Her lips thinned, those oddly colored pale blue eyes shooting darts at him despite the hard points of her nipples straining beneath the top of the lounging set.
They’d talk, he assured himself. He’d let her know what he learned, then they’d revisit those lost nights and searing heat that flared between them every time he touched her. And he’d make damned sure no matter what happened, she’d know to never, ever walk away again until he returned, no matter his condition.
“I’ll be back later.” He quickly closed the door, then waited.
Seconds later he could hear the lock engaging, and knew she was safe until his return. And that was all that mattered.
Sallie was safe.
chapter eleven
Jacob had every intention of revisiting some of the memories that had slowly reemerged through the night. Heated, so-fucking-sexy memories that his cock tortured him with his need for her. By the time he made it back to the house, tiredness was weighing on him, so rather than joining her in his bed, he made do with the guest room. Just till daylight, he assured himself.
Unfortunately, he was awakened just after daylight by the abrupt ringing of the cell phone he’d left lying on the table next to the bed. Slapping one hand to the offending instrument, he lifted it from the bed and glared at the muted glow of the caller ID.
“What?” he answered as he flipped the cover open and brought the device to his ear.
“I’m heading there,” Justice snapped into the line. “Rancor managed to dig some information up and we’ll need your woman in on this.”
His woman. That was exactly what she was, his.
“We’ll be waiting in the kitchen with coffee,” Jacob assured him. “See you when you get here.”
Rising, still dressed in everything but his boots, Jacob pulled them on, left the guest room, and headed for his room, where Sallie slept. Where he should have just crawled into that big bed with her last night and loved her until neither of them could do anything but collapse in exhaustion.
He was still kicking his ass for that oversight when he reached his bedroom door, and it pushed open.
Sallie still wore the silky lounging set from the night before but one of his shirts was worn over it. The white cotton fell to her thighs and hung loosely on her much smaller frame.
Lust hit him with such a surge of hunger it shocked him.
“I need clothes.” She stepped around him quickly after glancing at his face. “Lily mentioned she and Shay didn’t have extra clothes here.”
She didn’t need clothes, she needed to take her ass right back in that bedroom and let him go crazy on her. But goddamned, that would take hours. He didn’t have hours.
“I’ll have Pride take Shay to the house to pack a bag for you.” Damn it, not touching her was killing him and he knew better than to touch her right now. He didn’t want Justice walking in and seeing how sensual his Sallie could be.
“My purse, phone, and tablet as well,” she demanded with a frown. “I need to be able to talk to Tara about the store.”
“Make a list.” He nodded sharply, noticing the way her fingers clenched nervously in the material of the overly large shirt she wore. “I’ll be out in a few minutes if you want to make coffee.”
After a cold shower. If that even helped. Images of the three days they spent in her hotel room were slamming into his head, drawing his balls tight, and tearing at his determination to wait before he took her.
Memories previously forgotten were drifting through his mind, coalescing at points, making him nearly rabid to take her, to once again experience what he knew had been the most erotic weekend of his life.
Sallie edged away from him, eyes widening marginally as he fought to keep from jerking her to him.
“Maybe breakfast,” she muttered, turning as she spoke and hurrying down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Blowing out a hard breath Jacob gave his head a curt shake and stepped into the bedroom, looking around. Other than the soft spice of her scent there were few signs she’d slept there. The bed was made perfectly, pillows fluffed. Everything as neat and tidy as it had been when he’d left the day before.
There were no signs of anger, fear, or volatile emotions. No pillows thrown, nothing to indicate she’d lost control of herself. Not once.
Jaw clenched, tension raging through him, Jacob glared at the room, the bed and swore that when he found out the identity of the person or persons behind this—they’d die. And they’d die hard.
* * *
Justice arrived just as Sallie was cleaning the last of the breakfast dishes from the sink. She’d been nervous since Jacob had informed her of the rancher’s call. Whatever he’d learned the night before couldn’t have been good if it required a visit rather than a simple phone call.
Didn’t the elder Culpepper ever sleep, she thought in disgust as he poured himself coffee and snagged several of the large biscuits and sausage she’d left on a plate on the stove. If it weren’t for the fact she’d actually seen him eat, she’d swear he was a robot.
“Rancor called right after I got home last night,” Justice stated as Sallie put another pot of coffee on.
Turning, she watched as he and Jacob seemed to face off from standing positions on each side of the dining table. He turned to her curiously after making that statement. “Did you know you and John Dillon weren’t legally married?”
A curious sense of relief rolled through her, as well as a healthy measure of suspicion.
“There’s a registered marriage license,” she pointed out. “It was a rather large wedding too. I’d say over two hundred and fifty guests.”
Justice gave a slow nod. “According to what Rancor learned, John Dillon isn’t his real name but the woman he married eight years ago, he married under his legal name.”
Sallie could feel Jacob watching her closely. What was he looking for? Betrayal, hurt? That wasn’t likely.
“Did you know?” she asked him. His dark, implacable expression gave a warning.
His jaw flexed dangerously. “I knew.”
Well, surprise, surprise. Why had she even bothered to ask?
“Thanks for the heads up.” She turned back to the coffee maker and poured herself another cup of the dark brew. She had a feeling caffeine was the last thing she needed. Her nerves were already raw.
So many secrets, she thought, so many lies. She had to fight back the rage, fight back the need to throw the coffee, cup and all, and watch it shatter.
The way her life felt shattered.
“Yeah. Evidently, Rancor’s source wouldn’t budge on his real name,” Justice continued as she turned back to them.
“John Kenton Mayler,” Jacob state quietly. “I’m surprised you were able to learn as much as you did. John and I were extremely deep cover.”
“Does he know your identity as well?” Justice frowned back at him thoughtfully as Sallie wondered if John’s wife had any idea how much of a bastard her husband truly was.
“No. It was information he volunteered while I was in recovery. I wasn’t in nearly such a sharing mood.” The fact that he hadn’t trusted his partner was clear. But hell, he hadn’t even trusted his lover, had he?
“What about Rance?” Sallie asked then. “Did he know who and what John actually was?”