Texas Strong (29 page)

They’d both been dead broke, and his apartment was more of a hovel, a small space in the attic of an old house near the university.

She hadn’t cared one whit. She’d been in love, crazy over him. Positive that they belonged together.

But now, she had no idea where they were or what he intended. He’d blindfolded her. Seized control. However adventurous their sex life had been, this was somehow different.
He
was different.

The door snicked open. She had the sense of light at the edges of her blindfold, quickly shuttered by the closing of the door.

Then she waited. Yearned. Her skin literally ached for his touch.

Suddenly her seat belt vanished. His arms slipped beneath her bottom, behind her back. Lifted her, then whirled around and around until she was dizzy.

Jake
, she almost said, but she didn’t want to disturb…whatever this was. Amazing, for sure. Arousing, yes, unbelievably so. To be helpless in the arms of a man you knew and loved but couldn’t predict—

She shivered. Moaned. Let her head fall back in abandon. Felt him nuzzle inside her bodice, his warmth electrifying, the sharp edge of promise unnerving…delicious.

She craved more. She was half out of her mind with longing to touch him. To torture him as he—

A hum deep in his chest, a very sexy growl. The wet shock of his tongue trailing a path down the valley between her breasts.

She arched. All but writhed. “Jake.” She lifted her bound hands helplessly. “Let me—”

“Uh-uh” was the only response as he licked his way toward her nipple.

And as he did, he began walking. Her feet bumped something solid. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Where are we?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he said. The arm beneath her thighs twisted, then she heard a door open.

And slam once they were through. Jake strode with her across a wide space. She heard metal clicks, then felt the cool night breeze again.

Finally he set her down. Untied her wrists and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ll keep you warm,” he murmured. Then his breath whispered against her throat, his mouth cruising over her skin while his hands traveled her body. Fingers dipped inside the waistband of her jeans, tore at the snap, pulled down the zipper.

She gasped. “Jake—” If she didn’t get her hands on him, she’d die.

“Not yet.” Those long fingers glided over her belly, up beneath her bra, then around until the hooks were unfastened, her breasts were freed—

Cool night air kissed her flesh as her jeans slid down her legs, her shirt buttons opened—

Then Laura was naked. Outside. In the night.

With no way to know whether they were alone or someone was watching. Never in her life had she felt anything like this.

She trembled with the thrill of it.

Then his jeans pressed to her bare bottom. Laura gasped and squirmed against him. “Jake—” She was nearly whimpering now.

His fingers were everywhere, teasing a gossamer trail over her navel and down—

They slipped inside her, and she lost it. Came violently.

“Good.” His voice was strained but proud. “Remember me. Remember us, Laura.”

She heard the rasp of his zipper, then felt the heat of him against her. He bent his knees, spread her legs. Thrust inside in a long, smooth stroke.

Laura’s breath caught. They both stilled. Jake held her close. “Laura…” Husky, desperate, his voice was so dear that tears sprang to her eyes.

She lifted her arms, first one, then the second. Wrapped them around his neck. She kept quiet, fearing to break the spell.

Then Jake began to move, and all thought fled. Seeking fingers, the scrape of teeth, the lick of his tongue…all played harmony to the driving beat of him inside her, so beloved yet so new. She undulated against him, relishing every second of the shock, the surprise, the forbidden.

“I love you,” he murmured. “Love you so.”

Before she could respond, he fastened his teeth to her vulnerable nape—

She soared and he joined her. Stars burst behind her eyes.

Silence pulsed between them. He turned her into his embrace, and for a long moment they simply held each other. Then he spoke. “Laura, I’m so sorry.” Breathing heavily, he gripped her with near desperation. Buried his face in her hair. “Don’t leave me. You are my love.”

Her throat thick with sobs, Laura leaned back to look at the man she’d adored for more than half of her life. Cradled his face in her hands, and kissed him with all the tenderness in her heart. “I love you, too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck again and held on.

She wept.

And Jake’s broad shoulders shook.

All afternoon Tank had thought of Chrissy, remembered the stricken look on her face.

He headed back to his place in a filthy mood, glad he had chores to burn the misery out of him. He turned into the drive and swore. What was Veronica doing here? His sister hardly ever darkened the door of the ranch, not that he blamed her.

No good had ever come from this soil, this patch of sky.

Except that one day when Chrissy and her kids—

Don’t think about her now. You’ve screwed up for the last time
. She was better off, anyway.

His sister’s sober expression alarmed him. “What’s up?” he asked, closing his car door. “Everything okay?”

She nodded, but he could see her nerves.

“Tell me. Is it the kids?”

“Oh, no, Tank.” She approached him. “Everyone’s fine. I’m just—” She bit her lip, and he realized how often she was nervous in his presence.

They were nothing like Chrissy and Laura, that was for sure. “Did I do something?”

She hesitated.

He forced himself to calm and give her time.

She started to reach for him but stopped. He realized how often Chrissy touched him when no one else ever did. He and this woman were related by blood, yet they were set apart by secrets. He wondered if she’d ever told anyone all that she’d endured.

He damn sure never had. Never would.

“Want to come inside?” There had been little place for manners in the Patton household. Chrissy was awakening him to how normal people lived.

“Oh, no—no, I—we just finished dinner. I, uh, I brought you some leftovers if you’re interested, but you don’t have to—”

“Veronica.” Then he made himself touch her, just one hand on her shoulder. “I’m not him. I’m not going to yell. Thank you. I’d love the leftovers. That’s not why you’re here, though, is it?”

She grimaced. “Tank, I love you.” She faced him squarely. “I don’t say that often enough. We need to—that word didn’t get used back then, did it?” She glanced into the distance. “Funny—I say it all the time to my children and Jackson, but I come here and—”

“Yeah. The place is haunted. The past is always hovering.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” At last she touched him, just his forearm. “That’s why I’m here. Jeanette called me.”

“Jeanette?” Then he recalled the waitress watching him with Chrissy. “Oh. Look, I know nobody wants me seeing Chrissy, and I’ve told her I can’t, so everybody just stop worrying. I’m not going to hurt her—”

“No!” His sister’s blue eyes swam. “Nobody’s saying that. I’m sure not.” She took a step closer. “Haven’t you suffered enough? You were the hero. You saved me so many times.”

“I didn’t really—”

“You saved me, Tank.” Her voice hardened with determination. “I know how often you took a beating to keep him away from Mama and me. Don’t pretend you’re not a hero.”

“I’m no hero—” he exploded. “What he was is in me, can’t you see?” He pounded a fist to his chest. “I’m just like him. I’m a brute. That’s why I can’t have her—I’ll never risk her that way. You didn’t deserve his violence, and Mama didn’t either. Chrissy and her children—I have to protect them, and I will, so everybody just leave me the hell alone.” He tore from her grip, but she followed him.

“You’re not him. You never were. Don’t give her up, Tank. She’s exactly what you need. That’s why I’m here, to ask you to give her a chance—give yourself a chance. Please.” Tears thickened her voice, and her hand splayed over his back as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Don’t let him win, Tank. Don’t give up on love. You deserve it more than anyone I know.”

He stood there, his chest aching from how much he wanted to believe her. “I don’t know…” Head shaking he turned to face his sister. “What if I’m right and you’re wrong?”

“I’m not wrong.” Then she faced the old house. “Vernon Patton, I hope you are rotting in hell for what you’ve done to all of us.”

He did, too, he thought as he took his sister into his arms and soothed her.

“Please. Don’t let him win. She’s good for you. Don’t give up now.”

She is good for me
. But that wasn’t what he was worried about.

Veronica stayed while he ate the leftovers, and he had the thought that this was what life might have been like without Vernon Patton’s evil. They spoke of nothing and everything: how the kids were doing in school, Beth’s latest wounded creature she had taken in to heal. Abby’s most recent hijinks and Ben’s argument with his dad over whether he needed to go to college when he intended to join Jackson in his business.

“And the flower farm?” he asked. “You’re married to a wealthy man now. You only started it because the ranch was struggling, and you about killed yourself doing it alone after David was gone. It’s hard work. Aren’t you busy enough with your family?”

“I love my flowers, and I loved Jackson when he didn’t have a dime to his name. Brenda is good help when I can get her, though I can’t take her away from Ruby, however much she loves the flower business.” She glanced away. “But I may need to accept the extra staff Jackson is always wanting to hire for me pretty soon.”

“Why is that?”

She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with suppressed excitement. “I haven’t even told Jackson yet.”

“Told him what?”

She beamed. “That I’m pregnant.” Her eyes filled. “I would have told him first, but I was waiting for tonight when we were alone, and then I realized that I want my big brother to know, too, before everyone else in town.”

He closed his eyes. Had to clear his throat. “So you’re happy about it?”

“That we at last get to raise a child of ours together?” She gripped his hand. “Ridiculously excited, even if I’m too old to be having a baby with a son about to graduate from high school.” Ben was Jackson’s natural child, too, but he’d left town before he’d known about Ben and had only returned last year.

“You had him so young, you’re hardly ancient. And you’re an amazing mom. I’m really happy for you, Sis.” His throat got a little tight.

“I want that for you, too, Tank. You’d be a good dad.”

He froze. “Chrissy says the same, but …no. I’ll never risk it.”

“Tank…” She wouldn’t release his hand. “You’re not him. Vernon Patton would never have done for me what you did. And I’ve seen you with my children. I saw you with Chrissy’s kids, too. You’re exactly the kind of man a child needs to raise them. You won’t be like him. You know what to watch for, even if you possessed the slightest speck of him. But you don’t, Tank.” She squeezed his fingers hard. “You don’t.”

“I don’t know how you can say that. I’ve been a bastard to the whole town.”

“You had no one to raise you to kindness, no one to show you how to become a good man, yet I see how hard you’re trying to protect Chrissy. I remember how you helped Rissa and Mackey get a chance to take Eric in. You’ve tried to protect me and my family by staying away, but we don’t want that. Please, Tank. Stop holding yourself apart. Can’t you just take things a day at a time, simply have a little fun and see how things go?”

“They’ve already gone too far, Vee. I can’t stop thinking about her. They came out here for a picnic, and…” He cleared his throat. “I took them to my tree.”

Her brows rose. Only he and she had known about his refuge. “That’s good. That’s so good, Tank. Please just let her in. Don’t kill this before you have a chance. You deserve so much more than life has given you.”

“I don’t—”

His sister put her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say it. You’re wrong, and maybe she can make you see it, if you’ll just give her a chance. Promise me you’ll try, Tank. I’m begging you.”