by Cara Summers
And she was going to be a problem for him.
For the first few minutes after he’d left her in the bedroom, he’d struggled hard against the urge to forget about the questions he had and just walk back in there, toss her onto the bed and make love to her again. Instead, he’d run water in the sink and splashed it on his face. He might not be a gentle lover, but caveman tactics weren’t his style.
Then again, no other woman had ever shoved him onto his ass. His lips twitched at the memory, then he sipped more coffee. He’d told her the truth about his mother. His father, a career army man, had died when he was ten. D.C. had been nine and their sister Darcy had been six. Their mother had gotten a teaching job in Baltimore and had proceeded to raise her children the way she managed her classes—with a firm hand.
Problem was, he didn’t want to be a gentleman with Maddie. If he did make a move on her, she wouldn’t resist. Just in those few moments that they’d lain together in his bed after they’d awakened, he’d sensed she was as reluctant as he to pull away. And she was just as curious as he was about what it would be like to make love while they were both fully awake. That made the temptation almost irresistible.
If he joined her in that shower now, they could both find out. In a matter of seconds—perhaps ten to get into the bathroom and another five to strip out of his jeans—he could step under the spray and…
With an oath, Jase set his mug down, then gripped the edge of the counter with both hands. Being this enthralled by a woman just wasn’t like him. He couldn’t deny that he had a reckless streak. He and D.C. had gotten into more than their fair share of trouble in their teenage years. According to his mother, they were responsible for turning her hair prematurely gray. But college with a major in business and four years in the navy, two in special ops, had pretty much drummed recklessness out of his system.
As he glanced down the hall at the closed shower door, guilt moved through him. Hadn’t he already taken enough advantage of her? Sure, he’d been exhausted, sleep-deprived, but the bottom line was that he’d allowed himself to be lulled into making love to a woman he’d found in his bed. He should have fought harder against the dream she’d enveloped him in. Making love to her had been a mistake. A big one.
And he shouldn’t have to be fighting so damn hard against the desire to repeat the experience. If she was telling the truth, she was his best friend’s sister.
Jase refilled his mug and took a long swallow. Time to step back, look at the big picture and come up with a plan. That was what had saved his life several times during his special-ops missions in the navy.
He should be focusing on what she was doing here, not joining her in that shower. And what in the hell was Jordan doing on a ranch in Santa Fe? He nearly grinned at the thought. Talk about a fish out of water. From the time he’d first met her, Jordan had been a city girl right down to her weekly manicure and pedicure.
While he’d waited for the coffee to brew, he’d tried to contact Jordan on her cell to check out the twin story, but she wasn’t picking up. Then he’d typed Maddie Farrell into his laptop.
Madison Farrell was a Southwestern jewelry designer in Santa Fe. In addition to her photo, her Web site featured images of finely carved silver pins, belt buckles and rings, all with a clearly Southwestern flair. When he’d searched Santa Fe’s newspaper, The New Mexican, he’d found an article praising the intricacy and modern artistry of her designs. Like mother, like daughter, he’d thought. He’d also come across an obituary for a local rancher, Mike Farrell, who’d died a year ago and had been survived by his only daughter, Madison.
So, she was evidently who she said she was, and she looked enough like Jordan to be her twin—but he still had questions—a lot of them.
And until he got some answers, he was going to put any plans for taking Maddie Farrell back to his bed on hold.
MADDIE TURNED a complete circle in the shower and let the hot water sluice over her. Her body ached in places it had never ached before, places where Jase Campbell had touched her. And it felt wonderful.
With a sigh she rested her head against the shower wall. She had to think—and not about Jase. What had happened between them in that bed of his during the night had been crazy. Wonderful. Amazing. But it had been a mistake. And mistakes were for learning, not for repeating.
Waking up beside him had distracted her. Big-time. He didn’t even know about Eva’s death. Jordan hadn’t been able to reach him.
Pouring shampoo into her palms, she lathered her hair lavishly, then rinsed it, wishing she could wash the man right out just as easily as soap. It might not be that simple, but she was going to try. She had to be practical, use some common sense. And get herself back on track.
After all, she only had three weeks to walk around in Jordan’s shoes, and she had a lot to do. It hadn’t been just to please her sister and fulfill the terms of the will that she’d come to New York, she reminded herself. Before she went back to Santa Fe, she intended to find out everything she could about Eva Ware. If Jordan was right and Eva had been truly interested in a daughter who designed jewelry, why had she waited so long to act on that interest? Too long.
Each time she thought about the fact that she’d never really get to meet or talk with Eva, a little band of pain tightened around her heart.
If she could, she was going to find out why she and Jordan had been separated. The key was there. She was sure of it. Though she hadn’t mentioned it to her sister, she had a theory that Eva might have confided in someone that she’d had twins. She’d bet that Cash’s father had known. But he’d passed on a year before her own father had.
Getting the answers to her questions and getting to know as much as she could about Eva Ware—those had to be her priorities.
Twisting off the faucets, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel. Then she swiped the steam off the mirror over the sink and faced her image.
“You have too much on your plate right now to fit Jase Campbell in.”
And wasn’t it possible that Jase felt the same way about her? After all, he’d been out of the country for over three weeks. He must have a lot to catch up on at his office.
Bending over, Maddie began to towel-dry her hair. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that she might have hit on the key to extricate them both from an…awkward situation.
Reason and logic—that was the strategy. After all, she’d grown up surrounded by men—her father and Cash, to name two. The business of running the ranch had always been the men’s primary focus. Her father had even missed her first jewelry show because he’d had to meet personally with a buyer in Albuquerque.
Though it had hurt at the time, she’d come to understand his decision. How many times during the past year had she prioritized her growing design business over the ranch? Often enough that Cash was growing concerned. He’d taken over more and more of the work she should have been doing, including driving her cattle to market.
It had helped to talk to Jordan about her concerns that she really couldn’t run the ranch on her own. How much longer could she rely on Cash’s help? She hoped that Jordan would have some ideas on that score, because she didn’t want to have to sell.
Maddie hung up the towel and pulled on the clothes she’d unpacked from her suitcase—her old standbys—jeans and a T-shirt. Then she frowned as she glanced at her image in the mirror. Her problems at the ranch had to go to the back burner for now. Jase Campbell was the big issue she had to deal with. Surely he’d understand that what had happened between them was, no, had to be, a one-time fling. A mistake that could not and would not be repeated.
Her frown deepened when she felt the sharp twist of regret. She wondered for a moment just who it was she was trying to convince that the time they’d spent in Jase’s bed couldn’t be repeated.
WHEN JASE heard the door to the bathroom open, his first instinct was to turn away. But there was no time like the present to discover just what effect Maddie Farre
ll would have on his senses after their short reprieve. Her walk was a lot like Jordan’s—long purposeful strides—but Maddie’s was slower. And he’d never found himself staring at Jordan’s legs. He slid his gaze up body-hugging denim and over the white T-shirt that revealed everything about that tight compact body he’d only begun to explore during the night. The clothes were nothing that he’d ever seen Jordan in. Even when she went casual, she looked like a fashion plate.
When Maddie finally came to a stop in front of the island that separated the main room of the apartment from the galley-sized kitchen, Jase shifted his eyes to her face. It was there that he noted the biggest difference between the twins.
He’d accepted the fact that the two women were twins. They had to be. Except for the length of their hair, they might be mirror images of each other. And it was just his luck that he found the single braid that fell over one of Maddie’s shoulders sexy as hell. Each time his eyes strayed to it, he felt an urge to loosen it and run his fingers through it.
Tucking his hands firmly into the back pockets of his jeans, Jase transferred his attention to Maddie’s other features. Jordan’s expression was more animated, and her eyes often held a glint of humor. Maddie, with her chin lifted and her eyes solemn, looked as if she were about to face a firing squad. There was a resolve there that he couldn’t help but admire.
The little twist of guilt he felt had him putting himself in her shoes for the first time. She’d come to New York, and as part of her introduction to the city she’d found herself in his bed. And he’d taken full advantage of it. No matter that she’d cooperated fully. Quite suddenly, it became his goal to set her at ease and to wipe that facing-the-firing-squad expression off her face.
“We have to talk,” she said.
“We do. How do you take your coffee—plain or loaded?”
“Plain—if that means black.”
“Good taste. Jordan barely puts a dollop of coffee in her cream and sugar.” He filled a mug and handed it to her. “Do you want an apology for what happened in my bed last night?”
Surprise had her nearly spilling her coffee. Gripping the mug in two hands, she said, “No. Of course not.”
“Good.” He slid onto one of the stools on his side of the narrow island, keeping his eyes steady on hers. “Because I’m not sorry it happened. Are you?”
“I…” She paused as if to consider the question. “I suppose in a way, I am. Because it complicates things.”
“But…?”
Twin spots of heat flared in her cheeks. He couldn’t recall Jordan ever blushing.
“But in another way, I’m not sorry. Because I’ve never…It was…”
He smiled slowly. “Yeah, it was for me too.”
She could have evaded his pointed questions. Lied. But she hadn’t. His admiration for her shot up another notch.
“While we’re on the subject, there’s something else I need to ask. Are you protected? I didn’t use a condom last night.”
Two spots of color reappeared on her face. “I’m on the pill.”
“You’re seeing someone then?” Jase was surprised at how much he disliked that idea.
“No.” Her chin shot up. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Relief warred with amusement. She certainly had her sister’s temper. He was careful to bite back the grin. “I’m not seeing anyone either.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Did I ask?”
How often had he heard Jordan use that same haughty tone?
“Look.” Maddie set her mug down on the countertop and sat on the stool across from his. “I think we need to agree that what happened between us last night was a mistake. And when I make one, I don’t like to repeat it.”
He narrowed his eyes on her. “Why was it a mistake?”
She braced a hand on the counter, fingers spread. “Because it’s a complication I don’t have time for. I need to explain why I’m here and why Jordan is in Santa Fe.”
Yes, you do, Jase thought. And he was baffled at how her mere presence in the room could distract his mind from that pivotal question.
Maddie drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Jordan told me she hadn’t had time to contact you, so I’m sorry to have to tell you that Eva Ware is dead.”
Jase’s eyes narrowed and something in his gut tightened. “She’s dead? How? When?”
“An accident. She was killed by a hit-and-run driver in front of her apartment building a week ago.”
An accident? Even as he struggled to absorb what she was saying, he reached for her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Maddie linked her fingers with his. “I didn’t know her, and now I never will. I’m still trying to accept that.”
“How’s Jordan?” He couldn’t stop thinking that he’d been away. Jordan had been alone.
“I don’t think she’s had time for the loss to fully sink in. She’s been busy handling details—the funeral and then the will. The whole thing will probably catch up with her at the ranch. It’s a very special place. I’m hoping that being there will help her.”
“Why is she there—and why are you here? Why aren’t you together?”
“Because of Eva’s will.”
Her fingers were holding on to his like a lifeline now. “Tell me everything.”
Maddie did just that, beginning with the phone call from Fitzwalter, then the meeting with her sister and the other Wares, the reading of the will and their decision to meet its terms.
“And Jordan’s alone at the ranch?”
“Yes.” A frown furrowed her forehead. “I’m a little concerned about that. We’ve had some problems lately—vandalism, and my horses had a close call.”
“How so?”
“Someone poisoned their feed, but don’t worry—Cash is due back tomorrow.”
“Who’s Cash?”
“My closest neighbor. We grew up together, actually.”
When Jase noticed that his knuckles had turned white gripping the handle of the coffee mug, he set it carefully down on the counter and flexed his fingers. “And you’re involved with this Cash?”
“When it comes to the running of the ranch, you could say we’re involved. Since my Dad died, Cash is always poking his nose in, making suggestions, offering to do things. He’s gotten very protective. The last few days he’s been helping my foreman get my cattle to market. He doesn’t even know about Jordan or about anything that’s happened.”
Jase found that he didn’t like the idea of some cowboy—childhood friend or not—hanging around Maddie. It was the second time that she’d made him come close to feeling jealous. And he’d only known her—what? A handful of hours?
In the silence that stretched between them, Maddie’s stomach growled.
“You’re hungry.” Jase rose from his stool and pulled the refrigerator door open. Nothing except two bottles of energy water. He pulled them out and set them on the island. “When was the last time you ate?”
Maddie shrugged as she opened one of the bottles. “They served some pretzels when we were stranded for three hours on the runway at O’Hare.”
Jase began a methodical search of the cupboards. “Jordan doesn’t cook, and she’s a regular old Mother Hubbard when it comes to stocking provisions. But she usually keeps a stash of cookies.” Giving up on the cupboards, he opened the microwave door. “Aha, success.” He pulled out a bag. “Chocolate chip. Will these tide you over?”
Maddie selected one from the stack he piled in front of her. “They’re my favorite. I always keep some in my studio at the ranch.”
Jase smiled. “Another thing you and Jordan have in common besides temper, I guess.”
When she’d finished the first cookie, she began to fiddle with her braid. Jase found himself wanting to reach out and touch it too—instead of asking some important questions. Alarm bells had been going off in his head ever since she’d told him that Eva had been the victim of a hit-and-run driver. Three weeks after her store had been robbed.
“Maddie, do you have any idea why Eva made out her will that way?”
“Jordan thinks that in the event of her death, Eva wanted a daughter with a flair for jewelry design to get involved in her business.”
Jase didn’t much care for the way Eva had set up her will, but all he said was, “Do you know if anyone knew about the terms of the will ahead of time?”
As she reached for another cookie, she considered the question. Then she shook her head. “They all seemed pretty shocked when Fitzwalter read the will. Except for Cho Li. Besides Jordan’s, his was the only friendly face in the room.”
“Why do you think Eva wanted you and Jordan to change places?”
She set down the cookie. “I’m not sure. But I’m not comfortable with Jordan’s theory. I don’t like the idea of taking something that belongs to her. I’m hoping that Eva’s plan had a broader design and that she wanted Jordan to experience what she’d missed all these years by not growing up on a ranch. While she’s out there, Jordan’s going to try to see what she can do to help me make the ranch more profitable.”
Jase studied her. “The ranch is in trouble beyond the vandalism?”
Maddie sighed. “I’m not the rancher my father was. And I can’t help feeling guilty about that.”
“Guilt can be hard to deal with.”
Maddie’s eyes flew to his. After a moment she said, “I’m sorry. All I’m doing is talking about myself. Jordan said that you were away all this time because you were trying to free some hostages. Were you successful?”
“Partially. There were three. We lost one of them.”
This time, she was the one who reached for his hand. “I’m sorry.”
For the first time since he’d left South America, Jase felt something loosen inside of him. Then he said aloud what he’d been telling himself ever since he’d looked down at the body of the man he hadn’t been able to rescue. “The two we did free were a man and his son. They were reunited with the rest of their family in Panama City yesterday.”