“If you missed me, why are you way over there?”
He chuckled. “Why are you way over there? Didn’t you miss me?”
Anna laughed and the sound shot right to his dick. He had to have her. Now. He reached her in two strides and cupped her face in his hands then lowered his lips to hers. She moaned into his mouth. He moved his hands to her waist and pulled her tight against him.
“I did miss you, Jesse. I was hoping you’d stop by, but didn’t know how late you’d be.”
“It will never be too late for me to see you,” he whispered, his lips hovering above hers.
“You say the sexiest things,” she said against his lips then kissed him.
He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Setting her on her feet, he untied her robe and shoved it off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She reached between them and unsnapped his jeans then lowered the zipper. When her hand moved inside and wrapped around his hard cock, he almost came from just her touch on his skin. He stepped back from her then lifted her shirt off over her head and tossed it to the floor then pushed her lounge pants down and kneeled in front of her. She stepped out of them and stood before him naked.
“No panties?”
“I was hoping you’d stop by,” she said.
“Oh, darlin’, there is no way I wouldn’t. Especially if I knew you were waiting for me.”
He leaned forward and kissed her belly then moved down to her curls and moved his tongue between them to her clitoris. Her hands clutched his hair. He ran his hands up her outer thighs then moved them to between her legs. He nudged them apart and used the pads of his thumbs to pull her slit apart and put his mouth over her while moving his finger down her slit making her wet. Her moans were setting him on fire and if he didn’t have this woman soon, he was going to go insane. He sucked on her clitoris and moved his tongue over it. Her breathing increased and she pulled on his hair but he didn’t care. She cried out and her knees buckled. Jesse caught her and carried her to the bed then placed her in the center of it and followed her down to lay beside her.
“You are so fucking hot, Anna. So hot,” he murmured against her neck.
“Get those jeans off,” she demanded, making him laugh.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He rolled off the bed, toed his boots off, and shucked his jeans and boxer briefs then pulled his T-shirt off over his head and stood naked in front of her. His hard cock jutted out and he quickly reached for his wallet but she sat up, and put her hand over his.
“I’m still on the pill to keep my periods regular. Please.” She looked up at him and he knew he’d never tell her no.
“Are you sure? I’m clean.”
“I don’t doubt that, Jesse, and yes…I’m sure. I want to feel you inside me with nothing between us.”
He groaned then crawled over her and settled between her legs. She reached between them and guided him in. Home. She guided him home. He inched into her and they both groaned when he went as far as he could go. Her legs wrapped tight around him and he started moving in and out of her. Christ! It was so good! She felt so fucking good.
Anna pushed at his shoulders and he rolled to his back while she straddled him. Slowly, she raised herself up then down over him again and again. She tossed her head back and began to moan again then her inner muscles clenched around his dick as she came and groaned out his name. He flipped her to her back and pounded into her. His orgasm hit him hard and he nipped at her shoulder then kissed it when she gasped. He buried his face in her neck and tried to catch his breath.
“That was amazing, Jesse,” she whispered in his ear.
He lifted his head and stared down into her face. “It always is, Anna. Always.”
When he rolled to his side, he pulled her against him, and she lay her head on his shoulder and placed her arm across his stomach. He kissed her forehead then rested his cheek on the top of her head. He heard her sigh.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“That sigh didn’t sound like nothing.”
“I just hate knowing what I missed in the years I was married. I loved Jamie, but sex was never like this. After a while, he didn’t want sex at all. All he cared about was this damn ranch and now I’m stuck with it.”
Jesse leaned back from her and then scooched up to sit against the headboard. “Stuck with it?”
“It was his dream, not mine. I liked the idea when he first started talking about owning a ranch but I wasn’t thrilled with it. The more time that went by, the more the ranch actually came between us.”
“They why do you hang on to it?”
“I guess I’d feel guilty for selling it.”
“Anna, that’s ridiculous. If it was his dream, let it go like you let him go. You don’t need to hang on to it. Or is it because it reminds you of him and you don’t want to let go of him.”
“No…I don’t know. I think I let go of him years ago. Things weren’t really great between us even before he got sick. All he cared about was this ranch and I was pushed to the end of the line.” She sat up. “Oh, I hate talking about him like this but after being with you…Jesse, you’ve made me see so much. I’ve missed so much. I’ve never known what it’s like to be with a real man who knows how to treat a woman. I stayed with Jamie because I knew it would devastate him if I left him, but he was so unemotional, unaffectionate. I never realized just how much until you came into my life.”
A tear slid down her cheek and he wiped it away.
“I’m happy I did that for you…”
“But?”
“But I don’t want to just be the man who showed you what you were missing. I want to be the man you want.”
“I do want you, Jesse.”
“For how long?”
“What?”
“For how long do you want me? Because I want you for the rest of my life, Anna. I’m in love with you.”
Anna gasped. “You love me?”
“With all my heart,” he whispered as he looked into her eyes.
“Oh, Jesse, I love you too.”
“You do?”
“With all my heart,” she whispered back.
Jesse couldn’t stop from grinning then he frowned. “The age difference doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“No, not at all. It did enter my mind when you first showed up that I shouldn’t be attracted to you because I was so much older, but now I don’t care what others think because they have no say in my life. Only I do and I love you.”
He slid back down in the bed, pulled her against him, and kissed her forehead.
“I love you so much, Anna.”
“I love you too.” She sighed. “I need to take a shower then we need to get some sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow. I really can’t wait. Oh, and the inspector is coming out tomorrow afternoon. Can you take him to the cabins?”
“Of course, I can. Get your shower. I’m tired too. It’s been a long day.” He yawned, rested his cheek on the top of her head until she moved away, and headed for the bathroom. She closed the door and he stared up at the ceiling.
All of this was going to come tumbling down around him. All the lies would catch up and she’d end up hating him. He’d finally found the love of his life and he was going to lose her. Once she found out how much he had lied to her, she’d hate him. Damn it. If he’d just told the truth in the beginning…but then he never would have had her in his life. If he hadn’t said he was looking for work and maybe just said he was lost, Rusty never would have called Anna to come to the barn and Jesse would have driven off and their paths would never have crossed. Not only had he lied, but he continued to do so and after being here a month, how could he tell her now.
Gray and Ash were right. He was going to get in a hole so deep, he’d never get out. He needed to come clean. He wasn’t the type of man to lie. His parents raised him right and yet, here he was doing just that. Jesse could only pray she’d understand when he told her the truth o
f who he was and why he’d come here—and most importantly, why he stayed.
****
Anna pulled up to the Clifton Bed and Breakfast and parked her car. Opening the door, she stepped out, closed the door, walked up the steps, and then entered through the back door. Evelyn Watson stood at the stove. She smiled at Anna then wiped her hands on a towel and hugged her.
“Hello, Annie. It’s so good to see you and I’m so happy you’re going to be working here.”
“Hi, Evelyn. I am too. It was nice of Becca to hire me.” Anna hugged her back.
“Becca is a good woman. Come with me and I’ll show you around. Have you ever been here?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to stop in. The house is beautiful.”
“Yes, and we do so much business here. Becca had to have cabins built to accommodate all the guests.” Evelyn smiled at her as she led her down a hallway to the front foyer.
A beautiful full glass door with sidelights let the sunshine in and dust motes danced through the beams. The registration counter sat at the back wall with a staircase beside it. To her left was the large living room and to her right was the dining room. The hardwood floors showed signs of wear but still shined. Behind the counter sat two stools. Anna looked toward the living room then to Evelyn.
“This is amazing.”
“Yes. Becca did a great job turning this into a B and B. Hattie, her grandmother left her this house and ranch when she passed away. Sad story but Becca never knew her. She came here with the intent to sell it after she stayed the six months the will required.” Evelyn smiled. “But she met Jake and fell in love. What a rollercoaster that was.” She laughed.
“I’d like to hear about it sometime.”
“I’ll tell you one day. This is where you’ll sit. Stacy will teach you what you need to know. She and Josh are moving to Wyoming. His parents need help running the ranch so they’re leaving us. I’ll miss Stacy. She’s been here since Becca opened the place.”
“I’m sure she’ll miss you too,” Anna said.
“Of course, she will,” Evelyn said laughing.
Anna laughed then walked behind the counter and looked at the computer. It wasn’t a teaching job like she wanted, but it was a job. Although, it was only for the rest of summer to the beginning of October. The B and B was only open from May to October. She still kept in touch with the principal at the school where she’d worked but there were no openings. He promised to keep her posted if anything opened up and she’d be the first one on the list. Being a small town, Hartland didn’t employee a lot of people in any profession. Hartland, Spring City, and Clifton were ranching and farming communities. Except for the Callahan distillery, boot, and feed factories, not much else was available. But the two factories did keep a lot of people employed.
She’d just hang in there and hopefully a job would open up. But right now, she didn’t care. She was happy. Jesse loved her. She felt like a giddy teenager knowing he loved her, and she loved him. So much that it scared her. The love she’d had for Jamie was nothing compared to this all-consuming love she had for Jesse. He had become her world and she wondered what her life would be like if he hadn’t shown up. Talk about fate. It had confused her how he’d shown up looking for work when she couldn’t hire anyone. Frowning, she still wondered who he could have heard saying she wanted to hire someone. She had certainly never mentioned it to anyone since she couldn’t afford anyone. Everyone in Hartland and the surrounding towns knew her predicament. Mentally shaking her head, she knew it didn’t matter. It was fate. He’d arrived on the ranch and eventually stole her heart.
“Becca should be here soon,” Evelyn said bringing her back from her thoughts
Smiling at Evelyn, she took a seat on one of the stools. “She told me she’d be here this morning.”
“Yes. When she told me she hired you, she mentioned it. Do you want to come to the kitchen with me or sit here? Stacy should be here soon too.”
Hopping off the stool, Anna smiled. “I’ll come to the kitchen, if you don’t mind.”
“I offered, didn’t I? Come on.” Evelyn laughed and led the way back to the kitchen.
Chapter Seven
Jesse drove the truck up to the cabins with the inspector sitting beside him. The man had barely said a word since he arrived. He reached for the handle above the door and glanced over to Jesse.
“This road would have to be fixed. How would someone get to their home in the winter?”
“We’ll take care of that. I didn’t think you inspected the roads.”
“I don’t. I was just making an observation,” the man said.
Jesse nodded but didn’t say anything as he pulled up to the first cabin. The man beside him glanced around, blew out a breath, opened the door, and stepped out. Jesse watched him walk to the first cabin and enter it. He wasn’t sure if he should follow the man or not since he hadn’t said anything. Muttering under his breath, he threw the door open then stepped out and leaned against the front of the truck and folded his arms. Damn it was hot. Jesse removed his hat, ran his fingers through his hair, then resettled his hat. He saw the man come back out then walk around the cabin. His jaw went slack when the man crawled under the cabin. Now he knew why the guy was wearing coveralls. What the hell was he looking for under there?
A few minutes went by and finally the man crawled back out, stood, and wiped the dust off his clothes. He walked to where Jesse stood and stared at him.
“This is a beautiful place but the wiring under that cabin is a hazard.”
“Hazard? Why?”
“It looks like whoever did the wiring did a piss poor job and used extension cords instead of regulated wiring. They have to be protected, secured, and clamped to device boxes, junction boxes, and fixtures. Support devices that may damage the cables, such as bent nails and overdriven staples, are not permitted and those have staples over them. NM and NMC cables, which are non-metallic sheathed cables, should be secured at intervals that do not exceed four and a half feet, and they should be secured within twelve inches of junction boxes and panels to which they are attached. Cables that do not comply with this rule can sag and are vulnerable to damage. Extension cords do not meet these regulations.” He shrugged.
“Damn it,” Jesse muttered.
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Mr. Dalton, but there is no way this cabin passes inspection. Do you know if the others are the same?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I never thought about the wiring.”
“Well, I’ll need to look at all of them then. I’ll be a few minutes,” he said then walked away to the next cabin.
“Son of a bitch.” Why couldn’t something go right for her? Maybe he should talk to her about selling the ranch since she wasn’t going to be able to rent the cabins out and he’d have to be the one to tell her. Fuck!
Thirty minutes later, he drove the inspector back to the ranch. All of the cabins had bad wiring. He wrapped his hands around the steering wheel. How was she going to take this? He hoped it didn’t shatter her. But he’d be there for her if it did. He’d get her through this. The previous owners must have tried cutting corners when they built the cabins. After parking the truck by the back door, the inspector opened the door and looked over to him.
“I am sorry about this, Mr. Dalton. If you can redo the wiring, I’ll be more than happy to look at it again and if it’s right, I’ll approve them.”
“Thanks. I’ll let Mrs. Tipton know and I’m sure she’ll make a decision after she gives it some thought.”
“Have a good day,” the man said then stepped out, walked to his own vehicle, and left.
Jesse sighed, opened the door, and then stepped out of the truck. He started for the barn when Rusty came striding toward him. He stopped in front of him.
“Well?” Rusty asked him as he put his hands on his hips.
“They didn’t pass. The wiring is wrong.”
“Damn it.” Rusty looked away then back to him. “It’s time yo
u left, boy. That was the deal.”
“I’ll tell her who I am tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow never comes. She’s falling for you—”
“I’m in love with her, Rusty,” Jesse snapped.
“I don’t care. You’re going to hurt her. She is going to be pissed off when she finds out. Now, either you tell her tonight or I will. You got that…boy?” He spit a stream of tobacco juice toward Jesse’s boots.
“I’ve always been taught to respect my elders but old man, you are fucking pushing me,” Jesse growled.
“You know what? I don’t give a shit about you. All I care about is Annie not getting hurt anymore. I want you gone from here. If you tell her the truth and she lets you stay then I’m okay with that, but I don’t see that happenin’. Tell her tonight.” He stared at Jesse then spun on his heel and strode back into the barn.
“Motherfucker,” Jesse swore and kicked at a rock.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he strode to the house and entered to call Anna about the cabins. He hoped since it was lunchtime, she’d be on a break. He dialed her cell phone number and waited while it rang. Damn it. Should he tell her now or wait until she got home. He pushed End and put the phone back in his pocket. No sense in ruining her first day of work. His phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket to see Anna’s number. Hell! She must have seen that he called.
“Hey,” he said.
“Did you call me? Why did you hang up?”
“I realized you might be busy. We can talk later. How’s your day?”
“Going good. What did the inspector say?”
“I’ll tell you when you get home.”
“It was bad, wasn’t it?”
“Anna, let’s just discuss it later, okay?”
“Yeah, sure but I know it’s not good or you’d tell me now. I can take it, Jesse. I’ve dealt with being let down so much, one more thing isn’t going to matter.”
Oh, it will be more than one more thing.
“All right. The wiring didn’t pass inspection.”
“Can we just redo the wiring?”
“You’d have to have an electrician come in and do it.”
Jesse: A Beckett Brothers Novel Book 3 (The Beckett Brothers) Page 13