Heart's Desire Page 27

  Jessie’s eyes misted. She still missed her parents, but Trevor Gray was responsible for their death and was going to pay. She, on the other hand, was going to turn Heart Fire Ranch into a refuge her parents would have been proud to be a part of.

  “Thank you.” He could hear the catch in her throat as she leaned over the fence and pressed her lips against his, laying her hand against his cheek. Jessie took a deep breath before clearing her throat.

  “Are we ready to place the ad for an on-site counselor for the teens?”

  Nathan sighed and rolled his eyes playfully. “And we’re back to business.” He pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger. “Focus on me for two more minutes, please.”

  He kissed her gently, relishing the fact that he could do it whenever he wanted to now, without worry that his father might come after her. Now that his father’s trial had begun, he was far too concerned with trying to make himself look like a wronged victim to worry about how Nathan’s defection from their elite circle would look.

  Desire swirled through him. He loved this woman more than he’d ever thought possible. He wondered if he could convince Deb to do this evaluation alone so he could take Jessie into the house. They hadn’t made love since his return, even though she’d tried to convince him otherwise, but he wanted everything to be perfect.

  “Will the two of you stop?” Bailey’s voice broke through his haze of need.

  Nathan pressed his forehead against Jessie’s as she laughed. “Bailey, it’s a good thing I adore you because if I didn’t . . . ”

  “But you do, so you won’t do anything.” She had her arms crossed and a satisfied smiled on her lips. She waved a hand between them. “You have me to thank for this. Just remember that, Wall Street.”

  “You know, I don’t work in New York anymore. You can stop with that name.”

  “You’ll always be Wall Street to me. Embrace it.” She turned to Jessie and grew serious. “Ellie called. Michael’s brother made parole, and she wants to bring Michael out here so he doesn’t start running with that crowd. She wanted to make sure it was okay.”

  “Of course it is.” Jessie frowned and turned to Nathan. “You don’t mind having a teen boy and Ellie staying for a while, right?”

  “Jess, I know that your full house was just part of the deal. Trust me.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “I’m getting the best part of the bargain.”

  “Ugh!” Bailey threw her hands up. “You two are making me sick. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.” She turned and headed back toward the barn, laughing. “I’m going to go help Mitch clean stalls. Horseshit is preferable to you two.”

  Nathan laughed and caught Deb’s eye over Jessie’s shoulder. “Okay, I’ve distracted you long enough, but come find me when you finish. I’m going to try to get a few more donor meetings set up. I think at the rate we’re going, we might as well set up a charity event. People love what you’re doing here, Jess.”

  She cocked her head to the side, her dark waves falling over her shoulder like a curtain. “I didn’t do this, Nathan. You did.”

  “Oh,” Bailey yelled as she stopped at the barn door. “The new sign is up if you want to see it.”

  Jessie turned toward Nathan, her eyes alight with glee. He’d been hoping to take her to see it tonight, just before sunset. Glancing at the sky, he could see the sun just passing the midafternoon mark and sighed. He’d have to make it work.

  “Okay, hop in the truck and let’s go see it.”

  “Bailey, help Deb,” Jessie called as she ran for the truck. Nathan headed inside to grab her keys and the package he’d hidden in his cabin.

  JESSIE STOOD AT the entrance of the ranch and stared at the new sign for Heart Fire Ranch. Beautiful scrollwork surrounded the new addition that declared her home an equine rescue and rehabilitation program. Nathan stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “It looks good,” he murmured against her ear, causing shivers to crest over her in waves. “Are you happy?”

  “I am.” She turned in his arms to cup his jaw in her palms. “I have no idea how you managed to do this so quickly, but thank you.”

  “I just called in a few small favors.” Nathan shrugged as if he hadn’t done the impossible for her.

  Somehow he’d managed to expedite the incorporation document Trevor had never filed and found a few donors willing to commit to several hundred thousand dollars toward funding the rescue. She’d be able to start upgrades to the barns and break ground on a covered arena. Now, they had begun the process of setting up the facility as a camp for at-risk teens as well, which was bringing in a new group of donors who wanted to help. Nathan had worked a miracle and made her dream a reality.

  She stared at him in awe. “Just another day at the office, huh, Superman?”

  “Something like that.” Nathan gave her that cocky, lopsided smile that sent her heart racing, the dimple in his cheek deepening. “We should probably head back to the house. I have an architect faxing me his proposal for the new lodge today.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this? Give up your office and apartment in LA? That’s a big move.”

  Nathan curled his fingers around the back of her neck, and she felt the sizzle of heat spiral in her belly. “I have never been more certain of anything. That isn’t my life anymore. You are.” He brushed his lips against hers lightly.

  She smiled against his kiss. “You won’t miss dating all those starlets and models?”

  Nathan nipped at the corner of her mouth. “Who said I can’t—oomph!” Nathan grunted as she playfully pressed a fist into his ribcage. He pulled her close. “I have everything I want right here.”

  He deepened their kiss and she sighed against him, wishing for a moment they were back in the house, where she could remove every shred of clothing separating them. Jessie leaned into him, rocking onto her toes, every part of her tingling with desire for him.

  “Let’s go back,” she whispered against his mouth. “I have something I need you to do.”

  Nathan slid his hands down her back and cupped her rear, pulling her up against him. She could feel his need for her through their clothing. “Hopefully it’s the same thing I’m wanting to do.”

  The blare of a horn scared her, making Moose start barking in the back of the truck. She jumped backward away from Nathan. “What the . . . I’m going to kill him.”

  Justin pulled his truck to a stop beside them and rolled down the window. “You two are pretty sickening. You know that, right?”

  Nathan drew her back into the circle of his arms again and she shivered with delight. She loved how he seemed to crave touching her, the way she did him, but it was beginning to frustrate her that they hadn’t made love since his return. He’d moved into one of the cabins and wouldn’t budge, even when she pointed out how ridiculous it was for him to stay there when she had a perfectly good house with a large bed she was happy to share with him. Yet he continued to deny her, deny both of them, really, without explanation, and she was unsure why. His request that she trust him was the only reason he would give. She was willing to give him that concession, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could wait.

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “Hardly.” Justin laughed and shook his head. “The sign looks good. When is Deb bringing the next group of horses?”

  “This week. She found these at a stockyard in Nevada. Underfed and heading to slaughter, but otherwise healthy. I’ll be prepping some stable mix to help them gain weight later if you want to help.”

  “Sure.” He jerked his chin at the sign. “When are you going to change it to include the camp?”

  Jessie couldn’t help the smile from spreading over her lips. She still couldn’t believe that she was actually going to be able to start pairing her horses with kids in a therapy program. None of this would have been possible without Nathan, and it just made her love him even more. She just wished she was brave enough to actually tell him. Sh
e was too afraid he wasn’t ready for it, and she might scare him away. They’d agreed to take this relationship one day at a time, and she was trying to be patient.

  It wasn’t working.

  “Later, once we start having camps. Probably in the summer. I still need to hire counselors who know about horses and want to work with troubled teens.

  “Yeah, that should be a piece of cake,” Justin said, pursing his lips. “I’ll keep my ears open. Are you two heading back?”

  “Yes.”

  “No,” Nathan said at the same time.

  “We’re not?”

  Nathan smiled. “Not just yet.” He turned to Justin. “We’ll meet you there a little later.”

  Justin’s brows rose. She knew that look. These two were up to something. She watched her brother drive away before she turned to Nathan. “What are you planning?”

  He tried for his best look of innocence and shrugged, but she wasn’t buying it for a second. “Nathan, don’t make me push you into another pile of manure.”

  He took a step closer, the spicy scent of him enveloping her, his nearness causing her heart to skip and jump in her chest as warmth spread through her limbs, making standing upright difficult. His hand curled into her hair, and she gasped at the delicious feel of his hard body cradling her softness. She looked up to see the gold flecks dancing mischievously in his green eyes as his lips curved into a wide smile.

  “Jess, you don’t want to do that today. I promise.” He took her hand and led her to the truck, opening the passenger door. “Just be patient.”

  He climbed behind the wheel, and she marveled at how much had changed. A few weeks ago, she’d argued with Justin at the mention of Nathan on her ranch. The idea of letting him help had sent her into fits of rage. Now, in spite of their past mistakes, she trusted him with her truck, her ranch, her finances, her dreams, and her heart. She felt her chest swell with emotion. He’d taught her to feel again, to dream, to hope, and to believe.

  For so long, Jessie believed she was nothing more than the family failure, doomed to repeat her mistakes and hurt those she loved. Nathan had saved her from herself, made her see that she was a diamond, rare and beautiful, even if she was still a little rough around the edges.

  “What are you smiling about?” He glanced over at her as he drove.

  She flipped up the console and scooted closer to him on the bench seat, twining her fingers in his. “You. You’ve been pretty amazing, Wall Street.”

  “Ugh, please stop calling me that.” He cringed and she laughed.

  “Okay,” she agreed. “You hardly look like the same guy Bailey brought from the airport. No more suits, no more ties. Now if I could get you to stop using hair products,” she teased as she ran her fingers through his still perfectly tousled hair. “But I do like the scruff.” She ran a hand over his rough jaw and laid her head on his shoulder.

  Nathan laughed quietly. “I’ll admit I don’t miss the suits, but no gel? That’s just uncivilized.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

  “Nathan, what’s going to happen with your family?” She felt him tense before he inhaled deeply.

  “I guess it depends on what happens during the trial. My father will probably be found guilty, but I doubt he’ll serve time. He’ll lose his job, but I’m sure my grandfather will find somewhere to plug him into one of his businesses, not that those are any more legal. Honestly, I refuse to worry about it. He made his bed.”

  “You couldn’t forgive him?”

  Nathan stared at her, surprise clear on his face. “You’re kidding, right? Jess, he threatened your entire family if I continued to see you. I’m still not sure how far he would’ve gone, but I do know someone would have been hurt.”

  “You underestimate us Harts.”

  “After seeing you try to leap over that desk after Trevor, I won’t make that mistake again.”

  She shook her head and looked out the front window. “We’re going to The Ridge?”

  He just smiled and drove up the path before turning the truck around and backing up so they could sit in the bed and see the river below. He reached into the backseat of the truck and pulled out a bottle of champagne with two plastic glasses and a blanket.

  “My, aren’t you prepared. I don’t remember you mentioning you were ever a Boy Scout,” she teased.

  “Nope. I owe Bailey again.”

  “She does keep rescuing you, doesn’t she?”

  Nathan moved around the truck, but she opened her door before he could. It was nice that he wanted to be a gentleman, but she didn’t want to wait any longer than necessary before touching him again. She hurried to the back of the truck and dropped the tailgate, coaxing the dog down and jumping into the back.

  “Woman, you make it difficult to spoil you. Could you stop being so independent and let me be a gentleman?”

  “Get your butt up here, and I promise I’ll be a lady for ten minutes.”

  Nathan jumped into the back with her. He spread out the blanket and opened the bottle of champagne before pulling her down to sit between his legs as they both faced the river. Jessie leaned back against his chest and sighed, relaxing as his arms came around her and he poured them each a glass.

  Nathan held his up. “To new beginnings and the healing to come.”

  “To the future,” she agreed, tapping her glass against his. She sipped the drink, letting the bubbles tickle her nose. “You know, this is the first time I’ve ever had champagne.”

  Nathan drew back a few inches. “Are you serious?”

  She laughed at his surprise. “I’m more of a cold-bottle-of-beer girl, but I could get used to this.” She sipped the drink again.

  He took the glass from her and set them both on the wheel well. He looked worried and her stomach twisted with dread. “Jess, I want to give you everything you’ve never had. Everything you’ve always wanted.”

  She smiled up at him, her heart ready to burst with tenderness for this man. “You have, Nathan. You’ve done that and more. You are the only person who found out what was buried inside me—my hopes, my dreams, my fears. You’ve helped me face my demons and conquer them. I can never thank you enough.” She turned to face him. “I love you, Nathan. I have nothing to offer you but me, but—”

  “Stop, Jess.” Nathan cupped her face in his palms and smiled at her. “This is my proposal, and you’re not going to take control of this, too.”

  “What?” Her butt dropped to her heels. “What did you just say?”

  “Jessie Hart, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I can’t believe I was ever stupid enough to let you go. I’ve done so many things wrong with our relationship.” He slid a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “I wanted to prove to you that I could do this right—the champagne, the sunset, not touching you this past few weeks when it’s nearly killed me.”

  Jessie laughed even as her eyes misted over. He flipped open the box and revealed an elegant oval diamond solitaire surrounded by smaller diamonds set in a filigree design. It sparkled like the sun on the water as it dipped to the horizon. “The ring.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Jess, marry me. Let’s build this crazy dream of yours together. Let me help you build new dreams, find new hopes. I was a prisoner and never even knew it until you. Without you, I’m only half a man. You’ve changed me, Jess. You’ve freed me to be who I always wanted to be, to let go and just let it happen.”

  Nathan brushed away the tear slipping down her cheek, and she reached up, covering his hand with hers. For the first time, she didn’t feel like a failure. She was full—of strength, of life, of love. Nathan made her whole, complete and perfect. There weren’t any words to express to him how she felt.

  Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, letting her mouth tell him what her words couldn’t. He responded as if they spoke a language only the two of them heard. Lips meshed, tongues danced, bodies twined. Suddenly, Nathan drew back.

  “Is tha
t a yes?”

  She laughed. “Yes! Now will you please take me home and make love to me?”

  “My pleasure.”

  Julia Hart knows how much good she does training therapy dogs—it’s what helped her overcome her own trials after a past relationship turned unexpectedly violent.

  Dylan, a former soldier, has run out of hope for recovery. Plagued by nightmares and flashbacks, he doubts anything will help him overcome his PTSD. When his brother convinces him to try one last time, he agrees to get a therapy dog—if only to prove it won’t help.

  Dylan didn’t expect to find Julia or that he could begin to hope again. But when Julia’s attacker, Evan, is released from prison, Dylan and Julia will have to face the past together.

  Continue reading for a sneak peek at the next book in T. J. Kline’s Healing Harts series,

  TAKING HEART

  Coming in June 2015 from Avon Impulse.

  An Excerpt from

  TAKING HEART

  Chapter One

  SERGEANT DYLAN GRANGER heard a series of loud pops as bullets hit the stone wall beside his head and rock dust crumbled into his face. He ducked further behind the wall. Their position had been compromised again, and this time, the entire unit was under attack by insurgents.

  “We’re not going to make it through this, Doc. We’re taking too much fire,” Michaels yelled at him.

  “We have to make it through this. I haven’t lost a man yet.” Dylan ignored his partner, the junior medic of their unit, and checked the pulse of Sergeant Jefferies, the communications expert he was attending to. The soldier’s blood was warm on Dylan’s hands as he tried to stem the flow from the gunshot wound to Jefferies’s abdomen. It was bad, but if he could get the bleeding to slow, he could save him. After seven years as a Special Forces Medic, Dylan had seen more than his fair share of wounds.

  “You hear me, Jefferies?” The soldier’s eyes rolled back, but he tried to nod. Dylan could see the fear in his face, knew he was close to giving up.