Wild Rekindled Love (14 page)

As her brain and her heart argued inside of her, she knew her body would react to his no matter whether he loved her or not. She wanted him like no other and that would never change. It hadn’t in nine years, why would it now. He knew exactly what to do to make her body sing for his, cream for his and take him inside her, loving every minute he rocked her world as his cock stroked and fed the flames of her desire.

Her cell phone rang in her pocket and she rolled over before she pulled it free. Peering at the screen, her heart slammed against her ribs when she saw his name.

I’m not answering it. I don’t want to talk to him right now.

She laid the phone on her nightstand and lay on her back to watch the sunlight bounce across the ceiling of her room.

A soft knock sounded to her left and she hesitated to answer. After a moment, she said, “Who is it?”

Samantha’s face appeared and her worried expression made Jamie feel like shit. “Mom? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, baby. I’m fine. Come on in if you want to.”

Sam came inside and the bed dipped from her slight weight when she sat down. “Where were you last night? You didn’t come home.”

Jamie scooted over and Samantha lay down beside her as she wrapped her arm around her daughter and Sam put her head on Jamie’s shoulder.

She chewed her bottom lip, wondering if she should tell Samantha where she had actually spent the night. The last thing Sam need would be to get any ideas that her parents were getting back together, but she didn’t want to lie to her, either. “I was with your dad.”

Sam sat up and looked at her with big turquoise eyes. “You were?”

“Yeah. Remember, I went over there after I dropped you off so he could help me study for my test.”

A dejected sigh escaped Samantha’s lips. “Oh.” She laid her head back down.

Jamie kissed her forehead. “Listen, baby. Don’t get any ideas about me and your dad, okay? I don’t know what’s going to happen and I think you shouldn’t get your hopes up that we will get back together.” Tears threatened behind her eyes again when she remembered the night before in his arms.

“But you like him, don’t you?”

“It’s not that easy, baby.”

“You loved him when you had me, right?”

Jamie’s heart clenched in her chest before she answered, “Yeah baby, I did.”

“You don’t anymore?” The hope in Samantha’s voice made her feel like crap. Sam wanted her mother and father to love each other again, just like any kid whose parents weren’t together.

Jamie brushed the hair off Samantha’s forehead. “I’m not sure what’s between us now. We are different people than we were back then. He’s been seeing other people.”

Samantha’s head came up again. “You mean he has a girlfriend?”

“I’m not sure what you would call it. You’ll have to ask him that one.”

“Humpf",
left Samantha’s lips. “Well, I know he likes you,” Samantha said as she lay her head back down.

Jamie chuckled softly. “And how do you know that?”

“The way he looks at you. He does it a lot when you aren’t looking, but I saw it yesterday at the party.”

“Did you.”

“Yeah. He kept watching you when he was cooking the hamburgers.”

Jamie giggled and asked, “And what look would that be?”

“Like he wants to have sex with you.”

“Samantha!” Jamie exclaimed as she moved so she could see her daughter’s face. “How would you know what look that is?”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “Oh, Mom, you know.” She sighed before she continued, “The look that says he would like to eat you for lunch. Or kiss you until you can’t breathe. It’s the kind of look I hope my husband will give me some day.”

Jamie’s breath left her lungs in a rush. She knew the look Samantha talked about. He had looked at her like that last night when he slipped his hard length inside her.

Good Lord! The man can make me cum for him with little more a kiss or a touch.
She frowned.
Maybe I should have given him the benefit of the doubt and not rushed out. After all, I can’t expect him to have been celibate for the last nine years.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, sweetie.”

“How come you were crying when I came in?”

“I had a little bit of a fight with your dad earlier.”

“A fight? What kind of a fight?”

“It’s something he and I need to talk about before I say anything more. More like a misunderstanding, but it had to do with him seeing other people.”

“And that made you cry?”

“Yes.”

“Are you jealous?”

Am I? Is that what these feelings are? Jealousy?

“Maybe just a little.”

“Then you do love him,” Samantha said in a matter-of-fact tone that broached no argument.

“If it were only that easy, baby. If it were only that easy.”

Chapter Ten

The neon sign of Cowboy Lights glared in the fading sunlight when Jamie pulled her truck into an open parking space. It had been a week since she’d spent the night with Wyatt and she hadn’t told a soul. Tonight she wanted to relax and get rip-roaring drunk, maybe find a cute cowboy to dance with and forget about the man who haunted her dreams.

“Hey, girl,” Liz greeted her when she slid into their customary booth.

“What’s going on?” Jamie asked, her eyes scanning the bar.

“Nothing. How about you? Seen Wyatt lately?”

Jamie shook her head and sighed. “You just don’t give up, do you?”

“What?”

“Maybe Wyatt and I aren’t seeing each other, you know?”

“Yeah—right.” She nodded in the direction of the bar and said, “That’s why his eyes have been glued to you since you walked in.”

Jamie’s head snapped around only to meet the piercing blue eyes of the man who made her heart stop in her chest. She turned back and faced Liz, intent on ignoring him completely.

Damn it! Why does he have to be here?

“Give it up, Jamie. You won’t be able to ignore him all night. The sparks between you two are almost visible.” Liz took a long drink of her beer. “Besides, the way that man eats you up with his eyes, I sure in the hell wouldn’t be denying him or myself.”

 
“There isn’t anything between us.”

“Then why are you blushing?”

Jamie put her hands to her cheeks before she said, “I am not.”

“Yes you are. One look from those blue eyes of his and your whole body burns.”

How the hell does she know?
“Liz…you’ve never…I mean, you haven’t…” Jamie’s voice trailed off when her eyes focused on the scarred tabletop beneath her hand for a moment.

Liz looked at her curiously and then burst out laughing. “Have I ever been with Wyatt?”

“Yeah.”

“Hell, no! Not like I wouldn’t have if he had asked, but he’s not interested in anyone but you, babe.” Liz tipped the bottle to her lips again and then continued, “Besides, there are plenty of leftovers for me in here.”

She swept her arm over the back of the booth and one blonde cowboy in the seat behind her leaned over. “That’s right, baby. I’m sure I can make you scream.”

Liz turned and gave him a provocative look as she replied, “I bet you can, honey.”

“Liz!”

“What? I’m free, white and twenty-one. I can go home with whoever catches my fancy.”

Jamie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t believe you sometimes. Aren’t you worried about catching something or getting pregnant?”

Liz wiped her mouth and pointed at Jamie as she said, “Listen, that’s what condoms are for and the pill.”

“But they don’t always work.”

“I’ll take my chances, honey.” Liz shot a glance over the back of the booth at the cowboy and smiled.

A moment later, Liz’s gaze shot over the top of Jamie’s head and she cocked a questioning eyebrow. Somehow, Jamie knew exactly who stood behind her, even if her whole body hadn’t started to tingle when he moved close.

Wyatt’s deep, slightly gravelly voice sent shivers down her arms when he asked, “Would you dance with me, Jamie?”

She turned and let her gaze wander up his chest before she focused on his blue eyes.

Damn! The man can curl my toes without even touching me.

Jamie tried to shrug nonchalantly, but she thought it looked more like she leaned toward him in anticipation. “I guess so.” She stood and he placed his warm hand against the small of her back as she walked toward the dance floor.

The song changed from a two-step to a slow waltz and she tried not to grimace. The last thing she needed was for him to hold her close. Finally, she allowed him to slide one hand around her waist as she placed her hand in his. He cupped the hand he held with his own and brought it to his chest so their entwined hands rested against the muscles beneath his shirt.

She tried to pull back, but he held her tight and said, “You don’t want to make a scene, do you?”

“I don’t really care if I do or not, Wyatt. You should know enough about me to guess that.” She tugged again, but not very forcibly.

“You don’t like it when I hold you.”

A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth. “It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just…” Lips firmed into a straight line when she clamped her mouth shut.

“Just what?” He tugged her closer and fit their bodies together like a jigsaw puzzle. “Just that you can’t forget how I make you feel? How much you want me to make love to you again? That you miss my touch—my kiss…”

“Not the least bit conceited, are you?”

“Conceited?” Wyatt chuckled softly, his warm breath flittering across her cheek. “Conceit has nothing to do with it. I know how I feel when you are in my arms and I know the way your body molds to mine as if it were made to. You can’t deny what it’s like when we make love.”

“Make love?” She shook her head in denial. “Have sex, yes—make love…” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she continued, “We haven’t made love in nine years, Wyatt.”

Wyatt’s lips skimmed her cheek before they stopped near her ear. “If you want to think of what happened between us since I’ve been back as having sex, so be it. I know I made love to you, whether you want to believe that or not.”

The melody of the song changed, but he didn’t let her go as they continued to sway slowly to the music. His lips moved down below her ear and followed the curve of her throat as she fought the urge to arch her neck to his touch.

“Come home with me. I need to love you.”

Her body melted at his words, but her head screamed,
what about his dalliance two weeks ago?
“What’s the matter? Can’t get in touch with Amanda?”

He lifted his head as his eyes searched hers. “Huh?”

Jamie cocked her head slightly and said, “You know. The friend your neighbor mentioned.”

A cocky smile rippled across his lips. “What’s the matter? Jealous?”

She replied quickly, “No.”

“Mmm…I think you are a liar, Jamie Wilder.” The swayed for several heart-stopping seconds while their gazes held in a silent battle of wills. “It doesn’t matter, you know. She was lying.”

“Lying?”

“Yes. I haven’t had anyone to my house since I moved in—no one except you, that is.” A small smile appeared on his mouth. “But I like the fact that you don’t want me with anyone else.”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“Samantha wants us back together, you know,” she said, but almost kicked herself for revealing that fact to him.

His gaze moved to her mouth and she licked her parched lips.

“So do I,” he murmured when his gaze returned to hers. “What about you? Do you want us back together?”

“I can’t think about that right now, Wyatt. I need to concentrate on passing my test and getting out on my own. The last thing I need is to become dependent on someone else, like I’ve been with my family.”

Frown lines appeared between his eyes. “Dependent? Is that what you think you would be with me?”

“Yes. I need to prove it to myself that I can make it on my own. I haven’t been able to do that.”

Wyatt’s shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Okay. How about we date?”

“What? You can’t be serious?”

“Why not?”

“You want to date me.”

“Yes. You said before, we’ve both changed over the years and that I don’t know you anymore. Well, let me get to know you again.”

Jamie chewed her bottom lip nervously. Being around him played havoc with her heart, but could she date him? Could they take a step back and just get to know each other again? What if she fell in love with him?

Not like I’m not already halfway there.

“How would that work?”

“You know, just date. We’ll go out to dinner—to the movies—whatever.”

“No kissing, no touching and no sex?”