Every morning she repeated the routine. Maddie provided sustenance, and they provided labor. By the end of the week, both foundation and framing were completed on the two cottages she could afford to build this year. Having the camp buildings ready by end of summer might not be a problem after all.
Gideon came and went as self-appointed foreman over the project, while Maddie covertly kept an eye on him. In all honesty, she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.
The hot Wyoming sun gave him a luscious rancher’s tan and made her long to run her hands over his overexposed flesh. Sort of a soothe-the-burn kind of thing.
When he was within sight, the good angel who resided on her right shoulder whispered in her ear that she should take a chance. When he was not around, the cautious angel on her left shoulder warned her to take her time. Marriage would be forever—at least to a man like Gideon.
When they happened to come in contact, he treated her with respect and friendliness—nothing more. Evidently he intended to keep his word about giving her until the end of summer to make up her mind. Part of her felt relief; part of her wanted him to march up to the house, tangle his hands in her hair, and force the issue. How crazy was that?
Day after day, the temperatures sweltered into the high nineties. Affected by the heat, the men took off early on Friday afternoon. She couldn’t blame them—even the air conditioning in the house brought little relief.
She’d just taken a cold shower and headed to the kitchen to find a light supper when Gideon’s face appeared at the back door.
“You got a minute?” he asked, the first words she’d heard come out of his mouth for her all week. Not that he’d been rude, just kept his distance and gone about his business.
Coming sideways through the door, his arm brushed her breast, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. Both of them stopped dead on the spot.
Sweat trickled down his thick neck, tempting her to taste the salty goodness and keep on going. Maddie bit her lip to stop the groan that threatened to erupt at the same moment Gideon dropped his gaze, and she looked directly into his eyes. Silver blue. Lids at half mast, hot and lusty.
“Did you want something?” she asked, her voice thin and tight.
Shaking his head, Gideon stepped further into the cool of her kitchen and closed the door behind him. “We’re going to be finished with the cottages earlier than anticipated. I wondered if you’d thought about adding a third to the plan while you have the boys to help?”
A bit confused, Maddie frowned. “Another cottage? No…no.” She shook her head. “I don’t have the money right now. Anyway, with the bunkhouse ready, I think two cottages will be enough for the first season. I still have promotion to do, personnel to interview and hire, and that takes a lot of cash…but thanks for checking with me.”
Neither one of them moved.
“Would you like to stay for supper?” she blurted.
What on earth prompted that?
One brow raised, Gideon hesitated, his eyes focused on her mouth.
“Aw, shit!”
His hand closed around her shoulder. With one swift motion, he drew her up hard against him until she could feel every muscle, every steely plane of him. So close she felt everything.
Her breasts flattened against his chest as one hand buried itself in her hair and the other cupped her behind until she could feel the hardness of his desire through their jeans.
Maddie’s nipples pebbled into hard points of need, begging for his attention, aching for his mouth. Her soft thighs brushed his, his hardness teasing the soft, womanly parts of her that cried for his touch. Her quick intake of breath was smothered as he claimed her lips, and the image of him making love to her flashed like an erotic film in her mind. She opened to the sweet invasion of his mouth, and every vestige of resistance melted under the flaming torch of his kiss.
Gideon groaned, deep and low. She felt the rumble all the way to her toes. The air around them crackled and sizzled, and just as Maddie was about to surrender it all, he stopped, dropped his hands, and took a step away.
Maddie swayed abruptly, barely catching herself as she fell forward. Eyes blinking rapidly, seeking clarity as the air swirled around her heated body.
“Gideon?” she questioned, shaking, quivering, confused.
Silence. The irregular rhythm of her heart pounded. Did he regret kissing her? Touching her? Couldn’t he tell from her kiss what she wanted? Needed?
If he couldn’t, he wasn’t as smart as she’d thought him. Time to take matters into her own hands.
“Stay,” she whispered. “Stay and have something to eat. Relax. Talk.”
He went still for the space of a heartbeat. “You want me to stay?”
Maddie smiled, erasing the tension in the air. “Yeah. I want you to stay.”
“Can I use the bath to wash up?” His brows met as a skeptical expression crossed his face.
Maddie nodded. “You know where it is. Wipe that frown off your face—I promise I don’t bite.”
“Like hell you don’t,” he growled.
“Look who’s being sassy now,” she quipped. “Take your time. When you’re done, coffee is on the stove—or beer, if you prefer.”
Gideon snorted. “I’ll pass on the beer. I have a feeling I’ll need my wits about me if we’re going to talk.”
Satisfied she had the pleasure of his company and an opportunity to ease the tension between them, Maddie poured herself a glass of wine and set the table, humming. Chicken salad, fresh fruit, rolls dripping with butter. Not exactly a man’s meal, but the high temperature made anything heavier less appetizing.
Gideon came back looking cleaner, if not totally refreshed. Helping himself to a coffee, he sat at the table and heaved a tired sigh.
“You’re working too hard out there, especially in this heat,” she advised, opening up the conversation.
Gideon downed half his coffee in a long gulp. She found herself fascinated with his throat as he swallowed. Funny, she’d never thought about that particular location on a man’s body as an erogenous zone. Who was she kidding? Everything about this man turned her on. He wasn’t the only one having to chill out and cool down.
Gideon finished his drink and wiped away beads of sweat from his forehead. “You got any water? It’s too hot for coffee.”
She grabbed him a bottle and handed it to him. Her fingers touched his, and Maddie could swear sparks flew. He took a drink, his gaze locking on hers, and swallowed slowly. A tiny rivulet of water trailed from the edge of his mouth. Maddie sucked in her bottom lip as she watched it trail down his chin and disappear into the collar of his shirt.
“We’re making good time,” he said, diverting her attention. “Roper and Collier are going to handle the wiring and plumbing, then head over to Snowy Branch. Eli bought a few hundred head at auction last week, so the timing’s good. Samuels, Marcus, and the ‘Cocky/Horny’ contingent will be done with the bunkhouse. Between the five of us, we’ll have the drywall up and mudded, ready to paint, by the end of the month.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all your help. I wish you’d let me pay you.”
“They’re being compensated. Anyway, they want to help. Roper has a disabled niece. I expect you’ll meet her, as her mom has already made him promise to make a reservation when you open. We’re a close-knit group—because of Abby, Roper’s niece, the incentive to get you up and running is a priority.”
“You guys are real heroes—down to the core.” They ate, talked, drank. Gideon told her stories about the group of men working on her buildings. Maddie asked about Snowy Branch and Eli, and when Zackary planned to come home.
“Around Christmas, I think. He has another mission coming up soon. Eli and I are hoping it’s his last one.”
“Will it be dangerous?” she asked, concerned.
“Every mission is dangerous. Especially the ones he’s assigned. But he knows what he’s doing. We have the best trained military in the world, and every serviceman I’ve
ever met has the obligation to take care of his brothers at the top of his list.”
Maybe now would be a good time to put away the leftovers and clean the dishes. She rose; he stood with her. Taking the dishes from her hands, he set them back on the table and brushed her hair behind her neck with his forefinger.
“I promised you time. I meant it. But space? I don’t think I’m going to be able to stay away from you for over a month.” His kiss barely touched one side of her mouth, then the other.
Maddie’s eyes closed, her breath coming in sharp spurts. “Dating includes kissing, doesn’t it?”
“So that’s what we’re going to do? Date?”
“I’m just feeling my way here, Gideon. You’ve made love to me, asked me to marry you, and we haven’t been on even one date.”
“Umm,” Gideon agreed, brushing his lips over her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose. “We’ve established we like each other, haven’t we?”
“Yeah.”
“So…touching you like this…” He slid his hand around her waist, up her back, and drew her in. “It’s allowed?”
Maddie shivered. “Uh-huh—it’s allowed.”
“And holding you like this?” Gideon enveloped her in his heat. “That’s allowed, too?”
“That, too,” she breathed.
“And this?” He kissed her, delving deep, until they were both gasping for air.
****
Gideon sensed her surrender.
A wild rush of need had him walking her to the wall, pressing her against it, while his hands grasped her hair and his lips feasted on her mouth. Over and over again he kissed her, devouring her soft, pliant lips, tasting the essence of her, flavored with wine and fruit.
She had a perfect mouth—beautifully formed, generous, luscious, made for kissing. And he could have gone on kissing her forever, except he didn’t want to frighten her with his passion. Scare her away after she’d opened to him, laughed and teased with him. He wanted to court her carefully, the way she needed, prove she could rely on him to take care of her, protect her, satisfy her.
Her hands held on to his shirt as he pressed his hot, moist mouth down her throat to the sensitive hollow where her pulse slammed against his lips. If he wanted her, he could have her, he knew it. But that wouldn’t be the smart thing to do.
As badly as he wanted to lay her down on her kitchen floor and bury himself inside of her, he wouldn’t. Maddie deserved better, deserved the time she’d asked for, deserved a man she could rely on not to hurt her or confuse her. So now was not the time for him to unleash his barely controlled passion the way his body demanded.
Get a grip.
“Gideon,” she whimpered, her head falling to his chest.
“Take a breath, Maddie.” He rested his chin on top of her head, his own chest heaving. God, he wished he could take her and put this behind them. His heart forgot to beat as he struggled to calm the passion raging inside.
Holding her until she quieted, Gideon broke the embrace. “Since the minute I first saw you, it’s been you, sweetheart. But unless you give me a yes, I need to go. I’m so damned hungry for you, another minute and I won’t be able to leave. I want you to be sure about us. I want you to be ready. That what you’re telling me?”
She stared up at him with watery eyes.
“I didn’t think so.” Another step away from her, and the lost expression on her face almost had him pulling her to him again. Not a wise move. He could only take so much.
“I have some business in Laramie to take care of tomorrow. I might be gone for a couple of days.” He’d have to put some distance between them or lose his mind. “The boys will be here, and they know what to do. If you need anything, call Eli. He’s been sticking close to home lately.” Grabbing her phone off the countertop, he programmed in his brother’s personal number.
“Now you have both the house number and Eli’s in your contacts. Promise me, Maddie, if you get scared or anything happens, you’ll call him?”
“Of course I’ll call him.” As if she couldn’t resist, she tugged his shirt and pulled him down for a lingering kiss. “Thank you, Gideon,” she whispered. “For everything.”
“Anytime.” He closed the door behind him and walked to his truck, adjusting his raging hard-on and asking himself why he didn’t just turn around, grab his woman, and take her to bed.
Because you love her, that’s why.
And it was also why he was able to leave her leaning against the column on her back porch, staring dreamily in his direction, and get him the hell back home.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Eli didn’t show up the next morning—he must have taken over the reins at Snowy Branch. But his buddies provided plenty of eye candy as they went about completing the bunkhouse projects and tackling the wiring and plumbing. They seemed to know what they were doing, and after watching them for a good hour, Maddie turned her attention to applications for grant money and designing a website for Emma’s Camp. She felt a rush of excitement at the pace the camp was moving along—nearly the end of July now, but so much done already.
After sending off the final applications, she e-mailed a few of the hospitals in Wyoming’s largest cities and in surrounding states to introduce herself and outline the objectives of her program. By one o’clock, she’d done everything she could to put the administration of the camp in motion.
After making a light lunch for the four men taking a break from the consistently oppressive heat, she pulled out a book, intending to read as she ate her own meal. As she ate, the strangest sensation came over her. Chills ran up and down her spine, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. Her stomach churned as she swallowed the last bite of her lunch; it stuck in her throat. Oh yeah, something was wrong.
She ran to the sink and searched through the window. A whirring sound sliced over the house, and she glanced out to see Buddy and Russ stand, heads up, their hands shading their eyes from the bright sun. Samuel and Marcus popped out of the cabin doors, sharing a concerned look, dropping their tools and hurrying to the two men in the shade of the barn.
Maddie stepped outside and immediately saw what caused the commotion. A white helicopter with red letters reading Air Flight Emergency on its side and underbelly swooped low over the horizon. The rush of adrenaline forced curiosity into panic as the helo disappeared in the direction of Snowy Branch.
Had Eli been hurt? Gideon was supposed to be out of town; it had to be Eli or one of his men.
Maddie checked her cell. No calls, no texts. A sense of dread pooled low in her belly. Someone at Snowy Branch was hurt. Badly enough that Air Flight services had been called.
She grabbed the keys hanging on a nail by the door and sped to her ’63. Stopping briefly in front of the barn, she rolled down the window and called out to the men.
“Heading over to Snowy Branch. Can you guys hold the fort here?”
Russ and the other three nodded. “You’ll give us a call and let us know what’s going on or if we can help?”
“You got it. That helicopter scared me—I think something bad must have happened.”
Samuels stepped up to the truck window. “Maddie, be careful. If you need anything, give us a call. If you’re not back by the time we finish here, we’ll take care of the horses and lock the house.”
Maddie read the concern in his eyes and nodded. He and Marcus had served with Eli; they would want to know if their friend and comrade had been hurt. Anxious to be on her way, she spared him a compassionate glance as she put the truck in gear.
“Appreciate that. I’ll call as soon as I know anything,” she said as she popped the clutch and sped out of the yard in a cloud of dust. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw the men stood in a line, a formation that reminded her of what they’d done and who they were. Even Buddy and Russ had turned out to be good guys, apologizing over and over for that day at Loretta’s. Grateful she could count on them, she pushed the old truck as fast as she would go.
&nb
sp; Heart in her throat, she parked in front of the house. The big bird sat in the flat pasture leading up to the outbuildings, blades rotating slowly, stirring up dust and dried grass as it idled, waiting for its passengers.
A group of ten men draped themselves around Gideon’s porch, standing, pacing, resting against the railing. All shared one thing—to a man, they looked as if something terrible had happened, but with both Gideon and Eli missing, she hadn’t a clue who had been hurt.
Running up the porch steps, Maddie searched for someone she recognized—Roper. When she caught his eye, the tall man came immediately to her side.
“Who?” she asked, her throat already closing up.
Roper stared into her eyes and said nothing, but what he communicated hit her like an avalanche.
“Gideon!” she cried, and pushed him aside to run into the house.
Roper grabbed her arm. “You don’t need to go in there, Maddie. The EMTs are with him. They’re taking him to Memorial Medical Center in Cheyenne. I’ll drive you there myself once he’s on his way.” The man’s dark eyes clouded as tears poured hot rivers of fear down her cheeks.
“Wh…what happened?” She could barely get the words from her throat, a vise squeezing the sound. Her knees collapsed.
Roper glanced at the cowboy sitting on the edge of the nearest rocking chair, and the man jumped to his feet, gesturing for her to take his place. Squatting beside her, Roper placed a comforting hand on her trembling arm, but until she knew Gideon would be all right, nothing would allay her fears.
“Start at the beginning and tell me exactly what happened,” she demanded.
Roper hesitated.
If he thought she was going hysterical on him, he should think again. She was a stronger woman than any man at this house. If Gideon needed her—whenever and whatever he needed, she would be here for him. As long as he didn’t leave her.
God…please let me keep him.
In spite of the agony of worry plaguing her, Maddie felt as if shackles had fallen from her heart, and for the first time since Harrison had left her at the altar, she felt free to give them both what Gideon wanted.
Never Say Never Again Page 21