Breathless Temptation [Texas Stallions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (13 page)

James sat back in his chair. “True, but then who would do your paperwork?” He winked at Clay. “Give me a quick second, and I’ll be right in to get her.”

“Sounds good,” Clay told him and then gave him a solid pat on his back, a sign of appreciation.

Returning to his office, he witnessed Hunter holding Delilah’s hand, and the jealous flare he was sure would burn from deep within his gut never surfaced. Maybe there was a chance that he and the young cowboy could make things work with Delilah, after all. He was about to find out.

Stalking into his office, he stood beside his chair and locked gazes with Delilah. Her face no longer held any sign of sadness or fear. She was as beautiful as ever, and his heart squeezed in response.

“Delilah, I want you—”

“Ready, Sheriff?” James said, interrupting him.

Suddenly, having James standing in the threshold to his office had him reorganizing his original thoughts. As much as he wanted to share the passions that flared within his heart, he couldn’t do it with him watching. Hunter, on the other hand, didn’t seem to affect him in the least.

“Delilah, I want you to go with James. He’ll take you home and stay as long as you need him to. I’ll be home as early as I can to pick you up for dinner.”

She rose to her feet. “Okay,” she told him, smiling softly. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

He liked the way that sounded. The image of her waiting for him to come home after a hard day of work made his throat tighten. He never thought about the feelings he’d have over having a woman welcome him at the end of the day. Nor had he given much thought to how incredible it would be to have her lying beside him at night and waking up to her angelic face in the morning.

“James, take extra care of her,” Clay told him, standing to help her out of her chair. “She’s special to me.”

Delilah’s eyes widened briefly, a soft smile on her lips.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Sheriff,” James said, stepping back to allow her to walk in front of him.

Once she and James had left the station, Clay closed his office door again and turned to face Hunter. “All right, Boyd, let’s see if we can figure out a way to keep that woman from running away from Temptation likes she’s been running from her family.”

Delilah quietly sat in the backseat of the police car and stared out the window as James drove her to Clay’s house. Her mind had been doing somersaults all day since leaving Hunter at Paradise Ranch and then coming face to face with her vengeful stepbrother at the diner. At this point, she was sure her day could only get better. Warren was behind bars, for how long she had no idea, but she was confident that, if he was released, Clay would notify her immediately.

Clay and Hunter had become a secure foundation she’d never had in her life. She trusted them, believed they would protect her, no matter what. Unfortunately, her father had always been so busy with business affairs that she never had that same level of security with him that she now found herself experiencing with her two Texas cowboys. Why that was, she had no idea. All she knew was it felt right.

Her heart fluttered with warmth as she remembered Hunter mounting his horse at Paradise Ranch, riding the property with intriguing confidence. Watching him command the movements of the massive horse had been thrilling and sexually arousing. Then her mind darted back to when Clay had stalked into her hospital room. His mouthwatering, powerful presence had enticed her more than she cared to admit at the time. When Clay had offered to be her private escort and show her Temptation, she’d been stunned but secretly overcome by the gesture.

She should have known she’d find trouble with her heart and body the moment she’d come face to face with both men, sharing similar reactions to them. They had a way of making her feel special, desired and cared for.

The thought of leaving Temptation suddenly sat heavy in her belly. She truly wished she had another option, but she didn’t. Warren knew where she was, and he would never stop trying to hurt her. He would hunt her down until the day she died. An overpowering dread sank deep into her soul as she pondered the thought that her death might possibly be at his slimy, malicious hands.

“So how long do you intend to stay in Temptation?” James asked her, yanking her from her terrorizing thoughts.

“I’m…honestly, I’m not sure. I was planning to leave as soon as possible, but…”

“But…you’re having second thoughts?”

If only I could stay, I would.
“I just want to make sure everything is taken care of where Warren is concerned.”

“Right,” James said, sounding as if he didn’t believe her.

Were her emotions that transparent that he could see the war raging inside her?
Am I to stay or go, to fight or to run for the hills?
She didn’t know what she was supposed to do. Her heart raced like a galloping horse as she wondered if she really had any other options.

“The reason I asked is that it looks like you’ve become close with Clay and Hunter. I just assumed you were friends and maybe considered settling down in our small town.” He glanced up at her in the rearview mirror. “Have you ever thought about buying a ranch out here?”

It is so strange that he would ask that since I’ve thought about buying a ranch every day since I arrived.
“Actually, I have, I just don’t know if it’s a good idea or not.”

James’s brow furrowed. “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”

“My stepbrother…he knows where I’m at. I could basically be putting myself and those in this town in danger.”

James chuckled. “Don’t worry about the people of this town, Ms. Devero. There are some tough people that live in Temptation. Once word gets out that this man is harassing one of its own, everyone will be eager to see justice prevail. That’s how it is in our town. Everyone fights for each other, everyone knows each other, and no one is ever truly alone.”

“Small-town gossip does seem to flourish here,” she teased, having learned firsthand how fast word spread.

“I’m not referring to small-town gossip. I’m referring to becoming part of the Temptation family.” Again he studied her in the reflection of the mirror. His deep blue gaze was magnified by the sun filtering through the windows of the car. “We take care of our own, Ms. Devero, and if you settled down here, you’d be just that…family.”

The sound of that tugged at her heart and had a smile curving her lips. Family was something she didn’t really feel she had anymore. Her father was her only family, but he was absent so much she felt mostly alone. The idea of being surrounded by people who cared about her tickled her senses.

Was this town really like that? Could she find herself lost in Temptation, unwilling to leave because it was the home she’d always been searching for? Would Clay and Hunter share the same affections with her, or would she have to choose between them? She didn’t want to choose. It was hard enough to figure out what she should do about her brother, but the idea of leaving her two cowboys sank low in her heart.

She didn’t want to leave, she wanted to stay. Stunned by her realization, she stared back out the window. Even though her heart wanted one thing, her brain told her it was only a dream. She had to leave. It was her only choice to keep those she cared about safe. No matter what James told her about becoming part of the town family, she knew she’d never survive the pain in her heart if she caused anyone harm because of her stepbrother.

“As wonderful as that sounds, James, I just don’t want to risk hurting anyone. I don’t see how staying is even remotely possible.”

He gave a stiff nod. “I understand, Ms. Devero. Your stepbrother is a real piece…of work. I’m sure a man like him is really intimidating to a woman.”

Delilah narrowed her gaze. She didn’t like the way his words sounded. She hated that he would use a word like intimidate with her. She didn’t want to be seen as a woman who was intimidated easily, but he was speaking the truth. She did feel vulnerable and hated that she’d been turned into a victim. She knew she had to regain control over the situation before it robbed her of everything she held dear.

“I don’t normally intimidate easily,” she told him, but she wasn’t sure if it was for his benefit or her own.

Honestly, she wasn’t so much intimidated as she was lost. Not having her mother in her life had left her hollow. The absence of her father had only added to that emptiness. Finding Clay and Hunter had been a blessing. If she could find the courage and strength to fight against Warren, then maybe she wouldn’t have to be so void of the things she truly desired.

I want to love and to feel loved. I don’t want to be so afraid to live that I never have that experience.

Her heart ached with desperation and longing. Since she was a little girl, true love was all she dreamed about. It wasn’t the shiny new cars and mansions that compelled her and filled her with passion. Love and soul-deep affection were what she yearned for.

“I didn’t mean any offense, Ms. Devero. I simply meant that maybe you shouldn’t allow a man like your stepbrother to affect you so much. You only manage to give him power each time you flee an area to avoid him.”

She studied James’s expression in the rearview mirror and wondered how someone who barely knew her could have such insight into her life. Did her emotional issues and confusion read like a book to even the untrained eye? It sure did seem that way where James Ryan was concerned. As frustrating as it was, everything he said made perfect sense.

She knew that running away each time Warren tracked her down wasn’t the answer and could be seen as the easy way out, but it was the only way she knew to keep everyone safe. Her father included. The sick, twisted freak that Warren was had threatened to harm her father, and she couldn’t risk that. The thought of losing her father was a fate worse than her own death.

“I realize that, James, but I don’t see how I have any other choice if I don’t want him to hurt others.”

He inclined his head over his shoulder to glance at her for a brief moment as he said, “Clay would never allow anything to happen to you or anyone else. You’ve got him and the Boyd family already in your corner. I’d consider you ahead of the game.”

As much as she would like to believe that, she didn’t know where to start. “I don’t really know the Boyd family well enough to consider them in my corner.”

He chuckled. “Ms. Devero, you don’t have to know all of them well, but you do know Hunter. The Boyd family would do anything to keep each other safe. If you are as close to Hunter as I think you are, then you are already considered part of the Boyd family.”

She pinched her brows tight at the bridge of her nose, scowling at his words. Was it true? Did they really feel that way about her? Why would they? She’d barely been around the Boyd family.

Besides, I destroyed their fence, stalked off after spending an afternoon with Hunter, demanding anyone but him take me into town, and then I ended up being assaulted by my stepbrother at the diner where Mrs. Boyd works. Surely they think I’m some crazy woman with way too much baggage.

“Stop letting those thoughts confuse you and just trust me when I tell you that you already have more friends in Temptation than you could possibly imagine.”

She huffed out a breath. “I didn’t say anything.”

Smiling back at her, he said, “You don’t have to say anything, Ms. Devero. Your eyes speak volumes.”

That wasn’t the first time she’d heard that. Her big blue eyes had been the window into her soul since she’d been born. She’d been unable to lie or hide emotions. Her eyes had always given her away.

Pulling into Clay’s driveway, James muttered, “Before you make any hasty decision, think about what I’m telling you. I know for a fact that both Clay and Hunter would hate to see you leave. Both of those men would do anything to help you adjust to life here in Temptation.”

The idea left her breathless. She’d longed to feel safe and secure, living at a ranch of her own and loving the land as she’d always dreamed she would.

The car came to a complete stop. “Thank you for the ride, James.”

“No problem. I’ll be out here should you need anything,” he reminded her.

Exiting the vehicle, she made her way into Clay’s home, and the strange feeling she expected as she crossed the threshold into a home that didn’t belong to her never appeared. Instead, a calming euphoria eclipsed her mind. The sharp scent of leather filled her senses. For the first time, she noticed all the rustic furniture that filled his home. A well stuffed, dark-brown leather sofa and love seat ate up the space within the living room, with natural wood end tables. Honey-colored hardwood floors complimented the entire home, and only a white throw rug covered the floor in front of the door. The first night she’d arrived, she’d been so irritated she wanted nothing but to find solitude. Never once did she notice how beautiful his home truly was.

As she made her way down the narrow hallway, she bypassed the door that lead to her belongings and found her feet stopping directly in front of Clay’s bedroom. Opening the door, she stared at the bed they’d made love on. Sucking in a sharp breath, she remembered the gentle caresses Clay had used as he glided his fingers sensually over her flesh, teasing her breasts and slowly exploring her pussy, appearing to be almost afraid he’d hurt her.