Faded Cotton (Erotic Romance) (21 page)

Jake fixed his gaze on her, trying to calm
her, his tone was calm and cool, “Laurel, sweetheart, I brought you
here to keep you safe. I can’t tell you any more than what you
already know. It’s being investigated. Why don’t you girls just
leave this to us, okay? Relax and have a little fun maybe?” Jake
was grasping at straws. Shutting these two down was going to be a
challenge. Laurel and Jen gave each other a surprised look and then
stared at Jake with an incredulous stare that was mixed with
disgust and disbelief.

Laurel turned away from Jake; “I’m
not
your sweetheart and....” Laurel took a huge breath and turned to
go, looking somewhat defeated. “Never mind, it’s not worth it.” She
started out the door, barely hearing Jake.

“Damn it, Laurel. Just give it a rest for a
couple of days!” Jake’s frustration surfaced. He wanted to focus on
solving the problem of her safety, so he could get on with solving
the problem of the rest of their lives. He hadn’t loved her this
long to give up now.

“We’ll be leaving on Sunday,” Jake announced
at dinner. “We have to get back to Missouri to finish Operation
FarmGirl,” he grinned at Laurel. “Everyone will either be a guard
or be heavily guarded.” Chuckles came from the men.

“I believe we can eliminate the threat very
quickly.”

“Eliminate?” Laurel wasn’t into shooting
people, only deer and the occasional coyote.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You won’t be
armed.” Jake told her, sipping his wine.

“Bullshit! I’ll be unarmed when you pry my
.45 Peacemaker out of my cold, dead fingers.” Laurel didn’t mind
being looked after, but to hell if she’d be unarmed. If she was in
danger, she sure didn’t want to run around without a side arm,
which she carried quite a bit anyway. “Do I really need to remind
you I am a pretty decent marksman and have the trophies to prove
it? Sure you can duck fast, but come on!”

Even Jen had to grin at that one. The guys
all had a good laugh.

“We’ll talk about that later, Annie Oakley.”
Jake smirked at her. “In the meantime, I’m hosting a party tomorrow
evening. Saturday everyone needs to spend their final R&R,
Sunday morning, we head for the lower forty-eight.”

“Here, here!” Adam toasted getting back home.
Fists pounded the table and glasses clinked in agreement,
acknowledging that it was good to get away, but better to go back
home.

Jess stared at Jen. “Where is Jen going?” He
had thought out loud.

Shannon frowned and glared at her.

A few subdued chuckles were stopped short
when Adam’s eyes darkened and his jaw clenched. What the hell did
Jess care? Adam’s attention to Jen had not gone unnoticed.

Laurel didn’t hesitate leveling her
directive, “Jen is coming back to the farm with me. She can live
there while we solve this mess. I need some help and she needs you
guys to keep an eye on her. So there—it’s settled.”

Jen’s jaw dropped and she gave Laurel an
incredulous smirk. “You’re serious?”

“Yes. Dead.” Laurel was firm.
Oh’s
and
Ah’s
and
Oh wow’s
came from the group followed by
chuckles. Laurel was used to getting what she wanted.

Jake nodded in agreement. The he leveled a
look at Adam and Jess. The last thing he needed was a couple of his
SEAL team platoon fighting over a female subject of a mission, set
aside that the men were his sons. It had been hard enough to get
them here together so he could keep an eye on them; he didn’t need
them distracted.

When Friday rolled around, Jen and Laurel
hadn’t gotten any farther in their case connections, but they had
shared a lot more of their lives with each other. Jen was starting
to relax, accepting her temporary circumstances, and Laurel was
enjoying the female company she rarely had back home.

“It has been a while since I’ve been out of
the city, Laurel. I don’t know what I will do with my time. I think
I’m going to be bored to death.”

“No, that won’t happen, besides, Jake was
going to tell you that you have to come anyway. I’ll teach you to
ride. You can help me halter break the babies. I want to redo my
bedroom, I’m sure the grass needs cut. You can look for a job; I’m
betting the state needs an investigator. You can....”

Jen was giggling like a girl at a middle
school slumber party. “Good grief, it’s been a while since someone
tried to plan my life for me.” Jen knew Laurel meant well, but it
was a little overwhelming.

“Oh—sorry.” Laurel had a sheepish look on her
face like a mother that had over stepped her bounds. “I guess I’m
just so starved for some female company. Mom is getting on, and I
don’t see her too often. Grams has been gone a long time. I really
miss her. Addy is in the city at the restaurant all the time and
Shannon is finishing school. You and I just seem to mesh. I have
friends that I adore, but I don’t have a reason to make them come
live on the farm with me!” Laurel laughed in mock triumph.

“It’s okay. I have no friends outside of work
and don’t see my parents that often. It has been nice to get to
know you. I think I’m looking forward to going to the farm,
actually. Hope we don’t get our heads shot off, though.” Jen
adjusted comfortably in her beach chair. “At least I get to go back
to Missouri with a tan!”

Torches were lit between trees circling out
to the beach. The flickering light warmed the sand to a soft gold.
A light breeze waved the trees in a dance only an island palm could
do. White chairs circled tables on a flat knoll that rose before
the beach fell off to the water. Tablecloths fluttered in the wind,
like white flags, under tropical hues of peach, pink, and deep,
brilliant green that bubbled up as happy centerpieces. Candles lit
the tables, calling partiers with flickering fingers of light.
Intoxicating smells of smoked meat and other dishes enticed noses
to follow a path to the party. Gathering with drinks in hand,
guests soaked up the atmosphere, and conversations began to rumble
with laughter.

“Please, everyone, enjoy the party.” Raising
his glass, he toasted, “To successful missions, to friends, to
family, to love!” Jake could hear clanking glasses, but it faded
around him as he found her on the edge of the group. He sucked in a
long breath—so beautiful.

Laurel had tried. She wasn’t sure why, but
she tried to look her best. She knew he’d picked the dress that she
had on. Ocean blue, cool cotton with a deep V in the front, sheer
cap sleeves and a flared skirt; it showed off her best assets.
She’d curled her hair and pulled it to the top of the back of her
head, letting it fall in graceful wisps on her neck. The right
touch of blush to her high cheekbones and a smoky eye treatment had
her doing a double take in the mirror. “Not bad for over forty,”
she’d smiled to herself.

Laurel sat with Ben and Ellia for dinner. She
hadn’t seen them in quite a while. He was in Virginia most of the
time, so it was nice to catch up. Ben was normally fairly quiet.
Glad to see old friends, he had been talkative at dinner. Succulent
roast pork, fresh steamed vegetables, and mounds of fresh fruit
made mouths water and quieted the group temporarily as dinner was
served. At some point, her gaze wandered in between the couple in
front of her to the familiar man a table away.

What in the world, was she getting herself in
to? Wasn’t he just an old flame? She’d had the love of her
life—could she have another? Why hadn’t he been around after Jahn
died? Why did he still call her
sweetheart
after all this
time? Too many questions banged around in her head. She sucked down
her drink.

“Laurel, are you okay?” Ben had noticed the
vacant look on her face.

“Yeah. Sorry. It’s just all been a little
much, you know? Like some crazy-ass, fairy tale adventure. Who
would believe I wound up at the center of some mission, whisked out
of the top of a building in the middle of down town St. Louis to be
brought to some island in the Caribbean? Seriously, who can I tell
this story to anyway? I mean I know stuff like this goes on. We
don’t see it. They don’t call it a secret mission for nothing,
right?” They laughed together, but she started to get the feeling
that this was something much bigger than Jake trying to protect an
old flame.

Laurel moved away a little to get a breather.
The events of the past several days were becoming too
intense—overwhelming. She wasn’t alone, she knew; she’d spotted
heavily armed guard all over the place, boats floating with guard.
She had even seen a group snorkeling not far off shore. Her powers
of observation were pretty good, she thought, even
without
SEAL training. Laurel snickered. She wondered when it would all
end.

When Jake found her later, the drinks were
starting to take their toll. “Hey, sweetheart, what are you doing
out here alone? Maybe we ought to get you some water.” Laurel had
been walking down the beach deep in thought.

Jake.
She had noticed him coming up
behind her. His presence alone heated her, and she couldn’t deny
that her traitorous body wanted him close, very close, although her
mind told her no. She turned her head over her bare shoulder and
nodded to Jake, “Yes, some water,” she said handing him her drink.
She drew in a breath not knowing if she wanted to laugh or cry.

When Jake returned with the water, he slipped
an arm around her to place the water in her hand. She didn’t move
away this time. “Laurel?”

“Yes, Jake?” Maybe it was time for her to
listen to him.

“If life had not stepped between us back
then—no baby, no stupid decisions, just us, would you have married
me like we had planned?”

“In a heartbeat.” Laurel meant it. She’d been
very much in love with him.

“Would you marry me now?” Jake wasn’t fooling
around. Yes, he’d made some mistakes that put a lot of time between
them, but he had a lot of love left to give her.

“No—yes. Maybe. I don’t know, Jake.” She
groaned. Laurel was confused, but no longer wanted to fight the
idea of being with Jake.

He let out a long sigh and pulled her back to
rest against him, burying his face in her hair. She smelled
fantastic. He’d have tossed her on the sand and made love to her
right there—if she’d let him and there wasn’t a party over his
shoulder.

Laurel had questions for him and it was time
they were answered. “Why didn’t you come around? After Jahn?”

“I gave you time at first. You always seemed
busy when I was home after that, gone to cutting competitions or
selling show horse prospects. I did come to say hello a couple of
times, and you were gone. The Navy has been my life and I had a lot
under my command at the time. There was someone for a while, but it
didn’t work out. Probably because I couldn’t commit to her. I kept
thinking of you. I’ve thought of you every—single—day, Laurel.”

“What if
I
can’t commit? What if you
find out you don’t want me? What then?”

“Laurel, I’ll take what you offer. I have a
life to finish living, and I want to live it with you. If all I get
to do is protect you and make sure you’re happy with someone else,
it will kill me, but I’ll do it.” Jake reached to turn her to face
him, glad he was finally able to really talk to her. “Give me a
chance Laurel, a second chance. I will want you, I do want you, let
me show you how good I can be to you.”

“I’m not eighteen anymore, Jake. I’ve had
three babies. I’m a little rounder than I used to be. I’m
forty-six, for God’s sake. I’m different too—not as sweet, a little
rougher, and jaded. You wouldn’t get what you got then. I don’t
know if I could deal with it if you walked away again. I’m not sure
if I want to put myself in the position to find out if you will.
You scare the hell out of me, Jake. I’m just not sure if my heart
can stand being broke again.”

“I’m sorry for what I put you though.” He
looked into her eyes, wanting her to see him, to know he was
telling the truth. “Why would I not want you? You think I’m any
different, I’m your age and not perfect—that’s life. Does it mean
we would appreciate each other any less? Do you think I’ll touch
you any differently or find you less beautiful?”

“I don’t know. You look incredible to me, I
don’t know if I’m going to be....”

“Let me show you the man I am.”

He had taken a chance; one he’d wanted to
take for a long time. He’d laid it all on the line for her. He’d
said more words in the last week than in a very long time and was
anxious to show her. Taking a breath, he slid his arms around her
waist, turning her and pulled her into him. She didn’t resist.

Was she tough enough to handle this? Why
couldn’t she brush him off, resist him? Did she really want to risk
everything again?

“Wait a minute, back up. Did you just say I
looked incredible?” Jake grinned down at Laurel. That was certainly
a start.

She raised her eyes to him. Nearly raven hair
that now sported a strong filtering of silver, crystal blue eyes
that pierced her soul, a strong jaw, a smile that melted her, Jake
LeGrande was a beautiful man. She looked down at his chest, still
pretty damn fit and broad. Oh, how she loved big men. How was she
going to be enough for him though?

“You don’t know if you are going to be what,
Laurel? Enough for me, is that what you are thinking? Sweetheart,
you’ll always be enough for me, more than enough.” Taking another
chance, he bent to kiss her.

She was tired of fighting her feelings for
him; she didn’t stop him. It was a long, slow searching kiss.

When he stopped, he looked at her, her sweet
lips said she wanted more, but he wanted to see it in her eyes. The
spark he saw was tentative, but she reached toward him for another
kiss and he followed her lead. He cupped her face gently in his
hands. Stroking her soft cheeks with his thumbs, he bent to meet
her again.