“We gotta keep this thing tight,” Jackson answered. “If that means Mat has to conduct his meetings off the ranch now, so be it.”
Storm raised a finger again. “How do you think Ms. Everett will react to that?”
Like hot grease in a skillet—volatile and dangerous if not handled correctly.“She probably won’t like it. But we have little choice. There’s three of us. We have to minimize how many people are on these damn acres. Otherwise, we’re inviting trouble.”
His men shared a conspiratorial glance between them before agreeing with him. Jackson relaxed slightly. As of now, his cover as an impartial lawman was intact. As long as no one else figured out the real reason he didn’t want Mat Ryan on the ranch, he was good.
Storm slapped Colton on his shoulder. “Let’s get back to the cabin and pack a lunch and supplies so we can brave it out there on the prairie.” Colton grunted in reply, and they both shuffled out of the door, ready to execute their assigned tasks.
All that was left was for Jackson to tackle his work. Everything in him ached to return to the guest room and wrap Aja in his arms again. But her safety was more important than his desires. As long as he remembered that, everything should be fine.
Chapter 17
The quiet yet insistent tapping in the distance pulled Aja from a restful sleep. She stirred, stretched, and ran her hand against the cool spot where she expected to find Jackson lying next to her.
“Morning, Aja. You up yet?”
“Yeah, come in.” She pulled herself up against the headboard and reached for the alarm clock on the nightstand to make sure she was reading the time correctly. “I think ‘morning’ is a euphemism in this case. It’s nearly noon.”
“You had a rough night. You deserve to sleep in.” He pushed the clock aside and made room for the tray he was carrying. Toast, a small dish with butter and strawberry preserves, a bowl of fruit, a small cup of yogurt, a small glass of apple juice, and a cup of coffee greeted her.
She smiled at his offering. “That’s some variety you’ve got there, sir.”
He pointed at the tray before shoving his hands in his front pockets. “I wasn’t sure if your throat would be too sore to swallow, so I brought a few things to see what you could tolerate.”
She swallowed, testing to see if there was any soreness from her ordeal last night. “My neck and shoulders are tender, but my throat is fine. I don’t think I’ll have a problem eating. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
She looked at the time again and cringed. She hadn’t slept in this late in a long time. There was no way her charges wouldn’t be aware what was going on with her absence.
“Considering I wasn’t there to make breakfast, I assume Seneca and Brooklyn know?”
“After yesterday’s ‘security drill,’ I told Storm and Colton to tell them the kitchen would be closed down for the rest of the day.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand to stop her. “It’s for the best, Aja. Gleason and Jennings were here this morning picking up the collected evidence and to question Eli Bennett. They used your attack as an excuse to get in the door.”
“What did he have to say?”
Jackson answered on an audible huff. “A whole bunch of nothing.”
She swatted at the air. “I’m not surprised. He’s sleazy, not stupid. Eli’s too slippery to let you catch him that way.”
He slid his hands into his pockets, backing away slowly toward the door. “I’ll leave you alone to eat. I’ll come back later to take the tray. If you need anything, I’ll be milling about the house all day.”
“You don’t have to go. In fact, I’d love it if you spared me a minute.”
He stopped, then retraced his steps back to her bedside, sitting in the spot she patted next to her. “Thank you for showing better sense than I did last night. I don’t know what I was thinking by coming on to you in the middle of my kitchen.”
It wasn’t her finest moment, that was for certain. Aja had never had to beg a man for his company. Despite being a plus-size woman who’d grown up in a society that told her big girls weren’t desirable and should be “grateful” for whatever attention they received from would-be suitors, Aja never, absolutely never, subscribed to that notion. According to Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston, she was every woman, which in her mind meant every man should treasure her fabulousness.
But last night, her need to reclaim control over her life, her house, her sense of safety, had demanded she lose herself in something that would help her forget, if only for a moment. “I’m sorry for my behavior.”
He took her hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. “Please don’t forget that before your attack, we were on your couch engaged in some heavy petting I wholeheartedly wanted to lead to sex. The idea of making love to you was no hardship. I wanted what you were offering, but it wasn’t the right time.”
He rubbed the spot he’d kissed with the pad of his thumb before looking at her. “If we ever get back to that moment—and I hope like hell we do—I want it to be because it’s what we both want, not because we’re running from something. I’m a proud man, Aja. My ego couldn’t take it if anything but your desire for me landed you in my arms.”
She couldn’t help the warmth that spread through her, touching all the cold parts she thought were immune to the slick talk from a handsome man.What is it about this man that makes me feel so safe, even in my weakness?
“Understood, but I still apologize.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. Focus on resting. If you need me for anything, holler and I’ll be here.”
