The Barons of Texas: Jill (13 page)

“I better warn you,” he said, his teeth gritted, his control held by a slender thread, “you keep that up and I’ll be so deep inside you again, so fast and so hard, you won’t know what hit you.”

She slid her hand up the side of his face and parted her legs. “I’ll know.”

Without another word he drew his buttocks back and once again drove into her, hard, fast and without mercy. A powerful, white-hot passion held him in its
grip. Sanity had been stripped from him. Beneath him, willing and hot, she writhed and strained. He slammed into her time and again, taking them both higher and higher, then clung to her as he soared with her to a pinnacle of ecstasy he had never known before.

After that, he knew there was no way he could stop. He might have only this one night with her to last the rest of his life, and he planned to make the most of it. Actually, there was nothing else he could do. He was like an addict who had gotten a taste of a drug and now couldn’t do without it.

The next time he pulled her to him and entered her, he extended the lovemaking as long as he could bear. By now, he knew just how sensitive she was and that, at times, he only had to touch her in a certain way to make her climax.

Gently, slowly, he stroked in and out of her pulsating velvet flesh. At the same time, he stroked his hand up and down her side, stopping occasionally to tweak her nipple and lightly massage her breast. Soon she was trembling and clawing at his back for completion. Then he slowly withdrew from her and rested his hard sex on her lower abdomen.

It was torture for him, but it was the sweetest kind, watching her face react to everything he did. He spent a lot of time nibbling at her nipple, pulling it into his mouth, then scraping his tongue back and forth across it until she softly cried and said his name over and over. Then he switched to the other.

In the next moment Jill did something he hadn’t even considered. She took control, reached for him, shifted, and just like that he was inside her again. She arched and writhed against him, high and hard. He
lost his control, his mind, pounding into her until seconds later he felt the tight squeezing of her inner contractions. And as she bowed her upper back off the bed, he heard the soft, wild cry he had come to love. Then he exploded into her and everything faded to black.

The dawn was everything she had expected it to be, Jill reflected, standing in the doorway of her bedroom, watching the blues and roses shift across the sky, the dark waters of the sea gradually lighten to purple and indigo. Just for a moment she allowed herself the luxury of lifting her face to the morning trade winds. They wound their way through her hair, wet from a shower, and moved over her freshly moisturized skin.

She threw a quick glance over her shoulder at Colin. He was still sleeping. Under any other circumstances, she probably would be, too. This morning, however, she had too much on her mind.

She had known what she was doing last night when she had taken his hand. Every bit of what had followed had been her fault. She had told herself that she wanted to make love to Colin just once, and she had. She should have been satisfied with that once, but she hadn’t been. She had been greedy, hungry, and had practically made him continue.

Granted, it hadn’t taken much encouragement, but then, he was a man, and as she had noted before, if a woman shows herself to be willing, a man doesn’t need any more motivation. But to give Colin his due, up to that point, he had shown remarkable restraint, considering the job he had set out to do.

No, it was her fault. She didn’t regret it, but she
also couldn’t be more embarrassed about it. If there was a way she could get off this island by herself before he awoke, she probably would. As it was, she didn’t know how she was going to meet his eyes.

And the ultimate irony? She had come to the island to give herself time to figure out all the changes that were happening inside her. At one point yesterday, she thought she had figured it out. But after last night, she was more confused than she had been when she arrived.

Making love to Colin had shaken her world apart, and she wasn’t certain it could ever be put back together again—at least, not in the way it had been.

“What are you doing up so early?”

Her heart gave a hard thud at the sound of his sleepy voice. Would there ever come a day when her heart wouldn’t react in that way to him? Would there ever come a night when she could look across a crowded room without wanting him?

“You were right,” she said, without turning to look at him.

“About what?” He sounded irritated, grumpy, not fully awake yet.

“The dawn. It’s spectacular.”

She heard his heavy exhalation of breath, then movement, as if he was rearranging pillows.

“What are you doing up, Jill? You can’t have gotten enough rest. And why the hell are you dressed?”

After her shower, she had slipped on the pair of slacks and plain white T-shirt she had worn on the flight here. “I think it’s time I left. You can stay if you like, and I’ll hire a charter from one of the bigger islands.”

Behind her, he swore, then more movement. Her
blood started racing as she realized he was getting out of bed.

“Jill …”

He was coming toward her. She stepped out onto the terrace and glanced in the direction of the other end. “The table is already made up, and there’s a carafe of coffee out. I think I’ll go have a cup while you dress.”

“Jill, come back. We need to talk.”

She turned and looked at him. He was standing in the doorway, a sheet wrapped around his waist. His hair was a complete mess, more so than usual, and his face sported a night’s growth of beard. His eyes were even red and blurry. Yet she didn’t think she had ever seen him look as devastatingly handsome as he did right then. “I don’t think so.” Quickly she walked away.

Showered, shaved and dressed, Colin joined Jill on the terrace. Without looking at him, she broke apart a croissant. “Liana and her mother are wonderful. They didn’t really expect us to be up this early, but they had these ready just the same.”

“I don’t want you to leave, Jill.”

Carefully she spread guava jelly on the croissant. “I know I haven’t had my final snorkeling lesson, but after my lesson in the pool, I’m sure I could manage in the sea if I decide I’d like to do more of it.”

“I couldn’t care less about the snorkeling. Let’s talk about the real reason you want to leave—what happened last night.”

“Last night has nothing to do with why I want to leave.” She had never known she could be such a good liar. She had never known her heart could hurt
this much without breaking. “And there’s really nothing more that we need to talk about. You’ve done a great job with all the lessons, but—”

His head jerked back as if she’d hit him. “If you think for one minute last night was about those damn lessons, you’re dead wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It happens to matter a
hell
of a lot.”

“Then, no, Colin, I don’t believe last night was about the lessons. It was just about two people on a beautiful island, surrounded by a beautiful night, who had been in close proximity to each other for several days. Something was bound to happen and it did. But now it’s over and I need to get back to Texas.”

Silence stretched between them. Jill could feel his gaze on her, almost hear him thinking. She just wished she knew
what
he was thinking.

She had known it was going to be difficult to get him to forget last night, especially since she herself would like nothing more than to go back to bed with him right now and not get up for another week. But she couldn’t betray what she was feeling by even so much as a flicker of an eyelash. She needed to get away from him, and she was running out of ammunition.

“Okay,” he finally said. “We can leave today if you want, but not before we talk.”

“Do you happen to know where Des is today?”

Colin froze. Color leeched from his face. His gaze filled with black rage. His chair scraped back and he stood. “He’s at the Double B visiting his father. We’ll leave in thirty minutes. Be ready.”

U
sing one foot, Jill slowly pushed herself back and forth in the swing that hung in the gazebo. A soft breeze filtered to her through a screen of junipers. Somewhere she heard a bird call. In a distant meadow, cattle grazed.

She was in the backyard of the Uvalde farm where her sister Tess and brother-in-law, Nick, were spending their summer. In fact, no matter what the season, they would hop on a plane and come here every chance they got.

And after three days here, Jill had to admit, the place did have a certain charm. It also had a peace and warmth about it that she had badly needed.

Not too far away, Tess bent to cut yet another iris from her garden to go into her already full basket of flowers. When she straightened, she looked over at Jill. “I’m going to put these in the house and bring
us out some iced tea,” she called. “Does that sound good to you?”

“Great,” Jill called back.

Three days ago, acting on an instinct she still didn’t entirely understand, she had contacted her sister from Colin’s plane and asked if she could come and stay with them for a short while. Tess’s yes had been full of enthusiasm. And now, seeing how happy Tess was that she was there, Jill felt guilty for all the times she had rebuffed her.

Her mind returned to Colin and their flight back to Dallas. He had broken his silence only once, by calling her on the intercom to ask if she wanted him to arrange a charter for her to take her to the Double B. She had declined, saying that she had already called Molly and asked her to make the arrangements. What she hadn’t told him was that she had no intention of flying to the family ranch to see Des.

Hearing the screen door slam, she glanced up to see Tess, dressed in shorts and a brief top, strolling toward her with an iced tea in each hand. When she reached her, she handed her one, then sat down beside her.

“I like your farm, Tess.”

“Thank you. Nick and I both love it. Strictly speaking, though, it belongs to Nick’s family—well, actually his grandmother—but Nick and I are the only two who actually want to make it our second home. Nick’s sister and her family know they are always welcome, and we try to have as many gatherings as we can. As a matter of fact, since Nick’s grandfather died, his grandmother Alma usually comes and stays for a few days when we’re here, and it makes us all
so happy. During the winter, we fly in for as many three-day weekends as we can.”

Jill nodded. “Like I said, nice. Good tea, too, by the way.”

“The mint came from the garden.”

Jill chuckled. “It’s been hard for me to accept that you actually
like
to garden. I mean, you never have before. It was something we were never exposed to.”

Tess nodded pensively. “I know, but the difference is, this is a real home, something I’d never known. Before I married Nick, I had my place in Dallas, but it wasn’t a home, not really. I was always traveling or working.” She shook her head at the memory of her past. “Now Nick and I also have our Austin home. I still work and travel, though I try to limit the latter as much as possible. And Nick has his own work. But no matter which home we’re at, it’s filled with love and the memories we’re making with every moment we spend together. I’ve learned
that’s
what makes a home. And—” she grinned “—we’re hoping very soon now to start turning a room in all three homes into a nursery.”

“Nursery?” Jill asked, shocked. “Is this an announcement?”

“I
wish
, but no, not yet. Soon, though. I can feel it’ll be soon.”

“That’s wonderful,” Jill murmured sincerely. “I’m very happy for you and Nick.”

“Okay,” Tess said, her tone suddenly brisk and businesslike, “that’s enough about me. It’s time to tell me what’s going on with you. When you arrived here, you looked pale as a ghost—in fact, almost sick. Since then, you haven’t said much except for superficial
conversation, but I’m relieved to say that you do look a little better.”

“I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been very good company.”

“I’m not complaining. I just want to know what happened to bring you here now, at this particular time, when you’ve turned down countless other invitations. And while you’re explaining, I also want to know what you’re running from.”

Jill studied her sister. Tess’s blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and tied with a wrinkled ribbon that couldn’t quite manage to hold the myriad escaped tendrils. Her face positively glowed. “You know what? I’ve never seen you look more beautiful or happier. Love obviously suits you.”

Surprise crossed Tess’s face. “You’re calling
me
beautiful, when you’re the acknowledged beauty in the family? Now I know the answer to my questions—you’re obviously sick.”

Jill’s lips curved in wry amusement. “It’s true, you know. You’ve always been beautiful, but now…” She let her words trail off, and her gaze drifted away from her sister toward the garden. “Instinct brought me here. As for what I’m running from… I guess I have to say Colin.”

Tess frowned. “Colin? Colin Wynne?”

Jill nodded, then proceeded to fill her sister in on the bargain she and Colin had struck—and its outcome. She finished with, “So once again I’m confused. When I arrived here, I knew only one thing for sure. I’m in
lust
with Colin.”

Her sister choked on a gulp of iced tea.

With a glance at her to make sure she was all right, Jill continued, “But since I’ve been here, I’ve
watched you and Nick. Tess—” she turned to face her sister “—there have been times when you and Nick have been sitting across the room from each other, and one of you will smile at the other, and I can actually
feel
the love you have for each other. Actually, that’s very likely what brought me here in the first place—an instinct that you and Nick have the real thing. I wanted to learn about it.”

“Our love?”

Jill nodded again. “To start with, the love I’ve seen between you two has simply confirmed a decision I made before I left the island. I don’t want to marry Des. He doesn’t love me and I certainly don’t love him. When I decided to try to learn how to go about getting him, I was convinced that we could have a marriage that would work for both of us on some level, even though I doubted we would actually love each other. I now know just how wrong I was.”

“Deciding you didn’t want to marry Des must have been the equivalent of an intellectual earthquake for you,” Tess said, impressed, “but I’ve got to say, I’m very glad you came to that conclusion before it was too late. Which brings us back to Colin.”

“Colin.” Jill shook her head. “I’m pretty sure he hates me now.”

“Why?”

“Because he wanted me to stay on the island and talk about our night together. But I knew I couldn’t do that without revealing what I felt for him, so I gave him the impression that as soon as we landed in Dallas, I was going to the ranch to use all the lessons he’d taught me to catch Des.”

“But why should that upset him? It’s the reason he
gave you the lessons in the first place. That doesn’t make sense.”

“I know.” She gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment. “The only thing I can think of is that maybe he believes I’m going to renege on our bargain. I won’t, though.”

Tess fished out a mint leaf from her tea and nibbled thoughtfully on it. “There
is
another possibility.”

“What?”

“He loves you.”

Jill shook her head. “There’s no way. When we parted at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, he was ice-cold with anger.”

“Do you care?”

“Yeah, I do. Tess, he’s a
remarkable
man. On the island, I learned about his background, and it made me feel so humble.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s accomplished so much, yet started out with so little.” She paused. “He also made me feel incredibly sad that I never knew the kind of parental love he had.”

“I understand, because for a little bit, I felt the same way about Nick.”

“You did?”

Tess nodded. “And you know what conclusion I reached? You, Kit and I are the only people in the world who really know that our so-called privileged life was actually a nightmare. And we each had to learn in our own way how to survive, how to make it through our childhood to become functioning adults. Our father even robbed us of each other’s comfort. Nick and Colin may not have had the material things that we had, or the money we inherited
to start out like we did, but they had something a lot better. They were able to grow up knowing that, no matter what they did, they were loved unconditionally. If you look at it like that, they started out way ahead of us.”

“I guess that’s true,” Jill said slowly, trying to assimilate what her sister had just said.

“Oh, it definitely is. So don’t ever feel humble again, Jill. We’ve
more
than earned our inheritance, plus we’ve each taken our portions of the company and skyrocketed them to a success and prosperity our father never even dreamed of.”

“You’re
right
.”

Tess grinned. “Of course I am. So let’s get back to Colin.”

Jill sighed. “As I told you, I have a bad case of lust for him.”

Tess’s grin broadened. “Let me give you a little sisterly advice. Great sex is nothing to be sneezed at.”

Jill tentatively returned her sister’s grin. “I learned that. But, Tess, this is what I want to know. How do you tell the difference between love and lust? I mean, you must have faced the same thing with Nick. How did you decide it was more than lust, that in fact it was true love?”

Tess leaned over and set her glass on the gazebo floor beside the swing, then straightened and reached for Jill’s hand. Jill was so startled she nearly jerked her hand away, but Tess merely tightened her hold.

“Listen to me, Jill. You, Kit and I were never taught anything about love, because our father never showed us any. So when it came to figuring out if I loved Nick or not, I didn’t have a clue. But in my case, I had some help. Uncle William flat out told me
I loved Nick. And believe me, when I realized he was right, no one was more surprised than I was.”

Jill’s brows drew together. “So as soon as Uncle William told you that you loved Nick, you instantly knew he was right?”

Tess nodded. “Because as soon as he said it, I started getting these flashbacks of things that had happened during the relatively short time I had known Nick. And I finally understood that it wasn’t anything big that had happened between us that should have clued me in to the fact that I loved him, but a series of little things.”

“Such as?” Jill leaned toward her, paying close attention.

Tess smiled softly as she remembered. “There was the way that with just a smile he could make me go weak at the knees. The way I practically melted into him when we danced on the night of my birthday.”

Jill gasped, but Tess went on, “The easy way he could make me want him. The way I had turned down Des’s offer to come rescue me when Nick kidnapped me and brought me here. It all added up. I just hadn’t connected love with the way I felt about him, because I didn’t know how it felt to love a man—or anyone, for that matter.”

Jill stared at her, her eyes wide with shock. “Tess, everything you just said—I can apply every
one
of those things to what has happened between Colin and me, right down to and including how he makes me feel.”

“Plus the fact that you are no longer interested in marrying Des.”

Jill sat back. “Oh, my God, Tess.
I’m in love with Colin
.”

Tess laughed with pure delight. “Then we’ve got to get you back to Dallas as soon as possible. And at our very next board meeting, we simply have to address buying our own corporate jets. We spend a fortune on charters.”

Tears of happiness spilled down Jill’s face, and for the first time in their entire lives, the two sisters hugged.

Jill deliberately arrived late at the charity function. She handed her invitation to the attendant at the door of the large ballroom, then nervously slipped to the side and along the wall, until she had a good view of the front portion of the room. As she had hoped, dinner was over and people were busy milling about, visiting or dancing, but she couldn’t see Colin.

The overhead lights were off. Most of the room’s illumination came from the glowing flames of the six-inch candles clustered in the center of each round table. In addition, a ceiling had been formed from strings of cleverly intertwined, tiny white lights backed by a cobalt-blue fabric, so that it looked as if thousands of night stars sparkled overhead.

She chewed on her bottom lip, thankful for the coverage provided by the room’s atmospheric lighting, along with the preoccupied people. She didn’t want to be noticed just yet. As a matter of fact, if she could have had her way, no one would see her but Colin. But she had determined that meeting him for the first time in five days at this event would be the best way to convince him that she loved him. The thought that she might be wrong tightened the myriad knots already present in her stomach.

Molly had doubled-checked the RSVP list, and unless
Colin had changed his mind between the time he had accepted and now, he should be here. Gnawing on her bottom lip, she slowly made her way farther down the wall toward the back of the room.

The dress she had chosen for her task tonight was far more daring than anything he had chosen for her, though she had purchased it from the same store where he had gotten the hot-pink dress she had worn to the blues club.

This dress was made of a remarkable liquid-silver fabric that appeared to have been poured over her body. Its cowl neckline dipped dangerously to just above her nipples. In the back, the line of the cowl continued down past her waist and stopped right above the dimples of her bottom. To help her move, the skirt was slit up one side. The dress took its shape entirely from her body, and there was no way the dress could accommodate any underwear, though heaven knows she had tried.

She doubted she would have even had the nerve to wear the dress out of the house if it hadn’t been for the matching shawl, lined with an icy aqua silk. Currently it was draped to cover her breasts, with one long end tossed over her shoulder to fall down the middle of her very bare back.