by Kylie Brant
Carrie eyed him suspiciously. “Excuse my disbelief, but I know how difficult it is for you to quit working once you’ve started.”
“We could work until noon and then while you’re gone I could type up the notes,” Kaly volunteered.
Carrie eyed her askance. “Absolutely not! We wouldn’t think of leaving you here by yourself. Besides, you need some time to relax, too. We’ll leave about one tomorrow, and be sure to bring a swimsuit. The Blanes have a pool.”
Kaly opened her mouth to protest, but Jeff shook his head at her. “Carrie’s right. You’re coming with us tomorrow. It’ll be good for you to get away for a bit.”
After promising to take part in the outing the next day, Kaly headed to the barn for a quick ride. But she was careful to head back toward the ranch well before dusk fell, heeding Jackson’s warning of the day before. Though not particularly timid, she was not eager to encounter any of the night creatures he had alluded to.
Engrossed in unsaddling Misty, Kaly jumped when a hand fell on her shoulder.
“Hey, settle down.” Larry Scott laughed. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Just wanted to ask if you needed some help with that mare.”
Kaly smiled, her hand over her heart. “You did startle me,” she confessed. “I didn’t hear you come up.”
Larry lifted the saddle off the horse and Kaly removed her bridle, then began the careful rubdown and grooming she always did after riding the mare. Larry leaned against the stall, surveying her.
“I haven’t seen you around much lately. Jeff keeping you glued to that office of his?”
“We do stay busy. And now that he and Carrie are back from the city, we’ll be back on our schedule again.”
Larry spoke lightly. “I’d like to help take your mind off your work for a while if you’d go out with me some night.” He smiled and waggled his eyebrows with mock lechery. “How about it? You can forget about everything except having a good time.”
Kaly laughed in spite of herself. “I’d like that.”
His smile broadened. “Great! How about next Saturday night?”
“Sounds good,” she responded as she hung up the currycomb. Together they latched the stall and walked out of the barn.
“See you next week,” Larry said. Kaly nodded and walked back to the house. It seemed empty, though Kaly knew Jeff and Carrie were probably watching TV in their room. She headed upstairs and took a bath before going back to her own room and working on her paper for a little while.
As she slipped into bed later that night she mentally congratulated herself. She had managed to keep so busy all day that she hadn’t thought of Jackson Roberts.
Much.
Jeff was true to his word the next morning. They quit working before noon to get ready for the barbecue. But when Kaly descended the stairway at one o’clock it was Jackson, not Jeff and Carrie, she saw. He had one hand in his pocket jingling his keys impatiently.
She stopped midway for a moment and stared, transfixed. She’d never seen him in anything but jeans. He wore navy shorts with a red T-shirt, and sneakers without socks. Her eyes traveled slowly downward and then wandered back up his legs, lingering on the strong calf muscles that bulged from his lower legs up to the solid thighs, flat stomach and wide chest. Red was definitely his color. His dark hair and skin stood out against the brilliant color, and she shivered involuntarily at his compelling attractiveness.
She had failed to consider that Jackson would accompany them, and she was suddenly filled with misgivings. She had somehow felt drawn closer to him in Jeff and Carrie’s absence, and she hadn’t yet put those feelings into perspective. He was the same man she’d believed him to be, had warned herself about. Yet now she was aware that he was so much more, and the newfound knowledge threatened her normally cautious nature.
Jackson looked up when he heard footsteps on the stairs, his impatience dissipating as he watched her approach. Her hair was pulled back into a jaunty ponytail. She wore a fuchsia collegiate T-shirt, white shorts and flat white sandals. He swallowed as he watched her slim legs descending the steps toward him. She had, he decided, the best-looking pair of legs he’d ever seen on such a petite woman. He tore his eyes away from her trim ankles and asked, “Bring your swimsuit?”
“I’m wearing it under my clothes,” Kaly responded. “I wasn’t sure how long these things usually last, but I put a sweater and a pair of long pants in the bag in case it cools off tonight.”
Jackson nodded absently. “It’ll probably be dark when we get home.” The thought of Kaly in a bikini danced across his mind and he mentally groaned. He wished he’d had the foresight to plan to drive alone to the party, but that would have been difficult to explain to Jeff and Carrie. Not that it would have made much difference. He was still going to have to face an entire day in her presence—in her skimpily clad presence, probably—and the thought made him want to grind his teeth. There were usually plenty of people at these things, and he’d have to do his best to mingle, staying well away from the temptation she provided. He snuck one last peek at her legs and wished mightily for a pair of blinders.
“All set?”
At Carrie’s voice, both Kaly and Jackson turned. “Jeff’s brought the car around. Do you want to slip your things into my bag, Jack?” He did so, and then slung the striped beach bag over his shoulder. “How many times do you have to be told not to be carrying things?” he lectured his sister-in-law. Kaly and Carrie smiled at the incongruous sight he made and followed him out the door.
When they arrived, the party appeared to be in full swing. Mrs. Blane met them as they walked toward the house, and Jeff introduced Kaly to her.
“I’m so glad you came, dear,” the woman told her sincerely. “The more the merrier, I always say. Oh, and Jackson,” she gushed, “I’d hoped you make it.” She tapped him on the arm coyly. “Lots of pretty young things have already asked about you.” She lowered her voice to speak to Kaly. “You watch out for this one. He’s a heartbreaker.”
Kaly watched as Jackson struggled not to scowl at the woman. “So I’ve heard,” Kaly murmured dryly. Jeff and Carrie laughed at his discomfiture.
“Just go out back—you’ll know everybody here. I must check on the food,” she said, and hurried off.
“Half-wit,” Jackson muttered darkly.
“Jackson, be nice,” Carrie remonstrated, openly amused. “She can’t help but be enthralled with the thrilling secondhand accounts of your romantic accomplishments.”
“After all, you do your best to keep the countryside rife with gossip,” Jeff put in. He added in an aside to Kaly, “The three hottest topics of conversation around here are the markets, the weather and the name of Jackson’s latest conquest.”
Kaly was silent. Despite their joking tone, she recognized the truth in their words, and hearing it bolstered her determination to fight the attraction the man held for her. She couldn’t imagine anything more distasteful than being the subject of gossip among the neighbors. Jackson Roberts was hell on women, those foolish enough to become involved with him, but she wasn’t going to be one of them. That she promised herself.
“There are usually snacks all afternoon and we’ll eat about six,” Carrie informed Kaly. “You can swim or sun, and sometimes there’s a game of volleyball. Do you play?”
“Oh, some,” Kaly answered blandly. She had played on a volleyball team for three years in high school and enjoyed playing for pleasure.
They rounded the corner of the house and saw that it was already crowded. People of all ages sat at picnic tables and on lawn chairs, while others stood near the keg of beer or lounged by the pool. Jackson stopped to talk to a group of ranchers, and Carrie and Jeff escorted Kaly around, introducing her to their friends.
After a while people began to gather around the volleyball net, and Jeff cocked an eyebrow at Kaly. “Looks like a game is going to start up. Want to play?”
Kaly looked at Carrie, who waved them away. “You two go ahead. I’ll find a seat where I can wat
ch.” She lifted her face for Jeff’s quick kiss, and then Kaly and Jeff headed off. They were hailed as they showed up in the midst of the crowd and were quickly claimed by a team.
Jackson was already in place on the opposite side of the net, and Jeff whispered a warning to Kaly. “Watch out for Jack. He’s got a wicked spike.” And his words proved true in the next few minutes. Jackson spent more time in the net than out of it, and helped score several points for his side.
When it was Kaly’s turn to serve, Jackson set it easily from the middle row, but a teammate bobbled it, and Kaly’s team got the point. Her smile broadened when she saw Jackson’s visage grow more determined. She aimed each of her serves at him, hard and fast, and he returned each of them himself.
“Hey, Roberts, is this a private game, or do you mind if the rest of us play?” gibed one of Jackson’s teammates. He turned his head to grin at the man, but before he could answer, Kaly’s next serve hit him in the chest, scoring another point for her side. Jackson sent her a look promising retribution.
He relentlessly returned each of her next serves, but several more points were scored by Kaly’s team before one of her teammates tripped and missed the ball. As the game continued, the two teams ran neck in neck. Near the end of the game they were tied.
It was Jackson’s turn to serve, and the look he sent Kaly was menacing. He served the ball high and hard, intending it to drop at her feet, earning his team the final game point. Kaly dived for it, setting it for Jeff, who spiked it. Two men on Jackson’s side collided and failed in their effort to return it, and then Kaly’s team had the serve. Jackson returned the ball straight at Kaly. This time when she hit it, she looked at Jackson while sending the ball to a woman on the other side of the court. His whole team had expected the ball to go to Jackson, and it landed harmlessly at the woman’s feet, winning the game for Kaly’s team. There were catcalls and cheers before Jeff held up Kaly’s arm and called, “Our secret weapon!”
“Not so secret,” someone joked, slapping Jackson on the back. “If your brother could’ve kept his eyes off Kaly and on the ball, we’d have killed you.” Jackson reacted to the bantering good-naturedly, arguing that he’d had to play single-handedly.
Carrie strolled up then and congratulated Jeff and Kaly. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s go get something to eat. You, too, Jackson,” she called to him, beckoning him to join them. “You must be starved after your ignominious defeat.”
“Sure, rub it in,” he groused amiably. “And where were you when we needed an unbiased line judge?”
Jeff hooted at that. “Unbiased? Looked to me like you were getting all the breaks! If you’d been in the net any more you’d have had to wear it home.”
They filled their plates with snacks and found an empty table to sit at. Carrie cast a disgusted look at their heaped plates. “You don’t know how lucky you are not to have to watch your figures.”
Kaly smiled in sympathy, but Jeff quipped, “Oh, I don’t know, Jack spent quite a bit of time watching Kaly’s. Isn’t that how you lost the game, Jack?”
Jackson picked up a chip and threw it at him. “I demand a rematch,” he responded. “We were just being easy on you, because your team had an obvious lack of talent.” They all laughed.
They spent a pleasant afternoon, lolling around the sparkling water and talking to friends and neighbors. Kaly couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself so much. When Carrie finally asked, “Who’s ready for a swim?” the group around the table groaned in unison.
She scolded them for their laziness and bullied them into rising. The women found some vacant loungers and shucked their clothes to reveal swimsuits beneath. When Kaly turned to the pool the first thing she noticed was Jackson’s bare chest. Her mouth went dry. His massive torso made an inverted triangle, narrowing at his waist. Her fingers itched to comb through the curly mat covering it.
She raised her eyes to find him staring fixedly at her, and she frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”
He swallowed hard at the enticing picture she made in her swimsuit. A black one-piece, it was more sedate than most, but still showed off her curves enticingly. The sight of her in it made sweat break out on his forehead.
“Nothing,” he muttered. He was suddenly in desperate need of some cold water. Preferably ice cold. But first he grinned wickedly. “Remember the volleyball game?” He stalked her slowly. “It’s payback time.” And before she could react, he scooped her up and swung her high out over the water.
Kaly hit the surface with a splash and swam back to the side underwater. As Jackson scanned the pool she grasped his ankle and pulled with all her might. Thrown off balance, he struck the water. She laughed delightedly when he surfaced again, treading water and shaking wet hair out of his face. “I guess it is true what they say,” she taunted. “The bigger they are...”
She never finished. Reading the intent on his face, she dived away from him, just managing to escape his lunge toward her.
She darted this way and that in the pool, always remaining just out of his reach. Jackson pursued her with lazy determination, and she was aware that she escaped him only as long as he allowed it. He abruptly ended the game when she began swimming rapidly in the opposite direction toward the ladder. In a few strong strokes he reached her, then crowded her against the side of the pool.
He looked down at her. “You sure seem in an awful hurry,” he mocked.
“Just tired of swimming,” she lied indifferently, but she could tell from the amusement on his hard features that he was not misled.
“Already?” he queried. “But you seemed to be having such a good time a few minutes ago.”
He loomed over her, and Kaly felt the hard edge of the pool against her back. The breadth of his shoulders overshadowed her, and she felt small and incredibly vulnerable. The sun turned the water droplets on his skin into miniature rainbows. She watched, fascinated, tracing the progress of one drop as it meandered across his chest. She tore her eyes away from the fascinating display. He was blocking the ladder, so she started inching along the wall, away from him.
Jackson noticed her attempt and kept pace with her. “Careful,” he warned when the water was at her chin. “You don’t want to...get in too deep.”
Kaly continued inching away, until the pool took an obvious descent and she was forced to cling to the side to stay above water.
Jackson moved to stand in front of her again. His superior height still left him head and shoulders above the sparkling pool and he stretched his long arms out to rest on either side of her face, effectively trapping her. His voice, when he spoke next, was husky. “I’d think a cautious gal like you would be nervous about getting in over her head.”
She was helpless to look away from that compelling gaze. “I am,” she replied softly. “Believe me, I am.”
His eyes darkened at her response to his double entendre, and for just a moment, the rest of the party faded away. For once, Kaly gave in to her desire to drink her fill of him. He was so good to look at. His words, though, had been more than just provocative. In her mind, they sounded prophetic for the two of them, should they ever give in to the desire that was constant between them.
Over her head. Yes, she thought a little bitterly, that’s exactly what she would be. If she gave in to this man’s dangerous attraction for her, she’d be in way over her head. And while she was going down for the last time, he would be as he was before her now, virtually untouched by it all. She had no doubt he could drown her in sensation, but then what? There was no lifeguard for a broken heart.
Kaly abruptly sank beneath the water and under his arm, swam to the ladder and ascended it quickly. This time Jackson didn’t follow her, and she was thankful. She found the lounger with her bag on it and searched for her comb. She spent the next several minutes working the wide teeth through her wet hair and repeating silent warnings to herself about the danger of uncharted waters.
And of sharks.
When the dinner gong s
ounded, Kaly and Carrie changed in the bathhouse before they again joined the throng filling their plates with food. Jeff came along and Kaly could feel herself growing tense, expecting Jackson at any moment. But when he didn’t appear, she began to relax. Someone took out a guitar, and soon the soft strumming filled the air.
After a while, Carrie and Jeff excused themselves, making their way slowly around to various groups of people, stopping at each to visit. Kaly was content to remain seated on her own for a time, enjoying the peacefulness of the evening, before a voice sounded above her. “The men in these parts must be even denser than I thought, leaving you to sit alone.”
Kaly looked up to meet the admiring eyes of the stranger before her. “I’m Paul Whitfield,” he said. “Do you mind if I sit down?”
“No, of course not,” Kaly responded politely, and introduced herself as he sank into a chair at her side. “I’m Kaly Scott. I’m working with Jeff Roberts this summer.”
Paul widened his blue eyes appreciatively. “You’re Jeff’s research assistant? I just got here, but I’ve already heard about your showing on the volleyball court. It seems I missed quite a game.”
“I don’t know about that,” Kaly said demurely. “I’m sure the story has been greatly embellished with each telling.” She studied the blond perfection of the man before her. His face was flawlessly handsome. He reminded her of a picture that had hung in her bedroom of the angel Gabriel. All he needed was the robe and sword, Kaly thought whimsically.
“My ranch is just down the road from the Circle R,” Paul volunteered.
She knew enough by this time to realize that, in these parts, “down the road” meant at least several miles. She was still astounded by the size of the properties required to house the huge herds of cattle.
“Did you grow up with Jeff and Jackson?” she asked curiously.
“I’m not from here originally, no. My family is from the East Coast. For some unknown reason, my father decided several years ago to go into early retirement and start living like a cowboy. My sister and I had no choice but to follow him.”