Harlequin American Romance November 2014 Box Set: The SEAL's Holiday Babies\The Texan's Christmas\Cowboy for Hire\The Cowboy's Christmas Gift (5 page)

“How punny of you.”

“No. You are a doll face, even when you're not Raggedy Ann. I don't care what you're wearing, you make my brain go bye-bye just by looking at you.”

She stared at him. “What has gotten into you?”

“You,” he said, thick desire terminating his normal inhibition. “You're in my blood, and I don't know why the hell I never realized it before.”

Those dark green eyes stayed on him. “You know this is a very bad idea,” Jade stated.

“It may be,” Ty said, “but that's exactly what makes me so convinced I need to take this walk on the wild side.”

“So you want to make love to me?”

He hadn't gotten that far in his thinking, but as soon as she mentioned it, he went straight up like the pirate sword his buddy had been carting around. “The question is, do you want me to make love to you?”

She straddled him, kissing him, and the bits of his poor Jade-addled brain hot-wired right into another dimension. All he could think of was that he better kiss the daylights out of her before she changed her mind, before she convinced herself that this really was the bad idea of all bad ideas.

But she rocked against him instead, and he slipped his hands under the blue dress and white apron, nearly dying at the sweet feel of her butt cheeks in his palms after he'd been surreptitiously lusting after them all this time. Jade moved against his crotch, getting as close as she could, her kisses matching his for urgency and passion. He held her tight, crushing her fanny against him, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth, tasting peppermint and even a little sweet cotton candy. He wanted her more than he wanted his next breath, but no way was he going to do anything to scare her away. Talking about making love and actually doing it—well, a man couldn't take anything for granted, no matter how much he wanted inside the soft, welcoming heaven he knew Jade would be.

“Well?” she asked softly.

“Well what?” He stared, mesmerized and still, into her big eyes, hardly daring to believe that this moment was actually coming true for him. Holding Jade was so much more amazing than his dreams had ever been.

“Are you going to make love to me or not?”

He gulped. “What about all that business about me leaving, and The Plan?”

She began unbuttoning his shirt. “I'm a big girl.”

Dear God, she was, a big, beautiful girl. Nothing like the playmate with whom he'd roughhoused. “I don't want to—”

“Leave me holding the bag?” Jade kissed his mouth, tracing his lips with her tongue. “Will you quit being a gentleman and act a little more like your costume?”

He blinked. “Just to clarify—”

She got up, dragged him to his bedroom. Closed and locked the door. “Listen up, cowboy. You brought your buddies here to settle the ladies. You need to do your part.”

“That part of The Plan was about bringing eligible, marriage-seeking bachelors to BC.” She had his shirt off now and was working on the bottom half of his costume, and Ty wondered if he could survive for the next six months without this woman.

“I'm not looking for marriage. I'm not looking for anything but a little dangerous costume sex and maybe some playacting. Can you handle that?”

“I can sure man up to the occasion.” He caught her hands in his. “And then what?”

“And then you go off and do your thing, and I do mine.” Jade smiled. “You'll tell your buddies you nailed Raggedy Ann, and they'll be totally impressed. I'm just hoping my Zorro fantasy lives up to the real thing.”

Well, there was a challenge a man just had to accept. Ty slowly unzipped the blue dress, pushed it down over her arms, dropped that and the white apron to the floor, nearly asphyxiated from the desire clogging his throat. She was perfect. Long and lean and tall, just like he'd imagined. Peach-sized breasts, freckles in some spectacularly sexy places and a navel he planned to get very familiar with.

After he licked every centimeter of that deliciously heart-shaped ass. “Come here, doll face. Zorro's going to show you exactly why his blade made him a legend.”

Chapter Five

Jade was horrified when she awakened in the bunkhouse, realizing that Zorro was gone, and maybe so was her reputation as a Haunted H volunteer. She slipped her costume back on, annoyed that she'd dozed off—but then again, those moments in Ty's arms had been wonderful. She'd finally managed to seduce Ty Spurlock. How long had she waited for the right moment to kiss that footloose cowboy? Forever. When the opportunity had finally presented itself, no way would she have passed it up, even if she felt silly wearing painted-on freckles. A pass by the mirror showed that the freckles were a thing of the past—Ty had kissed her senseless, every centimeter of her body. A few dot-on lip liner freckles were no match for that man's roving, heated kisses.

He was dynamite in bed, and she'd fibbed like mad, telling him he wasn't sexy in his costume. Protecting herself, putting up barriers that, thankfully, she'd let down just in time. Her body sang with delirious joy at the amazing things he'd done to her.

The thought of Ty leaving for BUD/S was terrifying in a way—but she'd sold him the notion that they would go their separate ways, no strings attached.

“And I'm sticking to that story, because it's the only one I've got.” Jade slipped out the back so no one would notice where she'd been for the hour she'd been gone. The haunting was still in full swing, though the kiddies were looking a trifle spent. Parents began strolling with their tired children toward the massive parking lot manned by BC volunteers. She returned to the ice-cream stand, picking up her duties smoothly from Frog, who'd been doing a creditable job of twirling cotton candy. “Thanks for working my shift. Head off and have some fun, Frog.”

He grinned at her. “I saw Ty go by a while ago, and he's missing half his mustache again. It's about time someone gave that cocky dude something to do with his mouth besides run it.”

“I can't imagine what you mean.” Jade handed a couple of mugs of hot cocoa to a young couple who looked exhausted by their small fry's evening out. But they smiled at her as they left, mentioning how much fun they'd had at the haunted house, and a funny arrow of longing hit Jade as she watched them walk away, pushing their stroller, enjoying their cocoa and the togetherness with their family.

She was never going to have that. To have a family she would need a man, and the only man she'd ever loved was Zorro, er, Ty Spurlock. All that business about them going their separate ways was just big talk to get him loosened up enough to say yes to her seduction of him.

“Well, I suppose I'll go see if I can hunt up a pair of lips to snack on. All this sweet stuff has made me hungry,” Frog said, winking. “Your smile is a little crooked, Raggedy Ann, but I guess that won't come as a surprise, since you disappeared into the bunkhouse with Ty.”

“Mind your own business, Frog.” She tried to scowl at him, but he was so pleased that he thought he'd guessed her secret. She was too happy to frown, anyway; her heart was singing one minute, diving into uncertainty the next.

Frog ambled off, and her mother leaned over and whispered, “Daisy knows you and Ty disappeared together somewhere. She hung out here for a good half hour to see when you'd return.”

“For all she knows, I was on parking-lot duty.” Jade didn't care what the woman thought—Ty was never going to be Daisy's. Jade had caught him first, and she was going to keep him for the few days he had left in BC. Daisy could go jump in the creek.

“I tried to tell her you were helping with other stands,” Betty said, “but she seems to have radar where Ty is concerned.”

“Tough.” Smiling, Jade helped her mother close down the stand, packing away the food and the condiments and serving utensils to take back to the ice-cream shop in town.

All was going well until an ostentatiously large Hummer limo pulled into the Haunted H grounds. Robert Donovan got out, and the limo slipped off, leaving him surveying the running tots and happy visitors with a frown. Standing about six-four, Robert was a man who struck fear into the hearts of many. He had black hair threaded with gray, massive shoulders, and boots that seemed too large to be real.

“Don't look now, but the destroyer of light and happiness has arrived,” Jade told her mother.

There were still about two hundred guests at the park, lingering because of the romantic stars and pretty strung lights, and probably because they were having a grand time at a fun family event that had been closed for years.

“He's only here to make trouble,” Betty said. “You can count on that.”

“I suppose I'll take him a cup of hot cocoa, since we haven't emptied the pot out yet. Maybe the sweetness will keep him from his mission of mischief.” It was the only possibly reason he could be here. The man had done everything he could to block the Haunted H from reopening, and so had his daughter. Which was kind of strange, since Daisy had been working the carnival tonight. Jade frowned as she walked toward Robert with the cocoa.

She was beaten to him by Suz Hawthorne. “Come to spoil our success, Robert?” Suz demanded. Her petite frame was a good foot and some shorter than the man she'd accosted. But Suz was fearless. Jade hurried to her friend's side.

“What success?” Robert looked at both women, his eyes eagle-stern, his hawklike nose somehow expressing his disdain. “This isn't a success. There are so many code violations here the Haunted Heap won't be open long.” He smirked. “Be a good girl and go get your big sister. I have something I want to tell Mackenzie.”

Suz drew herself up. “My sister and I are partners and co-owners. You can say whatever needs to be said to me, or not say it at all.”

“My words can come just as easily in the form of a legal complaint.”

Suz shrugged. “It's your money. I'm not interrupting Mackenzie's big night just so you can spout off. You can see we're a huge success and you're just ticked as ticked can be.”

Ty's hand suddenly braced Jade at her back, his other hand supporting Suz at her shoulders. “You bugging my best girls, Donovan?”

Robert frowned. “What the hell business is it of yours?”

“Just as much as it is yours. As far as I can see, unless you've bought a ticket, you're trespassing.” Ty jerked his head toward the Hummer limo idling a discreet distance away in the outbound lane. “Overcompensate much?”

Robert's eyes flamed. A slight gasp escaped Jade, and Ty's hand moved from her back to her shoulder, supporting her as he was Suz.

“You tell your sister,” Robert said to Suz, “that this dump is closed. There'll be no more of this once I file a cease-and-desist motion. According to the petition drive, a great many BC residents don't want this grubby little flea market bringing crime and vagrants to our quiet town, and I believe the law will be on my side.” He looked triumphant.

“The only people who signed that petition against us were people you threatened with some kind of financial wipeout. Like Mssr. Unmatchmaker,” Jade said. “Anyway, most all of BC is here. Including your daughter.”

Robert frowned, his massive forehead looking as if divots had suddenly been furrowed in the granite. He opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden scream from someone in the crowd cut him off.

“Call an ambulance!” a voice cried.

“Is there a doctor here?” someone else yelled.

Suz, Jade and Ty ran toward the people surrounding Betty's ice-cream stand. The older woman looked terrified.

“He was fine a minute ago!” Betty exclaimed, pointing to a man lying on the ground. “He bought cocoa!”

Jade looked at the cocoa in her hands, which she'd never given Robert, and glanced down at the prone figure. People were bent over him, trying to give him assistance and checking his pulse.

“He's dead,” Sheriff Dennis said, kneeling at the man's side.

“It was the cocoa!” someone in the crowd whispered.

They all gazed at the ice-cream-and-sweets stand, and at Betty, who appeared confused and frightened.

“It was
not
the cocoa,” Jade called loudly, raising the cup. “This is cocoa I poured myself from right here, at our family's stand. Our own home recipe, I might add. I was taking Mr. Donovan a cup,” she said, glancing at Robert. “There's nothing wrong with the cocoa.”

People gazed at her, suspicious and nervous that they might have consumed something poisonous from the little stand. Jade raised the cup again, and with about a hundred pairs of eyes on her, drank every bit of it.

Silence fell, eerie compared to the laughter and joy that had marked the evening all night long. Even the children were still and silent, confused by what was happening.

“It's clear to see,” Robert Donovan began, “that this repeat performance, just like so many years ago—”

“Oh, for crying out loud, Donovan.” Sheriff Dennis rose from his abandoned attempts at CPR. He placed his jacket over the victim's face out of respect. “Don't start that crap, with this poor soul not gone from this life a full five minutes.” He barked at his deputy to get the coroner on the double.

People still eyed Jade, convinced that any second she'd fall to the ground dead.

Then, to her everlasting thankfulness, Ty's voice split the tension. “Betty, pour me a big-ass mug of that cocoa, would you?”

Gratitude hit Jade square in her heart. She watched her mother's hands shake as she poured and handed a cup to Ty. He raised it to Robert. “Bottoms up,” he said, and finished it off, smacking his lips. “Best cocoa I ever had, just the way it's always been, Mrs. Harper. Ever since I was a boy, I looked forward to coming home on cold days to your house. I always knew there'd be a pot of hot cocoa and chocolate-chip cookies waiting in your kitchen. Did I ever thank you for that?”

Betty finally smiled, timidly but thankfully. Jade felt something bloom inside her, something that had been there a long time as just a tiny seed, but now blossomed into feelings much more deep. She smiled at Ty, who winked at her.

He turned to the sheriff. “Why don't you get Donovan to donate his vehicle for a couple of hours to haul this unfortunate soul over to the medical examiner's place?”

“I'll do no such thing!” Robert looked as if he might strip a gear, relaxing only a little when he saw his daughter, Daisy, standing at the edge of the crowd. “Honey, you need to come away from this place. It's dangerous.”

“Nobody's going anywhere,” Sheriff Dennis said. “My deputies will see to that. Until the M.E. arrives and gives us a preliminary guess as to how this individual died, everybody's staying right here. My deputies will see that you're comfortable as can be. Bridesmaids Creek is known for its hospitality. I'd say the appropriate medical personnel will be here any second, so relax, folks.”

Betty began unpacking her stand, setting everything back up so that people could have something to eat and to feed their kids.

“I'd better help Mom.” Jade looked up at Ty. “Thanks for everything.”

He smiled at her. “I wouldn't miss tweaking Robert Donovan for the world. You know that.”

“I heard that.” Daisy frowned, suddenly appearing at his side. “You're just under Jade's spell, Ty Spurlock. My dad's trying to help BC, while the Harpers and the Hawthornes are trying to destroy it.”

“You didn't look like anybody was hurting you tonight, Daisy,” Jade said. “Who gave you the assignment of painting faces, anyway?”

“No one.” Daisy sniffed. “I just wanted to participate.”

“Why? You're too much like your father to want us to succeed. Was the goal to frighten off our customers?” Jade was too mad to be polite.

“We don't have to frighten off your customers. You do such a good job of
killing
them off.” Daisy huffed, then went to stand beside her father.

“Pay no attention to her.” Ty put his arm around Jade. “Let's figure out a way to keep these folks occupied with happy thoughts.”

Jade went with Ty as he rounded up the guys, determined to put the best face possible on the Haunted H. But even she knew that after what had just happened, it would be almost impossible to dispel the rumor that something was very, very wrong in Bridesmaids Creek.