Riding Red (11 page)

She’d swallowed the gasp which threatened to spill forth at the realisation that she had more than just
feelings
for Jeff. If she didn’t know any better, she would think she was starting to fall for him, and hard.

But she could never, would never, tell Jeff that…not ever. She simply didn’t have the strength to give her heart to another man,
especially
a man like Jeff who had more power than anyone before to hurt her.

Pushing aside emotions Teresa had never expected to feel again, feelings that were wholly unwelcome, she’d lifted on her toes and clasped Jeff’s face between her hands. Pulling him close, she’d kissed him deeply, passionately, knowing she could never give Jeff her heart—only her body, and only for this moment.

In the morning, when she rose, she would walk away, put this night behind her, and somehow bury her feelings, her longings for Jeff, and find a way to return to her normal life. It was almost ludicrous to think it, because she had a hunch that she and Jeff would never be able to return to what they’d once been, not after the two nights they’d shared.

But Teresa hadn’t wanted to dwell on an uncertain future that had yet to come, so she’d firmly pushed those thoughts aside and instead poured every ounce of herself into that moment, until the kiss she shared with Jeff had burned out of control, setting fire to their entire bodies.

It hadn’t been long before Jason had joined them, and right there in the middle of the living room was where the two brothers had made love to her until it grew dark and Jeff carried her to the bedroom.

Even now, just thinking of all they’d done the night before set off a firestorm of desire which clawed its way through her belly, inflaming every inch of her skin. Her breasts still tingled where Jason had fucked her, his cock slipping between the twin mounds until he’d finally climaxed against her chest. Teresa slipped her hand between her legs, touching the place that still ached from the rough pounding Jeff had given her. He’d taken her in every position imaginable—on her back, her hands and knees, straddling his hips. It was as if he could not get his fill of her, and her pussy now throbbed with the evidence of his voracious desire, although it was a pleasant soreness.

Even though he was fast asleep, it was as if he knew her thoughts were of him. Jeff stirred beside her, drawing her gaze and dragging her back to the present and the matter at hand, which was removing herself from his bed and returning to her home. But when his leg slipped over hers, the coarse hairs tickling her smooth skin, Teresa found it almost impossible to remember her name as pleasure skated along the pathway of her thigh, arrowing straight to her traitorous pussy.

“Good morning,” Jeff rumbled out, the husky timbre of his voice as sensual as an intimate caress brushing across her tightening nipples.

What was wrong with her? She was supposed to be fleeing his bed, not falling once again under the spell of his magnetic charm. Yet everything about Jeff Downing awakened a sexual response in her. He’d barely touched her, but just to look at him—with tousled dark locks, his blue eyes heavy with sleep, his lips hitching into a seductive grin—every part of her responded to him. Her body yearned for his touch, as if he had not made love to her just hours ago.

It was shameful. It was the reason why she needed to get out of there
now.

“Good morning,” she replied, as she slipped from the bed and wrapped Jeff’s shirt around her body. “I’m just going to shower and change and then I’d better get back to Westside.”

 Jeff rolled out of bed, seemingly oblivious to his naked state, forcing Teresa to swallow down the lump clogging her throat as she waged a losing war with her eyes, which were under the magnetic pull of his nude body.

Hard muscle shifted beneath sun-bronzed skin as he reached down to gather his boxers and lazily slid them on, much to her relief. At least with him partially clothed she found she could breathe once again, even if her heart still beat a pulsing erratic tempo.

“I’ll go with you,” he said, the deep baritone of his voice drawing her attention to his face where she was greeted by knowing eyes, and a self-satisfied grin.

She ignored his smug gleam and shook her head. “Really, that’s not necessary. I can just walk ba—”

His expression hardened. “I’m going with you, Red,” he interrupted and she didn’t bother protesting further, because she was intimately familiar with the stubborn look that was now etched across Jeff’s face. She also realised how absurd it was for her to walk the less than three mile distance—although she did it often—when he could so easily drive her home in a matter of minutes.

She’d sounded ridiculous, but she could only think of escape, of fleeing back to her home—where she would be free of this overwhelming, pulsating attraction she shared with Jeff, where she could pretend the past nights hadn’t happened, that her feelings for Jeff hadn’t changed.

She had a hunch, however, that no matter where she ran, where she hid, she would never be able to escape the inevitable—that
everything
had changed between them, and he wasn’t about to let her forget it.

They quickly showered and dressed, and a half hour later, Jeff pulled his truck to a stop in front of her home. Cutting the engine, he slid out from behind the wheel to join her as she crossed the distance to her front porch.

She’d told him there was no need for him to escort her
inside
her home, but as usual, he’d been stubborn
and
adamant. Once inside, he checked almost every corner to be sure it was all right for her return.

“I’ll be right back. I just wanna go check out your breaker box before we turn the power back on.”

Jeff was already out of the door and heading to the back of the house by the time she nodded. The lights soon flickered on and she started outside when she heard footsteps, thinking it was him.

Teresa drew up short when she caught sight of the advancing figure, only to soon realise it wasn’t Jeff.

“Blake, hi. What are you doing here?”

Her foreman easily closed the distance between them with his long-legged stride to tower over her.

Whether from a distance, or up close and personal as he was now, there was no denying Blake was a handsome man who exuded that California beach boy charm with his tousled sandy hair, sea-green eyes and sun-kissed skin.

Long ago, Teresa had acknowledged that Blake was an attractive man, but as Jeff returned and her gaze bullseyed on him, she also
acknowledged that no matter how good-looking Blake was, he didn’t enthral her as Jeff did.

No man had the power to captivate her as Jeff Downing did.

As soon as Jeff rounded the corner, the two men locked gazes, and when Jeff climbed the porch steps to stand beside her, she noted the narrowed gleam in Blake’s eyes. She supposed it didn’t help when Jeff slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She could have pushed him away, she would wonder later why she didn’t—why, before her foreman, she’d allowed Jeff to so blatantly stake his claim on her.

“I just stopped by to see if you needed help getting things in order,” Blake stated, finally answering her earlier question as to why he was there.

“I think we got it covered,” Jeff replied baldly, before she could even get a word out. Pursing her lips into a tight line, she shot him a hard, sidelong glare, which he pointedly ignored, so she returned her attention to her foreman and smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Blake. I appreciate the offer. But the damage was so minimal, we should be back up and running by tomorrow.”

Blake’s gaze darted between her and the man who stood like an immovable statue by her side. It was obvious by the narrow-eyed look he kept shooting Jeff that he wanted to say more, that he wanted to argue further and remain there, but Jeff wasn’t budging. Blake finally seemed to take the hint that it was best to retreat for now in order to fight another day.

He tipped his Stetson with his hand, giving her a curt nod. “All right, Teresa, I’ll see you bright and early for work tomorrow.”

She wanted to tell him to take the day off, especially when Jeff tensed beside her, but before she could, he was already marching away to where he’d parked his truck just off the side of the road.

Jeff didn’t relax until Blake’s vehicle finally disappeared from sight, and the moment it did, she rounded on him.

“Was that really necessary?” she demanded, brushing off the arm still wrapped around her waist.

“That foreman of yours still has a thing for you, even though I’ve made it real clear he can just hang it up ‘cause I ain’t goin’ nowhere, but every now and then, I see he needs reminding.” Jeff shrugged, as if he couldn’t care less that he’d been a bit rude to Blake. Teresa figured he didn’t care at all, which was why there was no love lost between Jeff and her foreman. “Besides, I didn’t hear you complaining.”

Teresa’s gaze shadowed him as he loped down the steps to gather his toolbox from his truck. When he returned, she still stood with her mouth agape and a glower on her face.

“Like I said,” he continued, once he was planted before her. “A couple of nights with my brother is one thing. But I thought I already made it clear, I don’t share what’s mine.”

Before she could utter a word, he crushed his lips to hers, robbing her of further protest and thought
as he claimed her with hot strokes of his tongue inside her mouth. Just as quickly as the kiss began, it ended, with Jeff tearing his mouth from hers to disappear around the side of the house, where apparently he was going to start with the minor repairs.

* * * *

For most of the day, Teresa didn’t see Jeff as he worked on her home until it was almost sunset, for which she was grateful. She’d noticed the possessive glint in his eyes whenever he looked at her, just as she’d noted the answering current of pleasure that pounded through her.

She told herself she didn’t want to belong to Jeff Downing—that she wasn’t ready, that she would never be ready to give herself intimately to another man as she’d done once before. She even believed the lies she told herself until Jeff stood before her later that day, his eyes gentle.

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

It wasn’t a question, it wasn’t a request—it was simply a statement, a confirmation of what was happening between them. They
would
have dinner together tonight because neither of them could stand to be parted from the other.

Teresa shook her head, as if she could rid herself of the thought. She needed distance…she needed space, and desperately.

“I’m kinda tired—”

He cupped her cheek, effectively cutting her off, but when he lowered his head and she felt her eyelids growing drowsy, she finally took hold of herself.

Stepping back, she put an arm’s length between them. She figured to make a bit of difference, she would need to put
miles
between her and Jeff, but for now, this would have to do.

“I’m serious, Jeff. I’m tired and I want to spend tonight in my home…
alone.
”

His eyes flashed and she knew he wanted to argue, but her firm tone must have stopped him.

He nodded, but the look in his eyes did not suggest she’d brokered any type of concession. Jeff would leave her alone for
now,
but not for long. His determined expression revealed as much, and his next words confirmed it.

“One night. I’ll give you that, but this isn’t over, Red.”

She hadn’t thought it was, Teresa admitted, as her gaze trailed Jeff’s arrogant gait and stiff back until he disappeared into his truck.

It wasn’t until he pulled out onto the road, his vehicle slipping from view, that she realised she’d been holding her breath.

Jeff may have acquiesced, but he wasn’t giving up. She had a feeling he would
never
give up…and that was exactly what Teresa was afraid of.

* * * *

True to his word, Jeff allowed Teresa
one
night…but that was all.

The ringing of her doorbell the following evening was so late, and so unexpected, that she did not even think of her state of undress until she flung open the door with a scowl on her face.

Who the hell could possibly be at my door at this time of nig
—?

The thought died an abrupt death when she saw who stood on her front porch.

“You should never open your door without looking through the peephole first,” Jeff chastised as he pushed past her into her home with Jason on his heels.

“You can say that again,” she grumbled under her breath as she shut the door and faced them. “What are you two doing here?”

The smouldering looks which darkened their eyes reminded her that she’d answered the door wearing a thin satin gown and matching robe that clung to every rounded curve of her body. The buds of her nipples pebbled against the soft material, and when Jeff’s eyes dipped to her chest, she could not restrain the shudder powering through her at the animalistic look shimmering in his gaze.

“We brought dinner,” Jason interjected, disrupting what Teresa decided had to be a magnetic field which seemingly descended upon the room whenever Jeff shared her space.

“I…already ate,” she managed to stammer out, her attention finally settling on Jason.

She realised too late what her statement suggested as he set the large brown bag down on her coffee table.

“In that case…”

Jason’s long legs had already closed the distance between them before she could shake her head and hold her hands out, warning him to stop.

He halted within inches of her trembling body, the gleam in his eyes as predatory as his brother’s.

“W-what happened before… That was only supposed to be while I was staying at Cottonmouth. Once I left, I assumed that was it.”

She glanced at Jeff, expecting him to be in agreement. After all, hadn’t he said so himself that he would never share her again?

“I said
after
my brother leaves I will never share you again,” Jeff corrected as if he’d heard her thoughts. “But Jason is still here.”

She shook her head when Jeff inched closer, her palms still facing outward. “N-no, I was only prepared for those two nights.”