brides for brothers 15 - a randall hero (19 page)

“Okay. Camille, thank you for this afternoon. Emma thanks you, too.”

“It was a delight. I hope I get to do it again soon.”

“I’ll make sure you do. I know Emma enjoys being with you.”

Lucy started to go out, but Griff recommended she wait a little longer. “John is overestimating his truck. It won’t be warm yet.”

After another couple of minutes, Lucy insisted on going out. When she stepped outside, the depth of the cold took her breath away.

John had been looking for her and scooted across the seat to open her door for her and reach out for Emma. Once he had the baby in the cab, he locked her carrier into its place in the backseat.

Lucy fastened her seat belt, but she was shivering. “I can’t believe how cold it’s gotten.”

“Yeah. Are you belted in?”

“Yes. Can you drive in this?”

“Yeah. I’ve had a lot of practice.”

By the time they got to the end of the driveway, the snow had increased, making it almost impossible to see. Lucy strained to see the road, hoping John’s sight was better than hers.

It took them almost an hour to make the fifteen-minute drive. When John pulled up next to the stairs to her apartment, Lucy drew a deep breath of relief. “Thank you, John. Do you want to stay here or try to get back to the ranch?”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but the snow has gotten heavier in the last five minutes. If you don’t mind, I think I’d better stay here.”

“Of course I don’t mind. Will you carry Emma?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He turned and unbuckled the carrier. Then he swung Emma to the front seat. “Okay, you go first and get the door unlocked. I’ll follow with the baby.”

“All right. Be careful.”

Lucy opened her door and stepped out in the driving snow and icy air. She struggled up the stairs and opened the door to her apartment. Wind whipped the door back and she practically had to use all her weight to close it.

When John pushed on the door, she swung it open. As soon as they got inside, she struggled to close the door behind them and turned the lock.

John set Emma’s carrier on the table and took the big cover off the little girl. “Man, she’s still sleeping. Isn’t that amazing?”

“I’m grateful. She should sleep at least another hour.”

“Okay. Want me to build a fire? It seems like a good time for one.”

“Yes, that would be great. I haven’t tried to build a fire yet.”

“I’ll show you how.”

They left Emma sleeping in her carrier and John began stacking the kindling in place. Then he put larger pieces of wood on top of the lit kindling.

“That didn’t seem so hard,” Lucy said.

“Nothing to it.”

Lucy moved back to Emma. She lifted her out of her carrier and took her into her bedroom. She tucked her into her crib and made sure she had plenty of covers. Then she came back into the kitchen. “Shall I put on coffee?”

“Maybe some decaf,” John agreed.

Lucy made a pot and cut two slices from a partially eaten cake she’d made the day before. She brought them to the coffee table in front of the fire and joined John at the sofa.

“Great cake, Lucy,” John said between bites.

“I’m glad you like it. Tori gave me the recipe.”

“She’s a good cook, too.”

“Every Randall woman is a great cook. Red must be an incredible teacher.”

“Yeah, he’s the best. I wonder if we’d starve if we hadn’t had him.”

Lucy laughed. “I’ve met so many Randalls I can hardly keep them straight.”

“All you have to remember is that they’re all happily married with growing families. I told you we’re lucky in love.”

“Yes, you are.” Then she teased, “Why hasn’t the name of the town changed to Romance City?”

“I think everyone prefers Rawhide. Otherwise, we’d be full of tourists.”

He put his arm around her then and pulled her close. His lips were within reach when they heard Emma waking up.

“I’ll get her,” John said, jumping up.

Lucy let him go while she made a bottle.

John came in with Emma tucked in his arms, cooing to him as he talked to her. Apparently she’d forgiven him.

Emma made sounds back at him, and when she thought she uttered what sounded like
Da-Da,
Lucy stared at her child. “No!”

“What, Lucy?”

“Didn’t you—Nothing. I have her bottle ready. I’ll feed her.”

“Can I feed her?” John asked.

“I thought you’d want to play with her for a few minutes.”

“Okay. Come sit down with us,” John said, moving toward the fire. He settled on the sofa and encouraged Lucy to sit next to him.

They played with the baby for almost half an hour. Then Emma became fussy and Lucy took her to give her her bottle, after warming it up. Emma was pleased and sucked it down quickly. Lucy put her on her shoulder and rubbed her back, eliciting a burp. Then she took her to her bed and tucked her in.

When Lucy came back into the living room, John put some more wood on the fire and asked for a blanket.

She tossed it to him.

“Come here.”

“What?”

“Come get under the blanket with me. We can cuddle to keep warm.”

“I think I’m warm enough.”

“Lucy.”

That was all he said, but Lucy came to sit beside him. He spread the blanket over both of them, putting his arm around Lucy. “I’m glad I didn’t try to get back home,” he said with a sigh.

“Oh! You should call your parents and let them know.”

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. His mother answered and he told her the snow had gotten worse and he was going to wait until it stopped before he started home. Then he put his phone away.

“What did she say?”

“She said that was probably wise and to call before I started home.” He pulled Lucy a little closer.

“She thinks it’s okay for you to stay?”

“Of course she does. We don’t take storms lightly around here. Ranchers put up rope lines to their barns out here because men have gotten lost between the house and the barn and died.”

She shivered and John warmed her up with a kiss.

“You certainly do that well,” she said softly.

“I can do better.” He kissed her again, a deep kiss that lasted several minutes. When he lifted his mouth, he took a deep breath and returned to Lucy’s lips.

Lucy couldn’t resist him when he was so sweet to her. She felt so safe wrapped in John’s arms.

When his hands began to wander, she scarcely noticed his touching. She was discovering that excitement could be mixed in with a safe feeling. When she kissed John, it felt so right. Only, she was worried about that. She didn’t think she was right for John.

She promised herself that she wouldn’t allow John to entice her again. After tonight, she’d keep her distance. Even if she did get lonely.

“John, what are you doing?” she asked as he released her bra.

“Just trying to make you more comfortable,” he whispered.

She knew she should stop him…but it was so different from her experience with Cecil. Not only did it feel good, but Lucy couldn’t help wanting to experience letting go, to find out what other women thought was so wonderful.

She opened John’s shirt and ran her fingers through his chest hair, over his rock-hard abs. “You feel so good, John,” she whispered.

“Not as good as you,” he said as he nuzzled her neck.

Lucy didn’t know what to do. She was consumed with a tension that begged for more. But she’d never experienced such emotion. And she didn’t know how to control it.

John’s hand traveled down her body to that magical spot between her thighs. She gasped when he touched her but didn’t stop him. At that point she stopped thinking and simply did what her body was telling her.

Whatever John wanted.

There was a momentary panic when she realized John was going to make them one. But John seemed to realize her reaction and he soothed her with light kisses and whispered words. Before she knew it, she was opening up to him, allowing him to take her on an amazing journey to fulfillment.

As he moved in and out of her an incredible feeling spiraled through her, taking her higher and higher. When she thought she could go no further, she gasped as a wave of pleasure overtook her, again and again. Almost immediately, she felt John’s release inside her.

Then he wrapped his arms around her, as if he’d never let her go.

W
HEN
E
MMA WOKE
L
UCY UP
at midnight, she realized what she had done. She’d never expected their intimacy to go that far. Never expected to feel what she felt. Never expected to crave it again and again.

She slipped from beneath the blanket so as not to wake John and ran for her bedroom where she threw on a robe before she went to Emma. After changing her diaper, she took the baby to the kitchen where she made a bottle. Then she sat down in the rocker and quietly fed Emma. The child went back to sleep quickly. After she emptied the bottle, Lucy put Emma back in her bed and tucked a blanket around her.

Then she turned off the lights in the main room and went to bed in her room. She didn’t want to think about what she’d done. Not now.

H
EARING
E
MMA
at four o’clock, Lucy again got up and took care of her child. After she tucked her in, she looked out to find the snow still coming down.

It gave her pause that the snow was growing deeper. How long would John be stuck in her apartment? Would he want to make love to her again before he left her? Or would that be the end of her pleasure? She couldn’t believe that she had finally found pleasure in making love—and now it would never happen again.

She crawled back under the covers, finding her place had grown cold. She curled up to warm up her spot and settled in for more sleep.

T
HE NEXT TIME
Emma woke up it was a little after eight. John stirred on the sofa and found himself naked under the blanket. Memory flooded in as he realized what he had done.

He grabbed his clothes and dressed under the covers as Emma and Lucy came in for a bottle. He got up and knelt down by the rocker where Emma was again taking her bottle.

“Lucy, are you all right? I didn’t intend to—I shouldn’t have lost control last night. I’m sorry.”

Lucy kept her gaze on her child. “It’s all right, John. I’m sure I was as guilty as you.”

“Lucy, I can’t—I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to say.” She continued to stare at Emma.

“Will you at least look at me?”

“I’m feeding Emma right now. Has it stopped snowing?”

John went to the window to look out. “Yeah, and the snowplow has been through town.”

“Good. Do you want breakfast before you go home?”

“No, thanks. I’ll just—I’ll go. I’ll talk to you later.”

She didn’t answer that remark. “Be careful,” she said softly just before he walked out.

“Yeah, I will.”

The door closed behind him and Lucy remained silent until she heard the truck pull into the street.

“I was right, Emma. John didn’t intend to make love to me. As much as I’d like for it to happen again, we’re going to have to move on.” A sob broke through her rational words.

She dressed Emma warmly and then got dressed herself, not bothering with breakfast for herself. She could get something from the café before she left town. Leaving Emma asleep in her bed, she took the leftover cake downstairs to the office. When there was no answer at Tori’s door, she knocked on Russ’s.

“Come in,” he called out.

She wasted no time when she entered. “Russ, I’m afraid I’ve had an emergency, and I’m going to have to resign.”

“What? Are you sure? Would some time off help?”

“No, I’m sorry. I really like it here and I appreciate your taking me on, but—but I have to leave.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m moving on. I brought down half a cake I hadn’t eaten. I thought you might enjoy it today.”

“Won’t you wait until Tori comes?”

“Oh, yes, well, I’m going to call in an order to the café for breakfast. After I pick it up and eat it, I’ll start packing the car. I’ll stop in to see if she’s here.”

“Please do. I know she’ll want to wish you the best. Feel free to use us as references, too.”

“Thank you.”

She went back out to her desk and called the café for an order to go. She was told it would be ready in five minutes, so she cleaned out her desk of any personal items. She tried to keep from crying as she did so.

Then she crossed the street to pick up her order and took it up to her apartment to eat.

J
OHN HAD JUST GOTTEN HOME
when the phone rang.

Camille answered it and then handed it to her son.

“Hello?”

“John, what did you do to Lucy?” Russ asked.

“What are you talking about, Russ?”

“She walked in this morning and said she had an emergency and had to leave at once. She wouldn’t say where she was going or what the emergency was. She’s gone back upstairs to eat breakfast. Then she’s going to pack up and leave.”

“I’ll be right there. Try to keep her there until I arrive.” He hung up the phone and started out the door.

“John? I’m cooking your breakfast.”

“I have to go, Mom. Lucy is leaving.”

“Oh, no! Stop her, son, at least until we can talk with her and find out what’s wrong.”

“I’ll do what I can, Mom.”

He already knew what was wrong. It was because he’d lost control last night and made love to her. He hadn’t thought she’d been traumatized. He even thought she’d enjoyed it. That was his mistake. He should’ve known when she wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Reckless
was a mild description of his driving on the way into town. He drove too fast and almost spun out several times. But he got there within twelve minutes. He charged up the stairs to Lucy’s apartment and banged on the door.

He stood there, listening for her movement. When he heard nothing, he raced back down the stairs and into the accounting office. He saw Lucy talking to Tori.

“Lucy!”

She spun around, almost losing her footing. When she regained her balance, she stared at John, her face going white.