“Saturday’s fine.”
“Can you skip painting long enough for a picnic?”
“Of course. I have your help with painting and I hadn’t planned on that. I’d like to meet them. Once again, I hope whoever Maverick is, word gets back that we’re all having a good time together.”
“The way word gets around Royal, I suspect it will. You’ll like Natalie. After her loss, she understands ours in a way some people really don’t. Jeremy was a great guy. We were close—he was almost like a brother to me. Sometimes the stuff you go through when your life is at stake creates a real bond.”
“I should have known you wouldn’t have a secret family.”
“As you said, the picture was convincing.”
They sat quietly in the dark while she sipped her raspberry tea and Tom drank his beer. She watched the shifting shadows on the lawn. “I still think you should go back to the ranch. I can get this done.”
“Nope. I’m staying, and you should let me do the high stuff in every room.”
“Oh, my. If you’re volunteering to paint the ceilings in this old house, I will take you up on that with joy. I figured I would hire a painter to do the ceilings, but if you’re sure, that fun task is yours. I’m thrilled because I can’t do them.”
“I’ll start on the ceilings and see how far I can get. When and if they catch Maverick, I’m gone. You know that.”
“Of course. I know you didn’t move in permanently.”
“Somehow I can’t imagine you here permanently.”
“I don’t know why—I lived here when we met. We were together in this house lots of times.”
“I was just noticing how dark it is out here. The branches of these big oaks almost touch the ground, and they give a lot of privacy. When I move out, I think you should have yard lights and motion detectors installed.”
“By the time you get through, I’ll have a chain-link fence with razor wire at the top and spotlights. You were in the Rangers too long and in scary, violent situations too much. This is Royal, Tom. All the precautions aren’t necessary. We’re safe here. And no one cares what we’re doing behind the branches of the oak tree.”
“You think?” he asked, setting down his bottle of beer. “Well, if we have privacy and no one cares what we do, I think I’m wasting a really good night by sitting over here alone.” He stood and she wondered what he was up to now.
He leaned over to pick her up and then sat down again with her on his lap. She gasped in surprise and started to protest, but she liked being in his arms again, so she closed her mouth and wrapped her arm around his neck instead. “It’s as dark as a cave out here tonight. I can’t see you,” she said quietly. “What brought this on?”
“Why not? We’ve got privacy to do what we want—you just said so. Why not forget our problems for ten minutes and enjoy each other’s company and a few kisses besides? Or more.”
She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. “You really have a one-track mind.”
“No, I’ve been alone for a long time,” he replied. “And now I’m with you. That’s the biggest part of it.”
His voice was low, the way it got when he was lusty. She was aware of being in his arms, on his lap. Even more, she was aware of his arousal. He flirted and teased the way he used to, so it was fun to be with him.
“You’re not only a good guy. You’re a very sexy guy.”
“Is that right? On a scale of one to ten, where do I rate?” he asked, nuzzling her neck.
“Somewhere around one hundred,” she said, her words coming out breathlessly and as if she barely thought about what she said. “But I’m not going to let you complicate my life tonight. I’ve spent the past year picking up the pieces and I’m on a shaky foundation—”
“This will get you on something solid.”
“You’re naughty, Tom,” she replied as he trailed kisses across her neck and ran his tongue around the curve of her ear.
“But, oh, so sexy. You just said so.” He kissed away her answer. His mouth covered hers, his arm tightening around her as he leaned her against his shoulder. She clung to him, kissing him in return. His kisses sizzled, making her want more loving from him.
He raised his head and yanked off his shirt, tossing it aside while she said, “For just a minute more, Tom. That’s all we—”
He leaned close to kiss her again and end her talk. And she didn’t care. She clung to him, thinking he was the most exciting man on earth and trying to avoid thinking about all the painful things that had come between them.
He caressed her breast and then slipped his hand beneath her shirt. His hand was warm, his palm rough and callused. He unfastened her bra easily and pushed it away. She moaned with pleasure as her breast filled his hand. His thumb circled the taut peak and she shifted her hips closer against him—as close as possible while she arched her back and gave him more access to caress her further. For the moment she was lost to the sensations he stirred up. His hands on her, his mouth on her—it seemed natural and right and made her want more. But the memories of past heartache were still strong. Suddenly she thought back to the last time they’d made love—he’d moved out immediately after.