BROKEN (10 page)

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

His lips drew into a hard, thin line.
 
“You can tell me, Jess.
 
If anyone dared lay a hand on you…”

She smiled up at him, her heart melting at the fierce, protective hold he’d taken on her.
 
“No one has touched me, Adam.
 
Ever
.”

The hardness dropped from his face, replaced by a look of wonder.
 
 
“Ever?
 
You mean…?”
 
She nodded slowly.
 
“Oh Jess, Jess…”
 

His mouth came down on hers
,
and she was surprised not only by the incredible tenderness of it, but also to find his big body was trembling.
 
He whispered her name again then steadily moved her back against the bed and eased her down onto the mattress.
 
A small cry escaped her lips when he lowered himself over her.
 
She could feel him against her belly, hot and hard and throbbing, and she wanted him more at that moment than she
had
ever wanted anything in her life.
 

Kincaid
took his time, languishing over her, kissing and caressing, until she felt she would explode if it went on much longer.
 
Then his hand slid over her belly, down between her thighs, and blessedly brought the release she so desperately needed.
 
Breathless and feeling as if she’d consumed one too many glasses of wine, Jessie could do nothing but cling to his massive shoulders as he gently kneed her legs apart and pressed himself into her.
 

There was pain, but it was mixed with pleasure
,
along with a maelstrom of emotions and sensations she couldn’t even begin to describe.
 
He sank into her slowly, stretching her inner muscles so gradually she was barely aware of the discomfort until at last she had taken him inside of her completely.
 
Jessie closed her eyes, filled with a strange sense of wonder that a man who was so strong, so undeniably male could be so gentle in his love making.
 

But it wasn’t always like that.
 
In time, she learned there were two very different sides to Adam
Kincaid
.
 
He could be very tender, as he
had
been that first time, but it was more
the exception than the rule.
 
Most of the time he was filled with fire and passion, almost fierce in his love making
,
and it wasn’t until much later that Jessie discovered why. It was subconscious, of that she was sure, but each time he buried himself deep inside of her,
Kincaid
was also burying a piece of his past.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                         
***

Mitch made one final adjustment then crawled out from under the tractor.
 
“Okay, Hank, fire it up and take it for a spin.”

A few minutes later
,
Hank returned and climbed down from the tractor, giving Mitch an approving nod.
 
“Not bad for a city boy.”

“Thanks…I think.”
 

Giving his grease stained
hands a cursory glance, Mitch realized just how satisfying it was to be fixing things and taking care of the ranch rather than doing the belly crawl in some God forsaken jungle
and
praying he’d survive long enough to complete his mission.
 
He was happy here with Jessie, happier than he’d ever thought possible.
 
He would have considered his life just about perfect if only it was his name she called out when they were making love instead of his brother’s.
 

“I guess I’d better get up to the house and clean off this dirt before Jessie takes off without me.”

“She’s a good woman,
Kincaid.  Y
ou’d be wise to hang on to her.”

Something in Hank’s tone made him feel uneasy.
 

“I intend to.”
 

Hank eyed him for a moment as if he was contemplating whether Mitch was sincere or not.
 
Finally, he gave a short nod.
 
“You’re a lot alike.”

“Me and Jess?”

“That too, but I was talking about you and your brother.”

The blood drained from Mitch’s face.
 
He could have played innocent and asked Hank what he meant
,
but somehow he knew it would disappoint the old man
. 
Mitch had far too much respect for him to add to the lies that had already been told.
 
He glanced back at the house, his heart sinking in his chest.
 
Jessie would never forgive him.
 

Turning his eyes back to Hank, he was surprised to see there was no anger, no hostility or look of disgust for what he’d done.
 
 
Hank leaned back against the tractor and pulled a cigar from his pocket, taking his time lighting it before he
continued
.
 

“I have to assume Adam didn’t make it back safe from the last mission.
 
I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that.”
 
He blew out a puff of smoke, his eyes staring out across the land.
 
“He was a decent man and I think he genuinely cared about Jessie, but he wasn’t right for her.
 
He never would have made her truly happy, and as much as I hate to say it, Adam never could have loved her the way she deserves to be loved.”
 
He turned his head and looked at Mitch.
 
“He never could have loved her the way you do.”

Mitch’s shoulders slumped.
 
“I’ve made such a mess of things, Hank.
 
I thought I was doing the right thing by coming here.
 
I just wanted Jessie to have one last time with Adam.
 
I wanted her to know that he loved her and to have the best possible memories to carry her through the pain of his death.”
 
His voice caught in his throat.
 
“I never expected to feel like this about her.
 
I love her, Hank.
 
I love her so much that I can’t even imagine a life without her
.  B
ut I’ve weaved such a web of lies
,
I don’t know how to untangle it all without losing her.”

“Have you told her how you feel?”

“How can I do that when she thinks I’m Adam?
 
I want her to love me, not my brother.”
 
Mitch raked his fingers through his hair.
 
“God, that sounded so selfish.”

“Maybe so, but Adam would have understood.”

“Somehow I doubt he
would
be very understanding or forgiving about me taking his place in Jessie’s life.
 
We shared a lot of things, but never our women.”

“Tell me something, Mitch.
 
Didn’t you find it a little strange that Adam never invited you to the ranch to meet Jessie?”

“Well, I…yes, I guess I did.
 
She was very special to him and I admit I was a little hurt he never asked
. 
I figured it was because he didn’t want anyone interfering with his time with her, including me.”

“Not including you,” Hank said pointedly, “
especially
you.”

“What is that supposed
to mean?”

“Adam wasn’t in love with Jessie anymore than she was in love with him, but they were good together and he wasn’t about to give her up any sooner than he had to.
 
He told me how it was after a mission, how he felt all busted up inside and how being with Jessie was the only thing that made it all go away.
 
He said he was just selfish enough to want that more than he wanted her to find the man who could really make her happy.”

Mitch stared at Hank blankly for a moment before it finally sank in.
 
“
Me?
 
Adam kept us apart because he thought I was the one who could make her happy?”

Hank nodded.
 
“He said bringing you here would be the biggest mistake he could ever make because Jessie would see in you all the things that were lacking in him.
 
There was no doubt in his mind that you two would fall in love.
 
Seems he was right.”

Hope sprang up inside of him.
 
“You think Jessie is in love with me?”

“Mitch, I’ve known that girl almost all her life.
 
She loved Adam in her own way, but she wasn’t in love with him and she never fooled herself into believing it was anything other than what it was.
 
She’s changed since you showed up.
 
You can see it in her smile, in the way her face lights up when you walk into the room.
 
She’s head over heels in love with you.
 
Unfortunately, as you’ve pointed out, she thinks you’re Adam.”

Misery lined Mitch’s face.
 
“So how do I fix it Hank?”

“Wish I had an answer for you, son.”

They stood there for several minutes, both of them trying to figure a way out that wouldn’t end in disaster when Mitch was struck with a horrifying thought.
 

“You don’t think Jessie knows, do you?”

“Not a chance.”

“But you figured it out.”

Hank grinned.
 
“That’s because I’m not in love with you.
 
Jess is a smart girl, but she’s letting her heart overrule her head right now.
 
You covered pretty well in there about the tractor, but eventually she’s bound to add two and two and come up with four.”

“Is that what you did?”

“In a manner of speaking.
 
At first I was just worried because you hadn’t come down to the bunkhouse to see me after the first few days.
 
There were a lot of little things that gave you away
,
but the biggest one was not asking me about the ranch and how Jessie was doing.
 
You see, there’s a rancher about ten miles over that
has
been sniffing around Jess for the past few years.
 
It never took Adam more than a day to come talk to me and ask if she was showing any interest.”

Jealousy reared its ugly head.
 
“Is she?”

Hank chuckled.
 
“Down boy, there’s nothing going on between that pompous ass and your woman.”

Rage simmered just beneath the surface.
 
“But he’s been bothering her?”
 
 
 

“Comes around once a month or so in his big, fancy car with a hand full of flowers to ask Jessie out.
 
She declines
,
and he proceeds to tell her how a woman like her needs a man who can take care of her.”
 
Hank spat at the ground, looking thoroughly disgusted.
 
“He wants her ranch just about as much as he wants her but, of course, Jessie refuses to sell.
 
I guess he figures one day his persistence will pay off and he’ll have them both.”

“Over my dead body,” Mitch growled.
 
“Why
didn’t
Adam put a stop to this?”

“Because Jessie asked him to stay out of it.”

“That’s it?
 
Knowing this man is trying to steal her away from him, he just let it go because Jessie asked him not to get involved?
 
What the hell was he thinking?”
 
Mitch clenched his fists, his whole body shaking.
 
“What’s his name?"