The Rancher Returns (14 page)

Seventeen

G
avin wanted to pull his truck to the side of the road and catch his breath. But he couldn't. Something propelled him to keep driving until he reached the party house. He needed Layla as much as he needed to breathe. She wasn't saying anything. Just sitting in the bench seat beside him and staring straight ahead. It was as if she knew he needed complete silence. His mind was in a state of shock and he was fighting to keep control. Fearful that at any moment he might lose it.

Every time he thought about what Lott had confessed to doing, his mind would spin. Become filled with deadly thoughts and tempt him to turn the truck around and go back to the shack and beat the hell out of the man. How could anyone do what Lott had done and live with himself all these years? And to think no one had suspected a thing until Layla had shown up wanting to dig on their property.

Gavin released a deep breath when he turned into the driveway. Moments later he brought the truck to a stop beside Layla's rental car. Then he was out of the vehicle and moving to the passenger side of the truck. He was there when she opened the door.

Sweeping her into his arms, he headed for the porch, taking the steps two at a time. Grateful that in their rush to leave they'd left the door unlocked, he pushed it open and went inside. Barely taking time to close it behind him, he put Layla on her feet and began ripping off his clothes. She followed his lead and quickly removed hers.

He needed to be inside her. Now.

Taking hold of her waist, he lifted her up and released a throaty growl while pressing her body against the door, spreading her legs wide in the process. Then he was at her entrance, filled with an adrenaline high so potent he could feel blood rushing through his veins, especially the thick ones at the head of his shaft. Desire, as intense as it could get, became a throbbing need pulsating within him.

He thrust hard into her. Over and over again. Needing the release that only her body could give him. Leaning in, he captured her lips with his as sensations, too overpowering to be controlled, rammed through him. When she wrapped her legs around him, she propelled him to make his strokes harder and longer.

Their kiss was so sexually charged he wasn't sure how much longer he could last. He was being robbed of any logical thought except becoming a part of this woman's body. This woman, who had come to mean so much to him. This woman, who made him feel things he'd never felt before with anyone else.

And when she tore her mouth away from his just seconds before her body detonated, her spiraling climax triggered his own and he stroked her with hard and steady thrusts. He hollered her name, drowning in emotions so powerful they seemed to rock his world. A world that a short while ago had been torn apart. He couldn't stop his heart from racing at the magnitude of what he felt. At the magnitude of all he desired.

He knew then that if he'd had any doubt before regarding what Layla had come to mean to him, there was none now.

* * *

“Sorry. I should not have taken you that way. But I needed you so damn much, Layla.”

They lay together in bed. After making love against the door, Gavin had picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Then they'd slid beneath the covers and he had held her. She had held him. Layla knew that sleep wasn't an option.

She snuggled closer, needing his heat. Needing a reminder of how much she had been desired. “No apology needed. I liked it.”

“I was rough.”

“You were good as usual.” He had needed her, just like he'd said. Layla had felt that need with every stroke.

“I lost control,” he admitted in a low voice. “That's never happened to me before. Hell, Layla, I didn't even take time to put on a condom.”

She'd noticed. Had exhilarated in the feeling of being skin to skin with him. Had loved the moment he had blasted off inside of her. The feel of his hot release had felt so right. How could she tell him that? But she knew she had to.

She lifted her face from his chest, met the dark eyes staring down at her. “I liked the feel of you inside me without a condom, Gavin. And don't worry about me getting pregnant. Although I was never sexually active, I decided to get the birth control implant anyway. Better to be safe than sorry. I didn't have to think about it, not like the pill where you have to remember to take one every day.” She paused. “And I'm healthy so you don't have to worry about me giving you anything.”

He shifted their positions in bed, slipping his arms around her and holding her close. “I'm healthy, too, and you don't have to worry about me giving you anything, either.”

He then cupped her chin. “Although I didn't like being rough with you, I enjoyed making love to you without a condom, too.”

And then he didn't say anything and she didn't, either. She figured he needed the silence. But when it stretched for what she thought was too long, she moved to lie on top of him and stared into the face she loved so much.

“Talk to me, Gavin. Tell me what you're feeling.”

A part of her wondered what right she had to stick her nose into his business, to assume he wanted to tell her anything. But another part of her knew she couldn't let him withdraw. Just like he'd needed her physically, she wanted him to need her emotionally, as well.

She knew his eyes well. Just as well as she knew the shape of his mouth and the fullness of those lips that had kissed her earlier. He would try to fight her on this but she wouldn't let him. He'd been by himself this way for so long she figured it was hard for him to allow another person into his space. Especially a woman. But she had news for him. She wasn't just any woman. She was the woman who loved him.

And for some reason, although he'd never given her reason to say the words, a part of her believed he knew how she felt. A part of her wanted to believe that he knew she wouldn't share her body with just anyone. This wasn't just an excavation fling for her. It was more. But maybe he didn't know. Men had a tendency to be dense when it came to the I-love-you stuff.

“For a minute I felt like a loose cannon, Layla,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “So out of control. I could have snapped and killed Lott with my bare hands. It would have given me pleasure to hear the sound of his neck breaking.”

His words, spoken with deep emotion, invaded her mind. She had felt his anger and she'd seen how he'd managed to hold it in check after hearing everything the man had said. Of course the sheriff had been there to stop Gavin from taking matters into his own hands. And his SEAL teammates had been there, too, although she wasn't sure if they would have stopped him or helped him.

“But now you know the truth, Gavin. Your mother never left you and your dad, after all. She's been here all this time. Here on the Silver Spurs.”

She watched his eyes flash with confusion. She explained further. “You remember when you told me how the south pasture was your favorite area and your father's, as well. How the two of you would often camp out there. How you loved the feel of sleeping under the stars?”

“Yes.”

“I want to think that although the two of you didn't know it, the reason that area meant so much was because your mom was there. She was
there
, Gavin, and when you were there, without knowing it, you were close to her.”

She saw the moment when her words sank in. Something broke within him. His eyes might not have been expressive to others but they were expressive to her. Without saying anything, he cupped the back of her neck and brought her mouth down to his. Their tongues tangled in a mating so intense that when he finally released her mouth, she felt light-headed and breathless.

Layla was glad she had given him something to think about. But she knew he must still feel guilty over what he'd believed all these years—that his mother had deserted him and his father. His next words proved her right.

“But I didn't know, Layla. I thought she had gone. I thought she was living another life somewhere without us. I thought—”

She placed a finger to his lips. “What you thought was understandable. You were only a child when she disappeared. But your dad knew his wife. He knew their love. He always believed she would come back. And she did. In fact, she never left. She's been here for the two of you the entire time. And I know she was proud of your dad and was just as proud of you. The man you've become.”

He pulled her close, buried his face in her neck. And she held him. Held him tight and near her heart. A part of her wanted to tell him now how much she loved him, but she knew it wasn't the time. That admission would come later. For now this was what he needed. To know she was here and that he wasn't alone.

* * *

Bane's ringtone woke Gavin and he glanced out the window as he sat up. It was daybreak. “Yes, Bane?” He nodded. “We're on our way.”

When he clicked off the phone, he said, “Let's get dressed. Both your team and mine are ready. Now they have two treasures to find.”

A short while later, Gavin pulled his truck to a stop in front of what Layla knew should have been the excavation site. Instead it resembled a crime scene with yellow tape marking the area. Upon hearing the sound of the truck, everyone turned their way. A blanket of snow covered the hillside and forecasters predicted even heavier snow by the weekend. They would need to work quickly.

Layla saw her students standing in a huddle. They'd probably heard what was going on and were trying to figure out how they'd slept through it all. She also saw Ms. Melody standing close to Caldwell, the man's arms wrapped protectively around her. Nothing discreet there. If anyone hadn't realized they were a couple before, they sure knew it now.

Roy was talking on the phone and Gavin's teammates stood next to the digging equipment. She wondered if they'd gotten any sleep, although they looked wide-awake and ready for any action that might come their way.

She'd been so busy observing everyone that she'd failed to notice that Gavin had gotten out of the truck until he was opening the passenger door. He leaned over her to unsnap her seat belt and then effortlessly lifted her out of her seat. “Thanks,” she said, when he'd placed her on her feet.

“Don't mention it.”

Taking her hand, he walked to where the others were standing. His grandmother left her place by Caldwell's side and walked over to Gavin. He released his hold on Layla's hand and pulled Ms. Melody into a big hug. Giving the two some privacy, Layla joined her students. She figured they would have a lot of questions.

After talking to her team, she returned to Gavin and his teammates. Coop explained how they'd fingered Sherman Lott as the bad guy. “After you told us about the footprint and how it was apparent more pressure was being placed on one foot than the other, we knew we were looking for someone with a leg injury or some kind of impairment and who was wearing worn shoes. When we saw Lott's shoes and saw him rubbing his leg more than once, I got suspicious. I offered him my chair so he wouldn't have to stand. I told him that I noticed his leg seemed to be bothering him. That's when he said it occasionally did and was the result of a horse riding accident years ago.”

Coop then nodded for Bane to continue.

“Last night after everyone had gone to bed,” Bane said, taking up the tale. “Mac and I decided to go to Lott's ranch and snoop around, to see if we could find the kerosene can. Imagine our surprise when we got there and saw him loading up a kerosene can onto his truck, with plans to head back over to your place to burn down the shack. We called Coop and told him to contact you and to call the sheriff. Lott was caught red-handed about to pour kerosene around the shack to torch it.”

Roy approached with an angry look on his face. “What's wrong, Roy?” Gavin asked.

“One of the disadvantages of a small town is not having manpower when you need it,” Roy said, drawing in a deep breath. “I talked to the sheriff in Palmdale and he said it would be four to five days before their dive team could get here.”

Gavin nodded as if he wasn't concerned with that news. “Is there any reason we can't start digging?” he asked.

Roy frowned. “Yes, there's a reason. This is a crime scene.”

Gavin shook his head. “Technically it's not. Although I believe everything Lott said, until I find my mother's body there's no proof a crime has been committed. Besides, I'd rather be the one to find her, Roy. And those students over there are entitled to their treasure hunt.”

Roy didn't say anything for a minute and then nodded. “Okay, but I will stay here to help and step in if any evidence is found.”

“Absolutely,” Gavin assured him.

Roy drew in a deep breath and ordered one of his deputies to remove the yellow crime scene tape.

* * *

Less than an hour later, the remains of Jamie Blake were found. And within twenty feet of where she'd been buried, a strongbox filled with gold pieces—Jesse James's loot—was also recovered.

Deciding not to wait on the dive team from Palmdale, Flipper had jumped into Lott's lake without any diving gear. When he hadn't resurfaced in five minutes, Roy became worried. Gavin and his other teammates had not. They explained that although the water was icy cold and Flipper had been under longer than normal, Flipper was far from ordinary. They were proven right when a short while later Flipper resurfaced with the license plate he had removed from the car. The license plate was identified as that registered to Gavin and Jamie Blake.

The charges against Sherman Lott were changed from suspicion of murder to murder.

Eighteen

L
ayla stood at the window. It was snowing and what had begun that morning as small flakes was now huge and covering the earth in a white blanket. Four days had passed since the dig, and activities on the Silver Spurs were returning to normal. Once Gavin's mother's remains had been unearthed, the town's coroner had been called and the yellow tape had been reerected. But not before Jesse James's strongbox filled with gold bars had been uncovered.

The Silver Spurs became the focus of two big news stories—a decades-old murder and the first recorded discovery of Jesse James's loot in the state of Missouri. No-trespassing signs had been posted when the media had converged on the ranch.

Gavin had given his one and only statement regarding the recovery of his mother's remains. “I am glad the truth about my mother's disappearance was discovered and I hope Sherman Lott rots in hell.”

A news conference had been held regarding the discovery of Jesse James's loot, which was making international news. Dr. Clayburn arrived in town and tried to claim the university was associated with the dig. Layla refuted his statement since she had documentation in the form of an email from both Dr. Clayburn and the president of the university advising of her termination prior to the dig. The following day, the two men were in even more hot water when photographs surfaced of the two of them involved in illicit affairs with female students. Not surprisingly, Tammy was in many of the photographs, arriving and leaving various hotels with both men.

Layla didn't have to guess where the photographs had come from. Apparently Donnell and some of the other students had exposed the sordid activities. Within twenty-four hours of the photographs being splashed across the front page of the
Seattle Times
and making the national news, the two men, along with a few other faculty members, had turned in their resignations.

Donnell, Wendy and Marsha had joined Layla at the news conference and were acknowledged for their participation on the dig. The Missouri Archaeological Society had authenticated the loot as that stolen by Jesse James from the Tinsel Bank.

Already offers of employment from numerous universities had arrived for Layla, in addition to offers of book deals and television interviews. Yesterday she'd received a call from her grandmother and one from her parents. She had been surprised when her parents told her how proud they were of her. They'd even said she'd done the right thing by following her own dream and not theirs. They invited her to spend the holidays with them in DC.

She drew in a deep breath and moved away from the window to sit on the bed she'd just left a few moments earlier. She had awakened to find Gavin gone. He must have left to check on the ranch with his men. Even with the no-trespassing signs clearly posted, a couple of reporters and their camera crews had encroached on the property only to have Gavin's men run them off again.

The coroner had released his mother's remains and yesterday morning a private memorial service had been held. Jamie Blake had been reburied beside her husband in the family cemetery. Layla had stood beside Gavin along with his grandmother, Caldwell and Gavin's teammates. Even his commanding officer had flown in to attend the service.

After dinner, Gavin's teammates left to return to their various homes, but not before each one had given her a huge hug and told her how glad they'd been to meet her. She had gotten to know the four well and could see why they and Gavin shared such close relationships. Bane, Coop, Flipper and Mac were swell guys who were fiercely loyal to each other. She couldn't thank them enough for their part in recovering Jesse James's loot.

Now that the dig was over, Layla could feel Gavin withdrawing from her. She had tried ignoring it but she knew something was bothering him. She thought it was related to his mother but, to be totally honest, she wasn't sure.

There was no reason for her to remain on the ranch any longer and she had mentioned that she would be leaving in a couple of days to return to Seattle. She had hoped he would ask her to stay but he hadn't. Instead he'd merely nodded and hadn't said anything else about it. Was that his way of letting her know she had outstayed her welcome?

The thought that he wanted her to leave his ranch had tears welling up in her eyes. She'd known when she fell in love with him that there was a big chance he wouldn't love her back. So why was the thought that he didn't breaking her heart?

The time they had spent together on the Silver Spurs had been special but now she had to move on.

* * *

Gavin placed his coffee cup on the table, stared at his grandmother and then asked, “What did you just say?”

Melody Blake smiled brightly. “You heard me right, Gavin. Caldwell asked me to marry him. This was his third time asking and I finally said yes. We don't want to make a big fuss about it and Reverend Pollock agreed to perform the ceremony next weekend. I'll be moving into Caldwell's place afterward.”

Gavin didn't say anything for a long moment. He was happy for his grandmother and Caldwell. It was about time. “Congratulations. I'm happy for you, Gramma Mel. Caldwell is a good man and I believe the two of you will be happy together.”

“Thank you. What about you? What are your plans regarding Layla?”

He lifted his coffee cup and took a sip before saying, “What makes you think I have any?”

His grandmother frowned. “Don't try pretending with me, Gavin Timothy Blake III. You love Layla. You've admitted as much. I would think you'd want to take the next step.”

Yes, he had admitted it to her and he didn't regret doing so. “Sometimes taking the next step isn't always possible.”

“Why not? I'd think you'd want something permanent between the two of you.”

He shook his head. “Layla and I are very different. Dad took Mom out of a big city and brought her here and she was miserable. Layla is from Seattle. She'd be just as unhappy and miserable here as Mom was.”

“Have you talked to Layla about it? Have you asked her how she feels?”

“No.”

“Then maybe you should. You're basing your opinions on assumptions. I know for a fact Layla loves the Silver Spurs. She said as much.”

“But that doesn't mean she loves me. If she doesn't love me, then there's nothing to hold her here. She's gotten a lot of job offers from a number of big universities, including Harvard. All we have in Cornerstone is a small college. Why would she settle for that?”

“Well, I think you'll be making a big mistake if you don't talk to her about it, tell her how you feel. Let her decide what she wants to do. You might discover that she loves you as much as you love her.”

* * *

An hour or so later, Gavin entered the party house. He removed his hat and shook off the snow from his jacket before hanging both items on the rack.

The first thing he noticed as he headed for the kitchen was that the curtains were still closed. Everything was just as he'd left it at daybreak, which meant Layla hadn't gotten up yet. Placing the box containing the breakfast his grandmother had prepared on the table, he moved down the hallway to the bedroom. Opening the door, he stuck his head inside and saw Layla curled up in bed still sleeping.

The bad weather had pretty much dictated that everyone stay inside. He knew his men had a card game going and he could certainly join them. But he much preferred staying here and joining Layla, right in that bed. What if Gramma Mel was right? What if Layla wanted to stay on the Silver Spurs with him? Would it be fair to ask her to stay when a call from his commanding officer meant he would drop everything for a covert operation? Would she want that?

He sat in a chair and removed his shoes and socks before standing to take off the rest of his clothes. No matter the temperature, he preferred sleeping in the nude, something he couldn't do while away on missions.

Crossing the room, Gavin slid into bed with Layla and pulled her into his arms, to warm his body as well as his heart.

* * *

Layla thought she was dreaming when she felt a hot and husky whisper against her ear. It took a moment to open her eyes and gaze into a pair of sexy dark ones staring back at her. Gavin's body was pressed close to hers. It was warm, even hot in certain places, and she knew without a doubt that he was naked.

“We need to talk, Layla.”

She heard the seriousness in his voice. Why did they need to talk? He was ready for her to leave. She got that. But why was he rushing her away? Did he already have another woman lined up to share his bed? The thought made her mad and she buried her face in the pillow, but not before saying, “I don't want to talk. I have nothing to say to you.”

He pulled the pillow away from her, frowning. “What the hell did I do?”

“Just being a typical man. You share a bed with a woman, and then you tire of her and want her gone so you can replace her with another.”

He stared at her. “You think I would do that?”

“Why wouldn't you? You're a man, aren't you? You're not tied to any woman, especially not to me. It's not like I didn't notice that reporter flirting with you.”

He frowned. “What reporter?”

Layla rolled her eyes. “The one that kept putting that microphone all in your face and kept touching your shoulders every chance she got, even when she didn't have to.” Layla hated that she'd said something about that. Now she sounded like a jealous hag. Just because they'd slept together a few times didn't mean she had dibs on him.

Before she could catch her next breath, he had flipped her on her back. He loomed over her and held her hands in a tight grip above her head.

“Why would I want another woman, Layla?”

That was really a silly question. “Why wouldn't you want another one?”

He stared down at her with an intensity that made a rush of desire claw through her insides. “Because you are all the woman I need. Hell, I can barely keep up with you, Layla.”

* * *

Lord knows that's the truth
, Gavin thought, as he felt familiar need hammer through him. Only Layla could do this to him. Make him feel so consumed with desire for her, he would go up in flames. More than once his teammates had told him to take a cold shower when just looking at Layla heated an entire room.

Gavin just stared down at her. She was wearing a nightgown, but barely. It was made of flimsy material and part of it was bunched up around her waist, leaving her bare below. Her hair was loose and tousled around her shoulders. Because of the way he was holding her hands, her breasts jutted up, firm and hard. He could see the impression of rigid nipples through the thin material of her gown.

Just that quickly, her breathing changed. He heard it and then he felt the sinfully erotic movement of her hips against him. After all the times they'd made love right here in this bed, not to mention the times they hadn't made it to the bed, didn't she know how much he wanted her? Her and no other woman? She actually thought she had a reason to be jealous of some damn reporter who couldn't keep her hands to herself?

He knew from the eyes staring back at him that his grandmother was right. Layla had no idea how he felt about her. The woman hadn't a clue. He had told her they needed to talk, and then she'd gone on the offensive. Why? Had his grandmother been right on both accounts, that Layla cared for him as much as he cared for her?

There was only one way to find out.

“Let's backtrack for a minute, Layla. Earlier I asked you why I would want another woman, and you asked why I wouldn't want one. I don't think I made myself clear enough. The main reason I don't want another woman is because I love you. I've fallen in love with you, Layla, and when a man falls in love with one woman she takes away his desire for other women. She becomes the one and only woman he wants in his life, his bed, his home, his mind and his heart. You are that woman for me.”

She stared at him for a long time without saying anything. And then he saw it, the tears forming in her eyes. “But if you love me, why were you sending me away?”

He frowned. “I wasn't sending you away. The other night you told me you were going. What was I supposed to do, tell you that you couldn't go?”

She frowned back at him. “You could have told me you loved me.”

“Why would I tell you that when I didn't know how you felt? Hell, I still don't know. With your credentials, you can teach anywhere. I know about all those job offers that have come in. Why would you want to stay here? My mother hated it here.”

“I love you, too, Gavin, and I love it here. I fell in love with the Silver Spurs the minute I drove onto the land. There are times when I will leave to do speaking engagements and interviews. Maybe even teach a class or two for a semester. However, I will come back. You leave, don't you? To go on your covert operations. Yet you come back. You return and step into your role of a rancher. Why can't I return and step into a similar role.”

“As a rancher's wife?”

She lifted her brow. “Wife?”

He smiled down at her. “Yes, wife. You don't think you'll hang around as my live-in lover, do you? I want to marry you. I want you to one day have my children. I want you to live here on this ranch with me.”

“And be here whenever the rancher returns?”

He chuckled. “That would be nice.”

A smile touched her lips. “That can be arranged.” She didn't say anything for a minute. “About all those offers. I don't want to decide on anything just yet. After dealing with the likes of Clayburn and Connors, I just want to chill for a minute. Possibly write a book. I'd love to take my time and do it here.”

He nodded. He needed to let her know something.

* * *

Layla waited for him to speak.

“Gramma Mel told me this morning that she and Caldwell are getting married. She's moving to his place. That means you'll be here by yourself whenever I'm away. I'm supposed to report back for duty at the end of January.”