But still, she’d married.
Jacob couldn’t say the words, hell, he had no right to say them. He had no right to think it. He’d forgotten her. He’d almost married himself, but the dreams of Sallie had become so damned prevalent there were times he’d been jerked into those fantasies, even when he was awake.
He’d lost more sleep during that year than at any time in his life. And he’d wondered if he was going insane.
“You love me now too,” he told her, knowing it, feeling it each time he took her, each time he looked into her eyes. In every touch she gave him. “I love you, Sallie. And that’s something I should have told you in Switzerland. There’s nothing I’ll ever regret more than I regret leaving that hotel room without telling you I loved you.”
She lay against him silently, and though he wanted to press her to commit to far more than her love for him, for now, he let it go.
They had a battle to win, her future was at stake, and he was damned if he was going to allow anyone or anything else to take her away from him. If she couldn’t forgive him for the past, then he understood that. He’d live with it if he had to. But he’d damned sure try to convince her otherwise.
Rather than pushing, he simply held her until they both drifted off to sleep, her head against his shoulder, her warmth chasing away the cold he’d felt for too damned long.
Holding her to him was a battle he’d continue when they woke, and when the cold light of day forced them to face the problems standing between them. Problems he wouldn’t allow to stand there much longer.
chapter seventeen
He loved her.
Sallie held that knowledge close to her heart throughout the night and the next morning as she dressed for work. Jeans and blouses were about the extent of the clothing that had been packed for her, along with socks and sneakers. Ranch clothes, as Shay and Lily called them, but thankfully, it wasn’t unusual for her to occasionally wear jeans to the office.
It was unusual to have to argue through her first cup of coffee, though.
“This is a bad idea, Sallie,” Jacob stated as she took that first sip of coffee. “Your attacker, Deverson, wasn’t working alone. There’re signs he had a partner. Which means you’re still in danger.”
She could see the worry in his expression, in his raptor brown eyes. Striations of gold and hazel mixed with brown, creating a predatory, savage gaze that never failed to turn her on and make her breathless. In this case, the thought of the danger that could be waiting for her gave her a momentary pause.
“I’ve never been attacked outside my home.” She shrugged, though the memories of it weren’t in the least comfortable. “I doubt there will be any danger going to work. I’m in more danger away from it, I’d think.”
His lips thinned, his gaze narrowing on her until his eyes glittered behind the heavy barrier of his lashes. He looked predatory. Dangerous. And so damned piratical her panties were wet.
Damn him.
“I’m going to work, Jacob.” She watched him as she lifted the cup to her lips and sipped at the hot liquid.
She could feel his mind working, the calculation and brooding intensity were off the charts. He was certain he could get his way.
“I could tie you to my bed.” His voice was low, dark, and dangerous. “And I could make you like it.”
She nearly lost her breath because she knew she’d probably love it.
“And tomorrow I wouldn’t warn you before I left. And if tomorrow didn’t work, then the day after.” She placed the cup on the counter, braced her hands on the edge behind her and watched him carefully. “I’ve been running for five years. Three of those years I’ve spent too frightened of myself and whatever I was running from to reach out to you. Don’t make me run from you as well, Jacob.”
The silent snarl that pulled at his lips was both sexy and amusing.
“First sign of trouble and we get your ass back here.” He pointed an imperious finger at her sharply. “You understand me?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, Jacob, at the first sign of trouble.”
She wouldn’t take that from him. She didn’t want him in danger. She wanted the danger over and she wanted the life she’d built here, the friends she’d made. The man she loved.
“Let’s get it the hell over with then,” he growled. “But tonight, you definitely get that spanking.”
It may not be a good idea to tell him she was looking forward to it.
Or perhaps she should rethink that, she pondered as they drove into Deer Haven nearly an hour later. Jacob had given in, but he hadn’t done so gracefully. His expression was still brooding and his lips thin with irritation. Or perhaps anger. He hadn’t spoken much on the drive in.
“I still don’t like it.” The rasp of his voice was dark, resonating with predatory danger.
As he pulled into the back of the building, Sallie looked around carefully, a chill racing up her arms.
“Give me a few hours, Jacob,” she said, her voice low. “There are some matters Tara can’t take care of on her own. Once I have them cleared up, I’d like to run to the house for more clothes and a few other things I need, then we can return to the ranch.”
Jacob parked the truck, his gaze moving around the busy loading dock and lumberyard. She’d bet he knew exactly how many people were moving about, what they were doing, and if there was anyone there that didn’t belong.
Jacob nodded slowly. “I’ll have a few men check the house and wait on us there. I don’t like surprises.”
“Can’t say I’ve enjoyed them myself.” She breathed out heavily, looking around again. “Did you know all your men from the agency?”
He looked at her, surprise flickering across his expression. “None of them were in the agency with me. Most are former military, though. Men I worked with at one time or another or who came to me through men I trusted.”
“I was told the ranch wasn’t really operating until a few years ago.” She looked at him questioningly. “Tara said it was mostly deserted until then.”
His lips quirked as he laid his wrists over the steering wheel and stared back at her. “Are you delaying going in, Sallie? We can go back to the ranch now.”
“No, Jacob.” Sallie shook her head, returning his smile. “I guess I just thought of it. I’ve heard quite a bit about you over the years. Gossip, you know?”
Gossip kept Deer Haven moving, Tara always claimed. Sallie tended to agree with her.
“There was some trouble here several years ago that a lot of people are unaware of.” He stared around the busy loading area once again. “I was caught unaware and several friends nearly died. The sheriff, Justice, and I decided if we were going to keep our little area of the world safe, then we’d have to take care of it ourselves. I put the ranch in operation, hired men I knew I could trust, men who weren’t ready to stop serving their country. And along with the sheriff’s office, we keep our eyes opened, and our little corner as safe as possible.”
“You left the agency, but you weren’t ready to settle back and trust your country to take care of you or those you loved,” she guessed.
Jacob nodded slowly. “The world is changing. The dangers we faced even twenty years ago have been surpassed by men who are far more evil than we imagined. Human trafficking, terrorists determined to destroy the lives and liberties we love. Drug cartels with more weapons and ammunition than most armies.” He grimaced at the thought. “I lost my innocence long ago. I like the idea of preserving that innocence in others, and the safety of those untrained or unable to do so. And I love my home.”