Someone's Baby

by Dani Sinclair

  "Don't worry," he said, opening the nightstand drawer. "I have protection. I wouldn't put you at risk."

  Her heart thundered in her chest. Protection. Only now did it occur to her that if they continued, pregnancy was a possible outcome.

  A baby of her own. One that she and Cade created. A little girl like Heather. A son, perhaps!

  She reached out to touch him, but he shook his head. "Not this time. I'm too close. But you can slide this on for me, if you want."

  Her hands trembled as she took the small sheath. The act was so intimate that he had to guide her hands while her stomach rioted in unleashed anticipation. He was so large. So incredibly smooth yet rigid.

  He was breathing as hard as she was when she finished.

  "I think, considering your shoulder, you'd better get on top," he said unsteadily.

  "On top?"

  His smile was purely masculine, definitely predatory. "Never done it that way?"

  She shook her head. "I've never done it at all."

  "It's like riding a horse. Only this saddle will fit you a whole lot tighter."

  His hand cupped her breast and he bent to sample it with a long, drugging pull she felt to the core of her being.

  Fear drained away, replaced by a need so strong, she automatically inched back on the bed to give him room. He watched her with transparent hunger, making her feel unbelievably sensual. Her heart pounded furiously, but the expression of blatant need in his eyes relaxed her trepidation. She quivered as his hands slid down the bare skin of her sides. She let him guide her into a position astride him; aware of him as she'd never been aware of anything in her life. Every nerve ending, every muscle, every part of her was vividly alive and aware of each new sensation.

  "Cade?"

  He pulled her head down to his waiting mouth and the kiss stole away her ability to think. His fingers investigated her body gently. A shiver coursed through her as he brushed the short, curling hairs to part her with exquisite tenderness. His eyes held her captive as he gently inserted first one finger and then two, cautiously stretching her. She couldn't prevent a soft intake of breath.

  "I wouldn't have thought you'd be so tight," he said in husky approval. His eyes gleamed warmly as her body trembled on the brink of something incredible.

  And when his thumb came to rest against a certain spot, she thought she was going to come apart in his hands. He lifted her in satisfaction, mindful of her shoulder, and lowered her onto his rigid staff. This time she inhaled sharply, knowing what was coming as he reached the membrane preventing his complete access.

  "Jayne?" His eyes widened in shock.

  She knew he was about to pull back, and she couldn't allow that. Not now. Not when she was so very close. She sank onto him, forcing him past the thin barrier, barely aware of a second of pain.

  "Why? And why didn't you tell me?" he growled.

  "I did. You didn't listen."

  She tightened herself around him, the discomfort already fading to make room for this extraordinary new sensation of fullness. She saw a curse forming on his lips and leaned down to kiss the pulse point in his neck.

  Cade sucked in a breath.

  "There isn't much point in stopping now, is there?" she whispered.

  For an answer, he drew her mouth to his in a kiss that began the race of thrills all over again. She sensed his anger just below the surface, but his hand slipped between their joined bodies, touching her in a way that sent coherent thoughts scattering to the wind.

  Her breath quickened when he fondled one breast. He drew it into his mouth biting lightly on the nipple. She cried out as her body convulsed, overloaded by all the sensory input even as Cade drove to his own release.

  She collapsed against his damp chest, physically and mentally spent. For a very long time, they lay there, while the world righted itself once more.

  "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

  "I did. I said I'd never done this before."

  His gray eyes were silvery, unreadable as he gazed at her.

  "You knew I thought you meant this position."

  "Yes. But I didn't want you to stop. And you would have."

  "Damn right. You were a virgin."

  The anger was back, tightly controlled, but there.

  "I should have known."

  "How? Was I that bad?"

  He'd treated her with such incredible reverence she hated thinking she'd ruined his pleasure by not responding adequately.

  He must have read something of her thoughts in her expression because his features softened and he touched her hair lightly.

  "You are—" he swallowed "—a generous lover, Jayne. I knew your body was too tight, too perfect. A woman who had just given birth…you should have looked differently. Acted differently. I should have recognized all that from the start. Heather isn't yours."

  "Obviously."

  She wasn't sure what he meant, but his anger seemed to have |dissipated. She turned her head into the palm of his hand and he caressed her face.

  "You were telling the truth. Weren't you? About all of it?"

  "Yes."

  Cade closed his eyes. She didn't know if he believed her or not, but she rolled off him, lying beside him on the bed.

  "Why me?"

  The question shouldn't have surprised her.

  "Why not you?"

  "You're beautiful. You claim you're twenty-four. How come you were still a virgin?"

  "Because it never felt right before."

  Because I think I'm falling in love with you.

  "No. Don't think it," he said abruptly, rolling over to face her and raising up on one hand.

  "Think what?"

  "What you're thinking."

  She smiled. "Censuring my thoughts is going to be a tough job, don't you think?"

  He didn't smile back.

  "Happily-ever-after isn't on offer here, Jayne. If you've got some crazy notion that giving me your virginity means I'm going to declare my undying love for you, you're setting yourself up for disappointment."

  His voice was kind, but the words lashed her all the same. She hid the hurt and smiled. "If you declared your undying love for me, I'd know you were the one who was lying. We've only known each other a few days."

  "And you'll be gone come morning," he agreed.

  That hurt more than she would have thought. They'd just shared the most intimate act of all and he was calmly talking about her leaving first thing in the morning?

  "I tried marriage once," he continued relentlessly, sitting all the way up and reaching for his pants. "I won't make that mistake again."

  "How would you feel about living in sin for a while?" she asked, trying for a playful tone.

  He stopped in the act of zipping his jeans. "You won't be here a while. We're taking the baby into the sheriff first thing in the morning."

  Anger, fear and something else—something she desperately wanted to believe was longing—stared at her from cloudy-gray eyes. He turned quickly and reached for his shirt.

  But his expression had been enough. Her hurt dissolved as she thought about what she knew of Cade. He had this image of himself as some crusty old loner. Yet inside, there was a man who wanted more. A man who no longer believed in miracles.

  She was going to have to teach him to trust. "Of course we're taking her to the sheriff," Jayne agreed. "I never intended to become her full-time guardian. I just couldn't stand by and let them hurt her—or sell her."

  Cade made a sound low in his chest that sounded remarkably like a growl.

  "Besides, I need to let my family know that I'm all right."

  "You have family?" He paused in the act of buttoning his shirt.

  "Most people do."

  "I don't."

  And she remembered him saying something along those lines earlier.

  "Well, I have three brothers, two parents and assorted cousins, aunts and uncles scattered across Texas. You're welcome to borrow a few, especially my brothers."


  "Three brothers!"

  "Don't worry, Cade, they won't be coming after you. Liam's a judge, Devlin's a cop and Rory's a horse trainer who works beside my dad."

  "Oh, hell. What's your last name?" Cade demanded.

  "Bateman, why?"

  Cade swore. "H. L. Bateman's your father?"

  "Heard of him, huh?" She knew her pride showed in her voice.

  Cade stuffed his feet into his boots and tucked in his shirttail. They both heard the sound of the front door opening.

  "Cade?" Hap's voice carried clearly.

  "Get some rest." Cade said without looking at her. He left the room without a backward glance, gently closing the door behind him.

  She lay there for a long time, going over every moment in her head. Cade's reaction to the truth had been predictable. His lovemaking had not. It had far exceeded her expectations. But now she forced herself to examine her reasons for entering the relationship with Cade. Had she subconsciously wanted to tie Cade to her by giving him her virginity?

  If that had been her motive, odds were it was going to backfire. He didn't trust her. She wasn't even certain he liked her.

  But he wanted her.

  He'd proved exactly how much in a most exciting way. Only they couldn't build a lasting relationship on sex. He'd already tried that and failed miserably. True, she wasn't Bonita, but Cade probably wouldn't see past that broken relationship.

  So what did she want from Cade? Any number of men and boys had been willing to take her to bed over the years. Yet she'd never had any trouble resisting until now.

  It was one thing to believe she was in love during the throes of passion. It should be another thing to examine her feelings in the aftermath.

  But it wasn't.

  Cade was a difficult person to know. Yet if she could get past his protective shell, there was a wonderful, caring man inside. Look how he handled Heather. He cared deeply about things and people. No matter what he thought, that hard shell had a crack a mile wide. Only if she forced her way inside, she'd have to be prepared for the consequences.

  Cade would never tolerate a wife who was off someplace working as a private investigator. He needed a woman who was willing to become a rancher's wife— and a possible mother? A week ago that thought wouldn't have sent longing racing through her. Did that mean she was ready to give up her new 'career?

  "Ha! Think about all those mind-numbing hours sitting on stakeouts. Think about all those sad people wanting dirt on their boyfriends. There isn't all that much to give up." Even the exciting parts hadn't been all that great, she decided ruefully, touching the bandage over her shoulder.

  But having Cade's baby…

  Jayne didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke it was dark. A small night-light cast a soft glow around the room. A sandwich, an apple and a brownie sat on the nightstand, thoughtfully wrapped. Alongside was a cup that must once have held ice, but now contained melted water. Beside it was a small bottle of apple juice.

  And Heather wasn't in the room.

  For a moment she panicked, then she realized Cade must have the baby. The silence in the house was complete, but she knew in her heart the sheriff had never arrived or Cade would have woken her. Besides, the baby-nappers would never go anywhere near the sheriffs office. She didn't have to worry about that problem until morning.

  She was ravenously hungry, but she needed to go to the bathroom. That meant getting dressed. Who knew who might be out in the hall?

  Jayne reached for the jeans and the shirt she'd worn earlier to find Cade had taken them. In their place he'd left her own clothing cleaned and folded. Her blouse was too sheer, too stained, and too damaged to wear without a bra. He must have recognized that fact because he'd also left her a new T-shirt and a short-sleeved denim shirt.

  As she dressed, her gaze drifted toward the window. A flash of movement near the barn riveted her attention. Two figures stood in the deep shadows talking.

  Cade?

  She couldn't tell.

  As she watched, one person melted back inside the barn. The other started toward the house. Jayne strained to see. The person heading toward the house was thin to the point of slender, with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. For an instant, the moon obliged her wish, lighting the scene enough for Jayne to glimpse the stranger's face. Then the clouds took away the light and the person moved out of range.

  Heart pounding, she ran to the box on the floor, nearly falling over it in her hurry. She didn't want to turn on any lights and alert the person to her presence.

  Mostly by feel, she dug through the items until she came to the picture that had fallen from Bonita's boot. She hurried out into the hall and into the bathroom where she turned on the light and stared at the two faces closely.

  Either Bonita had come back from the dead or Luis was here on the Circle M.

  Jayne ran to Cade's door and opened it without knocking. "Cade?"

  He lifted his head immediately. "Jayne? What's wrong?"

  He threw off the sheet revealing his bare chest, though he wore jeans and socks. His shirt lay on the nightstand. Jayne realized he could be fully dressed in a heartbeat.

  "What's wrong?" he repeated.

  "Two people were out by the barn. I saw one of them. You were right. Your brother-in-law is here."

  Cade swung his legs off the bed, shoving his feet inside his boots with no wasted motion. "You saw him?"

  "Yes, but I didn't see who he was talking with."

  Heather was sleeping peacefully in the center of Cade's double bed.

  "Stay with the baby." He grabbed his shirt. Underneath was a handgun.

  "Wait! What are you going to do?"

  "Wait here."

  "But—"

  He was gone, moving silently and swiftly before she could finish her protest. She really was going to have to break him of that irritating habit he had of not listening to people.

  Cade hadn't bothered to shut the bedroom door. Still, it was only because she was straining so hard to hear that she recognized the squeak of the door hinges across the hall. She leaped out of bed and ran to the doorway. Zed stood in the hall, one hand on the guest room door. Was he leaving, or coming in? He was fully dressed down to the rifle.

  "You startled me," he said. "I heard someone moving around."

  "Do you always go to bed fully dressed?"

  "I do when I'm expecting trouble. What about you?"

  Other than footwear she realized she, too, was fully dressed.

  "I saw two men over by the barn. Cade went to check it out."

  Zed swore. "I'd better give him a hand."

  "No! It's too dark outside. He won't be able to tell friend from foe. Someone might get hurt."

  "I don't reckon it's my hide you're worryin' about now, is it? It's okay, Jayne. You probably saw Hap and Rio changing places. They were gonna take the late shifts keepin' an eye on things. I took the first watch."

  "Well you didn't do a very good job. Luis was heading toward the house."

  Zed stilled. "You saw him?"

  "Yes."

  "You might have been dreaming."

  "I wasn't"

  He started for the living room.

  "Zed, get back here! Cade might shoot you by mistake."

  "I might just shoot you on purpose, too," Cade said, suddenly filling the other end of the hall. "Going somewhere?"

  "I was goin' out there to keep you from doin* some-thin' stupid."

  "And what might that be?"

  "Jayne says she saw Luis outside."

  "If she did, he's gone now. You got dressed awful fast, Zed."

  "I was sleepin' in my clothes, same as you, I expect. You didn't find anyone?"

  "No one to find," Hap said at Cade's back. "I don't know what she saw, but I just walked through the barn.

  There was no one there. Nor any sign someone had been there."

  "I saw Luis D'Angelo," Jayne insisted stubbornly.

  Hap shoved his hat back on his head. "You kn
ow him?"

  "No, but I've seen his picture."

  "It's a very dark night, ma'am."

  "The moon came out. I saw his features clearly."

  "Well, he's gone now," Cade interrupted. "Jayne couldn't tell if he believed her or not. "What about the person I saw him talking to? Where's Rio?"

  "In the bunkhouse. Asleep," Hap added.

  "Are you sure?" she asked.

  "There's one way to find out." Cade brushed past Hap who gave Jayne a sour look before turning and following. Zed frowned at her as well.

  "I'm going with them. If Luis is nearby there should be signs of a horse or a vehicle. He sure didn't walk here."

  Deflated by their reaction, Jayne used the bathroom, snatched up the plate of food, and returned to Cade's room to wait. His window was open with a view of the front of the house. She watched Zed head toward the far side of the house, away from the barn.

  If only she'd gotten a better look at the second person. He'd been nothing more than a shadowy shape. It could have been any of the three men. Only one thing was probable. Cade had an enemy right here on this ranch. It was possible that the second person had been a stranger, but somehow, she didn't think so—and she said as much to Cade when he returned alone.

  "Rio was in the bunkhouse," Cade said. "He says he was asleep."

  "That's what Zed claims, too."

  "And Hap never saw anyone."

  "So he says. What are you going to do, Cade?"

  "I'm going to try to get a couple of hours of sleep before dawn. You'd better do the same. We're leaving first thing in the morning."

  Jayne tried not to show her hurt at this clear dismissal. She pulled off the denim shirt and reached for the hem of the T-shirt.

  "What are you doing?" Cade asked.

  "I was getting into bed. Should I keep the T-shirt on? Do you think any more will happen tonight?"

  "You're not sleeping in here."

  His words cut, but she didn't flinch. He was defining limits to protect himself. He didn't trust her or the emotions they'd shared tonight. It was up to her to show him that she wasn't Bonita and she knew her own mind.

  "Well, if you think I'm spending the rest of the night alone, think again, Cade. I know what I saw even if the rest of you don't believe me."