He trailed a fingertip across her throat, then the collar he never wanted to remove.
Yeah, he’d seen a lot of ugly in his lifetime. Death. Despair. But Elissa’s brightness was starting to vanquish the dark. For the first time in his life, he felt whole. And it was all thanks to her.
In gratitude, he kissed the top of her head.
“Good morning.”
“Ugh. No.” Elissa burrowed deeper under the covers and pulled the pillow over her head.
“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Next to her, the mattress dipped.
Jacob? Suddenly she was awake. Awake and scrambling to understand what was happening.
Images, memories, flashed through her mind. The violet wand. Calling him Sir. His hands on her. Him carrying her to his room and tying her to the bed before making sweet, sensual love to her. Then falling asleep—naked—in the comfort and protection of his arms.
He tossed the pillow aside, and she blinked a couple of times, bringing him into focus.
As always, he was breathtaking. Along with faded jeans, he wore a T- shirt that clung to his broad chest. The crisp scent of the outdoors clung to him, but it was his slow, predatory smile that sent cascades of shivers through her.
He was so complex, from stern—even implacable—to reassuring, sexy, and now this. Lethal. All at once, his smile made her remember yesterday while simultaneously hinting at what was to come today.
“I’m a smart man. I brought you tea. Duke Somebody or Other.”
Smart? How about perfect? “I think you mean Earl Grey.”
“Whoever. I watched you make it yesterday.” He shrugged “Hope you like it.”
She sat up, dragging the covers with her, conscious of her nudity. “Is there a reason for your…hospitality?”
“Other than wanting to please you?”
Elissa narrowed her eyes.
“And knowing you’re not much of a morning person?”
“Or the fact you’re taking your life into your hands by waking me up?”
“You’re ferocious, little lady. Terrifying, even.”
“Hand it over, Mister.”
With a grin, he gave her the peace offering. Surprisingly, the drink was still hot, and every bit as strong as she liked.
“And you are correct.” He waited until she’d had a second sip before speaking again. “I do have ulterior motives.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Over the rim of the cup, she regarded him. “I knew it.”
He scooted closer to her, and every one of her synapses fired. “But first…” He brushed his lips across her forehead, then took away her beverage and kissed her mouth.
“Ohhh, yes…” The taste made her ravenous for more.
“That will have to do for now.”
She scowled.
“Definitely ferocious when you don’t get your way.”
“You’re learning, cowboy.”
“Cowboy?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Rather than Commander Walker?”
“Seems fitting.”
“I’m liking it. And don’t think I don’t want to tie you up and fuck you.”
“We could start the day a little later.”
His eyes darkened, and she wondered who she’d suddenly become. He brought out a naughty side of her personality she hadn’t known existed.
“Except for the fact we have company, and while I enjoy your screams of delight, I’m not certain you want others overhearing them.”
“Company?”
“Deborah—my housekeeper—is here with her daughter.”
“I’m glad you told me. Does that also explain why you’re dressed?”
“That, and the fact I wanted to get ready for our date.”
“Our what?” Elissa searched his eyes for signs of teasing, but yet he’d told her he rarely joked.
“I thought you’d like to get out, take a ride out to the creek on the four-wheeler. Deborah brought us a picnic basket and filled it with food and all the other stuff she said we need to go with it. If you want, we can take a bottle of wine. We can head out around noon, assuming you want to go and your schedule permits?”
“You’re serious?”
He nodded.
“You had me at wine.” If she hurried, she could get in a couple of hours of work, even chat with her parents and Mary, the night manager at the pub, before leaving.
She put aside her cup and tossed back the covers.
“Oh, my lady, now we’re definitely going to be late…” His eyes darkened as he moved toward her to capture one of her bare breasts.
Her nipple lengthened as he flicked a thumbnail across it, and an involuntary groan escaped from between her lips. “Jacob, please…”
“Is that a yes, continue? Or a please stop?”
Both. She wanted him to suck her nipple deep into his mouth, but she knew where that would lead. And he was definitely right about the way she’d scream when he had his wicked way with her. “Can we continue this later?”
“You can count on it.” He lowered his hand, and she sighed, as much from relief as from frustration. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Once she was alone, she momentarily closed her eyes. This relationship with Jacob was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and she needed to be careful with her emotions. Circumstances had thrown them together, and in a matter of time—hours? days? weeks?—she’d be back in her Denver apartment, working at the pub while building her business and finding rare, precious moments for her art.
No matter how much a part of her wanted this to continue, it wouldn’t last. It would do no good to think about anything beyond the moment.
Resolved, she finished her tea, then hurried through her shower before dressing and going downstairs to meet the housekeeper.
Deborah was a tall, beautiful woman with a quick, welcoming smile, and she wore a T-shirt that read GOING DOWNHILL FAST. “Morning! You must be Elissa.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Jacob’s been telling me all about you.”
“Has he?” She scowled at Jacob, who was leaning against the counter, a cup of coffee in hand.
With a grin, he shrugged.
“I hear you’re quite an artist.”
“Ah…” Elissa cleared her throat. Just what had he said? Surely he hadn’t mentioned her erotic images.
“You’re working on a corporate logo for a motivational speaker?”
She released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“I’m writing a children’s book.”
“Are you?”
“The main character is going to be a ski bunny.”
“Your T-shirt… Obviously a skiing reference?”
“Yeah. I’m an instructor.”
“Deborah is being modest.” Jacob drained his cup, then slid it onto the counter. “She used to compete for the women’s alpine team.”
With her mouth open, Elissa looked back at Deborah. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Until I blew out a knee one too many times. Still love it, though.”
“Your celebrity will be a huge advantage.”
“That’s kind of you to say, but I’m sure no one remembers who I am.”
Elissa’s creativity was sparked. “Do you have a website?”
“No. Should I have one?”
“Absolutely yes. Do you mind if I come up with a couple of ideas for you?”
“Are you kidding me right now? I mean, I can pay you a little bit, but—”
“Say no more. It’s been a while since images have come to me this rapidly.” And the Bonds computer would make working on them pure pleasure. “Do you have any concept drawings of your ski bunny?”
Deborah shook her head. “I don’t have any talent in that area, and I haven’t started looking for an illustrator yet.”
“How about a color concept?”
“I was thinking along the lines of something like green or yellow.”
Elissa nodded. “Bright? More mut
ed?”
“Whatever inspires girls to go for their dreams.”
“I love it.”
At that moment, a young child walked in, clutching the massive, squirming Waffle against her chest.
“This is my inspiration.” Deborah smiled. “My daughter, Adele.”
Elissa grinned. Waffle’s back was against the child’s tummy, and the cat’s large front paws hung over Adele’s forearm.
“Honey, say hello, and put down the cat.”
Rather than doing as her mother said, Adele held Waffle tighter. “But I love her, and she likes it.”
Elissa was surprised Waffle tolerated being held at all.
Deborah sighed. “Do I need to repeat myself?” Though Deborah didn’t raise her voice, her words were firm.
Chin set at a stubborn angle, Adele did as she was told. Shockingly, Waffle plopped her enormous body down at the girl’s feet.
“And say hello to Miss Elissa,” Deborah prompted again.
“Hi.” She offered a tiny wave.
“Nice to meet you, Adele.”
“There’s a teacher in-service at the preschool today, so we’re driving to Steamboat for a little shopping.”
Adele grinned, evidently forgetting all about the cat. “And ice cream!”
“Of course. How could I forget?” Deborah glanced at Jacob. “Picnic basket is on the table, and remember to use the ice packs I put in the freezer. Is there anything else you need before we leave?”
“That should be it,” he responded. “I appreciate your stopping by.”
“I’ll send you some ideas for your website—and maybe even the bunny—in the next couple of days,” Elissa promised.
“I’m so excited. Thank you.”
After exchanging contact information, they hugged goodbye. And then Adele ran over. “Me too!”
Elissa crouched. “Of course.”
For a quick second, Adele wrapped her arms around Elissa’s neck before hurrying away to chase Waffle into the living room.
“I guess we’ll be going for real now.” Deborah grinned.
Jacob said he was going to walk them to the car and promised to be right back.
When the door closed, the house was suddenly silent, and Elissa stood there, staring, a dozen different thoughts and feelings racing through her.
Her days were consumed with work, and it had been a long time since she’d dated or even thought about the future.
But seeing Deborah and Adele together had made her wonder what she was missing.
The love between the mother and daughter reminded Elissa of what she shared with her own mom. And would she ever feel that with her own child?
Fortunately Jacob returned, interrupting her musings.
“Deborah liked you.”
“It’s mutual.” To keep herself busy, Elissa turned on the kettle. “How did she become your housekeeper?”
“She’s the sister of one of my ranch hands. Left a bad relationship right before Adele was born, and we put her in one of the property’s cabins while she got back on her feet. She refused to accept what she called charity, so she insisted on doing some work around here. At this point, I’m not sure how I’d manage without her.”
“Adele is wonderful. And even Waffle seems to like her.”
“That says something.” He grinned. “She’s smart for her age, too. And she shows an aptitude for skiing, like her mother.” He placed his cup in the sink. “Can you be ready to leave around twelve?”
“That’s perfect.” Even if he wanted to head out in ten minutes, she’d make sure she was ready.
“I’ll meet you back here then.”
She nodded.
Once again she was aware of how big the house was, and for the first time in her life, a pang of loneliness assailed her.
The strange emotions had to be a result of the even stranger circumstances, she reached for the box of pastries sitting on the counter. Bypassing the apple fritter and several eclairs, she grabbed a chocolate-covered chocolate doughnut, complete with sprinkles.
After she’d devoured it and brushed off her hands, she finished brewing her tea, then carried it outside.
She paused for a second to take in the view from the patio, refusing to admit the truth to herself—that she was hoping to catch a glimpse of Jacob in the distance.
With the drink cooling, she continued toward the garage apartment. Waffle darted in front of her, nearly tripping her as she opened the door.
The cat wound her way between Elissa’s legs before racing up the stairs. “I see you’re joining me.”
Inside, Waffle found a patch of sunshine and dropped down to groom herself.
Before starting work, Elissa made calls home to talk to her parents and to check in with the bar.
Once she’d powered up the computer and settled into her chair, her creative energy flowed. The previous day, she’d been stifled, but now, inspiration danced from her fingertips.
It took only a couple of minutes to decide on her final choices for the motivational speaker’s color palette. It was a shade darker than she’d been working with, and the change made the logo pop.
Less than two hours later, she’d added a couple of finishing flourishes to the logo and drafted a mock-up of his website’s landing page. Finally satisfied, she sent the files to her client for his approval.
Then, captivated by Deborah’s excitement about the ski bunny, Elissa spent another hour sketching out a couple of versions of the cartoon bunny.
She was deep in concentration when a notification skittered across the bottom of her screen, signaling an email from her client. Curious to know if he was pleased, she clicked through to find he was more than happy. “Yes!” She fist-bumped the air, and Waffle shot her a narrowed-eye sleepy glare. “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb Your Majesty.” Elissa had never had pets, and she was enjoying the feline’s companionship.
Elissa promised the vector file to her client within twenty-four hours and asked him to supply pictures and videos, along with text to populate the actual website. Elissa shut down the computer and headed back outside, Waffle trailing behind her.
A noise captured Elissa’s attention, and she paused. Moments later, Jacob drove up in a red all-terrain vehicle.
Instead of continuing on inside, she waited for him, admiring the way sunlight glinted off his dark hair. Even across the distance, she was aware of his gaze, and shivered anew at the way she’d come undone for him.
When he reached her side, he shut off the loud, rumbling beast and climbed out of the bucket seat. “Your ride, ma’am.”
“I’m impressed.” The machine had half doors, and the front part had a cover over it. “I imagined it would be a little more rugged than that.”
“In what way?”
“I thought I’d be sitting behind you.”
“You’re thinking of a quad—all-terrain vehicle. Generally carries one person. This is a UTV—a utility task vehicle. It hauls cargo and can pull a small trailer. The seats are actually comfortable. Has heat and air-conditioning. Even a sound system.” He cocked his head to one side. “But the idea of you straddling me and holding on tight has me rethinking my decision.”
The image made her squirm, just as he’d no doubt intended. “This one’s fine. Great even.” Her tone was somewhere between prim and squeaky, and she cleared her throat.
He grinned. “Of course, we can save that for this evening.”
For a moment, her heart skittered. She’d hated the idea of coming to his ranch, and yet all of a sudden she didn’t want to leave. Denver and the outside world seemed so far away.
“I’ll grab the picnic basket if you want to get a couple of towels from the hall closet.”
“Why do we need towels?”
“So you can dry off after you get out of the water.” He grinned.
“You might remember I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“Yeah. That’s right.” His grin turned feral. “There’s a camping blanket in there t
oo. Something for us to sit on. Or for me to ravish you on.”
She shivered. His words excited her more than she could ever admit. “Oh no. No no no. No. Nuh-uh. There shall be no public ravishing, Cowboy.”
His eyes narrowed. “Challenge accepted.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Or was it? She cleared her throat. God. The way he looked at her… It might be impossible to deny him anything.
“You may want a hat. Or something to keep the hair out of your face.”
She nodded, then hurried inside. While she was there, she changed into a pair of shorts, telling herself it wasn’t because they’d be easier to get out of than her jeans were. As she’d already told him, she wasn’t the type of woman who skinny-dipped or who made love outside—not ever.
Within minutes, carrying the items he’d requested, she rejoined him.
Very slowly, very thoroughly, very approvingly, he swept his gaze over her, lingering on her bare legs. “You’re a beautiful woman, Elissa.”
His words were laced with conviction. She’d never seen herself as anything other than ordinary, but she had no doubt he meant what he said, and for the first time in her life, she saw herself the way he did.
“You ready?”
“Yes. I’m excited.”
He placed the picnic basket and a bottle of wine inside a storage box, then stacked the blanket and towels on top. After that, he added a folding table and a couple of collapsible chairs to the cargo area.
“I see we really don’t need the blanket.” Elissa propped one hand on her hip.
This time, there was no trace of a tease in his eyes. Instead, his gaze was as dangerous as it was predatory. “Oh I assure you, we do.”
Her pulse picked up a few extra beats. Silently she cursed her very feminine reaction to him. The more determined he was, the more she was attracted to him.
He helped her into the vehicle. “Buckle up, Elissa.”
Was that a warning?
After donning a ball cap that had been on the floorboards, Jacob climbed in next to her. Then he grabbed his cell phone and activated a button on its side. “Wildflower on the move. And we’d like some privacy.”
“Roger that.”
Without another word, he slid the device into a plastic holder attached to the dash.
Hold On To Me (Hawkeye Book 4) Page 11