It was early evening when deputy Hank Landry arrived. He took cell-phone pictures of King and drove out to the east pasture, where the horse had been returned. Landry took statements from Denver and the rest of the hands, as well as a statement from Cain, but Cain had purposely left Jenny out of it.
This was bad business. He had no idea where it was heading or when it would end.
It was dark by the time he returned to the house. Not in the mood for conversation, he spent a couple of hours in his study. It was almost eleven o’clock when he finally gave in to the rumbling in his stomach and went into the kitchen, where a plate of roast chicken and mashed potatoes waited for him in the oven.
Cain picked at the meal, put the dishes in the dishwasher, then headed down the hall to the guest room. He wanted Jenny with a deep, fierce urgency, but he wasn’t ready to chance a repeat of what had happened to him at the Copper Star.
He figured Jenny would be asleep by now, but when he reached the end of the hall, a light burned under the door to his room. Maybe she had fallen asleep and forgotten to turn off the lamp.
Quietly, he opened the door, saw Jenny sitting up in bed reading. She’d been waiting for him. The knowledge tightened something in his chest.
“Cain,” she said, tossing back the covers. Her bare feet hit the floor, and she walked toward him. She was wearing a short, white silk nightgown, the sheer lace bodice barely covering her high, full breasts. He could see the dark areolas at the crest, see the womanly shadow at the juncture of her thighs, and his body hardened.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “How is King doing?”
He forced himself not to move toward her. “He’s having a rough time of it. Denver is spending the night in the barn, doing his best to reassure King that he’s home and safe, but he’s been badly mistreated. It’s going to be an uphill battle.”
She took a few more steps, rested her palms on his chest. “Cain, I’m so sorry.”
“Get some sleep,” he said, easing away from her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay here with me.”
He wanted her tonight. Wanted the comfort of her body after such a difficult day, wanted the softness he knew he would find afterward when he held her.
His mind shot back to the sinister thoughts he’d had last night. “It’s late,” he said gruffly. “You need to get some sleep.”
She moved closer, pressing herself against him, went up on her toes, and settled her mouth over his. Her arms went around his neck. Unable to stop himself, Cain kissed her back, his hands circling her waist to pull her even closer. The kiss turned rough and hungry, his mouth moving hotly over hers. God, he needed her tonight. Everything inside him craved her, craved the release she could give him, the gift of her sweetness wrapping around him.
But what if the lust he’d felt last night overcame him? What if he snapped and hurt her? Or worse?
Cain broke the kiss. Gently, he caught her wrists, dragged them away from the back of his neck, and eased her away.
“Not tonight,” he said. “We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
Jenny’s chin firmed. “Talking is the last thing we need to do.” She slid her hand over the front of his jeans. He was thick and hard beneath the zipper. Cain hissed in a breath.
“I feel bad about what happened to your horse,” Jenny said, “but you’re still a stallion, Cain. Don’t tell me you don’t want me. We both know it wouldn’t be true.”
“Jenny . . . honey, please. I’ll make it up to you another time.”
Her green eyes found his darker ones. “I know what’s going on here. I know you’re afraid of becoming the person you were in that room, but you aren’t him, Cain. You’re nothing like him, and I’m going to prove it.”
Unzipping his jeans, she freed him. His eyes closed as he felt her small hand wrap around him, then the warm wetness of her mouth. It took every ounce of his will to stay in control, but somehow he managed.
He wanted to be inside her, needed to feel the snug, welcoming heat of her body. He couldn’t resist any longer. Drawing her to her feet, he swept her up in his arms, carried her over to the bed, and settled her on the mattress.
He was hard as steel, aching with every heartbeat, but so far he hadn’t turned into a raving lunatic. Vaguely, it occurred to him that the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
In minutes, he had stripped off his clothes and joined her on the bed. When he lifted her astride him, Jenny pulled the nightgown over her head and tossed it away, leaving her naked and making him harder still.
She had the prettiest dark-tipped breasts, full and tilted slightly upward. He cupped them, gently caressed them. When she leaned over to take him inside, her silky brown curls cocooned them. Jenny started to move, and Cain clamped down hard on his control.
He needed to make love to her gently, prove he wasn’t the animal who had taken over his mind last night, but the faster she moved, the deeper she took him, the more she tested his will.
“I want you,” she said, and Cain groaned.
Finding himself nearing the edge, he gripped her hips to hold her in place and drove himself deep, took her and took her until Jenny’s head fell back, sending her curls tumbling around her shoulders, and she moaned.
