A Mail-Order Haven

by Janelle Daniels

  But before he could do anything, she softly asked, "Who do you want?"

  The question, asked so gently, lit him on fire. Uncertainty coated her voice, and he knew what she really wanted to ask was, do you want me?

  Moving slowly, he took the final step toward her and wrapped an arm around her waist, gently tugging her forward until their chests were touching.

  Her breaths came in great gulps, and he could feel the rhythmic timing against his bare skin. The mere pleasure of having her against him, seared him to his soul. He'd been with women before, but just having Juliette here, next to him, was more than he'd ever felt or experienced with another.

  Tentatively, as if she were unsure of herself, she raised her hands to his biceps and skimmed her fingertips up and over his shoulders, into his hair. Her fingers clenched gently.

  His eyes rolled back in his head, and he softly cursed. "That feels so good."

  His words must've spurred her, given her encouragement, because her movements became more confident as she traveled over him.

  She continued touching him, stroking through his hair, over his neck, shoulders, arms, and chest. He'd never had anyone pay him such care, and the heat surging through him exploded.

  She gasped when he squeezed her tight, his hand going to the back of her head. He tilted her face up, and forced her gaze to his. "I'm going to kiss you. Tell me you want it." He tried to be gentle, tried to not let the intensity he felt inside out. He didn't want to frighten her.

  Again, she sank her hand into the back of his hair. "I want it," she said, already bringing her lips to his.

  He crushed his mouth to hers, claiming her, tasting her. She'd set him on fire with her soft caresses, and had decimated his defenses. He was raw and open, and the lock he normally held on his passions sprung free.

  She gasped at his aggression, but she met him just the same. She didn't retreat, didn't shy away. Instead, she invaded.

  He could tell she wasn't very practiced, but that didn't stop her determination. She opened her lips and tasted him, her movements bold, delicious, and daring.

  His body shook, and he pressed her closer as the frenzy in his blood took over. He couldn't think, could hardly breathe, only feel.

  Someone could've broken into the house and shot either of them, but they wouldn't have noticed. He was too entangled with her to care.

  He cradled her jaw with both hands, slowly kissing her, taking his time to thoroughly explore. He nipped her bottom lip and reveled in her gasp.

  Heaven above, what she did to him.

  She held on a moment longer, and he brushed another kiss against her lips.

  Her eyelashes fluttered as her eyes opened, her glazed eyes showed him she was as affected as he'd been.

  She sucked in a shivery breath, and he rubbed her arms over the fabric of her dress. "Are you all right?" He knew the kiss should never have happened, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it. And he would never apologize.

  She nodded. "I'm fine. That was just…"

  "Yeah. I know what you mean."

  Her eyes cleared slowly, and he saw her brain click back on, could practically see her flow of thoughts. She'd enjoyed it, but wasn't sure it should've happened. He agreed with her completely. "Look—" he rubbed the back of his neck "—we probably shouldn't have done that, but it happened, and I don't regret it."

  Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she sighed. "I don't regret it, either."

  Hearing her admit it, relieved him.

  "But," she continued, "we probably shouldn't do it again. We need to be on guard, and how you made me feel, make me feel, fogs my brain. I'm not as sharp as I need to be, and I'm assuming it's the same for you."

  He wanted to deny it, to tell her she hadn't affected him enough to distract him from his duty, but he couldn't. Their kiss had. As he'd thought earlier, anything could've happened, and he wouldn't have been able to protect her. "You're right. It's dangerous."

  She nodded glumly, as if she'd hoped he'd argue the point.

  He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Listen, on top of it being dangerous, I'm no good for you. I'm not a good person, and you deserve someone so much better."

  She gave him a self-deprecating smile. "I don't believe that."

  With his shirt in hand, she turned to move away, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. He waited until her eyes met his. "Believe it. If you knew what I'd done in the past, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near me."

  She eyed him, obviously considering all the possibilities, but she must've decided it wasn't worth arguing over. And it wasn't. His past wasn't something she couldn’t change, and he wasn't about to tell her what it was. Because if she knew he was just like her brother, she'd want nothing to do with him, and he would never be able to keep her safe.

  She held up his shirt. "This should only take me a minute."

  There was nothing left to say.

  Chapter 8

  Juliette was dusting the dining room when she heard the front door open. Frowning, she set down her rag. "Devon?" She sighed. She should've said Mr. MacAllister, but after their kiss the other night, she couldn't think of him like that anymore. He was Devon, now.

  She stepped into the hallway when he didn't respond, and tried again. "Devon?" She could've sworn he was upstairs still.

  She was reaching for her knife when Willow stepped in the hall from the front room. "Sorry. It's me. I wasn't sure if you were actually looking for Devon or not."

  Juliette straightened, happy to see her friend. She'd had Sylvia around the house for company, but Juliette hated interrupting her work just to talk, and although she would've liked to talk to Devon, they'd been keeping their distance from each other. "No. I just heard the door open and was confused. How are you? Did you change your mind and decide to stay at the house, instead?" She added with a smile.

  Willow nodded back toward the living room, and Juliette followed her, flopping into the chair next to her, her chores forgotten.

  "I'm still planning on staying with Clara and Sawyer. My business has picked up, and it still makes sense. But, I needed a break."

  "A break from work, or a break from the happily wedded couple?"

  Willow snorted. "What do you think?"

  Juliette laughed. "I was worried about that. I love the others, but it would've been hard for me to be around newlyweds for that long. You were wise, choosing Clara. With the baby coming soon, I would think things were calming down."

  "That's what you would think." She scoffed. "That's not the reality, however," she added, grumbling under her breath.

  Juliette chuckled. "Don't worry. I've got a feeling you’re next."

  "Ha! Not on your life. I'm too busy sewing my fingers off to court anyone. No, if someone's getting married next, it's going to be you. I guarantee it."

  Juliette would like to think so, but none of the men who had courted her interested her enough to marry. They were nice—amiable, even—but none of them lit her on fire, none of them made her want to put down her book because they commanded her attention. No one had affected her that way—except Devon.

  As if she'd conjured him with her thoughts, his footsteps thumped down the stairs. Willow sat up straight. "That must be him, right? I'd already left the bank when you met him, but Clara saw him and said he was something to look at. Was she right?" She looked at the doorway expectantly.

  "Oh. Well…"

  Willow's eyebrows shot up when Devon walked into the room. "Hello. I'm Willow."

  He glanced over at Juliette, quickly scanning her from head-to-toe, as if making sure she was all right. The quick inspection brought another blush to her cheeks, but she bit her lip, hoping the color would stay down.

  He turned his attention to Willow. "Nice to meet you. I'm Devon. I saw Sawyer escort you here. Will you need me and Juliette to take you back or is Sawyer planning on returning later?"

  Willow's lips twitched. "Well, aren't you good at your job?"

  Juliette covered her f
ace and laughed. "Willow, give him a break. Just tell him how long you're staying."

  "Just for the day." She lounged back on the couch. "Although, maybe I was a bit hasty in staying with the sheriff. Perhaps I should get a bodyguard, too."

  Before Juliette could groan at the blatant interest in Willow's tone, Devon said, "It might be worth it to you. Especially after the mine has paid out, if you haven't decided to settle down by then. Juliette has opted to learn how to defend herself, but if you have no interest in that, a bodyguard could be a good solution. You never have to worry about being carted off in the night."

  "Hmm. I hadn't thought that far ahead, but you're right. That would be smart. I haven't found anyone to marry yet, and I'd rather not be forced into it."

  "There are several people I can recommend."

  "I'll think about it. Thank you for the advice. Sawyer said he’ll return early evening." She’d finally lost her flirtatious tone. Thankfully.

  Devin looked back to Juliette, and she could swear she felt every place his eyes touched. "Do you plan to go out today, or are you staying in?" he asked.

  "I had thought to stay in." She glanced Willow. "Unless you'd like to leave?"

  "Oh, no. I plan on sitting in the house, in the quiet, preferably in my room, where no sound can reach me."

  Juliette chuckled. "If it's really that bad, you should just come home."

  "I would, but I have back-to-back fittings every day for the next week. Don't get me wrong, I love what I'm doing, but it's also exhausting." She rolled her eyes heavenward, with the flash of a cheeky smile.

  "Oh, darn. You're going to make tons of money."

  "Who needs money now, when the mine's paying out?" She grinned.

  Juliette laughed. "That's true."

  Devon caught her attention again. "I'll just let you two catch up. Sylvia is in the kitchen, but I'll be upstairs, if you need anything."

  He gave her another long look, and Juliette's heart beat faster. She forced herself not to visibly react. "All right. Thank you."

  He nodded to Willow. "It was nice to meet you."

  "You, too."

  Devon walked out the door, and both she and Willow watched him leave. After a moment, Willow sighed. "He cares about you.”

  "What?" She'd been thinking of the way Devon had looked at her, when Willow's statement filtered through her mind. "That's his job."

  "Uh-uh. There's more to it than just that. A man doesn't look at a woman like that when it's just his job. Come on, Juliette. I've known you for over a year, and I know how you think."

  Juliette shifted on the couch and glanced at the doorway, making sure Devon hadn't lingered. "It isn't like that. He's my bodyguard. We're paying him to be here."

  "We might be paying him to protect you, but there's more to it than that. I'm not blind. Has anything happened between you two?" Juliette's blush gave her away, and Willow pounced. "I knew it! Did he kiss you?"

  "Shh!" Her gaze darted toward the door again. "He'll hear you!"

  She waved her hand. "He already walked away. Come on, admit it."

  Juliette worried Devon would come back, but she also knew her friend would not stop digging for answers. "Yes!" she hissed quietly. "Yes, he did, or I kissed him. Anyway, it doesn’t matter."

  "Of course, it matters! Have you kissed anyone else since you came to Promise Creek?"

  Juliette opened her mouth to rebut, but realized there wasn't anything she could say to steer Willow from the conversation. "No. But Devon and I both agree it isn't a good thing. We don't need any distractions right now. His job has to come first."

  Willow shrugged. "Why can't he do his job and kiss you? Why should that make any difference?"

  "Because it's distracting!" She threw up her hands.

  Willow eyed her. "He’s getting to you, isn't he? At first, I was just teasing you, but I can tell you're really riled over this." Willow reached out and took Juliette's hand.

  Juliette wanted to tug it away, but she squashed the childish impulse and took a deep breath. "It is hard," she admitted. "I'm attracted to him, but it's not like it's never happened before. But then I got to know him a little, and each thing he did or said, made me like him more. And then he took his shirt off, and—"

  "He took his shirt off?" Willow’s jaw dropped.

  Juliette closed her eyes quickly, wishing she could fall into a deep, dark tunnel. "It’s not like it sounds."

  "And how does it sound?"

  "Like some salacious street magazine!" She counted to three. "Nothing untoward happened. He heard something outside, so he went to investigate. He ripped his shirt on a branch, and I told him I'd sew it for him. It was the least I could do," she said, trying to make Willow see reason.

  "And you had to sew it right then? He couldn't have brought it to you later?"

  "Well…" she frowned. "I guess you're right. He could have, but we weren't thinking clearly. Our spirits were up, and I guess we got carried away."

  "Uh-huh. And is that when the kiss happened? When he took his shirt off?" Juliette's flush overheated her. "I knew it!" Willow crowed. "He took his shirt off, and all the muscled gloriousness overwhelmed you and you kissed him."

  "That's not what happened," she griped. But in reality, wasn't that exactly what had happened? She'd seen his chest and arms, and all that delicious, strong muscle, and her brain had stopped working.

  And that was the entire problem. They couldn't afford for either of their brains to turn off. They had to remain vigilant, aware. News of the mine could break at any time.

  "Listen." Willow placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry I teased. I can tell this is really bothering you. If it really can't happen, that's fine. It was just a kiss, after all. But you should really think about it. A kiss doesn't have to mean anything, but I think for you, it did. Can nothing really happen between you two? Even after this is all done? He doesn't have to move on, you know," she added, softly.

  Juliette's mind reeled, as she allowed herself to contemplate that option. It might be dangerous to become involved while he was guarding her, but once the danger had passed, what was stopping them? If there was something there, staying in town a little longer wasn't a big deal.

  "Just think about it," Willow urged.

  Juliette placed a hand over Willow's, and squeezed gently. "I will."

  She was afraid she wouldn't be able to think of anything else.

  Chapter 9

  When it was time to ride into town the next day, the only thing Juliette could think about was her conversation with Willow. She'd tossed and turned all night, mulling over the possibility of being with Devon. It was dangerous to get involved when they needed to focus on her safety, but nothing was stopping them from being together once the mine was cleared.

  Would Devon even want that? He seemed the type to have no roots, going wherever the wind took him, and she would never be okay with that kind of life. She couldn't exist like that. They were two very different people, and Juliette wondered if they had enough in common to sustain a future together.

  It was crazy to even think about it. She hadn't wanted to go into town today, but maybe it was a good idea. Being around others, perhaps talking with the other women, would give her the perspective she needed to make a decision. She had to figure this out, foresee any pitfalls, before approaching Devon about it.

  She walked down the stairs, and Devon was waiting for her at the landing. "You ready to go?" he asked.

  She pulled on her gloves and nodded. "Yes. Thank you for coming with me."

  "It's all part of the job."

  Was that it? Was it as cut-and-dry as that? Was there any way they could come to care for each other in so short of a time, where he'd be convinced to stay with her?

  Heavens, thinking about all this made her sick with anxiety. She strode out of the house, Devon behind her, but they didn't speak. Instead, they mounted their horses. "Do you want to ride ahead in front, or in back?" she asked.

  Devon adjusted in his saddle.
"You ride ahead of me. That way I can have my eyes on you the whole time."

  She knew he meant it as a way to protect her, nothing more personal than that, but part of her wished he had. She was attracted to him, and although he'd kissed her the other night and she'd caught him looking at her occasionally, it didn't necessarily mean he wanted anything more. Besides, he could have kissed her out of pity, or because it was convenient. Nothing more than that.

  She wished the whole situation was easier. If he wasn't her bodyguard, just another man in town, he would've already stated his intentions to court her or not. But this was too complicated. Not only were they battling their circumstances, they were battling his duty. How could she ask him to consider having a relationship with her, when it might risk her safety?

  Sighing, she urged her horse forward into a trot. She rode ahead, knowing he would follow at her pace. She hadn't ridden all that much, preferring to take a wagon, but maybe she should consider it in the future. She felt more connected to nature this way, an active participant, instead of the casual observer. The air felt more alive, the long grass and bushes dancing on the ground, occasionally swiping up to touch her skirts. She felt a part of it. This gorgeous place, the rugged land, had become her home. And after becoming so acquainted with its beauty, she wondered why anyone would live anywhere else.

  It didn't have the pleasures of the city, but she didn't mind. Nothing in the city could compare with this.

  She slowed her horse to a walk, wanting to give them both a break. Hopefully, as she rode more in the future, she would become more accustomed to the saddle. Until then, she needed to take it easy.

  Devin moved his horse next to hers. "Is everything all right?"

  "Yes. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I'm not used to riding."

  "Nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, when you go in to town, you're normally going for supplies, and you need the wagon for that."

  She laughed. "That's a nice way of making me feel less incompetent."

  He eyed her posture. "You sure don't look incompetent."