Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Series Books 16-20

by Brenda Jackson

  “Not yet,” her father said, interrupting her thoughts. “We thought we would call our oldest child first.”

  She smiled. Already he was thinking of them in terms of a family. “Okay, and I hate that I’m not there to celebrate, but when I return to Florida we’re going to all get together.”

  “And when will you be returning to Florida?”

  Chloe nibbled her bottom lip. That was a good question. “Not for at least another two weeks,” she said with certainty. Ramsey’s regular cook should have returned by then, and hopefully she would have come clean and told him the truth. She was hoping that once she made it clear he owed her, that he would do the cover and the article, grudgingly or otherwise.

  “Okay, sweetheart. Stephanie wants to talk to you.”

  It was at least twenty minutes later before Chloe ended the call with the woman who would become her stepmother. They talked about plans for the wedding but only briefly because Danita’s input would be needed on any major decisions.

  She cuddled in bed wishing her own personal life could be as happy and exciting as her dad’s. She took a long breath wondering where that yearning had come from. Probably with her dad’s calling and then recalling her earlier conversation this evening with Ramsey about matrimony had stirred something within her, and it was something she hadn’t thought about in a long time. It was her own desire to one day settle down, marry and have children. When things had ended with her and Daren, she hadn’t given up on that dream. And although such a thing was not in her immediate plans, she still had that desire tucked away somewhere. What woman didn’t? Even with her determination to be successful with her magazine company, she believed once that was achieved, she would find her Mr. Right. And one thing was for certain he definitely wouldn’t be some surly sheep rancher.

  But then if that was the case…and she was most certain that it was, why did she go to bed thinking about him every night? And why was the last thing she saw before closing her eyes his intense, penetrating dark eyes staring at her like they could see right through to her soul.

  She closed her eyes. Like now. There he was, in vivid color, as he had been that evening, sitting across from her on the sofa with his legs stretched out in front of him, with his Stetson still on his head and looking sexier than any man had a right to look. So much in fact that more than once she had been tempted to get up off the sofa and go to him and curl up in his lap and purr.

  She slowly opened her eyes, grateful she hadn’t done such a thing. She really should thank him for keeping her agitated during most of the conversation, which stopped her from making a complete fool of herself. But if the truth be told, telling her about his great-grandfather had helped to refocus her attention. She knew there was more to the story and wondered why this was her first time hearing it. If such a thing hadn’t come up on one of her computer’s search engines that meant it hadn’t made the news. Hmm. It was definitely something she would like to share with her readers, which might prompt them to want to start looking into their own family tree.

  She shifted in bed thinking she was determined to get the whole story from Ramsey. If not Ramsey, then one of his brothers or cousins would do. Before leaving today Zane Westmoreland had tipped his hat at her, given her a flirty smile and a promise that he would be showing up for breakfast in the morning.

  She shook her head. The only Westmoreland she wanted to concentrate on at the moment was the one who was probably sleeping peacefully in the bed only a few doors down the hall.

  Six

  “Good morning.”

  Ramsey glanced up from reading the morning’s newspaper to stare into Chloe’s face and immediately wished he hadn’t. Her dark eyes looked slumberous and sensuously drowsy. A part of him was tempted to suggest that she forget about preparing breakfast for his men and go back to bed…but only if she would take him with her.

  The muscles in his neck tightened at the very thought and he forced out his response. “Morning.”

  She sniffed the air. “Great, you’ve made coffee!”

  He watched as she quickly headed toward the coffeepot. Today she was wearing another cute short dress with a pair of leggings underneath. He frowned. Did she have a pair of those things for every day of the week? And a different color for every day?

  He took a sip of his coffee and watched as she poured hers, adding cream and sugar into the mix before leaning against the counter and taking what looked like a much-needed sip.

  “Excellent,” she said.

  “Thanks.” Was she smiling? And if she was, then what the heck for? Could a cup of coffee first thing in the morning do that to her? As far as he could recall she’d been barely speaking to him when they’d parted yesterday afternoon. And why did knowing he’d contributed to putting that smile on her face send a good feeling vibrating through him? Damn.

  He gazed back down at his newspaper. To be honest, he was hoping that he would have been in and out of the kitchen this morning before she’d gotten up. He was determined more so than ever to put distance between them. Maybe then he’d be able to get a good night’s sleep.

  “I’m doing omelets this morning. Would you like to go ahead and place your order?”

  He glanced over at her. She was opening cabinets pulling out bowls, pots and pans. Had she said omelets? The last time he’d eaten an omelet was when he’d gone on a business trip and stayed at a hotel. It had been delicious.

  “Yes, please,” he said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. “I’d like that.”

  “How would you like it?”

  He fought back the urge not to say the first thing that came into his mind, which would have given away his lusty thoughts. Hell, it was too early to think about that kind of stuff. But then, early morning sex wasn’t so bad. And he had a feeling she would be able to cook in the bedroom with just as much heat as she used in the kitchen.

  It took him only a few minutes to fill her in on the ingredients he wanted in his omelet. She nodded and went right to work. He watched her as she added the onions, green peppers, tomatoes…

  Ramsey’s mouth began watering. For both the omelet and for her. Moving around the kitchen, she was a sight to see. And he felt the lower part of his body getting there. The huge bulge behind his zipper wasn’t a joke.

  “What about a glass of orange juice?”

  He blinked, realized he’d been staring. “Thanks. That will work.”

  At the moment he couldn’t think of many things that wouldn’t work, especially if she were to place her hands on it. Shivers went through him when he thought of places she could place her hands…on him.

  She crossed the room and placed the plate on the table, right in front of him, and a glass of OJ beside his plate. “Thanks.”

  She smiled. “No problem.”

  He began eating while thinking it might not be a problem for her, but it was definitely becoming one for him. He didn’t look up when she refilled his cup of coffee. “Thanks.”

  “Sure.”

  He took his time to savor the meal which deserved all the savoring it could get. The omelet was simply delicious. He liked glancing up every once in a while to watch as she fried bacon and cooked sausage. In no time at all the smell of breakfast was all over his kitchen.

  And he noted she had come out of her shoes. She had kicked them in a corner and was gliding around the kitchen in her bare feet. He smiled as he glanced down at her toes again and felt his breathing come out slow and easy.

  They hadn’t said a word over the past thirty minutes. He was satisfied in letting her do her thing, and evidently she had no problem in letting him eat in peace while he finished reading the newspaper.

  With the newspaper read and his plate clean, he decided to strike up a conversation. There were some things about her that he needed to know. “Do you have any family around these parts, Chloe?”

  Chloe kept her attention trained on what she was doing, refusing to let the sound of Ramsey’s deep, throaty voice wreak havoc on her m
ind. It was bad enough she could inhale his masculine scent over that of the bacon frying. That might sound like a lot of bull to some, but she was convinced it was true, which was the reason her nipples felt so sensitive. Bacon would not have caused that effect.

  “No. I don’t have family around these parts,” she said, wondering why he’d asked.

  “So you relocated here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Without knowing anyone?”

  She wondered how she could answer that without telling an outright lie. “Not exactly. I have a girlfriend from college who lives here and decided to give this area a try.”

  He nodded. “So you’re living with your girlfriend?”

  Her answer to that would not be a lie. “Yes, when I’m not staying here as your cook.”

  He pushed his plate aside and leaned back in his chair. “So where are you from?”

  She forced a smile as she glanced over at him. “Where do you think I’m from?”

  “Somewhere in the South.”

  “Yes, I’m from Florida, more specifically Tampa.”

  Deciding she had answered enough questions, Chloe resolved it was her turn to ask a few. “So, what happened with Raphael and his five wives? I didn’t think a divorce was that easy back in the day.”

  Ramsey shrugged. “During our research we discovered the first woman he ran off with was a preacher’s wife. He couldn’t marry her because she was already married.”

  Chloe lifted a brow. “Then why did he run off with her?”

  “To save her from an abusive marriage. And before you ask, the second wife he took off her husband’s hands, with her husband’s blessing, to save a possible scandal.”

  Ramsey decided that was all he would tell her for now. It was just enough to keep her curious. Why he was baiting her he really wasn’t sure. Maybe the reason was that he liked seeing the look of interest in her eyes.

  He stood and carried his plate, coffee cup and glass over to the sink.

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said.

  “Yes, I do. I was raised to clean up after myself.”

  And just like yesterday, when he reached the sink she deliberately moved out of his way. Knowing she was trying to avoid his touch bothered him. He reached out and grabbed hold of her hand. She glanced over at him, startled.

  “Why are you afraid of me, Chloe?” It was then that he realized he was running his fingers up and down her arm.

  She lifted her chin, but did not try pulling her hand away. “What makes you think I’m afraid of you?”

  “You’re trying to avoid me.”

  She lifted a haughty brow. “I could very well say the same thing about you, Ramsey.”

  That was true, he thought to himself. Instead of denying it, he was silent for a moment. And when he felt a shudder pass through her from the way he was running his fingers up her arms he locked his gaze to hers.

  “Why the hell do we let this keep happening to us?” he asked in a low, throaty tone.

  Surprisingly, she gave him a faint smile. “Hey, you’re the one who was trying to work me out of your system.”

  He nodded. “With yesterday’s kiss,” he replied.

  “Yes.”

  Now it was his time to smile. “It didn’t work.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe your heart just wasn’t in it.”

  His smile quickly transformed to a frown. “Like hell. Everything I had was in it.”

  She seemed to consider his words for half a second. “I know,” she said, and sighed in dismay.

  With his free hand he took his finger and tilted her chin. “But just to be sure, I think I should at least try it again. Yesterday didn’t seem to work.”

  He then lowered his head and caught her lips in a drugging kiss, deliberately making it hot from the start. His tongue slid into her mouth on a breathless sigh and from there it was on. He deepened the kiss, devouring her mouth with a hunger that made yesterday’s kiss seem tame.

  He heard her moan. He felt the way the pebbled tips of her breasts were rubbing against his chest as if he wasn’t even wearing a shirt. And once again, her stance was perfect to cradle his erection, which was hard as a rock, engorged, as aroused as a male shaft could get.

  And just like yesterday, she was returning his kiss, lick for lick. Feasting on his mouth with just as much greed as he was feasting on hers. What was it about her taste, her flavor, the way their mouths fit together? His tongue seemed at home wrapped around hers.

  He tried doing a mental calculation in his head, trying to figure out just how many steps it would take to reach the table. There he would strip her naked and…

  The clearing of multiple throats had him reluctantly breaking contact with Chloe’s mouth, but not before getting one final lick of his tongue across her lips. He lifted his head to glare over at the four men standing in his kitchen doorway with smirks on their faces.

  It was Callum, Zane, Derringer and Jason. Of course it was Zane who had the damn nerve to ask, “Could you explain to us why you keep kissing your cook?”

  * * *

  Chloe eased her body into the sudsy water. Now it was late afternoon and everyone, including Ramsey, was gone and she intended to take time for herself. And she intended to get in bed early so she could be well-rested in the morning, now that she knew the routine.

  She closed her eyes and thought about the events of the day, beginning that morning when the four men had walked in on her and Ramsey. This time instead of being embarrassed by the intrusion, she had been downright annoyed. And of course Ramsey had done just what she’d expected. He had begun avoiding her again.

  He hadn’t shown up for lunch. Instead he had locked himself in his office. Then around two o’clock, he left and he had yet to return and it was close to six. She had prepared dinner for him again and had left it warming in the oven. She had even sat on the sofa like yesterday, anticipating his return. But when it became evident he was staying away, she decided to take a bath, make a few calls and then get into bed early.

  Thinking she had remained in the bathtub long enough, she stood to dry off with the huge towel. Everything for tomorrow was taken care of, so there was no reason for her to leave her bedroom tonight. She could use her PDA to check for any messages and to call and chat with her dad.

  She paused when she thought she heard a car door slam, which meant Ramsey had returned home. Slipping into her robe and tying the sash tightly around her waist, she strolled over to the window and looked out. Ramsey was getting out of his truck.

  She felt her body’s reaction at seeing him. And as if he felt her presence, he tipped his head back and glanced up and saw her standing at the window.

  Chloe sucked in a steadying breath the moment their eyes met. For a long time they just stood there, seemingly transfixed while staring at each other. And the heat of his gaze, the intensity of his stare touched her in areas that hadn’t been touched in a long time.

  She actually felt her body tremble at the desire building inside her and the feelings that clawed in her stomach from his unwavering gaze. No height or distance could stop the flow of sensations that were seeping into her every pore. And as she stood there all she could do was remember how he had taken her mouth for two days straight in hard, hungry and demanding kisses.

  Unable to handle the intensity of his gaze or the passion he was stirring within her any longer, she drew in a deep breath before stepping away from the window.

  Chloe fought the urge to rush downstairs and meet him at the door, to throw her arms around him and lift her mouth up to him, to be bold enough to take his mouth with the same intensity that he’d taken hers with earlier that day. She shook her head knowing there was no way she could or would do such a thing.

  Removing her robe, she slipped into her pj’s, deciding to stick with her original plan to remain in her room for the rest of the evening. She and Ramsey might be under the same roof, but the less time they spent together, the better. And she had a good reason for feeli
ng that way. She was getting drawn to him in a way that was more emotional than physical. She wished she could blame what she was feeling on irrational hormones but she knew that wasn’t the case. Something else was taking place and she didn’t want to think what that something could possibly be.

  She felt vulnerable around him, like he could be the one man who could pull her into him so much that she would forget about herself. Daren had tried and failed. But a part of her knew if Ramsey took a mind to doing so that he would be successful. He had the ability to break through all the emotional walls she’d erected since her breakup with Daren.

  With Ramsey she could feel herself losing her sense of will, her sense of logic and her common sense. There was something about him that was making her think things that she shouldn’t. Like a little girl with those same set of dark eyes or a son with Ramsey’s smile. She would admit right then and there if she was interested in a serious involvement with a man, he would head the list. And that worried her.

  * * *

  Ramsey opened the door to his home and leaned against it for a moment. He was fully aroused. The last thing he had expected when he’d pulled into his yard was to get out of his truck and participate in mind sex. He had stood there staring at Chloe while his entire mind had partaken in the most erotic fantasy possible. There was no part of him that had not been stimulated.

  Through the window he could tell she was wearing a robe and he figured she was naked underneath. The thought of a naked Chloe had made him hard. Desire had surged through him in a way that it had never done before. While standing there staring at her he’d actually felt every muscle in his body tighten.

  He glanced up at the stairs knowing the object of his desire, his red-hot passion and his erotic fantasies was up there behind closed doors. He was tempted, boy was he tempted, to go right up those stairs, knock on her door and kiss her in a way that would make the kiss they’d shared that morning seem like child’s play. And now that her taste was embedded onto his tongue, he wanted more of it, doubted he would be able to get enough.