Pensively, she gazed out the window. She suffered the dull ache of desire at the thought of him. And she hungered from the memory of his mouth on hers—from the contact of his body pressed against her.
Okay, okay. She’d take him to dinner. Jasmine sighed. When was the last time she’d enjoyed her self with a man? Too long, she thought. Would a relationship with Drake be so bad? But they were coworkers. They were friends.
“You tired?”
“No.” They’d made it to the next farm. Drake would have eaten long before she finished work.
“What do you think is wrong with it?” Jasmine asked Drake. It was after six and she had one more stop to make. Of course her stupid truck chose to break down now.
Drake dragged his head from under the hood long enough to say, “Haven’t got a clue. The tow truck should be here soon.”
“Probably too late to rent something tonight.”
“Take my truck,” he said. “After you drop me off at home.”
“How would you get to work?”
“I’ll catch a ride from one of my neighbors. No problem. I’m in the office all day.”
He didn’t have to do that, but this was the Drake she’d come to know and appreciate. “Thanks,” she said.
They started moving the contents of Jasmine’s truck into Drake’s. His was a newer model than hers and a lot cleaner. They’d finished by the time the tow truck pulled up and attached her truck for a trip to the local garage.
Drake drove them to the last appointment, which went quicker with his help. From there, they went to the office.
“Hey, Gordon, can you unpack for Jasmine?” Drake asked. “Then join us inside. I have dinner.”
“Sure,” the young man said, eyes lighting up at the mention of food. Jasmine would have let him off the hook, but he hadn’t come in before noon while she’d already put in a full day’s work by then. They should have stopped for something to eat before returning to the office. But Jasmine just wanted to go home, shower and go to bed.
Jasmine followed Drake into the office.
“What do you want to talk to me about?” she asked.
“I have your dinner.”
“I can eat after we talk. What’s up?”
“I’m hungry. I’m going to eat.”
She detoured to the bathroom to wash up. Then they sat in the reception area and ate.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked once she’d eaten enough to take the edge off her hunger.
“Just wanted to see if you were eating properly. And you aren’t.”
“Ponce will be back on Sunday. Life will go back to normal.”
“You mean, your normal twelve-hour days instead of sixteen and seventeen hours?”
Jasmine shrugged and bit into the fish and moaned. “I was just thinking I owe you dinner. You’ve been so kind to me.”
He leaned against the counter, crossed his arms. “You don’t owe me anything.”
She forked up another bite and chewed. “I owe you an apology. For falling all over you Sunday and avoiding you afterward. I had a lot of thinking to do.”
“And did you come up with some conclusion?”
He looked too damn good standing there. If Jasmine weren’t so hungry she would have lost her appetite with the emotions swirling through her. She should be used to him by now.
He sauntered toward her and eased his tall frame into the seat beside her. Her heart somersaulted. The fork clinked on the plate. She looked down. The succulent fish was the last thought on her mind.
He’d showered, she noticed, when she got a whiff of the citrus cologne or soap. Whatever. He smelled like heaven while she had a day-old horse scent. Why would he want to be anywhere near her?
He stretched his arms along the back of the sofa and positioned his ankle on his thigh.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I ate earlier.”
Jasmine nodded.
“The office needs another large-animal vet, maybe two,” Drake said. “Even with the two of you working, your caseload is too large.”
“I agree. I don’t know how they kept up before I arrived.”
“We had a temporary for a while. He left a couple of weeks before you arrived. If you keep this up you’ll need one, too. Floyd is bringing in new business all the time.”
“We can discuss it at the next office meeting,” Jasmine said. Drake had a point. “Although it will slow down after most of the foals have arrived next month.”
“Not by much. There’s always something.”
Jasmine finished her food. “I hate to eat and run, but I’ve got another long day tomorrow.”
“That’s if you don’t get any calls tonight.”
“God forbid.” Standing, Jasmine made her way to the door.
“You have Monday off, don’t you?”
Jasmine nodded around a yawn.
“I’d like to take you to dinner.”
“I have to shop for furniture. I’ll take you if I can find everything Sunday.”
Drake shook his head. “Eating out of a carton doesn’t constitute a date.”
Date? “Ah, Drake.”
He closed the distance between them, lowered his head and kissed her. It was as dizzying as it had been the first time, but she attributed this time to fatigue. He was romancing her in her weakest state.
She pressed a hand against his warm chest and inhaled the attractive citrus scent.
“This can’t work,” she mumbled into his chest.
“Why not? Because your kiss tells me differently.”
“We’ve got history.”
“No, we don’t.”
“You and Steve…”
“Honey, we’re way past that argument. Steve has nothing to do with the way we feel. He’s in L.A. We’re here and what’s between us hasn’t got a damn thing to do with home.”
“I wish it were that easy.”
“It is.” He lowered his head again and kissed her.
Jasmine should stop him, but she found herself dragging her hands around to his back and pressing him close to her. Her calm was shattered with the hunger of his kiss. Her nipples hardened and pressed against his warmth. She knew that once her mind cleared, once the fatigue wore off, she’d feel like an idiot. But now…God, but now, he felt like heaven at the end of a hellish day. She kissed him back with a hunger that belied her earlier caution.
“Want me to go home with you and tuck you in?”
Jasmine jerked back. The image was much too enticing.
“I think I can handle that.” Slowly but surely, he was worming his way into her heart.
“Okay, you can drop me off at my house and take the car.”
“Thanks.”
“And if your car isn’t out of the shop by Sunday I’ll go shopping with you.”
“I thought men hated to shop.”
“Depends on who we’re with.”
They made their way to the car. Drake tossed his keys to her and headed to the passenger seat. As Jasmine climbed in and started the motor a thousand what-ifs ran through her mind.
Maybe it was time she let go and enjoy. From the time she was a child she’d been on guard practically every wakeful moment. Could she afford to let her guard down now? Would Drake drag her heart through the mud before it was all over? Was he really as good as he seemed, or was he a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Jasmine was at River Oaks.
Mr. Avery was at a race one of their horses was competing in and hadn’t returned yet. She’d like to know his history. How he came to own the farm. What his childhood had been like. The kind of genes running on his side of the family. She wanted to know about Mackenzie, too, and his mother.
Jasmine’s mother always called her stubborn to a fault. She wondered who that trait came from.
It was Sunday and Maggie Girl was colicky, and Jasmine was fighting to save her. Since she was pregnant, they were concerned about losing both the horse and the fetus.
Jasmine rushed into the stable. Maggie Girl was on the floor, thrashing.
“How long has she been like this?” Jasmine asked.
“Little over an hour,” Burt said. “I gave her some medicine, but it didn’t work.”
He and Colin were on the barn floor trying to soothe the animal, but they weren’t having much luck.
Burt called over a couple of hands to hold her still while Jasmine gave her medication.
Jasmine took out a syringe, filled it with medication and clamped it between her teeth. The horse was thrashing about so much she had a devil of a time inserting the needle. The last thing she needed was for the needle to break.
“You’ve got to hold her still.”
“Get over here, now!” Burt hollered and a couple of hands came running in. With the four of them holding on to the horse, she got the needle in. Jasmine patted her side to try to soothe the animal and give the medicine time to work. With the way she was struggling, Maggie Girl would be lucky to hold on to the fetus.
Three hours later, Maggie Girl was on her feet. Jasmine did an ultrasound to make sure the fetus was okay.
When she was ready to leave, Noelle approached her. “I know this was supposed to be your day off. Let me take you to lunch.”
Jasmine glanced at her watch. “I need to get cleaned up. Drake’s taking me furniture shopping. My mother’s coming in a couple weeks.”
“We’re about the same size. You can clean up here, saving you the time of going back home. We can eat at the house. Leila always has something cooking.”
“Thanks, but I need to get moving.”
“I heard your car’s in the shop. If you need to go shopping during the week, let me know. Shopping takes time, what with the furniture, choosing matching pillows, prints for the walls, decorating pieces and spreads.”
Jasmine eyes widened as the list grew longer. She held up a hand.
Noelle nodded at Jasmine’s stricken expression. “Thought so. You aren’t going to finish everything today.”
“Not now, since you’ve named a million items I hadn’t thought of.”
“Please. I really want to spend more time with you. Maggie Girl means so much to Colin. He chose her. And she’s carrying my foal. Let me thank you. Besides, it’s always more fun shopping with another woman. What do men know about decorating?”
Given that her enormous vet fee would be plenty of compensation, Noelle looked as if she really wanted to spend the day with Jasmine. Besides, it would keep her mind off the date with Drake.
“I’m off on Monday if you’re available. I’m hoping I’ll have my car back by then,” Jasmine finally said. She’d worked fourteen days without a break. She was finally getting a day off.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Noelle said as if it were a foregone conclusion.
Back at home, Jasmine peeled off her clothing and got into the shower using the scented soap she’d purchased on her shopping spree that weekend. It felt heavenly to be so clean. She dressed in the lovely teal top with jeans and a new pair of underwear with a matching bra.
Hugs barked when he greeted the animals in the barn.
“Easy, girl,” Drake warned. Hugs’s health had improved immensely and she was getting friskier by the day. Kelly, Drake’s neighbor, had ridden her bicycle to his house the other day wanting to play with the dog. She still longed to take Hugs home with her.
Drake was getting attached to the dog. Hugs went home with him each night. Everyone regarded her as his dog now. At this point, he guessed she was.
Drake spent an hour in the barn checking injuries and playing with the healthy animals. Then he went into the office and dialed Jasmine’s number. When she didn’t answer he tried her cell phone.
“Hi. Enjoy your morning in?” he asked.
“I’ve been at work since eight.”
“Why?”
She told him about the emergency at River Oaks.
“Why didn’t Floyd take it?”
“I’m on call. He was on call yesterday, remember?”
“Ready to go shopping?”
“No, but it can’t be helped.”
Drake chuckled. “I miss you.”
A long sigh, then, “I miss you, too. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Drake slowly hung up. His mind never strayed very far from Jasmine—and the hot kisses they shared. Their relationship seemed doomed before it began. He liked her. Never in a million years did he think he’d have feelings for a woman like Jasmine. Especially since he knew her from way back. She’d turned into quite a woman.
But he couldn’t have children. He couldn’t forget that. So why was he obsessing over her? Why couldn’t he leave her the heck alone?
When he read the schedule for Monday, he realized his first project was a neutering. He inhaled deeply. Sterilization was a normal procedure for any vet. It was needed. It was unfair having so many homeless animals around getting hit by cars or starving. With the city crowding the land, there just wasn’t a safe place for animals any longer. So he guessed it was the more humane thing to do.
But he didn’t have to like it.
Everything brought him reluctantly back to Jasmine. He was falling for her in a way he never expected to. He couldn’t afford to let himself continue down that path. Their relationship was a foregone conclusion. She wanted children by a man who could give them to her. He couldn’t.
But he wanted to help her. The quickest way to do that was to get her to reveal her identity to Mr. Avery. He couldn’t betray her. He wasn’t going to tell the old man. The only solution was to convince her to do so.
When Jasmine walked into the office, Drake’s eyes skimmed her body from head to toe zapping her with laser beams of pure heat.
Jasmine was accustomed to the cheerleaders and popular girls in school getting those looks, but she wasn’t accustomed to having them aimed at her.
It felt good. Damn good to know a man thought you were so attractive he was rendered speechless.
Thank you, Noelle and Casey.
“So, is this the product of your shopping spree?” he asked, slowly strolling toward her.
Jasmine tugged at her blouse. “Yes.” She couldn’t take her eyes off him. When he stopped, he brushed up against her. He lifted his hand, smoothing it along her arm. Her stomach dipped.
“You need to shop more often.”
“Umm. Ready?”
One of the vet techs took that moment to come in with Hugs. Drake put a little distance between them, but the heat in his eyes stayed with her.
“So what are you looking for?” Drake asked.
Jasmine cleared her throat. “Let’s see. I need a couch for the living room and a bedroom set for the guest room, for starters.”
Hugs came over for a pat and Jasmine reached out to stroke her.
“What are you going to do with Hugs? It’s too hot to leave her in the car today.”
“I’m leaving her here with the tech.” He stroked the dog before he led Jasmine outside. When the door closed, Hugs looked as if they were deserting her.
“We’ll be back soon, Hugs,” Jasmine said as they made their way to the truck.
“So where were you thinking of going?” They piled into the truck. Drake drove this time. She’d cleaned up his truck before she’d dressed.
Jasmine named a couple of places she’d shopped at before and Drake made suggestions. But she knew neither of them was thinking about shopping. When she got within ten feet of him, she wanted to take him to bed.
Jasmine reached for a bottle of water, but Drake grabbed her hand.
“Have you thought any more about revealing your identity to your grandfather?” he asked.
“I’ve thought about it a lot, but I’m not going to tell him.”
“It’s your reason for being here. He can give you what you never found with your father.”
“If he accepts me.”
“Are you afraid he won’t?”
“There’s the possibility.”
“Why would he accept Noelle and not you? You’re as much his granddaughter as Noelle. She would be the sister you never had.”
“This isn’t a fairy tale. My life isn’t going to be magically fixed if I tell him.”
“No. But sometimes you see problems instead of opportunities. You can build a meaningful relationship with him and your reason for being here will be accomplished. But you can’t do any of that unless you tell him.”
“No.”
Drake’s hand clenched around the steering wheel. “You are one stubborn woman.”
Jasmine glimpsed his profile. He had some nerve. “I’m sure Steven has told you that.”
“Yes, but I don’t believe everything he tells me.” Drake said, then fell silent, giving Jasmine a chance to think.
“Why is it so important to you?”
“I’m not the issue here. That connection is important to you.”
The truth was, while she wasn’t afraid to tussle with a large horse, or a cow that could crush her, she was afraid of not being accepted once again.
When her father and mother divorced, she’d called him daily. Half the time he’d talk to her a minute or two before he gave her some excuse to sever the connection. He broke the connection so many times, she’d stopped calling. It had taken her way too long to get the message. Her father just didn’t want her. She wasn’t going to lay her heart on the line again—not ever—for some man to crush it to a pulp.
She didn’t need Mr. Avery. Hadn’t she literally taken care of herself since she graduated from high school? No, she didn’t need anyone. She’d just wanted to meet him. And she wasn’t sweet Noelle.
Besides, her mother had told her not to impose on that family. But when did she listen to her mother?
“How long are you going to keep tormenting both of us?” Drake said, dragging her attention back to him.
“Tormenting you?”
“Just forget it.”
“I can’t. What are you talking about?”
“We’re here.” He maneuvered the truck in the turn lane and pulled into the shopping area.
She was tormenting him?
Drake let Hugs out to run after breakfast. He had another half hour before it was time to leave for work. He nursed his cup of coffee thinking of Jasmine. When they’d finished shopping the day before, she’d dropped him off at his house and, like a fool, he’d invited her in. Although she wasn’t working, he let her keep his truck so she could do whatever women did on their days off.
Then Comes Love Page 7