Loving the Texas Lawman

by Sands, Charlene

  Yesterday morning, he’d rushed out the door giving her a peck on the mouth claiming he was late for work. And he’d texted her that evening, saying he’d been caught up in an investigation and not to wait up for him. She hadn’t. She’d gone back to the guesthouse to sleep.

  So it was still unclear where they would proceed from here.

  Carefully, she stepped into the dress and as the saleswoman named Bonnie zipped her up, she took a look at herself in the mirror and nodded. “This will do.”

  “Oh, hon. It shouldn’t just do,” Bonnie said. “We’ll dress it up with just the right short veil and some jewelry. The gown is actually quite becoming.”

  “I agree,” Maddie said, peeking into the dressing room. “It’s very pretty.”

  It was pretty, she couldn’t disagree with either of them, the dress had classic lines. “It fits well and that’s the main thing,” she said, brightening her dreary comment with a smile. “I’ll take it.”

  Clearly, Bonnie was anxious to make the sale since she didn’t try to talk her into trying on something else. “Wonderful. Would you like to take it with you?”

  “If you wouldn’t mind holding on to it, I’ll come back later today to pick it up.”

  “Sure.”

  After Jillian settled up with the saleswoman, she slipped her arm through Maddie’s as they walked out of the shop. “Mission accomplished. I have a dress. And I owe it all to you.”

  “Gosh, Jillian. I hope I wasn’t pressuring you too much in there. I tend to get a bit romantic and sentimental about these things. The dress you picked is really nice.”

  “It’s fitting for the occasion and don’t feel badly. I’m happy to have your help. So how about we go to lunch?”

  “Of course. Baby Walker is grumbling in there, he wants to be fed.”

  “He?”

  “Or she. We don’t know the sex of the baby yet.”

  “Well then we’d better get the little one fed right away.”

  They stopped at a recently opened outdoor restaurant that Maddie wanted to try. The new chef was friendly and eager for business and made them feel right at home. The food was amazing, a fusion of French and southwest cuisine. They spent time praising the food, getting to know each other better and laughing at silly things. Jillian wiped her mouth with the napkin one final time after both of their plates were cleared. “Do you have just a few more minutes today?” she asked Maddie. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Oh, uh, yes. I have time.” Caught off guard, Maddie leaned forward, arching her brows. “What kind of surprise?”

  Jillian smiled. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Come and take a walk with me.”

  “Okay, I’m game.”

  Ten minutes later, they were entering Barely There Express and Maddie took a good long look around. “Jillian, the place is already shaping up.”

  “It’s amazing what a few structural changes and a coat of paint can do. I’m pleased so far, but more work has to be done before I can open the shop. I’ve got inventory in the back room and as soon as the new floors and windows are installed, the shelving will go up and the rounders will be put in place.”

  “All this, an engagement party in two days, and then a wedding. You’ve got your hands full, my friend.”

  My friend. A quick bout of emotion rocked her insides. She and Maddie were becoming friends and it felt so darn good to know that someone in this town had her back. Jillian already felt the same about Maddie; she hoped to always be her friend. “I’m used to being busy,” she said.

  But she wouldn’t admit to Maddie or anyone else that she wished this whole wedding fiasco was over so she could settle into some sort of life in Hope Wells, without incident, until the year was up.

  “Well, yeah. I guess so.” Maddie smiled. “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

  “That could be said about you too, Mads. You’re having a baby, running a vet practice and throwing a wedding, all at the same time.”

  “I guess, we’re not too different, are we?”

  “Nope, great minds and all that. Have a seat and I’ll be back in one second.” Maddie sat on one of the two folding chairs scattered about the room. “Where are you going?”

  “To get your surprise,” she called over her shoulder.

  Jillian walked into the backroom and came out with a box wrapped in lavender ribbon printed with her company logo, the words Barely There forming an arrow in italics going through a heart-shaped icon. She dragged a folding chair over to where Maddie sat and took a seat beside her.

  She handed her the box. “This is for you.”

  “Me?” Maddie glanced at the box.

  Jillian had to admit that her design and logo, the whole package, was truly elegant and beautiful and captured her brand perfectly. Pride filled her up inside whenever she offered a gift to someone special and today was no exception.

  “Open it, please.”

  “You do know I’m four months pregnant.”

  “Open it, Maddie. You’ll see I haven’t forgotten that little fact.”

  Maddie undid the ribbon, folding it up nicely as if she didn’t want to damage it, and then lifted the box lid. Thin lacy lavender tissue paper protected the contents and Maddie spread it apart carefully.

  She looked inside the box, then up at Jillian, blinking her eyes. “It’s gorgeous. But I…”

  “It’s from my Baby There collection. Pregnant mommies still want to look pretty in their nightclothes and sexy for their men.”

  Maddie lifted out the silky cream-colored garment, a beautiful compliment to Maddie’s auburn hair and skin tone. A sheet of black lace material attached to the bra cups covered the mother’s baby bump to below the navel, just barely and allowed for quite a bit of skin to show in the back and along the sides. If pregnancy could be sexy, this was the ticket, with panties to match.

  “I love it, Jillian. Did you design this?”

  “I did. I wanted my collection to include all women, young, old, pregnant, timid, and not so timid.”

  Maddie laughed. “This must be from the not so timid pregnancy line. I think Trey’s gonna have heart palpitations when I come to bed wearing this.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  Maddie leaned over and gave her a hug. “Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome, Maddie.” And Jillian locked their embrace, holding onto her friend for extra beats of a minute, choking up a little bit inside. Before emotion got the better of her, she broke away and plastered on a smile. “And you can tell Trey, I said you’re welcome to him too.”

  *

  The knock on the guesthouse door came at precisely seven o’clock that evening. Jillian had just kicked off her flip-flops and curled herself up on the sofa, ready to hunker down and go over the latest inventory stats Tessa had emailed today. Removing her computer from her lap, she padded over to the door, peeked through the peephole, and found Jack standing there. He was wearing his uniform and, heaven help her, looking deliciously sexy. She swallowed a gulp of air, begging for better control of her emotions. It wasn’t coming fast enough and when Jack knocked again, she jumped from the force of his knocks.

  “Coming,” she said, waiting one more beat to get hold of herself.

  She opened the door and smiled. “Hello, Jack.”

  He took a leisurely stroll over her body, his eyes darkening as they lingered on her breasts. I’m up here buddy, she wanted to say, but in all honesty she was turned on by his unabashed admiration. Jack didn’t have to do much to get her going. Just a look would do.

  “Hi.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  His brows rose and his pupils nearly turned black. “I could make a few suggestions.”

  She just might want to hear them. “Um, I was looking over some files. Checking inventory stats. Boring stuff. Would you like to come in?”

  He kept his eyes on her, all that deep dark intensity aimed her way. “I’ve got pizza and beer at the house.”<
br />
  “What kind of pizza?”

  “Your favorite.”

  “You don’t know my favorite.”

  “I think I know what you like,” he said in a rough voice, leaning his body against the doorframe. From under his sheriff shirt, muscles were bulging.

  She chewed on her bottom lip. They weren’t really talking about pizza anymore. “You haven’t ordered yet, have you?”

  He gave his head half a shake. “So what is it?”

  “Pineapple.”

  He made a face and she laughed. “But I love pepperoni too.”

  “Twenty minutes?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  He gave her body another once over, then pointed up and down, drawing an invisible line through the air. “I like the look.”

  She blinked. She was wearing gray sweatpants and a matching sleeveless tank. No makeup, her hair in a messy bun at the top of her head. “Uh, thanks. I think.”

  He grinned and walked away, giving her an excellent view of his broad shoulders and perfect ass. They were going to have crazy raw sex again tonight and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Not that she wanted to. A pulse beat hard against her neck as she imagined undressing the sheriff. She wanted to call him back and tell him not to change out of his uniform, but he was already out of sight.

  Darn.

  Half an hour later, Jillian bit into a slice of pizza and a string of mozzarella cheese attached to her mouth like a retractable clothesline. “Yum, this is delicious.” She cupped her hand under her chin to catch any stray cheese that she might miss.

  Jack sipped from a beer bottle and nodded. “Hits the spot.”

  He’d already downed his first piece and was going in for another. She was grateful they were sitting in Jack’s kitchen and having a conversation without ripping each other’s clothes off. Though Jack’s eyes were constantly on her and her nerves were bouncing despite the fact that he’d changed into a pair of washed-out Wranglers and white tee, squashing her sheriff in uniform fantasy. Yet, she had the feeling he was refraining from jumping her bones deliberately.

  “You know,” he began, after chewing and swallowing half a piece of pizza in one gigantic bite, “after the engagement party, you should move in here.”

  It was inevitable. She had to move in with Jack to keep up appearances. “But shouldn’t we do that after we, uh, get married?”

  Jack’s face didn’t contort this time when she mentioned their upcoming marriage. It was some sort of progress. Maybe he liked the idea of having a temporary wife and bed partner, without the usual strings. “I think it’ll look more realistic if you moved in on Sunday, after we make the engagement official.”

  She shrugged. This was his game and she had to play by his rules. “I can do that.”

  “And I also think you should meet Beau.” She noted indecision in his eyes for a moment, before he set his jaw firm to the idea.

  “I’d like that.”

  “The last thing I want is for the boy to be hurt. He’s had enough shit happens, for one lifetime. I, uh, we have to handle this carefully.”

  “Whatever you say, Jack.”

  “Whatever I say?” He repeated, his voice taking a bitter tone. “Woman, I don’t know what the hell is right anymore. I don’t know if all of this is one big colossal mistake. I don’t know what’ll happen with Beau, if I’ll even be granted the adoption. But, it won’t be for lack of trying, that’s for damn sure.”

  “I understand you’re worried.”

  He stared at her for a fraction of a second, his eyes revealing the turmoil in his soul. Then he shoved his plate away, stood up and ran his hands through his hair. “Damn you, Jillian.”

  She wasn’t shocked at his accusation. She was to blame for the whole dilemma and she wasn’t about to defend herself. She’d acted selfishly, coming here, expecting Jack to go along with her little scheme, without giving a thought to his own problems, to how it might affect his life.

  She stood and walked over to him. “I know this is my fault, Jack. I’m trying to help, but if—”

  He shook his head. “It’s not that, babe. It’s not that at all. Why do you always assume I’m mad at you?”

  She smiled. “Because you usually are.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s because I’m having a hard time with—”

  “Trying to make all the right decisions for everyone. It’s what you do, Jack. It’s who you are.”

  He scoffed and shook his head. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

  “Then what?”

  Instead of answering her, he grabbed both of her wrists forcefully and pulled her so close she had no option but to stare straight into his deep dark intense eyes.

  She blinked, once, twice. “Are you going to arrest me?”

  The comment cracked his stony face. “I am so screwed,” he said, and then lowered his mouth and claimed her lips.

  The kiss caught her off-guard and, for a moment, she just stood there enjoying the taste of beer and pizza on his breath, but before long, his hands were dipping under her tank top and inching up her torso. Tiny whimpers tore from her throat.

  “I like your sounds,” he murmured over her lips. “Can’t get enough.”

  “That’s on you.” She breathed, before kissing him back. “You, ah—” And then his hands were on her breasts, cupping the globes over her thin, lacy black bra. She loved the feel of his hands on her, the way his palms flattened and absorbed every bit of her. “You make me totally… breathless.”

  He unfastened her bra and somehow managed to lift it and her tank over her head. She was bare from the waist up and Jack didn’t waste a minute, lowering his head to kiss her breasts, nip at her skin, use his tongue to work magic, and now she was moaning, her body pulsing with need.

  He abandoned her breasts for a moment to pull down her remaining clothes and after she stepped out of them, he was kissing her again, making her squirm when he brought one hand to the apex of her thighs. He spread his hand out wide, parting her legs and used his palm to apply pressure to her sensitive folds, to make her feel, want, crave. Then he slid his hand back and forth, up and down against her delicate skin and she jumped, hissing out a breath.

  “Hold onto me.” He ground out.

  And she obeyed, wrapping both arms around his neck, her fingertips buried deep into his shoulder blades. Jack’s kisses were fiery hot, branding her, his tongue sweeping through, making her crazy while down below, she was burning, burning. His palm pressed her deep and she couldn’t hold back another second. She shattered, her body spasms coming quick and hard.

  “Jack, oh, wow,” she cried and then her sounds became unintelligible, soft moans that echoed inside the room.

  He was holding her firm from behind now, squeezing her butt cheeks, making sure she felt every last rocking sensation whirling through her at the speed of sound.

  And when it was over, she fell limp into his arms, her head tucked into his chest.

  He picked her up under her legs and carried her straight to his bedroom.

  *

  Sometime after midnight, Jillian woke up in Jack’s bed, his arm slung possessively over her waist. She was wearing her birthday suit and so was he, a glorious gift of male virility that, for the time being, was all hers. That in itself was a problem. She couldn’t seem to say no to Jack, not when it came to getting naked.

  They’d made love until both had completely run out of steam. During the course of the night, they’d scorched the sheets leaving the other with absolutely no complaints. Jack’s praise had assured her of that. Her body was sore, in the very best way and now that she was fully awake, her mind was reacting to what had happened, to what Jack meant to say to her before she’d cracked his armor with her little joke.

  A hand brushed her hair aside and Jack’s nose nestled into her neck. He planted a few lazy kisses there and whispered in her ear. “I didn’t tire you out?”

  She smiled. “Do you have amnesia? Of course you did.”
r />   “So why are you awake?”

  “Why are you?” she tossed back at him.

  Instead of making a joke, he sighed heavily.

  She turned around from their spooning position to face him. “Tell me. What did you want to say to me earlier?”

  Through the dim filter of moonlight streaming into the room, she caught his somber expression. “It can wait.”

  “Jack?”

  “Babe, you’re beautiful. You’re naked. And you’re in my bed. Do you really expect my brain to function?”

  She made a production of pulling at the sheets enough to wrap herself up like a burrito, covering her body from view. “There, now I’m not naked.” She rose, rather stumbled from the bed. “And, now, I’m no longer in your bed.”

  Jack sat up, dumbfounded. Scratching his head, he sighed again. “You don’t have to get out of bed.” He reached out to snag her hand, giving her a gentle tug. She fell back on the bed. “I want you here. Ah, hell.”

  He rose, and all those muscles, from his legs to his torso to his bulging biceps, caught her eye. He was beautiful and at the moment, covering it all up with a pair of trousers and a t-shirt. Once clothed, he took a seat beside her on the bed and stared straight out the window. “I meant it when I said we can’t hurt Beau. We have to be very careful. We both know how this is going to end in a year’s time, but he doesn’t. He’s innocent in our little charade.” Jack faced her now, his eyes sharp and determined. “I guess what I’m asking, is for you to be sure to not get emotionally involved.”

  “You mean with Beau?”

  He stared into her eyes and blinked, before nodding. Oh, God, he meant with him too. He was warning her off, telling her he wasn’t capable of loving her again. Even while in her head, she was wondering if they couldn’t make this crazy thing work. Even, if for just a moment in time, she was starting to believe that her life here with Jack could be a fantasy come true. Silly of her to wish it. To hope.