“Wow.”
“Yeah, but Brenda Lee got what she wanted. She lives in New York now, remarried, with two children.”
“So, you’d feel disloyal to Mac on both fronts, if you got involved with Lyle.”
“Yes, that’s so true. When you entered the picture and I saw how Mac reacted to you, I can’t tell you the sense of relief I felt. Mac hasn’t been interested—I mean seriously interested—in a woman in a long time.”
“He keeps telling me that he’s not, Lizzie. I hate to break the bad news to you, but Mac sees me as his responsibility, nothing more.”
“Right, and the sun doesn’t set in the west every afternoon.”
Flustered, Jane didn’t know what to say.
“My brother doesn’t invite women into our home, whether or not she has amnesia. He doesn’t take her shopping and then buy her gifts if he’s not interested.” Lizzie reached into the pocket of her blouse and pulled out a gold box. “He wanted me to give this to you.”
Jane accepted the gilded box Lizzie shoved her way, staring at her with total surprise.
“Well, open it. I’m dying to see what it is.”
Slowly, with deft fingers, Jane pried open the box. “Oh,” she said softly, as tears pooled in her eyes. She pulled out a set of matching, stamped silver earrings, necklace and bracelet—large round hoops connected by smaller links. “I took one long look at these in the window while we were shopping. I didn’t think Mac noticed. I didn’t want him to notice, Lizzie. I couldn’t possibly expect him to buy me jewelry.”
“But he did.”
“Yes, he did,” Jane said quietly, hugging the box to her chest and hard-pressed to name all of the warm emotions whirling by. “Why didn’t he give them to me himself?”
Lizzie’s smile widened. “Probably because he couldn’t take seeing that look in your eyes. You’ve nearly got me teared up, too.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Just do me a favor? When you thank him, don’t make a huge deal about it. Mac’s not into big thank-yous. It’s enough that he sees you wearing them.”
“I’m not sure I should even accept them, Lizzie.”
“They didn’t break his bank account, Jane. And you’d hurt his feelings, big time, if you sent them back.”
Jane fingered the necklace, playing with the hoops and admiring the fine details. Of all the expensive jewelry she’d seen today, stealing glances in shop windows, this simple silver set had impressed her most. And Mac had picked up on that.
Small wonder. He had great investigative skills and good instincts.
“On second thought, I couldn’t possibly send them back. Help me put them on?” She handed the necklace to Lizzie.
“Sure, but on one condition. When I get back from my trip, you’ll help me tackle a whole new wardrobe. I need to go on a shopping spree of my own.”
“I’d love to, Lizzie. Sounds like fun. But where are you going?”
“North Carolina. My best friend, Caitlin, is delivering her baby earlier than expected. And her husband, Joe, is on a mission overseas. The marines won’t send him home anytime soon. I’m going to be her birth partner and the baby’s godmother.”
“That’s wonderful. How long will you be gone?”
Lizzie bounded up from the bed to fasten the necklace around Jane’s neck. “I’m leaving on Sunday and I’ll be gone less than a week. But long enough for you and Mac to figure out where you stand.”
Jane stood there, wearing the jewelry Mac had given her, shaking her head at Lizzie. “Mac’s going to think you’re matchmaking.”
“It’s not my fault that Caitlin had some complications. They’re taking the baby early, by caesarean section. I can’t let my friend down. A promise is a promise, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the birth.” She smiled, showing a beautiful set of white teeth, so much like her brother’s. “But I have to admit,” she added, cocking her head, “the timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
Six
Jane stood at the back door, debating about going into Mac’s garage this morning. She’d heard him exit the kitchen, and berated herself for not rising earlier to catch him during breakfast. He hadn’t come home for dinner last night after their shopping trip, Lizzie explaining that he’d been called into the sheriff’s station for an emergency. And Jane had yet to thank him for his generous gift.
She wore the jewelry today, the silver pieces setting off her new sleeveless lilac blouse and lightweight black slacks very nicely. It completed the outfit, making her feel more put together than she had all week. The weather had warmed up considerably, the Colorado summer taking hold, and Jane’s new clothes lent her the cool comfort she needed. She’d even put her hair up in a ponytail, and wondered if that was something she’d been inclined to do. Was she the tomboyish, ponytail type of woman? She didn’t know, but right now having her hair up brought a cooling breeze to her neck and throat. Something she figured she’d need, if Mac were working out in his gym as she suspected.
She heaved a heavy sigh and strode toward the garage. She knew one thing about herself—her thank-yous couldn’t wait. But just as a precaution, instead of entering the garage, she decided to steal a quick peek through the window. She saw no sign of Mac in there and didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed. Just as she began to turn away, his voice boomed in her ear.
“Looking for me?”
She whirled around and found him leaning against the fence post, sipping from his water bottle. His bronzed chest glistened under the Colorado sun, and once again he wore nothing but his sweatpants and a white towel draped around his neck.
“Oh, Mac. Yes, I was. I…didn’t want to interrupt your workout.”
“I’m through,” he said, taking a last sip from his bottle. He set it on the post and approached her.
It was all Jane could do to keep from backing away. Mac stared at her in a way that made her heart race, her nerves jangle and her lips pucker, among other parts of her anatomy. She saw his gaze flicker to her throat, taking in the necklace, then the bracelet and finally catching the gleam of the hoop earrings she wore.
“You look pretty,” he said as he came to stand before her.
She blushed, swallowing hard. Her hand instinctively reached for the necklace. It was the first time Mac had paid her a direct, unabashed compliment. “Oh, um, that’s why I came out here. To thank you. I love the jewelry, but then you must have known that.”
He nodded, and Jane didn’t gush with thanks, keeping in mind what Lizzie had told her. “It was a nice surprise.”
“Jane,” Mac began, staring into her eyes. Her pulse escalated until she thought she’d faint. She waited for him to continue, but when he only stared, she realized it was the first time she’d seen him at a loss for words. She didn’t know what to make of it.
“Did you want something?”
He lifted one corner of his mouth, not in a smile as she knew it, but more a sardonic expression. “Not a good question to ask of a man who wants…”
“Wants? What do you want, Mac?”
As if catching himself for mistakenly revealing a real, undisguised emotion, Mac started to retreat. Jane grabbed both ends of the towel hugging his neck and tugged, refusing to let him go.
She stood toe to toe with him, looking up into his handsome face.
His eyes darkened to nearly black. Then his gaze focused on her mouth.
Swamped with heat, pulsating with desire, Jane parted her lips.
Mac groaned, closing his eyes briefly.
“What do you want?” she asked again, this time as softly as a summer wind.
“Not here,” he said enigmatically, puzzling Jane even more. Then he took her hand, tugged her along with him into the garage and pressed her up against the wall. Bracing his hands on either side of her, trapping her, he lowered his mouth on hers for a deep, long, openmouthed kiss.
Jane moaned, sighing with pleasure. She hadn’t expected this—not anything like this—but she wasn�
��t complaining. Though it was totally insane, she couldn’t deny Mac this kiss, or anything else he might want.
She stroked his smooth, slick skin, running her hands up and down his chest, curling her fingers into the mass of curling hairs. He was firm and well muscled, and Jane couldn’t get enough of Sheriff Mac Riggs. Her hands slid over him again and again, until he, too, couldn’t get enough. He pressed his body closer, his tight, hard erection rubbing her belly. Jane thought she’d die from the sensations.
“Oh, Mac,” she breathed, willing him to take everything he wanted. And somehow, a moment later, Jane’s blouse was undone, and Mac was there, sliding his hands inside, caressing her sensitive flesh.
He flicked his thumbs over her nipples, back and forth, heightening her pleasure until she wanted to scream out. Mac kissed her again and again, trailing his lips down her throat, licking her skin until the anticipation grew too much. Jane arched for him, offering herself, and he bent his head to take her inside his mouth, hot and moist and slick.
“You’re so damn perfect,” he whispered in a husky voice, lifting up to kiss her again. “I want all of you, honey.”
Jane searched his gaze, finding desire there, a stark, dark desperation in his eyes. She felt the same, and nodded as much. She wanted Mac to make love to her, to find a place inside her and stay until both of them were sated and spent and exhausted. She wanted that connection. To feel. To belong. She wanted all that. And only with Mac.
He moved her along with him, without breaking the connection until he lowered her down onto his workout bench. Within a second his body covered hers, and she noted how careful he was, how much he held back so as not to crush her.
He moved slowly, taking his time now, kissing her, stroking her, his body rubbing hers in all the right places. She ached for him. Everything inside her cried out for completion with this man.
And when he finally reached for the zipper of her slacks, Jane sucked in her breath, making it easier for him.
Bells rang.
At first Jane thought it was a school bell. Or the clanging of a fire truck.
Mac stopped midway with her zipper.
He listened.
Then he sat up, and she felt the immediate loss.
“What is it?” she asked.
“My cell phone, Jane. Something’s up. Either at the station or with Lizzie.”
Yet he allowed the ringing to continue. He glanced down at her, and she felt suddenly exposed and vulnerable. But his eyes held hers, telling her in unspoken words that it was okay. And with that one look he vanquished any embarrassment she might have had.
He reached for her hand, lifted her to an upright position on the workout bench and sighed. “Jane, it’s a good thing the phone rang.”
She didn’t agree.
“I didn’t even think about a condom.”
Jane buttoned her blouse, and he watched until she was fully dressed again. She sensed his retreat, the backlash of his actions to follow.
“This is crazy,” he said, standing now, admonishing himself. Mac wasn’t a man to lose control, and Jane figured he’d be blaming himself for this. “I wasn’t thinking, period. How are you going to forgive me?”
She stood then, mustering her courage and tamping down her anger. “Shut up, Mac.”
He snapped his head up. “What?”
“Don’t you dare apologize to me. I’m a big girl, fully capable of making decisions for myself.” Jane turned away so he wouldn’t see her distress. “Don’t you have to see about that phone call?”
“Jane?”
“Just go, Mac,” she said forcefully. Then more softly, she repeated, “Just go.”
“Are you all right?”
Jane wanted to scream “No!” She wasn’t all right. Nothing had been right since she lost her memory. But for a few brief moments this morning, she’d thought that maybe everything would be all right. With Mac. And her.
“I’m fine.”
Mac lifted the cell phone from the worktable and glanced at the number. “It’s the station.”
“So, call them back.”
He glanced over at her, standing there by his workout bench, the place where both of their lives might have changed this morning. “I’m—”
“Don’t say it, Mac. I’m warning you.”
He actually smiled, as if her tone amused him, then turned to make his phone call.
Jane bounded out of the garage, filled with enough emotions to sink a cruise liner. She needed out of here, fast.
And that was exactly what she decided to do.
Leave.
Mac stepped out of the shower, dried off quickly and dressed. He had to get to the station as soon as possible, and he had to speak with Jane. The news he’d gotten involved her, but Mac wasn’t too thrilled to have to spend any more time with her this morning. Hell, what had he been thinking earlier, in the garage? He’d almost made love to her like some smitten, hormone-crazed teen without the sense God had given him.
It wasn’t like Mac to lose control like that. He’d prided himself on his rationality and good judgment. He’d been alone a long time, he told himself. And he was sexually attracted to Jane.
What living, breathing man wouldn’t be?
But he’d thought he could manage having her live under his roof. After all, they had Lizzie as a chaperone. The thought that he needed a chaperone around Jane made him nuts. Where had all his willpower gone?
He’d like to turn his baby sister over his knee just thinking about her obvious ploy to shove Jane at him every chance she could. Lizzie had never been out of the house this much. She’d never had “meetings” or “appointments” in the evenings that kept her out late.
As soon as Jane had arrived on the scene, his sister had made herself scarce.
Mac made a mental note to read her the riot act the next time they were alone. Lizzie didn’t know she was playing with fire. Mac had already been burned once, and though he’d gotten over the searing pain a long time ago, he wasn’t stupid enough to jump into the flames again. And Lizzie’s latest news, about leaving on Sunday to spend nearly a week with Caitlin, wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
“Babies come when they want,” Lizzie had said, “and I can’t help it if this one is coming early. Caitlin had some complications and she needs a C-section. You know, darn well I promised I’d be there, Mac.”
Yeah, Mac had known, but he hadn’t planned on being left entirely alone with Jane for all that time. Still, he couldn’t really fault Lizzie on that one, but he didn’t have to like it.
He’d made himself a personal vow to keep a safe distance from Jane, but that wasn’t easy when he spent time with her during the day for duty’s sake, and nights with her at home. Hell, there was no use starting up something with a woman who was here only temporarily. He berated himself again for not exercising more caution when it came to Jane.
But when he’d seen her today, looking bright and pretty in her new clothes, wearing the jewelry he thought she’d deserved, something inside him had snapped. A possessive, almost carnal urge had taken hold. The jewelry had glistened on her skin, catching the light and beaming at him, and Mac had found himself at a loss. He’d only wanted one thing.
Jane.
“And look where that got you, buddy,” he said ruefully.
He managed to stop himself in time, but if his phone hadn’t chimed, ringing loud enough to wake the dead, would he have had the good sense to call a halt to making love to her? “You only managed to confuse her even more,” he said quietly as he stepped out of his bedroom. He knew that the last thing Jane needed in her life was more chaos and uncertainty. And he also knew he’d blown it with her in a major way. He didn’t think he would ever forget that look of hurt and disappointment on her face when he’d come to his senses. Hell, he’d been damn disappointed, too. But he’d never be able to convince Jane of that. She wasn’t too happy with him right now, but he had to face her, to tell her the news he’d received this morning.
He heaved a sigh and went searching. Five minutes later, after checking and rechecking the house and grounds, Mac got in his patrol car and slammed the door. His heart beat like crazy as he wondered where she was. The lawman in him hated the fact that because of the way he’d found her—alone, abandoned on that ridge—he hadn’t really ruled out foul play. Had someone come searching for her? Had someone meant her harm?
It wasn’t like Jane to leave the house so abruptly. Mac hated the route his mind had taken. He pressed the gas pedal and took off slowly, scouring the streets of Winchester in hopes of finding a gorgeous blonde with a hot temper.
When he finally found her, he had to tamp down his own raging temper, allowing himself one brief moment of relief. He spotted her on the main street of town, speaking to—no, actually laughing with—Lyle Brody. If he recalled correctly, this was his deputy’s day off, and the fact that he wore jeans and a blue plaid shirt verified Mac’s assumption. They stood in front of Tyler’s Market, Lyle shifting a bag of groceries in his arms.
Mac parked the car ten yards down the street and waited. When neither looked his way, he counted to ten, a precaution he’d learned to take whenever he felt the urge to do something impulsive, then got out of his car.
He leaned against the passenger side door and waited, arms folded.
Whether Jane didn’t see him or just refused to acknowledge him, he couldn’t be sure. After another round of counting to ten, he approached, keeping his stride and his demeanor casual.
“Morning.” He spoke to Lyle.
Both seemed truly surprised to see him standing there, which only added to his irritation. What had been so dang interesting that the two had blotted out the rest of the world?
“Hey, Sheriff,” Lyle said, straightening up and wiping the grin from his face. “Look who I bumped into. Jane and I were—”
Dynasties: The Elliotts, Books 1-6 Page 72