by S A Monk
“Oh yeah! I’m afraid you can’t get rid of me now. I quit my job, put my condo up for sale, and arranged to have my stuff moved out here.”
“You quit your job in Hollywood? Why? I thought you were thinking about working from here?”
“I have this last movie to do, but then that’s it. I decided I wanted to make a full time commitment to the ranch— and to you. I think I’ll just design clothes to sell here, maybe from a small boutique. Becky and I are thinking of starting a small business.”
“You decided all this before I said I loved you?”
“Yeah. I figured you were worth the risk— that you’d come around eventually, once you were done being so bullheaded and obstinate.”
In the dark, he frowned at her. “I was worried about your safety.”
“I know. And clearly, you were right to worry, but we came out okay because we worked together. I hope you learned that you can’t resolve everything by yourself. Everyone needs help from time to time. Dad and you and I have all helped one another when we needed it most. It made your partnership and the ranch a success for years. Now we need to make a successful partnership.”
“We definitely do.” He turned briefly to look at her profile. “I signed the partnership papers on Friday. They’ll be filed on Monday. The Fletcher Larson brand remains unchanged.”
Tears filled Jenny’s eyes. “Oh Hawk, thank you!”
“My pleasure,” he said with a crooked grin. “That’s why the sale of those acres to Brad meant nothing. He would have had to get your signature to make the sale legal and binding. But I also want you to know I would have sold the whole ranch to him to get you back safely.”
“Now I am going to cry!”
When they pulled up to the house, Jenny let out a cry of delight as she saw her precious Corvette parked just inside the double doors of the equipment shed, safe and sound. “You have no idea how worried I was about leaving it in that parking lot overnight in this snowstorm!”
“I kinda figured you would be worried. We all know how much you love that car. Eli apparently got brave enough to tackle driving it home by himself.”
“Oh my God!” Jenny laughed. “And it’s in one piece.”
When they walked through the back door, they were greeted by the tantalizing smell of breakfast. Eli was cooking bacon and eggs, potatoes and pancakes. He even had the coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice ready. The moment he saw Jenny, he opened his arms and pulled her into a great big hug. “You okay, darlin’?” he asked, holding her back just far enough to check.
She nodded and kissed him. “Yes, thanks to all of you, and I’m so hungry! The only thing I’ve eaten in twenty-four hours is a hot dog.”
Eli motioned her to the table. “I figured all of you would be starved.”
“Damn straight!” Hawk confirmed as he took a seat next to Jenny. “Fighting the bad guys and an ornery bull all in one day does that to a guy.” Hank came into the kitchen through the back door, and Hawk motioned him to come have a seat. The cowhand had followed them home from the hospital. “You hungry, Hank?”
“Starving.”
The moment Eli put the food on the table they all started dishing up.
“It sure as hell felt good to nearly castrate that bodyguard,” Hank stated as he heaped several pancakes onto his plate, which was already full of bacon and eggs.
“What?!” Eli shot Hawk a look as he sat down to fix himself a plate.
“Steve Walker and one of Brad’s mobster goons were holding Jenny at the old Miller cabin,” Hawk clarified. “The bodyguard got a little too rough with her, so Hank and I decided the bastard needed a lesson in keepin’ his peter in his pants.” All traces of good humor fled from Hawk’s face as he looked over at Eli. “You know— a little cowboy justice.”
Concern etched Eli’s weathered old face as he stared at Jenny. “He didn’t ....”
“No, he didn’t get the chance to,” Jenny reassured him quickly. “Steve interrupted him, and Hawk got there moments later.”
“So, did ya make a steer outta the varmint?” Eli snarled.
Hawk’s jaw tightened and his blue eyes narrowed. “We should have... for even attempting it.” Reaching for Jenny’s hand, he gave it a tender squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart. I tried to get up there as fast as I could. The snow didn’t help.”
Sweetheart. She loved the sound of that. “I hear you won five thousand dollars at the rodeo today, Mr. Stud Bullrider,” she teased to lighten the mood and banish the vision of Joe attacking her. “What are you going to do with all that money after risking limb and life?”
Eli and Hank stopped eating and shot Hawk quick glances. Jenny noticed.
“It’s spent already,” Hawk responded evasively, quickly stuffing a fork full of pancakes into his mouth.
“Really?” she asked. “On what?”
Before she could probe further, Hawk waved aside her curiosity and shot the two cowhands across the table a pointed glare. “I’ll tell you later— when we’re alone.”
Resigned to wait, Jenny finished her midnight breakfast, then helped everyone clean up the remains of the meal. At the sink, Hawk hooked an elbow around her neck and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear. “Can I move back into the house now?”
“Immediately. Tonight.” After wiping the last dish, she folded her drying towel and turned expectantly to him. “Can I help you bring your things over?”
“Nope.” Hawk shook his head with a sly grin. “Go up and take a shower. I’ll join you soon.”
The image that created in her mind sent shivers of delight across her skin. “Hurry, then,” she whispered back as she rose up on her stockinged feet to meet his mouth in an intimate kiss.
“I think we better hightail it outta here, Hank,” Eli laughed. “It’s gettin’ a little hot and heavy.”
Trying to hide her blush, Jenny reluctantly released Hawk and turned to the two men at the back door. “Eli... Thank you for getting my car for me. I love you.”
“I love you, too, darlin’,” he responded with a tender grin. “I’m sure glad you’re okay and you’re home.” To Hawk, he added, “Tom woulda been proud of you. You did good.”
Hawk responded with a slight nod and a quiet smile.
Jenny couldn’t hold back the tears that glistened in her eyes as she looked from Eli to the cowhand beside him. “And Hank— I’ll be forever grateful to you for what you did for Hawk ...and me, tonight.”
“Anytime at all, boss, anytime at all,” he said as he touched the brim of his hat in a cowboy salute and grinned.
Hawk let Eli and Hank precede him out the door, then turned back to Jenny before he followed them. “Keep the water hot. I won’t be long.”
“Hurry.”
∞∞∞
Jenny was in the shower, humming some happy little tune to herself when Hawk entered the bedroom. Her clothes were in a pile on the bedroom floor. He dug into his front hip pocket, pulled out the small dark blue velvet box, and placed it on her dresser, then covered it with a piece of cloth.
In the bathroom, he stripped down, then drew aside the shower curtain and simply stood outside the tub a moment to look at the woman inside. In profile, her head and spine were arched backwards, beneath the torrent of water that poured over her head. Soap was cascading from her hair, down the long wet veil to the upper curve of her lusciously rounded bottom.
The picture she presented him was too enticing to pass up. Water and soap bubbles streamed down her curvy figure, making it glisten invitingly. Her long slender legs were braced slightly apart, giving him an alluring glimpse of the auburn curls at their apex. With her arms raised to her head, her fingers raking through her dark hair to whisk the soap away, he noticed she had begun to develop a soft outline of muscle in her biceps from all the ranch work the past two months. It looked good on her. His gaze slid slowly to the sweet upward thrust of her breasts. The peaks were pebbled under the spray of water. His eyes moved down her body again, to h
er flat tummy.
Imagines of it swollen with a child made his chest tighten. God, he knew he could never be happy without this woman in his life! She was so infinitely precious to him. He wanted her to become his wife. He wanted her to spend her life with him, to raise a family with him. She was the only woman he wanted to share his future with. All the pieces of his life felt like they had come together into a perfect fit with her. Tom’s daughter had set his world in complete balance. Now all she needed to do was agree to marry him and make it permanent partnership.
Finally, she stepped out from under the shower spray, opened her eyes, and smiled at him. “Come join me. There’s plenty of hot water left.” From the rack outside the tub, she grabbed a dry towel and folded it into a square. “Let me hold this over your bandage, though, so you don’t get your stitches wet.” As soon as he stepped into the tub, she moved behind him and pressed the folded towel gently to his gauze wrapped shoulder. “How does it feel?”
Concern edged her voice as she bent forward and pressed soft kisses between his shoulder blades. Warm water streamed over his chest and groin and legs. With one hand pressed securely to the towel over his bandage, Jenny used the other to retrieve her soapy washcloth. She reached around him and applied it wherever she could, across his ribs, down his stomach, then wickedly lower.
“Sore.” His voice was raspy, husky, laced with arousal. “But with you touching me like that, it isn’t my sore shoulder I’m thinking about.”
She responded with a girlish giggle that told him so much. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to tease you, just bathe you while I keep your stitches dry.”
She tried to step back and away, but he grabbed her hand, pulled the washcloth from it and curled her fingers around his engorged shaft. His larger hand covered hers and moved it in the motion he needed. She was pulled up so tight against his back, she was molded to him from his broad shoulders to his hard buttocks.
Jenny heard the deep rumble of satisfaction that resonated in his chest. She wanted what he wanted, but not at the risk of damaging his stitches. So when he whirled around to take her in his arms, she cried out in protest and quickly turned him until his back was to her again, away from the water.
“You can’t get those stitches wet!” she admonished sternly, and yet she saw that the towel over them had gotten very wet. The bandage under it was no longer dry. She huffed with frustration. “Okay, out you go!” she commanded. “No more fooling around in the shower. It’s not good for you.”
“The hell if it isn’t!” he growled, trying to twist and gather her in his arms again.
With a little squeal of surprise at his swiftness, she hopped out of the tub, grabbed a towel, wrapped it quickly around herself, then grabbed another and held it out for him.
“It isn’t! You’re going to ruin those new stitches,” she argued steadfastly. “Now, get out... before you get in trouble.”
Hawk rolled his eyes at her, but stepped out and wrapped the towel she handed him around his waist, then took another to dry his chest while, Jenny retreated to her bedroom.
By the time he joined her, she was wearing her short red silk kimono, bent over at the waist, running her fingers and a blow dryer through her long damp hair. Her shapely, silk-clad bottom was all he saw of her as he entered the softly lit room. He groaned and knew he better make his proposal quick before his body demanded he do something more than talk.
Jenny looked at him, upside down, through the vee of her legs. “Hey, you okay?”
“No.” To his mortification, his voice actually cracked. “You gonna be long at that?”
She straightened and turned to him, her eyes sliding over his bare muscled chest. “You sure look good in nothing but a towel. Do know how much you unnerved me the first time I saw you step out of the shower in just a towel?” Her gaze slowly wandered from his broad shoulders to the long narrow wedge of dark hair that disappeared below the towel knotted low on his hips. She couldn’t help but notice the bulge in his towel, either, and by the time her eyes came back up to meet his, they were full of appreciation, arousal, and sexy mischief.
Hawk’s narrowed blue ones were full of strained patience. “Okay, that’s it!” he growled. “Go sit down on the bed and behave yourself for a few minutes.” Grasping her gently by the shoulders, he moved her backwards to the edge of the bed. “Sit and close your eyes.”
She did as he asked and leaned back on her arms. “Is this some kinky new game?”
“Hush.” She heard him move away from her for a moment, then come back. “I have something to say to you.”
“You do?” Next, she felt the mattress dip beside her. She could smell his shower clean scent and feel his body’s heat. She tilted her head to one side curiously, her eyes still obediently shut.
“Okay, you can open your eyes.” When she did, she found him sitting beside her, angled to face her. He had a small box in his hand. He took her smaller hand in his, then fingered open the blue velvet lid.
He paused and looked up at her expectantly. “Will you marry me, Jennifer Fletcher?” Before she could utter a sound, he slipped the ring out of its velvet bed and held it out for her. “It’s an engagement ring,” he explained unnecessarily, uneasily.
It was gorgeous; a large solitary diamond on a smooth gold band. Tears filled her eyes. It was so totally unexpected! Jenny couldn’t utter a sound, she was so moved— by the ring, by his proposal, by the unexpectedness of it all. They had resolved their differences over the terms of their partnership, and he’d told her he loved her, but she hadn’t really thought past those two wonderful turn of events. She was at a momentary loss for words, she was so stunned.
Hawk looked at her intently, obviously nervous and troubled by her tears and her silence. “We can pick out the wedding bands together— maybe something matching, with an inscription, I thought. Becky helped me pick this out. I thought she might know your taste, your size. I hope it fits. If it doesn’t....” He couldn’t seem to stop talking, and Jenny realized it was because he didn’t know how she was going to respond to his proposal. He looked frightened and a lot nervous. “I hope it’s okay. If it isn’t.... If you’d rather wait.... We don’t have to decide now. You could think about it. It’s too sudden, isn’t it? I just told you I love you. Damn it,” he cursed himself. “Do you....”
Tears streaming down her cheeks, she reached up to cover his lips with her fingers and shook her head. She didn’t want him to work himself into a state just because she was momentarily stunned and tongue-tied. The tears blurred her vision of him, but she could see the uncertainly and fear on his face. She took a deep breath and smiled for him. “The ring is absolutely beautiful, Hawk. I love it!” She took it from the palm of his hand and slipped it on the correct finger. “It fits perfectly. And yes, of course, I will marry you! Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh absolutely, yes!”
The anxiety vanished instantly from his handsome features, and his blue eyes sparkled with pleasure. She threw both her arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly and forcefully, she knocked him backwards, onto the bed. He laughed, and she cried, all the while holding her fingers out to look at her engagement ring through watery eyes.
“Is this what you wanted to talk to me about at the rodeo?” she asked tremulously, guessing now that this was what Becky had been trying to keep from her. “Is this what you spent your winnings on?” He nodded. “What if you hadn’t won?”
“I had the money. Winning was a bonus— maybe a good omen.”
“Oh god, I love you, John Red Hawk Larson! I love you so much it hurts.”
“And I love you so much it scares the hell out of me, but I guess we’ll muddle through this together, huh?”
“You bet!” she agreed, kissing him all over his face, her hands bracketing either side of his square jaw.
He wedged a little space between them. “I want you to keep your last name and just add Larson,” he told her as they settled into positions facing one another.
“Fletcher-Larson.” She tr
ied it out and liked the sound of it. “So we can keep the brand the same?”
“Yeah, and because you use your name professionally. I don’t want you to lose your label. I’d like to see you continue designing. You’re very good at it.”
She blushed with pleasure, happy that he was proud of her. “So, you’re beginning to understand the fashion design business, huh?”
“No, but I listen, and I see all the beautiful clothes you wear.”
They embraced in another tight hug, then sat up and scooted back up against the headboard. Hawk put his arm around her and just held her. Jenny couldn’t stop looking at her ring and smiling, though the tears were now gone. “I think Daddy would be very happy about this.”
“Eli thinks this is what Tom was hoping for all along.” Hawk kissed the top of her bent head.
Her eyebrow lifted and her mouth formed a teasing half-grin. “So, you’re marrying me to please my father— because you think that’s what he wanted?”
“No.” Hawk slid down onto the pillows, taking her with him. “I’m marrying you because I want to go to bed every night with you in my arms, wake up every morning with you there, and work alongside you every day.” Enveloping her in the warm hard circle of his arms, he pressed kisses to her temple and cheekbone, his breath stirring her still slightly damp hair. “I want you to be my permanent partner.”
With a downward sweep, his mouth took fierce possession of hers. Waves of sweet, sweet pleasure swept over her and slid along every nerve ending. The pleasure intensified when he removed her robe and his towel, then moved over her naked, shower-warmed body and slipped unerringly inside her.
Two months ago, Jenny could not have imagined that the devastating tragedy of her father’s death would end in such magical, unexpected, all-consuming joy. Her last thought before Hawk finally stopped loving her and let her sleep was a silent prayer of gratitude to her father for taking such good care of her future. By asking her to form a partnership with his ex-partner, Tom had finally brought her home, provided her an opportunity for immeasurable happiness, and fulfilled her most secret dream. Life was good, she mused as she curled blissfully in Hawk’s arms.