Spirit Warrior (13 page)

Jacob’s mouth dropped open as she bent over and grabbed some more wood. He swore she wiggled her ass before she straightened. His mouth snapped shut and his eyes glittered when she cast a mischievous grin over her shoulder. The message was clear. She might give in to his request for time, but not gracefully.

A reluctant smile tugged at his lips. Whistling under his breath, he walked over to the side of the cabin and rinsed the fish that he had cleaned down by the river again before picking them up and carrying them into the cabin. He was startled by the brightest until he saw the mirror in the corner that was angled to catch the fading sunlight.

“It smells fresh and clean,” Jacob said in appreciation. “I don’t think it has ever been this clean before.”

“I don’t either,” Allie said as she turned to look at him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get a bath while there is still some light.”

“I… sure… I…,” Jacob looked at the fish in his hand, then at Allie before he looked at the bathtub.

“You can fix dinner,” Allie said sweetly. “Just make sure you keep your back turned that way,” she added pointing to the fireplace. “I rigged a line across the corner. I’ll throw the blanket for the bed over it.”

“Sure,” Jacob replied, swallowing. “Do you need help with the water?”

“Not until I’m done,” she replied with her tongue in her cheek. “Oh, I need to borrow one of your shirts. I hope you don’t mind. I decided I needed to wash mine out.”

Jacob nodded, the muscle in his jaw pulsing at her cheerful tone. He knew she was pushing him. If she wasn’t careful, that little hellcat was about to find out she wasn’t the only one with a set of teeth.

Allie laid her head back on the rough cloth that she had rolled up for a pillow. A sigh escaped her as the hot water covered her. Her lips curled up as she imagined Jacob trying to fit into the old copper tub. He would have to sit in it with his knees up in the air.

It was a little cramped for her, but she could turn sideways and the water came over her shoulders. She briefly closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth compared to the chilly outer room. She could see Jacob’s hands as he placed the fish on a flat, cast iron griddle. The sound of sizzling fish and the smoky smell made her stomach growl. Jacob’s soft chuckle told her he heard it.

So much for privacy,
Allie thought as she relaxed.

“What do you want out of life, Allie?” Jacob asked, suddenly.

“I don’t know,” Allie replied in a soft voice. “At one time I thought I did, but now, I’m not so sure.”

“What did you want… before you decided you didn’t?” He asked.

Allie watched as he carefully flipped the fish. A smile of appreciation curved her lips when he adjusted the height of the griddle so it was higher. She knew he was doing it so the fish would not overcook while she enjoyed her bath.

Sitting up, Allie rubbed the small bar of soap that she had found hidden in some of his clothes. The small wrapper told her it was some of the hotel soap that they had collected on one of their family outings. She ran it over her skin as she thought about how to answer his question. It wasn’t like her to lie. She figured it was better to know the truth and deal with it, than to make something up and regret it later.

“It seemed like forever that I wanted to take over the running of the ranch,” she admitted. “I was always shadowing Papa. He taught me everything.”

“So, what changed?” Jacob asked, sitting down on the floor in front of the fire.

She could see the tips of his boots, legs, and hands. He had strong hands. Hands that made a woman want to feel them on her. She looked down at the water. Her hands moved to her breasts and she closed her eyes as she imagined them on her.

“Chris,” she admitted. “I wanted to stay on the Whitewater Ranch, but he wanted a ranch of his own. That was the biggest argument we used to have. He didn’t understand that it was big enough for the both of us,” she whispered as she ran the soap over her skin.

“I already have a ranch,” Jacob replied.

“I know,” Allie murmured as her breath caught as her imagination kicked into high gear. “I don’t know why I didn’t put two and two together. The Tucker’s Twin River Ranch is one of the biggest, most profitable ranches in the country.”

“What do you want to do now?” Jacob asked.

Allie wasn’t sure, but it sounded like his voice was deeper. The fingers of her left hand caressed her nipple, as her right hand moved down between her legs. It had been over a year since she’d had an orgasm, not since before Chris was injured. They had made love three days before the accident. Since then, life had gotten in the way and her body had been put into a deep freeze, until Jacob kissed her that first time. Now, now all she could think about was sex and Jacob.

“I don’t know,” Allie said as she caressed the little nub between her legs. Raising one leg up so her foot caught on the side, she rubbed a little faster. “What about you? What do you want?”

She desperately needed him to talk. She was fast losing all coherent thought as she imagined his hands on her, touching her, loving her, licking her. She bit her lip to keep from moaning as she felt her body heating up.

*.*.*

Jacob slipped his boots off and set them to the side. Rising, he picked up another piece of firewood and placed it in the fire. He tried to keep his eyes focused away from where Allie was bathing, but every time she moved and he heard the water slosh, he couldn’t help the images it invoked.

His eyes moved once again to the foot wide space between the wall and the blanket. His eyes widened when he saw one delicate, bare foot suddenly appear on the side of it. Tiny, red painted toes peeked back at him.

He watched as they curled. Unable to contain his curiosity, he shifted a little closer so he could see a little more. His eyes ran over her slender foot and up to her ankle. Sweat beaded on his brow as he shifted a little more.

“I want,” he started to say when he glanced up to her face and saw that her eyes were closed. His eyes swept down to where her fingers were caressing… “Shit, I mean… I… Jonathan and I wanted to have one of the biggest ranches in the territory,” he continued.

Jacob had no idea what he was saying. He just talked. As long as he talked her fingers moved. He told her about the horses that they had, and the contract they had just signed with the Army, and about the cold winters, and the hot summers, and the endless rains that sometimes came. He told her anything and everything he could think of as he watched her caress her breast.

He took a step closer so he could see into the water. Her fingers moved in slow, steady circular motions between her legs as she moved back and forth. Her toes curled and she bit her lip as her breathing increased into tiny, silent pants.

Jacob continued to talk as he watched her. His hand slid down in his pants and he gripped his cock. He fumbled with the front buttons, popping them open so he could grip it better. His hand moved in rhythm with hers.

He winced as he stroked it, faster and faster. His voice faltered, coming to a stop as he watched her head tilt backwards and she released a low moan. His body shuddered as he came.

Staggering backwards, he held his cock as he turned his back to the curtained wall. Bracing his hand against the wall, he grimaced as his seed filled his hand and flowed between his fingers. Another shudder went through him when he heard the water slosh again.

“Jacob?” Allie called.

“Ye… Yes, Allie,” Jacob responded in a strained voice.

“Thank you for sharing your dreams with me,” she said.

“I… I need to get more firewood. I’ll be right back,” he replied. “I’ll give you a minute to get… get dressed.”

“Thank you,” she said with a deep, relaxed sigh.

“My pleasure,” he choked out, bending to grab his boots.

Jacob pushed his feet into the boots before pulling open the door to the cabin. He pulled it closed behind him and drew in a deep breath of the chilly, mountain air. Another shudder ran through his body. It had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with Allie Whitewater.

“Damn,” he muttered, leaning his head back and looking up at the stars. “I have to be the craziest man on the planet.”

He looked down at his now shriveled cock in his sticky hand. Shaking his head, he chuckled. It was almost as if it was mocking him as well.

Walking around the side of the cabin, he used some of the water in the collection pan to wash the semen off his hand and cock. He dried his hands on the front of his pant leg. Wincing from his cold hands, he tucked his cock back into his pants and buttoned them up.

Washing his hands again to make sure he had cleaned all the evidence of his lack of control away, he turned back to the front of the cabin. He remembered to pick up a couple of logs by the pile, supporting them with one arm and straightened before he stepped up to the door and tapped on it.

Drawing in another breath, he cracked the door and called out to Allie to let her know that he was back. Her soft response that she was dressed gave him the courage to push the door open and enter. He almost retreated again when he saw her bare legs peeking out from one of his oversized shirts.

“You know you’re killing me, don’t you?” He grumbled with a deep sigh of resignation.

“Come eat,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m starving.”

“So am I, Allie,” he growled as he stepped forward and took the plate she offered. “And it’s not for fish.”

He glared at her when she retreated to the bed to sit under the blanket. That wasn’t what pulled the glare from him. It had been her parting words and the definite lack of sympathy in them that did that.

“Poor baby, my ass,” he muttered under his breath.

Allie yawned again. Between the riding, the work she had done to clean the cabin, the hot bath, good food, and even better orgasm, she was about ready to melt. She glanced up when Jacob rose and took her empty plate from her hands.

“I’ve got this,” he murmured. “Why don’t you lay down.”

“Where are you going to sleep?” Allie mumbled as she slid back down under the blanket. A slight shiver shook her as the temperature outside dropped with the setting of the sun and she snuggled down. “There’s only one bed.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Jacob chuckled. “I need to do a few more things before I can get to bed.”

“I’m toasted,” Allie admitted as she rolled onto her side and tucked her hands under her cheek. “I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“I can see that,” he laughed. “I won’t be long. I just want to check on the horse and I’ll clean these up.”

“Okay,” Allie whispered as her eyes closed. “I’ll make sure the bed is okay.”

Jacob chuckled again and turned away. He opened the door to the cabin and shut it quickly behind him as a brisk breeze blew across the open area. He quickly washed the two plates and set them aside before he made sure the gelding was secured for the night.

Satisfied that he had done everything that needed to be taken care of, he picked up the plates and another couple of logs. For a moment, he stared up at the stars. A falling star flashed briefly across the sky. He couldn’t resist making a wish.

A slight smile curved his lips as he turned to go back into the cabin. Securing the door, he set the plates down on the small, rough wood table before turning to add one of the logs in his arm to the fire.

He set the other two logs down in the wood box and banked the embers for the night. Pulling his boots off, he set them next to the bed. He removed the gun belt from around his waist and set it on the small table.

His eyes flickered to where Allie lay curled up in a small ball on the double bed. He pulled one of his pistols out of the holster and set it so he could grab it easily if he needed it. Shrugging out of his shirt, he decided it would be best if he kept his pants on.

He draped his shirt over the back of one of the two chairs in the cabin before he pulled the covers to the bed aside and crawled under it with Allie. The moment she felt his warmth, she uncurled and scooted back against him. A low chuckle escaped him when she slipped one bare foot between his legs.

Jacob sighed contently as he pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arm around her. He stared at the firelight dancing on the wall and let his body and mind relax. The soft, fresh scent of the soap that Allie had used, washed through him as he buried his nose against the curve of her shoulder and neck.

This is what it meant to feel whole,
he thought, sleepily.
There is no way I can ever let her go.

*.*.*

Allie blinked as she came awake. Early morning sunlight was beginning to flicker through the narrow cracks in the wooden shuttered. She didn’t want to move. It felt so good to be warm.

She had woken once during the night and known immediately that Jacob had ‘found’ him a place to sleep. The fact that place was in the same bed as her didn’t bother her as much as she thought it might. Instead, she had wrapped her arm around him and snuggled closer as she fell back asleep.

Now, she lay with her head in the crook of his arm, her chin up under his, and her hand curled in the light dusting of blond hair on his chest. Outside, the world was beginning to wake up. A smile curved her lips as she listened to the birds. This was one of her favorite times of the day.

“Good morning,” a husky voice said.

“Morning,” Allie replied, still not moving.

“You’re not mad?” Jacob asked.

Allie briefly closed her eyes as the sound of his voice, filled with the husky morning roughness, washed over her. A sigh escaped her. Nope, she wasn’t ready to deal with the world yet, so she just continued to lay against his warm body.

“You’re warm,” she replied as an answer.

A chuckle shook her head as he relaxed and began stroking her back. Allie curled her fingers against his skin. She continued to watch the dust motes dance in the sunlight peeking into the cabin.

“So, I’m okay as long as I’m your personal blanket, is that it?” He asked.

Allie was silent for several moments before she replied. “Yep, that pretty much says it,” she retorted in a soft amused voice.

She started when she suddenly found herself on her back and Jacob lying over the top of her. Her hands were trapped between them, her fingers spread across his chest. She looked up into his serious eyes.

“I accept the position,” he declared. “Allie… I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Allie’s eyes widened at the stark vulnerability in his eyes as he made his whispered declaration. Her fingers moved up to touch his lips, as if to silence him. An uncertain smile curved her lips as she shook her head.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “It hurts too much.”

“It would be worth it to have you in my life,” he replied. “Even if it was only for a short time, I would take it.”

“Why?” Allie asked as tears filled her eyes. “Why?”

“Because it is the most incredible feeling,” he said, leaning down to press a tender kiss to her lips. “Just… give me enough time to show you.”

“I don’t want….”

Her voice faded as he pressed another kiss to her lips before rolling to the side and sitting up. Allie watched as he stood up and grabbed his shirt. Her mind was swirling in confusion as he quickly button his shirt and slid his feet into his boots.

“I need to check on the horse and feed him,” Jacob muttered, staring down at her intently. “Claire packed some dry food for us to bring back. I had some in my saddle bag if you don’t mind fixing us some breakfast while I take care of things outside.”

Allie sat up and nodded as he reached for his gun belt and strapped it around his narrow waist. He picked up the gun he had removed last night and checked it before setting it back down on the small table.

“I’ll leave this here for you,” he continued. “We are not in your time anymore, Allie, remember that.”

“I will,” she replied, glancing from the gun to Jacob. “Jacob,…”

Allie’s breath caught in her throat when he suddenly leaned one knee on the bed and wrapped his hand around her neck so he could press a hard kiss to her lips. She was gasping for air by the time he released her. Blinking rapidly, she stared up into his glittering eyes.

“Time, Allie,” he said in a hard voice. “That is all I ask. Just that you give me a little time.”

Allie watched as he grabbed his hat by the door before opening it and disappearing through it. She fell back against the makeshift pillow she had made last night. Staring up at the ceiling of the cabin, she pulled in several deep, calming breaths.

“Wow!” She whispered.

*.*.*

The rest of the day set their schedule for the next week. Allie had risen and fixed them a small breakfast of powdered scrambled eggs, grits, and dried biscuits. She had teased Jacob when he had played with the grits. Allie had fallen in love with the ground corn concoction when she had traveled to a rodeo in Georgia one year. She figured it was her mom’s way of saying she was ‘sorry’ for tricking her.

She cleaned the cabin after breakfast while Jacob cut more firewood. They spent the early afternoon hours doing minor repairs and improvements to the cabin before walking down the trail to the river. Allie sat lounging on a rock in the sun, while Jacob fished.

“I didn’t realize how much I needed this,” Allie said, watching as Jacob tossed another fish up onto the bank.

Jacob grinned as he baited the hook again. “Now, you know why I love to come up here,” he said. “Unfortunately, unless I do some serious hunting, we aren’t going to be able to stay for much longer.”

Allie pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “Why?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but our supplies are getting low. I don’t think you would be too happy living on fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” he chuckled.

“True,” Allie replied, resting her chin on her knees. “So, what do you do for groceries? I mean, it isn’t like you can just pop down to the grocery store, can you?”

A shadow crossed his face as he remembered the ease in her time to get food. Fear twisted his stomach that she would grow to resent the lack of conveniences that she was used to. He pushed the fear away.

“No, we can’t just pop down to the stores like in your time. There are two things we can do,” he said, turning back to the water. “We can either return to the ranch house or go into Meeteetse.”

“Really?” Allied asked, straightening her legs and sliding off the rock. “We could go to Meeteetse and come back here?”

Jacob glanced over his shoulder in surprise at the excitement in her voice. He smiled and nodded. His eyes swiveled back to the fly rod in his hand as he felt another hit.

“Sure,” he said. “We can leave first thing in the morning. It’ll take a couple of hours to get there. We can stay in town if you like for the night, and return the next day.”

“That would be great,” Allie exclaimed as she came to stand on the bank behind him. “I’d love to see what the town originally looked like.”

“It isn’t very big,” Jacob cautioned.

“It isn’t very big in my time either,” Allie laughed. “I just think it would be cool to see an old town.”

Jacob returned to shore with his last catch. Unhooking the trout, he tossed it down next to the others. He set the fly rod down against one of the boulders next to him and pulled his knife from the sheath at his waist. He picked up the first of the four fish.

He was a little self-conscious about standing with his pant legs rolled up to his knees. He had slipped a pair of moccasins on his feet. They would dry quickly and could handle the rocks along the bank and in the water.

His eyes flickered to Allie’s bare shoulders. She had stripped off her outer shirt and was just wearing a light blue ‘tank’ top. She had removed her boots and socks and rolled her pant legs up as well.

“I don’t know how you can walk on these rocks,” he said with a shake of his head.

“I go barefoot a lot back home,” she confessed. “I hate to wear shoes and take them off whenever I can.”

“Allie,” he started to say, trying to think of the best way to approach the topic of their trip. “When we go into Meeteetse, well, people might say things… things that might be hurtful.”

Allie chuckled and leaned back against the boulder he was using as a cleaning table. She had already thought of that and had prepared herself. One thing she had learned at an early age was that only the people she cared about had the power to hurt her. The others just pissed her off, like Boseman and his ‘little’ woman comments.

“Jacob, I’m a big girl,” she said, bending so he could see the truth in her eyes. “I can handle anything, anyone dishes out and more, trust me. I’ve had plenty of practice. I didn’t give a shit when the girls in high school thought I joined the wrestling team so I could be around the guys. They could say all the nasty things they wanted, I totally kicked ass and have the trophy to prove it. Being in ranching, I was used to the snide comments from the men. They could be assholes, but they always came back with their tails between their legs if they wanted to do business with the Whitewater ranch.”

“I won’t let anyone disrespect you,” Jacob insisted.

“Jacob,” Allie said softly, cupping his cheek. “Really, I’ve got my super hero panties on. I can handle it.”

Jacob chuckled and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “I don’t have a clue what that means, but something tells me it is important.”

“It is,” Allie whispered, rubbing her thumb on his bottom lip before pulling away. “I’d better let you finish cleaning our dinner or we’re going to be starving later.”

“Just one more kiss,” Jacob whispered.

Allie shook her head, even as her hand slid along his cheek to tangle in his hair as she reached up and pressed her lips against his. Her lips parted with his and she kissed him back with an intensity that scared her. Pulling away, she stared up into his blue eyes for several long seconds with a confused, worried frown before stepping away.

*.*.*

Jacob released the breath he was holding as Allie turned and walked back over to the rock where her socks, boots, and shirt were laying. His mind, and his body, were humming from the kiss that they had just shared. The last few days, he decided, had absolved him of every sin he had ever committed.

Hell, I should be given sainthood,
he thought as he cleaned another fish.

For the past four days and nights, he had kept his hands to himself. Well, except at night when he pulled her into his arms before they fell asleep. Their second night had been the toughest.

They had both been tense as he pulled the covers back and slid in beside her. He had laid on his back, one arm under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. She had her back to him, facing the wall. After almost five minutes of silence, he had finally begun talking about the last herd of horses he had returned with. As he talked, they both relaxed. A few minutes later, Allie had rolled over and snuggled up to him with her head on his shoulder and asked him questions.