At Wolf Ranch (13 page)

Chapter 14

E
lla bolted upright, pulled from the nightmare, the blood spreading over her sister’s chest, Lela’s lifeless green eyes staring at her, begging her to do something, by a hand touching her shoulder. She grabbed hold and looked up, ready to fight off her attacker. Her breath came out in a whoosh.

“It’s me, Gabe. I’m here. You’re safe.”

She sank back against the dining chair and let out a ragged breath. Gabe set a coffee mug on the dining table in front of her on top of one of the stacks of papers she’d spent most of the night going through with a fine-tooth comb.

“Are you okay?” He ran his hand down the back of her head to her neck and rubbed at her stiff muscles. The butterflies in her belly took flight into a whirlwind of awareness. The ruggedly handsome man standing this close to her sent a wave of heat rolling through her system. Like gravity, he drew her in.

“I’m tired and frustrated and pissed off. There’s nothing here.” She’d spent the whole night crossing her eyes looking at the papers, only to come up empty.

“If we have to go through every box in the storage lockers, we’ll find the evidence.”

“That’s just it. I don’t think it’s there.”

“Where would Lela hide it?”

“If I knew that I’d go and get it.” She leaned her head against his arm. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’ve been up all night.”

“That’s no excuse for snapping at you.”

“Yeah, well, you need to let go of my hand now. I’m a nice guy, but I’m not dead.”

Ella dropped her gaze to his hand lying on her chest, his fingers spread wide over her breast. Both her hands locked around his wrist. The sight of his big hand touching her so intimately sent a shaft of heat and electricity rushing through her system. Her nipples tightened and heat shot through her veins and pooled low in her belly. Her face and ears burned with embarrassment.

She loosened her hold, and his big hand swept up her chest and neck, his warm fingers cupping her chin and tilting her face up to his. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead and met her gaze. Surprised and touched by the sweet gesture, she could only stare when he smiled.

“Sorry.”

“I’m not. You look good in my shirt.”

Time stopped. The moment stretched. Neither of them moved.

The Led Zeppelin T-shirt had become her favorite sleep attire over the last few days. She’d given him back his sweatpants after tripping one too many times on the long legs. She wore her sister’s leggings.

His gaze dipped to her mouth and back to her eyes. She thought he might kiss her. The last kiss she gave him had been too quick, but it packed a punch. She’d meant it as a thank-you for helping her and never expected it to mean so much more. Even in her dazed and sad state, she’d recognized the unique and overpowering attraction between them.

His fingers smoothed over her cheeks. “Go to bed. You need your rest.”

“What time is it?” She grabbed his hand, turned his arm so she could look at his watch, and jumped up from her seat to grab the remote for the TV. She forgot about her ankle, stumbled, and tried to take the weight off her foot, but only managed to throw herself off balance even more. Strong arms locked around her waist and hauled her upright before she took a nosedive into the wood floor.

“Whoa now. Where’s the fire?”

“It’s almost seven. Top of the hour of the national news. Lela will be one of the first stories. I need to find out what my uncle is doing now.” She turned her head to look out the window. A light snowfall fell from the sky. Nothing like the whiteout from last night. “Do you think the satellite is working?”

“Should be. The snow’s not that thick right now. Give it a try.”

She tried to take a step, but he held her close against his chest. She settled into him and looked over her shoulder and up at his handsome face.

“Slow down. Be careful.”

Was that a warning about her ankle, their budding relationship, or for himself where she was concerned? She didn’t know. Didn’t care. It had been too long since anyone took care of her. Without her sister to look out for her anymore, she had no one left. No one but this strong and steady cowboy who went out of his way at every turn for her.

She shifted in his arms, facing him. He never let her go, but held her in a light embrace, his gaze steady on her face, waiting to see what she’d do. She wrapped her arms around his neck, went up on tiptoe, and laid her chin on his shoulder and hugged him close. The sense of warmth and safety she always felt around him amplified. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“I’ll never let you fall, Ella. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You’re not like any man I’ve ever met.”

Which was why she was drawn to him. He didn’t take anything for granted. Spoke his mind and meant what he said. Protected what he loved and the principles he believed in. He didn’t have an ulterior motive for the things he did for her. He just wanted to help someone in need. Generous and kind. Yeah, she didn’t know many men like him.

She settled into him again. “I still haven’t found what I need. I don’t know what to do.” Comfortable in his arms, maybe she had found one thing she needed. She didn’t know what to do about him either.

His hands swept up her back and down, settling on her hips. He gently set her away and stared down at her. “Turn on the TV. See what that bastard is up to now. One step at a time. We’ll figure this out.”

The strange pull between them sent her back up on tiptoe, but this time, Gabe leaned down to meet her halfway. His lips met hers and settled, their gazes locked. She pulled back an inch, watching him, his eyes filling with passion like she’d never seen in any other man she dated. She brushed her lips against his again. Felt that pull turn to demand. She sank into him, opened to him when his tongue touched her lips in a soft caress that asked so much without a word spoken between them. Words weren’t needed, not when everything inside her sighed and said,
This is where I’m meant to be. Right here. Right now. Always
. She never thought anything like this would happen to her. She’d never trusted fully in the people around her, who always seemed to want something. Wealth gave her opportunities and things, but it kept her lonely, especially after a few incidents where friends turned out to be leeches, taking and taking and giving nothing significant back.

Gabe swept his hand up her spine and pulled her closer, banding his other arm around her waist. She gave herself over to the kiss, his taste, his strength wrapped around her, and the knowledge that this man wanted only one thing—her.

Dangerous ground. Her mother had loved her father so deeply, it consumed her. When she lost him, she lost her will to live. Ella usually kept men at a distance and never allowed herself to feel anything more than lust the few times she found someone appealing enough to date.

With Gabe, she felt the rush of blood heating her body, the need to be closer, and the affection in her heart and mind for the man. The weight of grief lifted, the anger subsided, the frustration over not finding the evidence waned, and all she knew was she and Gabe locked in this moment. The kiss, the way he made her feel, she sank into both, absorbed it all and sighed, settling into him—them. Connected in a way she’d never felt, he ended the kiss with a brush of his lips over hers and a sweep of his hand over the side of her face and into her hair, pushing it back over her shoulder.

“God, you’re beautiful.”

She’d heard similar compliments from countless others, men she’d dated, women at parties and get-togethers, said with a smile and air kisses next to her cheek, but little sincerity behind the words. Gabe’s softly spoken declaration sank into her heart, took root, and wrapped her in such a sense of belonging she found herself at a complete loss for what to say.

She reached up and touched her hand to his hard jaw and leaned her forehead to his chin. His arms contracted around her.

“It’s going to be okay.”

She believed him. It wasn’t okay right now. It wouldn’t be for a long time. But somehow, some way, she’d make it to okay again. When she did, she’d stand in this man’s arms and feel all the wild emotions she felt right now for him without all the pain and heartache, and she’d finally be okay again.

Gabe did something that went against every command of every cell in his body and set Ella away from him, instead of pulling her closer. He held her by the shoulders and stared down into her upturned face. He traced his finger across her brow and drew her long bangs to the side and tucked the strands behind her ear like he’d seen her do a dozen times. He thought the gesture sexy as hell. Everything about her appealed to him, but he found the odd things she did—like scrunching up one side of her mouth when she didn’t like what she was thinking—stuck with him. They made him smile on the inside and want to draw closer to her, know her better. He’d never cared enough about anyone besides his family to wonder what made her scrunch her face like that, or to want to make her happy, because he couldn’t stand to see her so sad. Worse was listening to her cry in the night. He hated feeling so inadequate to heal her pain and make her smile. He wished he could bring her sister back, stop all this madness with her uncle, and keep her safe. Always.

If he thought he’d loved Stacy, and his need to protect and hold on to Ella was a hundred times stronger than anything he’d felt for Stacy, then what was this thing he had with Ella?

Dangerous. He knew how it would end, but didn’t have an ounce of self-preservation. He let it ride, because any amount of time he spent with her was worth it, even when he knew it would end in pain and loss. Again. But this time would be worse, and still he gave in to the compulsion to be with her.

“Turn the TV on before you miss the news.”

“Um, yeah, right.”

He liked the way she hesitated to leave his side, but she refocused with a determination he had grown to admire more and more over the last few days. She felt things were moving too slowly, but she never stopped. She’d never back down. Not until she avenged her sister. He had no doubt she’d do it too. That said more about who she was than a thousand pictures of her walking out of a nightclub, or vacationing in some exotic location, wearing outrageously expensive dresses and shoes. Young, she should be out having fun with her friends.

Hadn’t he done practically the same thing, riding the rodeo circuit from town to town, sleeping with random women, drinking, and having fun with his friends?

Those thoughts brought several others. Like maybe she was too young for him. Six years her senior; what the hell would she want with a guy his age, living in the middle of nowhere? Same story, different woman. The best he could do for a nightclub was the honky-tonk in town filled to the rafters with drunk cowboys, who outnumbered the women by at least four to one. She’d certainly have her pick of the litter. Not that she’d be interested in a bar full of rowdy cowboys when she was used to the jet-setting crowd. Still, it wasn’t like they had nothing in common. She loved the horses and the quiet solitude of the ranch. They had the same taste in movies and music. Over time, he bet they’d find all kinds of things they both liked. If she stayed with him long enough to do that. Which wasn’t likely, he reminded himself.

“What’s that strange look on your face?” she asked, standing by the sofa, staring back at him. “Are you upset with me?”

“No.” The edge to his tone made her frown and narrow her pretty green eyes on him. “Sorry. I’m fine. Just thinking.” Distracted by his own thoughts, he hadn’t paid attention to the TV. “What’s on the news today?”

“A thirty-seven car pileup in New Hampshire killed eight people.”

“More good news, huh?”

“The NASDAQ is up nine points.”

“I’ll call my accountant and tell him to sell. Oh, wait. I don’t have an accountant or a 401(k).”

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing. I’ve been cooped up in the house too long.”

“You just came back in after spending an hour out in the stables with the horses.”

“So. Winter isn’t exactly my favorite time of year. Too much snow and bad weather keep me indoors when I’d rather be outside.”

“Then why don’t you move?”

“This is home. I love it here.”

Her lips tilted in a half smile and she shook her head at his contrary statements and mood.

The paper towel commercial ended and the reporter appeared on the screen again. “In other news, Phillip Wolf has offered a one-hundred-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to the whereabouts of his niece Ella Wolf, who has just been named a person of interest in her sister Lela Wolf’s murder. Wanted for questioning, the New York socialite hasn’t been seen in three days, causing speculation as to where she is and why she hasn’t come forward to make a statement about her sister’s death. Sources tell us the twins were due to inherit their parents’ estate, including Wolf Enterprises, on their upcoming twenty-fifth birthday if they met the terms of the will.

“Inside sources confirm the police have evidence that shows the sisters fought and Lela Wolf was upset her sister wasn’t living up to the terms. Lela recently earned her MBA from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude, while Ella earned high marks for fashion and late-night partying.”

“If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Ella Wolf, you’re asked to call the number on your screen.”

Ella turned from the TV and faced him. “He put a bounty on my head. I can’t go anywhere now. Someone will recognize me. How the hell am I supposed to figure out where my sister hid the evidence with the entire country looking for me?”

“Maybe it’s not that bad.” Gabe tried to sound convincing, but even he couldn’t pull it off with the worry and fear building in his gut. Some people would do just about anything to get their hands on that money. People like Travis, who had seen her and knew she was with Gabe. He kept those thoughts to himself, but the smart woman was two steps ahead of him.

“Travis will contact the company and tell them I’m here. They’ll send people to scour Montana to find me. He’ll want the contents of the house, thinking Lela came here and found something. I’ll never have a chance to go through everything now.”