by Sable Hunter
A sense of loss cascaded over her as Jensen remembered this amazing experience would be a one-off. Just the thought of what she’d be missing – of what she’d be losing – increased her desperation. “I need you, Clint. Take me.”
“Anytime. Anywhere. Any way you want it, love.” He crushed her mouth with such fierce intensity that she felt completely consumed. Moving over her, he parted her legs. “How long has it been?”
“A long time,” she answered truthfully, her lips swollen from his kisses.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
“Okay.” Jensen believed him, she just hoped she didn’t hurt him. “I’m not worried.”
“Are you protected?”
Absolutely. “Yes.” There were some risks she was unwilling to take.
When he moved over her, the anticipation was almost more than she could handle. Tension was building in every cell of her body as he made a place for himself between her thighs. The relief she so desperately craved came as he entered her. She held her breath as he sank deep, his movements careful. Gentle. The world stood still as she closed her eyes in utter bliss. When he was fully seated, she wrapped her legs around him, lifting her hips in supplication.
“Hold on to me. Don’t let go.” His instructions didn’t go unheeded. Jensen clutched his upper arms, letting her nails dig into his skin. His directive made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. Holding on to him sounded too tempting by far.
With hands on either side of her shoulders, he supported himself as he began to move. Easing forward, thrusting in, pulling out. Starting slow, then building. Building. Surging. Beneath him, Jensen felt herself being lifted high on a tidal wave of pleasure.
As they loved, she studied his face, memorizing each feature. Jensen didn’t want to forget even one precious moment. Rocking with him, she rode each thrust, the intensity growing until she was almost delirious with joy. And when he bent to kiss and suck her nipples once more, the world exploded around her. Screaming his name, she levitated from the bed, wrapping herself around him as she shook with ecstasy.
Her uninhibited response thrilled Clint, the knowledge that he’d pleased her pushed him to the very edge. Sweat beaded his forehead as a bellow escaped his lips. With one last thrust his whole body stiffened, every muscle frozen in searing pleasure.
Jensen held him as he came, placing soft kisses all over his face. She was completely thrown off balance by her emotions. This was so much more than she’d expected. She wanted to thank him, to tell him this was the most glorious night of her life – that no matter what…she’d never forget one second of what they shared. But she wouldn’t. He’d been so vocal, so open with his affection and praise. For her to do the same would be cruel. There was no need to give false expectations.
“What are you thinking about?”
Jensen blinked. “What?”
He stirred in her arms. “I’m crushing you.” Rolling to one side, he pulled her against him, then kissed her on the tip of her nose and both eyelids. “You’re so quiet. Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No. No. I’m good.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head until she could rest her forehead against his. “You?”
Clint chuckled. “Are you kidding? I’m knocked for a loop. That was amazing. I’ve never felt anything to compare. Thank you.”
Instead of saying anything, she kissed him softly on the lips.
“I swear, Jensen. If I could place every moment of this night in amber to make it last forever, I would.”
Stop it! She mentally cried. Clint Wilder was making Jensen feel things she didn’t want to feel.
“Since I can’t, we’ll just have to do it again and again.”
Oblivious to her heavy heart, he continued his soliloquy.
“Don’t worry. Now, that I’ve found you, I don’t intend to ever let you go.” Completely satisfied and satiated, Clint pulled Jensen closer into his embrace. “Close your eyes. I want to sleep with you in my arms.”
She didn’t resist, she couldn’t. She wanted to be held. As she nestled against him, closing her eyes, Jensen prayed Clint wouldn’t hate her tomorrow. If he did, she couldn’t blame him. A part of her scoffed at her reasoning. Considering who this man was and his lifestyle – surely, she was overestimating his emotional entanglement. The idea brought her a little peace, until another thought took centerstage in her mind. If the ache in her chest was any indication, she might very well be the one who ended up with a broken heart.
…When Clint awoke, he had a smile on his face. “Jensen?” He couldn’t wait to introduce her to his brothers. Sitting up, he looked around. “She must be in the bathroom.” Throwing off the covers, he stood and stretched. “Honey? Are you hungry? How about some room service?”
When she didn’t answer, he moved toward the bathroom. He couldn’t hear anything. No sound of water running. “Are you okay?” Stepping nearer, he touched the half-open door, pushing it forward as he peeped inside.
The room was empty.
A moment of panic assailed him. Where could she be? Turning, he looked around the room – and that was when he realized her suitcase was gone. Hurrying to the closet, he looked inside. All of her things were gone. “No!” When he turned in a circle, Clint spotted a note on the pillow. Was something wrong? Going to the bedside, he picked up the piece of paper and what he read almost brought him to his knees.
The note was brief. To the point. Impossible to misinterpret.
I’m sorry. Don’t try to find me.
Jensen
“Well, hell.” Clint wadded up the note and tossed it across the room.
Chapter Three
The Present
A particularly stormy outlook is forecasted.
Seton Center – Burnet Texas
Jensen stood patiently next to her chair, waiting for her new friend to finish speaking with the leader of their support group. She knew Jaxson McCoy was related to Libby in some way, but she wasn’t sure how. When Libby went on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, Jensen stepped forward to intercept her as she turned to go. “Hey, you wouldn’t have time to grab a cup of coffee, would you?”
Libby nodded and smiled. “I do. Jaxson’s my ride and he’s not quite ready to leave. Is the hospital cafeteria okay?”
“Sure. Their coffee is decent.” She’d sampled it quite a few times in recent months. Even though the Seton Center in Burnet was smaller than the one in Georgetown, she came here for this particular meet-up. Jensen didn’t know where she’d be without the support of these survivors. She didn’t know Libby well, but they’d become friendly over the past months.
“How was your week?”
“Not bad.” Jensen pressed the call button for the elevator. “I received some good news. The third drug trial is scheduled later this year for the caplon molecule.”
“That’s great!” Libby held the elevator door while Jensen stepped inside. “I understand you’re working with Scott Walker. How do you like it?”
Surprised, Jensen shouldered her bag as they descended to the first level. “Very much. How did you know?”
“Scott and I spoke the other day, he mentioned how well his brilliant new partner is working out. When he told me your name, I wasn’t surprised at all. From what you’ve told me about your work, you’re on the fast track to fame.”
“Fame is not one of my goals,” Jensen assured her. “Are you and Lia friends?”
“Yes, but we knew Scott before he married Lia.” They stepped off the elevator and headed to the coffee shop next to the lobby. “This will sound strange, but Scott helped Aron regain his memory after he was drugged by a Mexican queen-pin.”
“What did you say?” Jensen laughed, totally befuddled by Libby’s statement.
They entered the coffee shop and waited by the hostess’s station to be seated. “Oh, this is a wild story. We were on our honeymoon when Aron was injured in a rockslide while snorkeling in a cave. He was struck unconscious and almost died. Unbeknownst to
me, he drifted away on the current and was picked up by a yacht. The woman who rescued Aron recognized him.”
Libby stopped talking when the hostess came and led them to a table. They placed their order for two lattes and two pieces of blueberry coffeecake. Just as soon as they were alone, Jensen initiated a return to the conversation. “You said she recognized him?”
“Yes. She was the daughter of a Mexican cattle rancher who’d purchased a prize bull from Tebow. Her father and sister are good people, but she got mixed up in her uncle’s drug cartel. In fact, she inherited the leadership role from him and basically kept her elderly father and sister prisoner on their ranch.”
“So…did she kidnap Aron and demand ransom?”
“No.” Libby slapped the table. “She decided to keep him!”
“Keep him?” Jensen was flabbergasted. “And what were you doing during this time?”
“Grieving myself to death. Everyone assumed he was dead except for me and his brothers. We just refused to accept the possibility.”
“Oh, my gosh. How awful.”
“And I was pregnant with the twins at the time.”
“Libby, how in the world did you survive?” Jensen realized what she’d said. “But then, I guess you’ve had practice at surviving.”
“This was worse than the leukemia. By far. He was gone for months. We kept nagging the authorities and conducting searches to no avail.”
“How did you finally find him?”
Libby tapped the table. “Actually, it was Jaxson who spotted him while he was traveling in Mexico.”
“Our Jaxson?” Jensen pointed in the direction of the meeting room where the support group was held.
“Yes, he’s Aron’s first cousin.” She shrugged and pushed her long dark hair over one shoulder. “Another long story, but there were three branches of the McCoy family and none even knew the other existed until right about the time I married Aron. Lots of family drama, I tell you. It was a crazy, scary point in our lives. Anyway, after Jaxson told us he’d seen someone who looked a lot like Aron in Mexico, and we verified it was him, a huge rescue operation was launched. You’ll never know how relieved and elated I was to have him back. I never gave up hope, but there were days when I was in the depths of despair. I don’t think I would’ve made it if he hadn’t come home.”
“Well, yea. That’s understandable. Losing someone you love is never easy.”
Libby held up her hand. “Wait until you hear this. The only problem – and it was a significant problem – was that the synthetic drug the woman gave Aron to keep him under control robbed him of selected portions of his memory. Namely me.”
“How horrid? How did you cope?”
“Obviously, Scott was able to help him, thank goodness. I have my Aron back and his memory has fully returned.” She paused in her telling when a waitress brought their order. “Since then, we’ve become close friends with Scott and Lia. We don’t see them as much as we’d like. Everyday things tend to get in the way.”
“I can vouch for that.” Jensen fully understood how life could throw a monkey wrench into the works. “Scott is a good man. I don’t know if he mentioned this, but I initially accepted his job offer over two years ago. I can’t believe he held the position open for me for so long. The after-surgery chemo hit me so hard, there was no way I could endure it and work at the same time.”
Libby covered Jensen’s hand. “I know how scary it all can be. Every time I have to have a check-up, I hold my breath, praying I’ll still be in the clear.”
“Yea.” Suddenly chilled, Jensen cupped the mug to warm her hands. “I tortured myself the other night by checking the statistics on the possibility of recurrence. Not fun reading by any means.”
“You can’t dwell on that, Jensen. None of us know what tomorrow holds.”
“I know.” She took a bite of cake. “Dang, that’s good.”
“It is.” Libby agreed. They were quite for a moment while they ate. “We have to go on living every day to the fullest.”
“Right.” Jensen pulled a small notebook from her purse. “Look. Here’s my bucket list. Not that I intend to die anytime soon, but I just want to make sure I don’t miss anything.” She turned a few pages to let Libby see the extent of the list. “I’ve found local places I want to visit. Things I want to try. Causes I want to work for. I’ve really gotten into hiking and rock climbing. Before, I was so involved in work and caring for my parents, I never did anything for me.”
“You have to make time for fun, that’s for sure.”
“There’s also fences I want to mend. People I want to apologize to.”
“As sweet as you are, that part of your list can’t be too long.”
“No. Just a couple of names.” Clint Wilder for one.
“So, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”
Jensen checked her watch. “Since this is my day off, I’m heading north to Waco to visit Magnolia Market at the Silos.”
Libby’s eyes widened. “You mean Chip and Joanna Gaines’ place?”
“Right. I’ve been dying to check out their stuff. And…on the way back, I plan to stop at a berry farm to pick some strawberries and blackberries for jam.”
“You are embracing the good life, aren’t you?”
“Nearly dying does that for you.”
“Don’t I know it? My near brush with death gave me enough courage to go after Aron McCoy – so…yea. How about you? Are you dating anyone special?”
Before she could answer, Libby’s phone rang. “Hold on. It’s Jaxson.”
Jensen was glad of the reprieve. The topic of men was a bit of a sore spot for her.
“Don’t worry about it, Jaxson,” Libby said. “Do what you need to do. I’ll call an Uber.” She paused and listened, smiling. “No, it’s fine. There’s no reason for you to miss your meeting. Aron will not get mad at you. I’ve used Uber before.”
As soon as she hung up, Jensen set her coffee cup down. “I’ll be glad to give you a ride home.”
“No. You have things to do. I don’t want to take you away from your good time.”
“I’ll have other days off.” Jensen smiled when another thought occurred to her. “Or…you could come with me.”
Libby thought for a moment. “Actually, that’s a good idea. If I were to go home now, I’d be relegated to my room while Molly helps the boys on some birthday project they’re working on for me. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Are you kidding?” Jensen lifted her cup and clinked it to Libby’s. “I’m glad I thought of it.”
After finishing the last bite of her coffee cake, Libby wadded up the napkin and placed it next to her empty coffee cup. “Me too. Once we’re on the road I’ll call and let Moll know what’s going on.”
When they walked out together, Libby lifted her head. “Smells like rain.”
Jensen pointed to the east. “There’s some thunderclouds on the horizon.”
“At least we’ll be heading away from the bad weather.” Libby followed Jensen to her car. “Don’t want to be caught in a storm.”
“Let it come.” Jensen gave her friend a final wave. “I’ve been through so much in the past few years – nothing scares me now.”
Clint and Tennessee at the McCoy’s Highland Ranch on the shores of Lake Buchanan in Burnet, Texas
“Looks like we’re about to have some weather.”
Clint joined Tennessee at the window, taking in the darkened sky. “The Storm Prediction Center just issued a warning.” He held up his cell phone. “I checked their app and there’s a whole squadron of storms popping up on the radar.” He grinned at his first cousin. “Want to take this meeting on the road?”
Tennessee glanced around, curiosity on his face. “Are you serious?”
“You bet.” He clapped the other man on the shoulder. “We can talk as we ride.”
“Let me tell Molly where I’m going, and I’ll meet you at the truck.” Ten headed upstairs with a spring in his ste
p.
“Tell her I’ll have you home in an hour or so. We won’t go far.” Feeling excited at the prospect of spotting a twister, Clint made his way outside through the French doors off the patio. He’d come to visit Highland ranch at Ten’s invitation. Why? He wasn’t sure yet. Guess he’d find out soon enough.
Lifting his head to catch the breeze, he breathed deeply. The sweet scent of rain was in the air. Before him, cattle dotted the rolling green hills. Sensing the coming storm, they were on the move, heading to a nearby grove of oak trees to seek shelter. Animals didn’t need an app to know when danger was afoot.
While he waited, Clint checked the supplies in the back of his truck. If they came upon a viable tornado, he’d be ready. He made sure the container holding the rockets was closed completely to keep the sensitive instruments dry until time for their use. As he worked, he considered what Tennessee might have to say to him. They weren’t walking on eggshells around each other anymore, but they weren’t best buddies yet either.
“All set!” Ten ran around to hop in as Clint climbed into the driver’s seat. “Molly’s having a blast. She and the kids are helping Aron’s twin boys make their mother a birthday surprise. Libby rode into Burnet with Jaxson to attend that support group he sponsors.”
“What kind of support group?”
“Recovery support, I think is the way he defines it. How to deal with loss. He started it after he lost his leg and a lot of the others, like Libby, are cancer survivors.”
“Libby had cancer?” This was news to Clint.
“Yea, leukemia. She’s still in remission, thank God. If anything ever happened to Libby, Aron would have to be buried with her.”
“I’m sure he loses a lot of sleep worrying about her.” Clint couldn’t imagine how it would feel to know someone you loved was living with such a dark cloud looming over their life.
“You’re right about that.” Tennessee rubbed his hand together. “Okay, here we go.” He leaned forward to study all of the extra gadgets on Clint’s dash. “This is fancy. Anything I can do to help?”