Читать книгу A Texas Soldier's Christmas - Cathy Thacker Gillen - Страница 11

Chapter Four

Nora told herself the only reason she was following Zane out to his ranch was because she was interested in seeing exactly what he had inherited from his late father.

Well, that, and it had been a good way to get the sexy soldier out her door, back to his pickup truck and on his merry way as fast as possible. Before she started wanting to make love with him again... Which, she promised herself resolutely as she followed him out of town in her minivan, she most certainly did not.

Being completely alone with him without her son as an emotional shield, however, proved more challenging than she had expected. Luckily, they had the No Name Ranch he had inherited to focus on.

The two-thousand-acre spread was surrounded on all sides by barbed wire fence and covered with scrub vegetation and the occasional strand of trees.

In the center of the long-neglected land, a half mile back from the road, there was a newly renovated A-frame ranch house with a raised wraparound deck. Inside, everything from the wood floor to the open kitchen-family-living area and big masculine furniture on the first floor bore the same neutral brown and gray color palette as the exterior.

Zane’s king-size bed and a luxurious bath with steam shower dominated the loft-style second floor. A lone duffel sat on the floor in the wide-open space, reminding Nora just how light Zane traveled.

She headed back downstairs, determined to stay just long enough to be polite before getting back into her minivan and heading out to Christmas shop, as planned. “Your brother and sister-in-law did a nice job on this for you. Did Molly and Chance pick out the furniture, too?”

“Actually, I told them not to furnish it, since up until a few days ago—”

When he’d learned about Liam, Nora realized uncomfortably. And jumped to the erroneous conclusion her child was his...

“—my intention was to sell.”

Made sense, she noted, since he was rarely in Texas. “And property with a move-in-ready home fetches a much higher price,” she guessed, shivering a little.

“Right.” He strode to the thermostat and made an adjustment. The furnace kicked on with a purr.

She looked around, trying not to feel disappointed he was already on his way out of her life. Again. “Well, your stagers did a remarkable job here.”

He stood, looking over at her, hands braced on his waist. “Actually, I didn’t plan on doing that, either.” He tossed her a fond look. “All the furnishings, down to the dishes and towels, are an early Christmas gift from my mother.”

A rueful smile curving his sensual lips, he walked into the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. “She wanted to make the No Name Ranch house so cozy I’d never want to leave.”

Nora slid onto a stool at the island. “Did it work?”

His gave her a long look that spoke volumes. Finally he leaned toward her and with an even more intimate look, said, “It’s not the decor that interests me here.”

Oh, dear.

She pulled in a stabilizing breath, clasped her hands in front of her and tried again. “In any case, it’s a really nice bachelor pad.” For whoever eventually wanted it.

He leveled an assessing gaze on her, kept it there.

“Yeah, well—” he shrugged and turned away “—my dad never expected me to want to marry or settle down.”

No one did.

In fact, she was pretty sure they still didn’t.

She breathed in the delectable scent of freshly brewed coffee. Aware her knees weren’t as steady as she wanted them to be, she slid onto a counter stool. “So he left you the ranch as an investment?”

Nodding, Zane lounged on the other side of the island, his arms folded over the hard muscles of his chest. “And a place I could crash while on leave and still be close to the rest of my family, who also all inherited property here.”

And yet Zane had still, by his own admission, been thinking of selling the property. A move she sensed the rest of the close-knit Lockhart clan would not have taken well.

The coffeemaker gurgled as it reached the end of the brewing cycle. She searched his face, wishing for some chink in Zane’s emotional armor, some sign that he was capable of more than fulfilling his pledge to defend their country. “Did your dad expect you to ranch?”

With a brief shake of his head, he filled two mugs and pushed one her way. He got the peppermint-mocha creamer from the fridge and handed that, along with a spoon, to her.

“No. Dad knew I don’t have an ounce of rancher blood in me. He suggested I do something more outside the norm with the land.”

“Like...?”

“Set up a skydiving school, shooting range, ninja-warrior-type obstacle course or outdoor physical fitness training center.”

Interesting. Frank Lockhart always had been a visionary. With the hedge fund and charitable foundation he created. As well as his wife and five kids...

Nora took her mug and, feeling the mood inside his home had gotten a little too intimate for comfort, walked back outside. He followed suit.

The rain had finally stopped but the ground and deck were still soaked. Hence, she had to be careful not to touch or lean against anything. Especially him.

She traversed the length of the deck, overlooking the property, thinking, considering. “Any one of those ideas would work if you marketed to city slickers looking for a little adventure. Although—” she tossed him a teasing look over her shoulder “—the property would need a new moniker.”

He chuckled and sauntered closer, filling up the space, making her all the more sensually aware of him.

“You don’t like the one it’s got?”

He shook his head, his eyes drifting slowly over her face, before returning to her eyes. “No,” he said gruffly. “Not at all.”

Nora looked up at him. For a guy who’d planned to sell the property, he suddenly seemed proprietorial. “How did it become the No Name Ranch?”

“The husband and wife who owned it before me were never able to agree on much of anything,” he replied with an affable shrug. “Including what to call this land, which they used as a vacation-home-slash-investment. So they jokingly called it the No Name, decided they liked that better than anything either of them was suggesting and eventually even made up a sign.”

“That’s actually a kind of cute backstory, Zane. You could probably use it in whatever you decide to do with the property.” Even if it’s just as a way to eventually sell the place.

He moved closer. “Maybe.”

Or maybe not, Nora thought, judging by his unenthusiastic tone.

Not surprised Zane wasn’t interested in doing anything he saw as that frivolous, even if it could benefit him financially, Nora took another sip of her coffee. “What does the rest of your family think you should do with the property?”

Disappointment glimmered in his eyes. “Just what you’d expect. My brother Wyatt thinks I should board and train horses, like he does on his ranch. Chance wants me to start a cattle breeding operation to supply quality mama cows for his bucking bull breeding and training operation.”

No surprise there. His two middle brothers were absolute cowboys and always had been, from the time they had first set foot in Laramie County, visiting their paternal grandpa when they were kids. “And Sage?”

“Thinks I should find something adrenaline fueled to do for a living, then use the No Name as a private retreat where I can recoup from my new and exciting yet somehow less risky profession.”

“I like the way your only sister thinks,” Nora quipped, before she could stop herself.

Zane set his empty coffee cup on the railing. “So does my mom, except she doesn’t want me to do anything the least bit dangerous anymore.”

I see her point. Suppressing her desire to protect him, too, Nora pushed on, “What about Garrett?” His brother, a highly skilled physician, had served in the Army, too, before resigning to lead the family charitable foundation.

Zane sobered. “He wants me to help separated and current military at West Texas Warriors Assistance, here in Laramie.”

“Like you’re doing with the holiday gift basket drive.”

“Except on a more permanent basis.”

“But that doesn’t appeal to you, either?” she asked curiously.

Zane exhaled. “I’m happy to volunteer. But as for a career, I see myself in a more physically active role, whatever it is.”

“You could join local law enforcement.” They took a lot of ex-military. And Lord knew their life was full of challenges, Nora thought.

He nodded as if he had expected her suggestion. “I’ve got an appointment to talk with the Laramie County sheriff’s department next week.”

“Good!”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” His lips twisted. “I’m not sure that will be a good fit.”

But he was looking into it. That was something he’d never been willing to do before. “You never know.” He was certainly selfless and heroic enough for the job.

“No. You don’t,” he agreed, taking her coffee cup out of her hands and setting it aside. “And I’m going to have to do something when I leave the military,” he murmured as he drew her into his arms. “So I might as well look at all my options.”

Nora caught her breath as one palm slid down her spine, flattening her against him, and the other hand eased through her hair, tilting her face up to his. “What are you doing?” she gasped, way more turned on than she wanted to admit.

Eyes warming, Zane looked down at her. He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip. “Making amends with you.”

Nora splayed her hands across his solid, muscular chest, holding him at bay. Not the least bit surprised to suddenly be so flustered. It happened every time they were together.

He’d come striding in and give her one of his “I can’t get enough of you” looks, and she’d start feeling the same way. As if there were no one else on earth who was ever going to affect her the way he did. Excited. Enthralled. And ready for so much more. “Hey...” she chided softly, her heart already racing, as he held her flush against him, buried his face in her hair and breathed in, “I said we weren’t going to make love again.”

He moved closer still and her body registered the heat.

“At your place last night.” He dropped a string of butterfly kisses from her temple to her cheekbone, the lobe of her ear and the nape of her neck.

As she felt the pounding of his heart, the depth of his desire, tingles swept through her. She melted against him, her insides fluttering even as she struggled to keep her feelings in check.

Grinning seductively, he slid his hands down her hips to cup her against him. Softness to hardness. “We didn’t say anything about today...”

The turmoil inside her increased as his lips parted hers. Her knees went ever weaker. She jerked in another quick, bolstering breath, the kiss deepening, their warm breaths mingling. “Zane...”

Over and over his tongue plunged into her mouth, stroking and arousing. “I’ve missed you, Nora.” His lips covered hers. He kissed her hotly, ardently. Until she kissed him back. Until her arms were wreathed about his neck and there was nothing but need and yearning, and more need...

He kissed her the way he always kissed her, slowly, purposefully, demanding everything she had to give. Until he wasn’t just taking but giving. Inundating her with the heat of him, his masculine strength. Filling her heart and soul with everything she had ever yearned for. And still the clinch continued. His mouth moving expertly over hers, his arms wrapped tight around her, plastering their bodies together. And lower still, she felt the searing pressure of need. His, hers. And she gave herself over to the thrill of being loved by him once again. Then, finally, when she thought she could bear it no more, he lifted his head. Drew back. Said gruffly, “And the way you just kissed me back says you’ve missed me, too.”

And then some, Nora thought, trembling.

“So why don’t we give each other a little early Christmas gift and make love. Here,” he rasped. “And now.”

* * *

NORA KNEW ALL the reasons why she should say no. Zane was never going to put her ahead of his commitment to country. He didn’t love her the way she needed to be loved. As if she—and now Liam—were his entire world. And given the fact that he was a soldier first and foremost, he probably never would.

But she did care very much about him. Always had and always would. And now that he was here with her again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, all she could think was she needed to make up for all those long, lonely days and nights. Needed to do something to assuage the ever-present fear that something would happen to him and she would never see or be with him again.

So, if that meant she threw caution to the wind once again and let him into her life for just a little while, then she would. She could worry about being sensible later. When he eventually left Texas again. As she knew, deep down in her soul, that he would.

* * *

ZANE HADN’T EXPECTED Nora to give in so easily, but he couldn’t say he minded the enthusiasm she showed as they kissed their way through the downstairs of his A-frame and all the way up the stairs.

It had been a long time. Too long, since he’d had her in his arms. Too long since he’d felt the sweet give of her lips beneath his, or the soft swell of her breasts nestled against his chest. And it had definitely been too long since he had seen her naked.

Easing his hands beneath the hem, he lifted her sweater over her head. Her silky camisole top followed. Beneath the lace of her bra, her nipples jutted impudently. A familiar thrill soaring through him, he bent his head to kiss her again and rubbed his thumbs across the crests. His body tightened all the more as he felt her impatience and heard her moan, soft and low in her throat.

“You next,” she insisted throatily. Unbuttoning his shirt, guiding it off, then tugging his T-shirt over his head, she caught her breath. “This is new.” She kissed an angry red scar on his upper arm.

And the last time he’d be wounded while participating in a covert military mission, he wanted to promise her. But couldn’t. Not just yet. Not and have her believe him. So instead, he admitted to the injury with a shrug, tugged off her boots, jeans, bra and panties, and tumbled her onto his bed.

Hand beneath her head, she struck a sexy pose. Grinned and watched him strip down, too. Aware they were probably moving way too fast—as usual—he joined her on the bed. Naked, too. “Now...where were we?” he murmured.

To his delight, she cupped him in her hand. “Right here, I think...”

Eager to please her, he shifted her onto her back and slid between her thighs. Kissing his way across her breast and belly, he mused playfully, “I think it might have been here...” Gasping, she clung to him. Determined to make it last, he caught her hips in his hands and went lower still.

“Oh, Zane...” she whispered, her response honest and passionate and uncompromising.