Heart's Desire Read online

  “Finally. About time you laughed. You need to find a cowboy to ride so you can give these horses a break,” Deb teased, shaking her head and pursing her lips. She eyed Nathan again and frowned, suddenly serious. “I’m not sure he’s the one for you. He doesn’t know horses.”

  “Yeah, well, apparently he knows business and finance, so Justin thinks he can get the ranch back in the black. Hopefully, he does it and gets out of here quickly.”

  Deb nudged her arm with an elbow. “Nothing wrong with giving him a ride or two before he leaves. Ah, get it?”

  Jessie snorted and shook her head. “You never learned the art of subtlety, did you Deb?”

  Deb joined Jessie’s laughter. “Subtlety is overrated. Enjoy life while you’re still young and beautiful, Jess. Before you know it, you’ll be as old as I am and regretting the things you never tried. You know the saying, ‘Take the bull by the horns?’ Now’s the time to do it.”

  Deb ran a hand over the mare’s neck, her attention on the horse again. “I’ll take this one into the other stall. She’ll be fine in a couple weeks. When do you have the farrier coming out to work on their feet?”

  “Justin will give them meds here, and the shoer will be out tomorrow to do all the horses. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get that stud colt done. He’s going to need more time before he trusts anyone.”

  “You might have bitten off more than you thought with that one.”

  “No, I think he just needs to adjust for a bit and realize I’m not going to hurt him,” Jessie assured her. “He definitely needs to be gelded right away.”

  Deb laughed and pointed at Nathan, who was talking to Justin but had yet to take his eyes off Jessie. “I wasn’t talking about the horse.”

  “WHAT THE HELL is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish?” Jessie had already finished with the horses and saw Nathan sitting on the back porch with Justin as if he was one of her guests. “I told you to stay out of the way. You could have gotten us all killed.”

  “That horse was crazy. I thought you were in trouble.” He shrugged, and she noted he didn’t sound apologetic at all. Anger seethed again, bubbling in her chest like a geyser ready to blow.

  “He wasn’t crazy; he was scared. I know what I’m doing.”

  She stood over him, looking down at him, and crossed her arms. She’d been hoping her position might intimidate him, but it didn’t seem to be working. Nathan barely looked contrite and it infuriated her. Didn’t he realize what could have happened?

  “Why don’t you stick to what you know—spreadsheets and numbers—and let me run my ranch?”

  “Look, Jessie, I’m sorry, okay?” Nathan’s voice drew her attention back to him. “You’re right. I agreed to stay out of the way and I didn’t do it.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he didn’t give her a chance. “The fact is, from here on out, when it comes to the horses, I will follow your orders. That being said, I can’t exactly do my job without your cooperation either. So, can we head to dinner and have that discussion you promised?”

  “Are you kidding me? No.”

  Her brother snickered beside him. “I warned you, Nathan.”

  She glared. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

  Justin tried for an innocent look, failing miserably. “Nothing. Just go to dinner. Take Wall Street, here, into town and let him pick from our four-star dining establishments.”

  Nathan cocked his head at Justin’s sarcasm. “I used to eat whatever garbage you put in front of me. I’m hardly worried about a few local restaurants.”

  “Yeah? Well, I hear your taste has changed a little since college,” Justin teased, oblivious to Jessie’s irritation with them. “Sorry, but we don’t have a place that serves caviar and champagne. You might just have to make do with beer and pizza.”

  Nathan scowled—probably, Jessie thought, because Justin’s comment hit too close to the truth. He was completely out of his element here, and they all knew it. Everything about him shouted it from the rooftops, from his expensive clothing to his inability to understand the basics of horse safety.

  He’d managed to fit in better during his first visit, when he’d been completely green and needed her to show him the ropes. Jessie couldn’t help but think about when she’d first taught him to ride, taking him to the river. How they’d spent that first afternoon trying to pretend there wasn’t an attraction between them. Or the moment she gave in and stood on tiptoe, pressing a kiss to his surprised lips. She didn’t want to think about the electric jolt of pleasure she felt when his tongue slipped past her lips. She tried to push aside the memories of him helping her unload hay and how his hands had moved over her body behind the bales, teaching her what desire felt like. She didn’t want to reminisce about the many things he’d taught her or the broken heart he’d left behind.

  Don’t even go down that road again.

  Nathan rose from the chair and moved to stand in front of Jessie, blocking Justin from her view entirely. He only took one step toward her, didn’t even touch her, but she could feel electricity instantly spark between them, sizzling down her spine. It wasn’t tension. That she would have been prepared for. This was different, as if her body was begging for his touch again.

  Nathan’s nearness sucked the air from between them, and she found it difficult to catch her breath. The look in his eyes was hot, making goosebumps break out over her arms as she remembered laying his in arms after making love, as he pressed tender kisses to her swollen lips. She saw yearning in the depths of his gaze, but it was gone in a flash, almost as if she imagined it, replaced by determination.

  Nathan ran a hand through his hair, and were she in her normal frame of mind instead of this emotional upheaval, she would have laughed at how it remained perfectly in place in spite of his rough treatment. It was just one more thing that highlighted the differences between them. A few hours of work outside had her waves wild and unruly. She and Nathan had absolutely nothing in common. Why in the world did he have to be the one man who could turn her body into a live current of sexual tension?

  “Jessie.”

  The expectation in his voice drew her eyes to his, and she realized she’d been staring at his mouth, at those lips that had teased her skin so wonderfully in the past. A blush burned her cheeks, and she prayed he wouldn’t notice.

  “I really am sorry. I asked you to trust my knowledge, but I didn’t give you the same benefit of the doubt. We were lucky that no one got hurt.”

  She could read the genuine regret in his eyes, but there was something more she couldn’t quite name. Nathan wasn’t apologizing about the horse any longer. He stared at her intently, his gaze smoldering with desire she’d assumed was only in her mind.

  “It won’t happen again,” he promised, breaking into her thoughts.

  She took a step back from him, trying to put a little distance between them, hoping that would help her breathe again and collect her scattered emotions. “Good, it . . . it better not.”

  She tried to convince herself she had every right to be angry, but she knew it wasn’t anger making her heart race like a wild stallion or causing the warmth that was settling south of her belt buckle.

  “But,” he added, making her want to cringe, “we still have a lot to talk about and not much time to get this taken care of. I’m only here for a week, so why don’t you get ready so we can head into town for an early dinner?”

  A part of Jessie wanted to refuse, if only to assert her independence, especially when she glanced at her brother and saw the smirk he wore. He knew she really had no choice in the matter—she’d have to talk to Nathan about the ranch’s finances eventually.

  Regardless of her irritation with Justin, she had to do whatever she could to save the ranch. This place was all that was left of her parents, filled with memories of their hard work and love. And she couldn’t continue being a burden on her siblings, who were both able to keep their businesses succeeding. If dinner with Nathan was what it would take, so be it. Not
hing mattered more to her than her family, not even her pride.

  “Jessie, I’m only trying to help, I swear.” Nathan’s voice was quiet but insistent, and she felt her stomach do a nervous tumble.

  “Geez, Jess, just go to dinner already. Nathan can’t read your mind and figure out these expenses alone. Quit making the poor guy beg.”

  “Fine, but I need a shower.” She glowered at her brother. “And you,” she pointed at Justin, “can figure out dinner for everyone else, Mr. Big Mouth.”

  Chapter Seven

  NATHAN WAITED FOR Jessie in the kitchen, while her sister and Bailey entertained him, reminiscing about the months he’d spend on the ranch. It felt like a lifetime ago, and he barely recognized the naïve kid he’d been in their descriptions of his antics. But when they started telling stories about Jessie as a teen, he couldn’t help but be enthralled. He’d known she was a hellcat, but hearing about the time Jessie carved Julia’s name into the hood of her ex-boyfriend’s car when he cheated on Julia had him doubled over with laughter.

  “No one messes with her family.” Julia wiped away a tear, laughing at the memory.

  He might laugh at the picture Julia’s story created, but he couldn’t stop the niggling of fear that crept down his spine when he realized her family would return the same sort of reckless loyalty for her. He was in for a world of hurt when they found out what he’d done.

  “Is she still the family superhero?”

  Julia cocked her head, her blond hair draping over her shoulder as she thought about the moniker. “I think so. She’s been the righter of wrongs in our family as long as I can remember. Even if it was at the risk of her own hide. And, usually,” she added, “it is.”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t think much about her own safety, does she?” Nathan shook his head; the image of Jessie in the pasture with the stallion earlier made him anxious all over again.

  “She comes by it honestly,” Bailey said. “That’s the Hart way: act first and worry about the consequences later. I think we get it from our dads.”

  “She’s going to get herself killed one of these days,” he muttered, leaning back in the chair and watching the two women prepare their own meal for the evening.

  Julia paused and looked at him curiously. He’d better be careful to watch what he said around her. She was far too observant. “But, it was pretty amazing to watch. It was like she could read that animal’s mind.”

  He’d never seen anything like what Jessie did. Seeing her with the two mares, abused and beaten, broke his heart. He’d never seen anything so brutal up close, and it made him wonder what sort of a person would do such a thing. But watching the stallion refuse to give up, then be calmed by Jessie’s patience and gentle determination, made him wonder if Jessie wasn’t doing exactly what she was meant to.

  She shouldn’t be taking people for trail rides and campouts. He’d seen the look in her eyes while she worked with each of the horses. It was pure joy, in spite of the danger. There had to be some way for her to market the ranch as a rescue facility instead of a dude ranch. He wanted to help Jessie keep that light in her eyes.

  Jessie entered the kitchen, and Nathan’s gaze immediately gravitated to her before he closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. He shook his head. He should have known better.

  He’d assumed dinner out meant dressing up, so he’d showered and put his own clothes on again. While still casual in slacks and a polo shirt, his clothing was far dressier than her jeans and T-shirt combination. Although, he had to admit the rhinestones on the back pockets of her jeans accentuated the ample curve of her rear as she turned and reached for her truck keys.

  “Ready to go, Wall Street?”

  “You know I hate that nickname, right?” He slid the chair back under the table amid the laughter of all three women.

  “Really?” Jessie spun the keys around a finger and arched a brow before reaching for her purse and sticking out her lower lip. “That’s funny. I don’t remember asking.”

  Nathan caught the slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She was beautiful when she smiled, and he wondered why she didn’t do it more often.

  Because it would contradict her hard-ass facade.

  He arched a brow and returned the smile with one of his own. “Okay, Badass, let’s go eat.”

  Bailey guffawed and Julia hid her laugh behind her hand. Jessie bit the corner of her mouth in an attempt to hide her smile.

  She still intrigued him, as much as she ever had. No matter how many women he’d met growing up in the political limelight or at college, he’d never met a woman quite like her. How could she be so patient and tender with the animals and yet so tough on the people around her? He’d seen glimpses of the woman beneath the armor, but only enough to make him want to see more.

  JESSIE DIALED THE volume up on the local country radio station as she drove into town. She wanted to avoid talking with Nathan as much possible. The more time she spent near him, the less she seemed to be able to control the heat that warmed her, forcing her to remember their history. And not the part where he left.

  She kept finding herself drifting back to that last night and the way his hands had moved expertly over her body, guiding her into the passionate oblivion of desire. She swallowed as her breath caught in her chest, and she glanced sideways to find him watching her. Nathan made her uncomfortable, like she was dazed and off balance, and she couldn’t have that. She’d spent too many years trying to piece her heart back together.

  Jessie wasn’t the type of woman who fell in love easily. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to other men, but none had measured up to who she’d thought Nathan was that summer. Handsome and charming, he’d seemed devoted to her brother, even going so far as to evade her fumbling attempts to flirt at first. But after their first kiss at the river, they’d both known there was something special between them. At least, she’d thought they’d both known. He’d just asked for a little time to break the news to her brother himself. It turned out that she’d been the only one naïve enough to believe in fairy tales.

  Jessie bit her lip nervously. She wasn’t comfortable with this arrangement. She didn’t understand why they couldn’t just have this discussion at home, where the entire family could have talked to him about the ranch. She wanted the prying eyes, if for no other reason than to keep her on the defensive attack. Being alone with Nathan was a recipe for disaster. But she couldn’t admit that to her family.

  She was used to feeling completely in control, and since Nathan’s arrival, that control had disappeared like early morning mist in the summer sun. He’d reawakened feelings she’d though were long gone, leaving her grasping for a handhold on her scattered emotions. Her body was not cooperating with her brain tonight.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the lone pizza place in town and turned off the truck. Trying to look as nonchalant as possible, even though her heart felt like it was going to pound right out of her chest, she let her hands hang over the top of the steering wheel and eyed him suspiciously. She’d never been one to beat around the bush and didn’t see the point in starting now.

  “Why are we here? What are you hoping to achieve?”

  He chuckled quietly, the deep, rich sound like honeyed whiskey, sending heat swirling into her belly. “What’s the matter, Jess? Do I make you nervous?”

  That wasn’t an answer. She narrowed her eyes at him, irritated that he could read her so easily. Nathan just gave her a playboy smile.

  “My friends and family call me Jess. You don’t qualify as either any more. It’s Jessie.”

  Jessie grabbed her purse and got out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind her. He jumped from his seat to follow her, his long strides easily making up the distance. She walked into the pizza parlor and made her way to the front counter.

  “Give me a pitcher of beer and a large combination, extra thick crust.”

  “Can you make half of that without onions?” Nathan asked the girl taking the order.
r />   Jessie was surprised at how quickly he’d caught up to her. “Extra onions on the rest,” she added, secretly hoping they would fall onto his side and choke him.

  The clerk, a confused high school girl, looked dumbly from one to the other. “Um, okay. That’ll be thirty-six dollars and fifty-five cents.” She handed Jessie a tented number as Nathan pulled out his credit card and passed it to the girl.

  “Why don’t you go find a seat?” he suggested, looking back at the busy dining room.

  Jessie ignored his advice. She wasn’t going to take orders from him. Clamping her jaw together, she crossed her arms across her chest and leaned her hip against the counter, waiting for him to sign the credit card slip.

  “I would’ve paid for dinner, you know.”

  He looked down at her oddly, as if he didn’t understand her annoyance. “I know. Tonight is my treat.”

  With a huff, she spun on her heel, hating that he seemed to bring out this juvenile, irrationally defiant side of her personality. She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she made her way through the throng of families, past the jukebox and old video game machines, into a side room that was nearly empty. Finding an unoccupied pub table, she slid onto a tall stool, watching as Nathan finished paying and headed her direction.

  Nathan slid onto the chair across from her and folded his hands on the Formica tabletop, staring at her silently. She waited for him to say something, anything. He just sat there, still as a statue, watching her carefully. She shifted in the chair. She didn’t like being scrutinized like a specimen on display.