Dentelle (7 page)

Washing my hands in the mini-sink, I gazed into
the mirror. Wow! I’d actually picked up a tan for the first time in ages. Must
have been all that hiking in Acadia. And the sun had naturally high-lighted my
blonde hair, which rested several inches below my shoulders, and was unusually
wavy – probably because of all the humidity. For some reason my eyes seemed
larger and my eyelashes longer. Nice. And the tanned skin made the whites of my
eyes and teeth seem brighter, too. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a few more
freckles had popped out on the bridge of my nose. Had to take the bad with the
good, I suppose. But all in all, I looked better than usual. Maybe love did
that to a person.

After drying my hands, I spit my gum into the
paper towel and noticed a rich fruity smell emanating from my hands. I glanced
at the soap bottle and cracked up. It was labeled: Passion Fruit. Hah! Passion.
Smashion. Maybe in my next life. While searching for the hidden trash bin, the
PA system came to life with a rush of static and an announcement for passengers
to return to their seats, because we’d be landing shortly. Pushing the door
open, I started over the step but was suddenly pushed back into the bathroom.

“Jason, what the heck are you doing?” I asked,
an expression of disbelief spreading across my face. I scooted backwards as far
as I possibly could as he slipped in next to me. I was worried he’d get burned
since there wasn’t room for two in the tight space.

Locking the door behind him, he turned and
flashed a brilliant smile. “I always wanted to make-out in an airplane
bathroom.”

I laughed. “You’re kidding, right?” But he just
shook his head, his expression that of a teenager who’d just successfully snuck
out of the house. “Umm…okay. And how do you propose we do that?”

“First, you put your hands on my chest.”

I raised a brow.

“You scared of a little heat?” he challenged,
which made me instantly comply.

 
“No. But
you should be.” With my hands flat against his chest, I could feel taut muscles
beneath his cotton shirt, which caused my body temp to elevate ten degrees.
“You’re playing with fire,” I cautioned.

He winked and said in a slow, sultry voice, “I
know. And I will have to be very, very careful not to get scorched. But the
prize is worth the risk.”

My breath hitched. “And what is this prize you
speak of?”

“Why, a kiss from a beautiful woman, of course.”

I swallowed hard. Two could play this game.
Gliding my hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and down his arms, I used my
fingernails as pressure points and doused him with Essence along the way. I was
rewarded when his eyes blazed and his entire body shivered. Wetting my lips, I
said, “Now what?”

“Now you kiss me.”

“What about the pain?”

“Nothing is more tortuous than
waiting
for your kiss.”

I brought my body within inches of his and
watched his lower lip tremble. “I disagree.”

“I just won’t respond.”

“I see.”

“If I don’t react I won’t get burned.”

Cupping his face in my hands, I tightened my
grip. A trace of passion-fruit lingered between us. “Uh-huh. You’re just gonna
stand there and watch me kiss you. You won’t move a muscle,” I said
skeptically, a smile playing upon my lips.

With saucer-sized eyes, he nodded. “I swear.”

“Promises. Promises. I wonder how long until the
heat between us sparks a fire and you’re reduced to ashes.”

“Seconds,” he whispered. “Only seconds. But
that’s okay, because I like the way it hurts.”

“Okay,” I whispered back. “You asked for it.”

Standing on my tip-toes, I kissed the tip of his
nose and then said softly, “You are so incredibly sexy.” Then I kissed each of
his cheeks and said, “Your eyes drive me crazy.”

“Alex…” he breathed.

Trembling from desire and restraint, I kept my
eyes open and held his gaze. With my mouth parted, I planted several
deliberate, yet tender kisses on his lips. I captured his lower lip between my
teeth, and tugged gently. Provoking…warning…promising. I could feel his
Essence, strong and masculine, mingling with mine. Placing one hand on the back
of his head, I tangled my fingers in his short hair. With my other hand still
controlling his face, I brushed my thumb across his cheekbone. He moaned, and
his lower lip quivered.

Sweeping my tongue across his lips, I applied
pressure and leaned against his body. He was solid, strong, and his heart was
pounding erratically in his chest. We locked lips, unable to resist temptation
or repress the desire any longer. I slid my tongue inside his mouth and
explored audaciously – concern no longer a factor. That was all it took. So
much for his promises of self-restraint. He grabbed me, pulled me forward, and
we kissed frantically. Fervently. Driven by passion, I clung to him. His
smoldering gaze never left mine. We reacted to each other with unabashed need,
the heat building between us. Hot. Provocative. Sensual. Fast and Furious. He
invaded all my senses, my logic. He tasted of many things –
desire…friendship…passion…commitment…but mostly he tasted of love. I wanted to
remain locked in his arms forever…

But that was not meant to be. Suddenly, he cried
out in pain. He flew backwards and smacked into the door. A gut-wrenching
sadness pierced through me and closed around my heart. Hurting the one I loved
most in the world cut deep. Our passionate interlude couldn’t have lasted any
longer than four seconds.

I was surprised when he looked up at me with a
huge smile plastered across his face – no traces of pain or anger evident in
his expression. “That was so worth it,” he said in a triumphant voice.

I broke into laughter. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy in love with you.”

“Crazy for you, too.”

“By the way,” he said with a cocky grin, “That
was definite proof that face to face communication is by far superior.”

North of Great Falls,
Montana

Dakota, a Guardian and granddaughter of the
Ranch’s owners, picked us up from the airport. Releasing her inner cowgirl in a
pair of low-rise jean shorts, cowboy boots, and a sheer sleeveless blouse,
which did nothing to hide her black bra, she raised more than a few eyebrows.
Her western bling belt, large sunglasses, and cowboy hat just added to her
overall sex appeal. Friendly and welcoming during her introductions to Ash and
I, her attitude changed on a dime when she greeted Madison. In fact, their
exchange was nothing short of volatile.

“Nice to see you again, Madison. You’re
looking…well.” The tone of her voice was deliberately sour.

Madison cleared her throat. “Likewise, Dakota,”
she drawled. “And as usual you’ve left nothing to the imagination…all the way
down to your…what is that? A pink feather?”

“Why, yes it is,” Dakota said, not missing a
beat. Removing her sunglasses, her onyx eyes pierced Madison with an intense gaze.
“It’s a dreamcatcher – symbolic of harmony in nature,” she said, fingering the
belly-button ring.

“Oh, how…quaint.”

Dakota’s eyes rounded and then lit with a new
sparkle. “I was wondering if you’d make the trip out here, especially after
your disappointing show in last year’s games.” She paused dramatically and
smiled sweetly at Jason before turning back to Madison. “But then I guess,
wherever Jason goes, you follow. I don’t suppose you guys have hooked up yet?”
Her eyes wandered from Madison to me and she smirked.

My eyes widened and my pulse sped up a notch.
Was she just provoking Madison or trying to determine if there was any merit to
the rumors about Jason and me? Feet shuffled as nervous tension steamrolled
through our small group.

Madison glowered and countered, “I see you’re
still as meddlesome and chatty as ever.”

“I’ll take that as a no, then,” Dakota declared.
Her attempt at a sad face failed miserably, although it was obvious that was
her intent all along. “We’ll just have to see if we can rustle up a cowboy –
one who, shall we say, can tolerate your… intensity.”

Madison looked ready to throttle her, and I
swear I thought I saw a couple rocks hovering off the ground a few feet away.
Jason must have noticed as well, because in a rare move, he stepped next to
Madison and casually slid an arm around her shoulders.

“Round one
goes to Dakota,”
Ash said.
“Is it
possible Madison has met her match?”

Dakota shrugged and smiled at me. “How about
you, Lexi? Are you lookin’ for a cowboy,” she stopped mid-sentence, smiled, and
tilted her head ever so slightly in Jason’s direction, “or have you already
found one?”

“Okay,
that’s it. No way is she gonna drag you into her sick little diversions.”

“I can
handle her. Give me a little credit here.”

“I know. Believe
me, I do. You can be ruthless when you want – which isn’t very often, thank
goodness, because it doesn’t suit your nature. But let me do this. It will be
fun.”

“Fine.
Have at it.”

A skilled word slayer himself, he pulled me
close, wrapped an arm around my waist, and said firmly, “This beauty is taken.”
He flashed his signature smile at Dakota and then looked down at me. Winking,
he said flippantly, “I’m all the man you’re ever gonna need, right babe?”

I sucked in a breath and tried to stop my jaw from
dropping. I knew the theatrics had begun, but I guess I wasn’t quite ready for
such flagrant flirtations. Telling Dakota off was one thing; flirting with Ash
was another. Standing a few inches taller with his shoulder-length brown hair,
iridescent green eyes, and shirt unbuttoned a notch too low, he looked
dangerous and sexy. And if I hadn’t been in love with Jason I would have been
affected by his good looks – or maybe I was just a little bit and didn’t want
to admit it. Either way, I fought hard to gain control of my emotions while
deciding on a response.

 
“Don’t look at Jason right now. You’ll blow
it. Smile and toy with me a little bit.”

“Awkward.”

“Well, get
over it. Treat this as a game. You need to outplay me.”

I laughed
.
“But you’re the master.”

“I won’t
deny you’ve learned from the best. Now, have a little fun with it; you’ll be
more believable. Dakota’s obviously ripe for gossip and because of her position
at the Ranch, she’ll be talking to a lot of people. Let’s squash those rumors
about you and Jason and get them running rampant about us.”

“You’re
right,”
I finally agreed. Standing on my tiptoes, I grabbed his stubbly
chin and smiled coyly. “Well, you are a sexy rock-n-roll singer after all, so
how could you not be enough? But…” I paused and wet my lips, “I wouldn’t be
opposed to seeing you all dressed up like a cowboy…” Letting my voice trail, I
smiled and could feel all eyes watching me. “Wait, scratch that. How about
just
the cowboy hat,” I paused and
smacked my lips together, “and maybe a lasso.” My comment brought a few raised
eyebrows and a couple of gasps. I imagined if I kissed Ash it would pretty much
seal the deal for Dakota, but I had no desire to do so. Not even for show, and
especially with Jason standing right there. Luckily, Laci saved the day.

“Okay then,” she interrupted, “TMI. I think we
should hit the road. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

Grabbing my hand, Ash whistled and said, “Laci’s
probably right. But wow! Looks like I’m gonna need to find myself a cowboy hat.
Maybe one for you, too, sweetheart.”

 
“For heaven’s sake, Ash,”
I said with
disdain.
“Cool it a little bit.”

“And the
Oscar for best male actor in a leading role goes to…”

“This is
gonna be one long week.”

“Just
saying,”
he replied.

Jason and I exchanged looks, and he offered a
reassuring smile as we climbed into Dakota’s mud-caked Durango. Sadly, he slid
into the back row with Madison, and I found myself crammed in next to Ash,
practically in his lap because of all our suitcases. Welcome to Big Sky
Country, I thought.

 
Dakota
gave us something akin to an educational tour as we passed through the city of
Great Falls. Eventually, we left the city behind and drove across the plains
until we entered a heavily timbered area. Winding along the backcountry road on
our way to the Ranch, I felt like we were trespassing on one of nature’s
private reserves. Not only were the Ranch’s 30,000 acres of pristine grasslands
and forests a sight to behold, but they also offered the secluded setting
necessary for Guardian fun and games.

“Check it out,” Laci exclaimed, pointing out the
window as we bumped along the gravel road.

Dakota slowed the vehicle to a crawl. “Oh yeah,
count on seeing lots of wildlife while you’re here. Even bears, wolves, or
bison if you hike out far enough. During the games, though, the local deer and
whatnot will keep their distance.” She laughed. “A few hundred Guardians
gathered in one place at the same time can be pretty loud and intimidating.”

Rolling down the window, I gazed with admiration
across a meadow – or a wildflower paradise rather – at a six-point bull elk
feeding on lush green vegetation. My dad and uncles would be so jealous right
now. They were avid bow hunters, although their success rate wasn’t anything to
brag about, which made me happy. I appreciated how they respected nature, loved
the outdoors, and hunted with the intent to eat the meat, not just because of
the animal’s antlers.

Nestled on the Missouri River and surrounded by
mountains, buttes, and plains, G.O.L.D. Bar Ranch wowed me speechless. I’d
thought nothing could ever impress like the Retreat on Towhead Island, but I’d
been wrong. The Ranch was beyond spectacular with its giant, hand-crafted fir
logs, stone pillars, and strangely enchanting cedar archways. The impressive
tri-level lodge boasted accommodations for 200 and offered a cafeteria-style
eating area, outdoor balconies, and a swimming pool. Nestled in the timber
around the lodge were additional log cabins – all with bunks, small kitchens,
bathrooms, and enough room to sleep twelve. Apparently, the younger generation
of unmarried Guardians stayed in these smaller bungalows – gender specific, of
course. Meanwhile, the Amethysts and married Guardians slept in the lodge.
Amethysts were four to a room.

So with all that knowledge, I was more than
surprised to find myself master of my own rustic, yet distinctly contemporary
bedroom on the top floor of the lodge. Ash and I had been separated from the
rest of our group, given a grand tour of the lodge by Dakota, and then dropped
off at our, separate, but adjoining bedrooms. With a conspiratorial wink,
Dakota had informed us we had plenty of time to unpack, relax, and “play around
a little bit” before the evening meal. Before disappearing, she’d promised to
catch up with us later so she could introduce us around and give us a tour of
the grounds.

Tuckered out and in need of a renewed spirit, I
collapsed onto the plush red loveseat. The air conditioning vent hummed above
me. Feeling chilled, I pulled the Lone Star quilt over my legs. I could hear
Ash banging around in the next room and wondered what he was doing – probably
rearranging furniture or searching for hidden cameras or something. I giggled
at the image but stopped when I pictured Jason in a cramped cabin, stuck on the
top bunk, enduring the noise and testosterone of eleven other guys. Didn’t seem
fair, especially when I had a spacious room – which included a five star
hotel-style bathroom, vaulted ceilings, rock fireplace, and private deck – all
to myself.

A sigh escaped my mouth as I sized up the
queen-sized bed with its red-rich, hand-made bedding and over-stuffed pillows.
The wrought-iron-and-aspen furniture drew my eye because of their stark
contrast to the light-colored logs that comprised the walls and ceiling. Even
the writing desk in the corner was set up with a laptop. The expense that had
gone into décor and furnishings was mind-boggling. Suddenly, I felt stifled and
wanted to escape the confines of my room and breathe a little fresh air.

As I rose, there was a knock on my door.
Thinking it might be Jason, I ran to open it and was almost bowled over by
Jessica.

“Lexi!” she cried out, enveloping me in a bear
hug. “I can’t believe all the crazy stuff that happens to you. It’s a miracle
you got Izzy back in time and no one was hurt.” She paused for a breath and
made a face. “I have to admit, I’m totally jealous I missed all the action.”
Holding my shoulders, she drew back and placed me at arm’s length while she
studied me up and down. “Wow! You look amazing all sun-tanned with,” she
stopped and tugged on my hair, “your sun-bleached hair,” she finished. Her
shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, making her sparkling
emerald eyes stand out even more.

I shook my head. “Yeah, that business with Izzy
and the Ray-pacs was crazy. And scary. I’m glad you missed all that, but I wish
you’d been there for the rest of the trip; it wasn’t the same without you,” I
said, meaning every word. Jessica had become one my closest confidants, and she
had a way of keeping the peace and putting people at ease. I pulled her further
into the room. “It’s great to see you too, by the way. And look at
you
,” I said with an exaggerated voice,
“You’ve gone all contemporary cowgirl on me here. You aren’t by chance hoping
to impress a certain Amethyst while you’re here?” Sporting a pair of vintage
orange cowboy boots and a white summer dress with a matching satin, amber sash,
she was fashionably cute.

She rolled her eyes but then stopped and crinkled
her face. “Okay, you got me. Rob is going to be here tonight.”

“That’s what I heard. What about Ryan?” I asked
with a chuckle, remembering how Jason had practically thrown him off the dance
floor at the New Year’s Eve Party. Thank goodness Hannah had erased his
memories and he didn’t remember any of it.

“Yes, him too. But don’t worry; he won’t be a
problem once he realizes you and Ash are an item.”

“Oh yeah, that.” A pained expression crossed my
face.

She laughed and grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s
go sit down and catch up. I want to hear all about your trip. And you need to
bring me up to speed on this game of charades we’re going to be playing so we
can fool the Senior Council into thinking you and Ash are a hot item.”

I cringed. “Stop reminding me.” She plopped down
on the sofa, and I said, “Let’s go out on the balcony. The air-conditioning is
messing with my sinuses.”

“Outside it is then,” she said, bouncing back
up. As we settled into a couple cushioned rockers, Jessica made the comment, “I
can’t believe you got your own room. I’ve never even been down this wing
before. Usually it’s reserved for the VIP’s and married folks.”

“Well, I definitely don’t belong here then,” I
said. Leaning forward, I looked over the railing, hoping I might catch a glimpse
of Jason. Guardians wandered along the stone pathways of the beautifully
landscaped grounds. People disappeared into the Ponderosa Pine Forest with
their luggage, on their way to one of the cabins. Others gathered in groups at
the picnic tables down by the river. “Did you know Ash and I even have
adjoining rooms?” I said irritated.

“You have what?” Jessica exclaimed.

Glancing at her, I stuck out my tongue. “Yep.”

Silent for a bit, she started rocking faster and
faster. Finally, she pronounced, “Makes sense. You’re a Dentelle so you’re
going to receive VIP treatment everywhere we go.”

“Wonderful.” My voice was ripe with sarcasm.

“You’re like a celebrity, so you better learn to
deal with it.”

“I’m just me,” I said.