Summer Days (15 page)

Then, she didn’t have to rely on memories, because he drew her close and pressed his lips against hers.

He tasted of the wine. Strong arms surrounded her, making her feel both secure and delicate. Female to his male. Her body nestled into his, her breasts flattening against his chest, her thighs pillowing his. She lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, her fingers burying themselves in his hair.

The kiss was everything she remembered. Tender and demanding at the same time. Taking and yielding. She parted her lips and waited a heartbeat for his tongue to brush against hers. Wanting turned liquid. Hunger swept through her, like the tide coming in.

She tilted her head so they could deepen the kiss. He moved his hands up and down her back before sliding them to her waist. He paused there, as if waiting for her to decide what happened next.

There were options, she thought hazily. She could step back, say good-night and run away. The safe course, the sensible course. Or…

There it was. That delicious word. The road to possibilities.
Or.
Or she could give in to the need, find out if Rafe was as good as he looked, if she could satisfy him, if they were as well matched as she imagined. And she’d imagined a lot.

In truth, there wasn’t a choice. She’d made it the second she’d kissed him back. So why pretend otherwise?

She dropped her hands to his shoulders and squeezed. A silent invitation for more.

He responded immediately, moving his hands higher. Even as his large hands closed over her breasts, he shifted so that he was kissing her jaw, then her neck. He trailed his mouth to her ear, where he nipped at the lobe before licking the sensitive skin beneath.

At the same time, his hands closed over her breasts. He took the weight of her in his palms, using his fingers and thumbs to tease her tight nipples.

The combination of sensations overwhelmed her. Pleasure poured through her, making her want to cry out. Her legs trembled. The sensitive flesh between her legs swelled. She ached for him to touch her everywhere.

He continued to kiss his way down her neck to her collarbone. When he reached the edge of her T-shirt, he dropped his hands to the hem, drew back and pulled it off in one easy tug. Her bra followed as quickly.

Heidi was startled by the progression, but before she could figure out if she was comfortable or not, he bent down and closed his mouth over her right nipple. He drew in the tight bud and sucked. His tongue circled and flicked, sending jolts of need directly to the center of her being. At the same time, he cupped the other breast, his fingers matching the movements of his tongue.

She found herself growing weaker by the second. Her head fell back, her hair brushing against her bare skin. She hung on to him for balance, and because he was the only stable part of her rapidly spinning world.

He switched places on her breasts, replacing his fingers with his mouth, and vice versa. Her breathing increased as she hung on to him. With each tug of his mouth, she found herself more and more aroused. Blood became sluggish; wanting grew. Every inch of her was sensitized, so that even the brush of his arm against her belly was erotic.

He moved his hands to her shoulders and pulled her hard against him. His mouth covered hers. She kissed him deeply, meeting him stroke for stroke. Their bodies strained together. She felt his erection, hard and thick, and rubbed herself against him.

He reached between them, fumbling with the waistband of her jeans. She felt his fingers tremble as he undid the button, then pulled down the zipper.

He turned her so her back was to his front. As her rear nestled his arousal, he cupped one of her breasts in his left hand and slipped his right inside her jeans and beneath her panties.

He found his way between her legs, to the wet, swollen heart of her. She felt as if she’d been ready for days, so the first stroke of his fingers caused her to gasp in both pleasure and approval. He circled and rubbed, moved his fingers back and forth.

Each stroke was perfection, every brush of skin on skin taking her higher and closer. Through the haze of need, she was pretty sure he considered this the play portion of the evening, that things would get serious later. But it had been too long, or maybe it was because of the man himself. Either way, about forty seconds in, she felt herself reaching for her release.

She pulsed her hips a couple of times and tried to hold back. But he touched her so right, and then there was his other hand on her breast, and the way he played with her nipples. When he bent his head and kissed the side of her neck, she lost what little self-control she had. Her muscles tensed and then released as her orgasm poured through her.

She came with a quiet cry and shudder, hanging on to him. He continued to rub her, drawing out her pleasure until she went limp in his arms.

Heidi stood there, her back to Rafe, humiliation blending with satisfaction. How could she have done that so fast? With hardly any effort on his part. She wasn’t completely sure he’d even expected things to go that far. What if he’d just wanted to make out?

If this was how seventeen-year-old boys felt when they were with a girl, she now had a whole lot more sympathy for them.

Before she could decide on a course of action, or what to say, Rafe turned her in his arms and kissed her hard.

“That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” he muttered, his voice thick and hoarse.

He grabbed her shirt and bra, pushed both at her, then took her hand in his and half pulled, half guided her to the stairs.

She clutched the clothing to her bare breasts and followed him up to his bedroom. In less time than she would have thought possible, he’d taken off his boots and socks and ripped off his shirt. He spent a couple of seconds fumbling in his shaving kit, then dumped the contents onto the dresser and dug through until he pulled out a package of condoms. He threw the latter on the nightstand, then returned to her.

After tossing her shirt and bra on a chair, he cupped her face and kissed her.

Later she would explore why her first instinct had been to go to the bad place. She would remind herself that her body was beautiful, and physical pleasure was to be appreciated. But for now, it was enough to touch Rafe’s bare skin, to feel how much he wanted her.

She traced his back and chest, her fingers brushing against his hard muscles. She undid his jeans and pushed them down, along with his briefs. After he stepped out of his clothes, she stroked his erection, learning the length and breadth of him. She pressed her mouth to his chest, and rubbed her thumb against the very tip of his arousal, enjoying the sharp intake of air.

He helped her out of her jeans and panties, then led her to the bed. When she stretched out on the sheets, he joined her. He knelt between her thighs and bent down to give her an open-mouthed kiss.

She would have thought she was done, but he quickly brought her back to trembling. As his tongue stroked and circled, he pushed one finger, then two, inside her. He imitated the act of love, moving rhythmically against her swollen flesh.

She dug her heels into the bed and pushed against him. He closed his lips around her clitoris and gently sucked. At the same time, he pushed his fingers in and up, stroking her from the inside. Again and again, until he had control of her body, until he decided the exact moment she would climax.

He moved more quickly, still rubbing, still sucking, then faster still, until every muscle tensed in that last second, before her release rushed through her and she surrendered to the moment.

The last of the rapturous ripples faded. He straightened enough to grab the condom and rip open the package. When the protection was in place, he braced himself and thrust into her.

She met his thrust with one of her own, causing him to fill her completely. He went in deep and hard, the friction sending shivers through her. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he began the steady pumping.

She opened her eyes and found him watching her. His dark eyes flashed with passion, and she could see him getting closer. Sex was intimate, but this was more so. She could experience his pleasure with him, and found herself getting breathless as he got closer.

She drew him in deeper, and at the moment when he stilled and shuddered, she tightened her muscles around him. He came in a rush, grasping her hips with his hands, his gaze never leaving hers.

* * *

I
T
WAS
DARK
WHEN
H
EIDI
WOKE
.
In the few seconds it took for her to find the clock, she realized she wasn’t in her bedroom and that there was a man sleeping beside her. As the time changed to three-seventeen, the memories of the previous evening surfaced. She smiled, enjoying the warmth of Rafe next to her.

Once they’d found their way to his bed, they hadn’t left. Sometime close to eleven, Glen and May had returned, but hadn’t ventured upstairs. Fortunately, the downstairs bedrooms were on the other side of the house, so no one heard when she and Rafe made love for the second time.

Heidi carefully got out of bed. There was enough moonlight spilling through the window for her to see her clothes in a pile on the floor. Although she would very much like to stay where she was, she didn’t want to risk getting caught there.

She picked up her panties and slid them on. Sore muscles protested, and she smiled again. It had been a while, but Rafe had been worth the wait. The man was a god in bed. Actually, he’d turned out to be a pretty nice guy everywhere else, too.

She dressed quickly, then picked up her boots and tiptoed to the door. Being as quiet as possible, she turned the knob. As she stepped back to let the door swing open, her hip bumped the dresser, and the contents of his shaving kit rattled. She put up her hand to stop anything from falling and waking him. In the process, she jostled a stack of papers, and several of them floated to the floor.

She bent down to pick them up, only to pause. The first sheet was a crude rendering of a development. Small houses lined narrow streets. As Rafe’s business included development, she wouldn’t have thought anything of the sketch, if not for what was written on top.

Castle Ranch.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Y
OU
’
RE
SURE
?” C
HARLIE
ASKED
,
then held up a hand. “I’m not taking his side. I’m just saying, you need to be certain before we move forward with any plan.”

Heidi sat at a table in Jo’s Bar. She’d asked her friends to join her for lunch. She needed help coming up with some way to defeat Rafe.

“I’m sure.” Heidi held on to her anger. It was the only thing that kept her from giving in to tears. “I looked through all the papers he had. He has a survey of the ranch, and pretty much every acre is accounted for. I don’t know how he managed that without us seeing—except there are always workmen coming and going. He generously left his mother the main house and the land around it for her animals. But that’s it. Everywhere else are his ticky-tacky houses.”

She clutched her glass of iced tea. “I was so stupid. He used me. All this time, I thought he was being nice. He actually gave me the names of three people to help me sell my cheese and soap in Asia. I thought it was because we were becoming friends. It wasn’t. He feels guilty. Or worse, what if he was just trying to distract me? We’re not friends. I’m in the way of his cheap-house empire. He’s planning on taking all of it. He’s going to turn that beautiful land into a development, and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.”

Despite being furious, she felt the first whisper of tears.

“I can’t let him win. Where will Glen and I go? I have the goats—they need land. And the caves are perfect for aging my cheese. Plus, this is h-home.” Her voice cracked and she grabbed a napkin. “I don’t want to have to leave Fool’s Gold.”

She felt Charlie and Annabelle squeezing her arm.

“You’re not going to leave,” Annabelle promised. “We’ll figure something out. I just can’t believe he’s doing this in secret.”

“He expects to win,” Charlie said flatly. “Why not? With his money and influence, he doesn’t live like the rest of us. I’m sure he figures the judge will be dazzled by his plans.”

“She doesn’t have to be,” Heidi said, wiping away tears. “Even if I get sales reps interested in my cheese, it’s going to be a while until money’s coming in. I don’t have weeks, let alone months. Assuming we have until midsummer before we’re called back before the judge, I’ll be lucky to have saved ten thousand dollars. That’s only ten percent of what Glen took from May. Plus, May is completely settling into the ranch. She’s had Rafe fix the fence line, and now they’re expanding the barn. She’s bought animals.”

More tears fell. “I can’t pay her back for that.”

“You’re not going to be responsible for the repairs,” Annabelle told her. “The judge never made that a condition.”

“I know, but I’m worried the judge will think May is losing even more.”

“Do you think May knows about Rafe’s plan?” Charlie asked. “Is she in on it?”

Heidi had asked herself the same question. Slowly, she shook her head. “I can’t believe that. She’s genuinely sweet. She could have been angry at what Glen did. She could have insisted he go to jail, but she didn’t. Plus, she loves the ranch and isn’t that into business. This has to be Rafe.”

There was so much more she couldn’t bring herself to say. That she’d begun to fall for him. That she’d trusted him. That last night she’d made love with him, giving herself to him in every way possible. Talk about being a fool.

“He’s trying to distract me from his real plan,” she murmured, hoping the pain in her chest was more about wounded pride than a broken heart. “That’s why he’s being so helpful. It all started…” She swallowed as the truth fell into place. “It’s the casino. That’s who the houses are for. The people who will work there. I’m the one who took him there. Athena got out, and he came with me to collect the goats. He saw it then.”

“We can fix this,” Annabelle told her.

“Any idea how?” Charlie asked. “I don’t mean to be difficult, but wanting something doesn’t make it so.”

“There has to be a roadblock.” Annabelle leaned both elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. “What gets in the way of construction?”

“Rules, regulations. Zoning.” Charlie brightened. “We could talk to the mayor. She has to like you more than she likes Rafe. She’d be on our side.”

“I don’t know the mayor that well,” Heidi told them. “Besides, why would she be against him building all those houses? Doesn’t she want Fool’s Gold to grow?”

“Sure, but not this way,” Annabelle said.

“Why not? Won’t those workers need somewhere to live? The ranch is perfect.” Heidi blinked back more tears. “That’s the problem. Who cares about a few goats and my dreams when compared with all those people?”

“Don’t give up,” Charlie said. “We’ll find something. If we can’t use the law to help us, what about the media? Aren’t there groups that hate what Rafe does? Maybe if we contacted one of them.”

“Unfortunately, he has a good reputation in the industry,” Annabelle said glumly. “He builds to code, pays a fair wage, takes care of the land while doing it. Blah. Blah. Blah.”

“Just our luck. He’s only a bastard personally.” Charlie sank back in her chair. “This sucks.”

Hopelessness joined Heidi’s sense of betrayal. She should have known Rafe was too good to be true. He was—

“I’ve got it!” Annabelle slapped both hands on the table. “I know what to do.”

Heidi stared at her. “What?”

Annabelle grinned, her green eyes dancing with excitement. “Remember last fall at the casino construction site? They blew away part of the mountain and exposed all that Máa-zib gold? The press came, and they had to stop construction on that part of the site. The museum people investigated.”

“I doubt there’s any Máa-zib gold on the ranch,” Heidi told her. “There’s no mountain.”

“But there are caves.”

Heidi was doubtful. “People have been going in them for decades. They would have found whatever is there.”

“Maybe, maybe not. And maybe there’s more than gold to be found.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Heidi told her.

Annabelle leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Cave paintings. What if there were cave paintings? Priceless, ancient cave paintings?”

Jo brought their burgers. “Anything else?” she asked.

“We’re good,” Charlie told her, then waited until she’d left to speak. “Rafe is still in the planning stages. Finding cave paintings or gold can’t shut down what hasn’t been started.”

“Agreed.” Annabelle picked up a French fry. “But it can buy Heidi time.” The librarian turned to her. “You said you had contacts, so you’re going to start selling your cheese and soap in Asia. If you had an extra three or four months to get that business under way, wouldn’t that help? Could you get more money to pay back May?”

“Maybe,” Heidi said slowly, not confident doing the math in her head. “It might be enough to show the judge I’m serious. I’m not sure how much I’m going to sell, but if I do half as well as I hope, then, yes.”

“The discovery buys time.” Charlie nodded. “I get it. With experts swarming around the ranch, the judge won’t want to rule.” She grinned. “This could work.”

Heidi drew in a breath. “This all sounds really great, but I don’t know if I can do this. It’s lying. Worse. It’s fraud. What happens if the judge finds out? First Glen took two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from May, and now I’m doing this? She’s going to think I come from a family of thieves.”

“All you need is enough time to get the money to pay back May,” Annabelle reminded her. “You’re not taking anything from anyone. You’re keeping what’s yours. Besides, if this brings a few more tourists to the town, all the better.”

Heidi wasn’t sure. The idea didn’t sit right with her, but she wasn’t sure she had an alternative plan. For all she knew, the judge would be so pleased at the thought of Rafe’s construction, she would simply hand the land over. After all, from the town’s point of view, there would be more revenue from his houses than her goats.

“I don’t want to lose my home,” she whispered, her whole body aching. “I can’t. This ranch is what I’ve wanted my whole life.”

“So don’t lose it,” Charlie said. “We’ll help.”

“I can do some research,” Annabelle offered. “Come up with examples of Máa-zib cave paintings. That way, if you want to go through with this, we’ll be ready.”

Heidi sighed. “Thank you. Both of you. I have to think about this. I’m just not sure. I do want to save my home. I have to. But I don’t know that this is the right way.”

“Not to be a bitch or anything, but you’re kind of out of options,” Charlie pointed out.

“I know. Give me a couple of days to think about this.”

She would look for an alternative. If she couldn’t find one, then she would use their plan.

“You think,” Annabelle told her. “I’ll get my thoughts together, and maybe sketch out a few ideas for the cave paintings. The women of the tribe were sophisticated for their time, so we’re talking about a little bit more than stick figures. How are your artistic skills?”

“Not much more than basic. I used to draw, but I haven’t for years.”

“Let’s hope it comes back to you.”

Heidi felt that she’d been living on hope for too long. Waiting and wishing and dreaming. When she’d found out what Glen had done, she’d been so scared they would lose everything. Slowly, after meeting May and Rafe, she’d let down her guard. That had been a mistake. Rafe was ruthless. She saw that now. He would take what he wanted, and he didn’t care who or what got in his way. She would have to be just as strong, just as determined. She’d come too far to lose it all now.

* * *

H
EIDI
HEADED
BACK
TO
the ranch right after lunch. She was hoping to escape to her room for a couple of hours of private time. She needed to really think her friends’ plan through. She’d always been an honest person, and deceiving the town didn’t sit well with her. But she had a bad feeling that if she trusted in the system to take care of her, she would find herself and her goats out on the street. After all, May was the injured party in all this.

When she drove onto the property, she saw a large delivery truck parked outside the house. The big lettering and appliance pictures made it clear May hadn’t ordered another set of llamas. Had the old stove finally died? Was May getting it repaired?

Heidi walked in through the mudroom and found May hovering as two guys hooked up a brand-new, stainless-steel stove. There were six gleaming burners and an oven big enough to roast a thirty-pound turkey.

May saw her and clapped her hands together. “You’re back. I was hoping they’d be gone before your lunch was over. I guess it’s still a surprise, though, right?”

May looked both guilty and pleased. “I couldn’t bear the thought of cooking in that old oven again, and Glen told me that pie is his favorite. I hope you don’t mind me going ahead with this. I should have asked first. I’m sorry.”

Heidi studied the other woman—the hope and worry in her dark eyes, the slight quiver at the corner of her mouth. There was no way May knew what Rafe was up to. Heidi refused to believe that. May was open and giving and generous. Traits her son could learn, but hadn’t.

“The stove is beautiful,” Heidi told her. “I’m thrilled.”

“Are you?” May hurried forward and hugged her. “That’s a relief. I was worried you’d be annoyed. But when I went to look at appliances, I couldn’t help myself.”

She led Heidi to the range and pointed out the features. The guys finished the installation. May signed the paperwork, and they left.

May reverently touched the handles. “Think about what we can cook with this. I’m going to make fresh strawberry pie first. Did you see the strawberries they have at that farm stand on the way to town? They’re huge and so delicious. I need to bake the crust, so it can cool.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “There’s just enough time.”

The back door opened and Rafe walked in.

“Mom, you’ve got to stop surprising us like this.” He walked into the kitchen. “New stove, huh?”

“Isn’t it wonderful?”

Heidi did her best to control her breathing. If she focused on inhaling and exhaling, she might not be so aware of Rafe standing next to her. Of the size of him and how, despite everything, she found herself longing to touch him.

Images from the previous night filled her brain. Sense memories tricked her fingers into recalling the feel of his skin. She could inhale the scent of him, feel the sensual kisses that had weakened her.

Without meaning to, she glanced at him. He winked and gave her a knowing smile. One that implied intimacy and connection. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to scream or weep. Pain battled with anger, but before either won, another large truck drove by the house.

“What else did you order?” Rafe asked, stepping through the mudroom on his way out back.

“Nothing.” May followed him. “Just the stove. I don’t have any other animals coming this week.”

Meaning there were more coming next week? Heidi didn’t bother asking. She honestly didn’t want to know.

She went out after them and saw a man walking around his truck to the horse trailer he had pulled behind. The trailer looked fancy, with a heating and air-conditioning unit on top and plenty of ventilation.

The man himself seemed familiar. Tall, with dark hair and a build very similar to Rafe’s. In the time it took May to shriek and run toward him, Heidi recognized his features from the pictures all around the living room. Shane Stryker had decided to join his family in Fool’s Gold. Lucky her.

* * *

“M
OM
TOLD
ME
TO
COME
,”
Shane said from his place in the living room.

“When did you start listening to her?” Rafe wanted to know. Not that he wasn’t pleased to see his brother. He and Shane had always gotten along.

“It’s time for me to make my move,” Shane told him. “I’ve been working for other people long enough. I’m going to start my own bloodline. I’m already working on it. I bought a new stallion and he’s perfect.” Shane took another swallow from his bottle of beer, then shrugged. “Except for his damned temper. But I’ll get him to come around.”