Page 74 of The Last Dance You Saved
He’d tucked away all the rage and sadness he’d shown just moments ago, returning to the calm man who needed to be in control. I wondered what it cost him to do it. Had anyone ever told him it was okay to have all these intense emotions? Did he know it was okay to give them to the people who cared about you, so they could help you through the tough moments? I wanted to be that person for him, even if it was for just a few days.
Lauren swallowed hard, pushing her fingers into her eyes. “I really want to believe he had nothing to do with what happened to Spence…” she said, but her voice trailed away, uncertain.
An old beat-up truck crested the hill and headed toward the house, dirt trailing behind it.
And just like Rafe had pulled himself together and tucked away his emotions, at the sight of the truck, Lauren did the same. She turned back into the confident rancher I’d first met. The woman with a business that she ran efficiently and thoroughly.
“That’s Teddy,” Lauren said, rubbing her chest. “He and the other contractors are going to help set up the marquee and the dance floor, and then they’ll help out with the regular ranch chores so we have time to prepare for the wedding rehearsal and the dinner tonight.”
“While I’m going through every single line in the ranch’s financials, I’ll have Steele reach out to some of his contacts and see if we can find out more about these poker matches. Mayor Nattingly wanted to talk to me about Puzo yesterday, so I’ll place a call to her. I don’t want any of you going anywhere by yourself today.” Rafe glanced at each of us as if expecting an argument. “I want one of my men with you at all times. That includes you, Sadie. We don’t know exactly what Adam did or didn’t do, but believe me, he’s capable of violence if he’s pushed.” He glanced over at the corral as if remembering something in his past before shaking it off. “And if Puzo is part of this, we know exactly what kind of evil he can shell out.”
Lauren turned to Fallon, touching her elbow gently. “I’ve got breakfast started for everyone. Let’s finish it up and get on with our day.”
Fallon looked like she wanted to argue and storm, but instead, she scrambled over to retrieve her hat and then followed her mother into the house. After they’d disappeared inside, Rafe closed the distance and wrapped me in his arms.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “For finding what I couldn’t see. For calming me down. For being someone we could count on.”
We stood there for a moment, chests joined, heartbeats crashing into one another as the adrenaline rush of the last few minutes faded away and all that remained was the solace we found wrapped together.
“Do you know what I hate?” he asked. I lifted my chin and met his gaze. “Besides what he might have done to my brother and the ranch…” He inhaled sharply. “I hate that he ruined our morning and that I didn’t get a chance to tell you just how much I liked seeing you in my clothes and having you in my bed last night. And I hate that I wasn’t able to wake up with you beside me and spend another few minutes lost in each other.”
My pulse leaped and danced, warmth pooling deep inside me. Even after the multitude of orgasms he’d given me, I still craved him with every fiber of my being. What would happen if I spent another few nights tangled with him? How much would I be willing to give up to keep him? To keep this? What was I willing to cost him?
I swallowed hard, panic rising that I couldn’t quite shake, and when I went to pull away, he held on tighter. I let myself revel in the embrace for a moment longer, let myself breathe in the man I’d fallen in love with in a heady jump from an unseen cliff. Then, I let out a shaky breath, bringing us back to earth, to our reality and the day that laid before us. “Do you need my help with the accounts, or should I work with Lauren and Fallon?”
He ran a finger along my brow, and my body all but quivered at the simple touch. “Now that you’ve pointed me in the right direction, I think I can manage the rest. But you’d be doing me a huge favor if you’d look after Fallon. I trust my men to protect all of you, but she might need someone to talk to.”
“I’m happy to be there for her in any way I can,” I said.
He stared at me for a long moment before asking, “Do you know what I’m wondering, Tennessee? I’m wondering if you ever stop giving long enough to let someone return the favor?”
His words hit a sore spot deep inside. I’d had to accept help after being shot, and maybe having it forced on me was the reason I was so determined to stand on my own now, why I hadn’t told my family more about the jewels or my plans for the performing arts center. But instead of saying any of that, I did what I thought we both needed. I lightened the mood, grinning up at him and saying, “I think I was on the receiving end of a lot of gifts last night. Two at least.”
“Five.”
I raised a brow playfully. “Was it five? I’m not sure I remember. Maybe I fell asleep. Or maybe you thought you anted up and didn’t pay out.”
He let out a savage growl before slanting his mouth over mine in a brutal kiss that turned tender in a heartbeat, just like the kiss he’d given me last night after he’d taken me up against the wall. It was beautiful and caring and full of emotions Rafe spent the majority of his life bottling up.
And then, his lips were gone, and he was grinning down at me wickedly with a look that promised sin and salvation just like he had on Sunday night. “You ready to back that little taunt with a wager, Tennessee? How long do you think you’ll last before you beg for relief?”
“Maybe you’ll be the one begging, Slick.”
He chuckled, and joy filled me at my ability to give him that moment of lightness in a morning that had been hard and heavy. He slid a hand under my T-shirt and flicked a finger over a pebbled tip. I shivered at the touch, loving the electricity that zapped through me. Loving everything about him and what he did to me.
“What shall we wager, Sadie?” Just the way he lowered his voice into a dark promise had me panting. He pinched and caressed and then stepped away, allowing the cold morning air to hit me like a splash of icy lake water. “I’ll just leave you to think about it, shall I?”
He waved a hand, indicating I should go in front of him into the house. I tried to slow the hammering of my heart as I forced my feet to move and then compelled my legs not to wobble as I passed him. But once we were inside, once we were alone outside the bedroom he’d insisted on walking me to, I pulled his borrowed shirt from my body, and tossed it at him.
“How about I leave you thinking about this.” I waved a hand over my naked body and then closed the door in his face.
? ? ?
The sexy taunts I’d left Rafe with disappeared in the shower as panic hit me all over again. I’d fallen in love with Rafe, and I didn’t know what to do with that fact. Didn’t know if there was anything I could do about it. The entire time I was getting ready, I tortured myself with what-ifs and buts and if onlys.
Then I broke down and called my sister.
“Sads?” she said, sleepy and slow. “What’s wrong?”
