I was drenched and aching for him, but I still unwrapped my legs and pushed him away gently. “After dinner, we’ll have all night, but Kim has been gone most of this week, and I want to have dinner with her.”
As I put myself back together, he cocked an eyebrow. “As a family?”
His voice was quiet and full of questions. I wanted desperately to give him all the answers, but I wasn’t quite ready for that.
“As a friend.” His expression closed, and I reached for him before he could pull away. “I need time, Brendan. We need time. If we just jump back into things, we might crash just like we did before. Please understand that.”
“You’re not pulling away from me?” He searched my face, and I shook my head.
“Just the opposite. I promise.” With one last kiss, I pulled away from his embrace and hurried downstairs.
Kim was mashing potatoes when I joined her. Her face was tight with concentration, and her movements were so violent that I felt a little sorry for the potatoes. “Need any help?” I asked tentatively.
“No. Cooking is actually a little cathartic, and I could use that right about now,” she growled.
Knowing the girl needed to vent some, I cleared my throat and waited. After a minute, she put down the masher and scowled at me. “I could be every bit as good as Debra if I just got more time to practice, but Ben won’t give me more hours. He told me he’d actually give me more work elsewhere if I didn’t take a break. I’m trying to prove myself here. He works for me! Okay, technically, he works for Brendan, but when I try to talk to Brendan about it, he just brushes me off. I mean, what do I have to do to prove myself?”
All this time I thought Kim had been spending her nights with a man, but maybe she was actually spending them in the stables. No wonder she’d been on edge lately.
“I have a feeling that Ben’s decision has nothing to do with your abilities. He might just be worried about you. Whether your name is on the paper or not, you’re responsible for the ranch, and you can’t just focus on one area of it.”
“I’m not!” She viciously tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m taking care of my work too.”
“And putting in extra hours training. At the expense of your health. You’re run-down, and that can be dangerous in your line of work.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and she sighed. “I know. I just want to hear my brother tell me that I’m doing a good job. Sometimes, I think he still thinks of me as a kid.”
“With this problem with Blackwell, I think he’s just preoccupied. I know that he’s proud of you. He told me just the other night how far you’ve come.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really? He did?”
“He did.” Impulsively, I reached over and squeezed her hand. “When this is all over, you should make him sit down with you and talk. Let him know what you want, and if what you want is to hire another officer manager so you can spend more time with the horses, tell him that. But first, catch up on your sleep.”
“I am exhausted,” she admitted. “I feel like I’ve been pulled in a ton of different directions over the last few weeks. I think I even left my phone down at the stables.”
“You finish murdering the mashed potatoes, and I’ll go look for your phone,” I volunteered. It was strange spending most of the day inside. I felt like I needed to go out and get some fresh air.
She went back to fixing dinner, and I slipped on some sandals and headed outside. The air was still warm, and with the darkening sky as the backdrop, fireflies started to light up the night. I took slow and deep breaths as I walked the path to the stables.
Could this be my home? If Brendan and I made it work, what did that mean for my dreams?
Brendan loved this ranch. It was part of him now, and he would never leave to move back to the city, and I would certainly never have the heart to ask him to do that. A commute to the city every day would be a nightmare for me, but it would be worth it if it meant keeping all of this.
Keeping Brendan.
It was strange to think of how the ranch had grown on me. How it had helped heal me. Sometimes, a little space under the wide-open sky was therapy in itself.
I found her phone right on top of the desk. Tucking it in my pocket, I opened the door and walked outside only to step right into the path of someone else.
His cologne hit me first. The strong and pungent odor that made me want to gag. It intensified when those eyes raked me up and down, and he sneered.
Dennis Blackwell.
“You’re trespassing,” I said instantly.
“Is that any way to talk to your neighbor?” he asked as he reached out and grabbed my arms. Those fingers dug into my skin, and I stiffened my back.
“Get your hands off me.”
“I know Ward has been digging into my finances,” he hissed. “What does he know?”
I turned my head from the stench of whiskey on his breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you don’t unhand me right now, I’m going to scream so loud that the whole county will descend on us, and by the time you leave this land, you’re going to be crawling on your hands and knees.”
His grip tightened painfully before he released me. Even as his body relaxed, the rage in his eyes intensified. “We’re just having a friendly conversation, sweetheart. No reason to be like that. I told you before that I’d be willing to make it worth your while if you helped me out. Tell me what you want, Jillian, what you need, and I’ll make sure you have it. Money. A generous donation to that school of yours to pave the way for your graduation. Someone to warm your bed at night.”
I lifted my chin, glaring at him. “It must have slipped your mind that I’m married to a wealthy man. I have no need for money, I can graduate on my own without your help, and my husband does an excellent job keeping me warm at night. If one more inappropriate thing comes out of your mouth, I’ll make sure that you won’t be warming anyone’s bed anytime soon.”
Dennis Blackwell was a bully. I recognized his type, and I wasn’t going to give an inch.
“You might be his wife on paper, but you’re no more than a whore to him,” he grunted. “Ward uses women and discards them. He’s got quite the reputation for it. He isn’t faithful to you now, and he won’t ever be faithful to you. But maybe all you care about is his money.”
“Get off my land,” I warned him quietly. “Right now.”
“We’re not done, Jillian. Not by a long shot. You either change that pretty little mind of yours and help me, or I’ll make sure that Brendan loses his land and his reputation. What good is he going to be to you then?”
I was shaking with anger as the man swaggered away. Threats against me were one thing, but Brendan worked hard. He loved these horses, and the idea of anyone taking them away from him made me see red.
Brendan was going to lose his mind when he found out. I considered not telling him, but I was trying to be more open and honest with him. I’d tell him.
After we enjoyed a nice dinner.
Debra and Ben left first. Kim smirked as she watched them go, but no one said anything. Mickie stuck around a few extra minutes as he charmed Kim, but as usual, his words rolled off her like water on a duck. She offered to do the dishes, but Brendan waved her away since she’d cooked. She took one look at him and declared that she was going to have a few drinks with a girlfriend. I wanted to point out that she needed to get some sleep, but she was gone before I could protest.
“Why do I feel like you just scared her away?” I demanded.
“Because I did. I’ve got dessert, and I didn’t want to share.” He gave me a mischievous smile as he got up and headed to the kitchen.
I got up, stretched and followed him. “I wish you had told me that there was dessert. I would have saved room for it. Or at least done some extra walking today.”
“Trust me, you’re going to work this out,” he said with a smile.
Excitement bubbled inside me when I watched him bring out the strawberries and pou
nd cake. “Strawberries are my favorite.”
“I know.” He kissed me hard as he set the items down. Immediately, his hands were at the hem of my shirt, and he pulled it up.
“Do I need to be undressed for this dessert?” I asked with a small laugh.
“Uh-huh. Things might get a little messy, and I don’t want you to get your outfit dirty.”
“Messy?” I moaned a little as his mouth traveled down to my throat, and he expertly undid my bra. “Strawberries and pound cake aren’t usually messy.”
His fingers went to work on my jeans, and within seconds, I was naked in the kitchen. Exposed and a little vulnerable, I shivered. Naked dessert with Brendan. The idea had possibilities. “You forgot the plates,” I pointed out. “And silverware.”
“I didn’t forget anything.” He picked me up as though I weighed nothing and sat me down on the edge of the table. “We’ve already got enough dishes to do tonight. I thought I’d conserve a little water. Tonight’s dessert will be finger food only. And you’re the plate.”
He gently pushed me down on the table and leaned over. “Stay right there, and don’t go anywhere, darling.”
My pulse jumped. “Brendan?” I asked breathlessly. “What are you doing?”
“Just getting the rest of the fixings. I remembered how much you loved strawberries, but I couldn’t really remember what you liked to go with it.” He returned with his hands behind his back. I tried to watch him as he sat the items down, but he put his hand over my eyes. “Close your eyes and try to remember what you like.”
“Brendan,” I laughed. “I don’t need to close my eyes. I remember what I like with…” Something cold drizzled on my stomach, and I inhaled sharply. “Brendan?”
I recognized the faintly rough texture of the strawberry as it slid over my skin. “Open up, Jillian. This is just a little strawberry sauce. Tell me what you think.”
Obediently, I opened my mouth and bit into the juicy strawberry. Somehow, the fact that it had touched my naked skin made it all the more tantalizing. Swallowing, I played along. “It’s good, but I can’t really remember if it’s my favorite.”
“Right. Let’s try option number two.”
I quivered as I waited, and this time, he drizzled something along my naked breast. He took his time dipping the strawberry in it, running it over my nipple until it was taut and aching. “Open up,” he whispered in a strained voice.
Chocolate. I felt practically sinful as I ran my tongue along it before I bit into the soft flesh. He must have been watching me because he groaned. “You have no idea how delicious you look, do you?”
His words went straight to the center of me, and I pulsed. “I do love chocolate,” I managed. “But I can’t remember if it’s my favorite.”
“No worries. I’ve got something else here.” This time, it wasn’t a drizzle. There was a light dusting on my other breast, and it was quickly followed by his tongue.
“Ah,” I grunted at the unexpected heat.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “I just needed to get it wet.”
“Don’t worry. I think I’m plenty wet.”
He blew out his breath, and I felt the dusting again. Like before, he ran the strawberry over my nipple, but I was already straining against his hand as it anchored me to the table. “Open up,” he whispered.
He ran the strawberry across my lips, and I opened up and darted my tongue out. I caught his finger and sucked it in deep before I released it for the strawberry. He moaned as I licked and sucked at the strawberry before biting into it. “Sugar,” I whispered. “Sweet.”
“Is that your favorite?”
He had something else for me. Something sweeter. I could hear it in his voice. The tantalizing promise that his teasing was about to end. “I can’t remember,” I gasped as I lifted my hips in an attempt to ease some of the pressure.
“We’ve got one more option, baby.”
I heard the telltale sound of a can shaking, and my legs dropped open as the plastic tip touched the apex of my legs. The cold cream jolted my senses as he sprayed it over my clit, and when the strawberry dipped in, I fell completely still.
He teased, ran the point right over my aching clit, and when he finally leaned up and kissed me, I wanted to scream. “Open up, baby. See how sweet you taste.”
He dipped the strawberry in my mouth, and I took a bite. I’d never felt so dirty and so sexy in my entire life as I tasted my own flavor mixed in with the strawberry. “Is that your favorite?” he whispered.
“I think so, but you better do it again just to be sure,” I moaned.
Chuckling, he pushed my legs apart and buried his tongue inside me. I went off like a rocket and nearly bucked off the table. The first orgasm took the edge off, but he kept playing, redoing the whole scene with the pound cake and not taking his own pleasure until I was crying for him.
When he finally slid inside me, I saw stars. Nothing had ever come close to feeling as good as it did when I was with Brendan, and I had a feeling that nothing would. This was the only man for me.
By the time we were done, we were covered in sauces and juices. Gasping for breath, he sat heavily in the chair and pulled me astride him. “Shower?” he grunted as he kissed me.
I was exhausted and practically humming from satisfaction. I was also sticky from him and the food. I welcomed the chance to take a shower, but straddling him like this, I couldn’t help but feel desire stirring inside me.
“I would love a shower. But only if we…” Leaning forward, I whispered an idea in his ear.
Without a word, he picked me up, and butt naked, walked up the stairs.
It was only a couple of hours before dawn when we finally fell asleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Brendan
“You’re upset. Anyone can see that,” Gordon said as he hurried after me. Jillian must have called him. I knew I should have gone to Blackwell’s first thing this morning, but I wanted some time to cool off.
“He was on my land,” I hissed as I saddled my stallion. “He’s lucky I’m not taking a gun.”
“We’re not seriously riding over there on horses,” Gordon moaned.
Ben took one look at us and started to saddle another stallion.
“Don’t. He’s not coming,” I ground out through clenched teeth. This wasn’t the time for lawyers. I didn’t need any witnesses for what I wanted to do.
Ben ignored me. Sometimes, I thought he forgot who he worked for, and Gordon hastily climbed on and started out after me. “We have an appointment tomorrow, remember? A civilized meeting that doesn’t require horse rides or guns.”
“He threatened my wife, Gordon. This ends today. You’re either on my side, or you can go to hell.”
I’d barely slept last night. Even after I’d told Jillian that I was fine, I couldn’t stop the anger and fear from seeping into me. She slept peacefully next to me, and I’d spent most of the night staring at her. I finally had her back. I had a real shot of making this work again, and now Dennis Blackwell was threatening to take it all away.
I wasn’t going to stand by and let that happen.
“I’m always on your side, Brendan, but you have a tendency to make mistakes when you get angry. And those mistakes are twofold when Jillian is involved,” Gordon reminded me quietly. “I think if you set your anger aside and present the information that I have to Harry, it’ll take care of the problem. Dennis won’t have any cards left to play.”
He was right. I’d learned a long time ago that I was better off keeping my head in these situations. Slowing down, I sighed. “Fine, but we’re still going over there. If his car is in the driveway, we’ll just have the meeting early.”
“And if Dennis is there?”
“I’ll gently remind him of what I’m capable of,” I said grimly.
Gordon muttered under his breath something about his balls as he shifted in the saddle and try to balance his briefcase. The man knew how to ride. No one grew up in this county not know
ing how to ride, but Gordon was a man of the city.
It still made me chuckle and helped ease a little of the tension.
As it turned out, both Harry and his son were home. We rode our horses to the guest stables and tethered them to the water trough. Someone must have seen us from the window because a servant was already greeting us at the open door.
“Mr. Blackwell said to make yourself comfortable. He’ll be with you in a minute. Drinks?”
We both accepted some water and waited for him in his office. When the older Blackwell joined us, it was obvious that he had dressed hastily. His cane thumped against the floor rhythmically with each step, and his face looked a little more gaunt.
Dennis was right behind him. It didn’t escape my notice that he did nothing to make things easier for his father.
“Mr. Ward, I must apologize. I thought that our meeting was tomorrow,” Harry said as he sat down.
“You’re not wrong. Our meeting was tomorrow, but circumstances caused me to move up the timetable. I’m sorry, Harry. I really am. What I’m about to say next won’t be easy to hear.” Despite his unreasonable demands, I’d grown to respect Harry. It hurt me to break his heart.
“Ward,” Dennis said in a low voice. “I think it might be best for us to have a discussion outside first.”
“And had you not trespassed on my land last night and threatened my wife, I might have agreed to that,” I said mildly. “What were your intentions, Dennis? Were you planning on breaking into my office to see what our investigation turned up?”
He turned red with anger. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he sputtered.
“Does it surprise you to learn that my wife is loyal to me?”
“You’re lying,” he hissed.
“I’m not, and after the string of horse thefts last year, I had security cameras installed. This is my first stop. If you don’t cease harassing my wife, the police will be my next.”
A look of confusion crossed Harry’s face as he turned and looked up at his son. “Dennis? What is he talking about?”
Reclaiming My Wife Page 21