man. I want the bastard behind
bars."
The sheriff
nodded in understanding and followed King into the house.
"Have a
seat," King indicated with a sweep of his hand, as he ushered the sheriff
into the den where a television and VCR rested on the shelf of the entertainment
center. "Maggie will bring you something cool to drink. I've got to go
find Jesse."
A quick word to
Maggie produced the answer to
Jesse's whereabouts,
and he went toward the bedroom wing while Maggie fixed the promised
refreshments.
King knocked
softly on Jesse's door. Nothing and no one seemed to be stirring. He knocked
again a bit sharper. After receiving no response again, he pushed the door
open, expecting to see Jesse sound asleep on her bed.
The room was
dark, the shades pulled against the glare of the hot July sun, and he blinked a
moment, giving his eyes time to adjust to the change of light. When he was
finally able to see, he frowned. The room was empty. King wiped a weary hand
across his face and decided to freshen up before he went looking elsewhere. He
didn't have far to go.
Jesse was curled
up in the middle of his bed. Even in the deepest of sleeps, she hugged his
pillow against her chest and face as King had held her against him the night
before. The loose cotton shift she was wearing was twisted and bunched high
above her knees and gave King much too much leg to try and ignore.
"God give me
strength," he muttered softly, and walked over to the side of his bed. He
felt his breath catch in his throat and had to swallow twice before he could
say her name. Finally it came out in a husky growl.
"Jesse, you
better wake up, girl, or you'll never sleep tonight."
His teasing voice
penetrated her dreamless slumber, and she smiled into her pillow before rolling
over on her back, stretching lazily against the teak-colored comforter on his
bed.
"Hi,"
she said slowly, and a soft, gentle smile creased her lips as she stretched her
hands above her head, pulling her shift a tiny bit higher.
King didn't even
know he'd moved. But he suddenly found himself on his hands and knees,
straddling her bare legs as he braced his hands on the mattress on either side
of her shoulders.
"You
lost?" he whispered, and gently pushed a dark, wavy lock of hair from her
eyes.
Jesse forgot to
breathe. Her eyes widened and she knew her heartbeat could probably be heard in
Tulsa
. Please don't let
this be a dream, she thought, and refused to move a muscle for fear the dream
would vanish.
"No, I'm not
lost," she finally answered, and looked long and hard, trying to read the
expression in King's eyes. "I'm never lost when I'm with you."
Her words hit him
in the stomach with fist force. "Oh, honey," he whispered, and leaned
forward, gently tasting the sleep-softened expression on her mouth.
The touch was
fleeting. The taste just a hint of what lay beneath him if he only dared take
it. He raised up, leaning back until he was sitting on the back of his boot
heels and felt as if he were being sucked up into the vortex of a storm. He
doubled his hands into fists and pressed them fiercely into his knees to keep
from touching her again. If he moved, he was afraid the next time he wouldn't
stop with a taste of Jesse LeBeau.
Jesse closed her
eyes as she saw him coming closer and was finally convinced she wasn't dreaming
as King's lips met hers. It may as well have been a branding iron. The
sensation was no less a mark of possession in her heart. Every inch of her
skin felt alive, every beat of her heart in tune with his own. Just as she
started to lock her hands behind his head and pull him closer, he moved away.
Jesse had to force herself not to cry aloud at the pain she experienced, or at
the distance once again between them.
She watched in
wide-eyed silence while he seemed to struggle with some overwhelming emotion,
and wondered as she watched, why he had so suddenly stopped. Finally she could
no longer wait, and gently ventured a touch on his leg and hand.
"King?"
she
bars."
The sheriff
nodded in understanding and followed King into the house.
"Have a
seat," King indicated with a sweep of his hand, as he ushered the sheriff
into the den where a television and VCR rested on the shelf of the entertainment
center. "Maggie will bring you something cool to drink. I've got to go
find Jesse."
A quick word to
Maggie produced the answer to
Jesse's whereabouts,
and he went toward the bedroom wing while Maggie fixed the promised
refreshments.
King knocked
softly on Jesse's door. Nothing and no one seemed to be stirring. He knocked
again a bit sharper. After receiving no response again, he pushed the door
open, expecting to see Jesse sound asleep on her bed.
The room was
dark, the shades pulled against the glare of the hot July sun, and he blinked a
moment, giving his eyes time to adjust to the change of light. When he was
finally able to see, he frowned. The room was empty. King wiped a weary hand
across his face and decided to freshen up before he went looking elsewhere. He
didn't have far to go.
Jesse was curled
up in the middle of his bed. Even in the deepest of sleeps, she hugged his
pillow against her chest and face as King had held her against him the night
before. The loose cotton shift she was wearing was twisted and bunched high
above her knees and gave King much too much leg to try and ignore.
"God give me
strength," he muttered softly, and walked over to the side of his bed. He
felt his breath catch in his throat and had to swallow twice before he could
say her name. Finally it came out in a husky growl.
"Jesse, you
better wake up, girl, or you'll never sleep tonight."
His teasing voice
penetrated her dreamless slumber, and she smiled into her pillow before rolling
over on her back, stretching lazily against the teak-colored comforter on his
bed.
"Hi,"
she said slowly, and a soft, gentle smile creased her lips as she stretched her
hands above her head, pulling her shift a tiny bit higher.
King didn't even
know he'd moved. But he suddenly found himself on his hands and knees,
straddling her bare legs as he braced his hands on the mattress on either side
of her shoulders.
"You
lost?" he whispered, and gently pushed a dark, wavy lock of hair from her
eyes.
Jesse forgot to
breathe. Her eyes widened and she knew her heartbeat could probably be heard in
Tulsa
. Please don't let
this be a dream, she thought, and refused to move a muscle for fear the dream
would vanish.
"No, I'm not
lost," she finally answered, and looked long and hard, trying to read the
expression in King's eyes. "I'm never lost when I'm with you."
Her words hit him
in the stomach with fist force. "Oh, honey," he whispered, and leaned
forward, gently tasting the sleep-softened expression on her mouth.
The touch was
fleeting. The taste just a hint of what lay beneath him if he only dared take
it. He raised up, leaning back until he was sitting on the back of his boot
heels and felt as if he were being sucked up into the vortex of a storm. He
doubled his hands into fists and pressed them fiercely into his knees to keep
from touching her again. If he moved, he was afraid the next time he wouldn't
stop with a taste of Jesse LeBeau.
Jesse closed her
eyes as she saw him coming closer and was finally convinced she wasn't dreaming
as King's lips met hers. It may as well have been a branding iron. The
sensation was no less a mark of possession in her heart. Every inch of her
skin felt alive, every beat of her heart in tune with his own. Just as she
started to lock her hands behind his head and pull him closer, he moved away.
Jesse had to force herself not to cry aloud at the pain she experienced, or at
the distance once again between them.
She watched in
wide-eyed silence while he seemed to struggle with some overwhelming emotion,
and wondered as she watched, why he had so suddenly stopped. Finally she could
no longer wait, and gently ventured a touch on his leg and hand.
"King?"
she
Similar Books
