Tempting His Heart

by Dawn Sullivan

  Giving her fingers one last light squeeze, Creed replied, “I don’t know what you are doing to me, Sloane. I don’t think I could leave you right now even if I wanted to.” Looking over at her, he grinned. “It’s a good thing I don’t want to.”

  Feeling her heart opening up to this strong, gentle man beside her, Sloane kept quiet the rest of the way to his house. It was too soon to feel the way she felt. It scared the hell out of her.

  Chapter 11

  Creed glanced over at Sloane as he pulled into his driveway. He could tell she was nervous about being there with him, even though she made the decision herself. A part of him felt guilty about telling her the truth; that he and his family had been watching over her for the past couple of weeks. A part of him had known that if he told her, she would change her mind about staying with him. However, his need to keep Sloane safe overrode any feelings of guilt he might have.

  Parking the truck in front of his house, he got out and walked around to the passenger side. Opening the door, he helped Sloane out. Lifting a giggling Cassie out after Sloane, Creed tweaked her ponytail as he set her on the ground. “Come on,” he said to Sloane as he lifted her suitcase out of the bed of the truck. “Let’s get you settled into your room, and then we will head down to Dad and Mom’s for dinner.”

  Creed waited patiently as Sloane took in the ranch style house in front of them. It was light blue in color with white trim. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and full basement. Narrowing his eyes, he realized there wasn’t really much welcoming about the place. It was a decent size and he kept it in good condition, but there was no welcome mat in front of the door¸ no flowers to be seen. Nothing. Of course, it was kind of early for flowers. But even when they were in season, he didn’t plant them. He didn’t have time.

  Sloane slowly made her way to the house, climbing the two steps that led up to the front door. Cassie waited in the foyer, a wide smile on her face showing off her dimples. “Come see my room, Sloane,” she squealed excitedly. “I have lots of horses.”

  Stopping just inside the front door, Sloane turned to Creed uncertainly. “Go ahead,” he encouraged. “I’ll put your suitcase in your room. It’s the one across the hall from Cassie’s.” As her eyes widened in surprise, he said gruffly, “Right now my main concern is your safety.” Sloane’s cheeks flushed as she turned and followed a bouncing Cassie through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom.

  Cursing softly, Creed followed a few steps behind. He’d seen the confusion and hurt in Sloane’s eyes, but if she were in bed with him, he would be distracted. The house could be breached by an enemy and he wouldn’t stand a chance. Not only that, but Creed knew Sloane wasn’t ready for him, yet. He could see it in her eyes. Could feel it when she jerked, however slight it might be, when he touched her. He knew she enjoyed his touch, but it was obvious someone hurt her in the past. Creed wished her son of a bitch ex wasn’t in prison right now, because sheriff or not, he would hunt the bastard down and make him wish he were.

  Placing Sloane’s suitcase on the bed in her room, he made his way to Cassie’s bedroom and silently watched as his daughter showed Sloane all of her books on an overflowing bookshelf. Smiling down at her, Sloane rested a hand on Cassie’s shoulder and listened intently as she talked raptly about a new series she was reading.

  Hating to interrupt, Creed knocked lightly on the open door. “We need to get going,” he told them reluctantly. “We were supposed to be there half an hour ago.”

  Nodding, Sloane replaced the book she was looking at on the shelf before walking over to him. “I’m ready,” she said as she lightly brushed past him and walked down the hall toward the living room.

  With an effort, Creed pulled his gaze away from the tight, firm ass walking away from him as his daughter ran past. Heaving a deep sigh, Creed followed them. Somehow, some way, he was going to keep his hands off Sloane Murphy for now. He needed his mind in the game, not on her soft, silky skin, round firm breasts and perfect ass. Groaning loudly, Creed walked out the front door, slamming it behind him.

  Dinner at his parents went by quickly. Creed, Sloane and Cassie were back at his house within two hours. Cassie had school the next day, so after a quick bath, Creed made sure she brushed her teeth before putting her to bed. Cassie insisted Sloane give her a hug and kiss goodnight, too. It was Creed and Cassie’s bedtime ritual, but he found that he didn’t mind sharing it with Sloane.

  Even though it was only 9 p.m., Sloane told him goodnight as she entered her room, quietly shutting the door behind her. Creed took a step toward the door, intent on talking to Sloane. He wanted to pull her into his arms and just hold her. He froze at the knock on the front door. At the second knock, he turned and stalked to the door, yanking it open in the middle of the third knock. “What the hell do you want, Ryder?” he growled at his brother.

  Eyes widening, Ryder backed up slightly. “I was just checking to see if you needed me tonight,” he said as he rested his hands on his hips. “But obviously you don’t.”

  As he turned to go, Creed said, “I’m sorry, man.” Taking his hat off, he rubbed the top of his head. “If you could stay, I’d appreciate it. I need sleep. Hell, I don’t know when the last time I really slept was.”

  “Not a problem,” Ryder told him as he entered the house. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  Nodding, Creed said tiredly, “Cassie’s in bed. Sloane’s in the room across from her.” As Ryder raised his eyebrows in question, Creed stared at him blankly. When Ryder would have opened his mouth, Creed held up a hand. “Look, she’s not ready to be with me, Ryder. She needs time.”

  “Really?” Ryder asked incredulously. “Exactly who made that decision, big brother? You or Sloane? Because from what I have seen, she’s ready for more than you think.”

  “She fucking pushed me away, Ryder,” Creed growled. “She’s not ready.”

  “Who’s the dumbass now?” Ryder asked sarcastically. “Of course she pushed you away. She wanted to protect both you and Cassie.”

  “I know that,” Creed said. “I know why she did it. But she should have known that I would take care of her.”

  “Really?” Ryder laughed. “So all that matters here is how you feel? What about how she feels? From what you are saying, the fact that Sloane obviously cares enough about you to push you away doesn’t matter. It just pisses you off.” Sauntering over to the couch, Ryder dropped down on it. After taking his boots off, he lay down on his back and looked up at Creed. “You care about Sloane. She obviously cares for you. Don’t let her slip away because of your pride.”

  “This has nothing to do with pride,” Creed protested. “This has everything to do with keeping Sloane safe.”

  “What safer place is there than in your arms?” Ryder asked as he closed his eyes. “You have spent all your life taking care of us. Let Sloane help take care of you.”

  Taking a deep breath, Creed looked down the hall. Ryder was right. Creed’s family was his top priority. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. He was the oldest. It was his job to take care of his siblings. It was one of the reasons he went into law enforcement after getting out of the military. Somehow, Sloane was now added to the list of people he felt the urge to protect. Creed wasn’t trying to push her away. He was just afraid if she was in his arms, in his bed, that he would throw caution into the wind and be consumed by the undeniable passion that was between them.

  Slowly Creed made his way to Sloane’s room. After knocking quietly on the door, he waited a few minutes before turning the knob and opening it. Sloane lay snuggled deep in the covers on the bed. Her eyes were closed, her breathing steady. He was too late. She was already asleep. And she had fallen asleep thinking he didn’t want her.

  Creed’s hand tightened on the doorknob and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He really needed to get his head out of his ass if there was any chance this was going to work. He told her in the truck that he wanted to be with her, but then
he pushed her away. What the hell was he doing?

  Opening his eyes, Creed ran his gaze over Sloane’s slight form. The light from the hallway illuminated her delicate features. Her beautiful, long dark hair fanned out around her face over the pillows. She looked like an angel in her sleep. The worry lines were gone, replaced by a gentle peace.

  Fighting the urge to go to Sloane and gather her into his arms, Creed turned and shut the door quietly behind him. He would talk to her tomorrow after they both had some sleep. Stalking past Ryder, he heard his brother’s soft chuckle as he muttered, “Dumbass.”

  Ignoring him, Creed continued to his bedroom. He needed a quick shower and sleep. Tomorrow would be a new day. He would deal with everything then.

  Chapter 12

  Moaning softly, Sloane stretched her arms above her head. Snuggling back under the covers, she froze when she heard a deep, male voice singing. Eyes widening, she sat straight up in bed, holding the covers to her chest as she looked around the room. Pale yellow walls, cream colored curtains and two dressers later, her foggy mind finally cleared. She was at Creed’s house.

  Tuning back in to the voice in the background, she listened intently. It was Ryder, she realized in shock. He was singing, his voice loud and clear with a country twang to it. It was a song she’d never heard before. Getting out of bed, Sloane quickly dressed. After brushing her hair and putting it in a ponytail, she grabbed her toothbrush and made quick use of the bathroom.

  By the time Sloane was done, the smell of bacon was in the air and Ryder had moved on to a different song. This one was slower and sorrowful, whereas the first one had been faster and more upbeat. Ryder seemed to put a lot of emotion into his singing, the pain and heartache evident in his voice.

  Turning, he stiffened when he saw her and immediately stopped singing. “I’m sorry,” he said gruffly as he moved to the cupboard to get a plate out. After placing a paper towel on it, he removed the bacon from the frying pan before continuing. “I didn’t realize anyone was still here. Cassie has to be to school by 8, so I thought you were all gone.”

  Sloane glanced at the clock on the stove as Ryder cracked an egg into the frying pan. She was surprised to see it was already 8:15 in the morning. “I didn’t get my wake up call,” she joked as she started opening cupboard doors looking for a coffee cup. There was a full pot of coffee sitting on the end of the counter, and she needed her morning cup. “You have a beautiful voice, Ryder,” she said as she found a mug and filled it, taking it to the table and sitting down. “What was that last song you were singing? I didn’t recognize it.”

  Shrugging Ryder said shortly, “Just something I wrote a few years ago.” Taking some toast out of the toaster, he buttered two pieces and added it to a plate he had placed some bacon and eggs on already. Sitting the plate down in front of her, he went back to making his own breakfast.

  “Thank you,” Sloane told him softly. She could tell he didn’t want to talk about the song, but for some reason she couldn’t let the subject drop. “I really liked it,” she said quietly. “Is it about someone in particular?”

  She was worried she’d pushed too far when Ryder brought his plate over and roughly sat it on the table. After refilling his coffee cup, he sat down in the seat across from her. Deciding to let the subject drop, Sloane picked up her fork and started eating. Clearing his throat, Ryder said, “It’s about someone I loved a long time ago, but I never got the chance to tell her. She was my best friend, my partner in crime, my everything since she moved here in the third grade.”

  Taking a drink of her coffee, Sloane waited a moment before responding. “What happened?” she asked softly.

  “It was after high school graduation,” he rasped, the hands resting on the table curling into fists. “We were going to go to a couple of parties together and I had decided to tell Liv how I felt. I’d loved her for years and was praying she felt the same.” Pushing his food around on his plate with his fork, Ryder gulped. “I went to her house to pick her up, but she was gone. They were all gone. Her parents, her little sister and brother…everyone. I was confused because she told me to be there by 6 and she would be ready. I decided to leave a note on her front door and I went home to wait for her to call.” Raising his eyes to Sloane she was shocked at the bleakness in them. The Ryder she knew was always happy and smiling. This Ryder was broken, his eyes vacant. “Late that night there was a knock on our door. There was an accident they said, over off Highway 2, about two hours from here. Their car was hit by a semi. No one got out alive. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. There was no funeral, nothing. Liv was just gone.”

  Shaking his head, Ryder stood and dumped his food in the trashcan by the back door. Rinsing his plate off, he put it in the dishwasher and went to clean off the stove. “Leave it,” Sloane said, rising. “I will finish cleaning up.” Slowly she walked over to where Ryder stood, his head bowed, shoulders slumped. Placing a hand gently on his arm, she waited patiently.

  “It’s been years, Sloane,” he whispered, letting out a ragged breath. “Twelve years. Why can’t I forget about her? Why can’t I let her go and move on?”

  “Love doesn’t work that way,” Sloane murmured. “When you love someone, truly love someone, the feeling never goes away. You will find someone someday to fill the void in your heart, but you will never stop loving your Liv.”

  Looking up at her, Ryder asked hopefully, “Are you speaking from experience?”

  “No, I’m sorry,” Sloane responded. “I haven’t found that kind of love yet. But I know many people that have. There’s someone out there for you. You just have to be open to the idea.”

  Taking a deep breath, Ryder, gently tugged his arm out of her grasp and moved toward the door. “I need to get to work. There was some fence down in the East pasture that I need to fix.” Opening the door, he paused and turned back. “Thank you, Sloane. I haven’t talked about Olivia in a long time. It helps.”

  Sloane watched him go with a heavy heart. It sounded like Ryder really had found the one true love of his life, his soul mate, only to lose her. She wished there was something she could do for him, but knew there wasn’t.

  Narrowing her eyes, Sloane thought back to the night in the barn when Ryder had made a move on her. However, the more she thought about it, she realized he hadn’t even touched her. He had gotten close to her, but not once did he actually place a hand on her. His cocky grin, his flirty attitude, they were all a mask he wore to hide the pain. She prayed he would be able to move on someday.

  After quickly cleaning up the kitchen, Sloane grabbed her purse from the bedroom and left the house. As she closed the door behind her, Creed pulled up in his truck. Lowering his window he grinned. “Need a ride, Angel?” he asked. Wishing she could walk to town, Sloane stalked around to the passenger side and opened the door. Throwing her purse on the floor, she climbed in and just barely stopped herself before slamming the door shut behind her.

  Sloane squeaked in surprise as she was suddenly hauled across the seat and into Creed’s arms. Feeling his lips on hers, his tongue demanding access to her mouth, she gave in on a soft moan. Holding her tightly against him, Creed groaned as he plundered her mouth. Pulling back slightly, Creed rasped, “Good morning,” as he leaned his forehead into hers.

  Panting softly, trying to catch her breath, Sloane responded, “Morning.” Slowly gaining some control of her thoughts and actions, Sloane tried to back away.

  “Don’t,” Creed whispered. “Please, don’t.” Swallowing hard, Sloane stayed where she was, but closed her eyes. She was so confused right now. She didn’t know what to think. “I’m sorry,” he said as he gently pushed a long strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ear. “I want to be with you, Sloane. I do. But I’m afraid that if you are in my arms at night, if you are in my bed, that all I am going to think about is you. Holding you, kissing you, being inside of you. I can’t protect you like that, Angel. I can’t keep you safe if I can’t keep my hands off of you.”
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  As understanding hit her, Sloane leaned back and cupped his cheek. “You do still want me?” she whispered.

  “Hell yes, I want you,” Creed growled as he took her hand and placed it on his hard, straining cock. “Feel how much I want you?” Sloane gasped as he shoved into her hand on a tortured groan. “Fuck, what you do to me woman.”

  Sloane jumped when Creed’s cell phone rang. Her hand stroked his hardness as he pulled out the phone. Leaning his head back against the seat, he grunted, “It’s the office. I have to take it.” Letting her hand still, Sloane moved back over to her side of the truck, a soft smiling playing on her lips.

  After listening for a few minutes, Creed hung up the phone and looked over at her. The anger in his eyes surprised her. “I have to go, Sloane. I’m sorry. Let me see if Ryder can run you into town.”

  “No,” Sloane told him. “Ryder was going out to fix some fence. He won’t be around.”

  “He’ll come back and take you,” Creed said, as he pulled up Ryder’s number on his phone.