Her freckles stood out against the pink flush on her cheeks. She obviously got it now. “I wouldn’t dream of barging in on you.”
“Good.” He had no intention of following through with what he’d hinted he might do in that shower, but he wanted her to think that’s exactly what was happening. From the heat in her eyes, he had a good idea of how the concept was affecting her.
Later on he might be ashamed of himself for torturing her like this, but at the moment he couldn’t seem to help it. He wanted her so much he could barely walk.
He rolled to the far side of the bed and swung his feet to the floor. Somehow he made it to the bathroom and closed the door. This was hell. If he’d thought living without her for seventeen months had been horrendous, that was only because he hadn’t imagined what it would be like if she was right within reach…and forbidden.
CHAPTER NINE
THE MINUTE NAT closed the bathroom door, Jessica propelled herself out of bed and tore through her backpack looking for the most unattractive outfit she could find. When she heard the rush of water from the shower, she tried not to think about what might be going on behind the shower curtain.
He wouldn’t really do it. He was only implying he would to mess with her head. But then again, she’d never been around a sexually frustrated Nat Grady. In fact, she and Nat had spent many hours in bed making sure that didn’t ever happen. So maybe he was in the shower giving himself the pleasure she had denied him. The idea should repel her, but instead it made her hot.
Forcing her attention back to her task, she pulled what she needed from her backpack—faded, baggy overalls and a nondescript gray shirt to wear underneath. She was going to do her part to cut the sexual tension between them. In this getup she wouldn’t look sexy and she definitely wouldn’t feel sexy.
She could even get dressed right now and skip her shower. Then she totally would not feel sexy. She started to take off her nightshirt and paused. With the way Nat was driving, they’d probably make Colorado on this leg of the trip. Jessica didn’t care what she was wearing when she saw Elizabeth again, but she’d like to be reasonably clean.
So she put her clothes in a pile and stalked back and forth in the small area between the beds and the double dresser while she listened to the drumming noise of the shower. He was taking too damn long in there. Probably he was shaving in the shower. That was it. He used to do that sometimes.
A quick whispering noise by the motel door made her turn in that direction and she noticed a piece of paper lying on the carpet in front of the door. Thinking it was the bill, she walked over and picked it up. The message was typed, and very short:
Don’t think your boyfriend can protect you.
With a sharp cry she dropped the paper and backed away from the door, almost expecting to see the knob turn.
In an instant the bathroom door flew open and Nat came out, dripping wet with a towel held around his waist. “What? What happened?”
Shaking, she pointed toward the paper she’d dropped on the floor.
He snatched it up, read it and cursed. Dropping the note back on the floor, he whipped the towel from his body and grabbed his suit pants from the chair.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she cried as he struggled into them and headed for the door while pulling up the zipper.
“Lock the dead bolt behind me,” he said, “and don’t open the door until you know it’s me.”
“No! You can’t—”
“I won’t debate this with you.” He wrenched open the door. “Now lock it behind me!”
She could either do as he asked or run outside after him in her nightshirt. She didn’t relish being kidnapped in her nightshirt. After bolting the door behind him, she scrambled into the gray shirt and overalls, her heart pounding in fear for Nat. Stupid fool. Stupid, impetuous fool. She was shoving her shoes on her feet when a knock came at the door followed by Nat’s voice calling her name.
With only one shoe on, she hobbled quickly to the door and opened it. He looked to be in one piece, and she sighed with relief.
He came in, breathing hard, his hair still damp and his pants spotted with the moisture he hadn’t bothered to towel off before he put them on. Locking the door, he leaned over and put his hands on his knees while he got his breath back.
“Couldn’t find him,” he said at last, glancing up at her, his hair falling down in his eyes.
“You shouldn’t have tried! What did you think you were going to accomplish, racing out there half dressed like that?”
“The element of surprise. Even if I didn’t find him, he might have seen me. And that’s good.”
“How do you figure?”
He straightened and combed his hair back with his fingers. “I know his kind, Jess. He’s a bully, and there’s nothing he likes better than to know someone is scared. I’ve been thinking about this. Sebastian wondered if the guy is inept, considering he’s been after you for this long and still hasn’t caught you.”
That got her dander up. She braced her hands on her hips. “Did it occur to Sebastian that I might be outsmarting this jerk and that’s why he hasn’t caught me?”
A faint smile touched his lips. “Oh, I’m sure that’s part of it. Your disguises make it tougher for him, and you’ve let him know by your actions that you’re smart. He understands that when he makes the snatch, he’d better make it a good one or you’ll get away. But I think there’s something else going on here.”
She was proud of her efforts so far, and didn’t much appreciate Nat’s comments. “Such as?”
“If he’s the bully I think he is, he’s getting such a charge out of scaring you that he hates to finish the job too soon. That would put an end to his fun.”
Jessica’s indignation faded and she shivered. “That’s sick.”
“Yeah, well, sick people are out there. Sometimes they appear to be perfectly normal, too.”
She gazed at him and knew without a doubt that he was talking about his father. He understood bullies because he’d been raised by one.
“We’d better get on the road,” he said. “The sooner we pull into the Rocking D, the better. This guy’s had a field day stalking you while you’ve been running all over the country by yourself. He won’t have it so easy when a bunch of us are around to protect you.”
“Do you think there’s a chance he’ll forget the whole thing?”
“No. Sorry. I’m sure you’d like to believe that, but anybody who’s this persistent will want the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe, when he realizes you’re less accessible at the Rocking D, his frustration will cause him to make a mistake.”
“You think so?”
“I kind of figure it that way.” The corner of Nat’s mouth tilted up. “I know a bit about frustration, too.”
That reminded her of their previous conversation, and suddenly she wondered what activity she’d interrupted when she cried out.
His expression softened. “Aw, hell, Jess. Don’t look at me like that. Nothing X-rated was going on it that shower. Now let’s get moving. We need to hit the road.” He glanced at her outfit, as if seeing it for the first time, and started to laugh. “Is that the plan for today?”
“It’s not that funny.”
“It’s not funny at all. It’s cute as the dickens. Is it for my benefit?”
She bristled. “You said yesterday’s outfit was too sexy, so—”
“Jess, I appreciate the effort. I really do. But I realize now I gave way too much credit to your outfit yesterday. It wasn’t the tight dress turning me on, it was the body inside it. And covering it up with those overalls only makes me want to take them off so I can get a better look. You can’t win this one.”
She threw out both arms. “Then what am I supposed to wear?”
“Anything you want, darlin’. The guy already knows what room we’re in, and he’ll probably watch us come out. I’d say a disguise isn’t going to do you much good today. Got any ordinary clothes in that backpack?”
&
nbsp; “Some jeans and a sweater.” She’d kept them with her during the entire six months. The jeans were her favorites and she’d needed their familiar comfort for days when she’d felt as if she was losing her identity. And the sweater—well, Nat had given it to her for Christmas.
“Then wear those,” he said gently. “And get ready as quick as you can. I’ll call Sebastian and tell him to expect us late tonight.”
Her stomach began to churn. “For sure?”
“We can make it if we eat on the run.”
“Okay.” She wanted to see Elizabeth desperately, but now that the moment was so close, she was even more afraid of Elizabeth’s reaction to her after all this time. She’d never intended for the separation to be this long, but the weeks had slipped by while she waited for Nat to come home. “It’s a long way,” she said. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“I’m up to it. You need to see your baby, and another night in a motel room with you would probably kill me.”
She picked up her backpack and started for the bathroom. “Same here,” she said over her shoulder.
NAT’S DRESS PANTS were damp and uncomfortable after he’d pulled them on straight from the shower, so he put on the only other clothes he’d bought when he’d made the quick shopping trip before leaving New York, jeans and a collarless knit shirt. The jeans were new and stiff, so he’d do well to keep his mind off Jess during the drive today or he’d do his privates some serious injury.
Once he was dressed, he sat on the bed and reached for the phone. Punching in his credit card information, he dialed Sebastian’s number. He got Matty again and wondered why she’d answered Sebastian’s phone both times he’d called.
“Is Sebastian in the neighborhood?” he asked after assuring Matty that he and Jess were fine. He decided not to relay the information about the note slipped under the door. No use worrying people who couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
“He’s down at the barn. Do you want me to go get him?”
“That’s okay. I just wanted him to know we’ll be rolling in tonight, but it might be late. I hate to make him wait up for us, but with this bozo running around loose he’d better not leave a key under the mat.”
“Don’t worry about keeping us up,” Matty said. “In fact, we might—”
“Uh, Matty?”
“Yes?”
“Has there been a…change in living arrangements while I was gone? You keep saying ‘we’ like you’re, um…how can I say this without being offensive?”
Matty laughed. “You want to know if we’re shacking up?”
“I guess I do.” Nat found himself grinning. “Are you?”
“That’s one way of putting it. I guess Sebastian didn’t get around to telling you the news. We’re married.”
“Seriously?” Nat’s grin widened. What a perfect match. It was amazing that nobody had thought of it before.
“The truth is, we’re hardly ever serious,” she said, her voice teasing. “We save that for when we have to worry about you.”
“God, I know this has been a mess.” The burden of the problems he’d caused his friends settled heavily on his shoulders. “I hope someday you’ll forgive me. In the meantime, I’m sure happy for you, Matty. That’s great news. When did you tie the knot?”
“Five months ago. We have Jessica and Elizabeth to thank for bringing us together, as a matter of fact. Sebastian desperately needed help with the baby, and I wasn’t much more knowledgeable than he was, but we muddled through together, and in the process figured out we couldn’t live without each other.”
“Hot damn.” The knowledge that Sebastian and Matty were together lightened his load of self-blame. “I’m glad to know something good came of all this.”
“Oh, lots of good came from it. Having Elizabeth around has changed quite a few lives. While we went on our honeymoon, Travis took care of her, and when she caught a cold, he went to Gwen Hawthorne for help, and now—”
“Evans having a new girlfriend isn’t news, Matty.” Nat leaned back against the headboard. “It’ll blow over, like every other love affair he’s ever had.”
“I doubt it. Not considering they’ve stood in front of a preacher and are expecting a baby.”
“What?” Nat sat up straight. “You’re kidding. Are you sure we’re talking about the same Travis Evans?”
“One and the same. He’s domesticated, Nat.”
“I find that hard to believe. Next you’ll be telling me that Boone—”
“Ah, yes. Boone. On his way up here from New Mexico to see about Elizabeth, he met Shelby McFarland, who became, as of two months ago, Mrs. Boone Connor.”
“My God.” Nat rubbed his temples with his free hand and tried to take it all in. He focused on the first bit of information she’d given him about Boone. “Why would Boone be coming up to see about Elizabeth?”
“Jessica didn’t tell you what she did?”
“Well, yeah. She left the baby with Sebastian.” He glanced up as Jessica came into the room in the green sweater he’d given her two Christmases ago. The sight of her in that sweater did funny things to his heart.
“She didn’t tell you about the letters she wrote to each of the guys?”
“Not that I remember.” He watched Jessica move around the room collecting any stray belongings. The forest-green sweater was cashmere, he remembered. He’d loved stroking her breasts through the soft material. He wanted to do it now. “What letters?” he asked to be polite, although he was fast losing interest in the conversation.
“She wrote a letter to each of them, asking them to be a godfather to Elizabeth.”
“That’s nice.” Nat liked the soft drape of the sweater on Jess, but it was even more effective combined with the snug fit of her jeans. He remembered that combination had seduced him quite thoroughly the last time she’d worn it.
“I don’t think you understand,” Matty was saying. “They were so drunk that night of the avalanche reunion party that Jessica drove them to their cabin and tucked them in. Elizabeth was born nine months later, so they each assumed the godfather label was a smoke screen.”
Finally what Matty was saying penetrated his erotic musings about Jess. His gut clenched when he realized her implication. “Wait a minute. What do you mean, a smoke screen?”
“I mean that every last one of them thought he was the baby’s father.”
Nat stared at Jess as jealousy washed over him in uncompromising waves. “Why the hell would they think that?” he said much too loudly.
Jess closed a dresser drawer and turned to gaze at him in alarm.
“Oh, you know,” Matty said. “Because they each vaguely remembered making a pass at her in their drunken stupor. Stealing a kiss. Harmless stuff, I’m sure, but they imagined they’d gone beyond that and fathered this kid.”
Nat could barely breathe. The fact that none of his friends had known a thing about his involvement with Jess was a point of logic that didn’t matter right now. He still wanted to wring each of their necks for even thinking of touching her.
“It’s sort of funny, looking back on it,” Matty said. “But believe me, it wasn’t funny at the time. And now that I realize this is all news to you, I should probably warn you that these guys still feel very fatherly toward that little girl. They’re extremely possessive. They’ve found out they’re not her father, of course, but the bond is formed, and I doubt it’ll ever go away.”
“I see.” New and strange emotions coursed through Nat. He should be happy that his friends were so attached to Elizabeth. That took some of the responsibility off his shoulders. Hell, they probably didn’t need him around at all, with three of them ready to take over as the baby’s father figure.
So why was he feeling as if he needed to charge in and trumpet his claim like some wild stallion warning off rivals?
“I’m glad I had a chance to talk to you,” Matty said. “I’m guessing that everybody will be here when you arrive tonight. You should be prepared. They’ll prob
ably give you the third degree regarding your intentions toward Elizabeth.” Her voice softened. “She’s cute as a bug’s ear, Nat. Once you see her, you’ll understand why the guys are so protective. Why we all are.”
Nat’s head began to ache. “I appreciate the information, Matty,” he said. “We’ll get there as soon as we can.”
“Don’t break any laws doing it,” she said. “Bye now.”
“See you soon.” Nat put the receiver back in the cradle and gazed at Jess, who was standing motionless by the dresser. “You failed to mention the letters you wrote to my friends.”
“Did I? Well, that was part of my plan to make sure Elizabeth had plenty of protectors. I asked Sebastian, Travis and Boone to be her godfathers. I thought it was ingenious of me.”
“Oh, it was that.”
“Then why are you looking like a thundercloud?”
He stood and walked toward her. “Because each of them assumed he was Elizabeth’s father, that’s why!”
Her jaw dropped.
“What went on the night of the avalanche reunion party, Jess?” He prayed she’d laugh and give him a logical answer. “Why would all three of them think that?”
She didn’t laugh. Instead, her eyes grew bright with anger. “What in hell are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything.” He drew closer. He desperately wanted her side of the story. “Matty said they all got smashed and remembered making passes at you. I just want to know—”
“How can you even think to question me about this?” She trembled with rage. “Is that the sort of opinion you have of me?”
“No!” He lifted a hand as if to touch her cheek, but after seeing the look in her eyes he thought better of it. “I just—”
“You just want my word that I didn’t go to bed with all three of your best friends in the same night!” Her voice quivered. “Well, you’re not getting it. Only an insensitive idiot would ask the question in the first place, and I will not stoop to explaining myself.”
“Damn it, Jess. Less than a minute ago I found out that three other men thought they were the father of my baby. Any guy would want to know what that was all about!” Deep in his heart he knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, but jealousy had him by the throat. Something had gone on that night. He wanted her to tell him it had been nothing, like Matty said. Harmless. He wanted her to assure him that she felt nothing but friendship for each of those men.
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