Page 51 of Secrets of Riverside

‘You’re safe here, I promise you that.’ He reached out and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘I’m not sure what brought you here, to Riverside Acres, whether it was fate or by accident, or if you were running from someone, or something, or both, but I hope you know that as long as you are here, I will make sure you’re looked after. Always.’

She cleared the gathering emotion from her throat, just enough to be able to speak. ‘Thank you, I appreciate that.’

You’re the most beautiful soul I’ve ever met, Jarrah King …

Here she was, trying to trip him up, and here he was, taking the utmost care of her. Drawing in a quick breath, she bit her bottom lip to stop from crying. There was something so strong, so solid, about him that made her believe she could truly trust him. And she wanted to, with all her heart, but the niggle that he knew something about her letter wouldn’t stop.

‘Millie.’ His strong hand came to her cheek and he gently guided her eyes to his. ‘I’ve got you.’

And by god he did. With their eyes locked onto one another’s, she felt another fragment of him land within her heart, adding to what she already held there for him, and him alone. His transcendent aura helped to pacify her racing pulse, and for a few heart-stopping, breathless seconds, she thought he was going to lean in and kiss her. Again. Just like he had the night of the rodeo. When one thing had led to another. And they’d made the sweetest, wildest, most ravenous love she’d ever experienced. Oh, how she wanted to be led down that path with him again, to arrive in that land of euphoria he so skilfully brought her to.

Even if it was for just one last time.

But then his hand dropped from her cheek and he stepped back a little, as if stopping himself from following through on everything his gaze had just revealed to her. Even though she was thankful for his self-control, given that hers was missing in action, she felt the weight of disappointment settle in her stomach. Damn it. She liked him. A lot. Way too much. She had to get a grip and stop acting like some lustful woman, falling headfirst for some sexy-as-hell cowboy who was way too kind, way too thoughtful, way too mesmeric, just way too much to be real. There had to be a catch. There had to be a red flag. There had to be something she was missing. Men like Jarrah King did not exist. He was playing her. He was in on whatever scheme had brought her here to Riverside Acres, to him.

***

Don’t do it, King, don’t kiss her. Just don’t!

It was all Jarrah had been able to think when Millie peered up at him with a flood of want and need in her enthralling gaze. All he’d known in that breath-stopping moment was that she needed to be kissed. She needed to be loved. And only by him. But he couldn’t, wouldn’t, complicate things again. When he forced himself to step away from her, and the reality of Tommy possibly following her really hit him, his thoughts had immediately changed course. Up until her arrival, he’d felt left alone, safe, and somehow free to move on with his life. But since she’d been there, things had felt unsteady. Maybe that had everything to do with Tommy’s deceitfulness, and nothing to do with her. But if Tommy had been the one following her, there had to be a reason for it. And something told him the reason could have something to do with Carlo Martino. But what? Why her? Maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe her arrival was just a coincidence. Either way, he couldn’t risk her being caught up in whatever game Carlo and Tommy were playing.

That had been an hour ago, and now, sitting at her little dining table, his belly full of her delicious cooking and his heart full of her captivating presence, he shook his head at himself; it had been ridiculous to think she had anything at all to do with Tommy’s deceit, or Carlo’s schemes. Just watching the way her head tipped in laughter and her lips moved as she spoke to him, made his insides sizzle with heat. And even though he was keeping his cool, his heart pounded, as if trying to break free of his rib cage, and he couldn’t stop the craving to lie with her, to make love to her. Lord help him, because right this very second all he wanted to do was kiss her all over, hold her close, wake up with her, then repeat.

Placing down her empty wine glass, she hiccupped, and then giggled. ‘Would you like something sweet now that our dinner has gone down?’

You’re sweet, Millie, can I have you, now that my dinner has gone down?

Jarrah’s breath caught at his wayward thought, and he had to take a moment to gather himself before he dared open his mouth again. For if he spoke right this second, he’d tell her exactly what he wanted to do to her, all night long. ‘Sounds good to me,’ he finally said.

‘Great, I’ll grab our dessert out of the fridge.’ She stood. ‘Do you want to grab us a couple of plates, and a spoon each?’

‘On it.’ He hopped up from where he’d been saddling his dining chair.

‘Oh, wowsers.’ Millie gripped the edge of the table, all the colour draining from her face. ‘I don’t know what’s come over me, but I feel really dizzy.’ Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the side.

Jarrah dived to her rescue. ‘Millie!’ Within the safety of his arms, she grabbed hold of his shirt, as if she was scared that he was going to let go of her.

‘It’s okay, I’ve got you.’ Thanks to his years of riding bucking bulls and working with horses, Jarrah prided himself on the fact that his reflexes were sharp. In this instance, he was pleased they’d come to good use, relieved to have caught her before her head had hit the floor. ‘Here, let me get you over to the couch.’ Keeping his arm wrapped around her, he carried her weight and then eased her down.

Laying her head back, she stretched out her legs. ‘I don’t know what just happened.’ She rubbed her eyes. ‘But it didn’t feel good at all.’

‘I think you fainted, so be careful if you try and sit up,’ he cautioned. ‘You don’t want to make yourself dizzy again.’

‘That’s weird.’ She carefully propped herself up with some pillows. ‘I’ve never fainted before.’

‘Maybe you’re dehydrated.’ He took steps towards the sink. ‘I’ll grab you some water.’

‘Okay, thanks.’ Her reply was a little hoarse.

He returned with a glass filled to the brim. ‘Here, drink up.’ As he passed it to her, it splashed onto her leg.

‘Cheers for that.’ She chuckled. ‘But I want to drink it, not drown in it.’ She took the glass with both hands, as if to steady it, before taking little sips.

He adored how amid her vulnerability, she still had her spirited streak, and was about to tell her that when a loud, insistent knock at the door had him rushing to see who it was.

‘Tommy.’ His nephew’s brow-raised expression met him. ‘What’s up?’

‘I could ask you the same thing.’ Rolling his shoulders, Tommy peered past Jarrah and towards Millie. ‘I thought it was against the rules to be having sex with the staff?’

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