Chapter Three
When there was no movement or creak of wood, Jessie looked back once again to see Henry Green was still in that rocking chair. His kind eyes and gentle smile had all turned harder than the grip he currently had on the wooden arms she’d just secured back down with glue last week.
The chair had belonged to her mother, bought before Jessie was even born. She wished he’d let go of the arms on the old rocker before he ripped them off. Already it was creaking under his weight and she really hoped it didn’t fall apart because of a grown man having a mini tantrum. “Mr. Green. I have things to do.”
“We’re not through with this discussion.”
“I’ve made myself clear.”
He looked up. His dark blue eyes stopped her in her tracks, shut up the impatient need that had been driving her for years to keep busy. She took a moment to appreciate what was before her. A handsome man with stubborn notions. Deep seated need and caring for a loved one.
And that was enough looking. She closed herself back off, shuffled that brief moment away. She wasn’t supposed to see men in that light. A one night stand in another town every great once in a while was all she needed. She didn’t have time for more, didn’t want to waste energy on it. She was just too tired for anything else.
“Surely we can work something out. Lease me the land. Anything, please. This place is perfect.”
She stopped and took a second time to actually look at the man. And what she heard, she didn’t want to like. Didn’t want to be swayed, but the pleading tone of his voice tugged at her to at least hear him out. “Why? What do you want with my land?”
“To build a small home on it.”
She started and got his dreamy voice out of her head. “Excuse me?”
“A wooden cottage. Dark logs, a dark roof. A large oak tree with impressive, climbing sized branches hugging the right side. Around the front and opposite side, a covered porch. Windows open in the summer. Smoke puffing through the chimney in the winter.”
He said it as though it was a memorized speech. Not rehearsed. Memorized.
“Henry, even
if
I agreed to lease you land, it would not be for the rest of my or your life. That would be ridiculous, not to mention, financially stupid.”
He blinked and met her gaze. “No, no, of course not. A year. Five or perhaps ten.” A little sadness coated him. “I don’t expect much longer than that.”
She shook her head. “You’re not making sense.”
He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. Hands clasped between them. A defeated breath expelled from him. “My grandfather.”
Oh, God.
She should have told him to leave and never come back. Jessie wanted to run, but she was riveted to the spot, on the man.
“He grew up in a house like the one I told you about. He’s getting older and more and more he’s talking about it. He’s missed a lot in life to raise me and I can do this for him. I can build this home for him to live the rest of his days. Quinn may be a foolish bastard, but he was right. This place, this town, it’s perfect for my grandpa. If you won’t sell me the land, then lease it to me. Quinn said everyone else around here uses theirs for hunting, farming, or raising cattle.” Henry looked up. His gazed fixed on hers. “Please. Let me do this for him. I’ll pay well for the land so long as my grandpa is alive and afterwards, do what you wish with the home.” He looked back down toward the porch. “Live in it, rent it, let it rot, doesn’t matter. Please, Ms. McBride.”
It all stabbed through her gut, pierced her bleeding heart. He struck in her one weak spot. The spot very few knew was even there. Family. Home. Parents. Love. This Henry Green wanted to do what had been robbed from Jessie. She didn’t know if she could watch her dreams happen for someone else, but she knew she couldn’t say no either. “There will be contracts specifically detailing this arrangement.”
His head popped up, his mouth dangled for only a moment. “You’re agreeing?”
“With the contracts and one condition.”
“Name it. Just name it.”
“I better not ever catch Quinn on my property again.” She put her hand to her belly where it knotted, reminding her of what had been there and then lost. She kept her pride in her voice, because that’s what McBrides were known for.
The McBride Pride.
“That means if he visits your grandpa, it will be done elsewhere.”
He nodded. “Done. Quinn is an ass.”
“Very well then.”
“So this is a yes?” He looked so hopeful, so on the edge of delight like she was about to make his dreams come true.
“For a lease, as you just stated, for the length of your grandfather’s life. Yes. That I will agree to.”
He leapt from the rocking chair, the whole porch creaked and shook with his fast movements. She reached for the railing as though that would steady it, but didn’t have the chance to tell him to be still. He grabbed her by the arms and planted a smacking kiss on her lips.
She froze, the touch of a man being so near, his hands on her arms raced through her blood. Masculine strong lips that were also supple and warm shocked her and before she could even resister or try to enjoy it, he jumped back, breathing, eyes wide and stared at her.
His hands ripped from her. “Ms. McBride, I am so sorry. I just…”
Through the foggy dark parts of her brain, she managed a smile. “Jessie, please.”
All excitement was off his face. “I swear…that won’t…I don’t even…I just…”
“It’s all right. I understand.” Sort of. She got his excitement. She didn’t understand her reaction to it. She hadn’t reacted to a man in years and this one had been pulling her interest since she first saw him. She shouldn’t like him. Didn’t want to. But he was quickly breaking through all her good sense and good reasons she’d relied on herself for all these years. Every other man noticed her cold shoulder well enough and they never touched first, unless she dropped her defenses, but this man just ran through them like a blind bat driving a semi-truck.
He stared over the porch railing, the sun highlighted his frame to a dark silhouette. “It’ll require a bit of logging, but any profits from the trees will be yours.”
“Logging?” She echoed, wondering if this had been a mistake. Of course the contracts were not signed, but she didn’t like taking back her word. However, word be damned, he had mentioned some two hundred acres. More of this needed to be ironed before anything else happened. Physically or contract or otherwise. “Surely you don’t mean to cut down all my trees.”
He frowned. “No. Just a few. One moment and I’ll show you.”
“Show me?” she echoed, but he didn’t hear as he’d leapt completely over her porch steps and jogged to his car.
The bursting enthusiasm rolling off his broad smile was cute. And that was dangerous to her already swaying libido that wanted him to grab her again. Never had she’d just been taken like that. She shivered off the chill from that one quick, ridiculous kiss. Hell, it hadn’t even lasted long enough to be good.
He dug in the backseat and before she could even catch her breath from it all, he was back at her side, unrolling a large photograph. Nearly a poster size. “This is my grandpa’s home, or at least, the best I believe it is from the stories he’s told me. I’ve been wanting to do this for the last three years and with your help, all the pieces I need are coming together.”
She studied the large picture, noting it was exactly as he’d said and then some. Wood was stacked along one side. An axe left in a nearby tree stump as though someone had just finished cutting. A well and water pump was in front and she would bet Henry would try to make that operational.
He pointed at the tree. “I need to find a tree like that. Clear the land enough to put this house here, a driveway, of course, and that’s all the cutting I’ll need. Just enough to have space.”
A sudden thought struck her. “You don’t mean to send your grandfather out here alone, do you?”
He blinked at her, his smile warmed. “No. I’ll have a caretaker and companion with him to take him where he needs and I’ll visit often. I can’t image you would be bothered or even see him unless for a cup of sugar or something.”
“Sugar?”
He shrugged. “You know, like to borrow. As neighbors. He would give it to you. He has a sweet spot for pretty women.”
Warmth touched her cheeks and his eyes widened.
“I mean. Uh….” He faulted over several words then finally dropped her gaze entirely and stared back at the paper while clearing his throat. “Once I find a tree like that, then I can begin. I’ll see about contracts today. Do you have any idea where I could find a spot like this one?”
Did she know? No. She tended to stay out of the woods. It would be too much to walk them. She’d often chased after her daddy down one path or another with her pigtails bouncing. Tiffany would know a spot and Jessie nearly said as such, but she caught the words before they escaped.
She never had the chance to do this sort of thing for her parents, but here was her chance to see from the sidelines. Live through someone else to know what it would have been like. Oh, she already knew it was going to hurt like hell, but again, she couldn’t say no. Instead, she nodded. “I’m sure there’s a few you can pick from.”
“Thank you, Jessie.” He rolled up the picture. “You can’t know what this means to me.”
“But, I do.” She rubbed the chill off her arms. “That’s the only reason I’m agreeing.”
He stared for a long moment and she wondered if maybe he didn’t know. Or if he had played her a fool to get what he wanted, but she shook it off. Rather or not he knew her history, it didn’t matter. It was true about his grandfather. That much she knew by the shake of his voice when he spoke on the length of the lease.
He backed away a step. “I’ll be in touch soon. Maybe a few days.”
“I’ll be here.” Because duh, other than her job lifting sacks at the feed store, this was the only place for her. She smiled as he walked farther and she caught sight of the photograph. “Henry?”
She chased after him, which was stupid because he was already walking back, but she did it anyway. “If you have another copy, I’d like that picture of the house. Just for reference of what you’re looking for. Then when you come back I’ll already have some places for you to look at.”
“Sure. Take this one.”
She took the rolled sheet from his hand. Her fingers brushed his knuckles and she felt it again. Shock. A spark. The sudden warmth. And it was gone nearly as fast as he moved away and to his car.
Had it really been so long since anyone touched her? Tiffany hugged her but…well, that was it. She turned back to the house, numb with the knowledge she had managed to live this many years without being touched. Or touched deeply. The occasional man she’d been with only included quick rare encounters on a dark night. It had so far been enough. If she imagined hard enough, sometimes it felt real. Every now and then she entertained the idea of not slipping out while the guy slept, though when snoring started, she always untangled from whoever and left in the middle of the night.
But this Henry was different. His simple touch came with thoughts and feelings. It was as plain on his face as those dark clouds moving in saying rain was about to happen. His voice changed with his emotions and matched the heart he wore on his sleeve.
She stepped through the house and onto the back porch where it appeared an afternoon party had gathered. Or more so, where she’d left everyone when she flew in the house and met Henry in the front when he’d returned.
Tiffany pushed off of Mike’s lap from one of the chairs. “Well?”
“I’ve agreed to lease some land.”
“What?” Came from a number of people on the back. Tiffany and Mike. Mike’s sister, Rebecca and her boyfriend, Grant.
Jessie straightened, finally feeling some important purpose for herself. “He wants to build a small house for his grandpa to live out his days on. The money will be good and what I’ve been needing. Enough to pay-off that last land note and to fix the house. After his grandpa passes….” She swallowed. That should not be hard to say, it wasn’t her beloved family member, she didn’t know the man from Adam, but it went down thick and hard. “Then the house is mine to do with as I want.”
“Jessie.” This from Grant, cleared his throat. “If this is for money, you know I would help you in anyway. You don’t have to do this. Be invaded. This land is yours and you like it private.”
She smiled and found a new tender spot for the man. And of course he had the money. Was about to be rolling in it, could hang curtains of hundred dollar bills, to be sure, since he was about to begin drilling for oil on land which would no doubt be rich in the stuff. She smiled. “Thank you, Grant. But it’s not just the money. I need this.”
Jessie looked to Tiffany and opened the picture of the cabin. “I need to know where there’s a tree like this one.”
Rebecca walked over and peered. Between Rebecca’s never-fail memory and Tiffany’s frequent walks, Jessie knew she was in good hands. Henry and his grandpa were in good hands. A smile blossomed in her chest for the first time since Quinn Flenning had crushed her day not two hours ago.
Chapter Four
“This spot then?”
Henry looked away from the trees and into Jessie’s eyes. He’d been a fool to imagine anything hard and frozen in those eyes. Instead they were like twin pools of hot chocolate. Liquid sweet. For days he’d remembered those eyes. And on this breezy January day, he wanted to lay on top of her, look deep into her seconds before taking her mouth, to see if she would taste of thick, warmed milk cocoa.
He pulled his gaze off Jessie’s face and surveyed the grounds again. Pretended to, in any event, while his body cooled. There were only so many times a man could stare at the ground to take the heat out of his blood.
For the better part of an hour now, he’d been following her down one trail after another, watching her ass sway in tight jeans. He had a feeling they hadn’t crossed but a quarter of her property. This spot though had something. He studied the large oak tree that had managed to grow strong despite the tall pines and vines threatening to pull it down. Bits of sun rays were working hard to shine through the tangle of branches. And if he remained still long enough, a very light breeze. He nodded. “I like this one. I want to send someone out here to check the tree. See if removing the brush could damage it in any way.”
Tears filled her eyes as she blinked up at him. Damn it. She’d been doing that all day long too and it was getting harder and harder to politely ignore. He wanted to kiss her closed eyelids and stop the watering ever since that one stupid kiss on her front porch. There was no excuse for that moment, other than he hadn’t been thinking. She’d said the words he’d been dreaming of and he’d just grabbed.
And he wanted to grab her again. Had been thinking of it from the moment he’d released her all the way up until now, three days later. A constant ache had settled in his arms from forcing them at his side or his hands in pockets when all he wanted to do was just take her and kiss her again and see that red blush spread over her cheeks.
It had been that blush. He hadn’t realized how she’d lacked in color, how desolate and accepting she’d appeared until she blushed. That and just her. Her pride on one hand, soft heart on the other. As much as he hated to admit, Quinn had been right. She was soft. You had to look for it though.
Or force a quick kiss on her. She’d come alive. Become irresistible with red tainting her cheeks, breath passing through her parted lips and if he didn’t get some space soon, there would be no resisting. She was handing him his dream and it was hard not to get caught up in her, to want to know her and return the favor in more ways. Paying her for the land, that was nothing in comparison.
She scratched her shoulder and looked away. “You’re taking extreme caution.”
The curve of her neck swayed up, tempting his lips until the delicate skin was hidden behind her blonde hair framing around her face. But if he could get his fingers in that…. He cleared his throat. “I don’t want any setbacks like the tree dying. I want it perfect the first time.”
“I’d like to be here when they look. When do you think building will begin?”
He pulled in a breath and focused on his plans, not on the rise and fall of her breasts or the flutter in her neck. It looked to be just strong enough that he would feel the pulse under his tongue. “Soon. I want the tree looked at, then other trees cleared back and the driveway made to bring in supplies.”
Her shoulders slouched. Then her smile faltered. Brows lowered. Hurt curled around her slender frame, flashed in her heavy eyes and shallow breaths penetrated the air. He couldn’t take it. Damn it, he wasn’t a wall of stone and she was just so, so beautiful and hurt looking. And he fixed things.
That’s what he did. He juggled publicity for several different well known clients and businesses and they were all happy and satisfied because he knew how to take care of things. How to take care of people. Knew what to do when problems occurred. Jessie was just waiting for someone to come by and lend her a hand.
She had to be thinking of her parents and Christ, he didn’t know what that was like. Both of his walked out long before he started remembering anything. It’d always been just him and his grandpa and he didn’t even want to think about the day he’d lose that man.
So he touched her. Rubbed her arms, thinking the chill might be getting to her, but knowing more than likely it was the moment of it all. “I know you’re wanting to keep an eye on your property, but if this is hard on you, I can keep you updated.”
That brought a glimmer of a smile back on her face as she stared up at him. “Thank you. You would go through that extra trouble, wouldn’t you? When you owe me nothing more than the generous offer on the land.”
He didn’t release her. Not just yet. Didn’t want to. She was so warm and soft against his palms. It was the lack of any coy or teasing he figured he liked the most about her. There was no hair flipping and kiss blowing shit. Just pure, natural woman. “I just know this can’t be easy on you, after what had happened. I’m out here, tearing apart your land and—”
She shook her head and swiped her fingers under her lashes. There had been no water spilling over, but the quick gesture did clear her eyes. “It’s not that.” A single shoulder shrugged. “I want to be you. And I can’t. This is letting me see, just a little, what it would have been like.”
He didn’t begin to know what to say to that, so he said the standard, “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “I’m not making much sense. It’s just that in a way, you’re giving me the chance to see what it would have been like if I’d had the chance to take care of my parents. It’s not for my family, but I’m getting to watch it come to life, feel the emotions from it all the same.” Her hand flicked up and she turned away, pulling out of his hold. “I know it’s silly, but it’s something.”
“It’s not silly.”
She smiled. The jerky, stiff movements of her hands eased into softness. “Thank you.”
She walked around the small area. Her hands in her pockets as she stepped over roots and through knee-high brush. She leaned against the tree that would one day shade his grandpa’s cabin. “This will be a nice spot.”
“I think so too.”
She looked at her feet and kicked a pine cone. “Are you staying for a while then? Couldn’t help but notice you pulled up in an RV.”
He nodded. “I want to be here through the process. I’ll make a few trips home to see him in between. He doesn’t know about this project and thinks I’m traveling for work. Do you know of an RV park nearby?”
“A few, but you’re welcome to hook up to the house, if you can. Then you’ll be right here, if anything happens with the construction.” She looked away from him and through the trees to her left. The lightness in her voice had lowered and become a whispered roughness. Wind spliced through brittle tree limbs and dried leaves, muffling her voice further so that he was forced to move closer to hear easier. “I don’t have cable or you could run a line out a window, but there is electricity.”
“Just mind the porch steps when I’m plugging in?”
The tension in her shoulders slid out with her laugh. Red filled her cheeks. “Yes. Please. Front and backside.”
With the light ring in her laugh, gentle smile curving her lips, he wanted her again. Fierce and immediate. She sent another sly look his way and he quit resisting. Wind pulled at her hair and he finger combed the loose strands together and tucked them behind her ear. Somehow he was supposed to live for a few weeks with her next door. Hell, if you could even call it next door. His RV would be parked so close to her home, it would be more like in the next room. From her house to his camper, he already knew he’d be able to smell the flowers on her skin.
Her flushed cheeks were warm against his palm. Wide eyes stared up at him and lips gently parted. It was going to be hell to resist. Already he was aching for her. Didn’t want to wait, especially with the way she would lower her lashes and raise them back up in a slow sweep.
But he had promised so he pulled his hands from her and returned to a polite distance. “I want to kiss you.”
She startled and froze. Her gaze lifted to his.
“But I swore that wouldn’t happen again.”
Her lips parted wider and god, he just wanted to taste her. Press his mouth to hers for longer than a tenth of a second. Discover her rich taste, know her warmth and feel. She stared at him and he waited for a response. A response wasn’t coming, but still she gaped with her mouth open wide enough to allow the tip of his tongue to slip inside. He didn’t want this moment to pass, but she wasn’t looking trapped or like she wanted to say no.
No. Not trapped. Lost.
Testing the moment, he slid his hand along her face, her hair parted between his fingers and her whole body swayed. Her eyes lowered, head dropped back and she reached for him with a sexy hum vibrating up her throat.
“Jessie.”
“Henry,” she whispered and that was enough for him.
He eased his arms around her slender body, pulled her to him as his mouth covered hers. The span of her back was no wider than the length of his hand from fingertip to palm. Her small curves were just enough to fill his hands. Looking at her, he hadn’t realized she was this small, this frail. Delicate. Molded along the front of him, with her hands curved around him, she took up such a little space.
All he continued to picture of her was her standing proud on her porch, larger than life looking like a leader of her one-woman army, but this woman moving against him, her slender arms going around his neck was nothing like that woman.
Her kisses were slow and hesitant, driving him crazy with her exploring as she seemed to take her time. Cool fingertips were soft on his hot neck, in his hair. He reached down and cupped her ass, drawing her up the front of him, needing to feel so much more. She stilled and he held tight, kept her against him and she finally groaned and her lips widened. The kiss deepened until he was bending her back.
Pressing her against a tree. Eager strokes of his tongue met hers. Her fingers shook on his shoulders, but her touch was firm nonetheless. He loosened his grip enough to stroke over her ass, cup and squeeze, bring her center to rock against him and tighten his grip all over.
Fully clothed on a cold winter day, yet this was the hottest he could recall ever being. Just a few more moments of this and he could have her on the ground. Have her shirt off and calling out his name. He lifted his hands to the waist of her jeans. Belt loops teased his fingertips as he reached for the front snap. The button was cold on his fingers, shocking him out of his actions.
God, what the hell was he doing? He ripped his hands off and stepped back, but he couldn’t pull his eyes from her flushed cheeks and bright, curious eyes. It was supposed to just be a kiss, but when he touched her it was a struggle to remember anything.
Her body shook. Her breath cracked out in shattered puffs of winter air. Lips parted as she gasped. For a long moment, she only stared until grabbing him by the neck and pulled him back down. He went more than willing. She was too sweet against his mouth, too soft against his hands. There was no resisting, just wanting and desiring.
An aching need bundled in him, craving the woman who was tugging him against her. His palms slid along her sides, the width of her hips, turn of her waist and up to the small swells of her breasts. He cupped her through her fitted clothes and she softened further against him, her weight hung from her arms around his shoulders. He molded her breast against his hand, pushed against her nipple straining in her bra.
“Yes,” she whispered.
And he wanted to. Wanted to pick her up and carry her to his bed where he would spend the next few hours taking care of her just to hear that one word whispered over and over again. If he thought for a moment he could make it back to the house, he would take her. Her hands dropped down the front of him and fingers ran along the zipper of his jeans and there was no making it anywhere except for here, against this tree.
He reached down, open the fly of her jeans as fast as she was getting his and he slipped inside. The curls above her sex were soft against his fingers. He pressed further down to her warm opening and her breath caught.