nothing. The time they were spending together could very well be a casual affair to him and nothing more. If that was the case, she didn’t have to stress herself out about him not wanting whatever they were sharing now to end. There was a possibility he would expect it to.
By the time Diamond had finished her shower and curled up in a chair to try and read at least a chapter from a book she’d borrowed from Jake’s study, she knew she loved Jake no matter how he felt about her. And no matter what, she would never ask him to choose between a life with her or the ranch. The ranch would always come first. She would see to it.
Chapter 10
J ake had been back at the ranch less than five minutes and already he was in his room, preparing to take a hot shower. The five days spent on the range had been hard ones, and the torrential downpour that hit a few days ago hadn’t helped matters.
As usual, he was proud of his men and the fine work they’d done. They had gone above and beyond in displaying their skills as cowhands. Working together, they had successfully moved the entire herd of cattle to the high pastures. There had been no injuries and no flare-up of tempers.
His days had been busy from sunup to sunset. It was only at night after he settled into his sleeping bag that his mind became filled with thoughts of Diamond. There was nothing about her that he didn’t think about or remember. Whether it was the way she held herhead whenever she smiled, or the way she had stood so tall and so beautiful on the porch that afternoon, which had made him turn his horse around to give her that last parting kiss.
Thoughts of them making love had heated his body during the cool nights, and the fiery flame of the campfire had reminded him of the one afternoon their passions had blazed out of control. Every thought of her had been personal and intimate and had helped him through the exhausting days of the cattle drive.
He wanted to see her and didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to do so. The need to hold her in his arms had driven him in a mad race for home. As soon as he could take a shower and get back into some clothes again, he would go to her. He didn’t want to question this obsession with seeing her tonight. He would chalk it up to the fact that she was a lover unlike any he’d ever known.
He was about to unbutton his shirt when a knock sounded at his bedroom door. “Come in.”
Blaylock walked in and handed him a large tube of liniment. “I thought you could use this.”
The right side of Jake’s mouth curled into a smile. “Thanks, old man,” he said, taking the tube and placing it on his dresser. “I knew I was keeping you around for something.” He went back to unbuttoning his shirt.
“Her scent is still in here,” Blaylock said casually.
Without bothering to look up from what he was doing, Jake asked, “Whose?”
“Diamond’s.”
Jake’s head snapped up sharply. He frowned, then took a raspy breath. “Diamond? She was here? In this room?”
“Yep,” the older man replied, smiling. “Reed Duncan dropped by unexpectedly. Diamond was here that day and went upstairs to wait out his visit. Reed ended up staying a spell, and the next thing you know three hours had passed. After he left I came upstairs looking for Diamond and found her there sound asleep.”
“In my bed?” Jake asked. When he had first entered his bedroom, he’d thought he had picked up Diamond’s scent but assumed he’d imagined it.
Blaylock leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yep, imagine that.” He stared long and hard at Jake. “And she was sleeping in it like it was a natural place for her to be. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she’d been in that bed before, but I know that can’t be the case. But the way she was curled under those covers with so much familiarity, one would think that she had.”
Blaylock paused a second before asking, “Now isn’t that odd?”
Jake swallowed as
By the time Diamond had finished her shower and curled up in a chair to try and read at least a chapter from a book she’d borrowed from Jake’s study, she knew she loved Jake no matter how he felt about her. And no matter what, she would never ask him to choose between a life with her or the ranch. The ranch would always come first. She would see to it.
Chapter 10
J ake had been back at the ranch less than five minutes and already he was in his room, preparing to take a hot shower. The five days spent on the range had been hard ones, and the torrential downpour that hit a few days ago hadn’t helped matters.
As usual, he was proud of his men and the fine work they’d done. They had gone above and beyond in displaying their skills as cowhands. Working together, they had successfully moved the entire herd of cattle to the high pastures. There had been no injuries and no flare-up of tempers.
His days had been busy from sunup to sunset. It was only at night after he settled into his sleeping bag that his mind became filled with thoughts of Diamond. There was nothing about her that he didn’t think about or remember. Whether it was the way she held herhead whenever she smiled, or the way she had stood so tall and so beautiful on the porch that afternoon, which had made him turn his horse around to give her that last parting kiss.
Thoughts of them making love had heated his body during the cool nights, and the fiery flame of the campfire had reminded him of the one afternoon their passions had blazed out of control. Every thought of her had been personal and intimate and had helped him through the exhausting days of the cattle drive.
He wanted to see her and didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to do so. The need to hold her in his arms had driven him in a mad race for home. As soon as he could take a shower and get back into some clothes again, he would go to her. He didn’t want to question this obsession with seeing her tonight. He would chalk it up to the fact that she was a lover unlike any he’d ever known.
He was about to unbutton his shirt when a knock sounded at his bedroom door. “Come in.”
Blaylock walked in and handed him a large tube of liniment. “I thought you could use this.”
The right side of Jake’s mouth curled into a smile. “Thanks, old man,” he said, taking the tube and placing it on his dresser. “I knew I was keeping you around for something.” He went back to unbuttoning his shirt.
“Her scent is still in here,” Blaylock said casually.
Without bothering to look up from what he was doing, Jake asked, “Whose?”
“Diamond’s.”
Jake’s head snapped up sharply. He frowned, then took a raspy breath. “Diamond? She was here? In this room?”
“Yep,” the older man replied, smiling. “Reed Duncan dropped by unexpectedly. Diamond was here that day and went upstairs to wait out his visit. Reed ended up staying a spell, and the next thing you know three hours had passed. After he left I came upstairs looking for Diamond and found her there sound asleep.”
“In my bed?” Jake asked. When he had first entered his bedroom, he’d thought he had picked up Diamond’s scent but assumed he’d imagined it.
Blaylock leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yep, imagine that.” He stared long and hard at Jake. “And she was sleeping in it like it was a natural place for her to be. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she’d been in that bed before, but I know that can’t be the case. But the way she was curled under those covers with so much familiarity, one would think that she had.”
Blaylock paused a second before asking, “Now isn’t that odd?”
Jake swallowed as
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