The Reluctant Rancher~Badlands (Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense) Read online

  He climbed the stairs with dread in his chest. Not the usual state for a man planning to bed a woman. He tapped on his bedroom door, heard her laugh and cursed himself for being a fool.

  He opened the door and stood in the doorway, unable to move. The most beautiful and desirable woman he had ever known was lying in the middle of his bed, apparently naked with the covers pulled up around her shoulders.

  “Why, if it isn’t E.J. Kincaid.” Her Texas drawl caressed each word, gave him wood from across the room. “What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Kincaid?” Her pretty, dimpled smile invited him to step inside.

  He couldn’t help but grin in response. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.” He kicked the door closed behind him. “Uh, Jenna…honey…”

  She crooked her finger at him. “Well, you’re wearing entirely too many clothes. Come over here and I’ll help you out.”

  He took a couple of steps nearer.

  “Be careful. If you trip right now, you might pole vault out the window.”

  He laughed and stepped to the side of the bed. “Not my fault. You seem to have this effect on me.”

  She flashed another killer grin. “That’s nice. I like that.” She held out her arms and he leaned down to embrace her, letting his fingers slide over the smooth skin on her back. She pulled him toward her and lifted her chin.

  He emitted a groan as he gave in to the lure of her lips. He sat beside her on the bed, kissing the full, sweet lips and holding her in his arms.

  She unbuttoned his shirt and stroked his chest with her fingers. Spirals of desire emanated from her fingertips. Her short nails scratched softly against the hair on his chest. The desire swirled lower grabbing him by the testosterone, made him shrug out of the shirt.

  He just wanted to feel her flesh against his. Wanted to experience the rush to his loins when her breasts melted against his chest. He sucked in a breath.

  “Jenna, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

  She flicked open his belt and found the zipper on his jeans. “Yes,” she said pleasantly.

  Her touch caused him to momentarily forget anything he might have wanted to say.

  A soft chuckle close to his ear brought another wave of lust with it. “Are you going to wear those boots to bed, cowboy?”

  “Um, I guess not.” He pulled off his boots and socks, slinging them under the bed. Aw, hell! His pants were fitting way too snug now anyway, so he stripped those off too and sat back on the edge of the bed. “Jenna, there’s something…”

  “I can’t hear you,” she whispered, drawing him closer. Her lips grazed his cheek and then the side of his neck as she wound her arms around his shoulders.

  He leaned over her, found her mouth again and sank onto the bed beside her. When she opened the covers to display her lovely body, he scrambled close, unable to resist the desire to hold her.

  His pulses pounded in his head as he trailed kisses down the side of her throat, to her breast. Oh, yes! She arched toward him. Oh, no! He pulled back. “Honey, I have to tell you something,” he blurted out in a rush.

  “Now?”

  He nodded. “It’s important.”

  She ran her tongue along his neck, tracing his pulse.

  “Oh, Jenna! You’re killing me. Seriously now, I’ve got to tell you the truth.”

  She jerked back in surprise. “You’re married! So help me, E.J. Kincaid, if you tell me you have a wife back in Dallas, I will kill you dead.”

  He grinned. “Nothing like that.” He exhaled a long breath. “You’re the only woman...the only woman in my life.”

  She huffed out a breath too. “Okay then. Tell me. I can take anything else.”

  “Damn, I hope so.” He struggled for words, then blurted out, “I lied to you about us. I—we never had sex.” He watched a wide range of emotions play out across her face.

  “Then how did I wake up naked in your arms?”

  “I got your boots off and you did the rest. I swear.”

  “You’re telling me that you pulled off my boots and I stripped naked?” Her voice rose a whole octave in timbre.

  “That’s about it. You passed out right after that.”

  “And you’re telling me you didn’t molest me while I was out cold?”

  “I swear. I did not.”

  She slapped him, her open palm making a resounding noise against his cheek.

  He sucked in a deep breath and let it out all at once. “Okay, I deserved that.” His cheek stung from the slap. “I just held you all night long, and if it’s any comfort, I didn’t get much sleep.”

  “What the heck was the big idea?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. It was dumb. I realize that now. You were giving me a pretty hard time the day before and I figured you’d have a fit when you woke up in my bed.” He shrugged. “But you woke up all soft and pretty and I...I started falling in love with you.” He grazed her shoulder with his lips. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  She blinked a couple of times and stared up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound emerged.

  “Jenna, please don’t be mad at me. I care about you so much.”

  She made a strangling sound deep in her throat. “Why did you tell me now?”

  He rested his forehead against hers. “Because I didn’t want the lie to go on. I didn’t want you to think our first time had been some drunken hook up.”

  She swallowed; blinked again. “So, this is our first time?”

  It felt like a giant hand was squeezing his heart. “If you want it to be.” He nuzzled her neck, felt her pulses throbbing under his lips.

  She pulled back and gazed at him thoughtfully, then traced her finger down his jaw line. “Yes,” she whispered. “I want it to be.”

  ~*~

  Jenna first awakened while it was still dark. A flood of confusion washed through her. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she recognized her surroundings. She was at E.J.’s and was indeed wrapped in his warm embrace.

  She was still in a state of shock over the revelation from E.J. the night before. In truth, she was pleased that he had chosen to come clean about the supposed coupling after the night at the Eagles’ Hall. She had been more than ready for their love-making, but his revelation had come as a complete surprise.

  My boyfriend. Afresh gush of warmth squished her insides. It was a new feeling for Jenna. She recognized the simmering of lust racing low in her belly, but there was something else…something joyful riding right on top of it. ..like…like lightness and…hope…Yeah, I feel hopeful…

  She remained unmoving, with her neck resting on one of E.J.’s powerful biceps and her spine pressed against his torso. His other arm was draped over her, holding her close. While she might have felt pinioned, or imprisoned, she felt none of those. Somehow, the very independent woman was content to lie still in her lover’s possessive embrace. She felt, for the first time she could remember, as though she was a part of something… something bigger and more important than she was by herself.

  She exhaled a quiet breath, wishing she could examine his face while he slept. He made her feel something she was sure she had never experienced before. His confession last night that he was falling in love with her had been a revelation. She had only wanted a boyfriend. Not sure what to do now that he had made this declaration. She had spent the entire time since E.J.’s arrival at his father’s ranch, sneering at him for being a pretty-boy; deriding him for being such a citified poser in boots and Stetson.

  She considered for a moment. He is a pretty boy. She grinned in the darkness. In fact she had never laid eyes on a better looking man, but he was so much more. She was finding him to be kind and sensitive. She could see him grieving for his father and smarting under the rumors and innuendo flying around town. The murderer’s son. Well, he didn’t have anything to do with that.

  He stirred. Pulled her closer, his warm breath falling softly against her shoulder.

  The soft, melty feeling fluttered in
her chest again. Damn! I really am falling in love with this guy…but is he the right guy?

  She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t seem to stop the questions racing through her brain.

  She had mixed feelings about his confession the night before. Glad that he told her the truth, but still irked he had pulled the prank. If he hadn’t though, she wouldn’t have gotten to know him and would most certainly not be cuddled in his arms right now.

  “What are you thinking about so early this morning?” His deep voice rumbled in his chest, setting off vibrations of another kind.

  “Mmm…just thinking.”

  He kissed her shoulder and the side of her neck. “Good thoughts, I hope.”

  “Yeah, pretty good,” she said.

  “I was having some pretty good thoughts too,” he said. “Thinking about jumping on you while you’re still half-asleep.” He slid his hand down her torso, skimming the side of her breast, her ribcage, her waist, and her hip. He cupped one butt cheek and gave it a squeeze. Kissed her shoulder again.

  She grinned in the dark. “Knock yourself out, big boy. Just don’t expect a lot of participation. You used me up last night.”

  “Great!” he breathed. “My plan is working.”

  She turned toward him. “You have a plan?”

  He chortled. “Mmm-hummm.” He rolled her onto her back and crouched over her. “First, I’m going to…” He kissed her lips and down her neck to her shoulder. “And then, I’m going to…” He circled one nipple with his tongue and then took it into his mouth to gently suckle. “Followed by…” He kneed her legs apart and covered her mound with his palm, the warmth of his hand sending a rush of heat to her core.

  She sucked in a breath as he pressed his fingers into her wetness. Damn! He is so good at this. She reached up to him and he pressed closer, grazing her nipples with the fine hair on his chest. Arching toward him, she pressed her breasts against his muscled torso. A laugh of satisfaction escaped her lips when she heard him groan. She drew her legs up to encircle him, urging him to take possession of her body, to own it the way he had the night before. Another gurgle of laughter bubbled out as she realized she held him in the same leg lock she used to ride bareback. She held back the urge to slap him on the flank and make a clicking noise with her tongue. Giddy-up, Cowboy!

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” he said.

  “I aim to,” she agreed pleasantly.

  This time, he chortled close to her ear. “I’ll see what I can do to accommodate you.”

  ~*~

  After breakfast the next morning, Cami sent Sara Beth to town in Breck’s company. He seemed to be eager to drive Sara Beth and voiced that he was glad Cami would be spending some time at the house. He urged her to rest and not to worry about anything. But as soon as they had driven off, she asked Frank to saddle Red, the big paint stallion her Great Aunt Silky had favored.

  “You want me to ride with you, Miss Cami?” he asked.

  She nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, Frank. That would be nice.” She wasn’t sure why, but she had an urge to visit the site of her near-death experience at the hands of Eldon Kincaid and she didn’t want to do it in the company of her husband. He just wouldn’t understand. And, in case she did decide to follow through with Eldon’s request, she didn’t want Breck to be involved in any skirting of the truth. Eldon sure does know how to saddle others with his guilt. She hoisted herself up on Red and tightened the reigns as he danced a little sideways. “Easy,” she crooned.

  “He sure does need some exercise, Miss Cami,” Frank said. He mounted up on Romeo, the horse he usually rode and they started out. She led the way and decided not to beat around the bush. She rode straight to the rise near the mouth of the caves and dismounted.

  Frank followed and pulled up short. “Hey, Miss Cami. Are you sure you want to be here? I mean, this is where we found you and...and Mr. Kincaid after he tried to kill you?”

  “No, I’m okay, Frank. I just needed to lay some old demons to rest. After all, this is part of the property Aunt Silky left to me. I need to get rid of the bad memories.” She dropped Red’s reins and he began munching on the natural grasses. “Besides, Silky was planning on letting the Boy Scouts explore the caves. I want to make that happen since the weather is getting nice.” She pulled her high beam flashlight out of her pocket. “Mr.Irwin Grimes,the scout leader has some experienced spelunkers from Austin standing by with the right equipment to guide the boys.”

  “That sounds real nice, Miss Cami.” He dismounted and followed her toward the caves. “I’m sure Miss Silky would appreciate you for following through with her wishes.”

  “I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything left behind from the incident with Eldon Kincaid. Nothing that would be alarming to the scouts.” Like a couple of mummified bodies.

  “Yeah, that would be bad,” Frank agreed. He rummaged in the pocket of his jacket and brought out a small LED flashlight, holding it aloft for her approval.

  She started climbing up the rise that marked the entrance to the caves. Her throat felt tight when she recalled her introduction to the caves, when Eldon had pointed a gun at her, intending to toss her body down into the depths of the caverns to join his earlier victims. She drew a shaky breath and pressed her lips together.

  “Miss Cami, if this is bothering you, I can check out the cave and see if there’s anything left from your run-in with Mr. Kincaid.”

  She managed a smile. “I’m fine, thanks.” Taking in a deep breath and blowing it out, she headed up to the entrance to the cave. She squared her shoulders, recalling the nightmare of her struggle with Eldon. That she had survived was a miracle in itself. She switched on the flashlight and stepped into the mouth of the cave. It felt much cooler, even a few feet into its depths.

  Frank was right behind her.

  Now, all she had to do was discover the mummified remains and let Frank witness her find. Not fair, but it wasn’t fair of Eldon to saddle me with this.

  Frank splayed the beam of his flashlight all around the large cavern. “I don’t see anything here, Miss Cami. The sheriff’s men must have cleaned up the crime scene before they left.”

  “Yes, they must have,” she said thoughtfully. “I understand there are some interesting formations a little deeper into the caves. Maybe some paintings on the walls from early tribes that inhabited this area.”

  “Really, Miss Cami? I didn’t know you were interested in that stuff.”

  She gripped the flashlight and edged deeper, the closeness seemed suffocating. She remembered the bats and was afraid to raise the light to illuminate the ceiling.

  “Be careful, Miss Cami,” he said. “You don’t want to take a tumble.”

  “Right,” she breathed. Moving carefully, she tried not to dislodge any of the loose rocks. The musty odor of the cave and whatever else was living there gave way to another smell. Sharp and acrid it roiled her senses.

  She stopped short and Frank bumped into her.

  “Sorry, Miss Cami. I didn’t mean to run over you.”

  “Do you smell that?”

  “Phew! It don’t smell too good.”

  She swallowed hard. “It’s decomp...Rotting flesh.”

  Frank was silent for a moment, again washing the walls and crevices with his flashlight beam. “Probably some animal crawled in here to die.”

  Carefully, she located the rim of the crevasse that gashed into the floor of the cave. The deep rocky gorge she had almost fallen into not too long ago. She edged closer and peered over the lip. Her heart thundered in her ears, beat against her rib cage like a frenzied animal trying to escape.

  “Damn! Would you look at that?” Frank let out a low whistle.

  She couldn’t locate the mummified corpses she had seen in this very crypt a few months earlier. She peered cautiously over the side, a wave of vertigo roiling her head. “What?”

  “It’s a body...No, two of them,” he said. “There!” He aimed his light into t
he fissure and onto a pile of human rubble stained dark with what must have been blood.

  “Oh, my god!” She screamed and teetered precariously. The taste of bile rose in the back of her throat. She stepped backward abruptly, accidentally aiming her light to the ceiling. Her scream echoed off the rock surfaces and stirred the life forms affixed to the roof of the cave into action. High-pitched shrieks mimicked her cries and the bats peeled off the surface and flew toward her. She fell back on her rear, scrabbling away from the edge of the crevice, slipping on the slimy substance underfoot.

  Frank squatted close to her, shielding her from the flying army. He spoke near her ear. “Keep your head down, Miss Cami and turn out your light. They’ll settle down a lot faster in the dark.”

  She flicked it off and pressed her forehead to her knees with Frank crouching over her. The sound of a thousand wings fluttered overhead and the shrieking horror bounced around their enclosure. She held her breath and remained like a statue, frozen in place.

  In time, the only sound she heard was her own heart pulsing in her ears. She exhaled the breath she had been holding.

  Frank switched on his mag lite, aiming it downward. Cautiously, he stood up and held out a hand to her.

  She was shaking all over, but the hand that gripped hers and pulled her to her feet was firm and steady.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Frank led her toward the larger chamber and the daylight.

  When they rounded the bend she almost ran outside and collapsed on the rocky ground. “Oh, my god! What was that?”

  Frank squatted beside her. “Miss Cami. There were some dead people in there. Someone must have fallen down in that big hole along the side.”

  Cami nodded. She had been expecting to find dead people, but not freshly dead. She examined her shaking hands and saw they were covered with the slime from the cave floor.

  “It’s bat guano, Miss Cami. You got it all over your pants too.” He reached in his pocket and drew out a bandana. “Here, you can clean your hands on this rag.”

  She reached for it and began scrubbing at the revolting mess on her hands, wishing she had hand sanitizer with her. She blew out a deep breath, trying to gather her wits.