“Hungry?” he murmured.
“Oh, yes.” She snuggled closer, her eyes still closed, and pressed her thigh against his cock.
His cock hardened but he gave a low laugh. “That wasn’t exactly what I’d meant but if you want to go another round, I’m game.”
She opened one eye “You smell like fresh air. Already get the morning chores done?”
He ran his finger down the bridge of her nose and she opened her other eye. “While you lay here, sleeping beauty.”
A yawn had her covering her mouth with her hand. “What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty.” He eased back up and sat on the edge of the bed “Time for breakfast.”
“I could go for some coffee.” She scooted up so that her back was to the headboard and she stretched her arms. “I need a whole lot of caffeine to get me going.”
“You’ve got it.” He kissed her on the forehead and she was smiling as he drew away.
She gave him a seductive look. “Unless I can entice you back into bed…?”
“If I wasn’t expecting the cattle inspector, I would do just that.” He swatted her on her ass, through the bedclothes. “Time to get your butt out of bed.”
“Ow.” With a laugh she rubbed her ass. “Okay, okay. As long as I get that coffee.”
“You’ve got it.” He gave her another swat then stood. He looked at her again and then walked out of the room, feeling lighter and better than he’d felt in a very long time.
• • •
Zane’s coffee was strong and good, and after her third cup her head felt a little clearer. She’d almost finished photographing the ranch. Next she’d like to spend some time taking pictures of the valley. There was far more too it than just grasslands like it appeared on the surface.
After making her a breakfast of eggs over-easy, sausage, and toast, he’d headed out of the house to get to work, but not before giving her a kiss that rocked her to her toes. It didn’t matter how many times he kissed her, each time was incredible.
She checked the area with her gaze to see if he was around, but didn’t spot him. She’d mentioned to him at breakfast that she intended to drive around the valley during the morning and shoot some photos.
It wasn’t long before she was on the road, singing another Eagles song to herself.
The scenery in the valley was incredible, from the rolling oak and juniper covered hills to the flat grasslands, and the surprising areas like the one Zane had taken to her yesterday that was like a little hidden world. She also got a few shots of some wildlife including a couple of coyotes and birds. She saw a small herd of seven javelinas but kept her distance as she photographed them. They were from the peccary family and looked like smaller versions of wild boar.
When she finished, the sun was low in the sky and she packed up her equipment and loaded it in the car. She was walking around the car when she heard two shots and dirt kicked up around her feet.
Her heart pounded and her skin went cold as she ducked behind her car and landed on the dirt on her hands and knees. She crouched behind the driver’s side front tire and held her hand to her chest. The shots seemed to be coming from the opposite side of the Mustang.
The next shot hit her car, the ping of the bullet piercing metal loud to her ears.
Her breathing came hard and fast. Dear God, someone was shooting at her, or shooting in her direction. Hunters?
She kept crouched down as she eased down to the door handle. When she reached it she opened the door. With everything that she had, she threw herself into the drivers seat.
Thank God she’d left the keys in the ignition. She stayed low and started the car. Another ping as the next bullet hit metal.
Saying a prayer, she put the car in drive and stomped on the gas pedal. The car fishtailed on the dirt road and she barely kept control as the powerful engine shot her down the road. She raised her head in time to jerk the wheel to keep from running off the road then raced the car back toward the Bar C.
The pounding of her heart felt like it was out of control. She’d been shot at. Or was she confused and hunters were shooting antelope and she’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Whatever the case, relief poured through her when she passed through the ranch gates, pulled up to Zane’s home, and parked.
For a long moment she gripped the steering wheel, unable to move her hands. Her fingers ached from clenching it so hard.
“Jessie?” The driver’s side door opened and she realized Zane was there. “What’s wrong, honey? Did something happen?”
She managed to nod and she looked up at him. “Someone shot at me. Or toward me.”
Surprise then anger crossed his features. He crouched down so that his gaze was level with hers. His jaw was clenched and his expression dark. “Are you certain?”
“Yes.” She glanced toward the passenger side. “Bullets hit that side.” She looked back at him. “A couple of bullets almost hit me when I was outside of the car.”
He took her by her shoulders and swept his gaze over her. “Were you hit?”
“I’m okay.” She shook her head. “It just scared the hell out of me.”
“Stay right there.” He was up and to the passenger side in moments. “Shit,” he said when he got a look at the car.
She looked through the passenger side windows and saw another man had joined Zane but couldn’t see the man’s face.
“What’s got you looking so serious?” Wyatt’s voice had an edge of concern to it.
Zane nearly growled. “Someone shot up Jessie’s car and damn near hit her.”
“Hunters?” Wyatt sounded serious as both men started walking back to the driver’s side.
“Could be.” Zane reached the open door and held his hand out to her. She forced herself to let go of the wheel, took a deep breath, and took his hand.
“Thing is, hunters might mistake a person for an animal, but not a red Mustang. It doesn’t make sense,” Wyatt said.
Zane looked at her palm and he made a sound through his teeth as he took her other hand, too. She looked at them and saw a little blood mixed with dirt from where she’d scraped them when she’d dropped to her hands and knees beside the car.
“I’m fine.” She brushed her hands on her shorts to get the dust off and saw the same thing had happened to her knees and she hadn’t even felt it when it happened. Now they stung, but not badly. “I guess I just hit kind of hard when I ducked behind the car.”
Zane helped her out of the car. “Could it have been hunters?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head as he closed the car door behind her. “I guess so. It just felt like I was being shot at. I don’t know who would want to shoot me, though.” She paused as a thought came to her. “Phoebe.”
“Phoebe?” Zane said, “You told me that she threatened you, but I just can’t see her going after you with a gun.”
Jessie frowned. “The way someone kept shooting at me and hit the car, it didn’t seem like errant shots.”
“It was probably hunters,” Zane said. “Or illegals running drugs.”
“They usually aren’t so blatant.” Wyatt said.
Zane didn’t respond and instead focused on Jessie. He took her face in his hands. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “I just needed a moment to catch my breath.”
He lowered his head and kissed her hard as if to make sure she really was all right.
When he drew away she glanced at Wyatt who was watching them. If he was surprised that Zane had kissed her, he didn’t show it.
“Where did it happen, Jessie?” Wyatt asked.
She gestured to the road. “Not too far from that stock tank. The one you took me to when you talked to those hunters, Zane.”
Zane and Wyatt looked at each other. “Want to come with me?” Zane asked his brother.
Wyatt gave a single nod. “You bet.”
“Why don’t you go have a drink of water and relax?” Zane set
tled his hands on Jessie’s shoulders. “Maybe lie down.”
“Really.” She felt like a broken record then realized she really was feeling better. “I’m fine.” When Zane gave her a stern look, she managed a smile. “Okay, okay. I’ll go.”
“It’s that or I carry you over my shoulder and take you in,” he said.
She flashed him a grin. “That sounds like more fun.”
Wyatt laughed but Zane didn’t look amused. He was clearly still concerned and pissed about her getting shot at.
He kissed her again then put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the front door. He opened it and when she stood in the doorway he said, “We’re going to go have a talk with the hunters. This shouldn’t take long.”
“Okay,” she said before he started to close the door and she pulled it shut behind her.
She closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath before heading to the kitchen for that drink of water but wishing she was getting something a little stronger waiting for her.
• • •
Zane’s jaws ached from clenching his teeth so tightly while he drove toward the area where Jessie said she’d been shot at. Wyatt followed in his own truck, eating Zane’s dust.
He didn’t find the hunters in that vicinity so he kept driving toward the Jones’ Mesa area. Further down the road, where he’d told them they could go, he found the hunters’ old red truck. It was parked in the shade of a couple of oaks.
He pulled his truck up alongside the vehicle and Wyatt parked beside him. When he got out of his truck, he shut the door with a solid thunk then met Wyatt by the hunters’ truck.
Wyatt put his hand on the vehicle’s hood. “It’s warm.”
Zane started walking. “Let’s find them.”
It took some time to find the hunters, but they eventually came up on them. The pair was taking a break and sitting on the edge of the mesa with binoculars focused on the bottom of a canyon. Joe was perched on a log and Bud on a big rock, their rifles propped up nearby.
Zane remembered that the men’s names were Joe and Bud. He had a hard time reining in his temper. For all he knew it could have been some other hunters on his land—only none had been spotted that he knew of.
Both men stood. “How are you doing?” Bud reached out and shook Zane’s hand and then Wyatt’s. “I’m Bud,” he said to Wyatt then gestured to his friend. “This here is Joe.”
Wyatt gave them each a nod and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops.
“You look all riled up about something,” Bud said as he studied Zane.
“You could say that.” Zane worked to keep his tone even. “Where have you been hunting today?”
“Just a little east of here.” Bud pointed in the opposite direction of where someone had been shooting at Jessie.
“Have you been near the road I saw you on?” Zane inclined his head toward that area.
Bud frowned and shook his head. “Early this morning before sunup, on the way in here, but since then not anywhere close to it.”
Joe had his hands in his back pockets as he looked from Zane to Wyatt and back. “What’s going on?”
“A woman was shot at just a ways down the road, just east of here.” Zane looked at the men as he spoke, looking for some clue in their expressions.
They both looked surprised and Joe frowned. “We’ve stayed near Jones’ Mesa like you told us,” Bud said. “Haven’t been anywhere near the area you’re talking about.”
“We did hear four to five shots,” Joe said.
“Is the woman all right?” Bud asked.
Wyatt pushed his hat up with his finger. “Just scared and her car was shot up.”
“Damn,” Joe said. “That would scare the shit out of me, too.”
Zane studied them. “Have you seen any other hunters around?”
Both men shook their heads. “No one since we’ve arrived,” Bud said.
“If you see anything, let me know.” Zane reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and handed each one a business card with the ranch name and Bar C brand on it. “That’s my cell number.”
Bud gave a nod. “Sure thing.”
“Don’t like the idea of someone getting shot at.” Joe looked at Bud. “Dangerous to be around a bunch of careless idiots.”
“Sure it wasn’t something like drug runners?” Bud gestured toward the hills. “They come through these parts sometimes, don’t they? I’ve heard that they come across and hike the bottoms of the canyons under cover.”
“Not ruling out anything.” Zane touched his finger to his hat. “Thanks for your time, boys.”
“We’ll be sure to give you a call if we see anything,” Joe said.
When they were a good ways away, Wyatt spoke. “Do you believe them?”
Zane glanced at his brother. “Yeah. I do.”
Wyatt said as he walked beside Zane, “From the way they reacted, I thought that they were telling the truth, too.”
“If not them, then who?” Zane looked in the direction of the shooting.
Wyatt shook his head. ”Might have been drug runners or illegals who wanted her car, but it isn’t their profile to do something so blatant.”
“Whoever the hell it was,” Zane said. “I intend to find out.”
Chapter 11
Jessie settled into in the huge jetted tub in the master bathroom, the jets massaging her. She’d found some bubble bath in one of the other bathrooms and assumed it was Danica’s. She was pretty sure her friend wouldn’t mind her using it. The water felt warm and soothing, chasing away the events of the day.
Being shot at wasn’t on her list of exciting things that she wanted to experience and she would gladly put it behind her.
She relaxed, letting the warm water and the floral scent of the bubbles soothe her. She allowed thoughts of Zane to swirl through her mind. The way he’d looked when she met him; his grin when they were laughing after she tore her shirt; his intense, possessive expression when he made love to her; his protectiveness and his anger toward whoever had come close to hurting her.
It was too soon, and she shouldn’t be thinking this way…but it made her feel loved.
She was mostly under the bubbles, with only her head and toes sticking out, when Zane tracked her down and tingles erupted in her belly. Tension seemed to slip from his features when he saw her and he sat on the edge of the tub. She raised her hand, a dollop of bubbles on her palm and she blew them at him.
Laughter rose up in her like the bubbles now on his hair. He grinned and placed his palm on her head and pushed her underwater.
She sputtered as she came up. She giggled and scooped water in her hand and splashed him with it, wetting his face and shirt.
“This means war, honey.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside as she grinned at him. She watched him as he stripped down to his briefs and then took them off. He climbed into the tub and she immediately splashed him.
He grasped her by her waist and kissed her, his callused hands rough against her skin, and he raised her up as he broke the kiss. Her mind seemed to spin as he leaned her back—and then he plunged her beneath the water.
When she came up she was coughing and spitting water and he was laughing. She socked him in his biceps but she was laughing, too. She hadn’t seen that coming.
“Stay put.” He took by her shoulders and turned her so that she was sitting between his thighs, her back to him. She felt his erection pressed up against her and it caused flutters in her belly.
He reached for the bottle of shampoo sitting on the edge of the huge tub. He poured some of the pearly white stuff on his hand then put it on her hair and started washing it.
“That feels wonderful.” She gave a sigh of pleasure as he lathered her hair and massaged her scalp. She closed her eyes and fell into the sensations of his wet body next to hers as washed her hair.
She opened her eyes as he turned on the water again and ran it until it was warm and then he positioned h
er so that he could rinse the shampoo out of her hair. It felt luxurious and sensual as he moved his hands, the warm water running over her scalp. She couldn’t help smiling as he raised her up to a sitting position when he finished rinsing her hair.
“I loved that,” she said before his lips moved to hers and he gave her a warm, wonderful kiss. His lips moved over hers and she moaned and returned his kiss.
“I’m not finished with you yet,” he said against her lips. He put a large dollop of bath gel on a cloth and started lathering her body with it. It felt incredibly erotic as he washed her shoulders and back before giving her breasts the same attention. She looked into his blue eyes as he washed them, then her eyes fluttered closed as he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. He lowered his head and licked each of her nipples and she felt an ache between her thighs.
He drew away and rinsed the soap from her body, gently splashing warm water over her. When he finished he pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled.
His large fingers slid around her wrists as he took them in one hand. She gasped as he drew her into his lap so that she was straddling him and she could feel his erection pressing against her, between her thighs. He grasped her by her hair and pulled her head back.
Her scalp stung but she loved the feel of it and his dominance as he took possession of her mouth with his. His kiss made her thoughts spin and her skin flushed with heat. She moaned against his lips as her breasts rubbed his chest while he kissed her. Their soap-slick skin made every sensation even more erotic.
His kiss was powerful, nearly overwhelming. She returned his kiss with just as much fervency and she rubbed herself along his erection, wanting to feel it inside her again. He pressed her up against the wall of the tub and he straddled her this time as he pinched and played with her nipples. Jets massaged her body as he held her there.
While he rubbed her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, she reached between their bodies and squeezed his balls before wrapping her hand around his cock. She moved her fingers up and down his length and he groaned.
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