His Brother's Wife (22 page)

To let him take her on a
sun-baked hillside, in the grass alive with late blooming flowers
while the rushing water of the creek hummed in the
background.

Rafe propped his weight on
one arm, stretched his body out beside of her but did little else,
just laid there staring at her, lifting his hand to trace the
contours of her face. The silent moment was charged with an
unspoken need. She knew what he wanted but Rafe made no attempt to
take it or mention it for that matter. He seemed content to just
lie there in the sun with her, tracing a path across her face with
the tip of one finger.

When he focused his gaze
on her face, she could tell he’d resigned himself to do no more
than he already had—stolen a brief kiss.

Grace was relieved and
disappointed. It was so confusing being around him. She wanted him,
but everything was so complicated. It wasn’t as simple as a man
wanting a woman and making the commitment to make it legal. There
was Jesse to think about and Grace knew he would balk at any
arrangement other than her marrying him. He was set on her being
his wife and so far her refusal to do so hadn’t fazed
him.

She wasn’t sure what it
would take other than being blunt but she didn’t want to hurt him
like that. Not with his feelings being as fragile as they were. He
was already in pain. The pain of losing his parents, of having to
care for himself and the ranch alone while Rafe was gone doing who
knows what.

Remembering the photograph
she’d found in Rafe’s room she glanced up at him. Wanting to know
who the girl was would drive her beyond crazy. The fact he still
had the photo led her to believe he still cared about
her.

Finding some distant point
to look at, she cleared her throat and asked the question burning
for an answer. “So, who is Katie?”

When Rafe laughed, Grace
turned wide eyes to him. That hadn’t been the reaction she’d been
expecting. An accusing speech about her snooping in his room had
been what she thought she’d get or a quick, “none of your
business.” Him laughing took her by surprise. “What is so
funny?”

He shook his head and lay
down beside her, propping his head on an upturned hand. “I thought
you weren’t snooping.”

“I wasn’t.” The look on
his face told her he knew otherwise. She scowled and huffed out a
peeved breath. “Fine. I was snooping. Now answer my question. Who
is Katie?”

He was silent so long she
didn't think he was going to answer. When he finally said, “My
ex-wife,” Grace felt as if all the air left her body in one giant,
whoosh.

The horse throwing her
into the creek hadn’t shocked her as much as his answer did. “You
were married?”

He nodded his head and
looked away, toying with the buttons on the front of her dress. “I
met her a year after I left home. Married her a few months later. I
found us a little place to live down in Texas and after the war was
over, when I got back home, she was different. It was as if I was
living with a stranger and really, she was."

Removing his hat, he ran
his fingers through his hair, his gaze on some distant past she
couldn't see. "I found work at a cattle ranch. The money kept us
fed but it wasn't enough for her. One night, she took what little
cash we had and left town with some gambler, leaving me in a broken
down shack with nothing but the clothes on my back and a few pots
and pans.

Her gambler friend paid a
judge to grant her divorce papers. I signed them and received a
letter from Morgan Avery three days later about my folks passing. I
left the cabin, and everything in it, and was home in less than a
week.”

Grace wasn’t sure what to
say. “I’m sorry,” sounded inappropriate and besides, it would be a
lie. She wasn’t sorry, not if she were truthful. If he were still
married, none of the events that led to this moment would have
happened. As infuriated as he made her at times, she'd not trade
any of it for all the money in the world.

Smiling to try and erase
the melancholy mood, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Well, next
time you see her, thank her for me, will you?”

He looked up and it took
only moments for laughter to once again fill his eyes. “Thank her
for what? Leaving me and making me look like a fool?”

“No. For leaving you so
you could be here, rescuing me from the perils of Willow
Creek.”

The laughter in his eyes
turned to something more heated, the hand he'd used to toy with the
buttons on her dress moved closer to her breast, palm flat to the
underside of it. Grace’s breath caught when his thumb swiped across
the top, her nipple hardening from the small touch. “What makes you
think I'm not one of those perils?”

She shrugged a shoulder.
“You probably are but I think it's a risk worth taking.”

He cupped her breast then
and Grace closed her eyes, arching her back to increase the
contact. He obliged, squeezing with enough pressure to make her
long for more and then he removed his hand.

She opened her eyes,
wondering why he’d stopped but when he reached for the buttons of
her dress a moment later, she knew.

A glance toward her face,
his eyes seeking permission as he toyed with those tiny buttons,
and Grace nodded her head. Her heart beat wildly against her
ribcage as he slowly unhooked each button and pulled the material
of her dress apart before untying the ribbon holding her chemise
together. When she was bared to him from the waist up, she
swallowed and tried to catch her breath.

His gaze burned against
her flesh, his fingertips branding her with each sweep of his hand.
When he lowered his head toward her, taking one nipple into his
mouth, she forgot to breathe.

He hadn't shaved that
morning. His whiskers were rough and abrasive against her skin but
the gentle sting only added to the sensation. Soft, warm licks and
tugs of his mouth followed by the scrape of hair on his chin caused
tingles to race up her spine. She arched her back, trying to bring
him closer and half managed to do so by grabbing the back of his
head and holding him to her.

Breaking contact with her
breast, Rafe lifted his head, kissing her with long, hard strokes
of his tongue as his left hand continued to explore her exposed
skin. Grace held him to her, thoughts no proper lady should have
running through her mind. She wanted to feel him against her, skin
to skin.

Long minutes ticked by,
the sound of birds and the rushing water in the background mingled
with the sound of their harsh breaths. When Rafe broke the kiss and
looked down at her, Grace could only lie there and try to catch her
breath.

"I want you,
Grace."

She smiled up at him,
lifted her hand to run a finger over the stubble on his chin. The
snuffling of horses caught her attention and a quick glance to her
right was all it took to bring their quiet, intimate moment to a
stop.

They were being
watched.

Chapter Twenty

When Grace stiffened and
sucked in a harsh breath, Rafe turned to see what held her
attention. That's when he saw them. Ben Crowley and two of his
hired hands sitting atop their horses near the creek
bank.

Rafe jerked Grace's dress
back together, covering her exposed breasts, and jumped to his
feet, then helping her from the ground. If she hadn't been standing
there, her dress undone and her breasts bared for all to see, he
would have jerked Ben off his horse and beat him to within an inch
of his life.

He stepped in front of
Grace instead, helping her hide as she righted her clothes and
faced Ben with hatred burning in his lungs. "What the hell are you
doing on my property?"

Ben glanced at the two men
with him before chuckling. "Well, I was looking for my stray
cattle. There's a section of fence down up over the next rise and I
thought they'd wandered down here to the stream." He grinned and
peered at Grace over Rafe's shoulder. "Never expected to ride up on
you out here with your new houseguest. Jesse not giving you two the
privacy you need?"

Laughter followed Ben's
question and Rafe forced himself to stand still. He had a big
problem now that Ben had caught him with Grace and he wondered what
to say. Ben didn't deserve an explanation to anything but the
trouble he could stir up would be legendary. One word to anyone and
the news would run like wildfire through town.

The people of Willow Creek
were as good as they came but gossip seemed to be the only past
time anyone had. Once word of this got out, the whole community
would know it in a matter of days. Jesse would hate him and every
person in Willow Creek would think the worst of Grace.

She tugged on his
shirtsleeve and he glanced back at her. She'd fixed her clothing,
righted her wet, tangled hair best she could, but the red blush
staining her cheeks wouldn't be so easily fixed.

He turned back to Ben and
looked the man in the eye. "I'll look at the fence. As far as your
cattle, I haven't seen any strays. I'll let you know if I find
them."

Ben stared at him, that
irritating smirk still on his face as he nodded his head in Grace's
direction. "Jesse decide he didn't want that little lady after
all?" He pushed the front of his hat up with one finger. "I can't
imagine him just handing her over to you, Rafe."

That's because he wouldn't.
Rafe didn't speak the thought aloud.

"Put your boots on,
Grace." He started toward the horses, yelling over his shoulder,
"Get off my land, Ben."

Long moments of sly looks
and knowing grins from Ben and his men were followed by soft
chuckles. Still, they didn't make any attempt to leave.

Ben glanced at Grace, his
gaze roaming the length of her from head to toe. "Is what I said in
town true, sweetheart? You repaying Rafe for his generosity by
warming his bed?"

Rafe stopped and turned
back to face Ben. "I won't tell you again, Ben. Get off of my
land."

The man laughed in
response. "My house is twice the size of Rafe's old broken down
place, Ms. Kingston, and its staffed with hired hands who do
nothing but see to my needs. They do all the cooking and cleaning
and I've money enough to buy half the Montana Territory if I
wanted. How's about letting me have a taste of those pretty little
titties and I'll provide you a nice, cozy bed to lay your head on
at night and buy you all the fancy dresses you can
wear."

Rafe closed the distance
between them with fire burning in his lungs. He lunged for Ben the
moment he reached him, jerking him from his horse and slamming him
against the ground. He'd barely heard Ben grunt before his hired
hands were off their horse and grabbing for him.

Rafe didn't know who threw
the first punch but between the sting of each bruising hit Ben and
his men landed, he gritted his teeth, fought back as if his life
depended on it and tried to block out the sound of Grace's
terrified screams.

He rocked back on his
feet, dazed by a jab to his head, and watched the world go fuzzy.
Blinking, he staggered, righted himself and grunted as Ben plowed
into him, taking them both to the ground.

The punches still came,
the noise deafening and he'd just managed to get Ben to his back
and return some of those blows to the man's face when the sound of
a gun shot echoed across the valley.

"Stop it this
instant!"

Rafe blinked and looked
up. Grace stood over him and Ben, his rifle in her arms. She looked
mad as hell.

She grabbed his arm,
pulling at him, and he climbed to his feet best he could as she
leveled the gun barrel on Ben and his men. "Now, you three best be
on your way."

Her voice was shaky, a
hint of fear laced within her words, but Ben crawled to his feet,
spit out a mouthful of blood and laughed as he wiped his mouth with
the back of one hand. "No need to get all riled up, Ms.
Kingston."

When he made a move toward
her, Grace raised the gun higher and Rafe wondered if she'd really
shoot him. As much as he hated Ben, he didn't want to see Grace
hang for killing the man. He wasn't worth the cost of the rope
they'd use to do it with.