Cassie's Cowboy Crave: Witness Protection - Rancher Style (Sweet Montana Bride Series) (23 page)

The steady fall of rain thrummed against the awning above. And though no sounds of thunder shook the ground, unseen bolts of lightning surged between them. The magnetic charge dissolved her inhibitions, and she couldn’t squelch her desire to touch the perfect planes of his masculine face. With movements candid and raw, Cassie reached out, rested her palms along his roughly shaven cheeks, admiring each handsome feature. The cool drops on his skin gathered beneath her touch, racing toward her fingertips as they slid along his strong jaw, down the sides of his neck.

Shane’s hands, resting at her hips, squeezed into her flesh before flattening against her, the heat of his palms penetrating her bathing suit as they moved longingly up her back. In the shaded light, his eyes looked more brown than hazel; the heat she saw in them causing her heart to hammer. A frigid breeze kicked up in that moment, but the warmth of his body, mingled with the intensity of his gaze, chased away the chill.

“Cassie,” he murmured before pulling her closer.

She let her eyes close as Shane pressed a kiss to her cheek. He rubbed the scruff along his jaw on her face, back and forth before kissing her cheek again, closer to her lips this time. He repeated the action again, inching toward her mouth while thrilling her with the rough touch of his facial hair one moment, tempting her with the softness of his kiss the next. Goose bumps rose in a ripple over her skin, the tension building within her as she waited for his kiss.

At last his mouth met hers, teasing as he pressed light, lingering kisses to her bottom lip, one after the next, urging her to respond.

The act unleashed every ounce of desire she felt for him. The need to be held in his strong arms. Her longing to be closer to him. To belong to him.

With a barely conscious thought, Cassie released the pent-up passion within her, greeting his next kiss with her parted lips, ready to indulge in it.  Get lost in it.

Shane Emerson was skilled in ways she’d never imagined. It seemed as if every move he made added to her bliss, fed her pleasure. His hand, large and strong, gripped at her hair, tilting her head as he deepened the kiss. The groan that sounded from his chest was low, masculine, and assured her that he felt the same.

Cassie sighed, the small sound getting lost in him as she ran hands through his hair in return. The cool, wet strands sliding between her fingers. His lips toyed with hers as he gripped her waist once more, pressing her firmly against the sliding glass door. His kiss was heated, driven, and loaded with a new sense of conviction. At once his mouth left hers and traveled to her neck, just below her earlobe. The urgency reached a fevered peak as he trailed kisses down her throat.

Cassie felt her body melt, her muscles weaken as Shane slowed his pace, moving his lips over her shoulder achingly slow. She might have collapsed to the ground had the weight of Shane’s muscular build not held her in place.

A rash of voices broke into the moment, and it took Cassie a second to tune into them. “Shane, you devil,” Trey bellowed. “Do we need to come back later? Leave the newlyweds alone?”

Shane broke away from Cassie, gazed at her longingly with a full-on fire in his eyes. Cassie found herself wishing the newlywed thing were true. Wishing she truly belonged to him.

“No,” Shane said, his voice raspy and weak. His eyes pierced hers as he added, “We’ll take this inside.”

Cassie could almost hear her heart thump an extra beat out of rhythm.

The guys whooped and hollered in response. Shane backed away, his eyes never leaving hers.

Cassie’s mind raced.
Did
Shane intend to take things inside? Finish where he left off? Her chin began to tremble from the cold, the absence of his warm touch. She cleared her throat, eyeing the ranch hands as they stood shuffling from one foot to the next while waiting to enter the hot tub. Trey gave her a wide smile while wagging his brows.

“Better shut those windows tight, Shane,” Randy bellowed. “There are a lot of us wolves out here with keen hearing and devilish minds.” As if proving his point, the muscled ranch hand tipped his head back and let out a howl. A few of the others joined in.

Shane rolled his eyes, grazing Cassie’s hip with one straightened arm, and reached for the handle to the door. He pulled Cassie away from the glass before sliding it open. “Go ahead,” he said, nodding toward the dining area.

The walk down the hallway felt awkward and strained. Cassie could hear Shane’s muted footsteps as he followed paces behind. Her mind was everywhere at once. What would happen now? How much would she allow to happen? She couldn’t help but think getting involved with Shane was a terrible mistake. Sure, his brothers had taken to married life, but perhaps Shane wanted nothing to do with it. The last thing Cassie needed was another attachment she had to let go of. One more hole in her heart – one she may never fully fill.

As she stepped into Shane’s bedroom, her eyes went to his window, peeking through the half-open blinds to see that it was already shut. Her heart throbbed painfully as she eyed the bed, wondering when Shane would make his move.
If
he would.

He’d followed her into the room, but stopped just beyond the doorway, avoiding her gaze. He wasn’t sure either –  she could tell. Shane Emerson was nothing if not honest. Decent. And he didn’t want to give her the wrong idea.

It felt as if her heart had torn in two, the larger portion sinking to the ground beneath her feet. Cassie envisioned treading over it as she stepped toward the bathroom, wavering at the entryway. She spun around to look at him, relaying a list of unspoken questions with her gaze, wishing he’d give her an answer: Did he care for her? Could he see himself married to her one day? Had he fallen hopelessly in love with her, as she had him?

Shane nodded toward the bathroom, his feet planted in place a safe distance from her. “You go ahead,” he murmured. “I’ll change in here.”

~+~

Shane forced himself not to watch as Cassie made her way out of the room. From the corner of his eye, he saw the door shut. He wanted to punch a hole in the wall and spew curses loud enough for the horses to hear. Instead, he wadded up the towel in his hand and flung it across the room, muttering under his breath. A volcano of frustration erupted inside him, burning every muscle in his body with angry heat. Why had he suddenly been forced to make a decision he wasn’t at all ready to make?

When Shane had told Trey he’d be taking things inside, he’d meant every word. Yet when he’d followed her down the hallway, her slim figure taunting him just yards ahead, he couldn’t help but think things were moving dangerously fast. And the last thing he needed was another crash and burn.

He paced the floor and forced out a slow breath through pursed lips, running a hand along his jaw. He had the rest of the day to spend with this woman. He only hoped whatever Cassie chose to do, it would take them out of the house. Away from the bed. Just glancing at the king-sized mattress made Shane want to tear open the door, drag Cassie back to his room, and have his way with her.

With great effort, Shane ripped his thoughts away from the tempting visions and focused on the few things he knew for certain: First: Cassie Lovell could be leaving any day. Second: Shane had fallen in love with her. And third: He had no idea whether or not she felt the same.

He didn’t know how much time he had, but one last thing was certain: Before Cassie left Emerson Ranch, Shane was going to find out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Cassie could not bring herself to even consider kissing Shane goodnight. Not while she was so unsure of his feelings for her. Though a voice in her head said Shane had made it obvious. During the movie they’d gone to see, Shane held Cassie’s hand, his strong, slightly calloused fingers gently caressing her palm before linking in and out of their grip. Not only had the action been sensual, it had infused Cassie with a sense of comfort where he was concerned. She was safe with him, in more ways than one. Surely Shane Emerson made it clear that he cared for her, but that didn’t mean he loved her.

“You coming?” Shane stood just outside the open truck door, the yellowed interior light reaching beyond the cab to touch his handsome face in the night.

Cassie glanced down at the hand he held out to her before meeting his gaze. A dose of heat flared within her chest. The magnitude of her growing love for him, combined with the all-consuming pull he had on her, caused sheer havoc within her heart. So much that it hurt. She slid along the seat and dropped her gaze to the damp ground at Shane’s feet.

“Don’t forget your food,” he said, nodding to the box of leftovers on the seat.

“Oh yeah. Thanks.” Cassie reached for the box, securing it in one hand. She hadn’t known how to explain her lack of appetite at the restaurant, but at least she hadn’t wasted the meal. Perhaps by the time Shane went to sleep her appetite would return and she could eat it then. It was sure to be a sleepless night; filled with restless thoughts and questions, along with inevitable doubts as to how Shane felt for her. At some point, Cassie would be forced to make a choice, like she’d learned to do so many years ago. Sure, they hadn’t heard so much as a whisper from Seattle on the case, but that didn’t mean much. Things could change in the blink of an eye and Cassie could be on an airplane, saying goodbye to Emerson Ranch and all the wonderful people there.

“Are you alright?” Shane asked, breaking into her concentration. While Cassie had been stuck in her musings, Shane had escorted her up the steps and to the front door. His face was devastatingly handsome beneath the warm porch light. His alluring eyes dark and friendly all at once.

Cassie cleared her throat. “Yeah.” Her gaze shifted to the door before settling back on him. “Thank you for dinner, and the movie, and the …”

“The hot tub?” Shane’s brows arched as he flashed her a wicked smile.

She couldn’t help but laugh as her face flushed with heat. “That too.”

Shane looked down at his feet, nudging the doormat with his boot. When his hazel eyes met hers once more, the warmth in her face spread throughout every inch of her body, igniting passions she didn’t want to feel.

In a slow, almost hesitant manner, Shane reached out to her, securing one warm hand behind her neck. His brows furrowed in concentration as he looked at her. Like she was a complicated puzzle to solve. Or a problem he had to fix. The expression terrified her. Made her wonder if he was just about to apologize for leading her on. To say he’d never really felt anything for her at all. He might admit he’d been thinking about Natasha since she came into town, and ask for permission to tell the woman about the farce so he could start dating his ex once more.

“Cassie,” he said in a raspy whisper.

But it was too much. She couldn’t possibly hear the words she feared would come. She was better off never knowing. Left to imagine that perhaps he really did love her, even if he never had. With that very thought urging her next move, Cassie backed away from him.

“You don’t have to say anything to me, Shane. Alright?” She glanced up in time to see the confusion in his eyes.

His lips tightened into a straight line.

Cassie turned her attention to the door, hoping to escape the dreaded conversation he’d intended to start. Yet just as she gripped the knob, ready to slip into the silence of the home, Shane spoke from behind.

“I think we need to talk,” he said. “Don’t you?”

She let out a deep sigh and shook her head, unwilling to turn back and face him. “Not really.” Cassie’s voice sounded cold and calloused. She regretted the tone but there was no going back. So she carried forward, glancing at him over one shoulder. “I’m not sure we have much to talk about. But I do want to make one thing clear.” She fought the tremble of her lower lip. “You don’t owe me anything. Okay?” And she meant it. He’d given her enough. A safe place to stay. The kind & loving warmth of the ranch. And a romance that was far too good to be true. Shane didn’t have to apologize for the fact that he hadn’t fallen in love with her. That he still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend, if, in fact, he did. Either way, she was better off not knowing.

“Wait.” Shane rested a hand on her shoulder.

Cassie spun around to face him, daring him to speak up, praying he’d say what she so desperately wanted to hear.
Say it, Shane. Please, please say  you love me.
Her heart pumped faster at the mere thought. She exhaled a shaky breath.

Shane licked his lips. Cleared his throat. “I uh, don’t want you walking into an empty house alone,” he said.

Her face flushed with embarrassed heat as she dropped her chin. There was a delicate balance in life, knowing when to hold on or let go. And though it would hurt more than anything she’d suffered in years, Cassie wished the whole marriage charade between her and Shane would end once and for all. Shane was not her husband. And as much as it pained her, she would never be his wife. She would have to face the process of letting go sooner or later, and in that moment, Cassie couldn’t think of a better time to start.

~+~

For the life of him, Shane could not figure out where Cassie was coming from. What had she meant by saying they had nothing to talk about? And that he didn’t owe her anything? What did that even mean? All he’d wanted to do was let Cassie know where he stood. See if she felt the same. Yet she’d cut him off; completely unwilling to talk about it and she didn’t even know what
it
was.

Or maybe she did. Perhaps Cassie had known exactly what he was going to say, and she’d been desperate to stop him because she didn’t love him in return.

Didn’t love him in return.
The words encased him like a desolate graveyard. He took a step back, eyeing Cassie where she stood in the doorway, the box of leftovers in her hands. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, shoulders tense, face pained.

Cassie was trying to stop him from professing his undying love before it embarrassed them both any further.

Without looking at him, she reached over and flicked on the light. Shane watched her feet as she shuffled slowly toward the kitchen, away from him.