All Through the Night (Liar's Web) (14 page)

The moment Bo walked into his house, he'd been salivating all over Darcel and telling her she looked hot. And damn it, she did look hot, although he couldn't tell her that in front of Bo. If he'd used those words on her, she would've thought he was just trying to get into her panties again. He stifled a groan as thoughts of getting into her panties raced through him like a runaway train.

When she'd innocently run her fingers down her dress, he'd wanted to jump her bones and recreate the scenes from the other night. Of course he'd have kicked Bo out of his house on his ass first. Besides, Bo was beginning to irritate the hell out of him. Wasn't there some other woman in town he could fawn over? Maybe he should encourage Darcel to match make for him and Ella. It would be far less painful than watching him flirt with his woman.
His woman
?
 
Damn it!

He turned toward her as he drove down the two-lane highway, sneaking little glances at her from time to time. He couldn't help it. Her dark beauty had a crazy effect on him. Try as he might, he couldn't stop staring at her. What he really wanted to do was kiss her again, to feel those soft, supple lips melding with his own. To tongue her down like crazy. To watch her come undone while he was staring into her eyes.

“
What?” she finally asked in an exasperated tone.

“
Nothing,” he said sheepishly.

“
You keep looking at me like I have a booger or something.” She took out a gold compact from her purse and studiously examined her face. Finding nothing, she turned back toward him with a questioning look.

Jake couldn't help but laugh. “No, you don't have a booger in your nose.”

“
Then what?”

“
You look beautiful. That's all.” He fought the feeling of discomfort welling up inside him. He wasn't a man used to doling out compliments to women. It just wasn't his style. This time the words just seemed to fly out of his mouth as naturally as breathing.

She graced him with a dazzling smile that made his insides do flip-flops. “You do too.”

They continued along the road in companionable silence, whizzing past emerald-colored pastures and hardworking ranchers working their properties. He never got tired of the awesome Texas landscape—the raw beauty of the land always called out to him. It was in his blood—imprinted in the very fabric of his DNA. He was a Texan, born and bred.

“
She does live far out from town,” Darcel noted as they passed several ranches where horses galloped gracefully in their paddocks and livestock leisurely chewed their cud.

“
We're not too far from the Diamond Lil,” she said as a big L-shape perched on top of a wide set of gates came into sight in the distance.

“
We make the turn right up here,” Jake explained as he navigated the fork in the road and drove a quarter of a mile down a country lane called the Abilene Trail. As they reached a small white house with green shutters, Jake took a moment to take in the familiar surroundings. For him, this place always felt like home. That's what Aurelia had done for him. She'd given him a home when no one else would. And she'd filled it with love, massive amounts of down-home cooking, and humble goodness. He was a better man for it.

As he turned the car's engine off, he realized Darcel was sitting next to him like a statue, her face a frozen mask of fear. She turned toward him, eyes wide with dread, her face filled with anxiety as she twisted a piece of her dress between her fingers.

“
Do we have to get out of the car?” she asked. She looked so small and vulnerable sitting next to him in her Sunday best, her beautiful face marred by worry. Her juicy pink lips were trembling with fear, and he so desperately wanted to kiss away her concern.

In that moment he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and take her out back to the sturdy fort he'd built as a teenager. He wanted to undress her piece-by-piece, slowly and reverently, until she lay beneath him naked as the day she was born. He wanted to make love to her. He craved it so much, it made his skin itch. It would be much different than the hot, raw sex they'd had in his kitchen. It would be slow and easy.

He'd take his time with her, kissing all her fears away, touching every delectable inch of her body until he knew it by heart. Heat suffused his body as images of him making love to Darcel taunted him like an elusive daydream . Feeling uncomfortable, he unloosened his tie, along with the top few buttons of his dress shirt. She had no idea how badly he wanted to put the car in reverse and take her back to his house for an afternoon delight.

“
Ain't the two of you coming inside for a spell?” The sound of Aurelia's voice interrupted his lusty thoughts about Darcel, making him feel a little ashamed of himself.

She was standing on her front porch, all four-foot-ten inches of her, wearing a floral
going to churc
h
 
dress, a festive hat, and a red-and-white apron emblazoned with the words
Kiss me…before I get any older
.
 
He felt a rush of feeling flow through him at the sight of her. He jumped out of the car and bounded toward her, lifting her petite figure into his arms and off her feet, so he could swing her around.

Aurelia had her salt-and-pepper hair wrapped up in a bun, and her cafe au lait complexion was dotted with freckles and age spots. She wore tiny spectacles that made her eyes look like big marbles. A delighted grin lit up her face. In his eyes she was simply beautiful.

“
Put me down, Jake. I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Old women like me can't take all those spins and whirls.” He immediately placed her back on the ground and leaned down so he could plant a big kiss on her forehead. “That's more like it, bubbling brown sugar,” Aurelia said with a laugh. He handed her the indecently large bouquet of flowers, chuckling with laughter as she asked, “What funeral home did you swipe these from?”

Aurelia looked toward the car then pointed where Darcel continued to sit in the passenger seat. “Is she going to sit out here all night?”

Slowly, Darcel stepped out of the car and joined Trueblood and Aurelia on the front porch. Her features were pinched and tight, and she was walking in hesitant, uncertain steps. The little smile she'd plastered on her face looked plastic and unnatural. There was no warmth radiating from her at all. If he'd learned anything at all about Darcel so far it was that she was, by nature, a genuine, loving woman. Fear had taken over, robbing her of her natural state of being.

“
Nice of you to join us, chile,” Aurelia greeted with a gentle smile. “It's mighty special to have two guests for dinner instead of one.”

“
Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jenkins.” Darcel held out a trembling hand for Aurelia to shake.

“
You're coming to Sunday dinner, girl.” Aurelia frowned. “Handshakes are not allowed.” The older woman pulled her into her arms and embraced her tightly, squeezing her arms reassuringly as she pulled away from her. “I reckon nothing beats a hug.”

For the first time since she'd discovered they were having Sunday dinner with Aurelia, Jake witnessed a genuine, heartbreakingly beautiful smile break out on Darcel's face. She looked relieved. And gorgeous.

“
Well, let's not stand outside flapping our gums while I have biscuits in the oven,” Aurelia advised as she ushered them into her house.

Once they stepped inside, the smell of down-home Texas cooking wafted through the house, providing a tantalizing preview of the meal Aurelia had prepared. Aurelia had festively decorated her dining room table with her best Lenox china, cutlery, and glassware. In the middle of the table was a heaping basket of Granny Smith apples. Jake smiled as she caught sight of them. Since he'd always eaten apples by the dozens, Aurelia had always made sure there was a basket full of apples on the table for him to munch on, as well as pumpkin muffins and blueberry scones.

The aroma of freshly baked cornbread filled his nostrils, bringing back dozens of memories from childhood. His stomach began to grumble loudly as tantalizing aromas invaded his senses. With a knowing smile Aurelia told them to head toward the dining room to sit down for supper. She had lined up the food on the side table—biscuits, gravy, chicken and dumplings, sweet potatoes, fried okra, fried corn, meat loaf, and grits. After listening to Aurelia bless the table, he dug into the food with a vengeance, barely paying attention to the pleasantries exchanged between the two women.

By the time dessert was served, Jake couldn't believe he actually had room in his stomach for Key Lime pie, pecan pie, and vanilla ice cream. Darcel really knew how to throw down her food, he noted with surprise as he watched her add two scoops of vanilla ice cream to her pecan pie. The moment the sweet treat entered her mouth, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of delight, then stacked her spoon with another mouthful.

When he looked up, he noticed Aurelia watching him with a pleased expression, her warm eyes sparkling with merriment and amusement. Jake furrowed his brows and shot her a look of confusion. She looked at Darcel then back at him, her smile growing wider and brighter. He didn't know what had come over Aurelia, but he had the strangest feeling she thought Darcel was his special lady friend. He gave her a small nod along with a look that told her she was all kinds of wrong in her thinking. Damned if she didn't flash him an even bigger smile.

* * * *

After dinner they gathered in the living room where Jake challenged Aurelia to a game of Uno. Five rounds later, she was whipping his butt four games to one. Darcel had no clue as to whether he lost the games on purpose or if Aurelia was a master Uno player. It didn't really matter since Aurelia looked tickled pink every time she won a game.

Her sweet, round face showed her every emotion as she tightly held her cards to her chest, holding her breath until it was her turn to slap a card down. Whenever she cried out “Uno” she did a crazy little dance in her seat. When she slapped down her winning card, she yelled out, “Game over”.

There were many pictures of Jake proudly displayed on the mantelpiece—as a teenager at a Native American powwow, in his graduation cap and gown, a picture of Jake and Aurelia on Thanksgiving, and a photo of him on the day he made sheriff. As she looked at the photos, Darcel couldn't help but feel as if she were getting glimpses into his past and seeing the path he'd walked toward becoming the man he was today.

From this point forward, she couldn't look at Jake the same way again. He was so tender with Aurelia, so kind and gracious that it made her heart swell to witness it. She felt as if she were a privileged guest witnessing a special occasion like a graduation or a wedding. She was in the presence of true, pure love, the type of love only families can create. Jake tended to the old woman with such infinite care.

Love. It was all there right in front of her. Jake loved Aurelia. He showed it in every word, deed, and gesture. Asking Bodine to pick up the flowers. The utmost respect he showed for their tradition of sharing Sunday dinner together. Wearing the suit jacket, shirt, and tie he was clearly uncomfortable in. Her heart ached a little bit just watching them, since she now knew the bond tying them together. She was also aware of the tragedy that had shaped Jake's early life and the amazing way Aurelia had stepped in to give him a place to call his own.

Another part of her ached a little for reasons she didn't want to face. Emotions were flowing so swiftly through her, like a rushing river she couldn't hold back. It was want. Pure and simple want. She recognized the emotion, fought against it a little, as she struggled to face her feelings. With a panicky feeling in her gut, she realized she was in trouble. He'd gotten under her skin. And it wasn't just physical. She didn't just want to have wild, passionate sex with the man.

She wanted him to show her the tenderness he'd shown Aurelia. She ached to have him look at her with something more than lust in his eyes. Her heart sank as the truth hit her in the deepest regions of her soul. She wanted Jake to love her. The feeling hit her like a ton of bricks, leaving her reeling with emotion. Her heart began to beat with an uneven rhythm, and her palms began to moisten with sweat. She fought the urge to flee, all the while knowing that the safest bet would be to get as far away from Jake Trueblood as her feet would carry her.

She didn't…she couldn't want this. Jake was everything she hated in a man. Bossy. Rude. Arrogant. But he was also kind and sexy and generous. And he'd made her feel things she didn't know she could feel. The chemistry between them was explosive. Sexually, she'd given as good as she'd gotten. It had been incredibly spicy. Erotic. Sensual. And when it was over, all she'd wanted to do was crawl into his bed and make love to him all over again, all through the night. No other man had ever made her feel this range of emotions, this strong desire to explore all the possibilities.

When it was time to leave, Aurelia packed up some leftovers in large tins and placed them in a shopping bag for them to take home. She reached for Darcel's hands and entwined them with her own.

“
I'm so sorry you've been put through all this, chile. I’m so glad you have Jake to look after you and keep you safe from harm.”

“
Mrs. Jenkins—” she said.

“
Aurelia. Please call me Aurelia,” she interrupted warmly, her round cheeks resembling apples as she smiled. “We're old friends now.”