“After my stepmother sent me away, I started modeling for juniors when I was eleven to make enough money to get by,” she said.
Tate looked at her. “She sent you to boarding school but didn’t give you enough money to live on?”
Jo sighed. “Kathy paid for the schooling until I was eighteen, but not much else.”
He gripped the steering wheel tight enough that his knuckles whitened. “Unbelievable. She threw you to the wolves.”
“Anyway,” Jo went on, “I grew up so fast that it wasn’t long before I was as tall as I am now. It’s amazing what they can do with make-up and how they can make a thirteen-year-old look eighteen.”
She continued. “After my modeling career ended, I had to find other jobs, like waitressing, bartending, and running a nightclub.”
They were well outside of Phoenix as she talked.
“I roomed with five other people and scraped by, saving every penny I could and putting it away with the money I’d saved from modeling,” she said. “That’s how I was able to buy Jo-Jo’s.”
Tate looked at her. “You’ve been through a hell of a lot.”
Jo shrugged. “Not any more than most people.”
With a shake of his head, Tate said, “Most kids don’t have to pay their way through life from the time they’re eleven or twelve.”
She sank against the seat, feeling weary. Talking about the past always took a lot out of her, one reason why she preferred not to.
“You okay?” He reached over the console and put his hand on hers, drawing her attention to him.
“Now I am.” She smiled. “Right this minute, here with you, I am more than okay.”
Chapter 16
David frowned as he made the drive north from Phoenix to Prescott on Monday morning. He wanted to get to the early lunch he’d scheduled with Charlee and he was running late thanks to a sick kid.
He’d tried calling Charlee on her cell phone, but it had gone straight to voice mail. That in itself was strange. Could Jo have gotten to her and convinced her that he wasn’t who he’d led her to believe he was?
When he thought about yesterday, he ground his teeth. Jo had come close to finding out the truth. Real close. If the kids hadn’t taken off running, and if Nancy hadn’t had to chase down the little one, all could have gone to hell in a big hurry.
He scowled at the memory. Of all the places to run into someone who knew Charlee, and it happened to be her sister. It had been obvious to him all along that Jo didn’t approve of him dating Charlee, probably because of the age difference. But now she might not only disapprove, she might not trust him as well.
For all he knew, Jo didn’t believe that David had been with his dead brother’s wife, and it would fuck everything up if she started looking into his real life. She’d find out that Nancy and the kids were his and that his brother was very much alive and unmarried.
He clenched the steering wheel as he thought of the tall redheaded bitch. If she wanted it bad enough she could find out the truth. It would take her some work to dig for it and to find out that he wasn’t David Smith and that his real name was David Hearn. He didn’t know how far she’d be willing to go. He wasn’t about to let her crumble his house of cards and allow her to ruin everything.
He had to think of something.
The highway flew under his car’s tires as he pressed down on the accelerator. He needed to make sure Jo hadn’t had a chance to put any doubts into Charlee’s mind. If Jo had, he needed to make sure he fixed things with Charlee in a hurry.
With a grim smile he thought about the pretty little thing he’d been drilling. Just thinking about fucking Charlee made him hard as hell. It had been a real bonus that not only was she rich but she was young, and he preferred them young. He’d had his share of cougars. It was rare to get a sweet little kitten.
By the time he was through with Charlee, the naïve, little rich bitch would be penniless and he could move on to his next mark.
He relaxed his grip on the steering wheel. All was fine. Yes, he had no doubt that all would go according to his carefully laid plans.
He pulled into Prescott fifteen minutes late and parked next to Charlee’s car in front of the Hummingbird. He kept his movements and his stride unhurried and casual after he locked his car and walked into the restaurant.
Charlee was sitting in their regular booth and her smile brightened when she saw him. Relief warmed him. She wouldn’t have such a big smile on her face if Jo had convinced her that he wasn’t who he’d led her to believe he was.
“Hi, babe.” He reached her and gave her a kiss on her soft lips before sliding into the booth beside her, close enough that her warm body was close to his. “Sorry I’m late. I tried calling you but it went to voice mail.”
“That’s okay. I understand.” She looked like a lovesick schoolgirl as she met his gaze, and that made him smile inside. She was so damned easy, it almost made him feel guilty—but not quite. She bit her lower lip before adding, “I forgot to charge my phone last night and I can’t find my car charger, so my phone is dead.”
“You look beautiful.” He let his gaze drift down to her blue blouse and it gaped a little at her cleavage so that he got a peek at her lacy black bra. Her nipples pressed against the fabric of her blouse. She had big nipples. All the better to suck. He’d bet she was wet and slick right now. She was always horny for him. Always wanting him.
He had sex with his wife on the weekends to keep her happy, and she was good in bed. But there was something about fucking a pretty twenty-four-year-old that made him hotter than hell.
When his gaze met hers again, her cheeks were pink. She knew what he was thinking—at least the part about taking her. He wanted her now.
He slid his palm onto her thigh, just below her short jean skirt, and she bit her lower lip. “Do you have to get to work after lunch?” he murmured as he inched his hand along her thigh, pushing up her skirt.
She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She flushed and tried again. “I have forty-five minutes.”
He gave her the sexiest smile he could. “Then we’d better eat fast.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed and she smiled up at him, her pretty eyes worshiping him.
The power that he had over her was heady and it almost made him forget himself sometimes.
He ordered a club sandwich while she had turkey on whole wheat. As usual, she seemed a little shy. She was such an innocent.
“Did Jo tell you I saw her in Phoenix yesterday?” David didn’t think he had anything to worry about since Charlee had given him such a warm reception, but he wanted to head anything off that might come up.
“No.” Charlee shook her head. “Where did you see her?”
“I was at church with my brother’s wife and kids.” David gave her a pained look. “I mentioned to you that my brother died some time ago. I take his family to church every Sunday. I promised my brother I would take care of them.”
“Yes, you did mention your brother had passed on.” Her expression went soft as she laid her hand on his arm. “That’s nice of you to take them to church.”
He shrugged. “It’s the very least I can do.”
After Charlee paid for lunch, he took her hand and led her to his car. She got in and he drove to an isolated location and told her to get in the backseat after he parked.
She obeyed him like a good little girl as she always did. As soon as he had the doors closed and locked, he pulled down the zipper on his slacks and slipped them down to his ankles with his boxers.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at his huge erection. “Get on your knees on the floor,” he ordered her. Again she did as he told her. He grasped her head in his hands and pulled her down, forcing his cock into her mouth. “Finger yourself.” He told her. “Make yourself come while you give me a blow job.”
She slipped one hand beneath her skirt and gripped his thigh with her other hand as he kept his hold on her head and forced it up and down. She ga
gged as he went to the back of her throat, over and over again, but she didn’t try to stop, didn’t complain.
When he climaxed, he came hard, his come shooting into her mouth. She gagged again, but he didn’t let her stop until he was spent.
He reclined against the leather, exhausted, as she remained on her knees with her hand between her thighs. “Finish,” he said as he gripped a fistful of her hair in his hand and dragged her closer to him.
He watched as she brought herself to orgasm and she gave a little cry when she climaxed. Her hips bucked against her hand as she came and then she shuddered as she stopped.
Even though he was ready to leave, he knew she needed a moment of cuddling. He couldn’t let her start to think their relationship was based on sex, even though he wasn’t too worried about that. She wanted him too badly, and it was clear she worshiped him.
He drew her up so that she was on the seat beside him. He smoothed her hair that was wild now since he’d had fistfuls of it in his hands just moments before. After a few moments he moved her aside and pulled up his boxers and his pants. He watched as she adjusted her skirt and made herself presentable.
“You’re beautiful, baby,” he murmured as he drew her close to him.
“Are you sleeping over tonight?” she said.
He nodded. “I’ll be at your house after I’m finished for the day. Did you have a key made for me?”
“Yes.” She gave him a big smile. “It’s in my purse.”
“Good.” He gave her a kiss. “You can give it to me and then we’ll get you back so that you can get to work on time.” He smoothed her hair some more. “Do you still plan on working once you come into your inheritance?”
She leaned into his touch. “Yes, I do plan on staying with my job. There really isn’t a lot to do in this town and I like it.”
He cupped the side of her face. “If you were my wife, I’d never let you work. I’d keep you home, ready for me.”
She blushed and he saw that his remark had registered with her. “If you were my wife…” Those words would stay with her and help guide her exactly where he wanted her. Ready to do anything for him.
Chapter 17
“It’s been forever since I’ve been on a horse.” Jo settled her hand on Silver’s neck, feeling the warmth of the mare’s skin through her fingertips and smelling the strong horse scent. The light gray Quarter horse swished her tail as she bobbed her head and turned slightly to look at Jo.
“Silver adores you as much as I do,” Tate said with a flash of a grin as the mare rubbed her head against Jo’s arm.
“She just wants the treats in my pocket.” Jo smiled as she withdrew the large horse pellets. Silver snuffled over Jo’s palm, the horse’s velvety nose tickling Jo’s fingers as the mare took the pellets. Jo laughed.
With a smile at Jo, Tate finished cinching the saddle on his palomino gelding, Ranger. He’d already saddled up Silver for Jo.
Breathing in the sweet, fresh, pine-scented air, Jo looked at the forest around them. They’d driven from the ranch to the Bradshaw Mountains, which were just southeast of Prescott. The truck had pulled a horse trailer with Silver and Ranger in it and they were now parked in an isolated spot off the road, fairly deep into the forest.
She looked down at the brown cowboy boots Megan, Tess’s sister, had loaned her—fortunately they wore the same sized shoe. The only boots Jo had in her closet were sexy ones not made for riding horses. Today Jo had dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved button-up shirt, along with a light windbreaker. Tate had told her it would be cool and she’d need long sleeves to protect her arms from branches as they rode the horses along trails in the mountains.
Tate had provided her with a straw western hat that looked new and fit her just right, and she wondered if he had bought it just for her. That, or it had belonged to another woman. But she refused to be jealous of anyone in his past, including that rude woman, Daphne.
Jo slipped her hand around Silver’s bridle, her fingers gripping the rough leather. “Are we ready to go?”
“Not yet.” Tate walked away from Ranger, past the horse trailer, and opened up the rear door of the truck’s king cab. He pulled out saddlebags, returned, settled them on Ranger, and secured the bags. “I promised you a homemade picnic lunch.”
“You sure did.” She waited for Tate to finish with the saddlebags and then he helped her mount Silver. As he did, he put his hand on her bottom in an intimate touch. “Hey.” She gave him a mock serious look when she was astride the big horse. “Watch the hands, mister.”
His teasing grin made her stomach flip-flop. “Believe me, I was watching exactly where my hands were.”
She shook her head but was smiling. “Men.”
He mounted Ranger and moved his gelding beside her mare. “How does it feel being back on a horse?”
Silver moved beneath Jo, shifting her stance. “Strangely comfortable.”
“Good.” He patted his own horse’s neck. “Need a quick tutorial as a reminder?”
“Please.” Jo nodded. “I haven’t ridden since I was eleven.”
“Silver’s a good horse and great for someone who hasn’t ridden for a while.” Tate went over the simple commands she would need to say and gave her instructions on how to use the reins, all of which felt familiar to her. Memories fell into place and she began to feel confident in her abilities to handle the horse.
When he was finished, Tate clicked his tongue and Ranger and Silver started down a trail. Tate led the way, guiding his horse around outcroppings of rocks, past bushes and piñon, juniper, and spruce trees. They had to dodge branches and Jo almost lost her hat twice. She was grateful for the long sleeves so that her arms didn’t get scratched, and the windbreaker kept out the chill air. Her cheeks were cool, but she still felt comfortable.
Silver had a smooth gait, even as she picked her way up a rocky trail. Still, Jo was certain she was going to be saddle-sore, her butt and legs sure to be aching come tomorrow.
As they rode, she thought about the relationship developing between her and Tate. Ever since her talk with Carrie, Jo hadn’t felt the same pressure or concerns that she’d had before. She liked being around Tate and wanted more of him.
Along the trail, they spooked a rabbit and a chipmunk. They also caught sight of a wild turkey. In the trees were a variety of birds, including a morning dove and a woodpecker.
They had ridden a good two and a half miles into the forest when they came to a clearing. Tufts of grass were at the center and aspen and spruce trees surrounded the large space. Large rocks and boulders were along one side and a fire pit was nearby, surrounded by rocks and cleared of grass for safety.
Tate gave a nod of approval. “This looks as good a place as any to eat some lunch.”
Jo nodded. “It’s pretty here.” She held her hand to her stomach. Some days were hard and some days weren’t as bad when it came to eating. Today was a hard day and she’d had to force herself to eat a breakfast bar to get some good nutrition into her body.
Tate dismounted and looped Ranger’s reins around a low-hanging juniper branch. He helped Jo down from Silver and tethered the horse next to the gelding.
From one of the saddlebags, Tate removed an old blanket and handed it to Jo. “Watch out for snakes that might be sunning themselves,” he said. “There are rattlesnakes here along with a lot of other snakes. Most are not poisonous.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She laid the blanket out on a snake-free patch of rough grass, the only grass in the clearing. He drew out an insulated bag and a thermos from the opposite saddlebag and carried them to the blanket.
“Uncle Ben’s sub sandwiches?” she said with a grin as he handed her a sandwich with the deli’s logo. “You cheated.”
He gave her a grin in return. “Uncle Ben’s are like homemade since he actually is my uncle.”
“Uh-huh.” She shook her head. Even as she smiled she held back a thread of fear. There was too much food. She couldn’t eat that much.<
br />
She took a deep breath and thought about the things she’d been taught in counseling. It was strange how she’d had her anorexia under control for years yet it was still something that felt like a day-to-day battle.
“I also snagged some cheesecake brownies.” Tate drew out the brownies and her stomach felt like a brick had settled in it.
“Looks wonderful.” She gave him a bright smile then looked away from the brownies and unwrapped the sub that was filled with turkey, ham, and beef, and everything on it. “This is certainly one big sandwich.”
“One hell of a good sandwich.” He grabbed the thermos and a couple of cups from the bag. “Iced tea to wash it down.”
Jo took small bites of her sandwich. It tasted really good and she let herself concentrate on that. Like she practiced with good nutrition, she chewed slowly and ate a reasonable amount so that she wouldn’t feel later on the desire to purge. The brownies were harder and she only nibbled at one then wrapped it back up in its plastic covering and pushed it away from her.
Tate studied her. “Is everything all right?”
She looked at him, feeling guilty like she’d just done something she shouldn’t have even though that wasn’t case. “I’m full.” She smiled. “The sandwich was great.”
“I’ve noticed you don’t ever eat a whole lot. You tend to pick at your meals. ” He looked her over. “You seem almost afraid of food.”
She stared at him. “I’m that transparent?”
He didn’t move his gaze from hers. “Call it intuition or something, but I just have a feeling there’s more to it than whether or not you’re hungry.”
She glanced away from him for a moment before looking back at him. “I’ve been battling anorexia since my modeling days.” She looked at her fingers. “If I hadn’t gone through counseling and treatment, I might not be alive today.”
When she looked up, his expression said his heart was breaking for that girl she’d been, and he waited for her to continue.
“I fought with it for years until I have a semblance of control over it.” She played with the end of her braid. “But it’s always there and something I struggle with day by day. A lot of the time I have to force myself to eat. And when I eat I have to block thoughts of purging everything that I ate.”
Tying You Down Page 10