Stay with Me (Cowboys of Crested Butte Book 4)

by Heather Slade

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  Bree had been watching him talk to everyone but her for the last hour, and she was annoyed.

  “I told you I didn’t want you to feel as though you have to avoid me, Jace.”

  “Wait. What? I’m not avoiding you.” He waved his arm around the dining hall. “We’re both here, with our families.”

  “But it feels different.” She couldn’t look at him. If she did, her eyes would fill with tears.

  “Hey, come here.” Jace put his arms around her.

  She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, and it felt so good.

  Jace held on tight and breathed in the scent of her. He hoped it would be a long time before she pulled away. He never wanted to let go. He opened his eyes and saw Liv smiling at him from across the room, and smiled back.

  Seeing her reminded him that he had to do this right with Bree, and that didn’t mean playing games. It meant giving her the space and time she needed.

  Unfortunately, it was the game she was responding to, and he didn’t want that. He pulled away, but held on to her arms. Once he started this conversation, Bree was probably going to take it the wrong way. He needed to get her somewhere they could talk, or he could talk, and she’d have to listen.

  “Let’s go for a ride,” he whispered.

  She nodded and followed him out of the dining hall.

  He opened the passenger door of his truck and put his hand on the curve of her back as she climbed in. He drove down the road to Billy and Renie’s place, and parked next to the house.

  “Come on.” When he held her door open, she jumped out of the truck. “This way.” Jace led her around to the other side of the house and up the stairs to the deck that wrapped around the back.

  He lit the patio warmers and pulled two of the Adirondack chairs closer together.

  “We have a lot to talk about,” Jace said when they sat down. “Both of us. There was something you wanted to tell me a couple days ago, and I didn’t do a very good job of listening to you. Wanna try again?”

  She folded her arms in front of her. “You sure you want to do this?”

  “Wanting to do this and wanting to hear what you have to say are two different things. Yeah, I want to do this. Will it be hard for me to listen? Sure will, but I’ll do it anyway.”

  Bree wasn’t prepared for this. When they’d talked, the other day, she’d planned what she wanted to say. Now she couldn’t remember a word of it.

  “It was something Red said to me while I was still in Idaho. It made me think about you and me.”

  Jace was quiet, his eyes focused on her mouth.

  “Is this real, Jace, or are we just keeping each other company until someone better comes along?”

  “That’s what Red asked you?”

  “No, he just made me think. He asked what our story was. When I started to tell it, everything became clear to me.”

  “Go on.”

  “You said it yourself. You’re a detour. You don’t want to be a detour, Jace. I can’t let you be. And I can’t let myself go down that road. It’s as much self-preservation as anything else.”

  “Stop talking about roads and detours, and just tell me how you feel.”

  She probably didn’t deserve for him to make this easy for her.

  “You’re…you. And I’m…me.”

  He smiled. “Profound, Bree. Yes, you’re right on both counts.”

  “Shut up,” she smiled back. “I’m trying to make a point, although I’m not doing a very good job of it.”

  “I’m listening, Bree.”

  He was. He was staring at her, and he was listening. She needed to choose her words carefully.

  “I’m afraid.” Wait—that wasn’t what she’d wanted to say. Why did she?

  “Keep talkin’, Bree.”

  “Think about it. I mean, I just lost my husband. Or when we met, I had. And you were so…wrapped up with my sister, and Tucker. You didn’t even like me, Jace.”

  “I’ve told you before, I liked you more than you liked me.”

  “Maybe. But you have to admit, we didn’t like each other. Not at all. And then, all of a sudden, we were…”

  “What?”

  “You know, thrown together. I was hurting, drowning really. And you were distraught over Blythe and Tucker.”

  She wished he would say something instead of just letting her talk.

  “I’m not saying there isn’t a physical attraction, at least for me.”

  “Come on, Bree, you know there is for me, too.”

  “But, when it comes down to it, I doubt I’m your type, Jace.”

  “My type? This will be good. What’s my type, Bree?”

  “Someone more like Renie, or my sister. Young, pretty, fun.”

  “And you’re old, ugly, and boring.”

  “Essentially.”

  “Get over yourself. Blythe is your sister, not your granddaughter. I don’t need to tell you you’re right; you’re not pretty, you’re beautiful, and—”

  The look on her face stopped him mid-sentence. She thought he was bullshitting her. She didn’t believe him, and nothing he said would change her mind.

  Instead of saying more, Jace stood and pulled Bree out of her chair and into his arms. He put his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her the way he’d wanted to since this morning. He pulled her against him, so she could feel exactly how attractive he found her.

  He backed her up so she was against one of the floor-to-ceiling windows separating the deck and the inside of the house, put his hands on her bottom, and lifted her up, so her legs were around his waist.

  His lips trailed from hers, down her neck, and she weaved her fingers in his hair. She could stop him, pull away, but she didn’t.

  One hand held her against him, and he unfastened the buttons on her shirt with the other. His lips trailed down further, until he grazed the skin where it met the lace of her bra.

  “I need you, Bree. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes,” she answered. It came out between a whisper and a gasp.

  He put his other hand around her, and carried her, holding her as close as he could, and opened the door he knew Billy always forgot to lock.

  Once inside, he lowered her onto the leather sofa in front of the fireplace. Only her eyes moved, as she watched him cross the room. Her shirt was mostly open to her waist; she didn’t make an attempt to cover herself. He lit the fire and came back to where she was, grabbing her legs and turning her so her back rested against the arm of the couch. He lowered himself and nudged her legs apart with his knee. He unfastened the remaining buttons on her shirt, pulled it apart, and then cupped her breast through her bra.

  “Stop me,” he murmured before his lips traced the lace against the skin of her other breast. “Stop me now, Bree.”

  “I can’t,” she pulled him closer.

  “We’re gonna make love, Bree. Tell me now if that’s what you want.”

  “I want it so much.”

  He pulled away from her, but only so he could slide his arm under her knees and behind her back. He lifted her from the couch and carried her toward the master bedroom.

  “Wait—”

  “Are you stopping me?” he asked.

  “Downstairs.”

  Right. Billy and Renie were in town, and he and Bree were in their house. He turned toward the staircase.

  “I can walk—”

  “No.”

  Before she could say anything else, he covered her mouth with his.

  He pushed the door open with his leg and laid her on the bed. He reached over and turned on the lamp that sat on the bedside table. The way she’d looked the night they spent in Sun Valley—he wanted to see her that way now.

  “Take your clothes off, Bree.”

  She rolled to the other side of the bed, turned the other lamp on, and then stood and faced him. He watched as she slid the shirt off her shoulders. Her fingers worked the zipper of her jean
s, and she slid them off her hips, her eyes never leaving his. She stood before him in her bra and panties, waiting.

  “All your clothes, darlin’.”

  When she unfastened her bra and let it drop to the floor, Jace took a deep breath.

  She wrapped her fingers under the sides of her panties, shimmied them down to her knees, bent her leg, and stepped out of them. “Your turn,” she whispered.

  He pulled the pearl snaps on his shirt open, and shrugged it off as he watched her climb onto the bed. Her eyes still hadn’t left his. His hands lingered at the top of his jeans, waiting to see if she’d say anything, as she had that night.

  “Come to bed, Jace,” she smiled.

  Those were the words he wanted to hear.

  Bree closed her eyes when Jace lifted the blanket to crawl in next to her. He slipped his arms around her body and his tongue inside her mouth. Their kiss was soft at first, then it deepened, lengthened, growing more urgent.

  His hand slid to her breast, cupping it, harder, until he could feel her heartbeat quicken underneath.

  She moaned softly, the way she did in her sleep—a sound he loved. He felt his control slipping away; he couldn’t be gentle with her any longer. He had to take her.

  “Open your eyes and look at me,” he growled.

  Bree looked up at Jace, heat pulsing through her veins as she watched his eyes wander over her body. His mouth followed. The way he used it made her purr.

  When Jace slid inside her, Bree felt her body imploding. Every part of her trembled as he brought her to the brink of bliss, and then eased off, only to take her back to the edge again. He did this over and over until she gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his back.

  “Please,” she begged him. “Please, Jace.”

  He stopped instead and dragged his hungry gaze over her body again. “I want you to remember this moment,” he leaned down and whispered into her ear. “And who made you feel this way.”

  His mouth fastened on hers, hard, and he began to move again, taking her body back to the precipice. If he stopped again, she’d flip him over and take what he was unwilling to give. This time, though, his buildup wasn’t gradual. He forced her to the brink and pushed her over with the strength of his body.

  She tried to rip her mouth from his, so she could breathe, or gasp, or even scream, but he was relentless. With one hand, he held her, kissing her roughly, owning her, possessing her. As the wave of pleasure slowly rolled to a quiet stillness, she looked into his eyes. His gaze penetrated the same way his body had.

  “What?” She tried to hide her face in his shoulder, but he wouldn’t let her.

  “No hiding from me. Let me see it.”

  “See what?” She tilted her head slightly, just not far enough that he could look into her eyes.

  “The look you had on your face when you came, sweetheart. I could get used to seeing that look. I want to see it, again and again.” He lowered his lips to hers, this time softly, gently, lovingly—not with the hunger he’d had just a few minutes ago.

  He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, and grazed it with his teeth. “Bree,” he murmured. “Open your eyes, darlin’. I want you to see me, and no one else.”

  Would he see regret? Or sadness? Had she been thinking of Zack when their bodies were joined together? Did she imagine Zack’s hands caressing her body, instead of his?

  The look on her face when she came was one he’d never forget. Or the sound of her begging him, not Zack, to bring her there. He couldn’t wait to see that look in her eyes again.

  He forced himself to look, to see what her eyes said now that their passion was spent. What he saw reignited the fire in him. He whipped the pillow from beneath her head, so she lay flat on the mattress. This time she didn’t close her eyes.

  Instead of letting his gaze wander as it had before, he kept his eyes on hers. Waiting, watching, wondering. When he saw her heat match his, he kissed her. Her soft moans reverberated in his mouth. Her lips were warm, willing, eager. He let his kiss linger, drawing out the exquisite feeling of being this close to her.

  When her hand caressed the side of his face, he shuddered. How long had he waited to feel her hands on him?

  “I want to touch you,” she said. “Everywhere.”

  He groaned and rolled onto his back, letting her take her time exploring his body. Her fingertips swept from his Adam’s apple, across his shoulder, and down his arm. Her touch was so soft it almost tickled.

  When she ran her lips across his sternum, he groaned again, willing himself to give her this time to explore, and not ravage her body the way he was so tempted to. He ran his fingers through her hair, weaving it so he could stop her if he needed to. And soon he would, or she would unman him.

  “What are you doin’ to me, Bree?”

  “Exploring,” she murmured. “Learning.” She ran her lips down his torso. “Memorizing.”

  Jace closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting Bree continue her exploration.

  12

  When he woke the next morning, she was gone. He couldn’t have been asleep more than an hour.

  He thought about the things she said yesterday afternoon, her words confirming his fears, and even the power of their lovemaking couldn’t drown their message.

  You’re a detour. You don’t want to be a detour, Jace. I can’t let you be. Those words played over and over in his head. He was so tired of being a detour. He wanted to be the main road, the right road to take, the one that always brought the girl home. He needed to tell her so.

  He got out of bed and pulled his Wranglers up over his hips. He left the top button undone, and climbed the stairs in search of Bree.

  He smelled coffee, and then realized he and Bree were probably not alone in the house. Shit. He’d gotten so used to Billy and Renie being in Crested Butte when he stayed here, he hadn’t given any thought to them coming home last night.

  He came around the corner and found Bree sitting in the kitchen, with Renie. They both turned toward him when he walked into the room.

  “Shirt might be nice, Jace,” she said with a smug look.

  He ignored her and walked straight to Bree. He stopped behind her, leaned down, and kissed her neck. “Good morning, darlin’.”

  “Don’t mind us, the people who own the house,” said Billy, coming around the corner, carrying Willow. “Might want to consider there’s a child in the house, dude.”

  “Uncle Jace!” squealed Willow. She wiggled out of Billy’s arms and came running toward Jace.

  He picked her up and twirled her in the air.

  “Did you sleep here, Uncle Jace?” she asked when he set her down.

  “I did. Did you?”

  “Mama said I could sleep with her and Daddy last night. Right, Mama?” Willow looked at Renie.

  “I did, sweet girl. We had our own slumber party. Just like Uncle Jace and Aunt Bree did.”

  Willow looked over at Bree. “Hi, Aunt Bree,” she waved.

  Bree thought she’d die of embarrassment. She’d spent a little time around Willow, but not that much. She knew the little girl considered Blythe her “aunt,” too.

  Renie was so casual about it all. If it were her daughter, Bree doubted she’d be so forthcoming about the “slumber party.”

  Willow walked back over to Billy. “Time to say hi to my baby,” she told him. She led him by the hand, and they both walked over to Renie.

  “Good morning, baby,” Willow whispered against Renie’s belly. “Your turn, Daddy.”

  “Mornin’, baby,” he said.

  “Do it right, Daddy. You have to give baby a kiss.”

  Billy lifted the bottom of Renie’s shirt and kissed her belly. Willow did too.

  Billy stood and looked straight at Jace. “Not a word,” he mouthed at him.

  It was all Jace could do not to laugh.

  He leaned back down, closer to Bree. “How are you this morning?” he whispered.

  “Mortified. How are you?”

/>   “Tired. Really tired. Thinkin’ I should drive us over to Palmer Lake, so we can get some rest.”

  “We have a meeting with Ty Rinaldo today, Romeo,” Billy grunted at him.

  “What do you need me for?” Jace kissed the back of Bree’s neck. “You can handle it, Patterson. You…” he kissed her neck again, “and Tucker…and Ben…and your dad…and Bullet.” Jace kissed her neck between each name he spoke. “Don’t need me…”

  “You’re right,” Billy said with disgust in his voice. “Bree, get him outta here, would ya? Before he corrupts my wife and daughter, and makes me sick to my stomach.”

  “Gladly,” she answered and led Jace back downstairs.

  “Is there a way out down here, so I don’t have to go back up there and embarrass myself again?”

  Jace smiled at her, but didn’t answer.

  “You didn’t help matters any, standing there in the kitchen, kissing the back of my neck.”

  Still he didn’t answer but instead put his lips on her neck, just below the curve of her chin.

  “Jace,” she sighed. “You need to stop this.”

  “Your words say I should,” he went back to kissing her. “But your body and the tone of your voice are tellin’ me somethin’ else altogether, darlin’.”

  She put her arms around his shoulders, and thought about pushing him back down on the bed. Wait. What was she doing?

  “Take me home,” she whispered instead.

  Jace wasn’t showing any sign of stopping, so she pushed away from him.

  “Okay, okay. You wanna pick your car up first?” He asked the question but was unbuttoning the top buttons of her shirt rather than waiting for her to answer.

  “If I say we can leave my car at my sister’s house for now, will you stop what you’re doing and drive me home?”

  He looked into her eyes. “As long as you don’t button up that shirt on the ride home, you can probably convince me.”

  “What? Are you crazy? I’m not walking outside with my shirt wide open.”