Her Desert Treasure (Entangled Ignite)

by Larie Brannick

  “Doctor Jake? Is that you? Well, I’ll be. It is you!”

  Helen Floyd bounded over to where he and Meg sat, her wide grin evaporating when she caught sight of Meg. “Doctor Jake, I’ve missed seeing you at the last two dinners at the VFW. I hope you’ve been all right.”

  The older woman was all but ignoring Meg’s presence, and it pissed Jake off. “I’ve never been better, Mrs. Floyd. Just real busy these days.” He leaned toward Meg and lazily hung his arm over the back of her chair.

  “That’s a…shame.” She stammered at the sight but recovered quickly. “I know our Melissa has missed seeing you, too. Maybe I should send her around with a pie for you.”

  “No, that’s all right, Mrs. Floyd. I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

  “It’s no trouble at all. I can send her out this weekend if you like.”

  “Actually, I’ll be pretty tied up this weekend.” He dropped his hand to Meg’s shoulder and squeezed lightly.

  “Oh.” She frowned, then suddenly brightened. “Well, I’ll send her over sometime next week then.” She glanced at Meg then back to him. “When you’re not so…busy. Now, I’d better get Earl’s ice cream and get home. I just wanted to say hello, Doctor Jake. Don’t be a stranger.”

  Jake shook his head. That certainly took the stiffness out of his pants. To top it off, Meg was wearing a shit-eating grin.

  “I have a feeling you’ve given Mrs. Floyd something to talk about at the VFW.”

  He sighed. “I know it was shitty of me, but she was being rude. And she needs to get it through her head that I’m not interested—never mind.”

  “Let me guess. You’re also the town’s most eligible bachelor, and Mrs. Floyd has an eligible daughter?”

  Not wanting his voice to carry, he leaned in closer and spoke softly. “She’s not eligible. I don’t want to be the one to burst her mother’s bubble, but Melissa is taken.”

  “So…her mom doesn’t like him?”

  He shifted his weight and his lips grazed the shell of her ear. “He is a she, and Melissa’s parents don’t know.”

  “Why, Jake, you little gossip.” Her eyes darkened with mischief.

  “Anyone ever tell you you’re a smartass?” he asked, grinning.

  “Me? Never.”

  In Meg’s limited experience, dating wasn’t this easy. Of course, this wasn’t really a date, but spending an evening sharing a meal with a man like Jake should have been awkward. Usually, she got tongue tied and more often than not, spilled something or tripped over her own feet. This was different. Being with him was effortless. His sense of humor was only icing on the cake of his intelligence, kindness, and damn, the man was gorgeous. Deep dimples enhanced his smile, and she smiled back. Conversation was spontaneous and genuine. Even silence as they watched people walk by was easy. The only uncomfortable fidgeting she did was caused by the unfamiliar feeling of lust he inspired. The way his silky voice slid over her made it hard to concentrate on what he was saying.

  “What took you away from Colorado?”

  Stupidity. “I moved to San Diego after college with a…friend.”

  That friend had been her college sweetheart, Troy. He’d convinced her that there would be more opportunity for them in California, so she’d gone along. If only she’d listened to her friends when they’d tried to tell her he wasn’t what he’d seemed. How she wished she’d believed her grandparents when they’d warned her about his controlling behavior. She’d been so foolish to believe his line of bullshit. By the time he’d shown his true colors, Meg was alienated from her friends and family and completely at his mercy. He controlled every aspect of her life. Money, the clothes she wore, how she styled her hair. Everything. Right down to what time she left for work and what time he expected her to walk through the door at the end of the day. God forbid the bus ever ran late.

  As an act of survival, she’d started tucking away a few dollars here and there, just in case. When she’d finally stood up for herself, Troy hadn’t taken it well. Her defiance sent him over the edge, and things went to hell fast. He’d started breaking her things as punishment. The last straw had come when he’d thrown a piece of her grandmother’s leaded crystal and Meg had stepped in front of him to stop his tirade. He’d shoved her down onto a large shard from the broken bowl.

  The puncture wound in her abdomen had been deep. The surgery to remove the fragments and subsequent infection had left her bedridden for weeks. While she’d been out on sick leave, the small school where she taught had made do by combining classes and using part-time substitutes. Education funding decreased every year, and without tenure, her teaching position wasn’t guaranteed. As much as it hurt to lose her job, she understood the situation. Luckily, Gwen had hired her to help with her new accounting office, and Meg had felt safe for the first time in a long time.

  She wasn’t proud of the fact that she’d been too frightened to press charges against Troy, especially after he’d convinced the police the whole thing had been an accident. As long as he stayed away from her, she was willing to live with it. She was stronger now and would never allow anyone to control her again.

  “It never really felt like home to me, but I had a good job, and I fell in love with my boss, so I stayed. I came back for Grandpa’s funeral and to take care of his estate.” She shrugged. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until I got here.”

  “So you came back even though you love your boss?” He scowled and sounded irritated.

  She smiled. “My boss, Gwen. She’s also my best friend and the closest thing I have to family. I already miss her like crazy, but I know I’m doing the right thing staying here.”

  His scowl relaxed. “Sorry. I guess I just assumed you meant… So there’s…nobody waiting back in San Diego?”

  She shook her head. Nobody worth mentioning.

  “John talked about you all the time. At first, I had an image in my head of an eight year-old in pigtails. He told me you were a teacher?”

  His question broke into her thoughts. “I got my teaching certificate and a business degree in college. I taught sixth grade for three years.” Her heart rate sped up. God, she thought she’d gotten over this, the anxiety attacks were under control. She forced herself not to reach for her stomach. The physical scars had faded, but the emotional one still plagued her.

  “Meg?”

  “What? Oh, sorry. Budget cuts took out several positions. I was lucky to find a job with Gwen.” Who, she thought privately, had saved her in more ways than one. “But the ultimate goal has always been to come back here and build a living classroom on Grandpa’s land. I could teach, and he could use his experience and knowledge to teach students, as well.” The backs of her eyes pricked with the threat of tears, but she forced them back. “Even though he won’t be here, I want to move forward.”

  “That sounds terrific. I remember John talking about wanting you to come home to teach. What are your plans? Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Was he for real? After her disastrous relationship with Troy, she’d been leery of trusting another man—not to mention, what stranger would volunteer to help her without so much as batting an eye? Especially after her telling him she couldn’t help with his idea for the refuge. She’d figured that Jake was one of the good guys, but she hadn’t realized how good. She felt terrible for talking about her plans and shooting his down. “There are some roadblocks I have to deal with, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But thanks for the offer.”

  “I hope it all works out. I think this is a great idea. John would be proud, Meg.”

  She stared at their clasped hands. A current of electricity raced up her arm, her abdomen tightened with an awareness she’d never felt before. Why now? Why this man? Her body reacted to the mere sight of him. When he touched her, every nerve became hypersensitive. The curious sensation confused her.

  Admittedly, her experience with men could be summed up as sadly lacking. The only thing she had to compare it to was her relatio
nship with Troy. She had no other reference point to judge what was happening. She gazed up into his deep brown eyes and could swear she saw not only compassion, but passion. Desire. Untangle your tongue, Meg.

  “Thank you. I hope I can make him proud.”

  The deadly dimples were back, and she was toast. She could have stayed in that chair, looking at him all night, but some small part of her logical brain chose that moment to pipe up. She had a million things to do tomorrow. Her cell phone had beeped reminders all night. Not one thing crossed off her to-do list today. Slowly, she pulled her hand from Jake’s, immediately missing the firm warmth of his grasp.

  “I should probably be getting back.”

  Jake stood and threw his empty cup into the trash bin behind him. “You’ve had quite a day, you’re probably beat.”

  Meg still held her ice cream so he took her free hand and led her across the street and back to his pickup.

  …

  Well, well, well. Little Miss Reynolds had found a boyfriend. Monty couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been scoping out the town and had nearly tripped when he saw her in front of the ice cream shop. Even more surprising was seeing her with a man. At first, he’d thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He squinted to see better and realized it was her. After spending hours waiting for her to come back to the cabin, he’d finally given up and returned to his hotel.

  Breaking in through the old bedroom window had been a piece of cake, and getting rid of her would have been even easier. He doubted anyone would have missed her for days, but maybe he was wrong. He hadn’t realized she knew anyone in Big Rock, so maybe it was better that he hadn’t been too hasty. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he’d kept to the fringe of the seating area. Hearing their conversation had been difficult, but the laughing and flirting was obvious. It was clear from the way people stopped and talked with this guy that he was local. He hadn’t seen Meg with anyone when he’d tailed her in California. He had to find out who this guy was.

  He lingered at the table with his coffee until she and the man got up to leave. He let them get across the street before he motioned to a girl cleaning tables. Noticing her nametag, he asked casually, “Hey, Kim. I think I recognize that guy over there. Isn’t his name Ray?”

  She turned and followed his line of sight. “You mean him? No, that’s Dr. Jake. Well, Dr. Matthews. He’s the town veterinarian. He has an animal hospital on the other side of town.”

  “Really? I guess I’m mistaken then. He sure looks like my old friend Ray.” He handed her a twenty.

  “What’s this for?”

  “The service here is great. You keep it. And have a good night.”

  “Gee, thank you, sir.”

  Nodding at her, he turned and made his way toward his car, watching as Meg and her friend crossed the street and started down the block. When they turned into an alley a couple of blocks down, he lost sight of them. No worry, though. He wasn’t in any hurry as he unlocked his car and slid behind the steering wheel. After driving around this hole as much as he had, he knew where the animal hospital was. He’d give them a few minutes head start then follow and find a good place to settle in and watch.

  …

  Jake led Meg to his pickup and opened her door for her but she stopped. “Wait, I need to throw this away.”

  As she turned to toss the unfinished cone into a nearby Dumpster, Jake caught sight of her in the light from the pickup. When she turned back around, he touched her cheek, lightly stroking her skin with his thumb.

  “Thank you for rescuing Rex and helping me at the clinic today. And for coming out with me tonight. I had a great time.”

  Her eyes darkened to violet, they sparkled in the faint light with…hunger?

  How much more was a man supposed to take? He slowly lowered his head and touched his lips to the corner of her mouth softly, his tongue reaching out to slide across her lips to the other corner. She tasted sweet, like strawberries, and he kissed her gently. “You had a little bit of ice cream right there.”

  She licked her lips and asked, “Did you get it all? I think there might still be some…”

  It was all the invitation Jake needed, and he lowered his head again, this time kissing her full on the mouth. He slid his tongue over her lips, and she opened to meet it with her own as he tilted her head slightly so he could taste her more fully. His other hand went to her waist just above her hip, and his thumb began stroking her bare skin where her shirt stopped at the top of her shorts.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss, and a low moan escaped her. Spurred on by the sound, he hungrily thrust his tongue into her mouth.

  Her shirt slid up when she raised her arms to his neck, and Jake’s hand followed its path, gently caressing until his thumb came in contact with her breast. He hesitated until she leaned into him, then he cupped her and slowly stroked his thumb across her nipple. God, she turned him on. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  In the back of his mind, he had the unsettling feeling he would never get enough of this woman.

  A loud crash behind them made Meg jump. Jake caught her waist to steady her. Both of them struggled for breath.

  Realizing where they were, he shook his head. Nice going, asshole. He’d been so aroused he hadn’t cared that they were standing in an alley, his need so great he would have taken her right there. She deserved so much better.

  “What was that?”

  Gently, he caressed her cheek. “Just an alley cat. Looks like he knocked over a trash can.”

  She let out a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness. That about scared the life out of me.”

  “Okay?” When she nodded, he smiled and ran his thumb along the smooth skin of her jaw. “I’m sorry, Meg.”

  “Sorry? For what?”

  “For practically attacking you in an alley.” He ran a hand over his face. “I usually have better self-control.”

  Meg put her fingers on his lips. “Stop. Nothing happened that I didn’t let happen. For the record, I don’t usually behave this way with someone I just met, either. Maybe there’s a full moon or something.”

  He laughed. “Whatever it is, it’s potent.” He released her finally and stepped aside to help her into the truck. “I’d better get you back to your car. You need to be in bed.”

  One of her delicate eyebrows cocked in question.

  Jesus, she was going to be the death of him. He couldn’t seem to stop grinning as he helped her into his truck. “You need to be in your bed. Sleeping.”

  When he was sure she was settled in the seat, he rounded the truck to the driver’s side. All he could think about was how happy it made him that she’d decided to stay in Big Rock. He could see her every day if he wanted to. And he did want to. That thought brought him up short. How could his whole way of thinking change in twenty-four short hours? A day ago, he’d been firmly set in his routine. His schedule allowed for developing his equine breeding program, caring for his patients, and studying the wild mustangs in the canyon. He did not spend his time fantasizing about violet-eyed vixens. Or any other vixens, for that matter.

  The ride back to the clinic passed quickly. The dim light from the dashboard cast Meg in a soft glow, and Jake couldn’t help but watch her from the corner of his eye. A few more strands had escaped the clip that held her hair, and he badly wanted to touch her. To see if her hair was as soft as he remembered. He was entranced by her. Not only by her beauty, but by her intelligence, her excitement and energy. “Tell me more about your plans for the classrooms.”

  “The more I think about it, the more ideas I have. There is so much to learn from the land. Not only geology—it could be used for other studies. The Native American petroglyphs on the rock walls near the river are fascinating. A small classroom could be built in the canyon for that purpose alone.”

  She couldn’t be serious. “In the canyon? Meg, you can’t build in the canyon.”

  “Why not?”

  “The mustangs live in the
canyon. Any disruption to their habitat could force them to migrate again. In fact, any of the new buildings will have to be located far enough away not to disturb them.”

  She turned in her seat toward him. “They’d be part of the experience, too. People would want to study them. Like you.”

  The last thing he wanted was to ruin the evening, but was she crazy? How could he make her understand how important it was to protect the herd? “It’s taken two years to build their trust enough to let me get close to them. It would be destroyed if people and machinery invaded their home.”

  She was clearly frustrated, as well. “I would never dream of invading, Jake. It’s my home, too. You said yourself that you want to create an adoption program. Doesn’t that include socialization for the animals? If the herd continues to grow, and you said it will, do I set aside more land each year to accommodate them?”

  He ran his fingers through his hair as she continued.

  “I’m not going to do anything to hurt them, Jake, and I’m not going to run them off.”

  Jake knew in his gut that Meg wasn’t the kind of person who would intentionally harm anyone—or anything. But any abrupt change to the herd’s way of life could be damaging. “I know you don’t want to hurt them. And I know I don’t have any right to tell you what to do with your land. Please, just consider what I’ve said before you make any decisions.”

  “Of course I will.”

  The rest of the drive was quiet. Meg seemed deep in thought, and Jake worried that he’d ruined everything. Cussed himself that he’d put such a serious look on her lovely face.

  It wasn’t until Jake had parked in front of his house and shut off the engine that Meg spoke. “What will happen to Rex if his owners don’t call?”

  Ah. So that’s what she’d been thinking about. Wanting to put her mind at ease, he assured her. “I’ll keep him until I can find a home for him.” Surprise crossed her features. “He might have to bunk with one of the other strays for a while, but we’ll make do.” Meg blinked when he opened his door. The glare from the dome light was harsh against the black night. He met her at her door to help her out. When she was steady on her feet, she smiled at him.