He ripped off his gloves and threw them to the ground. Then he dropped a hand on her shoulder. It didn’t feel quite like affection, more to keep her in one place, get her attention. Firm, heavy, warm, even through her coat. Exactly how she would want him to use that hand in other, more intimate ways, beneath her clothing.
Standing here, in the wind-whipped outdoors with Eric, she teetered on the edge of something new. Like a tall cliff with jagged rocks at the bottom.
“No. Not fine. You have to take some risks. Or . . . ” The line of his throat when the muscled cords flexed commanded her attention.
She blinked. “Or what? I’ll end up alone? I’ll never get close to someone? Since when are you concerned about my future?”
“Damn it all, Shel. I’ve always been concerned about your future. I’ve watched you lock your emotions up for years—I just never realized why you were doing it. I’ve watched you distance yourself from others. Listen to me. I’ve cared about you since high school, maybe before then.”
“Cared? Like a buddy?”
The wind whipped away his curse. “Yes, once. But if I’m going to be totally honest, I haven’t thought of you as a buddy for a long time.”
“I don’t und—”
The movement a blur, he knocked her hat from her head, yanked her forward, and covered what she was about to say with his warm, unyielding, amazing mouth. For a moment, she tried to analyze whatever he was trying to tell her. But the hot, swirling sensations took over conscious thought, and she couldn’t have cared less about analyzing anything more than the textures of his lips and tongue.
If she’d enjoyed the kiss in the confines of the truck yesterday, she reveled in the wildness of kissing Eric in the wide open, surrounded by nothing more than crisp mountain air and forest. She snaked her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoes to rise a few more inches and meet him at his level.
She lowered her filters a few degrees.
The emotional read she got from him constituted a furnace blast of passion, desire, and hunger. He wanted more. So much more.
Sounded good right about now.
He slid a hand down her back and curved his palm around her hip, the heat from his touch branding her, even through the denim. How wonderful would it feel to have those hands on other parts of her body, tracing her skin, drawing out the pleasure, time and again?
Slanting his head, he changed the angle, opening her mouth. He took advantage of the access and swept his tongue across hers, filling her, consuming her, taking control in a way she’d never thought she could allow someone to do.
Right when her knees weakened, he pulled away, mouth open, breathing hard. “I want so much more than this, Shelby.” He backed up a step. “With you, I don’t want to stop. Even right now.” He yanked her to him and crushed more kisses onto her lips, then after a nip, lifted his head again.
With all the emotions swirling, the ground under her feet tilted.
He studied her with those dark blue eyes. “You think you have hang-ups? We all do.” Another kiss landed, hard and long, until he leaned back again. “But here’s the deal. If you think we have a future together, you need to make that decision sooner rather than later. I’m sick and tired of watching and waiting.”
She gasped. He’d never talked to her like this before. Never laid it all out there.
She’d never known.
Had she?
Damn it. Her feelings for Eric had been her blind spot.
Wrapping a hand around the back of her neck, he forced her to look at him. “I’m done sitting back while you shut your emotions inside a safe, little box. I will not sit by and watch you take care of everyone else but yourself. I can’t do that anymore.”
A shiver skated down her spine. “But I—”
He slid both hands back down and squeezed her hips, fingers splayed around to the top of her buttocks. His grip edged close to pain but stopped just short of hurting her. Strength held back, like the strength in his frame. The proximity of his hands to other areas of her pelvis pooled damp warmth between her legs.
“Here’s the deal, Shel. I won’t stick around forever. If you think there’s a chance that we have a future, then I want all of you. Nothing held back in reserve. No hiding. No filters. All these situations where you’ve been in harm’s way and I couldn’t do anything about it— no more. This . . . what we have between us . . . I need more control over my life than this. I can’t sit by and do nothing.”
“You don’t sit there and do nothing, Eric.”
“You don’t get it. My life has been a whiplash of unstable events followed by me floating around without an anchor. My folks leaving, not having a solid foundation, the army, with what happened to . . . Kerr . . . ” He shook his head. “And since then, I’ve kind of drifted along. Maybe I live in the same place, but I have nothing concrete. Nothing to call my own. My so-called life is an empty package of an existence.”
“Of course you have your own life.” A jolt of something close to panic kicked her heart into overdrive. “You and Kerr have the guide service—”
“It’s ours. Not mine.”
“Your work at the ranch.”
His dark blue eyes pinned her in place. “Your family ranch.” His Adam’s apple bobbed again. “Family. Yours.”
“Wow.”
“Here’s the deal, Shel. If you’re ever with me, you have to open up to me. Completely.”
“Completely?” she whispered.
Dipping his lips to her ears, his voice vibrated every bone of her body. “Every. Whimper.” He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue, and her heart stopped. “Every time you squirm, wanting more. And I want to bring you more. Create your pleasure. Become your pleasure. Be responsible for making you scream my name. I want you to be mine. I don’t want to have just something. I want you. Body. Mind. All of it. Or nothing.”
“Nothing?”
He pulled back and pinned her with that direct, midnight gaze. “Let me have the reins here or cut me loose to find what I need elsewhere. I can’t go halfway.”
A shudder passed through her. Honeyed heat gathered down low in her belly, followed by a cold jolt that iced her veins. He’d made it clear. No guarantees he would wait for her. Could she expose her soul to anyone like that? Become that vulnerable? The chances of failure and being hurt would be astronomically high.
Could she allow herself to not be in control?
A tiny ray of hope sparked as she stared into his dark blue eyes.
Failure would destroy any chance of a friendship with Eric. Might even drive him away from here forever. So, there existed a slim chance of happiness versus a larger risk of failure.
Damn it. This was Eric. She’d wanted him for . . . a long time. Her subconscious insisted on placing him in her dreams, no matter how hard she tried to view him as a family friend. He was her rock on the Search and Rescue team. He was the one she wanted to be close to when her world spun off its axis.
She opened her mouth. “Eric, I—”
A shot rang out; a heavy thunk and a puff of dirt erupted near her feet.
“Geezus.” He pushed her behind him. Another explosion, a few inches closer, had him shoving her toward the horses as he backpedaled. “Someone’s shooting at us. Go!”
Chapter 13
Eric’s heated blood dropped to ambient temperature in two seconds flat. Cold sweat broke out on his brow as they dashed toward the horses.
With one smooth motion, he dipped his hand, grabbed Shelby’s booted foot, and flung her into the saddle.
“Get out of here!” he yelled, slapping the rump of her horse.
“Not without you.”
“I’m coming.” Another crack and an impact into the ground and he vaulted onto his own horse and kicking the animal to full gallop, right behind Shelby.
“What the hell?” she called over her shoulder, orange hair flying in wild curls back from her face, her hat long abandoned in the dirt back at the fence line.
An
other two shots spurred them to ride faster.
After a few minutes, he pulled alongside her and they slowed to a walk. “Shit. No idea what happened back there.” He swiveled his head around. Nothing. “Someone wants one or both of us dead, or at least scared away from that area.” He leaned over and patted her thigh. “Are you okay? Not hurt?” Damn it, he’d love to get his hands on whoever had put her in harm’s way. He’d kill that person.
For a second, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and use his body to keep her safe. He tamped the desire down. Time to concentrate on what the hell had just occurred.
Her gold-flecked eyes focused on him and softened. With a quick glance over her frame, she shook her head. “No visible injuries. Nothing hurts. You?”
“I’m good.” He checked back over his shoulder. “If someone wanted us dead, they should have been able to drop both of us with a decent scope on a rifle. I think we were warned off.” At least he hoped it was a warning and not a horrible shot aimed at Shelby.
Reining her horse, she stared at Eric. “Do you want me to find out?” Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she turned in her saddle to face the field behind them.
“No. Quit it! You are not getting inside someone else’s head. We don’t know what that will do. Instead of going blind, this time it might kill you.” He reached out, hoping she wouldn’t do something stupid.
His arms itched with another wave of need. A need to protect her from the bad things out there that dared to try and hurt her. Not because she needed any help, but because he wanted to be the one to keep her safe. Splitting hairs? Maybe. But the distinction made all the difference.
She patted Bob on the neck. Shelby’s orange curls stood out stark against the snowy terrain around them. Then gold glinted as she stared at him beneath a furrowed brow. “We have people shooting at us on Taggart property. What the heck? How can someone do that?”
The pink tint in her cheeks would have been beautiful to stare at, if not for the fact that he had to keep her from galloping back to find the person who shot at them. The idea of Shelby riding straight into danger—or worse, a trap—turned his blood as cold as the frozen ground beneath them.
He shook his head. “No idea, but this whole situation is weird . . . the thing between your family and the Brands has gotten out of hand.”
“You think that was the Brands shooting?”
“Makes sense. But we can’t prove it.” He squinted up at the waning afternoon light. “First things first. We need to get home, tell Garrison and Kerr what’s going on, and make sure everyone is safe.”
“Oh, God. They’re going to be pissed.”
“You got that right.”
“But we have to tell them. We have to do something.”
“We?”
“Me. My brothers. You, if you’re up for the challenge.” The set of her jaw scared him more than her words. Shelby on a mission was a force to be reckoned with. The last thing he needed was for her to do something reckless.
“This is insane . . . I don’t even know what the hell to call the past few weeks. Whatever it is, it’s gone on far too long. Enough is enough.”
“I agree, but talk with your brothers and decide what to do.”
Her brows shot up. “You and Kerr are going out in two days with clients.”
“We’ll cancel if need be.” Hell, he’d abandon the guide service if it meant she’d be safe.
“No way! That’s your business. You have to take those guys out hunting,” she insisted.
“Family is more important than business.”
Her mouth closed with a snap, and she pointed her horse toward the ranch.
• • •
As the sun went down, Garrison paced in the living room. “Son of a bitch, this whole situation is a mess.”
“Sit, please.” His girlfriend, Sara, patted the cushion next to her on the couch. Like a clear bell, her voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned, stared at her, and sat. Whatever power that woman possessed, Shelby would like to purchase it. Sara held Garrison’s hand and murmured, “Zach’s fine. I’m here. Everyone else is here. We’re all safe for now. That’s a good place to start.”
That woman’s mellow voice dropped the stress level in the entire room. Tugging on a wavy strand of thick, dark brown hair, Sara shot him a tight smile.
Lines bracketed Garrison’s mouth as he frowned. Didn’t take a mind reader to figure out this incident had him beyond spooked. First the barn burned down. Then Sara and Zach were kidnapped and almost died. Now someone shot at people on Taggart property. What was next?
He had the look of a man doing some horrible math.
Kerr sat in the recliner, but leaned forward, feet planted on the floor. Like he was ready to get up and go.
And Eric had taken up his usual position near the mantle, leaning against the wall. Part of the discussion but still separate.
From her chair near the couch, Shelby let her filters down a small amount. Fear, anger, and hatred coated her like burnt caramel. Along with a bright wisp of desire. She cut her eyes toward Eric and back.
Did she have the guts to finish their conversation from earlier?
Thank God she didn’t have to answer that question now.
“What about the hunting trip?” Kerr asked.
“Damn it, that’s bad timing.” Garrison ran a hand through his dark red hair, making it stand up on end. “But you have to go, man.”
Eric pushed off the wall. “No, we don’t.”
“Dude, those clients work for a major hunting magazine. One of the guys is a blogger,” Kerr answered. “If they have a spectacular time, they will write us our own meal ticket. If we bail at the last minute, those people can bury us.”
“What a cluster,” Eric muttered, leaning back and crossing his arms once more.
“Any news on someone coming in to look after Dad?” Shelby asked.
“One call from a lady. Sounded reasonable. She has a nursing background and good references. Not sure why she wants to be out here at the end of the Earth.” Garrison groaned and rubbed his jaw. “God only knows how much her services are going to cost us.”
Silence settled in the room.
“How about home health nursing care where the agency sends someone out a few times a week?” Kerr asked.
“Not enough coverage, not intensive enough, and he may not qualify.” Garrison shook his head. “Dad’s not homebound. Technically, he can get up and do things.” He rolled his hand into a fist. “However, he chooses not to. Besides, he needs care more often than a few times weekly.”
Shelby swallowed and asked the question no one else could. “Can we get Dad in a skilled nursing facility?”
The crackle of fire in the grate broke up the awful silence.
“He’ll die there,” Garrison said. “He’s been very clear. No nursing home. It’s—dammit. We can’t do this ourselves.”
“How are we going to afford to pay for someone to help out?” she asked.
Kerr piped up. “With any luck, this hunting trip will pay dividends.”
“Sure, but will it pay dividends fast enough?” Shelby rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Sorry, but that’s a fair question.”
“No idea, sis,” Kerr said. “But we have to try.”
Garrison’s grim expression as he raised his head pinned everyone in place. “You’re right. We have to try. Okay. First things first. We need to call the police about the shooting.”
“It won’t help,” Eric said. “Especially since Tommy Brand is the sheriff.”
“We’re still assuming it’s the Brands doing this?” Shelby shook her head.
“Who else would go to that kind of effort, way out on the edge of the forest?” Eric asked.
“Hunting season?” she said.
“Not buying it, and neither are you.” His mouth snapped shut.
“I know that Tommy Brand is local law enforcement, but we should call it in. And hope like hell we’re not seeing a pattern with attacks on our prop
erty and our people here.” Garrison’s knuckles blanched as he squeezed Sara’s hand. “Then you two get this hunting trip done and over with.” He gave a curt nod. “Anything Shelby and I can do to help you two get set up, let us know. We’ll hold down the fort while you’re out. But once you’re back, we’ll need to double time it on finishing the barn.”
Eric sniffed. “I don’t like you two here alone.”
“None of us do, but we don’t have a choice,” Garrison shot back.
“Should we call Vaughn?” Shelby offered.
“No!” Garrison exploded. Her head snapped back like she’d been slapped. “If he wanted to come back, he’d be back. Consider him long gone. We can’t count on him.”
“Sorry I mentioned it,” she mumbled, rubbing her temple.
“If he wanted to return, he could have done it long before now. That’s it. He’s gone.” Garrison’s tight face relaxed and the corners of his mouth dropped. “It’s just we can’t hold out hope he’ll ever return. When he left, he cut ties with all of us.”
“I know, but his leaving was damned strange, if you ask me,” Shelby said.
“Drop it, sis,” her older brother growled. “Vaughn made it clear he was getting out of this one-horse town. And after what I learned from Hank Brand, part of the reason Vaughn left had to do with my ex-wife’s bad decision-making with Vaughn. Frankly, he’d made so many bad choices leading up to that point he probably wanted a fresh start. Can’t blame him.”
Shelby couldn’t lift her head. “I know. Just seems he’d want to know what was going on here. We all need to have each other’s back these days.”
“Like I said. It’s us now. Don’t count on him.” Garrison pushed to his feet. “And we do have each other’s backs. We’ll figure out a way to get through this situation, one way or another.”
After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Kerr rubbed his hands together. “So, all righty, then. Here’s the to-do list: run a smooth trip, impress the bloggers, legally kill lots of wildlife, avoid places where someone could shoot at us, and make it back here in time to raise a barn before the first blizzard. Right? Piece of cake.” He shot Shelby a half-smile. “And don’t do anything stupid while we’re gone.”
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