CHAPTER FIVE
Jace piled pickles and tomato slices on his cheeseburger at the staff buffet when he saw Cam Parker. “Hey, Doc.” Jace replaced the top bun and used the spoon to scoop a large amount of potato salad high onto his paper plate. After today’s job, he was starving. He realized now more than ever that it took a lot to be attracted to somebody he didn’t like. Unfortunately, he hadn’t thought of much else, not even filling his stomach since he’d held her wrist. He needed to stop thinking about the touch, and her—how she looked in the wet tank top and shorts that cradled her hips and ass.
“I met the new guest today. She came into the clinic to grab some ointment for her hands. Did you work her hard?” Cam asked.
“She didn’t complain.” Jace moved on to the baked beans.
“How are your ribs?”
“Better. A little sore tonight.”
“Ah, so you worked hard too.” Cam grinned.
“Nothing different.”
“If you need anything, let me know.”
Cam was a great guy and they chatted for a bit longer about the ranch, but once Jace stepped away to take his meal to his own cabin, his thoughts automatically traveled to Jessa. So, she’d asked for ointment for her hands. A woman like her was used to strumming guitar strings but couldn’t take holding a shovel and pounding a few nails into fencing. He cursed himself. What exactly was he trying to prove? It wasn’t like him to work a guest like he had her, but she was different. There was something about her, something he couldn’t pinpoint, outside of her looks, that reached in and tweaked his parts. However, today she hadn’t come across as snobbish or rude, not one bit. In fact, she did everything she was asked to do without one moan in complaint. Hell, even some of the cowboys moaned at times. He’d give credit where credit was due…she’d worked her ass off.
A smile came to his lips and he didn’t realize it until he caught a glance of himself in the mirror above the dresser. He growled and practically forced his lips straight as he sat down to munch on the juicy burger. As he held the bun, his thoughts meandered to another pair that looked mighty nice in shorts.
Petite with a nice, tight round bottom, and long blonde hair that almost touched her ass was an image tattooed in his brain. He couldn’t prevent the pictures that popped up of the two of them naked in his bed and her hair gliding over his body. He swore he could feel the sensation of the satin strands over his skin. Her fingers clutching his shaft. His cock darted alive and he shifted to ease the tension behind his zipper. He inhaled sharply and swore he could still smell her scent…a delicate mixture of honey and vanilla. He licked his bottom lip, imagining what it would be like to kiss her plump, cherub’s bow mouth again.
Damn, she was beautiful and her body was amazing. Her figure couldn’t be called ‘hourglass’, but she wasn’t skinny like a lot of women wanted to be these days. She had curves in all the right places—places where his hands would fit perfectly. And again, those lips made him sweat bullets. Full and pouty, curving in a seductive way that made him wonder what all she could do with them.
Knowing that she’d rejected him a long time ago bothered him, and he wished he could let it go and move on. Hell, he thought he had until she showed up here at Nirvana invading his space. Why did the incident still bother him? A lot of things had happened in the past that were a lot more severe and he’d forgotten them. He needed to get a grip on why Jessa bothered him so much.
He finished off his burger and started on his potato salad, running through his mind trying to figure things out. What he came up with had nothing to do with the fact that she’d turned him down, but the idea that he still held an attraction for her. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he still liked her.
What he did like…she seemed thrilled that he’d been on the back of a bull. That lifted his spirits some. He was proud that he’d stayed on for the eight-second ride, and because she’d shown him that she was proud of his bravery too, it stroked his pride. Not that he needed it or anything, but it never hurt to be appreciated by a beautiful lady.
He finished his plate, took a long shower, and planned to hit the sack, but once he was between the sheets, the vision of Jessa appeared on the backs of his lids.
This was ridiculous.
Pounding his pillow flat, he heard a seam break and shoved his head in the center, wishing sleep would come.
Thunder rolled in the distance. A storm was brewing and he wasn’t necessarily referring to the one outside.
*****
Jessa stirred to the flash of lightning, pelting rain and rumbling thunder. It was storming. She sank her head deeper into the pillow and looked at the ceiling in the nice, cozy cabin lit by a nightlight. Because she’d spent most of the last five years living out of motel rooms, she was used to sleeping in strange beds so she should be fast asleep, but even the melatonin she’d taken wasn’t winning the battle against her thoughts about Blue-eyes. After he’d dropped her off and made an exit like Flash, she’d come into the cabin, gotten settled in, ordered a simple salad for dinner, and sat down with a notebook and pen. The words began flowing.
Too bad sleep wasn’t.
She shouldn’t have come to Nirvana. Instead, she should be on some remote island, on the beach, slurping knock-your-panties off margaritas served in cute glasses with fresh fruit garnishes. Or she could have accepted the invitation from Ben Kane. They’d sung a duet together last year and hit it off—as friends—and he’d called her recently with an invitation to join him in Paris. Sure, he had an ulterior motive that ranked along the lines of visiting charming shops, eating big croissants with butter, and sharing one room and a bed. No thank you. He was good looking enough with blonde wavy hair, dark eyes, and a voice drenched in charm, but a man like Ben came with lots of hurdles. His reputation labeled him as a man who indulged himself with his female fans and a new flavor every month. She didn’t want to be a ‘flavor.’ She did like Paris though, but imagined visiting one day with someone who wanted more than a temporary indulgence.
Had Jace ever been to Paris?
Groaning, she had to come here, to Nirvana, where she was being cold-shouldered by a cowboy who she’d turned down for prom. Damn him for kissing her behind the stables at the rodeo. He’d lit an interest in her that had her envisioning kissing again…and maybe a bit more. A whole lot more.
Again, messy.
She didn’t do messy.
Why couldn’t things ever be simple and easy? Why did she always have feelings and interest for the wrong guy? And what made Jace so wrong? He had the looks, without a doubt. He was sweet when he wanted to be. And a man wearing Wranglers and worn boots, as if he owned the brand, turned her on.
His hands were large and callused, making her wonder how they would feel on her breasts. That part of her tingled and her nipples hardened. Imagining his hand between her legs, exploring her warm body, brought a shiver through her.
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Tossing and turning, she realized she wasn’t getting anywhere. Throwing back the covers, she pulled on a T-shirt and sat down at the desk where her song awaited the finishing touches. The fresh air here at the ranch cleared out the cobwebs and she found she was enjoying writing again. However, she couldn’t give all the props to the location. The scenery, particularly Blue-eyes, made her creative juices flow like wine. She giggled as she wrote, “Blue-eyes” at the top of the sheet of paper. Grabbing her guitar from the case, she thrummed her fingers down the strings, picking up a tune.
“Blue-eyed cowboy came locked and loaded. Hands of steel and tongue of gold. He stole my heart with one shift of his gun…”
Sometime in the early morning hours, she’d crawled into bed only to be awakened too soon after.
When the hard knock came on the door, she jumped out of bed in a panic. Her foot got caught in the sheet, sending her falling to her hands and knees. “Ouch!” She looked down at her bandaged hands, remembering how she’d worked herself until she had blisters. Thankfully the sores hadn’t kept her from playing her guitar and holding a pen…and possibly writing her best song yet.
Knock! Knock!
The digital clock was blinking. Shit! Had she missed the alarm?
With her mind slowly coming fully awake, she jumped up from the floor and turned on the lamp just as another thump came on the door.
“Hold your horses!” she yelled.
“Come on, Jessa. It’s raining cats and dogs out here,” Jace hollered back.
She hurried and opened the door. “Dang, cowboy! Some of us are trying to wake up here!” She lowered her gaze over him and chuckled. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. Have you been playing in the rain?”
Jace stood in the doorway, scowling. His clothes were plastered to his body and a stream of water poured off his hat. “You were supposed to meet me an hour ago,” he grumbled.
“I overslept,” she admitted.
“Figured as much. We had an electric outage during the night and it just came on a few hours ago.”
So that was why her alarm didn’t sound. She felt a little better. “Aw, that explains a lot. I’m not what you’d call a morning person. I was up late.” Why was she working so hard to please him? Ugh.
“You know ranchers are up at the crack of dawn. That’s how we roll.”
She shrugged. “Well, I’m not a rancher. You said to be up early, but you didn’t quite say what we’d be doing.” She shivered from the cool dampness coming into the room from the open door.
“We have a full day, that is if you’re up to helping—”
“Oh, I’m up for it.” Taking a step back, she waved him in. “Come in before I freeze.”
“Sure. Sorry.” He stepped in and the space suddenly became very small. She imagined the cabin would be a very romantic hideaway for two lovers—making love all through the night and long walks on the land. Her knees weakened and her spine tingled. She needed to get that silliness out of her system, but she had a feeling that until she sampled the treasure, she’d still crave it.
He was completely unaware of where her thoughts traveled.
He removed his hat, shook it out onto the tiny porch and closed the door, giving the interior of the room an examination “You have one of the newest cabins. It also has the most privacy. Does it fit your tastes?”
“It’s lovely.” The thunder rolled in the distance. She smoothed her palms down her shirt, forgetting they were still sore. She flinched and hid them behind her back. “If you give me a few minutes, I’ll hurry and get dressed.”
He smashed his hat in his hands. Was it nerves? “But wait. Let me see your hands first.”
Thinking of him touching her again like he had yesterday only made her libido tremble. “They’re fine. Really.”
“Doc Parker said you asked for ointment yesterday. I didn’t realize you had a problem.”
“Yeah, and I used the cream. Worked great. They actually feel better than they did last night.” If she hadn’t been writing and playing most of the night they would probably be recovering, but she couldn’t deny the words once they began to flow.
“Okay, but let me look.”
“Why?”
He lifted a brow. “Is that a real question?”
“Yes,” she argued.
“Since it appears I’ll be here for a while…” He made a choking sound and removed his thick jacket. Water droplets splashed her face. He chuckled and surprised her when he brushed his warm fingers along her cheek. “You’re being stubborn. Why don’t you let me see?” He took a step forward. She gave a small shrug as invisible fireworks shot off inside of her stomach. “Why don’t we agree to disagree, but you still let me see? I need to make sure you’re not going to get an infection.”
“That won’t happen.” Her quaking voice gave away her emotions.
“How do you know? Can you play a guitar without hands?” His whispery smooth tone sent tremors through her.
“Fine.” She realized this could go on for days, and not that she would mind, but any second now she would lose all logic and kiss him.
He gave her a curt nod and strolled over to sit on the end of the bed. The mattress squeaked under his weight as he patted the space beside him. Was he kidding? Did he realize how dangerous this could be? She’d just had a wild, amazing dream in that very bed that he played a starring role in. Her nipples beaded and she wasn’t sure the oversized shirt that she wore hid her reaction because his gaze drifted to that part of her. Good thing he couldn’t see between her legs. She’d never become wetter faster.
Inhaling, she got a strong, delicious whiff of leather and spice. Why did the man have to look like a Greek God and smell like rowdy virility? How could she sit next to him in her bed without falling against him? Kissing him. Traveling her fingers down his wide shoulders and broad chest. Finding out if he was built as big as she assumed.
His gaze narrowed. Soon he’d probably ask her what was wrong. The truth wouldn’t work.
Straightening her spine, she sat down with him and their thighs brushed, sending waves of heat throughout her body. Her toes curled on the cool wooden floorboards. She was barely breathing again when he took her hand into his larger one and she felt like she’d downed a shot of whiskey. Their eyes met and the thunder boomed. Or was she imagining things? She trembled beside him, sinking into his warmth. His gaze lowered to her breasts causing her nipples a profound reaction. The butterflies in her stomach flittered and she realized when it came to him, she was a goner.
“You still cold?” His gaze lingered on her breasts for a heartbeat.
“It’s a little cold in here.” His heat spread through her skin, all the way into her bone marrow, but goosebumps still scattered her flesh. All she’d have to do is lean a little closer…lay her hand on his thigh…
“Are you okay?”
She jerked. “Sure. Of course. Why not?” Her laugh was shaky. Damn. Did she have to play the role of a fool every time he was close?
His jaw tightened. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”
“You keep me disarmed. I’m not used to feeling vulnerable.”
He squinted. “Imagine I’m just some ordinary guy that you just met. Not the one who groped you accidently and spoke out of his head. Don’t worry. I am a gentleman.”
That is too bad…