Montana Skies (You, Me and the Kids) (Harlequin Superromance, No 1395) (13 page)

The thin material of her T-shirt was no barrier against his furnace-like warmth, his strength. It took everything she had not to lean against him. Every ounce of stubborn pride she possessed to keep from turning around and attempting to lose herself in him if only for a while.

“Tell me.”

His breath hit her ear, his mouth so close that if she
turned her head, rose on her toes… “I…I just need a moment before I go…inside.”

His hands tightened on her arms. “Rissa—tell me what I'm missing. Tell me how Skylar used to be.”

Memories bombarded her, painful jabs of what once was. She moved her head and gently hit his chin, his lips her temple. She closed her eyes. “I don't know if I can.”

His palms slid, turning her in his arms. She raised her hands, but wasn't sure why. To protest? To wrap around his neck? They wound up trapped between them, resting on his chest. The touch deepened the intimacy, and she knew she should protest the familiarity. Pull away. But she didn't. He felt too good. She needed it too much.

“Tell me.”

She had to break the chaos and form order in her thoughts, focus on what he asked rather than how he made her feel. “Blond hair,” she blurted suddenly, her voice a hoarse whisper. “She had long, gorgeous blond hair. Beautiful blue eyes.” Tilting her head, she looked at him, seeing her own doubts and worries reflected in the glimmer of his eyes.

“She wears contacts?”

She nodded weakly. “For two years now. Who knew they came in black?” Rissa shook her head, the warmth of his hands comforting like nothing else had in ages. “She was a—a straight A student. A cheerleader. She played volleyball and softball, took dance classes. Heaven forbid if I got home late and we missed a session.” A harsh laugh erupted from her before she could stop it, more than a bit bitter about all she'd lost. “Picture her in a leotard and toe shoes,” she murmured, “on stage in full costume. She danced the lead in
The Nutcracker
the winter before Larry's death.”

The pine trees blocked most of the moonlight overhead, but the beams of light breaking through allowed her to see him. See the muscle working in his jaw while he digested her words, the heat in his gaze they both tried to deny.

“Why the tears when you got in the car?” Jonas lifted a hand and stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “It was more than her laughing.”

She nodded slowly, compelled to tell him. “It was…you,” she admitted simply. “The girls. I'm tired and frazzled, and everything crashed down on me with Sky's laugh and I couldn't—” She rubbed one of his shirt buttons with her thumb, each stroke somehow soothing, normal. She needed normal. “Because I
knew
with one wrong move, you'd go back to demanding the girls stay away from each other again, and it
hurt
knowing her laughter could disappear in a heartbeat should she anger you.”

Jonas inhaled roughly and stared over her head toward the cabin. She turned and could see over her shoulder the light on in Skylar's loft bedroom, two images moving back and forth behind the lace curtain.

“What do you want me to do?”

Rissa turned back to him in surprise. “Do?”

“Tell me what you expect in regard to them. Help me understand them because I'm out of my element here.”

She fell for him a little in that moment. With those words of compromise, she saw hope, the ability to meet halfway even if they didn't always agree. “Just give them a chance. Let them talk and help each other without judging everything Skylar does or making no attempt to hide the fact you're ready to jump in and whisk Carly away at the first sign of a problem.”

He stared down at her a long while, his gaze probing, seeking answers she wasn't sure she had. Then his hands smoothed up her back and reminded her that she'd stood there all that time in his arms, leaning against his broad chest, and it didn't matter because he felt good, right.

The thought had barely registered when Jonas lowered his head and pressed his mouth against hers, and even though her brain immediately told her to end it, that kissing him was a mistake, the warning was ignored. Her lips parted and let him inside, and her heart slammed against her ribs going full throttle. Heat poured through her, filled her, elicited a moan Jonas returned after one of his callused hands slid back down to settle on her hips and nudge her closer against him.

The world tilted, the heavy pine boughs above their heads becoming blurred. Jonas didn't kiss her lightly or with hesitation, but like a man starving, one responding to the answering call of her body. His lips pulled at hers, his tongue nudged and played, swept aside everything but him.

His hands roamed her. Slid over her hips, her waist, slipped beneath her T-shirt and stroked. The abrasive pads of his fingertips rasped over her skin like the finest sand, caressing, warming, creating another ache deep within her. An ache too long ignored and forcibly buried due to a marriage in trouble and a cheating husband. She gripped his shirt with her hands and matched him kiss for kiss, unable to help herself, to stop, needing to press closer in order to better feel his body, hot and hard against her. A simple kiss that wasn't simple at all because with every stroke of his tongue, his hands, she wanted more.

Jonas released a low groan and abruptly raised his
head, his hands jerking out from beneath her shirt. Bereft, Rissa buried her face in the material covering his chest, desperate for the moment to last a bit longer.

“Dad? Can I spend the night with Skylar?”

Rissa tensed, praying the night sky and the shadows hid her red face and what they'd been doing. Thank goodness Jonas had heard Carly's approach because she'd been oblivious to everything but him. She inhaled and slowly stepped back, hoping to not attract Carly's attention.

“Please? I can ride back to town in the morning when Rissa checks on her car.”

“Caro, that's not—”

“We'll behave, I promise. Please?”

“It's fine,” Rissa murmured, clearing her throat when her voice emerged husky and full of lingering desire. “She's very welcome to stay.”

“You're exhausted,” he reminded gently, “and she's in trouble for sneaking out… Now's probably not the best time.”

“But things are better after our talk, aren't they, Dad? We'll be quiet and let Rissa sleep…she's already agreed!” Carly pointed out hopefully. “Please?”

Rissa tried to smile and thought she must have managed when Jonas's gaze slid to her lips in a visible caress, one glittering with enough heat and desire to singe her. “Y-yes, I did. It—it's fine, let her stay, Jonas.”

He continued to watch her, his gaze searching, appraising. Warm with gratitude and hot with longing all at the same time.

“You can stay.”

“Yes!
Thanks, Dad! Thank you, Rissa!”

Carly's running footsteps faded away to nothing and
they were alone again. Seconds passed and then the screen door opened and closed with a gentle slam.

Jonas closed the distance once more, a sexy smile curling the corners of his mouth. Rissa's rapidly beating heart had finally started to slow from the kiss and near discovery, but now it increased again, her response surprising. She'd never experienced this type of knee-jerk reaction, and wet her lips, more than ready for a second chance to lose herself in his kiss. But instead of kissing her mouth, he lowered his head and oh-so-slowly brushed his lips against her forehead. “Good night, Rissa. Make them go to bed and try to get some sleep, all right?”

“Jonas?”

His gaze met hers, dark and sensual. Very, very hungry. But wary as well. She recognized all those emotions because she felt them herself.

“Sweet dreams…I'll see you tomorrow.”

“H
AND ME THAT
pair of pliers.” Rissa stretched her hand out, but didn't get the requested tool. What she got was a disgusted sigh from Maura that carried to where she lay beneath her car.

She'd called Maura's house early that morning to find out who to call to tow her car. But Jake and one of the other men were ready to go to the supply store in town, so they tossed in a tow chain and, two hours later, had left her car parked in the open area by the bunkhouse.

“Maura?”

“I'm looking. How on earth do you tell what's what?”

Rissa scooted on her back and butt until she could see more than Maura's sandaled feet. “You're such a girly-girl,” she teased, her mood light despite spending the night tossing and turning due to her dreams of Jonas. R-rated dreams that made her cheeks warm just thinking about them. “It's there by your right foot,” she laughed, watching her cousin's movements from her under-the-car view. “Your other right. Are you
sure
you should be handling hot appliances?”

“Ha-ha.” Maura grabbed them up and slapped the pliers into her hand surgeon-style. “I might be a girly-girl, but at least my mama never had to drag me under a faucet to get the grease out of my hair.”

“Hey, you can't blame me. We'd nearly finished rebuilding that Mustang.”

“It was prom night and your date was
waiting!
”

“Girls, are you going to argue all day or prove to the men around here that cooking and cleaning aren't all we're good for?” Grace squatted down and then lowered herself even more to look under the jacked-up car. “You've put our reputations on the line,” Grace informed her with a grin. “By working out in the open like this, bets are being made that it won't start when you're done.”

“Maura better go raid her cookie jar then.” She scooted back into position and put the pliers to use, Grace and Maura at her feet. “And it's Seth's fault I'm here. Jake told him I planned to work on it myself, and Seth told him not to tow it to the cabin,” she complained. “He said when I gave up, it would be easier for the garage to tow the car from here. You've got one egotistical man on your hands.”

Grace laughed. “Don't I know it. Humbling him is half the fun though, so don't let me down.”

“She done yet?” Seth called, amusement strong in his voice.

Grace chuckled. “Just a little while longer, boys.”

Boys?
Rissa turned her head and spotted several of the ranch hands and even some of the male guests in a shady spot on Seth's back porch.

“Taken roost is more like it,” she muttered.

“So,” Grace said casually, “rumor has it some woman was seen kissing the sheriff here last night.”

The statement surprised Rissa so badly she raised up, banged her head on the car suspended above her and bit back a gasp. Apparently she'd lifted and lowered her feet
in the process as well because she heard the rumblings of male laughter from the peanut gallery.

“Are you okay?” Maura asked quickly.

She rubbed the spot and winced. “Yeah.”

“Are you the woman?” Grace queried next.

“Uh…what was that?” She used the pliers to bang on the underside of the car. “I can't hear you!” Rissa glared at their feet. They were fishing, that's all. No one was around last night when Jonas had brought them home. No way could anyone have seen them except Carly, and she hadn't because she would've said something.

Maura dropped down beside Grace until she and Grace both stared at her, witnessing her wide-eyed shock.

Rissa pointedly ignored them and went back to work. “Who started this nasty rumor?”

“The same guy who has the rocking chair's view from the porch,” Grace informed her. “Seth was checking on a mare about to foal, and witnessed it all. Said this kiss was so hot, he almost needed a cold shower when it was over.”

Maura's mouth fell open. “With
Greasy Rissy?
”

“Hey!” Rissa nudged Maura with her foot and watched smugly while her cousin scrambled for balance.

“She not only looks guilty, she
acts
guilty,” Maura declared knowingly.

“Seems that way, doesn't it?” Grace agreed with a raised eyebrow.

The sound of a car driving up to the ranch distracted her tormentors, and Rissa got back to work. She fixed the only problem she'd been able to find, and smirked. Maura should've spent less time teasing and more time getting her cookie jar money.

Multiple feet headed her way, most of them boots,
some sneakers and a few old-man loafers along with several wheels, walkers and canes. She watched their progress from beneath the car, making sure everything was in place. When all was exactly as it should be, she began her forward butt-scoot again. “Just in time to eat your words, boys.”

“What the—
Rissa?
”

She froze when she heard Jonas's familiar voice, then continued crawling out from under the vehicle until she squinted up at him and smiled. “Uh…hi.”

“Hi yourself,” he ventured, his gaze moving over her from head to toe and lingering on a few spots in between.

“Jonas, I believe you've met my cousin, Greasy— Ha! You missed again! Sheriff, doesn't that count as attempted assault?”

The men laughed at their antics and Rissa's playful glare.

Chuckling, Jonas stepped forward with his hand outstretched, but Rissa shook her head and crooked a grime-coated finger at Maura, who immediately backed away.

“No way.”

“Girly-girl.”

Jonas watched Rissa's every move while she got to her feet and wiped her hands on a towel she pulled from her waistband. The sight of her reminded him of the pinup calendar posted in Spencer's garage.

She was dressed in army-issue shorts and a camouflaged, sleeveless shirt with worn sneakers on her feet. But it was the smudges on her cheek, nose, forehead and left breast that made him want to kiss those spots and more.

“What are you waiting for?” a man demanded. “Let's hear it, honey.”

Rissa scowled and Jonas heard her say something
about a cookie jar to Maura when she walked by. Seth's wife bit her lip nervously and due to the talk and dollar bills being exchanged when he drove up, he couldn't help but think Grace and Seth had a bet going as well, one of a more personal nature.

Rumors of their battles when Grace first came to the ranch to help Seth recover from his back injury were now legendary, and it was said that Grace had conned Seth into therapy the first time by betting he couldn't beat her at arm wrestling. Jonas wasn't so sure he believed the rumors. Seth was a big man and heavily muscled. No way could Grace have taken him on and won.

Rissa had finished cleaning her hands and opened her car door, but now she hesitated and glanced at him with a small smile. “Would you start it for me? The seats aren't spotless, but they're better than I am at the moment.”

“Don't let her cheat, Sheriff!”

Smiling, Jonas moved forward and folded himself into the small car. To draw out the suspense, he fumbled to adjust the seat and give himself more room. “Here we go.” One twist of the key and the car started right up to a chorus of groans, cheers and whistles.

Rissa grinned. “Gentlemen, let this go to show you that you should never underestimate the abilities of a woman.”

The men groaned. Still smiling, Jonas cut the engine and lifted his head in a nod at Jake's wave goodbye. Rissa thanked the few who'd supported her and laughed at their comments. Once everyone began to wander away, Jonas got out—every second that passed a battle not to blurt out what he'd come to say before he gave in and kissed her again.

“Thanks, I—” She caught him eyeing her rear and flushed. “I'm a mess. Sorry.”

“You're beautiful.” She was, too. Success had put a rosy blush on her cheeks and made her eyes sparkle. Look in a way that had him wondering if this was what she'd look like after making love. The thought sent heat shooting straight to his groin. “Uh,
ahem
, I, um, have to admit I didn't expect to see you under your car when I drove up. I didn't realize you're a Jane-of-all-trades.”

“A girl's gotta have some hobbies. I didn't even break a nail.” She flashed him her dirty hand, wriggling her fingers at him and grinning. “Better scrub good before I go in to the diner tonight, huh?” Her smile held, then slowly dimmed. “What's wrong?”

“Wrong?”

She tilted her head to one side, her gaze shrewd. “I was supposed to bring Carly home tonight, and yet you're here and you look like a man with a problem on his mind.”

He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, and spotted Jake on the kitchen's covered porch getting ready to ring the bell for lunch. Soon they'd be surrounded. “Rissa, we need to talk.”

“About? Ah…I see.” She didn't look at him.

“No, you don't see.” Conscious of Jake watching, he took her elbow in hand and pulled her around the side of the building, then on to the back until they couldn't be seen by prying eyes.

“You think last night was a mistake,” she said bluntly, her tone…hurt? “Do you regret letting Carly and Skylar be friends, too?”

Jonas pressed her against the side of the building and held her in place with his hands against the wall by her shoulders. “Listen to me first before you start arguing their case, all right?”

She didn't like the idea and wanted to protest, he
could see it in her face, but she managed to hold her words. He leaned low and nudged her chin up a notch when she tried to avoid looking him in the eyes. “Rissa, the kiss wasn't a mistake—” his voice lowered as heat raised his blood to the boiling point “—and I can't wait to kiss you again. But,” he added quickly when she opened her mouth to speak, “Caroline is struggling to figure out who she is right now, torn between being a girl and a woman. I'm interested in you, Rissa, I can't deny it. But I—
we
have to look at this from all the angles. If Caroline continues to distance herself from her friends because she's latched onto Skylar, and then you leave, what then? It's not just the two of us we're dealing with.”

She stared at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth. “I—I hadn't thought of that. What the—the impact of them being friends now would mean later when…”

“Then you see that it could hurt both of them?” He waited for her nod. Lifting one hand off the wall, he snagged a tendril of her hair stuck to a smudge on her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “And you'll understand why I'm going to encourage Carly to see her other friends, to go out with them with or without Skylar so that she'll have others to lean on when you…when you leave?”

“Yeah, I understand.” She blinked. “You'd better—”

“I'm not done.” He smoothed his finger over her lips, tracing their shape, feeling their texture and softness. “I'd like us—Rissa, despite the fact that you're going to leave soon, I'd very much like to see where things take us while you're here.”

“Things?”

“The kiss and…whatever happens next.”

Her gaze narrowed on his. “Then why do you look so upset by it all?”

Unable to help himself, he leaned low and gave her a slow kiss that had him hard in an instant. Unlike last night, she didn't hesitate. Rissa parted her lips and stroked her tongue to his, raised her hands to his chest then seemingly remembered their condition and chose not to touch.

Jonas slid his hand up to her head and held it gently so she wouldn't hit it against the wall behind her when he took the kiss deeper, exploring her. The suppleness of her mouth, the silky feel of her cheek under his thumb, the scent of her, combined with the murky tinge of grease.

Unable to withstand any more, he pulled away even though he wanted nothing more than to slip his hands beneath her clothes. Once he regained control, he stroked her face again, watching her, liking how his kiss had left her visibly dazed.

“That,” he breathed, desire still thick in his voice, “is what I want to explore while you're here. I want to spend time with you, Rissa. Do things, watch a movie—whatever. But while I'm not at all sure how we'd manage it, the problem you sensed in me earlier is…how you're going to feel when I ask you to see me without letting the girls know?”

Jonas stared down at her, watched her face for every sign or hint of unease. He knew he was asking a lot. But the protective father in him had to do what he could to shield Caroline from the past repeating itself, even if it was at the risk of his own heart. He didn't know Rissa, but he wanted to. Her willingness to help a girl she didn't know and her fierce defense of her troubled daughter moved him. He admired the woman who'd packed up
and headed cross-country in the hopes of a better life and wore her strength and determination proudly so that few saw the vulnerability beneath. He saw it—the tears, the hard work, the exhaustion. The laughter.

“If this is too much to ask, I understand. Say the word and I'll leave you alone.” He didn't know how, but he'd do it. And he almost wished she had more strength than he did so that she'd protect them all by sending him away.

Rissa lifted a hand to her face and rubbed, making another smudge. “I do understand what you mean, what you're saying,” she clarified. “I honestly hadn't thought what the future would bring other than a new job in a new town, another move.”

He waited, not wanting to pressure her in any way. Not liking her words, but glad she was being honest.

She swallowed, lifted her long lashes to stare up at him, her eyes wide and bright and scared, but brave. “Seth saw us. Last night, he saw us. Grace and Maura know—”

“They won't say anything. Especially if you ask them not to.”

“That's true. But if we do this—whatever this is,” she whispered, “it has to be slow, Jonas. I'm coming off a bad marriage, and like you, I don't want my daughter hurt in any way. I won't be able to separate myself or not get angry if you and Skylar get into it. I'll need time to see how you two do…together, and…go slow.”