Southern Spice (Southern Desires Series Book 1) (2 page)

Pulling his knife out of the sheath strapped to his belt, he reached inside the truck’s cab and cut the seatbelt strap that had been holding her hostage. He’d been helpless to stop it. Once free she quickly fell from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side, landing directly onto the crushed portion of the cab. Her scream of pain cut through him to the core.

Shit. I should’ve seen that coming.
It had been a long time since he had given another person’s well-being a second thought, and he was way off his game. “Don’t move,” he said firmly. “Some of the metal is jagged and you’ll cut yourself. Stay exactly where you are and let me lift you out.”

He couldn’t tell if it was the terrifying ordeal that frightened her or something else. It really didn’t matter at the moment. Only her eyes moved as she blinked to confirm she understood. She sat motionless, closing her eyes as though comfortable to put her trust in him to ensure her safety.
I’m the last man you should put any trust in.

Derrick bent into the cab of the truck and resisted the urge to pull her shirt down to cover her half-naked chest. He knew if he did, she would be startled and cut herself pulling away. Now was not the time to be chivalrous. How was it possible that somehow, even in this state of emergency, his body was reacting to the sight of her?
Just get her out of here and off the ranch.

He hadn’t looked at another woman since he lost his wife, and he wasn’t about to start now. Slowly sliding one of his arms under her legs, he felt a sharp edge dig into and then start cutting his forearm. Pushing past the pain, he slid his other arm behind her back and gently began lifting her away. He lifted slightly but she was stuck. He felt around to make sure it wasn’t anything critical. Once confident she was in no immediate danger, he lifted her, and the sound of fabric ripping filled the cab. There was no way he was going to set her back down in that death trap. If she’d landed just another inch to the left, the exposed jagged metal could have impaled her. So he continued lifting and before his eyes, the skirt she’d been wearing tore completely and was left like a rag, tangled and useless.
Better that than you.

Once they were free from the truck and outside with the rain pouring down on them, she opened her eyes again, fear and pain still clearly shining in them. “It’s okay. I got you. You’re safe now.”

Instead of pulling away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung desperately to him, totally ignorant of her half-naked state. He wished she would stand on her own two feet and climb out of there herself. Based on how tightly she was holding him, that wasn’t about to happen, and with the water still rising, he didn’t want to spend more time trying to pry her hands off him.

He adjusted her so her bare legs wrapped around his waist and he could hold her with one arm. Once he had a strong grip on her bottom, he both regretted and was thankful he was still wearing the gloves. He needed to concentrate if he was going to pull them out of the ravine by himself. He grabbed the rope with his free hand. It wasn’t just the rain making it hard to hold on, but blood from cuts on his arm had run down onto his glove, adding to the difficulty. Digging his boot into the slope, using it as a ladder, he began the slow climb up. He would take two steps up and slide back one, but eventually they made their way to the top. Even then she didn’t loosen her grip but kept her face buried against his chest.

Her sweet smell filled his nostrils. It had been a long time since he’d held someone in his arms like this. Even with the storm crashing down around him, his body ached to feel more of her, to lift her face and taste what those trembling lips had to offer.
What the hell?
Derrick had no room in his life for a woman, not even one as tempting as this.
After what I did, I deserved my solitary life and much more.

Firmly he said, “Let go. We need to get on my horse and get the hell out of this storm.” She finally loosened her grip, and in one swift move, he lifted her onto the saddle. Even soaking wet, she weighed hardly anything. Despite the violent thrashing of the rain and wind, he heard her whimper.
Fuck. She’s probably in pain, asshole.
“Hold on to this.” He took her hands and placed them on the horn of the saddle before he climbed up behind her. She was shaking. Considering what she had just experienced, shouldn’t she be crying? Screaming? In the rain and darkness, it was impossible to tell if she was bleeding, and she wasn’t forthcoming with that information either.
She must be in shock.

As soon as he was settled behind her, she leaned back into him. He wanted to tell her to sit up straight, keep her distance, but there was no time for chatter. The rain was coming down in buckets.

With his arms around her, he grabbed the reins and urged Spirit toward the house. Fortunately the horse knew his way back to the barn even better than Derrick did, as visibility was near impossible. If he were back in the city, he would have waited for an ambulance to come and treat her. But there were no such luxuries out this far, even on a clear day. They were on their own here, and right now there was no time to waste. Whether he liked it or not, he needed to take her to the house to assess her injuries.
But why the hell had she come here in the first place?

Spirit seemed anxious to get back, and within minutes they were at the house. Derrick carried her up the steps to the porch. Every step felt like a punch in the gut. When Penny died, Derrick swore he’d never have another woman there again. This ranch was all he had left of Penny and Kim.
It was our home. Our life.
There was no option but to take this woman to the house.
Once the storm ends so will this visit. She’ll be out of here just as quickly as she came.

Casey Collins was shaking inside as her knight in shining armor released his hold on her. Her legs felt wobbly, and she had to force herself not to reach out to him for support. It was bad enough she’d clung so intimately to a man she didn’t know. She wasn’t going to again.
I’m in shock, and that’s all. Anyone would do the same.

But she wasn’t just anyone. She dealt with one natural disaster or another daily in her job. The volume of destruction and loss of life at times had almost been too much to bear. But this was what she wanted to do, and nothing was going to make her quit. Not even when her supervisor put her on probation for getting too emotionally involved. Every member of her family served the needs of others in one fashion or another. She had two older brothers. The oldest was in the Navy, and other in the Marines. Her parents were both still active in the Peace Corp. Maybe to them her job wasn’t as impressive as theirs, but to her, it meant everything. It gave her the opportunity to help others, and that was all that mattered.

And I almost became one of those people.
A chill ran through her as the reality of what her foolishness in driving in such a storm almost cost her. She was lucky to be alive. She had spoken to families and read way too many reports of people who were in similar situations, yet weren’t so lucky. If this stranger hadn’t been there . . .

Quickly she brushed that horrid thought out of her mind. Her training had taught her better than to live in
what if
. Considering anything but the facts wasn’t beneficial to anyone. The fact was he had been there, and she was safe. No amount of words could express her gratitude, but sometimes it only took two. “Thank you.”

“You need to get out of what’s left of your clothes,” he said.

What ever happened to “You’re welcome”? Well, there went my idea of you being a southern gentleman.
“They will dry,” she answered with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

Her finger brushed her cool flesh and only then did she notice her shirt was no longer covering what it should.
Oh shit!
As though it didn’t bother her one bit, she pulled it down to cover herself. She knew her hands should’ve made contact with the skirt she’d been wearing. But all she felt was the thin lace of her panties.
Please don’t tell me. I can’t be standing here almost naked.

She looked down and found herself in one embarrassing situation. Her cheeks began to burn, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t remember how or when the skirt came off.

When she looked up again, she noticed him watching her, but he looked more angry than anything else.
What the heck is this guy’s problem? I’m not thrilled with this situation either.

“Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he said while walking away, leaving her alone.

Where did he think she was going to go? Casey had no idea where she was, and she was practically naked.
What I’d give for a hot shower and blanket.
He was right about one thing—she should get out of the wet clothes—but she didn’t make a habit of being naked in front of others and especially not a stranger. Not even if he just saved her life.
Of course I’m not exactly dressed right now either.

Planting her feet, she stubbornly waited. For exactly what she didn’t know. She wasn’t scared of him, and he wasn’t going to intimidate her either, no matter how big and angry-looking he was.
Now all I have to do is dig deep and convince myself of that.

When he returned, he tightly gripped a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She appreciated the change of clothes, but he certainly seemed far from happy about turning them over to her.

“Put these on,” he said in his gruff voice as he tossed the clothing in her direction.

Everything in her wanted to let them drop to the floor and tell him no thanks, but as he threw them at her, she also noticed his right arm was cut and bleeding and her natural instinct to nurture took over. “You’re bleeding,” Casey said, holding the clothes as she stepped closer to him to look at his wound.

He raised a hand to stop her, then looked down at his arm. She wasn’t a doctor, but in her opinion, he needed a few stitches. “You should let me at least clean it and then get to the hospital. It looks deep.”

His eyes grew dark and distant. Before he turned to leave her alone again, he said plainly, “I’ll live.”

He had pulled her from her truck, which she doubted would be salvageable, thrown her on his horse, and unloaded her into his home without as much as a comforting word.
If I had to describe him in one word, I’d use stormy. Like the raging storm outside, he is angry, volatile.
He made it very clear she wasn’t welcome. Was he like this to everyone, or was she special? Casey wanted to call him out and set him straight. Instead she shouted, “You don’t expect me to change right here in the open, do you?” At this point, that wouldn’t surprise her.

He didn’t even bother to turn back to face her. Instead, she saw him point to a door to the left of her as he reached the top of the stairs and then disappeared from sight.
If the rest of the town is as bad as him, then JT won’t have to lecture me about getting too personally involved here
.

Casey carried the garments provided and headed to the door.
Women’s clothing. I can’t picture this beast being married.
At this point, she didn’t care if it was a closet, as long as she had some privacy. A sigh of relief filled the room as she opened the door and found a bathroom with a shower.
Now we’re talking.

Removing what was left of her shirt, she folded it then removed her bra and panties and hung them on a towel rack with the hope they would quickly dry. She’d ask him if he had a washer and dryer, but it probably was better not to ask for anything.

Her body was aching. Stepping into the shower, she welcomed the hot water as it pounded against her back.
How had I not realized how cold I’d been?
She could have stayed there forever, but it was going to take more than water to eliminate the tension within her.

If this were her own house, she would have stayed there till every last drop of hot water had drained from the tank. No matter how badly she yearned to enjoy the moment, she wasn’t sure her host would appreciate her lingering any longer than needed. Reluctantly she turned off the water and quickly dressed in the dry clothes he had brought her. Whoever the pants belonged to was much taller than she was and Casey needed to roll them up several inches. He was tall, so maybe they belonged to a sister. Since he seemed to be the quiet type, Casey decided it was best not to ask any questions.

She debated what to do with her wet clothes but decided to leave them where they were for now. Walking barefoot she opened the door and, with her body still aching from the accident, left the bathroom, hoping to sit or maybe even lie down on the large leather couch she’d spotted earlier. Quiet. She needed it desperately to think through what had just happened.

Any hope for quiet vanished when she saw him sitting exactly where she’d been dreaming of, but he was not as relaxed as she had wanted to be. He sat straight up as though he didn’t want to be there any more than she did. Maybe this wasn’t his house. She’d never asked any questions as he didn’t seem approachable. He didn’t look in her direction, only sat holding what smelled like coffee in his hand. He seemed in deep thought.
One of us has to say something eventually. Might as well be me.

Forcing a smile, she made her way toward him, extremely self-conscious given she hadn’t put her wet panties and bra back on.
Doubt he’d notice anyway
. Her leg hurt, but right now there wasn’t much on her body that didn’t hurt, so she ignored it and moved forward.