Page 37 of The Forbidden Texan
Shooing those thoughts out of her mind, she spent the flight going over what was left for her to do at the Long L. She thought she could finish up at the ranch in two weeks, possibly sooner.
In a short time, they landed and were driven in a limo to the ranch. Finally, they were alone in the big ranch house and Jake walked over to put his hands on her waist.
“On the plane when we talked, you said you can wind up what you have to do out here in two weeks.”
“Yes, if not sooner,” she said. “The painters should be done with the upper floors this week or next. When the workmen redo the floors upstairs, the place will have to be empty because of the fumes, so we’ll all have to be out at that time. In the meantime, I’ll select furniture and work with the decorator.”
“Okay, so there’s maybe two weeks we’ll be together, Emily,” he said in that deep, coaxing voice that made shivers run up her spine. “Move into my suite these last two weeks. This probably will be the last time in our lives we’ll be together and I want you with me before you go out of my life forever. I want memories because you’re incredibly special. I can’t even weigh the pros and cons of marriage and consider if I should propose, because I know right now if I do, you’ll say no.” He leaned closer and looked deeply into her eyes.
“Emily, am I right? If I propose, you’ll say no?”
His question made her ache and long for a different answer while she looked into his dark brown eyes that became almost black with passion. “Ahh, Jake. We just weren’t meant to be. Would you want to do all the family things? Would you want to spend every Sunday night with family? My family—Doug, Lucas, Will, Andrea, the little kids, Mom and Dad, grandparents? Do you want half a dozen kids? Do you want one?”
“I don’t know how to be a good dad. Mine were lousy. I don’t know how to do any of those family things and no, I wouldn’t want to spend Sunday nights with your brothers, although they have become more civil to me. No, you’re right. You and I have no future together. I can’t be the husband you want and I don’t really want a wife. I don’t want the responsibility of a family. So there you are. We may have no future but we have whatever time you’re here. Darlin’, move in with me for these last two weeks on the ranch. I need some good memories and so do you. Okay?”
Again, another question from him gave her pause. This one was easier to answer. She knew she was going to get hurt in the worst way, be so lost when he disappeared from her life. It was too late now, anyway, because she was already in love with him. How much more would a week or two make it hurt when they parted? She wanted the memories and she wanted him.
“I will if you’ll go to one Sunday night dinner at home with me. Jake, you don’t even know what family is all about.”
“Well, I sort of do, from when I was a kid and would go home with Thane. His family is probably a lot like yours. All buzzing around each other like a swarm of bees. They were nice and it was fun to be at his house, I’ll admit. Sure, I’ll trade one Sunday dinner for two weeks with you in my bed. That’s a deal, darlin’. We start tonight.” He took her notebook from her hands to set it aside and then he turned around to look at her. “You’re through working for tonight because I want you in my arms, in my bed all night long.”
She slipped her arms around his neck, kissing him, holding him tightly. She hadn’t thought through her answer, she just went with the gut feeling of what she wanted to do. Stay in his bed.
She was going to miss him terribly and he would tear up her heart and smash it into little pieces when he said goodbye. Each hour they were together, she loved him more, but she wasn’t going to tell him that and she didn’t want him to know.
She would have two weeks of paradise before he said goodbye and she really didn’t think she would see him again after that. And he was right, if he proposed to her, she would say no. He wouldn’t want to be around family. He wouldn’t want to be a dad. He just wasn’t the man for her—if only her body could get that. When they were so different, why did they have this huge sizzling attraction for each other? And when they were such opposites, why did they like being together?
Ordinary life could be a giant mystery sometimes and this was one of those times. She couldn’t explain Jake. She just had to get over him.
* * *
One afternoon at the end of the first week, Jake tossed down his pen and stopped trying to concentrate on some letters he needed to answer. He couldn’t get Emily out of his thoughts. Or her words about them being complete opposites. She was right. They were 180 degrees apart on topics like love, marriage and family.
Her sister was married. None of his siblings were married now. Everyone in his family had had disastrous relationships and they weren’t a close family. Hers was together constantly with strong ties, the proverbial one big happy family. He couldn’t even imagine that life.
His brothers had been convincing in their condemnation of matrimony and warnings about it. Jake didn’t think he’d ever take the plunge but Emily wanted marriage.
Yes, it was obvious they were not meant for each other—he had known that from the first hour with her and was always reminded of it when he was with her.
He needed to walk away and forget her.
The minute that thought came, another thought followed it—he had never had sex with anyone else who was as exciting, fiery and unforgettable as Emily was. Of all the women he had known, he had to find the hottest sex ever with the one woman who not only wanted a wedding ring but also a guy who would become a total family man—friendly with in-laws, great with kids, happy having relatives around, even raising dogs. Ties and responsibility and a cluster of family were just not meant for him. So why couldn’t he shake her out of his thoughts? Why couldn’t he get enough of being with her?
She had one more week after this one at the Long L Ranch and then she would be finished staying on the ranch. She would come back for furniture deliveries and to work with the decorator, but she wouldn’t be staying or flying back and forth with him.
He knew she was working late, getting up early, had three assistants to help her finish as fast as possible and he suspected it was to get away from him.
They were logical, straightforward and realistic about their relationship until about five every afternoon. Then he underwent a transformation that made him wonder about himself. She did, too. All day they worked hard to get through with the things left in the house, to clear out what he didn’t want. At about five o’clock, he knew the dinner hour approached and after dinner they might work a little, but around eight o’clock, she would join him in his bedroom. From that time on, they were in each other’s arms for fiery kisses, blazing sex and a night of love.
They each knew their time together was limited and she seemed as determined as he was to make every night a memory. He wondered if any other woman would ever appeal to him the way Emily did. He hoped so, because he and Emily had no future together. He didn’t even want to think about that one.
Sunday he had promised to go home with her if she would spend these nights in his bed, so he had to honor his promise. He wondered whether her brothers would be as friendly as they had been at the charity dinner.
When they left the company of her family Sunday night, she planned to stay at her house and he would stay at his condo. Monday morning they would fly back to the ranch. On Saturday of that week, she expected to finish the job and move out and he wouldn’t see her after that, except a day or two for furniture deliveries. They had already talked about it several times and she wanted a total break, a final goodbye because she said it was pointless for them to continue to be together. Neither of them would change.
Jake had had no problem facing down an enemy overseas, staring down a firefight. But Emily leaving was one thing he didn’t want to think about.
* * *
