NATHAN WATCHED AS the sun dropped low, ready to fall behind the edge of The Ridge and dip into the water of the river. The kids were already laughing around the campfire. Clint and Mitch were stoking it into a bonfire with very vocal supervision from Bailey, while Steve strummed away on his guitar. He’d been surprised when Bailey pulled the guitar from the items she’d stashed in the back seat of the truck. She’d remembered everything, including the blanket and special dessert he’d texted and asked her to bring for Jessie. He owed her; maybe he’d rethink that revenge he was planning for her interruption at his cabin.
She’d even thought to park the truck far enough away from the group that he could have some privacy with Jessie while they watched the sunset. He needed to remember to get her a special gift for this. Bailey might be a ball breaker, but she had his back.
Spreading the blanket in the bed of the truck, Nathan opened the back door and called Jessie over. “I need some help with this.”
She frowned but made her way toward him. “What’s wrong? I thought we already got everything out and—”
Nathan pulled her toward him and pressed her up against the truck before dipping his head to capture her lips. He’d been dying to kiss her since this morning when he’d left her warm and rumpled in her bed, promising a special surprise. This might not be the Ritz, but with the sun melting behind a few hazy clouds tingeing the sky pink, purple, and blue, holding this beautiful temptation in his arms, this moment was worth a million dollars.
His tongue swept against her lips, coaxing her to open to him. She didn’t disappoint, sighing as she allowed him access to her sweetness. Her arms circled his waist, her hands gliding over his back as she drew him closer. Nathan groaned against her lips. When a loud burst of laughter came from the campfire, Nathan eased away from her with painstaking slowness, unsure whether he was annoyed or grateful for the company. As long as they were present, he wouldn’t let his desire get out of hand.
Jessie whimpered quietly in protest, her fingers digging into the muscles of his back, making his erection strain against his jeans. He brushed his thumb over her jawline as he withdrew.
“Don’t you want your surprise?”
He smiled down at her and loved the flicker of excitement that lit her eyes. There was no doubt about it. Jessie thrilled him like no woman ever had. He might not be willing to call it love, but he was willing to admit what they shared was special.
“That wasn’t it?”
“Woman,” he scolded, chuckling quietly, “you’re selling me short. I can do better than that.” Grasping her hand and bringing it to his lips, he kissed the back of it. “Come here and see.”
He took her to the back of the truck where he’d laid out lemon meringue pie and two bottles of her favorite beer. Nathan slid his hands onto her waist and effortlessly lifted her into the back of the truck before joining her.
“How did you do this?” she asked, awed.
“Bailey helped,” he admitted. “I wanted tonight to be special.” He sat against the back and pulled her down between his legs, brushing her hair back from her face. “Jess, do you realize how much you mean to me? This past week has been incredible.” He saw the tears in her eyes as she bit down on her lower lip. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that, it’s . . . Nathan, thank you.”
He tucked a curl behind her ear. “For what? The ranch?”
“Yes . . . no.” Her fingers ran over his hands, caressing his palms and sending jolts of desire straight to his groin. “I’ve spent a long time blaming you . . . for not calling, for never coming back. I wasted so much time and energy trying to be what I thought everyone else wanted that I forgot to find out who I was and what I wanted. And I would have gone on that way, but you reminded me that it’s okay to want something for myself.” She twined her fingers with his. “For letting me be me again.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining with gratitude and, dare he believe, adoration.
“Jess,” he whispered.
“Wait, let me finish.”
She laid her hand against his chest, and he felt the muscles contract. In fact, every muscle in his body seemed strung tight, ready to snap at the slightest provocation. The thought of leaving her sent pain spiraling through his chest, constricting his lungs, making it impossible to breathe.
“It’s been a long time, even before my parents died, since I felt I could really be myself. With my parents, especially my dad, I had to be tough and independent to work with the other guys. Justin and Julia went away to college, but I stayed to help them. They needed me, and part of me liked that, but I had to play a role for them. I thought I had to keep being that way if I wanted the crew to take me seriously. That role stuck, and I’ve been playing it ever since. It’s become such a part of me, of who I am, that I’ve forgotten how to be anything but the hard-ass you accused me of being.”
“Jess, I—”
“No, I was,” she interrupted. “I am.”
She stopped him with a hand over his mouth. He smiled against her palm and nipped at her fingers playfully. She gasped slightly, her chest heaving, and he pressed a kiss to her hand. Her eyes darkened and he recognized the same need he felt swirling in their depths.
Jess scooted from his lap and straddled his thighs, cupping his face in her fingers. “Nathan, I don’t know what will happen after you leave tomorrow, but I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. I didn’t tell you last time how I felt. I care about you, a lot. Honestly, more than I want to. I know we’re different, and we really have nothing in common but . . . ”
Her words tapered off, as if she was afraid to say any more, and her lashes dropped to her cheeks. She looked up at him again from under them. “Say something, please?”
He slid one hand to her back, pulling her toward him, letting the other bury itself in the thick waves of her dark hair. “Jess, I think we are more alike than you realize.” He met her gaze, willing her to read the truth in his eyes. “I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone else. I always have.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted—”
“I’m saying it because I mean it.” He brushed his lips against hers. “You mean more to me than anyone ever has. I may be leaving tomorrow, Jess, but even Jet, with his snapping teeth, couldn’t keep me from coming back.”
JESSIE FELT HER heart shoot into the heavens and burst like one of the stars in the night sky. She was certain that every one of the guests could see it happen. She wasn’t sure she believed they really had a chance at making this work. She wanted to ask him how it would even be possible. Before she could speak, his mouth found hers, sending her senses spiraling into the sky with her heart. She didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to argue, she only wanted him. Her arms curled around his shoulders, and the kiss quickly turned from gently seeking to intense and feverish, leaving her breathless when the teens’ laughter broke through the haze of their yearning.
A slow blush crept over her cheeks, burning her face, and she was grateful no one could see them. “I should get back.”
“Why? Bailey is taking care of everyone. She insisted we have dessert and a little privacy under the stars.”
Bailey had no idea how much this meant to Jessie—or maybe she did. Either way, Jessie owed her big time. She would need to thank her cousin appropriately for the gift. Jessie scooted to Nathan’s side and curled herself against his chest, her fingers toying absently with the front of his shirt, and smiled up at him.
“I’ll agree to a few minutes, but you have to keep this PG. I don’t want my guests to wonder what sort of a ranch I run.”
He chuckled and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “No promises.”
Jessie sighed, content for the moment simply to be in his arms. Knowing he planned on returning as soon as possible made it easier to let herself relish the complete adoration she had for him. She didn’t kid herself, thinking he felt the same way she did—why would a man like Nathan fall in love with a mousey cowgirl with dirt under her nails—but knowing he cared was enough for now. Still, a nagging doubt gnawed at the edges of her mind. He’d promised to return before and had never come back.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he brushed a few waves back from her face and looked down at her.
“Nothing.”
Nathan grinned. “Liar.”
She returned his smile. “Fine,” she said, sighing dramatically. “I’m wondering how soon it might be before you are able to come back.”
“I have a couple of meetings early in the week, and then I need to meet with my father before I leave New York and head back to LA to check on my place there.” She tried to catch the frown before he noticed it. “What?”
Wearing Wranglers, boots, and denim shirts made it easy to forget that he was worth a small fortune and how important his family was. But listening to him talk about business trips and his jet-setting lifestyle with the upper elite and his family, she wasn’t sure there was any room in his life for a struggling horse trainer. She pinched her lips together and shook her head.
“Jess,” he warned, tipping her chin up so she was forced to meet his gaze. “Don’t go second-guessing me—us. Let’s take this one day at a time. Right now, that means enjoying the stars in the back of your truck with eight teenagers pretending not to watch us from their campfire.”
She eyed the group, gathered around the fire, laughing at one another. Bailey was doing a great job keeping everyone entertained, but people were definitely taking notice of the couple in the back of the truck. She could make out the soft smile on Susanne’s face and the wink Bailey shot her. She only wished she felt as confident about their relationship as everyone else seemed to.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, AS Jessie watched as the kids climbed onto the beat-up bus to head back home, Susanne came up and gave her a quick hug.
“We had so much fun. I’m so glad you were able to do this for us.”
Jessie smiled back at her. It had been emotionally trying to do without her parents, but the group reminded her how much she enjoyed the presence of guests, watching others love her home almost as much as she did. However, this part was exactly what she didn’t like about the dude ranch—saying good-bye.
“I’m so glad you guys came. I hope we’ll see you again soon.”
Susanne winked. “Of course you will. We have a winter camp for the kids as well, and this place would be beautiful with a small dusting of snow.”
Jessie laughed. “Well, that’s about all we get most years, but it’s plenty as far as I’m concerned.”
Steve and Nathan finished loading the luggage into the bottom compartment of the bus and Steve clapped his hands together. “You about ready, wife?”
“Oh, I forgot my purse in the cabin. Jessie, why don’t you walk with me to go get it?”
Steve rolled his eyes as he turned toward Nathan. “Women. They can never keep track of anything.”
“Pshhhh, you hush,” she replied, waving a hand his way. She didn’t leave Jessie a chance to refuse as she put an arm around her waist and dragged her toward the cabin. As they arrived on the porch, Susanne faced Jessie. “I didn’t really forget my purse. I just didn’t want everyone to hear.”
“Hear what?”
“That man loves you, and I think you love him.”
“What?” Jessie wasn’t sure what to say to Susanne’s bold, and obviously irrational, statement. “Nathan? No, we’re just . . . ” What were they? Was Nathan her boyfriend? It seemed to simple and explanation for how she felt. “I don’t exactly know what we are.”
Susanne laughed quietly. “Yeah, Steve and I were like that once, too. I don’t mean to meddle, but I can see you two care about each other very much. I’d hate to see you waste too much time fighting it. Trust me. From my experience, it’s not worth the fight. It just wastes time and hurts.”
“It’s complicated.”
“When isn’t it?” she said, laughing again. “Whatever the complication, you can work through it if you love each other enough.”
And there is our problem—we don’t love each other—I love him.
There was no sense in denying it any longer. She loved Nathan Kerrington. She’d never stopped. From the moment he’d first stepped on the ranch eight years ago, he’d shattered every preconceived notion of what love should look like. He still turned her world on its head, but she realized she didn’t want it any other way.
She loved the way he didn’t balk at her temper, the way he could see through her moods to figure out what was underneath, the way he could bring out every emotion she tried to hide. He saw past the front she put up for everyone, moved past it to appreciate the woman behind the mask. Nathan had seen something in her no one had ever tried to find before—not her family and not her friends—and had shown her it was okay to be herself, to want and need and desire something for herself instead of sacrificing every part of her for others. And her heart didn’t seem to beat fully unless he was around.
Susanne smiled and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You should see your face right now. It says it all.” She shook her head and looked back toward the bus. “You need to tell him whatever it was you were just thinking. He needs to hear it.”
They walked back to the bus, and Susanne gave her one last hug before getting on the bus with the kids. Steve shook Nathan’s hand and reached for Jessie’s. “It was a pleasure to stay here, Jessie. Be sure to save us a week for winter camp. I’ll have Susanne call and set it up, if that’s okay.”
“I’d love that.”
“Drive careful, Steve,” Nathan said.
“I will.” The man eyed Jessie and met Nathan’s gaze again. “And you remember what I said.”
Jessie was curious about the interchange but didn’t want to pry, any more than she wanted Nathan to ask her what Susanne had said. Nathan moved closer and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side as they waved at the departing bus. His fingers slid down to twine with hers.
“Alone at last.” She could read the wicked gleam in his eyes, as the green flecks practically glowed with heat.
She laughed, and put one hand against his chest. “Hardly. Bailey is cleaning the cabins, and the guys are in the barn. Not to mention, Aleta is coming back later tonight.”
His head dropped forward, his chin against his chest, as he sighed loudly. “And here I thought I had you all to myself.”
She laughed at his mock disappointment. “Come on, let’s go get something started for these guys to eat. They’re going to be raiding the kitchen if we don’t feed them soon.” She shook her head at him. “Once we get them out, you can have me all to yourself.”
Nathan spun her into his arms, walking backward with her in his embrace. He tipped her chin up before pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “You have yourself a deal.”
THE KNOCK ON his office door surprised Justin. He hadn’t scheduled any appointments after lunch, so he could sneak in a few minutes to gather his weekly receipts for Brendon when he headed into town later in the week.
Brendon’s head peered around the edge of the door. “You mind if I come in? I wanted to talk to you about Jessie.”
Speak of the devil, Justin thought.
“Aw, man,” Justin said with a groan. “We’ve already had this discussion. She just wasn’t interested.”
Brendon slumped into one of the chairs in front of Justin’s desk and waved him off. “I know that, although I still wish she’d give me another shot.” He lifted his booted feet to the edge of Justin’s desk and crossed them at the ankles. “I was wondering how much you know about this Kerrington guy. How much do you really trust him?”
Justin paused his perusal of a receipt and set it aside. “He was my roommate in college. He’s one of my best friends. I trust him. Why?” Justin could feel a headache coming on and rubbed his thumb against his temple.
“I don’t know. Dad didn’t like him at all.” Brendon shrugged a shoulder. “I just . . . I couldn’t shake this feeling there was more to him, so I looked up a few things when we left your place the other day.” He reached into his briefcase and pulled a folder out, dropping it over the pile of receipts in front of Justin. “His family has a pretty colorful record—several indictments for fraud and conspiracy. His father’s got tax evasion charges against him now. Is this really the guy you want giving you business advice?”
Justin looked over the documents and printed-out newspaper stories. Nathan told him years ago that he’d never been close to his father, but one of the articles showed him at an event with his arm around his father’s shoulders. They’d been out of college for years, only staying in touch by phone. It was a long time and people changed dramatically in less, but he couldn’t believe that Nathan would cheat him.
“I called him, not the other way around.” Justin frowned as he pushed the folder back toward Brendon. “Just because his father’s a crook, doesn’t mean he’s one. He’s a financial analyst.”
“So?”
“So, I’m sure there are much more lucrative businesses he works with, and could steal from if he wanted to, rather than a failing dude ranch. He’s already worth a small fortune.”
“Justin, we both know Heart Fire Ranch is worth a boat load of cash, even struggling. Land can be pretty tempting. If he could get his hands on it . . . maybe seduce either of your sisters? I’m sure that money would go a long way toward paying his father’s attorney fees. Why use his own money when he can use yours, or your sisters’? Not to mention that some of his ideas, they aren’t what’s best for your family.”
“Like what?”
“Well, like stopping payments to Heart Fire Industries, for one. I didn’t want to hurt her, but your father wanted to set those payments up so that Jessie didn’t drain all three of you dry with these horses of hers. You’ve seen how much of a toll they’ve taken on the finances in just a few months.”
Justin wanted to disprove Brendon’s theory, but he couldn’t get his conversation with Nathan over breakfast this morning out of his mind. He couldn’t still the nagging doubts circling his mind.
Brendon’s feet hit the floor as he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “You know him better than I do. But you know what they say about the apple not falling far from the tree.” He stood up to leave. “Just keep an eye on Jessie. I’d hate to see her get hurt if this guy is using her. Who knows what he’s telling her when you’re working here at the clinic?”
Brendon glanced at the receipts Justin had been sorting. “Did you want me to take those with me?”
“No, I’m not finished with them.” Justin walked Brendon to the front of the office, holding open the door. “Hey, Brendon, thanks for keeping an eye out for us. It means a lot.”
“Anytime, bro. You know I’ve always got your back.”
Justin watched as Brendon slid into the driver’s seat of his Mercedes and pulled back out onto the main highway. He didn’t like the suspicion twisting in his gut, demanding answers for questions he hadn’t thought to ask. How could he have just assumed Nathan was the same as he had been in college? They were both different now, older, wiser, more worldly.
The news clipping of Nathan with his father haunted Justin. They looked pretty cozy for men who didn’t get along. He grabbed his keys and flipped the closed sign on the door. He wanted to get home and talk with Jessie. A little reassurance from her would go a long way to settling the unease beginning to gnaw at him.
AS USUAL, LUNCH was a chaotic fiasco filled with laughter and good-natured ribbing. Mitch and Clint acted more like twin brothers than friends. Jessie reminded herself to call Jennifer to ask about hiring them. Bailey, as was her custom, was a complete smart-ass but Jessie was beginning to wonder if there wasn’t something more than friendship brewing between her and the quiet Clint. She found it difficult to imagine her cousin dating a cowboy, especially after all the years of her complaining about them.
Jessie rinsed off the last plate and slid it into the dishwasher before wiping her hands with the towel on the sink. She turned toward the table where Nathan was seated, watching her. She’d felt his eyes following her all through lunch.
Jessie felt like a fumbling idiot when she’d dropped several bottles of water out of the refrigerator and then followed them with the mayonnaise container. Nathan’s knowing chuckle didn’t do anything to lessen the nervous shiver of yearning that shook her, but when she met his gaze, she could read the same longing in the heated desire she saw in his eyes. She leaned back against the island, her hands at her lower back.
“Well, I’m going to head over to the clinic,” Bailey announced. “Unless you want me to stick around.” She arched a brow at her cousin, a playful smile curving her lips.
“I think we can manage. Thanks, Bailey.”
“I’ll just bet you will,” she teased. Bailey headed for the back door. “Have fun!”
She’d no more closed the door when Jessie crooked a finger at Nathan.
“You think that’s all it takes, woman?” he asked.
“Absolutely.” It felt good to tease him, to laugh and enjoy the new ground they were breaking on their relationship.
Nathan moved toward her, his arms wrapping around her waist, lifting her from the floor onto the island and stepping between her thighs. “This has been the longest two days ever. I can’t wait to get you upstairs.”
Heat seemed to course between them, igniting an impatient demand in her. She wanted him, minus his clothing, right now. She cupped his jaw between her hands and dragged him toward her, biting his lower lip gently. “What are you waiting for?”
Nathan growled and captured her mouth, his tongue dancing with hers, sending her senses twisting in a tornado of desire. She clutched at his back, begging him to take her without words.
“What in the hell?” Justin yelled from the doorway.
Jessie jerked backward in surprise, but Nathan held his hand against her cheek for another moment before turning and standing in front of her, protecting her from the full brunt of her brother’s wrath.
“I told you to stay away from my sister.” Justin clenched his fists at his side, and Jessie could see the dark fury in his eyes. Why would Justin care who she dated? It was none of his business.
“It’s not what you think, Justin.”
“Sure it’s not. I know all about your father’s trouble with the law. Is she just a pawn to help you get him out of trouble, a way to get your hands on the ranch? Some kind of publicity stunt?” His eyes flicked to Jessie’s. “Or maybe she’s just another notch on your bedpost?”
Nathan held his hands up as Justin approached. “I know you’re upset, Justin, but I’m not after the ranch. I don’t need your money.”
Jessie slid from the island and stood by Nathan. “Justin, stop.”
“Really?” he went on, ignoring her. “I had a visitor at the clinic today. He gave me a quick rundown of our financial situation, how stopping payments could ruin the rest of us, and how Heart Fire Industries was set up because my father wanted to make sure that Heart Fire Ranch and my sister’s kind heart didn’t drain us all into oblivion. Then I get here and find you groping her. He warned me you were going to try to use her.”
Jessie’s mouth dropped open in shock at the accusation in her brother’s words. “Brendon?”
Nathan clenched his jaw hard enough for the muscle in his temple to tick. “And you trust him? Over me?”
“He’s not the one trying to screw my sister. He also isn’t trying to fund a defense for his father against fraud charges.” Jessie looked up at Nathan in shock. “Oh, you didn’t know about that, Jess? Then you probably don’t know about the fact that this isn’t the first time. His family has quite the record.” Justin shoved against Nathan’s chest, knocking him back a step. “I thought you said you didn’t talk to them. The picture I saw in the paper, the one of you and your father during his campaign last year, looked pretty chummy.”
“Is that true?” Jessie took a step away from him.
“Justin, you’ve always been my best friend. You have no idea what risk I’m taking to help you, what could happen if it comes out that I’m here. Why would I try to con you?”
Justin looked at Jessie. “If it’s so dangerous for us, then why did you come?” Nathan’s eyes dropped on Jessie. “Her?”
“Justin, stop. Please,” Jessie’s voice had lost its defiant tone, leaving her sounding defeated and confused. Nathan tried to meet her gaze but she refused to look at him.
“You know, I sure as hell didn’t think you’d stoop low enough to use my sister.” He looked over at Jessie and shook his head. “I have no clue who you are anymore.”
Jessie couldn’t listen to any more. Her stomach was roiling, and she was going to be sick. She’d fallen for it again. Not only had she jeopardized the ranch and her siblings, but she’d made a fool of herself over this man again. She’d believed his lies again. She had to get out of here, away from the two of them. She moved toward the door.
“No, Jess,” Nathan began, turning toward her. “At least give me a chance to explain.”
She didn’t want to hear anything else—no more lies, no more excuses. She didn’t need one more reason to feel like more of a failure than she already did. With one hand on her stomach and the other held up, she ran from the room. But not before she saw her brother’s arm cock back and heard his fist connect with flesh.
NATHAN CAME TO on the kitchen floor with his jaw throbbing but stinging with cold. He tried to push himself up on an elbow.
“Hang tight, Wall Street.”
Bailey.
She removed an ice pack from his jaw and squatted down, looking at him. “You’re gonna have a helluva goose egg, and it’s gonna leave a bruise.” She roughly placed it back, letting her hands dangle between her thighs. “I thought you were smart. Why in the hell would you let Justin think you were using Jess?”
Nathan, still slightly groggy, tried to remember exactly what had happened. He remembered wanting everyone to leave so he could take Jess upstairs, her kissing him—oh, crap!
How had Brendon even found out about his dad? So far, his father’s lawyer had managed to keep the charges under wraps from the media. At least, that’s what his father said. With politics, money talked, and lawyers weren’t the most trustworthy if leaking news might get them a leg up on the opposition or some cash in their pocket.
Damn lawyers.
“Bailey, did you read my e-mail? The one from my dad?”
She tipped her head to the side. “Of course I did,” she answered unapologetically. “I wasn’t going to take a chance that Jess might get hurt. Just because Justin trusted you didn’t mean I—”
“Who did you tell?” he interrupted.
He saw the regret flash in her dark eyes. “It was when you first got it. I asked Uncle Trevor to check up on you. I had no idea, Nathan. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault Justin’s jumping to conclusions. If he would’ve given me a chance, I could have shown him I refused to help my father.” He looked up at her from the corner of his eye, trying to see around the ice pack. “I’m not trying to con Jessie.”
She stood up and helped him to a chair. “I know that. You think I’d be helping you now if I thought you were?” She grinned at him. “I’d have kicked you while you were on the floor and helpless.”
“I have no doubt,” he muttered, trying to figure out how he was going to convince Jessie of the truth. “Where’s Jess?”
Bailey handed him a bottle of water and two aspirin, twisting her lips to the side of her mouth and biting the corner of her mouth. “She told me to tell you to leave tonight and not to come back.”