Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2) (41 page)

In the morning after breakfast, he took his kids, Destiny, and Chloe back home. They couldn’t wait any longer to ride their horses. When Brenna arrived at the ranch later after helping Nora and Judy clean up, Davy and Chloe were leaving. They stopped to clue Brenna in on their plans. Jase lifted the kids into his truck when she pulled up. She got out and went over to him, and peered into the backseat at the kids. “Did you have fun?”

All three of them wiggled around giggling and screeched out a big combined
yes
. Destiny covered her mouth, mumbling. “We have a secret.”

“Hey, kids, I already warned you all about that,” said Jase. “Let’s save it, okay.”

Destiny nodded and grinned at her uncle. “Miss Page,
you
get on a horse.”

“One of these days I will, Destiny.” Brenna wiggled her foot and smiled. “You know what, honey? It’s okay if you call me Brenna.”

She poked Brenna in the arm and smiled. “I get to call my teacher by her first name.”

“Brenna will be more than your teacher now, Destiny,” said Jase. “She’ll be your aunt.”

Jaelle reached out and touched her hair. When Brenna turned to her, Jaelle placed her palm against her cheek again, and like before, it touched Brenna in an emotional way she couldn’t label. “I like your hair, Brenna,” said Jaelle.

“Thank you, sweetheart. I like yours, too.” Brenna brushed Jaelle’s dusty-blonde hair behind her ears and kissed her cheek. She had the same soft expression on her face that her dad had when she brushed
his
hair back.

“Daddy, let’s go to Grandma’s,” said Joey.

Brenna went to the other side of the truck and gave him a hug. “Your grandma’s waiting for you. You guys have fun over there.” Jase got in behind the wheel when Brenna came back around. “I made a reservation to talk to the wedding planner a couple hours from now.”

“I’ll wait here while you take the kids.” She nearly cracked up. No way would she ever think that smartass she met in her school parking lot would say he talked to a wedding planner. Ever.

“Go on inside, sweetheart. It’s looking like we’re about to have a monsoon.” Jase turned to the kids. “Y’all want to stay here with me during the storm?”

“Nope,” said Joey, perking up and looking out the window. “I’m not scared, Dad.”

He peered back at the girls.

“I want to see, Grandma, Daddy,” said Jaelle. She kicked out her little legs. “Let’s go!”

Jase turned to Brenna. “I’ll be right back after I get the kids to my mom’s.” He winked and headed the back way through the desert.

The rain started before he was out of sight. Brenna hurried to her car and removed her small bag, proud of her own ideas. She went inside, locked the doors, and filled the whirlpool tub in his bathroom. “I might as well get used to this. It’ll be my bathroom too.”

She refreshed her make-up before sinking down into the bubbles, glad she stuck the bottle in her bag yesterday. When she heated the water in the tub a short time later, he called for her.

“Brenna, where are you, girl?”

“I’m in here, baby.” Her body yearned for him. Since they both had been denied intimacy the other night, she still craved what he offered. He appeared at the door, drenched.

“Whoa! What’s up? You’re in my bathtub…naked.” He entered and stood at the side of the tub, his hands going into his front pockets. His eyes widened and remained on hers, but he lowered his gaze and surveyed her body in the bubbles.

“Did you lock the door?” Brenna stretched, her arms reaching straight up, the water barely covering her breasts.

“Ah, ah…I’ll go do t-that right now.” He turned and glanced over his shoulder when he got to the door. “Wow!”

He must have ran for he was right back. “Surprised?” When he came to her, she stood, grasped his waistband and pulled him close. “You said we have a couple hours. Right?”

“Y-yeah, right.” His gaze flowed over her. “Crimminy, I have a naked woman in my bathroom. What are we doing?” He unbuttoned his shirt.

“If you have to be reminded, it’s been way too long.” She peered into his eyes so innocently. “Do you mind a little delay?”

He shucked his wet shirt. “Hell no.” His eyes dropped to Brenna’s fingers as she unhooked his jeans.

“You smell good. Not like a barn.” She pulled the zipper down. “How long will you be standing there?”

“Ah, the barn thing didn’t happen. The kids wanted to see something I bought so we d-didn’t ride.” He reached into his pocket. “Um…it was this.” He held up a diamond ring.

Brenna gasped and her hands shot to the hollow in her throat her arms covering her breasts. She peered into his eyes, gulping, and then reached for a towel to wrap around herself.

He took her hand. “I didn’t get to see the look on your face when you said you’d marry me. Can I see it now?”

“Jase? This is what you all did?” Brenna clutched his arm. “Omigod. Yes. Yes, I’ll say it twice.” She broke out into laugher and brought him against her. “I love you so much.”

“Whoa, there, girl.” He took her hand. “Let me put this ring on your finger, darlin’.”

Brenna observed the passionate look on his face as he slipped it over her finger. She kept staring at it. “What an exquisite ring. Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him again, and he removed her towel and tossed it aside. His hands glided over her body. “Jase, honey. Once again you’ve made me so emotional.” She pulled back a bit, tears falling. “Will you be standing there much longer?”

“Nope.” Jase lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her ring finger. He winked, stripped completely, and stepped into the tub. “Um, sometimes I love surprises.” He took her lips in a wild and breathless kiss as lightning flashed and rain beat against the roof. “This is the best surprise. I’m still in shock, but I’ll work my way out of it, have no fear.”

Brenna ran her hands along his back and lower, caressing each tight butt cheek. This man was full of muscle everywhere. He bent forward and turned off the trickle of hot water. The room was filled with steam and the aroma of apple cinnamon air freshener. He turned her around and lowered himself to the back of the tub. Brenna sat in front of him, leaning into his chest.

Taking a handful of thick hair, he moved it to the side, kissing, licking her neck until low, sexy sighs filled the room. Needing no encouragement, he ran his hands over her breasts and Brenna arched her back against him. Savoring warm lips against her skin, she danced her trembling fingers over his hot, slippery legs.

“Mm, you’re so freakin’ good, hot. I like this part of you.” Jase pressed his hips forward.

“I thought the same thing about you, my sexy rancher.”

“When we get out of here…” Jase brought her face back and took her lips in a slow, easy caress, and whispered, “I won’t wait though.” He slipped his fingers lower, and she bent one leg against the side of the tub.

“
Ummm
, thank you, baby,” he mumbled, caressing her inner thigh with long, slow strokes, sending her totally over the edge of consciousness.

Brenna leaned into him, cradled into his embrace and her head lolled side to side, oblivion close at hand. Blissful and passionate cries into the afternoon were imminent. She wanted him so badly that his expert touch drove her into a world of nothingness outside of her body. To the land of eroticism he knew how to control. Her limbs shook, vibrated with need on the cusps, waiting…

He tilted her face toward him and kissed her, full mouth and hot tongue, using his other hand to touch her with a light finger enough to know she was touched, to keep her wanting more, and enough to hold her off until she about begged.

Groaning against his lips, she pleaded, “Please, you’ve turned me into this, now do something about it…” She moved against his hand, coaxing and insisting he bring her torture to an end.

He laughed with a slow grumble against the kiss, still teasing and holding her at bay. “What are you asking for, sweetheart? Please tell me.”

“You know,” she growled. Soon her sighs turned to whimpers and gasps, unable to control the spasms that broke out within her body. She couldn’t stop the shivers over her skin, and the trembling of her extremities. He took her to places she wanted to visit again and again. His satisfaction of a job well done burst through the sexy glint in the slits in his lazy gaze.

When the quivering stopped, Jase lifted her from the water and they lay on the fluffy rug in the bathroom. He took her with loving force and she shrieked with muffled cries as he loved her right there on the floor like a wanton warrior starved for a hundred years.

Brenna grabbed hold of his shoulders and brought him against her, and she grasped his hands as they rested on the floor above her head. Clenching and squeezing his fingers, until nothing existed except her body climbing to the peak of oblivion. Falling over the top and into sweet satisfaction, ending with a breathy sigh.

Warm lips suckled her breasts—nipping, until he shouted out in an impassioned finale.

In an exhausted collapse, he rolled partly off her. Brenna wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her cheek against his hair, whispering, “Wild, out of this world is our lovemaking. Hallelujah. Almighty hell!”

He spoke breathlessly. “We are…awesome together. Have been from the first time, okay the second. I love you a lot.” Recuperating for a short time—their skin chilled and he stood and pulled her to her feet. “We need to get moving you untamed woman.”

“Yes, I take pride in that name now. You’ve done this to me, horse rancher.” She moved out of his arms and smacked him on the butt when she walked around him. “Coming?”

“Yeah, of course. Dammit woman you rule my…
everything
.” He chased after her, grabbed her into his arms and carried her to the bed, falling beside her. Brenna pulled a sheet over them, snuggling, comforted in his arms and happy in love—satisfied in every way. “We can’t stay here long.”

Brenna slid her fingers to his nape, fisting his hair. She brought his face to hers, crushing her mouth against his, mumbling, “I love you,” against their parted lips. “You rule me…own me. You know, don’t you?”

“I sure do, and I’m mighty proud.” Jase held her, his head on her shoulder. With his lips against her neck, he said, “You brought me out of the fog I was lost in, rescued me, Miss Page. I wanted to fight it, but you made me powerless.”

“Hold me, honey. Never let go.”

“Only long enough to marry you.”

“I’ll go with that,” said Brenna, smiling inside. His body against her said everything that needed to be said, but it was more than a hot body pressed tight against her. It was everything about him.
Everything.

“I need air, girl.” He moved off her and stretched out on his stomach. Brenna ran her finger over the tattoo on his back. “Tell me about this.”

“Later,” he breathed out. “It’s not important why. No particular reason.”

She caressed his back and squeezed his trapezoids, still amazed at his perfect physique. “You work hard for these muscles.”

“Yes, I do, darlin’.” He moved to his side and put his arm around her waist. “I can’t tell you how much I loved this surprise. Pretty soon you’ll be in my bed every night. I’ll clear the office for Chloe’s bedroom, and set up our office in a corner of the dining room. Maybe later add an addition and a big family room, too.”

“Thank you. Did anyone ever tell you, you’re a remarkable man?” She slid her hand up and down his arm, savoring the feel of his hard muscles under her fingers.

“Does my mom count?”

“Sort of. Who knows you better than her?” Brenna sighed. “She’s a fantastic lady and so welcoming. She’s taken me and Chloe into her family.” What if Judy hadn’t forced them together that night? What would life be like now?
Nothing
. She would have gotten through one day at a time like she had for the past two years. The only thing different would have been the scenery.

He squeezed her arm. “What are you thinking?”

“About how much I love you.” She peered at him and he laid his hand against her face.

“Ah, you didn’t complain when I didn’t use protection. Aren’t you worried?”

Brenna peered into his eyes. There were no words for her say. She shook her head no. “I started on birth control bills after the last time.”

He nodded.

“You must know I wouldn’t care if I had your baby. We’ll be married, and as far as I’m concerned for the rest of our lives. What happens, happens.” She paused. “I didn’t know if you’d want another child. Before knowing, the risk was too great to take a chance.”

“What happens, happens, like you said. Let’s go with that for now, but if you want to try, I don’t mind if you stop taking the pills.” He laughed. “My mom thinks she doesn’t have enough grandkids as it is. Maybe she knows something else I don’t, again.”

Brenna straddled his thighs and kissed him. “I agree. She does seem to know things. Now we need to get started on that life forever with step one.” She pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her then headed for the bathroom to find her clothes.

Jase sat on the edge of the bed. “Nora said your sublet runs out in the beginning of October. Move in here.”

She twirled around before reaching the door. “What?”

“You heard me.” He got out of bed and pulled his jeans on. It only took a couple long strides to where she stood. “You and Chloe move in here.”

He loosened the sheet and it dropped to the floor. “Of course I have to talk to Chloe. If I do before my lease runs out…well, I have to think about it.

He took her hands. “At least give it a thought, doll. You heard Jae. She wants you to live here.”

Brenna nodded.

***

Later that night Jase drove the back way through the desert to his mom’s. “It’s too bad we couldn’t get the place we wanted, but the wedding chapel will work for us. You really okay with it, Bren?”

“It’s a cute little place. Perfect for a small wedding and when it’s decorated it’ll be lovely. I’m happy with our choice.”

At his mom’s ranch. Jase shut off the engine. “So, the eighth of October, Miss Brenna Page, consider yourself taken. And taken…and taken. It’ll seem like a long month and a half.” He winked before opening his door. When he came around to hers, he lifted her out of the truck. “I’m practicing for carrying you over the threshold.” He released her to the ground. When they got to the door he gave his special knock and entered.