One Wild Texas Night, page 5
“There’s something, all right.” His voice was thick with desire.
She blinked and held her hand up, palm out as if motioning him to stop. “Never mind that I asked. I don’t want to know.”
“No, you don’t, but I’ll tell you anyway, because I’m puzzled. I don’t understand why our kisses are so—” he paused and narrowed his eyes as he thought “—so intense, unforgettable...so damn sexy. We’ve barely spoken until today, and we don’t even know each other.”
“Oh, we know a lot of things we don’t like about each other, but we know very little we do like—that’s the part where we’re strangers,” she answered. A second passed before she added the dagger. “But all we need to know is that I’m a Blake and you’re a Reed. So, I think we should forget our kisses and get on safe subjects and keep a little distance between us.”
“You’re right. Kiss forgotten,” he lied. “We’ll talk about safe subjects. Ahh, here come the girls,” he said as a large pickup pulled up. A man and three teenage girls stepped out.
“This time I hear you have a mama and pups,” a tall blond-haired man said, pushing back his hat and smiling at Jake. “Are the dogs fire victims?”
“We’re glad to see you, Charley, and yes, we do have a mama and pups. The fire probably is why she wandered away from her home.” He said hello to the girls. “I think all of you know my neighbor Claire Blake.”
Claire spoke to them as they greeted her.
“We’ll get the dogs and be on our way. The girls can’t wait to have the little pups.”
Claire stood back out of the way as the Andersons gathered the animals and the bedding. Jake followed them to the car, and she went with him.
In minutes they waved goodbye to the Andersons, and she turned to smile at Jake. “Thank you. I’m sure the Andersons will do right by the dogs. And Charley told me to notify him if I have strays on my ranch and he’d come get the dog and find it a home. That’s just wonderful.”
“They’re really good about it, and they don’t seem to get overloaded or want to stop,” he answered. Jake turned to face her. “Right now, I want to volunteer to help fight the fire,” he said, knowing he needed to get away from her and try to forget their kiss. “I’m sure they can use extra hands. That fire is a record breaker.”
“I think I should volunteer to help, too. I can’t get out there and fight the fire the way you can, but I’ll bet there are some things I can do.”
He studied her a moment as he nodded. “You’re probably right. We’ll head down to the firemen’s temporary headquarters. Meanwhile, c’mon, I’ll show you where you can stay,” he said, and she turned to walk with him into the cabin. They went through a wide hall with a polished hardwood floor and paintings of Western landscapes in gold frames hung on the walls.
They entered a spacious room with another highly polished hardwood floor. The room held an enormous wide-screen television, a game table and groupings of chairs and sofas. Down another hall, she glimpsed a movie room and a large dining room with a fruitwood table that would easily seat over twenty people. She noticed the surroundings, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering to her host. He walked close beside her, and she was aware of his height, of their shoulders and arms brushing lightly with each step.
And then she thought about her loss, about not even owning a house any longer, of not having a home, and she hurt again.
“I’m sorry,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Everything I see makes me think about my house. I’ll get accustomed to dealing with the loss, but right now, it’s too recent.”
“I’m sorry about your house, but your reaction is understandable, and you don’t need to apologize. You don’t need to explain it to me, either.” He stopped in front of open double doors. “I’m across and down the hall where that door is open. This suite will be yours. Let’s go look. I’m sure the bed has clean linens.”
She barely heard what he said, because she was still thinking about him being “across and down the hall,” which was oh so incredibly close. He looked the type to sleep in the buff—and then she tried to drop that thought as if it were a burning cinder. She looked up at him while he talked, but all she could think about was how handsome he was, and then she was lost in memories of his kiss.
She forced herself to focus on what he was saying. “...and I have someone who cleans every two weeks when I’m away and then comes once a week when I’m here. I have a cook when I’m here for very long, and I have a garden crew.”
“Do they all drive out from town?” she asked, barely aware of what she said to him, because she was too conscious of his broad shoulders, how close he stood and his riveting dark gaze that kept her pulse racing. Now they were under the same roof, just down the hall from each other for how many nights? How was she going to be able to resist him? They obviously had something between them, or they wouldn’t have shared a kiss that she didn’t think she would ever forget.
“Most everyone who works for me lives around here,” he continued, and she tried to focus on what he was saying. “There are houses scattered nearby—actually in walking distance. You just don’t see them because of trees and bushes.”
“Don’t go to any trouble because I’m here. I can get along rather easily. A roof and a bed will be sufficient.”
He smiled and nodded. “I’ll get us some sandwiches. We may be working all night. You know where the kitchen is. You can meet me there.” He left her to go to his suite, and she stood a moment to watch him walk away. He had long legs encased in tight jeans that were faded with wear. When he passed out of her sight, she turned to enter her suite and get ready to go.
The moment she stepped into her suite, she shook her head. It was furnished with antiques, which she loved, recognizing some very old and very fine pieces, or else excellent reproductions. Her bed was larger than king-size with a frilly white canopy and a white bedspread.
“Some cabin,” she said, shaking her head. There was no way his two-story mansion in the woods could be called a cabin, except that was what he called it. It was too big and too elegant. And now she would be spending the night with him here...alone.
* * *
Jake let out his breath when he entered his suite. If he kept busy the whole time Claire was with him, he probably could get by without kissing her again. He knew he had to try. He thought about his brother who had married her sister and how their lives had never been the same since. They were cut off from their families, living far, far away and keeping their whereabouts secret.
He couldn’t stop the response he had to Claire, but he knew he needed to resist her. “Yeah, right,” he whispered as he passed through his big sitting room into the bedroom. The suite held a custom-made bed, a large desk across the room and beyond the desk a big TV screen. He stopped by a table and picked up a remote control, pushed a button and in minutes he began to get pictures of burned acres, of parts of his ranch, pictures still being taken by Hap Green and sent back to him showing the fire and the damage already done. Hap didn’t fly into the smoky parts, but the fire had already destroyed large areas, and they could get some shots of it in the distance. Jake shook his head and put down the remote, leaving the pictures on.
He got ready to go. He was certain the firefighters could use his help some way, and probably the workers would be glad to have Claire’s help.
He went into the bathroom to use the facilities, and when he came out, his eyes lit on the huge bed. Unbidden, images of Claire sprawled out on the sheets assailed him. His breath grew ragged as he imagined him joining here there, making love to her. The thought nearly sent him up in flames.
He groaned and raked his fingers through his hair. “Damn,” he whispered. Claire in his bed. He shook his head. “With her family and yours,” he said aloud to himself, “that’s the way straight to trouble.”
So why was it exactly what he wanted?
Four
In less than half an hour, Claire joined Jake in the kitchen to eat a sandwich before they left. To take her mind off the fire and her loss, he tried to talk about something else.
“Is there a guy in your life?” he asked once they were seated at the table. He was suddenly aware he knew nothing about her except the family feud.
She looked startled, then amused as she shook her head. “No, there isn’t. I don’t go out often. I think I may intimidate some men. And I think some just don’t like me because I’m a rancher and run the place. That tends to make me a little set in my ways and bossy, maybe.”
He shook his head. “I’ve spent time with you now, and you weren’t either. You’re adapting to a huge change in your life,” he said. “And bossy? You’d be a lousy rancher if you weren’t. Someone has to be in charge.”
“I know, but some guys don’t want to take out a bossy woman who can run a ranch.”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t bother me, I’ll bet. Go out with me next Saturday night and we can see how I deal with going out with a bossy woman,” he said, shocked again at himself and his reactions to her, even more shocked that he’d asked her out without giving any thought to the consequences of his invitation. And he knew he wanted her to accept. After lecturing himself to keep his distance from her, he was trying to get more entangled than ever.
He barely knew her, but he wanted an evening with her. As fast as that thought came, common sense said he shouldn’t want to spend one single evening with her. She was a Blake. The family feud was as strong as ever. She wasn’t the woman to get involved with. But he wasn’t listening to his own advice.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and then she laughed, a sound of mirth that made him smile and want his arms around her more than ever.
“You’re joking, of course. We’d set the town on edge, and our relatives would explode with everything from dismay to anger to rage. I don’t think there would be one happy person in my whole clan who would approve of us going out together. You might find yourself in the middle of a fight with my brothers. For that matter, I doubt if there is anyone in your family who would approve of us going out together. In fact, I know they wouldn’t, and I don’t even know them.” She leaned in toward him. “Tell the truth now—they wouldn’t approve, would they?”
He looked down into her big green eyes, looked at her rosebud mouth, remembered their kisses and forgot what she’d asked him. He wanted her.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” he whispered. She blinked, and then her eyes widened. She drew a deep breath, straightened up and stared wide-eyed at him a moment before her gaze lowered to his mouth.
His heart thudded, and he wondered whether she was going to kiss him.
She shook her head as if coming out of sleep and stood, picking up her plate with her half-eaten sandwich. She stepped away from him, leaving more space between them. She stared intently at him. “I don’t know why the attraction, or whatever it is, happens between us,” she whispered as if to herself, but he heard her. He had finished his sandwich and a glass of water, and he stood to face her.
“I don’t know, either, but we might be really missing something if we let what we feel go by without acknowledging it and acting on it. My reaction to you is unique in my life. I’d wager my ranch that your reaction to me is unique in yours, too.”
The words were there between them, and she nodded. “That doesn’t make it good.”
“I’m sure it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored,” he said with amusement in his voice, and she smiled in return as she shook her head.
“Let’s not rush into something. I suggest you rethink that invitation to go out Saturday night. Your brother and my sister married and vanished. They haven’t been home since they married because my sister knows my dad and brothers. My brothers’ feelings about that feud are really strong. You take me out, and you’re a marked man. I’m not about to do something that would get you hurt badly.”
“I can’t believe that would happen, and I’m not scared of your brothers,” he replied. “But I don’t want to cause you trouble with your family, so at this point in our lives, we can resist a night out together.” He was disappointed, yet he had a feeling she was right. “There’s no need to stir up a hornets’ nest of trouble with families. We don’t have any strong emotional ties, and we can still walk away from each other without it hurting. We better leave well enough alone.”
“That’s common sense, and I agree.”
“I’m not sure I agree with myself,” he said, glancing at her mesmerizing green eyes and wanting to kiss her right now.
“Hang on to your decision, Jake. We don’t need to go looking for trouble.”
“Might be the most fun ever,” he said, lowering his voice and drawling his words. She drew another deep breath and gave a shake of her head.
“Jake, we better go and stick to helping out and forget any future together unless it’s just waving at each other across the fence.” She rinsed her dish and placed it in the dishwasher.
“You’re right. Meet you on the porch shortly.”
She went outside and sat in one of the rockers to wait. When he stepped out to join her, she came to her feet.
“C’mon. I’ve called the volunteer center, and they need us. And yes, they’ll be glad to have your help.”
“I’m willing to do what I can,” she said.
“Good,” he said, looking up at the sky. “Because we never got the rain they predicted, and now they don’t think we will.”
* * *
When he turned on the highway and headed toward the fire, she groaned. “It looks as if all of this part of Texas is on fire,” she said, looking across the horizon. “This fire will get a lot of homes, barns and outbuildings. I just hope ranchers got their livestock and themselves out,” she said, stunned by the smoke that totally hid every bit of sky and the dancing flames in the distance that spread as far along the horizon as she could see.
“They’re going to need all the help they can get,” he said.
“This has to be the worst fire in this area ever,” she said softly, realizing a lot of people would lose everything. She fought back tears again, not only for herself, but for everyone who was being affected.
“Just try to focus on what you’ve saved. You have your animals. They didn’t burn.”
“Thanks to you, I didn’t lose my life in this fire. It’s just awful.”
“Be careful tonight. Things happen, and everything can change in seconds.”
“I’ll be careful. I know what a close call I had today.” She looked at his profile, her pulse beating faster as it did each time that she got on a personal level with him.
“We’ve always been enemies, but now...” She left the thought unspoken.
“Yeah,” he said. “A kiss sort of changes things.”
Unable to smile about it, she nodded. He was right. But his remark reminded her how temporary this truce was. It wouldn’t last—it couldn’t, with over 150 years of hatred in their backgrounds. They shouldn’t kiss. The minute she reminded herself of that, her pulse jumped and beat at a faster pace. Jake’s kisses were the sexiest she had ever experienced, and she had a feeling she was going to feel that way for a long time. She needed to try to forget kissing him, try to stop thinking about it, and above all, resist him from now on. Given their family history, kissing Jake was asking for pure trouble.
Her attention shifted as he drove to where temporary headquarters were set up for firemen. The area was filled with people. There were tents with hastily drawn signs for medical help, for tools, and a desk beneath a tree where volunteers could register to help. Another desk listed emergency help along with a posted list of missing people and other sources of information. She saw another tent with a hastily scribbled, crooked sign that stated Food.
“They almost have another town right here,” she said as he parked his pickup in a row of vehicles.
“Well, I see where I need to go. I’ll just look for you back here when I’m through.” He turned to her. “You’re in it now. If you want to quit, you’ll have to wait until I’m back to take you to my place.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m glad to help, and it looks as if they need it desperately. Let’s go.” She opened her door to step out.
“See you later,” he called and was gone. She could see him moving through the crowd of people because he was taller than most. His broad shoulders made him look capable and reliable. She watched him until she lost sight of him, then lined up at the desk for volunteers. In minutes they had some people she was to drive to the hospital in Persimmon. To her surprise, Jake reappeared. He had a hard hat, a fire-retardant suit, goggles, gloves and a shovel.
“I’m digging ditches. They have some experienced firefighters flying in here, so they’re getting more experienced help, which is good. When they let us go, I’ll meet you back here. Take care,” he said.
She worried about Jake, because the fire was formidable. Then she had to laugh at herself. Since when did she worry about a Reed? Instantly, an unwanted answer popped into her thoughts—since his first kiss. A kiss like no other in her life. A kiss that might be unforgettable. Also, since he saved her life.
Her family would be wild with anger if they knew she was with him. It wouldn’t matter to them that he had saved her life. She hoped they didn’t even find out about Jake. At least not for a long time. Her two older brothers would plot to beat him up and try to scare him into staying away from her forever. She knew their way of thinking. She hated their interference in her life, and she wanted them to back off. She would be furious if they did anything to Jake, but that would make them think she was really serious about Jake and they had something big between them. Caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, she just hoped they didn’t find out she had even talked to Jake.
