the need eating at him
, he nibbled at her lips
.
Coaxing. Seducing.
Let me in.
He was starving for that. To feel her open and allow him inside to taste her warmth.
To let
him
get lost in the feel
of her, let him bring her pleasure for a little while.
Jessica
’
s hands went to his shoulders, resting there lightly while he kissed her, moving
his lips
gently, learning the feel and the shape of her
mouth
. She was hesitant at first, but
then he felt the tremulous give of her mouth under his.
The tiny surrender made him want to growl
in satisfaction
.
He angled his head for a better fit, and w
hen she started to kiss him back
,
he firmed his grip
in her hair
and
slid his tongue over her lower l
ip
, wanting inside her mouth
.
Her lips
parted, trembling beneath his, stoking the dominant fire inside him. The way she gasped when he licked into her mouth was so sexy. The bite of her fingers as she curled them into his shoulders made him want to
smile
. She was so soft and warm, so
willing and eager. He could
strip her right here and enjoy all that smooth skin he
’
d been wanting to touch
.
Deepening the kiss, he
pulled
her close enough that her breasts brushed against his chest.
She pressed closer, rubbing against him like a hungry little kitten
as her tongue twined with his
.
The
sweet
taste, the feel of her filled his senses.
Her
soft
moan
of arousal
sent the blood rushing to his swelling cock and
set off warning bells in his head.
Fuck.
She was a guest.
He nev
er should have touched her. If
he didn
’
t stop right now
,
he
’
d
end up taking
her
here against the leather seats
,
and he knew she
’
d let him.
Cursing himself, he released her and sat back. She dropped her hands from his shoulders and stared at him in the thickening silence, her
eyes a little dazed. A
lot a
r
oused. Her
lips
were
swollen
and
shiny from his kiss
es
.
He wanted to do it some more.
Hell
, he wanted to get her naked and spread out under him. Wanted to hear her sob his name
and
feel
her nails in his back
while he took her slow, then hard
.
His hands clenched into fists on his thighs.
Damn, he
’
d never meant to let things get so far out of hand.
“
I
’
m s—
”
“
Don
’
t.
”
She raised a hand
and
broke eye contact
.
Her dreamy expression evaporated
as
she fished out
the purse she
’
d dropped in the foot well
.
“
I don
’
t want an apology
.
”
He felt like shit.
She deserved an explanation.
“
I shouldn
’
t have done that.
”
His voice was harsher than he
’
d inten
ded, fraught with frustration. When h
er eyes flinched
,
he wanted to kick his own ass for hurting her.
She was a sweetheart, not to mention
off limits
.
Jesus, what the hell was wrong with him?
This was his fault, not hers.
“
Jess—
”
“
It
’
s all right.
”
She climbed out
.
“
Have a good night.
”
The door slammed in his face before he could respond
.
Without looking
back
at him,
she hurried to the path
.
Deke dragged a hand through his hair.
He could have gone after her, but he
’
d done enough damage for one night.
Watching her from the truck until she reached her
empty
cabin,
he
wrestled with leaving her
alone here
. The ranch was
perfectly
safe, but he hated the thought of her sleeping alone in th
e cabin while everyone else was still out
.
His gaze strayed to the small stone building next to the corral.
Ah, screw it. He
’
d sleep on the cot at the back of the tack room, close
enough
to her cabin
to reassure himself she was safe
, but far enough away that he wouldn
’
t be tempted to go to her
.
The uncomfortable cot would make his back kill in the morning, but at least he
’
d
be able to
get some sleep
that
way.
If he could stop thinking about her long enough to
fall into oblivion
.
Sexual need
continued to
pound through his body
as he started the truck
. He
’
d probably wind up
finish
ing
himself off
first
by fantasizing
about her luscious mouth
wrapped around
h
is aching cock
.
Blowing out a
deep
breath
,
h
e
drove
to the corral,
feeling truly alone for the first time in months.