Beneath A Texas Sky (Harlequin Super Romance)

by Winters, Rebecca

  She took it from him and scanned the contents.

  “The other day Art Watkins asked me to pass out a bunch of these during my deliveries. I saved one for you in case the situation with Glen reached the crisis stage.

  “Now that it has, you mustn’t stay here. I don’t care if you have a gun. The trailer’s too isolated.”

  “I agree. Jace—” she raised hope-filled eyes to his “—the apartment advertised in this flyer has everything I need, including a garage. Do you think they’ve rented it yet?”

  “I don’t know. If you’re interested, why don’t you call Art now and find out. His phone number is listed there. It’s only quarter after ten. When he hears why you’re calling, he won’t mind being disturbed.”

  Dana didn’t need any urging. After a short conversation, she hung up and stared at him in shock.

  He smiled. “I take it the place is still vacant.”

  “Yes! I can’t believe it. Mrs. Watkins says to come now and they’ll show it to me.”

  “Then grab what you need and let’s go.”

  She reached for her purse and followed him out the door, locking it behind her.

  “If I’d had any idea there was an apartment like that available, I would never have rented the trailer.”

  “I don’t think it was empty five weeks ago.” Jace backed the car into the street and they headed for town. “Even if it’s not what you had in mind, tell them you’ll take it for a temporary period.”

  “At this point I’d do anything to get away from Glen. I can’t stand the thought of being near him.”

  “Amen to that.”

  Jace drove them to the address listed on the flyer. The Watkinses’ ranch-style home turned out to be two streets behind the drugstore. It was situated in the residential area of the town with houses on both sides of the street.

  He pulled into their driveway. “Glen will find it difficult breaking into an apartment with all these neighbors around.”

  She nodded. “That’s the first thing I noticed.”

  As they approached the house, Art and his wife came out of the house to greet them. Their warmth appealed to Dana and so did their furnished one-bedroom apartment. She could see herself living there comfortably.

  “Shall I give you a check now?”

  “That’ll be fine.” Art handed her a key. “You can move in anytime.”

  “I think I’ll do it tomorrow. I have friends arriving from California around noon. They’ll help me settle in.”

  Mrs. Watkins beamed. “We’re delighted to get a renter like you.”

  “I’m thankful I heard about the place. If it weren’t for Jace, I don’t know what I would have done. The trailer is adequate, but it’s too far away from town.”

  “Oh my goodness yes!” the other woman commiserated.

  Art darted Jace a meaningful smile. “It looks like I’m really in your debt now.”

  “Consider it paid in full, Art. Knowing Dana’s going to be living here takes a big load of worry off my mind. From day one I didn’t like the idea of her being alone in that trailer.”

  The four of them walked out to Jace’s car and the Watkinses waved them off. Jace drove them back to the trailer.

  When he pulled behind her car, he said, “I’ll give you two choices for tonight. If you want, I’ll stay with you in the trailer and use your couch. Or, I can offer you a night out in nature. Tonight, it isn’t even cold.”

  Her heart pounded mercilessly. “If you’re asking me to camp with you, the answer is yes. Every time you’ve gone before, I’ve been envious.”

  His right arm lay along the back of her seat. He played with several tendrils of her hair. “You’re a woman after my own heart. If I hadn’t been afraid of scaring you off, I would have asked you to join me.”

  I hope that’s true, Jace, because I’ve fallen so deeply in love with you, I’m frightened.

  “Where shall we go?”

  “I know a grassy spot protected by junipers. It’s on a piece of private property about fifty yards from an observatory where we can sneak in for food and drinks.”

  Her laughter rang inside the car.

  “I’ll use my bedroll. You can sleep on my air mattress.”

  “That’s very generous of you, but I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of your creature comfort when I have a futon.”

  “This is sounding better and better. I’m warning you now. I have an ulterior motive.”

  So did Dana. Tonight she wouldn’t have to watch him drive away and take the warmth of the night with him. “Am I going to like it?” she prodded.

  “Will it be a drag showing me the constellations? I’m a little rusty on that score. This will be a perfect opportunity to learn from my favorite expert.”

  His comment wasn’t the one she’d expected. If she wasn’t mistaken, he’d just told her he could spend a night under the stars with her and keep a rein on his emotions. Had he said it for his benefit or hers?

  Stop it, Dana.

  To read something into every little look or word wasn’t fair to him or the situation. Ashamed because she had no control where he was concerned, it made her realize prison had really changed her. Since meeting Jace, she wanted too much, too fast. Somehow she would have to find a way to restrain herself.

  “Dana?”

  She flashed him a quick smile. “Sorry. You mentioned the constellations and my mind took off for a minute. Mom accuses Dad of the same behavior.”

  Opening his car door, she said, “I’ll just grab some things I need and be right back.”

  It only took a minute to put her sweats and a few items in a bag. She gathered her cell phone and turned off all but one light.

  Jace was waiting for her outside the door. “Let’s go up in both cars. I’m in the mood to protect you. Besides, I don’t want Glen to get any ideas about breaking into your Toyota.”

  “Neither do I,” she said as he walked her to her car. Just the mention of his name sent a wave of revulsion through her body. “He’s so creepy.”

  GLEN MASON’S A LOT more than that.

  Jace pressed a swift kiss to her lips. “I’ll follow you.”

  He backed out first, then waited for Dana to move ahead of him. Clearly, she had no comprehension of her neighbor’s perverted mind, let alone his criminal activities. She didn’t need to know about the camera yet. It would only cause her more anxiety.

  In Jace’s gut he knew Glen had a string of arrests behind him ten miles long. But where? Which states?

  About now Jace was ready to put him away for good. But this was a waiting game. Until he had the background he needed on Ralph’s grandson and Lewis Burdick, it was too soon to do anything that would make either of them suspicious.

  So far there’d been no calls from Pat. When morning came, Jace would learn the status of both Glen’s and Lewis’s activities. As for the fingerprints, it might be a couple of days before there was any kind of word back.

  Jace took a deep breath. For the time being he planned to put everything away and concentrate on Dana. After a whole week of fantasizing about making love to her, he was finally going to get her in his arms for an entire night.

  It would take all the control he could muster, but he would let her set the pace. But by the time they’d set up their little campsite, that was easier said than done.

  When she came toward him from the observatory dressed in a pair of gray sweats and a white T-shirt, her hair disheveled by the slight breeze, the effect was almost surreal. Bathed in a sliver of moonlight on top of Mount Luna, she looked like a gorgeous celebrity who’d just walked off the pages of some magazine.

  Her body, her mind—everything about her—excited him. She seemed too good to be true. Ever since he’d met her, he felt as if she was part of some fantastic dream that might end at any second. Unfortunately, that kind of paranoia went with the territory when you had to go undercover.

  Anything could happen on a manhunt. Much as he craved telling her the whole truth ab
out himself, it was for her safety that he didn’t.

  There was so much he needed to share with her. Selfishly he wanted her to know what he did for a living. She might not like it. A lot of women didn’t. In that case he would have to win her around.

  But until he could be honest about everything, he couldn’t plead his own case. His only option was to enjoy being with her on a moment-to-moment basis.

  Before Dana had come into his life, he would often meet a woman one day and be gone the next. In fact, his mobility had suited his restless lifestyle, especially in a couple of cases where a woman he’d met expected more from him than he’d been willing to give.

  Not so with Dana. Upon a first meeting, her feminine beauty had drawn him like a bee to honey.

  She’d stunned him with her brilliance and natural teaching ability. The other night she showed she had a way with children that had charmed him. Her charming personality had mesmerized everyone.

  Jace had been so proud of her, he’d wanted to shout that he was with her, that she belonged to him! It shocked him that she could bring out such a possessive feeling in him.

  Maybe that had more to do with Glen than Jace realized. Knowing the creep had been filming her for a month made Jace black with rage.

  But he needed to let go of it for tonight.

  “I raided the fridge. This is for you.” Breaking out in a beguiling smile, she handed him a sack of goodies.

  He used his free arm to pull her close. “All this and heaven too.”

  Her mouth was warm and waiting for him. Ten minutes later he didn’t remember dropping the sack. The feel of her body, the taste of her lips had cast their spell.

  When she broke off kissing him, he couldn’t tell who was trembling the hardest.

  “It’s almost midnight. Let’s see what we can find in the night sky.” She bent over and undid her tote bag. “You’ll need these.”

  Jace took the binoculars and stretched out on top of his sleeping bag. “Come here,” he urged, patting the spot next to him.

  She knelt at his side. When their eyes met, he felt his heart slam against his ribs. “Let me look through the glasses for a moment and I’ll find you something interesting.”

  He handed them back to her. “It will have to be spectacular to compare to what I’m looking at right now.”

  Even though it was dark, he could tell she was blushing.

  “All right—” Her voice sounded a trifle breathless. “I’ll give them back. Aim exactly where my finger is pointing.”

  Enchanted by everything she said and did, he put them to his eyes. “These are powerful!”

  “They have to be for fieldwork.”

  “What exactly am I looking for?”

  “A trio of galaxies within the Andromeda constellation.”

  “Is the largest one a spiral?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I see it. Lord, what a sight!”

  “It is spectacular because you’re also viewing the M31 and M110 elliptical galaxies. From that perspective, you get an idea of the vastness of space.”

  “I’m ashamed to admit how little I know about the universe. It’s so awesome, I can’t find the words.”

  “I know what you mean. No matter how many times I look through the telescope, it’s always like the first time.”

  “A master hand had to be responsible.”

  “To me there’s no doubt about it,” she murmured.

  “Give me the glasses and I’ll focus on a portion of Pegasus for you before it’s too difficult to see.”

  “The winged horse.”

  She nodded while she made an adjustment. He marveled at her knowledge. When he looked at the heavens, he saw a glittering canopy of stars. Dana’s eyes saw so much more. She understood so much more.

  “Okay. Look exactly where I’m pointing. You’ll see four stars forming a square.”

  Jace found them out almost immediately. “They’re brighter than I would have imagined.”

  “For most people it’s the easiest portion of Pegasus to identify. Look a little to the right to see the rest of the constellation.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t make it out. Lie down on my shoulder and you can point it out to me.”

  He felt her chuckle clear through to his insides. Without any coaxing, she did what he’d been aching for her to do and snuggled up to him. Her warm, soft cheek pressed against his and a wonderful fragrance wafted over him. He pulled her closer and moved the glasses so she could look through them.

  Together they gazed up at the shimmering sky and reveled in the closeness of their embrace.

  When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he put the glasses behind his head and turned on his side to kiss the mouth that had been enticing him forever.

  She invited him to drink slowly, deeply. Neither one of them was in a hurry. He could tell she wanted to savor every moment of this incredible night.

  After years of mere existence, it felt so good to be touching and loving again. Not only with his body, but his mind and heart. She was everything he craved in a woman.

  Her avid mouth clung to his as their passion became inflamed. He pulled her on top of him, the better to feel her long legs and crush her in his arms. Before long he was kissing her into oblivion.

  “Dear God, Dana—I want you so much, it’s agony. I wanted you to feel safe with me—”

  “I do,” she cried against his lips. “I want you too. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life!”

  “No matter how private this seems, anyone could drive up here.”

  “I know. I’m surprised we haven’t seen Glen’s truck before now. The thing is, I can’t bear to sleep in the trailer again.” After a slight hesitation, “Could we go to your apartment?”

  There was nothing he would have liked more, but he had too many things around she would question. His cover would be blown. He couldn’t afford that.

  “The dispatcher at IPS lives near Big Bend Park. With his wife out of town, he asked if he could sleep at my place tonight after he went off duty. If I’d known…” Damn, how he hated to lie.

  “It doesn’t matter. Really it doesn’t.”

  “Then you’re in a lot better shape than I am.” He tightened his arms around her. “Don’t you know I’d love to drag you inside the observatory, or take you to a motel? But that isn’t the way I want it to be for us.

  “I’d prefer to stay right where we are. But you’re going to have to help me, Dana.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Her lips brushed his throat as she asked the question.

  “For one thing, you can’t do that again tonight.”

  When she eased her head back to look at him, there was a wicked little smile curving her mouth. “So what can I do?” She traced the lines of his lips with her finger.

  “Climb onto your futon, you little witch, and I’ll cover you with a blanket.”

  “You’re no fun.” But she laughed gently before doing as he’d ordered.

  Afraid to get close to her again, he gently tossed the blanket at her, then climbed inside his bag and turned away from her.

  She was wide awake. He could feel her energy.

  “Are we allowed to talk?” she said.

  “I’m awfully tired.”

  “Is that a yes or a no?”

  He started to chuckle. “What if I said no.”

  “Then I wouldn’t say another word, of course.”

  His shoulders shook. “I take it you have something vital on your mind.”

  “Not vital. I just wondered how long you and your wife were married.”

  “Three years.”

  “That wasn’t very long.”

  “No. It passed by in a flash.”

  “Were you planning on a family before she became ill?”

  Jace turned on his back. “We tried to get pregnant on our honeymoon. We kept on trying. Two years later, we consulted a fertility specialist and found out I’m sterile.”

  Dana had been brutally hone
st with him about her pain. She deserved no less from him.

  “That was the first blow,” he said. “The second was the discovery that Cassie had ovarian cancer. After that we tried to live every day to the fullest.”

  The woman on the futon didn’t say anything. He didn’t expect her to. After a minute, he resettled on his side and closed his eyes.

  Jace didn’t remember falling asleep.

  The next time he opened his eyes, the sun had come up in the east. A cool flow of air brought the aromatic scent of juniper and pine. There was another scent as well, like wild strawberries.

  He was charmed to discover that Dana had moved next to him during the night. She’d flung her arm around him in an embrace. Strands of her fragrant hair fell across the side of his neck.

  To his delight she’d snuggled right up against his back. Her sleep was almost too quiet, but he could feel a strong heart beating and knew she was alive and well.

  With the greatest of care he inched around until they were facing each other.

  There. The view was much much better.

  Waking up to her like this was bliss.

  Unable to help himself, he lowered his mouth to her velvet cheek, craving the contact. He kissed the tip of her ear, her eyelids, the corner of her mouth.

  This morning he knew a contentment that differed from any previous experience. This went soul deep. She’d transformed his life.

  Somehow the impossible had happened.

  He was in love.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “HEY? Wait up!”

  “You’ve got to see this view!”

  The sound of voices brought Dana awake. Her heart turned over when she opened her eyes and discovered Jace lying on his side studying her.

  In the morning light his black-fringed eyes looked a warmer brown than she’d noticed before. There were crinkle lines at the corners.

  “We have visitors,” he whispered against her lips.

  “I heard.”

  “A couple of teens on dirt bikes. They’ll be gone in a minute.”

  Dana could have cared less. She’d never seen Jace unshaven. Loving everything about him, she lifted her hand to explore the rasp of his jaw.