Anything You Ask (12 page)

“What are you doing?” she said from somewhere beneath all that hair.

“Admiring my wife’s sexy ass.” To his relief, she laughed in appreciation of his heartfelt complement. He slid his hand over her tight little bottom. “My beautiful girl.”

Resting her chin on her hand, she frowned. “What was your Oklahoma girlfriend like?”

The question surprised him. He didn’t want to bring past lovers into their bed. “Doesn’t matter.”

“True. The past is past.” Her straight white teeth nibbled her bottom lip. “Don’t know much about your life these past six years. I was just curious who you might’ve ended up with if you stayed on the cattle ranch.”

He caressed the gorgeous curve of Danielle’s rear, unable to imagine being with anyone but her. “My girlfriend was blonde.”

“That’s it?” Danielle arched one brow. “Just blonde?”

Grazing his fingertip along her slender side, he ached to reacquaint himself with the rest of her. “Why do women always want to know about their guy’s ex-girlfriends?”

“Because we want to hear you have no interest in going back to them.”

“Why would I want a weak substitute when I live with the real thing?” Hale was losing his concentration, distracted by the luscious curve of her breasts visible behind her arm. Now that he knew what made Danielle’s motor run, he wanted to rub the sensitive tips between his fingers until she arched upward in urgent invitation. “Do you know how great you look lying there without a stitch of clothing on?”

A shy smile tilted the corners of her mouth. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

Hale grinned back, glad they’d kept the lamp on. Seeing the warmth beaming from her gold-flecked green eyes gave him reason to hope she might not leave come autumn.

He watched in consternation as a sad thoughtfulness filled her eyes. “What are you thinking about, Dani?”

“I was remembering a book I read. The heroine marries a man she hasn’t seen in years. Kind of like what I did with you.”

“Does the story end well?”

“I’m afraid not. The woman gets killed by a car and her husband never recovers.”

“The poor guy was probably out of his mind with grief.” Hale moved his hand to her hip, remembering how being inside her felt. His libido sparked like a lit fuse.

“That’s the problem. He wasn’t upset about the accident.” She poked Hale in the chest. “He’s the guy who pushed her in front of the car.”

“That’s not how I’d write the book.” He gathered her close so he could kiss her bare shoulder, loving the faint floral scent of her skin. “He’d pull her out of the road so she was safe. She’d be so grateful for his quick thinking, she’d vow to make love to him every night for the next fifty years.”

Danielle rolled onto her back, the hollows of her cheeks flushed a soft pink. “What happens after that?”

Elation shimmered over him when he slid his knee between hers. “He’d finally tell her she’s the one who saved him.”

A crease formed along her brow. “From what?”

“From the people who were supposed to love him, but didn’t.”

Understanding flashed in her eyes. She caressed his face, the soft pads of her fingertips lingering along his jaw.

In that electric moment, Hale would have given his soul if she asked. This woman was the only person who ever looked past his physical flaws to admire the merits of his character. She knew, without ever needing a scrap of evidence, he didn’t set the barn aflame. He needed her more than anything else on earth.

“I like the way you kiss me.” Her index finger touched his bottom lip. “Would you do it again?”

Unable to deny her anything, he gifted her with a soulful kiss. As soon as her arms twined around him, he silently acknowledged making love to Danielle was a huge mistake. Their unique compatibility in bed made him want her even more, but he couldn’t ask her to stay. She would need to know the secrets he kept from her, and he couldn’t comply. Before the rest of the truth could hurt her, he had to set her free.

Bracing for that eventuality, he pulled away. He managed to get three inches from her delicious mouth. The short distance felt like thirteen hundred miles.

Danielle closed the gap with a dazzling smile. “Let’s make love again, nice and slow.”

Hale’s body went rock hard, ready to do whatever she wanted. When she shifted to nestle his erection against the mind-blowing heat between her legs, he shed the noble intent to pull away and gave into the powerful impulse to surge into the softest part of her body.

When she hugged him tight with a throaty moan, the silky feel of her skin launched his body into the stratosphere. His spirits plummeted in self-disgust when he realized what he’d done to get into her loving arms.

Withholding the truth wasn’t for her sake, but his. He could never tell Danielle why his family disowned him the night everything went up in flames. That revelation would prove he wasn’t the man she thought he was, and give her good reason to leave.

Making love to her with long, slow strokes, he tried to show what he couldn’t say. He adored her so much, he’d do anything to preserve the fragile trust between them.

Even if it meant living a lie.

Chapter Eight

The next day, Danielle’s body went weightless with delight when her twins spoke in unison.

“Hi, Hale.”

A taut silence settled over the kitchen when he didn’t respond. She looked up and realized he wasn’t wearing his hearing aid. Dirt smeared his white t-shirt and grass stains tinted the knees of his jeans, signs of a rough day.

Catching his attention by touching his arm, she chirped, “Looks like you’ve been working hard.”

“Sorry, I’m late. The combine broke. Took a while to fix.” A slight frown creased his brow as he washed his hands. He paused to watch the water spin down the drain.

When he reached for the dishtowel hanging near the sink, she couldn’t resist smoothing her hand down the strong curve of his back. She grinned like a giddy teenager.

His scowl deepened as he glanced at her gray skirt and blue blouse. “I’m filthy, Dani. Don’t let me get this dirt on you.”

“I don’t mind.” A shiver of alarm needled down her spine when he made no move to put on his hearing aid. Something was wrong. “Are you okay?”

He gave a brusque nod. “Just tired.”

“You’re probably starving. Let me put dinner on the table.” She felt a little dizzy when her breast brushed against his hard arm. In truth, she didn’t care about the dirt on his shirt. After spending the whole day at a faculty retreat with people who complained about the food provided at lunch, she wanted to be near a man who knew how to bring life to a farm’s fallow fields.

His posture was stiff and formal as a butler’s. “Want me to carry something to the table?”

“You can bring the meatloaf.” She stepped close enough to smell the sweet scent of summer clinging to his tan skin. Smiling up at him, she pressed a loving kiss on his lips. “I missed you.”

Those sky blue eyes of his glanced down to the open neck of her tailored blouse. “You look like a professor.”

His odd observation surprised her. She stood in uncertainty as he stared at the small white button just below her collarbone. Even though a scant twelve inches separated them, he looked a million miles away. She framed his jaw in her hands, relieved when his gaze met hers.

“Come closer,” she whispered, knowing he could read her lips. “You’re too far away.”

A strange mix of relief and pain filled his gaze. With a groan, he speared his hand into her hair and kissed her like he’d never get another chance.

“Can we have a catch after supper, Hale?” Drew’s voice trailed off when the man of the house kept his formidable focus on the woman of the house.

Danielle touched the hearing aid case nestled in the front pocket of Hale’s jeans, aware of her boys peering at them from the kitchen table. “Drew has a question for you.”

Hale trailed his hands down Danielle’s arms, caressing the skin along her forearms before letting go to insert his hearing aid. “Sorry, Drew. What did you say?”

“I was wondering if we could have a catch. There’s only one week of school left so we don’t have any homework, and we finished all our chores.”

Both boys stared with hopeful eyes. Hale nodded and said, “Anything you ask.”

The solemn gravity in his voice pushed a powerful surge of emotion through Danielle. She wanted to grab Hale and tell him how much he meant to them, but that display was better left for the bedroom tonight. To hide her thoughts, Danielle placed a bowl of mashed potatoes on the kitchen table.

Luke scanned her face in concern. “Are you hurt, Mom?”

“No, why?”

Luke’s voice wavered. “Because Dad used to kiss you when you were hurt.”

She remembered how Mark had tried to make up with her after their violent argument over the bathroom cabinet. The morning after, he gave her an uncharacteristically passionate kiss. Luke’s concern after seeing Hale give her a kiss confirmed a disturbing fact

her boys associated displays of affection with the times a man tried to atone for the pain he inflicted.

“I’m fine. I’m not hurt at all.” A flash of agony knifed through her, startling as a lightning bolt. She tried to hide her grief as she walked back into the kitchen, avoiding Hale’s concerned gaze so she didn’t have to explain.

Hale knelt beside Luke and asked, “Did your father kiss your Mom after they fought?”

Luke shrugged. “Only after he hit her by mistake.”

Hale nodded, adjusting the volume on his hearing aid with a brief touch behind his ear. “One time, I saw my father push my mother. I couldn’t believe it. He was supposed to be the one who knew the difference between right and wrong, and I couldn’t figure out why he did the wrong thing. A man should never hit his wife or kids, by accident or on purpose. I decided then and there I’d never make the same mistake if I ever had a wife and kids. Sometimes, I may raise my voice when I’m hurt or frustrated, but I’ll never hit your mom. Or you.”

Wide-eyed, both boys nodded. Danielle could spot the relief on their faces now that Hale had put into words what they’d been feeling.

“Sometimes, you might feel mad at your dad for making those mistakes. At times, I still feel mad about some of the things my father did. Some people will cause complicated feelings inside you. When you need to sort them out, you’ve got your mom and me to talk to.” Hale stood, laying his hand briefly on Luke’s head. On his way to sit in his chair, he patted Drew’s shoulder.

“I love you, Hale.” Drew’s small voice quivered.

That incredible declaration seemed to fall on deaf ears. Hale stared down at the table in stony silence and Drew’s face began to crumble.

Danielle stepped toward him but stopped when Hale folded the boy’s soft hand into his.

“I love you too, son.” Keeping Drew firmly in his grasp, he extended his other arm across the table to capture Luke’s hand so the three of them were connected, palm to palm. “That goes for you, too, Luke. I love you. I’m a lucky man to have you boys in my life.”

After a few seconds, he released the boys and lifted his gaze to Danielle.

A shock of feeling sliced through her when she saw the truth of his words in his eyes, but something else in his expression made her brace in fear. She recognized the flicker of guilt in his somber gaze.

The insistent chime of Danielle’s cell phone disturbed the tenebrous silence. “I’ve got to turn off the oven, Drew. Would you read that text to me?”

“Okay.” Drew pulled the cell phone toward him and frowned at the screen. “Did you send your

what’s this word, Hale?”

“It’s résumé.” Hale read the text aloud. “Did you send your résumé to the search committee?”

“Oh.” Her chest tightened. She carried the hot rolls to the table and sat.

Gripping the cell phone in his big hand, Hale frowned. “Are you applying for a new job, Danielle?”

“I thought a full time job would help pay off my debt.” She felt stupid for saying that, considering every square inch of the farm overflowed with healthy green crops. Hale would bring in an abundant harvest that would free her from Mark’s loans. She wasn’t used to being with someone who kept his promises. “Virginia Tech is conducting a candidate search for a full-time English Professor.”

He slid the phone toward her. “You’ve always wanted to teach at a place like that.”

“My colleague thinks I have a good shot of getting the job.” Her body prickled with the memory of Hale’s feverish caresses. After last night, she wanted to believe things had changed, but he wasn’t acting like he wanted her to stay.

He plopped a scoop of mashed potatoes on his plate. “You should apply for whatever job you want.”

“Thank you. I’ll go ahead and send my curriculum vitae.” She stared in misery at the faint sunbeam reflecting off her plate. The light dimmed as a cloud passed overhead.

“Rain’s coming,” Hale observed, his voice tight. “I should close up the barn.”

Danielle looked up in time to see him walk out of the kitchen, leaving his dinner untouched.

****

After tucking the boys into bed, Danielle glanced out the window and saw Hale’s cousin Jeff drive down the gravel lane leading to the barn. Remembering she had a carton of eggs set aside for Jeff’s mother, Danielle changed into a t-shirt and jeans and carried the eggs to the barn.