Heartstealer (Women of Character3 (18 page)

As she rounded the lodge she heard
the sound of festivities; music, people talking and laughter. She planned to
enjoy herself, even if Sloan was being pigheaded about protecting her. She
didn’t need another big brother.

She flipped her hair back over her
shoulders, tucked the hem of her halter-top into her jeans and sauntered into
the light cast by the floodlights. She was determined to have a spectacular
time.

People milled around a food-laden
buffet table set beneath a rainbow-hued awning. Off to one side a pig roasted
in a charcoal-embedded pit and lights were strung in the tree branches. She
said hello to the various ranch hands, then noticed James standing with his wife
and two boys and his mother Myra Wright, who Michelle had pointed out to her
that afternoon.

She felt her breathing quicken when
she spotted Sloan. He stood with Donny and Michelle. Michelle was cozied right
up to Donny’s side and the teenager had his arm around Michelle’s
slim waist. She smiled, once again applauding Sloan for his handling of that
situation.

"Jacie! Come and join
us!" Michelle called. She approached with a full plate of food.
"Isn't this great? They're having live music later. Did you just get
here?"

"Just now," she
acknowledged.

"Well, settle in and have
something to eat. There's dancing later, some crazy games for prizes and then
maybe a ride."

"You're going riding
tonight?" she asked.

"Sure. A couple of us figured
we'd go for a moonlight dip...you remember that little pool you liked? Well,
after a hot day like this it should be great. There's even a full moon."

She found the idea incredibly
tempting. "Count me in."

She looked across the orchard at
the older woman she knew to be Myra Wright...Sloan's stepmother. Myra had
bright red hair and was dressed in a gaily colored gypsy skirt and wide-sleeved
blouse. Jacie didn't see Sloan's father, whom she had also seen briefly
earlier. Everett Wright was a striking older version of Sloan, his full head of
hair steel gray.

"Jacie, have you met
Myra?" Sloan’s voice sounded almost in her ear, his breath warm on
her neck. She turned and stared into his face. Warring emotions leapt through
her as he reached for her hand and drew her with him. She clasped his hand.

"Your mother and father were
pointed out to me this morning," she said coolly, "but no, I haven't
met your mother."

He stopped and studied her face.
"At least you didn’t pull your hand away," he said in a low
voice. "Does that mean we’re still friends?"

"We’ll have to see what
the evening brings, won’t we?" she said.

"Why don't you come and join
us? I'd like to introduce you." He watched her a moment. "That is, if
you’d like to meet Myra."

"Certainly."

"You look great," he
murmured as he walked beside her.

Jacie had never been one to hang
onto anger and she really didn’t want to stay mad at him. He was doing
what he thought was best.

"Mother, I'd like to introduce
you to Jacie Turner." Myra Wright looked around at she and Sloan.
"This is Jacie," he continued. "She's giving the guests
skydiving lessons."

"Except for today," Jacie
inserted smoothly.

"Except for today," he
conceded.

Myra smiled warmly and extended her
hand. "How nice to meet you, Ms. Turner."

"Very nice to meet you, and
please call me Jacie."

"So you give skydiving
lessons. I might come to your class, what would you think about that?"

"I'd say you were welcome to
join us." She threw Sloan a quick glance and then looked back at Myra.
"I'm always willing to recruit new fans to the sport, although some people
are very resistant to change."

Myra smiled. "I was joking. I
don't think I'd have the courage to jump out of a plane."

"You might surprise
yourself," she told her with a wink.

"Mother, is Dad coming
tonight?" Sloan's voice seemed abrupt.

"Not tonight. I'm afraid he's
not feeling that well."

"Maybe I should go and check
on him," he said.

"No, he's fine, Sloan, really.
He overdid it today with the kids when he took them to the circus." Myra
turned to Jacie and laughed. "Everett won't admit he's getting older. He
wants to keep going as if he were twenty, even though he'll be sixty-five next
year. Now Sloan, you have a good time and don't worry about your father.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jacie."

"Likewise," Jacie
murmured.

Sloan’s hand tightened around
hers. Before she thought about it, she returned the pressure.

"The band is setting up now,
Mother, I know you’re waiting to dance. Excuse me, won't you, I need to
talk to Jacie."

Jacie lifted a brow as he guided
her away. She quickly waved goodbye to Myra, wondering what he had on his mind.

"Are you still mad?" he
asked once they were out of the immediate range of the crowd.

She tilted her head to the side and
put her hands on her hips as she considered him carefully. "I might be,
but I know you have to look out for everyone's best interest."

"Your best interests," he
corrected gently.

"Nothing will happen, and I'm
going to prove it to you tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?"

She widened her eyes innocently.
"Why, I'm resuming my skydiving jumps, didn't James tell you? We had a
nice chat about it tonight."

"I don't know that that's a
good idea."

She firmed her jaw. "I do. I'm
not canceling another flight. If you're so worried then you can come up in the
plane with us and keep an eye on things."

"I have cows to move
tomorrow."

She gave him a little wave and then
turned and walked away, calling over her shoulder, "If you took your play
time as seriously as you do your work time, you'd loosen up a little and have
some fun. You might like it." She stopped dead in her tracks and turned
back to him. "In fact, I’ll give you lessons in loosening up! All
you have to do is ask."

Sloan watched her sashay away from
him, her playful/serious words taunting him. He liked fun as much as the next
guy. He used to, but lately he had forgotten about enjoying himself and had let
himself become immersed in business, his thoughts never far from the bottom line.
The business was in the black, he admitted to himself, he didn’t have to
micro-manage every decision any more.

Jacie stopped beside a group of
people and joined in on their conversation. He marveled at her ease in making
herself comfortable in her surroundings. The thought came to him of how much
she reminded him of his mother. His mother had loved parties and gatherings.
She had been the most vibrant person he had ever known, but she had died and
left him and his father alone. Jacie had the same vibrancy and zest about her,
it shined out of her eyes. He felt envious of the way she embraced each new
situation, trying to turn it into something favorable.

Since she was determined to resume
her skydiving lessons and his brother had agreed, tomorrow he would make sure
everything was checked and rechecked before the jumps took place. If he had to
follow her around, he thought grimly, he would do it.

Deliberately, he followed Jacie and
came up behind her. He had a feeling she knew he was behind her, but she didn't
given any indication. Suddenly, he needed her to be aware of him.

When there was a lull in the
conversation, he leaned closer and said, "So, Jacie, are you in on our
little ride tonight?" His nostrils flared as he picked up the scent of her
skin. She smelled good. He was tempted to touch his lips to a spot on her
shoulder left bare by her halter strap, but he restrained himself. She might
swat him if he did that. But what a temptation.

"Sure, I'd love to go
riding." The smile she gave him seemed reckless. "I wouldn't miss it.
When do we leave?"

"At ten."

"I’ll be ready,"
she literally purred, touching a finger to the front of his shirt.

Desire bit sharply at him. He
caught that finger and raised it to his mouth. Gently, he kissed it, running
his tongue across the pad, then turned and left, but not before he’d seen
her eyes darken with desire. He knew the others in the small group observed his
actions, but he was really past the point of worrying about it.

As he walked away to get himself a
cold beer, he was convinced they would drive each other mad, but what a way to
go.

Sloan thought the moonlit night was
perfect for a horseback ride. He flicked back his cuff and hit the light button
on his watch. Ten-fifteen.

Five horses and riders picked their
way across loose gravel. The air felt humid, an unusual occurrence in the
Catskills where the nights usually cooled even in the dead of summer. He let
his glance stray over Jacie, who rode in front of him. When she glanced at him,
she looked sultry, her eyes lidded, as if she had a secret. He found he wanted
to peel her secrets away one by one.

Their group of riders included
Jacie, Donny, Michelle and Renee. The women had changed into swimming suits and
wore jeans over them, but he wore a pair of old swimming shorts under his jeans
and had left his short-sleeved shirt unsnapped. It felt too airless to do
otherwise.

When they reached the small pool,
the water appeared silvered in the moonlight, the surface smooth and
undisturbed.

Curiously, he watched Jacie as she
flashed her wide grin and then threw her leg over her horse and slid to the
ground.

"I'll beat you all into the
pool!" she cried. In a mad dash she kicked off her sneakers and wriggled
out of her jeans, the sight of her hips wriggling making sweat bead on his forehead.
She hit the water mere seconds before Michelle and Renee did the same. The
sounds of their laughter floated on the air as he dismounted from his horse.
Captivated, he stood and watched them play in the water. Donny still sat on his
horse and when Sloan glanced at him he saw the teen watching Michelle like a
lovesick kid. He wondered if his face wore the same expression when he looked
at Jacie. He told himself he wasn't lovesick, just...just curious.

She was fascinating, fun to be
with, but that's as far as it went.

"I suppose you think we're
crazy, you guys!" Jacie called out.

"What else?" he drawled.

She floated closer to the edge
where he stood and threw him a grin. "You wouldn't think so if you were in
here cooling off." Threateningly, she reached out and grabbed his boot.

"Are you ready for the
consequences of your actions?" he asked, curious to see how far she would
go. He felt her tug again on his boot and shifted his feet, feeling the give of
the moss beneath his weight as he went down on his haunches.

"Are you?" she asked
mockingly, her voice for his ears alone. In the next instant, she pulled herself
from the water and literally launched herself at him. He put out his hands to
catch her and lost his balance. He fell onto his back, his palms sliding along
her slippery wet flesh as she followed him down with a muffled squeal, landing
between his legs. The warmth of her breath was in his face, then the heated
touch of her lips touched his mouth. It happened fast and then she began to
slide away, but he captured her and pulled her back to him, feeling the wet
skin of her belly contact with his. He groaned and settled his mouth more
firmly on hers, enticing her lips to open to him. She melted into him, and then
he let her go and she slid back into the pool. She splashed as she swam away.
It had all happened in the span of seconds.

Ω

Jacie pulled herself from the water
and lay exhausted on a flat rock. She admired the feathery clouds that drifted
in front of the moon. "This must be heaven," she murmured. Heaven,
and she was here with Sloan. Thinking of her impulsiveness in kissing him, she
felt warmth creep over her, and it had nothing to do with the night. She
supposed the others might have seen her do that, but she couldn't summon the
energy to care. It had felt right and Sloan hadn't seemed to mind her
impulsiveness.

Lazily, she turned her head as
someone came to sit beside her.

"Stay still," Sloan said
as she began to get up. "You look comfortable right there." His
fingers slid along her arm.

"I am," she said
dreamily. "I could lie here all night. Why didn't you go swimming? The
water's just right." Impulsively, she added, "You should relax
more."

He looked at her, one brow up.
"So you said before. I will admit I get caught up in work."

"What do you do to
relax?"

He seemed to hesitate a moment.
"I like to garden."

She smiled. "Really?
That’s one thing I’ve never had the space or time for. I love the
flowers all over the ranch. They’re so bright and welcoming."

"Thanks. I admit it’s my
green thumb."

"You did all the flowers?
I’m impressed."

"I’ll have to show you
my place. I’m still working on the landscaping and the flower beds."
His smile seemed intimate. A shiver raced across her water-cool skin, almost as
if he had touched her again.

"I would love to see your
cabin. It's been a really fun night," she added. "The barbecue, the
ride and swim. I don't know when I've had a better time."

"This is pretty simple stuff.
I'm sure you must've had more excitement in all your globetrotting." She
could make out his profile as he stared at the others in the pool.

"My type of globetrotting as
you call it, if you’re around long enough to know the time zone, you're
usually so tired from working you don't feel like socializing."

"Yet you've done it with your
family?"

"About eight years, give or
take a month." She shrugged. "It was a job."

"The risk...cheating death,
you loved it." It wasn't a question, more a conclusion. She sensed a
stiffness in him now. Restlessly, she sat up. "At times...many times, I
loved my job, but I don’t look at it as cheating death." She put her
hands out, then let them fall to her sides. "Don't you love your job, as
back breaking as it can be?"