UlteriorMotives (4 page)

He continued rocking against her until the spasms faded and
a sense of contentment flowed through him. Only then did he allow himself to
roll off her and collapse on the bed. He took a minute to gather himself before
he disposed of the condom. He’d never felt as alive as he did when in Kat’s
company. And it wasn’t just the sex. He wouldn’t lie. The sex had been good.
But this held more power than just sex, even good sex. He liked her honesty and
her devotion, but he loved her compassion and her bravery.

He froze at the thought. He couldn’t really be falling in
love with her already, could he? He barely knew her. But that didn’t seem to
matter as he lay down next to her. His emotional state alternated between
nausea and euphoria as she snuggled into him. His heart raced with panic but
that didn’t stop the budding warmth that grew inside him.

He couldn’t let that warmth grow any larger though. He had a
job to do and then he’d have to leave. And she lived for the ranch. She
wouldn’t be coming with him when he left. They could enjoy what time they had
together, but there was no future where they ended up together. He needed to
remember that simple truth or he would end up as charred as that barn.

Kat slept so deeply that when she woke up it took her a
couple minutes to remember why there would be a naked, and very aroused, body
snuggled up to her in the bed. Fortunately it didn’t take long for the memories
to come flooding back. And when they did she couldn’t help but smile as she
took a moment to stretch so her ass would rub against his erection.

“You’re killing me.” Jasper caressed her side as he leaned
forward to kiss her neck. When she rubbed against him again, however, his touch
changed from a caress to a light tickle. “But something tells me you know
that.”

“What time is it?” Light already streamed through the window
but the days started early here.

“It’s definitely after breakfast but sometime before lunch.”

She giggled and then quickly froze at the sound. She didn’t
giggle. Hadn’t since before her family had moved out to the ranch. Actually,
now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember the last time she had
giggled. She’d been much too cool to giggle even before the move. She rolled
her eyes as she remember her secondary school self. So many wasted years trying
to achieve a maturity beyond her years. Every girl needed a good giggle from
time to time.

She rolled over onto her back so she could look up at the
man responsible for her morning glow. He was so damn handsome. How could she
have believed, even for a second, that he had come to her rough little
settler’s planet looking for a fresh start? This man could have any life he
wanted on any planet he chose. And the life he had chosen revolved around
paperwork and bureaucracy. Their lives were as different as the worlds they
called home. She sighed as the realization took some of the shine off the
morning. “The sheriff is going to be here soon.” She hated bringing it up but
ignoring the truth wouldn’t make it go away. “We should probably get up and
dressed.”

He jumped out of the bed and for one moment she was upset
with how easy it’d been for him to leave her naked and in a bed. But when she
saw him lock the door, she forgave him. “If you get on your hands and knees, I
bet I can make you scream before they break the door down.” His voice was husky
as he issued the challenge.

She giggled again. “Hands and knees, huh? I’m so easy that
you’ve already given up on all pretense of romance or seduction?” she teased
lightly.

He laughed as he walked back to the bed. It wasn’t the light
or airy laugh she’d heard him use the day before though. This held a dark edge
to it that made her heart beat loudly and the hair stand on end at the nape of
her neck.

“You seem to be living under the very common delusion that a
man’s biggest challenge is getting a woman under him.” His movements were
controlled and almost languid but she saw an intensity in his eyes that made
her pulse race. She’d seen enough wild animals to recognize that look. He was
stalking his prey. Toying with it before he pounced.

“It’s not?” Her voice had gone breathless.

His smile had the same smoldering darkness as his laugh. “Oh
no. Getting a woman into your bed is the easy part. Keeping her there is the
real challenge.”

She had a hard time believing any woman would voluntarily
leave his bed, but still, his words made her tingle. “Is that so?” Without
conscious thought, she leaned toward him, letting the blanket and sheets drop
around her waist. His attention immediately focused on her breasts, and her
nipples pebbled at the attention.

“It is.” He’d reached the bed but didn’t join her on it. The
air between them crackled with tension but he seemed content to wait for her to
make the next move.

She rolled over onto her stomach in front of him and then
slowly brought her body up into the position he had requested. “Hands and knees
like this?” She tossed a seductive look over her shoulder at him as she asked
the question. “Or like this?” She lowered herself to her elbows but kept her
ass high in the air. When he didn’t answer she winked and then wiggled her
hips. “I want to make sure I’m doing this right. I’d hate for them to break
down the door before we got to the really good part.”

His hands were clenched at his sides, his breathing rough
and his cock was already hard enough for him to throw her down and take her.
Everything about his stance told her she’d done everything exactly right.
Still, she couldn’t help but tease him.

“I don’t think it’s possible for you to do anything wrong in
bed.” He ran a finger over the crease of her pussy and she had to fight against
the urge to rock back against it. “Damn, you’re wet.”

Yeah, rubbing against him that morning had gone a long way
in warming her up but it’d been that dangerous tone he’d used as he stalked her
that had really gotten her hot and bothered. She needed him. Needed the release
he could give her before she had to face the rest of her day. But he refused to
give her what she needed. Instead he slid two fingers into her channel, teasing
her ruthlessly. “You’re driving me insane.” She looked back at him as she
rocked into his hand.

“The feeling is mutual.”

He added a third finger and the stretching sensation made her
whimper. Needing more, she began rubbing her breasts against the blanket
whenever she rocked forward. The texture made the ache in the pit of her
stomach grow but it wasn’t enough to give her the release she sought.

“I didn’t promise to make you scream and then fail to
deliver,” she said around panted breaths. Yes, they were bitchy words. But she
hurt with desire. And he refused to end that pain. When he pulled his fingers
out of her and took a step back, though, she found his reaction extreme. She growled
with frustration as her body continued to rock even with the delicious friction
now gone.

“You are an impatient one, aren’t you?” His voice was harsh
but not angry.

She was about to show him impatient when she heard the
drawer to the nightstand open. Condoms! That one thought brought some measure
of comfort to her. And when she heard the tear of the package opening, that
comfort morphed to near euphoria. “I’m not impatient,” she said as she watched
him slide the condom over his cock. “I’m determined.”

This time his laughter was light. But instead of chasing
away the intense mood he’d set, it only added to it. She wanted both. She
wanted him light and fun, and dark and sexy. And right now, this second, she
had it all.

“Scoot that delicious ass of yours forward so there’s room
for me on that bed too.” His palm came down on the cheek of her ass just hard
enough to make her yelp in surprise but she quickly complied. The bed dipped
under his weight as he caged her body with his. She had to be patient for one more
moment as he lined his cock up with her channel but then she was filled with
wonderful pressure as he pushed forward to enter her.

He’d brought her too close to release for her to hold
anything back. She bucked under him as she sought some measure of relief to the
hunger that threatened to consume her. With each thrust he grew more demanding
but she answered him with her own body’s need. Her muscles were tense and she
breathed in shallow gasps but she didn’t give a damn. The ache in the pit of
her stomach had solidified. It was heavy and strained. And then, in a frozen
second of time, it broke. In the distance she heard someone scream Jasper’s
name but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t bring herself to care about anything
other than the waves of contentment and euphoria that were crashing against
her.

When Jasper called out her name and gripped her hips to
thrust roughly into her, though, suddenly something else did matter. He did.
She reveled in his release almost as much her own. He’d been dark and dangerous
for her. He’d laughed and teased for her. But, most importantly, he’d made her
scream just to keep her in bed.

His nip on her shoulder brought her out of her moment of
reverie and back to the present. “Take it back,” he demanded softly.

Her brain must have turned to mush because, as much as she
wanted to do what he asked, she had no idea what he meant. “What?”

“And I quote, ‘failed to deliver’. Take it back.” This time
his bite actually stung.

She collapsed under him in a fit of laughter. When the
mattress sprung under her, she rolled over to see where he’d gone. She was
still smiling but, afraid she’d hurt his feelings, she’d gotten control of the
laughter. Much to her relief, Jasper appeared completely content. He disposed
of the condom and then lay down next to her.

“I’m waiting.” He held his hand above her, poised to start a
punishing round of tickling if she didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear.

“Okay, okay, I take it back. You delivered on your promise.”

He kissed her neck gently as his hand explored her body.
“You better believe I did.” He ran his hand along the underside of her breast.
The light pressure made her squirm.

She rolled over onto her side to face him and wrapped her
arms around his neck. Already she could feel the embers of desire start to
spark to life again. “I guess that makes you a man of your word.” She pulled
him to her and kissed him as she rubbed her body against him. His hand had just
strayed to her sex when the knock at the door startled them both.

“Kat, the sheriff is here. He needs to speak with you,” Stan
yelled through the door.

Jasper smiled down at her but didn’t pull away. Instead he
ran his finger through the lips of her pussy, eliciting another shiver from
her. “One of these days I’m going to keep you in bed until you pass out with
exhaustion.” The knock at the door was more demanding this time. “Unfortunately
it doesn’t look like today is that day.”

When the knock came a third time she cursed under her breath
at the door. “Did you hear me?” Stan asked loudly.

“Yeah. I heard you. I’ll meet him in the front room in five
minutes,” she yelled. “And you,” she said to Jasper. “I will hold you to that.”

He laughed as he got off the bed. “I’m counting on it.” He
grabbed his clothes off the floor and dressed quickly. “I’ve got some forms and
reports to go over. Why don’t you meet with the sheriff and then we’ll have
lunch together?”

“Sounds like a plan.” She could feel the weight of
responsibility pressing down on her now that he’d left her side. It’d been so
easy to forget the entire ranch depended on her while he lavished attention on
her. He made her feel young and carefree again. And, as much as she hated
admitting it, she really enjoyed being young and carefree.

She waited for Jasper to leave the room before dressing.
And, as soon as she’d brushed her hair and teeth, she went to find her guest in
the front room. “Good morning, Sheriff.” Her cheeks heated with embarrassment.
The sheriff had been a good friend to her parents. He’d always been like an
uncle. No one wanted their uncle to know they were having sex.

“Good afternoon, Kat,” he corrected with a chuckle.

She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “Oh yeah.
Good afternoon.”

“I see you and your fella are getting along.”

Her cheeks burned now. If only the ground would open up and
swallow her. But since that was unlikely to happen, she decided a change of
subject would be the best tactic. “Yes, um, have you had a chance to check out
the barn?”

All sign of teasing disappeared and his expression turned
serious at the mention of the barn. “My men have been going over the scene for
the past hour. We’ve got a couple things to show you.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” she said under her breath. She’d
officially lost all her afterglow. She followed him out to the barn, her
stomach cramping nervously the whole way. Once in the barn, he led her back to
stall fifteen. The stench of soot and ash combined with other scents she’d
rather not identify to hang heavily in the air and remind her of everything
she’d nearly lost.

“This is the seat of the fire. It’s where the fire was set.”
He pointed to an area that looked no more or less singed than anywhere else to
her.

“Set?”

“Yep.” He dug a small jar of bright-purple liquid out of his
pocket. “This wasn’t an accident. This is just a field test but purple means an
accelerant is present. Looks like someone sprinkled it on the hay. Once I send
it off to the lab, we’ll know the exact chemical used but, for now, this is
good enough to call it arson.”

“Why would they do this?” She didn’t believe in coincidences.
This had to be tied to the attempt to take her ranch from her. But to what end?
To hide behind paperwork and bureaucracy was safe. Setting a barn on fire,
though, would leave behind evidence. It didn’t make sense unless they were
desperate, and they hadn’t had enough time to get desperate.

The sheriff cleared his throat and glanced around the barn
before answering. “Maybe not everyone is happy with the new man about the
house.”

She looked up from the scorched ground to study him. “I’m
not the type to inspire this level of jealousy.” She gestured to the damage
around her.

He lowered his voice before he said, “Are you so sure? We
both know that one of your men thought you were going to marry him. Losing a
potential wife is bad enough out here, but to have the ranch he thought of as
his own ripped out of his hands and given to a stranger? Sounds like motive to
me.”

She didn’t need to ask the sheriff whom he was referring to.
Mark had spent months bellyaching to anyone who would listen after she’d turned
down his lackluster proposal. Her father had wanted her settled if anything
happened to him and her mom and he’d spent years filling Mark’s head with
ideas. By the time her father did die, Mark believed everything on the ranch
should be his—including Kat. But still, she couldn’t believe he would rather
burn it to the ground than see another person have it. And she couldn’t imagine
him working with the person who filed the complaint against her. He would lose
everything if she lost the ranch. “He didn’t like my decision and he made no
secret of it, but he loves this land. He wouldn’t destroy it. Not even out of
spite.”