by Diane Leyne
“Oh, I’d love to see your sculptures sometime!” She looked so cute and sincere, but her admiration was broken by a gigantic yawn.
“I’d love to show you my ironwork, little girl”—he waggled his eyebrows at her wolfishly—“but I think it’s your bedtime. Now eat up.”
* * * *
The conversation had flowed easily for the rest of the meal, and she realized she didn’t want it to end. Jess found out that Cole was both smart and well educated, with a Masters in Fine Arts. She also took note of the burn scars on his hands and one particularly nasty, but old-looking, one on his forearm. Working with hot metal was dangerous.
It was only when she yawned three times in a row over coffee that she finally gave in. Cole tried to stop her when she insisted on paying the surprisingly modest bill for her and Murphy the dog. She tried to pay for his as well, but he put his foot down at that. She’d seen him eyeing the crumpled bills she pulled from her pocket, and she knew he had figured she was poor. She wanted to tell him the truth, but how would she explain a load of what she figured was drug money in her Jeep or that she was on the run from a crooked cop who also happened to be her ex? It was easier to play along at being unemployed and heading down to El Paso to visit her brother who had promised to help her get a job, the details of which she remained vague on.
Candy had dropped off the key while they ate, and Cole had insisted on walking her to her Jeep to get her bag and then walking her to the door. She’d nearly had a heart attack when Cole had hefted the bag with the money, making a joke about the weight but not attempting to look in it, and then carried it up to her door.
After she unlocked the door, she found Cole standing so close behind her, she could feel his body heat. Turning, she took the bag from him and set it inside the door, taking care to angle her body so that he was outside on the landing. She knew he wanted to come in, and her damned treacherous body wanted him to come in, too, but that couldn’t happen—not here, not now.
“Cole, thank you for your help.”
“Maybe I should show you around and help you get settled.”
“It’s a studio apartment. There’s only one room to see.”
“I can help you unpack. Maybe wash your back while you shower? Tuck you into bed?”
His tone was hopeful but teasing, and she knew that he had no real expectation of her agreeing to any of his suggestions. She would never let him know just how tempted she was by the thought of each and every one of his offers. She couldn’t get involved, though. She was just passing through. Besides, getting involved with her now could be dangerous. She was pretty sure Lance couldn’t find her, but she’d been wrong before.
She tried to hold out her hand so that they could shake but wasn’t surprised when he ignored it and leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips. That, however, did surprise her. She’d expected something more forceful than the sweet, gentle touching of lips. Even when she relaxed and let her mouth open slightly and his tongue pushed inside to brush against her own, he was gentle. He moved his body so that she was up against the doorjamb, but he didn’t grind her into the door. Instead, he lifted his hands to cup her face and pulled his mouth away from hers to kiss his way along her jaw and down her neck before returning to her mouth.
Finally, it was him and not her who pulled away.
“See you at breakfast. And don’t forget to lock the door behind you.”
“Lots of crime in Satisfaction?”
“No, just a horny blacksmith who needs to leave now before he forgets he’s a gentleman.”
She shivered as he trailed his hands from her face to her shoulders and then down her arms. Then he leaned forward to give her a final quick peck on the forehead and he was gone, jogging down the stairs, and passed by Murphy who’d clearly finished his business. She bent down to give him a quick rub and was rewarded by a yawn as he sat at her feet.
Once at the bottom, Cole paused. “Even with your protector back, I’m not going until you are inside and the door is locked behind you.”
“Good night, cowboy!”
“Good night, Jess.”
Jess turned and walked into the apartment. Alone, except for her dog.
Chapter 4
Jess had remembered to set the alarm. Four thirty came awfully quickly, but a quick shower helped. It was a nice little apartment, with a comfortable double bed, a television, a table and chair big enough for two, and a bathroom with a shower. It reminded her a lot of a hotel or maybe a motel room, but it was a bit more personal, with original art on the walls and homey curtains. It also looked down on the parking area, and she could see her Jeep was right where she left it, backed into the parking spot to make a quick exit easier, if required.
She got dressed and let Murphy out for his morning business. This time she grabbed one of the plastic bags she kept handy for just such occasions. She hoped he’d done last night’s business somewhere out of sight. She should have been a more diligent pet owner, but she’d let Cole distract her.
And, she decided, if he could distract her from something so simple and fundamental, he could distract her from something important. If he came around again, she was going to have to give him the brush off. She hated to do it. He was cute and nice, and she was more attracted to him than any man she’d met in years, except for maybe his buddy Murphy, but now was not the right time to get distracted by sex. But maybe when this whole sordid business was behind her, she would come back and find some satisfaction in Satisfaction. She grinned at her own bad pun before heading after Murphy.
Luckily, he was quick about it, and after doing her dog-owning duty, she headed back upstairs to wash up. Then she fed Murphy from the last can of dog food she had, made a mental note to get some more, and was still able to present herself at the door to Candy’s at five to five. The lights were already on and the door was unlocked. She could smell bacon on the griddle and her stomach rumbled. Murphy could smell it, too, and whined.
“I know, boy, that smells a lot better than what you just ate, but you are a dog and you need to get used to eating dog food again. I’ve been spoiling you, but that had to stop.” She walked Murphy around to the side patio and gave him strict instructions to stay close. “Now don’t go wandering out of sight of this building or I’m going to have to tie you up. Understand?”
Murphy gave a bark of acknowledgement.
“Does he really understand?”
Jess jumped at the unexpected sound of a deep male voice. She turned. She’d half expected to see Cole. She did not expect to see Murphy again.
“Uh, yeah. Murphy’s pretty bright and he has an extensive vocabulary.” She looked at other-Murphy in the morning light. He looked damned fine, but tired. Very, very tired. He wasn’t wearing his cowboy hat, and his hair was damp looking as if he’d just come from the shower. His pale T-shirt clung to his defined chest, and she had an unexpected urge to run her fingers over his pecs and trace them through the thin material.
What the hell was wrong with her? She had just enjoyed kissing his friend last night. She was clearly losing her mind in the stress of being on the run.
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for Cole?”
“Ye… I mean, he, last night, I mean, we had dinner and you didn’t.” She was babbling, so she stopped while she was behind, and when he grinned at her, she found herself sticking out her tongue and then blushing as she rushed back into the kitchen towards Candy and safety.
* * * *
She was so enchanting when she was flustered, it was all Murphy could do not to lean down and kiss her silly. Instead, he let her brush by him and then moved to take a seat in a booth. He took another sip of coffee and was shocked to realize his cup was empty.
He was contemplating his empty cup and half asleep on his feet, which was the only explanation he had for missing her return. She was wearing a cute apron over her jeans and tank top and a name tag that said “Suzy”.
“Suzy?”
“It was
either Suzy, Martha, or Fred.”
“In that case, I think you made the right choice.”
“Refill?”
“Yes, please.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, you look like shit.” Her eyes narrowed. “Were you out all night carousing? What time did you go to bed last night?”
“I haven’t been to bed yet. I just took a quick shower so I wouldn’t smell like cow and headed right over for breakfast. I’m a regular.”
“He is!” Candy confirmed this fact to Jess, who immediately looked less tense. Candy then slid his breakfast in front of him. He came in every morning for the works. Ranching was hard work and he hated cooking. He wondered if Jess could cook.
“Did anyone tell you that you look like shit, Murphy?”
“Thanks, Candy. Suzy here has already told me.”
“Good girl. Gotta keep this one in line or he’ll walk all over you.” He saw Candy give Jess an appraising look and then grin. “Him and his buddy Cole. You watch out for the both of them. Or not. They are basically good guys, but you have to make sure that you remind them who’s in charge now and then. Now I have to get back to work. I brought a pot of coffee and an extra cup. Why don’t you sit with Murphy until another customer shows up? You probably have fifteen or twenty minutes until the morning rush starts.”
“Can’t I help you out in the kitchen, Candy?”
“Nah, kid. I’ve got it, and I hate to share my kitchen.” Murphy watched Jess as she watched Candy leave. He could also see the wheels turning in her head, and he knew the exact second that she decided to sit down and join him. He felt a small surge of triumph, but since she clearly felt conflicted about something, he decided to take it slow.
“So, Cole said something about a cow last night?”
“Yup. She was having twins. Doc Adams came out. It was touch and go, but we saved them both. And the mom.”
* * * *
Jess watched in surprise as he put down his fork to dig around in his pocket and come out with his phone. Then he punched a few buttons before handing it to her. Baby photos. And didn’t that proud grin on his face say it all as she scrolled through the half dozen photos of mom and babies.
“They are adorable. But…you must have seen this a dozen times. And you have a cattle ranch. You raise cows to be eaten.”
“Hell, I probably see it a dozen times a year, but I’ll never take it for granted. I am a rancher and can’t be sentimental for the ones who are raised as beef. I can just make sure that their lives are as comfortable as I can before that day arrives. But for the breeding stock like Maisie, well, those I get to know because I have them for years. She lost her last two babies and I wasn’t sure whether to breed her again or to just put her out to pasture, and when the doc said it was twins, I was worried, but you can see she’s doing fine.”
“You look like a proud papa.”
“I guess I am.” She watched him pause and think hard on something. “If you are interested, I have a horse who is going to foal any day now. Would you like to come out for that? It’s a pretty miraculous thing to watch.”
“I’d love to. Thank you.” The words popped out before she could stop them. What was she thinking? But she did want to see the miracle of birth, and she wanted to see it with this man. She had clearly lost her mind while on the run.
“Great. Doc says it will probably be tomorrow night. These things never seem to happen during office hours. Can I have your cell number? I’ll call you when it starts.”
Jess saw the shining pleasure on his face warring with the exhaustion and found herself giving him her number.
“Now, you, eat and then go home and get some sleep. Wait. Are you okay to drive? Should I call someone?”
“I’m fine. I’ve done this more times than I can count.”
“I don’t think you can drive in this condition.”
“Of course I can!”
Typical man. He couldn’t admit weakness. She watched as Murphy shoveled the last mouthful down and swallowed the last sip of coffee. Then he patted his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and then abruptly sat back down.
“Or maybe not.”
Jess sighed. “Is there someone I can call? Maybe your friend Cole?”
“No, absolutely not. I’ll be fine.”
“No you won’t.”
She checked her watch. Five twenty. She thought quickly. The bag of money was safely stowed under the desk and zipped up tight in a small bag she’d put in the duffel under her dirty clothes. She still had a couple of minutes until the morning rush started. She made a decision.
“You are not driving like this. It’s as bad as driving drunk.”
She didn’t give him a chance to answer and she wasn’t even sure he heard her as his eyes fluttered again. She walked back to the kitchen and told Candy her plan. Candy grinned and told her to try and be back by six, six thirty at the latest.
“I’ll be back in five, Candy. There’s not going to be any hanky-panky. Even if I wanted to, he’d just fall asleep in the middle of it.”
She walked back to the booth. Murphy was sitting back, his eyes closed, snoring gently. She almost hated to bother him. He looked so peaceful, but the place would be hopping soon, and she knew he wouldn’t want to be found like this.
She shook his shoulder.
“Up you get, cowboy.”
“Wanna sleep.”
“You can sleep at my place.” There, that ought to get his attention. And it did.
“Your place?” He grinned, his eyes still drooping heavily. “Cole’s gonna be soooooo jealous. Just let me take a quick nap, first. Then I’ll show you how a cowboy rides!”
He flashed a wicked grin and then spoiled it by yawning and didn’t object when she started tugging him to his feet. Thank goodness he was moving under his own steam because he was too big and heavy for her to force. He tried to head towards his truck, but she got him turned around and half tugged, half pushed him up the stairs.
Unlocking the door, she only half noted the other Murphy bounding up the stairs and trailing them inside until she nearly tripped over him.
“Darn you, Murphy! Both of you!”
She dumped human Murphy on the double bed she’d slept on. She hadn’t made the bed, but she didn’t think he’d mind. She looked down at his sleeping countenance. He’d practically passed out before his head had hit the pillow.
Sighing, she tugged his boots off so they wouldn’t dirty the covers. She thought about removing his clothes but decided that her duty as good Samaritan was more than covered by letting him have her bed. He didn’t look comfortable, though. Sighing, she leaned down to undo his belt when his arms came up and grabbed her, tugging her so she lay sprawled across his body.
“Mmmm.” He opened his eyes. “Am I dreaming?”
“Yes. Now let me go. I have to get back to work.”
“Spoilsport!”
But he let her go. Gingerly she tried to slide off his body without brushing against the hard cock she could feel pressing against her through his jeans. She was definitely not undoing them now.
“Damn.” As she straightened, she realized that her phone had slipped from her pocket. It slid down beside him. Carefully, she tried to reach for it, but he rolled onto his side, covering her phone. Fine. He could sleep on a lumpy bed. She didn’t need it until lunch when she’d try her brother again.
She walked back to the door.
“Coming or staying, Murphy?”
Dog-Murphy grinned a canine grin at her. Smiling, she filled up his water bowl and promised to bring home some more dog food and treats after her shift before shutting the door behind her and heading down to work.
Chapter 5
“I’ve got your number, and now it’s only a matter of time before I find you, bitch!”
“Who the hell is this?”
“Who the hell is this? Are you banging her? She’s a great lay, but she can’t run forever.” Then there was a pause and he could hear the man on the othe
r end of the phone take a deep breath and when he spoke again, his tone was much more reasonable. “Look, buddy. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into. She’s a liar and a user and a thief. You tell her she can run all she wants but I’ll find her and take my dog back and my money.
“Tell her to call me back and tell me where I can get them both. Otherwise, sooner or later, I’ll be able to crack the location of that phone of hers and if I have to come and get them, she’ll regret it. You tell her that.”
He heard a low growl and realized suddenly where he was when he saw doggy Murphy looking intently at the phone, another growl rising in his throat as the line went dead.
Murphy Smith sat up and rubbed his eyes. When the phone had rung, he’d answered it automatically, not realizing that it was Jess’s. Clearly the man on the other end hadn’t expected him to answer it either.
He looked down at doggy Murphy, who was now sitting at his feet, watching and listening intently.
“So, Murph. Did you hear that? I guess you did, didn’t you?” He rubbed Murphy’s big head. “You didn’t like him, did you, boy?” Murphy answered by licking Murph’s face enthusiastically. “That didn’t sound good. What has Jess gotten herself into?”
He checked his watch. It was almost ten. Her shift should be long over. He looked out the window. No sign of the Jeep.
“So, Murph, where do you think she went? I’m pretty sure she didn’t leave without you. I hope you don’t mind if I take a look around while I’m waiting.”
He made short work of the small apartment. Her toiletries were in the bathroom. Her laptop was on the desk. Her duffel bag was on the floor. It was open and he could see clothes spilling out of one corner. He pulled the duffel out from under the desk. It had seemed awfully heavy yesterday when Cole had been carrying it. He took another peek out of the window and then looked at the bag.