Joseph (15 page)

Ember’s eyes searched his face. Her features started to relax and he felt the anger begin to melt from her tense frame. She nodded.

He reached up and cupped her neck in his hand running his thumb over her cheekbone.

She closed her eyes and pushed into his hand. He lowered his lips to hers and brushed a soft kiss along her lips. “Thank you. Now, would you do me a favor while I talk with Gabriel?”

“I’d do anything for you, Joey.” Ember’s whispered reply hit him in the gut slugging the air out of him.

He smiled softly. “That’s my good girl. Go back to the ranch house and get me a shirt and a pair of boots. Dixon and Drake should have something I can wear.”

He kissed her one more time before he spun her around and pushed her towards the door. He watched her leave before he turned around.

The amused looks from the three men in the room immediately pissed him off. “What?”

Gabriel’s smile taunted him. “Wow, when a King falls, he falls hard.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. There can never be anything between us. An assassin can’t afford to have a life. You know that as well as I do.”

Gabriel nodded. “True. Which is why we need to focus on the mission at hand and your exit strategy.”

Joseph’s eyes darted toward his boss. The man was up to something. He had never given any input to Joseph’s operations. Joseph was a loner. He planned his own insertions and exit strategies. Gabriel’s comment lingered ominously. The man outlined his vision for the op and Joseph accepted most of the ideas, modifying the timelines, working the logistics and rearranging the events to work within his skill set and capitalizing on his talents. As the plan unfolded, Joseph smiled. Gabriel was a certified genius. The plan was set and the countdown started. Joseph’s biggest obstacle? Not getting killed.

Ember sat in the porch swing, her mind lost in thought. After she had taken Joey clothes and a pair of boots, she’d had absolutely nothing to do. It was a foreign feeling. Nobody to watch over, no patients to see, no laundry list of things that needed to be accomplished. After walking around the training facility and as much of the ranch as she felt comfortable traversing she sat down on the huge porch swing at the main house. She gazed out at the pasture filled with brown and white cows. Horses stomped their massive feet in the corral by the barn. Ember shivered. Those huge animals scared her, but the sweet old collie that sat next to her seemed to know she needed comfort. Ember was lost in thought and didn’t notice the woman until she spoke.

“Hi. I’m Keelee Marshall. My dad owns this ranch. I run it. Are you with Guardian? One of the Security Officers or a team member?”

Ember jumped in surprise sending the porch swing in motion and the dog trotting to the woman who spoke. She blinked and gawked at the Amazon standing before her. Long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail framed beautiful blue eyes. The woman possessed a body Ember would kill for. Ember had always wanted to be a thin, athletic type, but God ‘blessed’ her with an abundance of curves. She watched the gorgeous woman scratch the dog behind the ears.

“Ummm…no, I’m Ember Harris. I’m a doctor.” Ember scooted over so the woman could sit down with her.

The woman looked up and gave the dog a final pat. “You’re a doctor, too? Yeah, well, that just about figures doesn’t it.” Ember detected an immediate chill in the woman’s attitude.

“Okay, look I’m not sure why that would make a difference. I’ll be here for a while and I don’t want any uncomfortable situations. Did I do something wrong?”

Keelee cut her eyes towards Ember and Ember felt the aggression as if she’d been slapped. Finally, the woman shook her head and gave a sigh. “No. I don’t have any right to be jealous, but just to be fair you should know. I used to love him.”

Ember paled and felt sick but forced herself to ask, “Did Joey love you, too?”

Keelee jerked her head back and raised both eyebrows. “Joey? Who’s Joey? No I’m talking about Adam.”

“Adam? You mean Dr. Cassidy? Why would I need to know you love him? I’m here with Joey.”

Keelee looked at Ember blankly before she broke into a relieved laugh. “You mean I’ve been worried sick for the last three days about you and Adam, and there is nothing between you?”

“Obviously. Who told you there was?”

Keelee dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her face. “I saw him almost carry you off the helicopter when it landed. He kept his arm around you even after the patients were unloaded. I guess I misread the whole thing.”

“I was exhausted. I was airsick and terrified of the blades on that helicopter. Dr. Cassidy was nice. He was a complete gentleman.” Ember bumped Keelee’s shoulder with her own. “Why didn’t you ask him?”

Keelee dropped back onto the cushion of the seat and stared at Ember. “That story would take a bottle or two of wine. Got any plans?”

“God no! Go get the wine. Believe me, I could use a drink about now.” Ember waved towards the door.

Keelee lifted gracefully to her feet and Ember once again marveled at the beauty of the woman. “Be right back. Red or white?

Ember chuckled, “As long as it will get me drunk it could be green and I wouldn’t care.”

“Got it. Whiskey it is.”

Ember pushed off, setting the swing into motion again. Looking towards the little hospital, she chided herself. She loved him and had no idea what to do with it. Should she tell him? What if he went after the cartel and died without knowing? If she told him, would he reject her? Lord he already had, hadn’t he?
There is no way this, what’s happening here, has a snowball’s chance of becoming anything other than a one and done
. She finally understood the meaning behind his warning. God what a mess. What was she going to do?

Keelee came back out to the porch and handed a glass to Ember then poured a dark liquor into her tumbler. She poured a generous portion for herself and settled back into the swing cushion.

“First let me apologize again for the jealous scene earlier. It’s hard. Harder than I could imagine trying to pretend I don’t know him.”

Ember was taking a sip of her drink when Keelee’s last comment registered. She swallowed quickly and coughed at the deep burn from the whiskey going down wrong. Keelee laughed and patted her on the back waiting for Ember to breathe.

“Why would you pretend not to know him? You said you loved him. I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”

Keelee sighed and took a healthy sip before she rolled her eyes towards Ember. “About two years ago my sister, Tori, brought Jacob, her now-husband, and his team to the ranch. Jacob had been injured and he came out here to heal. Adam was a part of that team, and he and I had an immediate attraction. We were moving cattle from the upper pastures, the weather was nasty and my bad chest cold became pneumonia. The four of us, Jacob, Tori, Adam and I, were up at a line shack a day’s ride from here. There was some bad weather coming in, but I was laid out and needed rest. So, Adam stayed at the line shack to take care of me while the others finished the cattle drive.”

Keelee swirled the liquid and took another drink. “I guess the best way to explain it is I had more of an attraction than he did. He turned me down in no uncertain terms. Some things were said that couldn’t be unsaid.” Keelee sighed and looked out towards the Black Hills. “He tried a couple times to talk to me about it afterwards, but God, I was so humiliated. I built a wall so tall and broad nobody could get around it. He left with his team and then was injured.” Her eyes misted up and she waved towards her own face indicating her eye. “He lost his eye and according to scuttlebutt around here he lost a portion of his memory. He doesn’t remember me, and I can’t forget the rejection or the humiliation. I’ve avoided him. It hasn’t been hard. He has shown absolutely no interest in getting involved with either the training Guardian does here or the ranch itself. So, I just go about my day-to-day life and pretend he isn’t here. I pretend I don’t know him. The guys tell me he’s changed. He used to be such a happy person. He never smiles anymore. Did you know he has dimples so deep they look like slashes? I don’t know if he has smiled since he’s been back.”

Keelee finished her whiskey and refilled both glasses. “So that’s why I need a drink. Why do you?” She sat the bottle back on the rail of the porch.

Ember pointed toward the training complex. “Joseph is over there doing something with his boss, Gabriel. My problem is that I love him and I know he doesn’t love me. He has spent an inordinate amount of time telling me whatever is between us ends when he leaves. I don’t know whether or not I should tell him how I feel.” Ember took another drink of her whiskey. The burn no longer registered. Damn smooth stuff.

“You want my advice? Not that I’m in any position to give it.” Keelee pushed the swing, setting it swaying again.

“I’ll take any advice I can get.” Ember’s eyes never left Gabriel and Joey’s progress across the clearing to another building beyond the clinic.

“Don’t put up walls. I’ll never know what Adam wanted to say to me. It haunts me.”

Ember sighed when Gabriel and Joseph entered the building. Holding her glass out to Keelee she nodded and clicked the other woman’s glass. “No walls. Good advice.”

*

Joseph left Gabriel in the communications office after he had gotten the information he needed from Jared. The plan had a chance of succeeding. The earth, moon, and all the planets had to align correctly, but it was the best chance at ending Morales’ reign and keeping Ember safe. He had seven days of meds and a psych eval before he would force himself to leave her.

Joseph had stopped by the small pharmacy before he headed back to the house. He had plans for his woman tonight. He heard them before he saw them. The Ember and Keelee sat on the porch swing and laughed riotously. He paused and chuckled at the overt mannerisms of the two women in front of him. They both had evidently been drinking. Joseph looked at the setting sun. Drunk at six thirty? How the hell did that happen? Better question—why were they drunk? Her beautiful auburn curls bounced around her face. The woman’s body should have been illegal. Her curves killed him. And that ass? God, he’d crawl on his knees for ten miles behind her just to enjoy the view.

He sauntered forward until Ember saw him. Her face lit up. “Joey! Hi! Do you know Keelee? Keelee, this is Joey.”

Keelee broke into giggles and pushed Ember, nearly upending her from the swing. “Yeah, I know him. He’s a King! That makes him my sister’s brother-in-law.” She stopped and looked over at him with an entirely befuddled look on her face. “Right?”

Joseph couldn’t help the smile that pulled on his lips. “Surprisingly, yes. How about I help you ladies into the house?”

Ember scoffed at him. “No, you’re the injured one. We should be helping you into the house.” Joseph stretched forward and steadied Ember as she stood.

Keelee sniggered. “Nah, I’ll sit right here. Besides, Clint is supposed to come by tonight.” She scrunched her nose in distaste. “He jus’ wants to date me ‘cause he’s after my daddy’s ranch. Not happening no matter how lonely I get.”

Ember pulled her arm from Joseph’s hand and teetered over to Keelee. She dropped to her knees in front of the other woman and gently patted her knee. “You gotta knock down the walls, Keelee. No more walls. We clear?”

Keelee smiled sadly and nodded. “No more walls. Gotcha.”

Joseph tried valiantly not to laugh at the women. He helped steady Ember when she stood up. She spun and leaned into him grabbing his belt loops and plastering her soft voluptuous body to his. “No walls, Joey. Can’t have any walls or it jus’ won’t work.”

She ground her hips into his hardening cock and purred. “You don’t want any walls between us do you, Joey?”

Sweet Jesus, how could this woman want him? And why in the hell was he looking a gift horse in the mouth?
He reached behind her and cupped her ass pulling her tighter against him. “Walls are the last thing I want between us, baby girl. How about we go upstairs and make sure those walls stay away?”

The short trip from the porch up the stairs took far longer than Joseph wanted. A drunk Ember proved to be very talkative and seemed to have grown four or five extra sets of hands. Not that he minded that little addition. By the time he finally wrangled the woman into her bedroom any curiosity about the wall comment was a thing of the past. Her naked with his cock buried in her was the only thing that mattered. He was able to rid her of her jeans and panties before she started to giggle almost uncontrollably.

“Baby girl, we need to talk about your drinking problem.”

Ember’s eyes grew large before she burst out in a laughing fit. “I don’t have a problem drinking. I managed just fine. I drank. I got drunk and now I’m really horny. Is it okay for me to want you, Joey?”

Was it okay? Hell, yeah. The things he wanted to do to her? Damn, it was a good thing she wanted him. Otherwise things could get awkward. He removed her shirt as he nipped her neck and kissed her on that sensitive spot just under her ear. With a shiver, her body molded into his. Her little moan when he got rid of her bra, ramped his need up ten or twenty notches.

“Wanting me is perfectly okay, baby girl.” He pulled away and lifted her chin up looking at her intently before he spoke. “I don’t wish to take advantage of you. Make no mistake, I want you, but you’ve been drinking. I need you to look at me and tell me this is what you want. That you want me to take you.”

Ember’s green eyes opened and searched his face. “I’m feeling real good Joey, but I’m not so drunk I don’t know what is going on. I want you. I want you the way you like to take me. I like it when …”

Her face turned a deep red with the heat of embarrassment. Ember pulled her chin away in an apparent attempt to try to escape his gaze.

He grasped her chin and pulled it back to him. He wouldn’t let her hide. “No looking away from me, little one. What do you like, Em? Tell me everything you like.”

He held her gaze and waited wondering if she would tell him. Finally, she whispered, “I like you doing those things to me. I like it that you’re strong and that you take me—that you don’t give me a choice. You make me feel so good when I give you what you ask for. I like the harsh way we make love. I like it when you tell me you’re proud of me. I love you, Joey and I don’t want anyone else to be your baby girl.”

Well shit. You asked, King. Time to man up and tell her the truth.
“You make me very proud Ember. I have never called anyone else baby girl and I never will. Only you.”

He lowered his mouth and took hers. No gentleness. He didn’t want gentle. His demand was nothing but raw possession. She opened to him allowing him to take what he needed. And God did he need. “Turn around and bend over. Grasp the edge of the bed.” He waited until her gorgeous body was bent in front of him. “Spread your legs. More. Good. Stay there. Don’t move.”

He ran his hand down the hot skin of her back. Her muscles shivered at his touch. Joseph retrieved a small tube he’d acquired at the pharmacy from his clothes before he knelt behind her. His hands ran up the back of her thighs before his mouth followed his hand’s track. She jumped and moved her legs. Joseph slapped the inside of her thigh. “Do not move again, little one.”