by Leah Brooke
The tension could be cut with a knife when Grant lowered his gaze and stepped closer, tracing a finger down her collarbone and over the upper curve of her breast.
Sucking in a breath, she jolted when his finger slid over her nipple, the sharp pleasure so surprising and so strong, she gripped his forearm for support. “Oh, God!”
Cursing, Grant yanked his hand back. Lifting his gaze to hers, he swallowed heavily. “Uh, sorry.”
The confusion in his eyes echoed her own confusion.
She didn’t know how desire had flared so fast, and with no warning, but it seemed to surprise him as much as it surprised her.
“I can do it. I feel like I’ve been naked more than I’ve been clothed since I got here.” Knowing that the spark had shocked him as much as it had her made her feel a little better. With a smile, she began to button her pajama top, her hands shaking so hard that it took several attempts to get it right.
Clenching his jaw, Grant grabbed her pajama bottoms from the bed and started to slide them up her legs. “We had no choice but to strip you out of your wet clothes. You were soaking wet and freezing. Your body temperature had gone down. You could have died out there.”
Getting to her feet, she held on to his wide shoulders, acutely aware that her panties provided little protection as he slid her pajama pants the rest of the way up her legs. “I appreciate the fact that you saved my life, but I can manage on my own now.”
Her pussy clenched, a fresh rush of moisture dampening her panties.
Grant’s jaw clenched as she finished dressing. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re not exactly gonna be overcome with lust and attack you.” Straightening, he sighed, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Look, I’m sorry.” He waved a hand toward her. “That kind of took me by surprise. I know a woman alone has to be careful. You’re as safe as you want to be here.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Grant’s gaze raked over her, the memory of her response to his touch glittering in his eyes. “You figure it out.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she bit back a moan at the friction of her soft top over her aching nipples. “Look, I know I reacted—I mean, when you touched me—but it’s just because you caught me by surprise.”
Even to her that didn’t sound believable.
“Yeah, honey. You go with that.” He wrapped a blanket around her and lifted her in his arms, his expression cold and distant. “Your breakfast should be ready. Let’s get you downstairs so you can eat.”
Wincing at the tug to her thigh, Kendra avoided looking up at him. “Do you think Barrett will give me more of that pain medicine after I eat something?”
She hoped it would help her move a little better so she could get rid of the stiffness.
Grant shrugged, smiling faintly. “That’s up to him. He hates doling it out, but will if you need it. Especially for you.”
Curious about the amusement in his tone, she glanced up at him, once again struck by his striking good looks. “What do you mean by that?”
Grant met her gaze, his eyes raking over her features. “None of us believes in hurting a woman, but Barrett’s size makes him even more cautious. And protective. His wife died of cancer several years ago, and she was so frail that he became even more protective. He was a doctor, you know, but stitching you up was a nightmare for him. For all of us, but it was even worse for him. He’s not going to be happy if he has to do it again, so be still. You’re black and blue all over and must be sore as hell. You’re damned lucky to be alive.”
As soon as they walked into the kitchen, three pairs of eyes turned in her direction, and to her. She shared a look with Mason, who watched her over the rim of his cup as he sipped his coffee, his eyes narrowed as they raked over her before meeting her gaze again.
Mason’s jaw clenched as he lowered his cup, the memory of his hands on her in his eyes. “What took you so long?”
Grant lowered her into a chair at the heavy wooden table, his hands gentle as he tucked the blanket he’d brought with him around her. “When I found her, she was trying to walk on ridiculously high heels and was holding on to the wall for support. She didn’t pack anything even remotely comfortable.”
Barrett’s eyes narrowed on hers, his expression hard but his eyes glittering with affection. “Those stitches better not be pulled.”
Smiling, she wrapped the blanket more firmly around herself, her pulse racing at being in the presence of so much testosterone. “I’m fine.”
Straightening, Grant ran a hand over her hair, jerking it back as though surprised at what he’d done. Moving away, he poured himself a cup of coffee. “No damage as far as I can see. We’re going to have to get her something else to wear. The only thing that she had that was even remotely appropriate are those pajamas.”
Quinn placed a cup of coffee in front of her, his expression hard and unreadable. “Scrambled eggs and bacon okay?”
Kendra reached for the cup, using it to warm her hands. “Sure.” Uncomfortable under Quinn’s sharp gaze, she pulled the blanket more firmly around herself and glanced at each of them. “I’m sorry to be so much trouble. I won’t be here any longer than necessary.”
She took a sip of the fragrant coffee, nearly choking on it.
Lowering himself into the chair next to her, Mason rubbed her back. “You okay?”
Kendra nodded, fighting the involuntary urge to lean back into his touch. “Fine.” Aware that Quinn, Barrett, and Grant watched her closely, she smiled. “The coffee’s just a little stronger than I’m used to.”
Quinn turned away, going to the refrigerator, muttering something under his breath. Turning back, he placed a bowl of sugar and a quart of milk in front of her. “You look a little shaky.”
Barrett nodded. “She needs to spend the day resting.”
Mason rubbed his hand over her back again. “Her muscles have all tightened up. I rubbed her down this morning.” Smiling, and either ignoring or unaware of the other men’s speculative looks, he rubbed a hand over her back. “I’ll give her another rubdown later.”
Trying to ignore the tension in the room, Kendra changed the subject. “Is the Jagged Rock far from here?”
Silence fell over the room, the tension heightening even more as they looked at each other. Not understanding what she’d said to cause such a strong reaction, she stiffened. After putting cream and sugar in her coffee, she looked up at each of them in turn as she stirred it. “Is something wrong?”
Saying nothing, Barrett sipped his coffee, his eyes steady on hers. “Not a thing.”
Grant shared a look with Mason and Quinn before looking back at her. “You’re not still planning to go there, are you?” He took a sip of his coffee, his eyes sharp over the rim.
Not understanding the silent communication between them, Kendra sighed. “I have to.” Still stirring her coffee, she stared down into it. “I should call my boss. He’s going to be upset.”
Mason leaned back and sipped from his own cup. “I’m sure he will be when he finds out that your plane crashed.”
Kendra wasn’t so sure that would bother him as much as the fact that she hadn’t made it to the Jagged Rock, but she nodded in agreement. “Yes.”
She hadn’t been in the real estate business long, but something about the urgency in listing this property didn’t seem right. Setting the spoon aside, she looked up, disconcerted to find them all staring at her. Forcing a smile, she nodded again. “I’m sure he will. I need to get to the Jagged Rock. It sounds like the owner was pretty mad when Richard came up to see him. I need to smooth his feathers. Apparently, he wants to list the property with a woman.”
She smiled her thanks when Quinn set a steaming plate, piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and toast in front of her. The smell made her stomach rumble again, and she reached for her fork, digging in with gusto.
Struck by the tense silence, she paused with a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth, looking at each one in turn
as another of those unspoken communications passed between them.
“Is something wrong?”
Grant placed a glass of orange juice in front of her. “No. Eat.”
Wondering what she’d said to put that look on their faces, Kendra eyed each of them in turn as she ate her breakfast. “Thank you for finding my suitcase. I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy. Did you happen to find my purse?”
Grant sat next to her. “Your purse was wrapped around you. I’m just sorry we had to cut it off.”
Smiling, Kendra reached for her juice. “It was a cheap knockoff. May I have it? I need to use my cell phone.”
Grant straightened and shared a look with the others. “I’ll get it.” He left the room, returning with it almost immediately.
“Thanks.” Kendra took it from him, inwardly wincing at its condition. Setting her fork aside, she rummaged through it. “Damn. My cell phone’s gone.”
“It was in your pocket and got wet. We had to take the battery out to let it dry. I don’t think it’s dry yet, and I’m not sure we can save it.” Quinn’s deep voice came from across the room, where he stood leaning back against the counter, sipping coffee and staring at her steadily.
Unlike the others, he seemed to want to keep his distance, even though his eyes followed her, and every time she looked at him, she found him staring. The male interest in his eyes couldn’t be mistaken, but he didn’t seem the least bit interested in doing anything about it.
Shifting restlessly, and surprised at the awareness that made her skin tingle each time she looked at him, she turned away. Sliding her gaze to the left, she met Mason’s, who sat next to her. “Do you have another phone I can use?”
“The house phone’s out, and we don’t have cell phones. Not much reception out here anyway.
Kendra frowned and turned at Barrett’s deep growl. “Oh.” No longer hungry, she dropped her fork and turned to Grant. “Do you think you can give me a ride there?”
Grant straightened, setting his cup aside. “No. We promised the sheriff that you’d stay here and wait for him. The roads are all closed and you’re not up to a ride on horseback.”
“I rode on the back of the horse to get here, didn’t I?”
Barrett’s eye’s narrowed. “Out of necessity. In case you’ve forgotten, you were just in a plane crash. You need to rest, and we don’t have the time to take you.”
Grant nodded, shooting a look at the others. “We spent all day yesterday looking for strays. I’m sure we’ll find more today. Some we can save and some will already be dead.”
Kendra blew out a breath, nodding. “I understand.” At the mention of death, she thought about the death of the pilot. “Poor Sam. He was such a nice man, and had so much to live for. Do you know if the sheriff contacted his wife?”
“Sam?”
Frowning at Grant’s tone, and deciding that she must have been mistaken about the hint of jealousy she thought she’d heard in it, she nodded. “The pilot.”
Staring into her coffee, she tried not to think about the terror she’d felt when she’d realized the plane was about to crash. “The storm came up fast. Sam said he’d told Mr. Edelson that it was dangerous to fly in it, something I wish I’d known before I ever got on the damned plane. I asked him why he did it, and he told me that Mr. Edelson paid him three times the normal fare to get me to the Jagged Rock yesterday. He and his wife had just gotten married and he was saving for a down payment for a house.”
Wrapping her hands around her cup to warm them, Kendra remembered the terror of Sam’s cursing, and the panic in his voice as the plane shook all around them.
“The impact was incredible, and I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I was flying through the air and right through an opening in the plane. I don’t remember anything after that except bits and pieces of riding here.”
“What was your boss’s hurry?”
Looking up at Quinn’s question, and a little surprised at his icy tone, Kendra shrugged and tried to shift to a more comfortable position. “I don’t know. It’s all been very strange.”
His eyes narrowed. “Strange how?”
“Well, I haven’t worked there very long—”
“How long?”
Shifting again to relieve her stinging thigh, Kendra stared at him, wondering at his clipped questions. “Not long. Several weeks.”
She’d been so thankful for the job and thrown herself into it, hoping she’d finally found a way to support herself. “I have to admit that I was lucky to get the job. I’d been taking classes at night to get my license.”
She didn’t know why she’d blurted that out, and didn’t want to think about the problems she’d faced after what had happened with her sister and brother-in-law.
“What were you doing during the day?”
Shifting restlessly under their scrutiny, she shrugged. “I was working as a waitress.”
Frowning, she rushed to change the subject. “My thigh’s killing me and I ache all over.” She turned to Barrett. “Do you have any more of those pain pills?”
Her thigh throbbed, the stitches pulling every time she moved. Shifting under Barrett’s long stare, she hissed in a breath at the sharp tug to her stitches.
Barrett’s eyes sharpened and narrowed. His eyes never left hers as he took a bottle out of the front pocket of his chambray shirt and tossed it to Mason. “One—if she eats a little more.”
He got to his feet, and moved to the row of hooks by the side door and grabbed one of the shearling jackets. “I’ve wasted enough daylight waiting to see if she ripped her damned stitches. I’ve got work to do. One of you is gonna have to stay with her. She needs to rest, and one of those pills will probably knock her out.” Smashing a well-worn tan hat on his head, Barrett grabbed one of the rifles from the rack on the wall, and went out the door, leaving her alone with the other three men.
Taking the pain pill under Mason’s watchful eyes, Kendra forced a smile, wanting nothing more than to go lie down again. Just thinking about going back up the staircase exhausted her, and she decided to go into the huge room she’d been in the night before to lie down.
She wouldn’t be able to relax, though, as long as they hovered over her. “I’ll be fine. Please don’t let me keep you from your work. I’m just going to lie down for a bit.” She couldn’t wait to have some time alone, feeling more than a little overwhelmed in their presence.
Not used to being with others, she looked forward to a little time to herself to think, and plan her next step.
Thinking about her sister had brought back a lot of memories, anger and sadness adding to her fatigue.
Grant started to stack the dishes in the sink. “You shouldn’t be alone. I’ll stay.”
Mason and Quinn looked at each other, another of those unreadable expressions passing between them.
Quinn glanced at her and nodded once, looking away. “Fine. See you later.” Setting his coffee cup on the counter, he turned and went to the door, grabbing his coat and rifle. Smashing his hat on his head, he left, not looking back as he slammed the door behind him.
Shivering at the gust of frigid air that blew in, Kendra pulled the blanket closer, stiffening when Mason ran a hand over her back.
“You okay?”
Resisting the urge to lean into him, Kendra stiffened. “I’m fine. Just tired. As soon as this pain pill kicks in, I’ll be fine.”
Mason got to his feet, still rubbing her back. “Stay warm. Why don’t you go to the family room and get some rest?”
Nodding, she looked up to meet his gaze and forced a smile, blinking back tears. “I will. Thanks.”
Even though he looked as if he wanted to say something, he clenched his jaw and nodded once, glancing at Grant. “You’re welcome. Get some rest. I’ll see you later.”
Aware of Grant’s searching look, she watched Mason leave before turning back to her breakfast. Picking up her fork, she lifted her eyes to meet Grant’s as he sipped his coffee. “You really do
n’t have to stay. I’ll be fine here by myself.”
Using his cup, he gestured toward her plate. “Eat. I’m staying.”
She managed a few more bites under his watchful stare before pushing her plate away, too nervous and upset to eat. “I really can’t eat anymore.” Feeling a little stronger, she got to her feet, pleased to see she didn’t feel as shaky. “I’ll get the dishes.”
Grant set his cup aside, moving toward her. “I’ll get them once I get you settled.”
Grateful for the chance to have some time alone, she nodded. She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t allow herself to get upset again about something she hadn’t done, but she missed her sister and nephew dreadfully.
With a hand at her back, Grant guided her to the family room, and to the large leather sofa. Gesturing toward the pillow at one end, he smiled, his gaze lingering on her lips. “Why don’t you lie back and I’ll start a fire?”
“Thanks.” A little drowsy from the pain medication, Kendra stared up at him, her lips tingling.
Grant went to the overstuffed chair she’d sat in the night before and retrieved the blanket that had been folded and hung over the back. “This should keep you nice and warm. Are you comfortable?”
Kendra couldn’t hold back a moan at the feel of the warm, soft blanket tucked around her. “Oh, this feels good.”
“Good.” After a lingering look toward her breasts, a sharp reminder of what had happened upstairs, Grant moved away and knelt at the fireplace. “I’ll get a nice fire going. That should keep you warm and help you relax.”
Smiling at the tension in his voice, Kendra stretched out and turned to her side to watch him.
Now that she had a chance to look at him unobserved, she took the time to admire the sight of his tight butt encased in a pair of well-worn jeans. She let her gaze move higher to where the material of his shirt pulled tight across his wide shoulders. He moved with a fluid grace that her brother-in-law never had, a way of moving that spoke of years of physical demands on his body.
“How did you know it would be uncomfortable to sleep in my bra?” She frowned, surprised that she’d blurted the question that had been bothering her.