Covet Not (22 page)

Jared
moved to kiss her bare hip, and listened to her breathing. He pressed his nose
to the underside of her breast and traced the crease with his tongue. He smiled
when he felt her hand on his head, heard her sigh, and shifted fully on her
back. “What are you doing awake?”

He
wouldn't lie, but he wouldn't make her afraid. Not yet. He pulled his head up
and sucked her nipple into his mouth. “I wanted to try to convince you to turn
the air on.”

“But
I get cold,” she whined.

“And
it's going to be terrible after I'm done with you. I'm going to get you so hot
and sweaty, then I'm going to turn the air on. Then you'll really be cold.” He
nipped the side of her breast.

Her
breath hitched. “That's mean.”

“The
intolerable heat is making me mean.” He rose up and slid between her spread
legs easily. There was no fight at all in her, and he wanted a bit of a tussle.
“I'm forbidding you from touching the thermostat. If you do, I'll shut off the
hot water.” He pushed inside her, and moved slowly.

“You
wouldn't,” she breathed out, too distracted.

“I've
had a cold shower the last two nights. I think you should suffer as well.” He
thrust harder as she arched her back and tried to put her legs down.
Perfect.
“Oh no. Spread them wide, Darlin'.” She still fought him, and he didn't have to
be cruel. He still felt a little viciousness clouding the edges, but fucking
her hard would help that. There was no reason he couldn't build up to savagery.
Especially if he could teach her to beg for it.

He
pulled up on his knees and spread her wide while pressing both of her knees to
the bed. It would likely hurt her, but she could handle it. He thrust into her
at a brutal pace, and both of her hands grabbed at the headboard.

She
was so wet and slippery. The sounds of him pushing inside her soaked pussy were
music to his ears, and the need to come hit him quickly. He pulled out and made
a mess of her vulva and lower belly. She hadn't come yet, and he missed the way
she squeezed his dick. He foolishly pushed back in. “Touch yourself. Now. I
want to feel it.”

Her
hand moved down and slipped through his come, but less than ten seconds later,
she was gripping his too sensitive cock.

He
would never tire of that particular sensation.

Jared
fell beside her to catch his breath. All his desperation fled, as he'd expected.
He still felt protective, but it wouldn't keep him up any longer that night.
His previous thoughts were ridiculous and he had no idea why he entertained
them.

“I'm
going to clean up and I'll turn the air on before I come back to bed. Okay?”
Shula sounded exhausted.

Jared
smiled.

James
was nearing apoplexy. His son dared to speak to him that way, like he was a
man.

Like
he was his equal. It was absurd.

Jude's
behavior was unpredictable. He'd expected him to be a mess, but he wasn't. He
seemed perfectly in control.

And
to be fair, if he were in Jude's place and someone took Grace, he would've
burned the village down, starting with the church.

Jude
lacked that sort of passion. His was a game of false intimidation and it made
him look foolish.

If
Jude were a real man, he would've yanked James from the car as soon as he
pulled up.

Instead,
he was playing at righteous anger.

Just
pretending. He was incapable of truly intimidating.

But
James wasn't amused yet. He was still very angry. He couldn't put his finger on
exactly
why.

XXXIII

Agnes Oaks was
unlike any place Sophia had ever seen. She'd been to the manicured
country-sides of a several handfuls of countries. All manufactured throwbacks
to a hundred years ago, at the very least.

Agnes
Oaks was the real deal. Overgrown hedges mixed with groomed acres, rusted
vehicles, along with some she was sure could only be found in Texas.

Sophia
was a little concerned about her creature comforts. Poverty was one thing, but
she knew that James Agnesson was not poor. It made her feel a little guilty,
but she didn't think Selene would have stuck around if she were without a
usable shower or air conditioning. Sophia was sure of it.

Her
bus had stopped in Austin and she and a few others got into a large van to hit
all the smaller towns east of Austin and San Antonio. Some of it was beautiful,
and grew more beautiful the further they drove.

The
van slowed and turned onto a smaller road that looked newly paved, and that
made Sophia feel better.

There
was a canopy of trees that grew thicker, and beautiful quickly became
breathtaking, because this was natural, and Sophia assumed it had been for
several generations.

She
found herself in love instantly with her surroundings, and understood why
people meant to protect it. It was too bad that their borders were closed
because people all over would love to see such untouched beauty.

Of
course, she was raised by a profiteer, so she could see the potential for a
booming tourist industry. Maybe one day.

Occasionally,
she would see a gate hidden in the tree line, and she craned her neck to see,
but she couldn't make out any building.

The
van slowed and turned right into a drive that was tar-black and a beautiful
twisted archway that was a mix of black iron and petrified wood. AGNESSON was
burned into the wood on the arch. Beyond the gate was a canopy of the oldest
oak trees Sophia had ever laid eyes on.

They
had to be around before Texas left the Union. They were gnarled and full of
character, and it was probably the reason the driveway looked so new. The roots
of those old trees probably forced them to repair it at least once a decade. Or
replace it.

Sophia
thought it was entirely worth it.

It
would be another mile before the house came into view. It was a wide
single-story wrapped in an enormous porch. It was littered with various chairs,
but a long overgrown hedge covered the complete view until they were parked
right in front of the house. She could see a second way out of the trees to the
side, and another way towards the back. They never drove through Agnes Oaks,
and she knew larger properties had multiple ways to leave and return.

But,
she was pleased to have come in through the front.

The
landscaping was otherwise immaculate, so she assumed the wildness of the hedge
was a bit out of place. It wasn't until she turned to watch the van leave that
it appeared to be driving out into the scary unknown.

She
didn't know if this Mr. Agnesson did this deliberately, but it was brilliant
and fitting in so many ways.

Sophia
grabbed her bags and walked to the front door. She knocked only once before the
door opened. The man on the other side took her breath away.

James
heard the door close to a vehicle as soon as he opened the bathroom door. He put
his towel away, and went quickly to put on his jeans. He heard a knock, grabbed
a shirt, and went to open the door.

She
was blonde. She had green eyes. Green eyes had been bred out of Texas for at
least a hundred years. On occasion, you would see hazel eyes, but still. This
woman had eyes the color of oak leaves right before the Fall.

“Come
in. Please. I hope your trip was pleasant.” He moved out of the way, and
allowed her entrance. He kept his back to her as he pulled on his shirt.

“This
is the Agnesson's, correct?”

“Yes.
I'm James. And you must be?” He held out his hand automatically, but he didn't
know why.

She
took it. “Sofia Valentina. Pleasure. The trip was long, but your land is
beautiful.” She fell quickly into a bland Spanish accent. There was a
difference between Spain and Mexico, but he would only hear subtle nuances. She
just wanted to keep the German at bay. She could tell he was trying to
reconcile her appearance with her accent.

“Where
are you from again?” He asked. James profiled always. This woman didn't appear
to be anyone's maid. But then, neither had some of the other girls he'd...run
off.

“Mexico
City. Born and raised.” She stayed aloof, knowing that many of the girls in El
Paso all had darker hair and eyes.

“I
didn't know people from Mexico could look like you.” It felt like he was being
introduced to a concept that he couldn't quite get his head around.

He
was an ignorant racist ass. “Depends on where their ancestors are from.”

“You
must be right, Ms. Valentina. How about I show you to your room, you can get
comfortable, then I can show you around. I have dinner already prepared for
this evening, and I can show you where the market is tomorrow.” He smiled at
her, and motioned to the room. He picked up her bags when he noticed them.

The
bedroom was nice and clean. And cool. She was trying to remember this wasn't a
vacation. “It's just you? That's what the man in El Paso said, but I just want
to make sure.”

“Yes.
Just me. I do have a son who might come in from time to time, but he lives in
the guesthouse a ways behind. One son lives with his wife out on my father's
land.” He tilted his head in that direction. “My other boys live in the city
with their wives and children. Well, two of them. The other is married to the church.
Otherwise, just me.” He put the bags down and leaned on the door frame.

“Do
your grandchildren come to visit?”

James
looked away and smiled because it was expected. He hoped she didn't ask further
because he couldn't think of their names or ages. He just knew they all had
dark hair. “On occasion. But they are very well behaved.”

“You
hardly look old enough to be a grandfather.” Sophia smiled all the way to her
eyes.

His
smile was a little more genuine. “Good genes, I suspect. That, and honest farm work.
Because it can't be my diet. I eat far too much red meat and the sweets the
little old ladies from church like to make me. They think it's a crime that I'm
still unmarried, but I hardly have incentive when I'm bringing home food every
couple of days from at least a half dozen women.”

“The
fact I can cook will be our little secret, then.”

James
laughed. “Good. I do miss authentic Mexican food. The girl who worked for me
before
‒
well, she couldn't cook for
anything, except a few Mexican dishes.
”

Sophia
kept her head because he couldn't be talking about anyone but Selene. She
bitched all the time about cooking, but she made several authentic dishes that
were hard to replicate. She'd said they were old family recipes, and she smiled
when she served everyone. Sophia never believed that. She just figured Selene
spit it in. “I find it easier to cook when I don't have to cook for children. I
don't have the patience for it.”

“When
my boys were younger, we went through several cooks because they refused to
eat. We had one that made them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all day long.
I can't remember if she could cook otherwise.” James shrugged.

“Well,
lucky for you, I can make a steak that will make your toes curl.” Sofia winked.

“I'm
definitely looking forward to that.” James lied a lot. They came fast and easy.
It allowed him to keep his reputation intact. James wasn't lying to Sofia just
then. And once he started, he couldn't stop. The truth felt almost like a
forbidden thing that was never supposed to be heard except on sunny mornings.
“Life will be pretty simple for you here.” And maybe that was a little bit of a
lie. It was certainly relative. But eventually, he would hurt her with his
hands and his body. Time would tell if she came to enjoy it. Time would also
tell if he would allow her to enjoy it. She seemed like a different animal all
together, and he was looking forward to bringing out her ferocity, but only to
tame her. “Just keep me fed and keep the dust and dirt from coming out of
hiding. That's pretty much the extent of it. And feel free to keep me company
whenever you like. I will certainly respect your privacy, but don't feel like
you're required to keep to your room. Mi casa es su casa.”

Jude
couldn't believe it. He watched his father's house like a hawk, and when he saw
a pretty woman with several suitcases on the front steps, he thought she was
Clara at first. Her hair was darker, and her clothes were different, but he
wanted her home so badly that he was fitting everyone into a Clara shaped box.

Once
he realized he'd been seeing things, he took off through the trees to Jared's.
He needed to know. But Jude wasn't sure what could be done about it besides
barging in and telling her that she was in danger.

He
had to think of Clara.

Jude
didn't understand why they kept sending girls. Some left and never returned,
but surely they talked unless they were too frightened, which is possible. The
last one went missing.

Selene
seemed very nice. Jude thought she looked too young to be traveling so far
without a husband, and that was likely what his father saw in her. He probably
sussed out quite easily that she was running from something. That made her
vulnerable to men like his father.

James
had called the police when she went missing. Jude was still trying to chew on
that. He could've easily not said a word and no one would ever search for her.
He must've believed that someone would, so he was covering his tracks.

With
so many lies winding around their lives like Belladonna, Jude found it peculiar
that his father was more careful in this instance.

Unless
there was a possibility of her showing back up.