Trouble in High Heels

Chapter Thirteen

Jackson stayed away from the barn for the next two nights. The situation with Lori was getting too screwy. Her fear of horses was none of his business, but he wanted to help her. She got under his skin and into his head way too easily. He didn’t just want to help her. He wanted to help himself to her. And she wasn’t exactly kicking him away.

By the third night, though, he was restless and decided he should check on her. She was, after all, the reason he was here.

He went to the barn and saw that the duke hadn’t joined her. He found that curious. If Geoffrey were smart, he would be spending every spare minute with Lori.

She stood at the far end of the barn, crooning to Rowdy. Straining against the door, she stroked the horse’s neck. He felt a rush of pleasure that she had made such progress. For a woman who pretended to be a blonde airhead, she possessed a lot of courage.

He watched, unable to breathe, as she pulled open the door and stepped inside Rowdy’s stall. Swallowing an oath, he wondered if this was her first time. He hoped Rowdy wouldn’t frighten her or, worse, hurt her.

That last thought twisted his stomach, and he rushed to the stall. Inside, she stood next to the large horse, petting him and talking to him. Rowdy nodded in approval. Jackson stood staring as if his shoes were nailed to the barn floor. The image before him snapped inside his brain like a photo of Lori, small, vulnerable, but determined, and the horse responding to her.

He finally exhaled and Rowdy pricked up his ears and looked at him. Lori’s gaze followed. Surprise widened her eyes, and then she turned back to Rowdy, stroked him once more, and moved toward the stall door. Rowdy followed.

She opened the door and slid through the small opening. “I didn’t expect you.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your rendezvous,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep from touching her.

“It’s okay. He let me in his stall with him last night,” she said and smiled. “He’s like a little kid. Really sweet.”

He nodded, feeling his heart tugged by the expression on her face. “Are you ready for the next step?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know when I’ll be ready for that.”

“You’ve come a long way.”

“Baby steps,” she said. “And he’s a good guy. Maria has made sure of that.”

“She isn’t as generous in her comments about you,” he said.

“She’s in a different position, and she doesn’t know me,” Lori said, then laughed. “Not like those who love me know me.”

“So, if I grabbed a bridle and invited you to go for a ride tonight, how would you respond?” he asked on a very rare impulse.

She shrugged. “I’m safe because it’s all supposition.”

He nodded and rubbed his chin. “Okay. Hold that thought.” He walked to the tack room, grabbed a bridle, and returned. “Hey, Rowdy,” he said in a low voice to the gelding. “Wanna go for a little ride?”

Rowdy immediately moved to his stall door and pricked up his ears. Jackson chuckled. He put the bridle on the horse, led him outside the stall, and mounted him bareback. He looked at Lori. “We’re past supposition now. What are you going to do?”

Backing away, Lori inhaled and glanced at the horse. Nerves danced in her stomach.

Then she looked at Jackson. Strong and in control, he hugged Rowdy with his thighs and held the reins not too tight and not too slack. He could take care of her, she thought. In the next moment, with sickening clarity, she remembered that accidents could happen.

Her palms clammy with fear, and her throat tight with apprehension, she stood there frozen. She felt him study her and hoped she didn’t look as terrified as she felt.

“Hey, if you’re not ready,” he began.

Despite her crippling fear, or perhaps because of it, Lori felt something inside her rip. She was tired of being afraid. Sick of it. She lifted her head. “I’m not, but it’s time,” she said and forced her feet to move toward him and Rowdy.

“You sure?”

“Not at all,” she said, lifting her hands for him to help her. “But I don’t want to overthink this. I just want to do it.”

He bent over and wrapped his hand around hers. “Give me your best jump,” he said.

She leapt, and a second later she sprawled onto Rowdy’s back. She clung to Jackson, wrapping her hands around his taut torso. As if Rowdy sensed this was a momentous occasion, the horse danced and snorted.

“Hold tight,” Jackson said and brushed one of his hands over hers. He swore under his breath. “Your hands are like ice. Are you sure-”

“Don’t ask, just ride,” she interrupted him.

“Okay,” he said and nudged Rowdy slowly forward. They took a couple slow walks around the barn. Lori figured he wanted her to get used to being on a horse again. The rocking motion felt alternately foreign and familiar. By the fourth time around, Lori was ready for more.

“Step it up,” she said.

“No need to rush.”

“I’m already here,” she said. “You may as well give me a real ride, Jackson.”

The urgency in her words made every muscle in Jackson ’s body tighten in attention. He felt a surge of pride that he’d been the one to get her to ride again, that he’d tapped a little of the passion she’d shut down for years. He couldn’t help being curious about all that banked passion and how many different ways she would release it. The strange intimacy between them wrapped around him like a spell of the night, making him aware of every breath she took, every exhale against the back of his neck, the sensation of her breasts crushed against his back, her thighs open and hugging him.

“Okay,” he muttered and nudged Rowdy into a slow trot and away from the safe circle of the corral.

Lori’s heart beat in her throat, making it difficult to breathe, and when she did, she caught a draft of Jackson ’s clean male scent. She felt the remnants of terror, but exhilaration was taking over. Holding tightly to Jackson, she relished the wind in her hair and even the bumpiness of Rowdy’s trot. Her bottom might be a little sore tomorrow, but she didn’t care. The night was clear, and the stars sparkled brightly against the black sky.

She sensed the horse’s desire to go faster, to break free of his in-between pace. She felt the same itch. “Let him run,” she said.

“Hold on,” Jackson said, and seconds later, Rowdy began to run.

The speed gave her a thrill she hadn’t experienced since the last time she’d ridden a horse. Another shot of exhilaration bolted through, and she laughed.

“You okay?” Jackson asked.

“No,” she said, clinging to him. “I’m wonderful.”

She didn’t know how long the ride lasted, but she felt as excited as a kid when the barn came in sight and he slowed to a walk. Lori inhaled and blew out a long breath, dipping her head against Jackson ’s broad, strong back. “Oh, that was great.”

A half beat of silence followed, and then he gave a low chuckle. “I’m glad it was good for you.”

Giddy, she laughed with him. He led Rowdy on a cooldown walk and stopped just outside the barn. “Scoot back a little,” he told her and swung his leg over to get off the horse. He lifted his hands to her. “Your turn.”

She looked into his eyes for a moment, feeling something monumental shift inside her. He had taken care of her. She could trust him. She couldn’t remember feeling that way about another man. Jackson wiggled his hands, prompting her to move. Stretching out her arms, she slid downward. Jackson caught her against him, her head above his.

Lori saw a flicker of powerful emotions shoot across his gaze-awareness, passion, and something else she couldn’t name. He paused and allowed her to slide down his body, making her intimately aware of his strength and her own desire. It was all she could do not to kiss him. Blindsided by a blast of need, she could barely breathe. She felt a sudden snap of clarity.

“Let’s get married,” she said breathlessly.

He stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

She took another quick breath. “Let’s get married.”

Jackson blinked, then swore under his breath. “Have you lost all your marbles?”

“No,” she said, trying not to feel disappointed by his response.

Staring at her as if she’d sprouted a third eye, he released her and backed away. He shook his head and opened his mouth.

“Hear me out,” she interjected, talking before he could turn her down flat. “It actually makes a lot of sense. You’re a very practical man. You know why I want to get married. I trust you. And you would get a very nice salary to put up with me. You’re ambitious, and you like to be in control. The money you make from marrying me could give you the ability to do a lot of things on your own. You wouldn’t be held back by the limitations at the accounting firm. In a way,” she added, “it would provide you with more freedom than you’ve ever had.”

He looked at her for a long moment, then scrubbed his face with his hand. “By tying myself to you,” he added.

“For six years,” she said. “And I haven’t gotten the impression you’ve been spending your spare time looking for love or romance.” Maybe sex, she thought, but not the former two she’d mentioned.

“I’m not like your British duke,” he said. “I know too much about you.”

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, offended.

“I know that when you walk through the door, trouble’s coming right with you.”

Emotionally smashed, she bit her lip. “I assume that means your answer is no. You have no interest in taking on the horrendous job of being my husband for a limited time even though you would earn a nice check from it. Because I’m obviously more frightening and dangerous than dancing in a rodeo clown suit in front of an angry bull. Heaven knows, I never dreamed I could scare the mighty Jackson -”

“Okay, okay,” he interjected. “You’ve made your point.” He rested one hand on his hip and studied her with a level gaze. “You took me by surprise,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll think about it.”

I’ll think about it. Insulted, she swallowed a dozen pithy retorts. She nearly bit her tongue in half not to say them aloud. Instead she took a deep breath and smiled. “You do that,” she said and stepped closer to him. She lifted her head, moving her lips in a moue and making a soft kissing sound. “Thanks for the ride. It was the best.” Stepping back, she saw a flash of heat cross his eyes. “Sweet dreams,” she said and walked away. Cursing his name with every other step she took.

Jackson stared after Lori, feeling as if he’d been hit with a tire iron. What made it worse was that he had a hard-on that felt like iron, too. He swore under his breath. What the hell was she thinking telling him they should get married? What had inspired that insane idea in her head?

Hearing a snort from Rowdy, Jackson glanced behind him and looked at the horse. The light dawned. It was the ride, he realized. The ride on the horse had done it. He twisted his lips. Who would have thought the way to Lori’s pocketbook would have been through a ride on a horse?

His mind raced with possibilities as he led Rowdy to his stall and settled the horse down for the night. She was offering a lot of money in exchange for being her husband. He could use that money as his stake for the real-estate venture he wanted to start. That kind of money could change a man’s life. He could move his mother and brother to a better place. His mom wouldn’t have to work so hard.

But how would a sane man survive being married to Lori? She was a combination of crazy and irresistible. Would she ever learn to control her spending? Would he be able to stand by and watch her go through her daddy’s money like toilet paper? Even for good causes?

What about sex? He would have to be committed to an asylum to agree to a marriage with no sex. Being around her every day, he would have to take her. And he suspected he would need to do so repeatedly. The strength of his sexual desire for her caught him off guard.

He swore under his breath again and shook his head. He wasn’t going to think about this anymore tonight. He still had her perfume on him from the way she’d clung to him during the ride. He still remembered how her breasts and inner thighs had felt against him. He remembered the thrill he’d felt that she’d not only been willing to go with him, but also how she’d urged him to go faster.

The scent of her alone was enough to mess up his head this late at night. No. He would put her and her crazy offer out of his mind until he could think straight. He just hoped that would happen in this century.

Bored out of his mind and unable to sleep, Geoffrey roamed the house and made his way to the only place he’d ever really felt at home, in front of a keyboard. Closing the door to the room at the end of a vacant hall, he sighed with relief. Since a tuner had come to repair the old piano, he’d been playing it every chance he got during the last couple of days.

His stepmother had called his cell phone approximately eleven times during the last twenty-four hours, but he hadn’t picked up. She wanted a progress report, and Geoffrey knew, even though he’d proposed to Lori, that the situation was moving at glacial speed.

His stepmother would harp and pressure him, and he bloody well didn’t want to hear it. He was supposed to be wooing Lori, but God help him, he was totally fascinated by Maria. She was female fire personified. It was as if her very presence caused an internal combustion inside him, and she barely gave him the time of day.

He slid his hands over the keys, listening for pitch problems. Nothing so far, he thought, concentrating. A melody tugged at him, slipping through that part of his mind that he’d never understood but found magically seductive. He played the first notes, added a chord, another measure.

He felt a flicker of excitement and tried to commit the notes to memory. More of the melody slipped through his mind, and he chased after it the same way a child would chase a butterfly. Struggling with a chord, he heard the rusty sound of the door opening. He immediately stopped. “Sorry if I woke you,” he said to whoever had come into the room. “I thought I was far enough away not to interrupt anyone’s sleep.” He glanced over his shoulder and saw Maria in the doorway.

His breath stopped in his throat. She wore a T-shirt that hugged her ample breasts and pajama shorts that showed the graceful length of her curvy tanned legs. Her expression, for once, wasn’t hostile.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to clean a closet down the hall,” she said with a shrug. “I heard you.”

Unable to tear his gaze from her, he nodded. “Oh.”

A silence followed, filled with curiosity and that fire she emanated that always seemed to start a blaze in him. “Well, you don’t have to stop.”

He blinked. “You’d like to hear more?” His mind boggled by her nod, he turned back to the piano and played a Brahms intermezzo he’d memorized years ago. When he finished, he glanced up and found her standing beside the piano.

She sighed. “So beautiful. I always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. Music is like magic, don’t you think?”

He nodded. “Yes, I’ve always thought so.”

“Can you play something else?”

He gave a half smile. “I can play a lot of things. What would you like to hear?”

“Something sweet, but passionate. What was the song you were playing when I walked in?” she said and sat down on the bench beside him.

“Oh, that was something I heard in my head,” he said, too aware of her proximity. She smelled like a combination of roses and fresh spices.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You mean you just made it up?”

“Well, I heard it. It was just a few chords, a few measures, really.”

“Have you made up other things?”

He reluctantly nodded. “I’ve tried.”

“Play one,” she commanded. “Play one you’ve composed.”

This was the nicest she’d been to him since she’d hauled him back to the ranch on the back of her horse. He bloody well wasn’t going to refuse her. “Okay, but no rotten fruit or pies,” he said.

He played one of his recent compositions and held the last note for a few beats, then turned to her.

“That was beautiful,” she said. “Can you play another?”

He would play all night to see that soft look in her eyes. “Of course,” he said and played another. That piece eased into another and another.

Maria sighed at the end. “It’s late,” she said but didn’t move.

He nodded. “It is.”

She met his gaze. “This was nice.”

“Yes, it was.” Her face was inches from his, and it was all he could do not to lower his mouth to her exotic lips. He wanted to explore her texture, taste her, plunder her.

She glanced downward for a second, then met his gaze again, her dark eyes full of secrets he wanted to learn. “Thank you for the private concert, Geoffrey.”

“My pleasure,” he said, feeling his gut tighten in a dozen knots. “I’m quite inexpensive,” he said. “If you should like another-” He cleared his throat. “Session.”

Her lips tilted in a sensual smile and she stood. “Thank you. I look forward to it.” She lifted her hand and brushed his hair from his forehead. “You should go to bed. Morning will come early.”

“Yes,” he said, but he had a strong feeling that he wouldn’t sleep. Maria had infiltrated his senses, and it would take more than a shower to get his equilibrium back.

The following morning when Geoffrey saw Maria in the kitchen, his heart squeezed tight in his chest. “Good morning, Maria. How are you?”

“Busy,” she said in a dismissive voice. “Everyone else has eaten and left. There are biscuits and eggs in the warming pan.” She nodded her head toward the opposite counter.

“You waited for me,” he said, feeling a rush of delight.

She looked at him as if he were crazy. “No.” She lifted two large bags. “I was preparing lunches for the campers. Don’t forget to clean up,” she said and left the kitchen.

Geoffrey felt like a fool. Why did he care what this woman thought of him? The tender side of her he’d glimpsed last night must have been an aberration. Yes, she was full of fire, but she clearly wanted to use that fire only to keep him away. Yes, she fascinated him, but nothing would come of it.

Being pissed provided Lori with extra energy to clean the bathroom floors. She’d made a huge mistake by telling Jackson they should get married. In the light of day, she knew she’d been impulsive.

That didn’t change how much the ride had meant to her, though. Even surrounded by the scent of ammonia and scrubbing a white porcelain sink, she could easily recall the sensation of wind on her face, the combined scents of horseflesh and Jackson, his taut abdomen beneath her hands.

The exhilaration and sense of freedom had been the most exciting, amazing thing she’d experienced in years. The ride had made her feel alive and she wanted more. With him. She scowled at the thought.

“Hullo,” Geoffrey said from the doorway. “So sorry I’m late this morning. Can I help?”

She glanced up at him and saw a glum expression on his face. “Are you sure you want to? The floors in the main cabin are all that’s left.”

“The activity will do me good,” he said. “Can’t have you thinking I’m a bum.”

“Of course not,” she said. “Anything wrong?”

He shrugged. “My stepmother is stalking me.”

She winced in sympathy. “Oh. Can you put her on ignore?”

“I did that. She filled up my entire voice mail with messages. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but she thinks I’m completely incompetent. She has no confidence in me or my judgment.”

Lori thought of Jackson and felt a bitter twist. “I can identify with that. I got the same thing from my father and-” She broke off. “Others.”

Geoffrey looked up in surprise from the mop he was pushing. “That’s bloody ridiculous,” he said. “Look at you. You’re perfectly capable of doing whatever you want. You have a good head on your shoulders and you can even-” He waved his hand. “You’ve become an excellent cleaner.”

Lori laughed. “Are you trying to flirt with me? Telling me I’m a great bathroom cleaner.”

“No flirting. I’m completely sincere.”

“Thank you.” She rubbed a spot on the mirror above the sink. “I’m not sure Maria would give me her stamp of approval yet.”

“Yes, well, she doesn’t seem to approve of much,” he said in a testy voice. “Looks down her nose at most everyone.”

“Oh, no,” Lori said. “I thought she was getting less hostile toward you.”

“Oh, no,” Geoffrey said, shaking his head. “She looks at me like I’m something off the bottom of her shoe.”

Lori frowned. “I wonder if I should talk to Virginia about it. Maria is entitled to her opinion, but she shouldn’t be permitted to act nasty.”

“No, I think you shouldn’t involve Virginia,” Geoffrey rushed to say. “She appears to have enough on her mind.”

“That’s true,” Lori said and turned to him. “So you and I have something in common. People think we’re incompetent.” She felt a trickle of irritation run down her back. “What gave these people the right to be so judgmental? For that matter, why should we care?”

Geoffrey met her gaze and nodded. “You’re right. Bloody hell with them.”