Red Lines

by T. A. Foster

  “You look like you’re thinking about something, and I have a feeling it’s not lyrics.” He slowed the car to a crawl and turned onto a dirt road. “But if there’s a song in there, I want to hear it.”

  Haven shrugged, not wanting to sour his happy mood. This was part of the delicate stage they were in. She was still trying to find her footing. “No song. Just taking in the scenery. Are we at the ranch?” She looked at the big C displayed over the gate’s archway.

  “Yep. This is it.” He rolled down the window and entered an access code into the keypad.

  Haven watched as the iron fence separated just enough for the car to pass through. He waved at a man stationed in a small hut by the gate. The gates closed behind them as Evan drove over the threshold of the Carlson estate. She tried to quell the excitement that had started to bubble. She prided herself on not getting wrapped up in celebrity, or in this case, all the perks of being with a movie star, but it was becoming more evident that Evan lived a completely different life than she did.

  “Tomorrow, when we have some daylight, I’ll show you the whole place. I know it’s kind of hard to see right now.” Evan pointed out a few of the fields and ponds along the way, explaining what kind of fish he had stocked or where the particular cattle came from.

  Haven listened and watched as the acres rolled under the tires and the car drove deeper into the ranch, turning around sharp corners and following the fence line.

  “All of this is yours?” Haven asked.

  “Sure is, darlin’. And see? Those reporters can’t get in here. The perimeter fence is wired, there’s a gate, and I have a security system on the house. You’ll be as far away from that mess as I can get you.”

  His eyes focused on the driveway that had sprung up out of the gravel. Haven stared at the house in front of her. If you could call it that. It wasn’t a house. It was a resort.

  “This? This is your ranch?” She pointed to the sprawling set of buildings. It was bigger than South Fork; it was bigger than the White House. It was a monster ranch.

  “What do you think?” He waited while one of the ten garage doors opened and he could steer the car inside.

  “When you said ranch, I thought you meant a little house out in the open. This-this is…” She didn’t know how to finish the statement without hurting his feelings.

  Now that she was here, she could see what a contrast it was for him to spend an entire summer in a camper. Silver Belle was probably the size of his pantry. How could the same person live in this mansion?

  She stepped from the car and waited for Evan to direct her. There were multiple doors surrounding them, and she didn’t know which one would take her inside. Suddenly, she felt off balance again.

  “Right this way.” He ushered her in the closest door, and they walked through a short hallway before emerging in the kitchen.

  “Wow.” Haven had never seen anything like it. It was as if she was standing in the center of an Architectural Digest spread.

  “Lenny’s probably still awake if you want something.” Evan tossed their bags on the floor.

  “Oh no. I’m good.” Her hand slid along the smooth granite, feeling it’s coolness against her palm.

  “How about a drink?” He opened a closet door, although it wasn’t a closet, it was a beer fridge. Evan had an entire walk-in closet stocked with beer. Cold beer.

  She nodded. Over the summer, she had gotten used to drinking it with him. It might help make things feel grounded again. Because standing here in his opulent kitchen, she felt like the girl from a small island was more like a fish out of water.

  He twisted off the tops and handed her an icy bottle. “Welcome to the ranch.” His bottle tapped against hers.

  She smiled before taking a sip.

  “Mr. Carlson, you’re home.” A man in his mid-thirties appeared in the doorway.

  “Hey, Lenny. Yep, just got in.” Evan crossed the kitchen to shake his hand. “This is Haven. She’s going to be staying at the ranch.”

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Haven.” Lenny grinned.

  “Oh, you can call me Haven. No need for the ‘miss’ part.” She grew up calling people “miss,” but she didn’t feel old enough for someone to use it on her, and especially not someone who was older than her.

  “Certainly, Miss—er, Haven.” Lenny blushed then took a step toward the refrigerator. “Can I fix a late dinner for you two? I’m sure you’re hungry from the trip.” He started rummaging through a crisper drawer.

  Evan tipped his eyebrows in Haven’s direction. “Lenny’s the best. You sure you don’t want something? An omelet? Grilled cheese? A steak?”

  She shook her head and clasped the cold bottle in hand. “Still not hungry.”

  “All right, Lenny, I think we’re good. See you in the morning.”

  “Good night, Mr. Carlson. Good to have you home. We missed you around here. Call if you need anything.” Lenny disappeared through the side door.

  “Does he live here?” Haven hadn’t checked the time, but it had to be close to ten o’clock.

  “Sure does. He has an apartment off the kitchen and has a garden courtyard. He grows fresh herbs. Pretty amazing guy.”

  “Wow, that sounds incredible. He grows all the herbs?”

  Evan stepped closer, placing his bottle on the counter. His arm circled her waist. “What do you say I show you the shower?” He winked.

  Haven giggled. Their last shower had been in a two by two, cramped camper. She could only imagine what this one would be like.

  “Yes, I like the sound of that.” She bit lightly on her lower lip as Evan’s hand slid along the back of her shirt, inching above her waist.

  His lips pressed into hers, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him deeper into her. His tongue swirled, and the little moans that escaped her throat surprised her. Somehow, after a week apart, this still felt new. She felt her hips settle on the counter as Evan lifted her on the smooth surface.

  All the burning she felt for him surfaced in rapid succession as his kisses trailed from her lips down her throat. His mouth toyed at the base of her neck as his fingers began unfastening the buttons holding her shirt together.

  “Ah-hem.” Haven jumped as she heard a woman’s voice at the other end of the kitchen.

  She grasped at the corners of her shirt to button them back together.

  “Excuse me, sir.” The woman’s eyes focused on the floor.

  “Hi, Marta.” Evan took a step away from Haven and straightened his jeans. Haven had to fight off a giggle; he was clearly struggling.

  “I heard you were back and wanted to welcome you home and see if there was anything you needed.” Marta still hadn’t brought her eyes any higher.

  “We were just headed up.” Evan grabbed Haven’s hand and helped her down from the counter. “This is Haven. She’s going to be staying at the ranch.”

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Marta nodded and smiled.

  Haven couldn’t fathom a more awkward introduction. She was practically half-undressed from the waist up, and Evan’s mouth had been torching her skin when the woman walked in. She could still feel heat radiating from her neck.

  “Nice to meet you too.” Haven smiled weakly, still clasping her shirt.

  “Should I prepare one of the guest suites?” Marta asked.

  Evan chuckled. “No, no, I think I can take care of her accommodations.”

  If the woman was fazed by his directness, she didn’t show it. Haven hoped that wasn’t a sign that Evan regularly hosted women in his room. She’d have to stop thinking like that.

  “Certainly. Let me know if you need anything this evening.” Marta walked out of the kitchen.

  Evan turned toward her. “Sorry about that. I guess I should have thought about the employees. It's just hard to keep my hands off you.” He squeezed her inner thigh, pressing with his thumb.

  “How many more are there?”

  “In the house? Just two more, but they don�
��t live here. Out on the land, I have twenty.”

  “Twenty?”

  “Yep. Security, maintenance, landscapers, ranch hands for the cattle and horses. It’s kind of a long list. Then there are the others who work for me directly or for the foundation that I meet with regularly. None of them live here.”

  Haven tried to process the information. There was basically an Evan Carlson army at his disposal.

  “What did they do while you were gone all summer?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure. I kept them on payroll, so I sure as hell hope they kept working.”

  “But Marta lives here?”

  “Yes. You could say she’s like the mother hen of the place. She watches out for me. Sometimes a little too closely, but I’d rather her be dedicated to her job than not give a damn.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on. I want you to see the shower.”

  At least there wouldn’t be any more interruptions tonight, but Haven wasn’t sure she could get used to the fact that her bachelor didn’t actually live alone. Would they ever be alone? Were Marta and Lenny always at the ranch? Tonight probably wasn’t the best time to ask more questions, but she knew this was just the beginning of trying to understand the brand and the world that was Evan Carlson.

  SURE, EVAN knew it would be different and she would probably have questions, but he didn’t expect that look on her face. He didn’t know how to describe it. Her blue eyes looked more bewildered than confident. Her smile didn’t look natural. Every time he glanced at her, she was fidgeting with her hair or biting her bottom lip. She was uncomfortable, and he knew it was because of him.

  He hoped a hot shower would change all of that. He wanted her introduction to the ranch to be perfect. Lenny and Marta had God-awful timing.

  With each step they took up the winding staircase, the more conscious he was of the spaciousness of the ranch. They had passed the great room, a sitting room, his office, his official man cave, a sports room, and a reading room, not to mention the wing that housed Marta’s private apartment. There were a helluva lot of rooms.

  After spending three months inside the confines of Silver Belle and most of his time around the campfire on the beach, the ranch felt slightly unfamiliar. In some ways, it hadn’t changed. The leather scent from the couches, the stacks of mail on his desk, the friendly exchanges with the staff. But, Evan couldn’t shake the foreignness. Did he really need fifteen flat panel screens? Was it that important to have speakers in every room wired to his phone’s playlist?

  When he bought the place from a Texas oil tycoon, he was searching for privacy, comfort, and a way to establish his star status. The ranch did all of that, but with Haven trailing him to his master suite, it seemed too opulent, too rich, too much.

  He liked nice things, and he didn’t want to apologize for that. He had more money than he knew what to do with, but for the first time, he saw the ranch through her eyes and he wasn’t sure this was the way to spend it.

  He turned the handle on the bedroom door. He hadn’t been here in ages. Before Perry Island, he’d been staying in a temporary Atlanta apartment. He wasn’t sure he remembered what the mattress felt like anymore.

  “And here we are.” He waved his arms in midair.

  “Oh my God.” Haven stared at the massive bed that dominated the center of the room. “This is your room?” She moved toward the footboard, her hand resting on the carved wood.

  He scratched his head. Usually when he brought women here, they were so distracted that they didn’t stop and look at the furnishings, and they sure as hell didn’t question it.

  He smiled, but that’s why Haven was different. She wasn’t like the other women.

  “Yep. This is it.” He tugged on her hand. “Let me show you the best part.” He shoved open the door to the master bath.

  Finally, the smile he had been looking for since the moment the wheels touched the Texas tarmac.

  “Ok, this is amazing.” Haven grinned, taking in the decked out bathroom.

  “I was hoping you’d like it.” He slammed the door behind him and dimmed the lights.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” Haven backed up until she was pressed against the vanity.

  “What I’ve wanted to do since we got here.” No matter where they were, he wanted her to know one thing—he was in love with her. Her eyes, her auburn hair, the lyrics that popped out of her head, her stubbornness, her softness. All of it. He loved every square inch of her. And he had a lot of making up to do today.

  He felt the burning in his belly take over as his lips sought hers. At first she nipped at him lightly, toying with him, but the playfulness turned to something primal as she wrapped her legs around him and urged him toward her.

  He gripped the lapels of her shirt and smiled when he heard the buttons hit the floor. “I’m going to have to buy you a new shirt.” He slid it off her arms and tossed it on the floor.

  Her hands ran along his stomach, and he breathed in sharply as she worked the latch on his belt and slid the zipper down on his jeans.

  “Wait right here.” He held up a finger and took a few steps backward to the shower. He opened the glass door and pressed the control button until six showerheads were running. He closed the door, and the steam billowed from the top.

  He strolled toward her, taking in the girl that had spun his world upside down. He wouldn’t trade a single day of the past three months, even all the horrible damn mistakes, because this is where they were supposed to be. They were supposed to be in this moment, on the verge of devouring each other, until they were so wrapped up in the other there was nothing left. He wanted her like he had never wanted anyone. It was consuming and exhausting. Powerful and uncontrollable. His veins pulsed with drunkenness even though he’d only had two swallows of beer. What had she done to him?

  “Evan?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, darlin’?” His finger traced her jawline, holding her gaze. It was still new hearing his name on her lips.

  “You think anyone can hear us?” She smiled wickedly as her fingernails scratched along his skin.

  For a second, he thought she could take him to his knees just like that. Toying with him, teasing him. He dropped his jeans to the floor.

  “Nah, they’re downstairs.” He tilted her chin upward.

  “You sure?” She pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it on the tiles. Her fingers dug into his skin, bringing him dangerously close to a growl.

  “Positive.” He cupped her bottom with both hands, dragging her across the counter until he was pressed against her.

  He was pulsing with want and possession. He needed her.

  “Then, why haven’t you taken me already?” She giggled. The come-hitherness in her voice threw his last threads of restraint out the window.

  He lifted her off the counter, her limbs wrapping against his waist, and carried her to the shower. The steam rolled through the bathroom, fogging the mirrors and glass.

  “Clothes, I still have on clothes,” Haven muttered between kisses.

  Damn, if he wasn’t thinking the same thing. He deposited her on one of the shower’s benches and pried the clothes off her skin, just as the water began to soak through the fabric. She sighed as the last bit of cotton covering her ended up in the corner of the white marble spa, sopping up water as if it was left out in a puddle of rain.

  There was something both exotic and innocent about seeing Haven in his shower. She was his fresh start. His chance to break old habits. His chance to make amends for the lies he told. His chance to be the man he really wanted to be. Right now, all he wanted was to be a part of her.

  “God, I want you,” he growled as he pulled her against him, water gliding between their bodies.

  He hoisted her leg around his torso, gripping the smoothness of her skin. His eyes closed as he felt her warmth wrap around him. His knees almost buckled under the intensity, but the need to be a part of her, to feel all of her, drove him. Lightly, her hips rocked until she coaxed him agai
nst her.

  “Say it. Say what you told me on the ferry,” she pleaded with him, her hands gripping hard against his shoulders.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way her skin glistened under the water, the way her eyes bore into his soul. She was everything to him.

  He had said it once this morning, and he would say it every time she wanted to hear it.

  “I love you, Haven.”

  She exhaled into his ear, and he had to brace himself with one hand on the glass shower wall. His fingers cleared long lines through the steam, giving him a striped view of their reflection in the mirror.

  His lips descended on hers, swirling his tongue against her mouth, eager to taste her. With his hands clenching her bottom, he shifted her hips higher, and then drove deep inside. Filling her, claiming her, taking her as if she had always been his.

  THE SUNLIGHT smacked Evan in the face. He had forgotten to close the blinds last night. Granted, he had a good distraction. Haven nuzzled under his arm, strands of her auburn hair wisping over her shoulders.

  He wasn’t sure what time her meeting was with Bruce, but he knew he couldn’t miss his appointment with his prospective new agent. Allan had done a number on him, and there was no way he was bringing someone else into the fold without completely vetting him first.

  The new guy had high recommendations, but so did Allan and look where that got him.

  It was the first morning in months he didn’t awaken to the sounds of crashing waves on the beach. Charlotte wouldn’t be outside parading in her leopard bikini, and Harry wouldn’t be setting up for a day of fishing on the shore. There was no doubt he would miss Silver Belle, but he had brought the perfect medicine home with him to ease back into ranch life.

  Evan maneuvered out of the bed, careful not to disturb Haven. Yesterday had been a long day of travel, from the ferry ride, the drive to the airport, the flight, and then of course the extended shower tour. He smiled, watching her sleep. It was hard to believe she was here in Texas. Yet, at the same time, it felt right. She was supposed to be here in his bed.