Destined for Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (13 page)

SOMETIME DURING THE wee hours of the morning they made love again, and when Jade woke up, with the sun barely brightening the cloudy sky, she lay perfectly still, wrapped in Rex’s embrace. She felt safe and warm, and as she closed her eyes, she had a momentary flash of embarrassment over the things they’d done the night before.

“No need for that embarrassment,” Rex whispered in her ear.

She felt her face flush. “How could you possibly know?” She reached for the necklace lying against her breastbone and held the charm between her fingers.

“Your heartbeat sped up and your body went stiff.”

She groaned.

“Nothing we do together will get to the Weston grapevine. I can swear that to you. I have never talked about my private life, and I don’t intend to. What you do with it is up to you. I’m not embarrassed by any of it. I find you dangerously provocative and deliciously libidinous, and I might just be the luckiest man on earth to have all that in a woman that I’m crazy about.”

She turned to face him. “I swear, you always know what to say. It’s like you studied how to say all the right things.”

“Nope. I speak from my heart, and I was brought up to be honest and loyal. That’s what I’ll always be with you.”

Her smile faded as she realized that their relationship would cause him to deny the things he believed in most when it came to his family. He must have noticed her facial features change, because he drew her eyes to his when he lifted her chin with his finger.

“We’ll figure out the family stuff. Give it a little time. This isn’t a race, and we are keeping this from them only until we figure out how best to handle it.”

She nodded, knowing he was right, but sometimes doing what was best felt very wrong.

Rex leaned on his elbow and ran his finger along her jawline. “Tell me what you eat in the mornings. Are you a coffee fanatic? Do you have a morning routine? I don’t want to get in your way.”

“Ice water with lemon in the mornings with a bowl of fruit and Greek yogurt, usually, and when I’m feeling like a rebel, I add granola. How’s that for a dullard?” She laughed.

He picked up the bedside telephone and requested everything she’d mentioned, including granola, egg whites and turkey sausage with toast for himself, and toothbrushes. He walked naked to the bathroom and returned a minute later with a thick robe for Jade. She could hardly pry her eyes from his gorgeous physique.

“And?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t really have much of a morning routine. Shower, brush my teeth, breakfast, and I usually just do some stretches. Sometimes I go for a run, but I haven’t lately.”

He sat on the side of the bed and smiled. “I’d like to run with you sometime.”

“Yeah?” She thought about what it might be like to wake up with him and move through their days side by side. Kissing each other goodbye when they had to run errands or when she had to see clients, taking walks, going for a morning run. It all seemed so reasonable—until she remembered that he was a Braden and she a Johnson. She pushed the thoughts away.

“Wanna shower with me?” she asked.

“More than you could know, but I respect your space. I don’t want you to get too sick of me too fast.”

She slipped into the luxurious robe. “So getting sick of you slowly would be okay?” She kissed his chest.

“It’s preferable to too quickly,” he joked.

Jade took his hand and they went into the bathroom together, then she turned on the warm water. Steam fogged the mirror, and she thought of how natural it felt to be with Rex. She’d never showered with a man before. The thought had crossed her mind more than once, but Kane was not a very prurient man, and her other boyfriends hadn’t been the shower-together type. As they stepped beneath the warm water, she knew that moment had been saved for Rex.

“This is a first for me,” she said.

“I was hoping to make your list,” he teased.

“Oh, you already made my list of firsts in about five different places.”

He lathered his hands and ran them over her shoulders, up her neck, and down her arms in slow, careful strokes. The familiar tug began down low and tickled her senses up through her chest. He ran his soapy hands over her breasts. She tried to keep her eyes from continually dropping back to the heated rod bobbing between them, but it was difficult to ignore.

She took the soap from him and took the length of him between both hands, mimicking his slow strokes, feeling him swell within her palms. He lowered his lips to hers and took her in a mercifully long kiss. The water rained down on them, wetting their lips and washing the soap from their bodies.

“I just can’t get enough of you,” he said as he lowered his mouth to her breast. Then his hand went to her wet curls and cupped her sex. “You’re so wet already,” he said, sending a shudder through her body. He pressed her against the tiled wall, and she gasped at the cold ceramic against her back as he probed her with his fingers and took her other breast into his mouth. Oh God, she was so close so fast. She felt her muscles tense around him and clenched her teeth, trying to hold out for just…a little…longer. When he moved his mouth to her neck and sucked like a high school boy, it sent her nerves into a titillating frenzy.

“Oh God. Oh God.” She sucked in air between her teeth and curled her toes under. Steam filled the shower as she came around his hand again and again, and he moaned into the curve of her neck.

“God, I love it when you fall apart in my hands.”

“Jesus, Rex.” She panted as he slipped his fingers out and sucked her juices from them. She groaned. His dirtiness only made her want him more, and as he sank to his knees on the shower floor and pushed her legs apart, that was just what she was going to get. More. The minute his tongue touched her, she was already climbing that peak again. She clawed at the wall as she lifted to her toes, and her body pulsed again, tight and hard. In the next breath, his mouth was on hers, and he was inside of her, holding her against the wall with his weight alone, his hands caressing her breasts. She couldn’t breathe. She was going to die right then and there from the sheer eroticism of it all. The water, the steam, his teeth on her neck.

“Come with me,” he said as he pumped harder. With one hand, he held her under her thigh and wrapped the other beneath her, teasing her flesh as he pumped and thrust into her.

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall, squeezing her legs against his back as she came again. He swelled within her, sending her into another wave of shocks and pulses as he exploded inside of her, each thrust accompanied by a visceral groan, until, once again, they clung together beneath the water, satiated and whole.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ON the Braden ranch arrived under a cloud of worry and avoidance. Rex hated lying to anyone, much less his family, and when he arrived home Wednesday morning, after the glorious night with Jade, Treat was waiting for him at the kitchen table with a cocky ass grin and a shake of his head.

“What’s that for?” Rex challenged him.

“You tell me,” Treat answered, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Dad around?” Rex wasn’t intent on dodging the question so much as finding out if his father was in earshot.

Treat nodded toward the barn. “He’s with Hope. I’m worried about him. He’s back to arguing with the wind.”

“Mom.”

“Right. He’s back to arguing with Mom. I don’t want him to end up in the hospital again.” Treat handed Rex a to-go cup of coffee.

“Thanks.” He sat at the table and wrapped his hands around the tall cup, staring at the table rather than his brother, concentrating on how to tell Treat what was going on.

“What’s around your neck?”

He reached up and touched the necklace.
Damn it
. He’d forgotten to tuck it beneath his T-shirt. He did that now and let out a long breath.

“Dance of two lovers.” He held Treat’s wide-eyed gaze.

“How?” Treat drew his eyebrows together.

“Mom’s favorite, right? How many times had she told us about her and Dad being created in the image of the lovers? I always thought it was a load of crap, you know, just a…a fantasy or whatever.”

“Not following you here, Rex. So you went out and had that made?” Treat asked.

He shook his head. “I wish it were that simple. We went into Allure, into the Village, to a shop called Jewels of the Past.”

“The one with that loony, albeit sweet, woman?” Treat asked with a smile.

“That’s the one. Turns out she’s not so loony. When she saw us, she said she had just the thing for us, and she came out with the necklace.”

“So? She saw two lovers and made an assumption, grabbed a necklace. That might even make her more loony.” Treat stretched his long, jeans-clad legs out to the side with a stretch.

“Dance of two lovers, Treat. Do you really think anyone other than our family knows about that? She said she got them from Mom. Well, she said Adriana, a girl she’d known in high school.” He shook his head. “You gotta admit, there’s something weird there. I mean, she had no clue who we were, and before I got there, man, all sorts of weird shit went on in my head.” He ran his hand through his hair and felt his jaw begin to twitch.

“I gotta admit, that’s a bit spooky. Good shit or bad shit?”

“Good, but it got me thinking about Dad talking to Mom. Before we got to the shop, as we were just walking along, not really talking or anything, I got this overwhelming feeling of…”

Treat’s eyes flew open wide. “Shit. That happened to me, too, with Max. I know what you’re gonna say, that suddenly you felt like you loved her, that you knew that every second you were apart was going to kill you.” He shot to his feet. “Damn, I never thought I’d see the day that my cold-ass brother fell in love.”

“Shut up and sit down. Yes, it was all of those things. Damn it, Treat, what about all this Mom stuff? Is it a crock of shit or what? Are we fabricating what we think we need? What the hell? I’m so damned confused.”

Treat sat back down, his legs bumping up and down. Rex wanted to take his brother’s exuberance over his finally falling in love and toss it out the window until he figured all this stuff out.

“I never told you this, but when Dad had that heart episode, it was because of me. I put two and two together. He kept fighting with Mom, or whatever, whoever he talks to out there by the barn, and he made a few comments to me about Mom wanting me to fix things with Max and even give her the ring. So, who knows? Maybe we aren’t giving Dad enough credit.”

Rex stood and paced. “Great, so now our lives are being led by our dead mother? You know how strange that sounds, right?”

Treat shrugged. “I don’t know what I believe, but I know Dad believes it, so what’s the harm in letting him—unless it gets him so riled up that it lands him back in the hospital again.”

Rex crossed his arms. “I think he knows about Jade. He said Mom wanted him to tell me something, but he wasn’t going to do it. Instead, he pointed at me. You know how he does that death stare? He said,
You be careful where you tread, son
, in that voice that used to send us running for the hills.”

Treat checked his watch. “We gotta get moving. The Tates are coming to pick up Brownie today.”

“Shit, I forgot about that. I gotta finish grooming Hope for the show, too, but I can do that tomorrow.”

Treat motioned to Rex’s neck. “Keep that shit tucked away before Dad sees it, unless you wanna start answering some god-awful questions. And don’t forget, Josh and Savannah are arriving Thursday night to watch Hope in the show. I’m looking forward to seeing them. I miss them.”

“You know, that’s another thing. Hope probably has another eight years or so. Why does Dad act like she’s failing fast? She could show for the next few years if he really wanted her to.”

“I have no idea, but then again, I’ve never tried to figure him out. The man gives sound advice, though. He was right on target with Max.”

Just as Rex’s stomach took a nosedive thinking about his father warning him about Jade, Treat added, “But I’m not so sure he’s right about you and Jade, if that’s what he meant by watching where you tread. You’ve been in love with that girl for more years than I can remember.”

Rex shook his head.

“Oh, bullshit. When you were a teenager, you’d practically drool over her when we’d see her around town. I thought that after I went to college you might have hooked up with her without Dad knowing.” Treat searched Rex’s eyes.

“I never would have done that to Dad,” Rex admitted.

“So my baby brother’s growing up?” Treat draped his arm around Rex’s shoulder as they headed outside. “It’s about damned time. One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t control who your heart falls in love with, and once it does, there’s no changing its mind. So you’d better figure out a way to dance that dance, or you’re gonna be one miserable dude for the rest of your life.”

JADE RODE RUDY hard, working out all of her frustrations about her family, the feud with the Bradens, and her worry about her father selling off part of the ranch.

When she’d arrived home that morning, her parents had already left for town, but she’d found papers on the table from a local surveyor. A quick snoop revealed that the idea of selling off pieces of the ranch wasn’t new. Some of the documents were dated as far back as five years. Had they always been hanging on by the skin of their teeth, or was he really trying to set things up so that her mother could stay in their home without worrying about taking care of the land if something should happen to him?

She rode along the tree line, her mind running in endless circles. She felt the charm beneath her shirt bouncing against her skin, and it brought a worried smile to her lips. After the night with Rex, her mind kept taking her down paths that led to a life with Rex, and she knew that was dangerous territory to hope for. He was protective, but not possessive, as she’d thought. The way he loved her was passionate and pure. From his touch to the love in his eyes, she knew she was anything but a cheap thrill for him. But what would it be like to
be
a Braden? Could she ever fit into their family without the feud hanging over her head? Were his brothers and sister as loyal to their father’s ideals as he was? What was it like for Savannah to grow up with all those brothers watching out for her?

Steve and Jade had been close growing up, but he wasn’t a protective brother in the sense that the Bradens were. The Bradens were all brawn and loyalty. Steve had always stayed out of Jade’s private life, other than asking about a date here and there. She didn’t love him any less for it, and it wasn’t until now that she’d even thought of the way the Bradens took care of one another. She’d seen Rex’s protective side when he’d knocked the snot out of Steve. All that childhood crush and adoration for the way Rex had protected his sister coalesced with the shame of liking a boy she knew she shouldn’t, one who had hurt her brother. The conflicting emotions had poured out in the form of tears on the very same comforter she currently used every night.

She rounded the front paddock and slowed Rudy to a trot. Jade had a full afternoon ahead, and at some point she’d have to face her father. She just hoped he wouldn’t see past her lie.

BERLE HANDLED HIS therapy well, and Jade was pleased that he seemed to be over all of the discomfort he’d been having. Now, if she could only do something for her own discomfort.

On the way back home, she stopped at the library to do a little research on the dance of two lovers—anything to delay seeing her father. The Weston Library was a historical stone building with two-story ceilings and cherry shelves that lined the walls of the large structure.

“Hey there, Jade. So great to see you. How’s your mom?” Polly Wright asked from behind the desk by the door.

Jade had gone to school with Polly’s daughter, Krista. Krista had gotten pregnant right after high school and had married the father, Tom Hardwick. Last Jade had heard, Krista had a house full of children and an unhappy marriage. She was careful to avoid that topic.

“She’s doing great, thanks for asking. I just came in to use one of your computers.”

Polly leaned over the desk and spoke in a hushed tone. “I’m really sorry to hear about your family’s troubles. With the price of things these days, it’s amazing any of us can stay afloat.”

Jade tried to hide her surprise.
Does the whole town know?
If her father was just posturing with the whole financial demise aspect in order to create a safety zone for her mother as she grew older, then he was doing it at the expense of his own reputation. She didn’t know what to think anymore. What if she’d chosen to believe the wrong explanation and they really were having financial troubles?

“We’ll be fine. Thanks, Polly.” She headed to the computers by the back window with her head down.

She did a quick library search on the dance of two lovers, and nothing came up. Not a book, a movie, or a myth of any kind.
How could both Rex and the woman from the shop know what the dance of two lovers meant?
As much as she wanted to avoid any further discussion about her father’s decision, she needed some answers. Polly was on her computer when Jade approached the desk.

“I’m really sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for information on a myth, the dance of two lovers? Have you ever heard of it?”

Polly blinked without answering, then squinted like she was thinking. Finally, she said, “Why, that’s one I’ve never heard of.”

Great
.

“Catherine, have you heard of the dance of two lovers?” Polly called into the office.

Catherine had been the head librarian forever. She had to be at least seventy-five years old by now. Her shaky voice called back, “I haven’t heard that in forty years. Who’s asking?”

“Jade Johnson.”

She heard Catherine’s chair scoot across the wood planks. Then her slow footsteps approached. Catherine was a tall, large woman. She filled the doorframe between the office and the large desk, one hand gripping the edge of the frame. Her gray hair had always been cropped into a short, layered style, and as Jade looked at her now, she noticed that nothing had changed. Catherine’s sense of style remained constant: polyester slacks, jacket buttoned up to her neck, and flats that looked as tired as the wrinkles on her face.

“Jade Johnson.” Catherine smiled, exposing her impeccably straight yellowish teeth. “I hear you’re working wonders on the animals around here. It’s good to have you back in town.”

“Thank you. I’m glad to be home again,” Jade said with a smile. She had many fond memories of afternoons spent in the library studying while other kids were out on dates or with their friends. Catherine had supported her efforts by bringing in veterinary articles she’d cropped from magazines and newspapers.

“What is this about the dance of two lovers?” Catherine’s face grew serious; the lines around her mouth appeared more pronounced.

Without thinking, Jade reached up and touched the charm beneath her shirt. Careful among the eyes and ears of the library, she made up a story to back up her question. “I was in town the other day and heard someone say something about it. It was intriguing, so I thought I’d look it up.”

Catherine’s lips turned up into a curious, careful smile that did not reach her eyes. “Mm-hmm. Well, I doubt you’ll find anything on the dance of two lovers in any book. You could go ask Hal Braden about it.”

Polly snapped to attention. “Oh, no, no, Catherine. She couldn’t do that.”

Jade cringed at the truth of her situation.

“No, I guess you really can’t, can you?” Catherine narrowed her eyes in a way that made Jade’s nerves sting.

What the hell is going on?
“Yeah, I can’t really do that. It’s not a big deal. Thanks anyway.”

Jade hurried out the front door and into her car, where she rested her forehead on the steering wheel and closed her eyes, wishing she could talk to Rex. She hated the situation they were in, and as she drove home, that hatred grew. It was her own damned fault. What kind of educated woman runs home to Daddy when there’s an issue? She could have relocated anywhere in the world. Why did she have to come back to the one place where she’d fall in love with the one man she knew she could never really be with—at least not publicly? Maybe she needed to take this horse by the reins and find another place to live—another state altogether. Someplace where her heart wouldn’t break every time she thought of seeing Rex. Someplace where everyone didn’t know everyone else’s business. Someplace where she could stay up all night with a man and not feel guilty. The real problem was, the only man she wanted—she’d ever want—was Rex.

She stormed into the house and stomped up the stairs to her childhood bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She paced the small space as tears welled in her eyes. Jade fell across her bed and buried her face in her pillow, crying, much like she had when Rex had punched Steve when they were kids.
I’m such a loser!

“Darlin’? Is something wrong?” her father asked from behind the closed door.

She bit back the urge to scream,
Go away! This is all your fault! If you were a
man
instead of a
child
none of this would be happening
! Instead she said, “I’m fine. Just tired. I’ll be down later.”
After you’re asleep and I don’t have to see your face
.

“Was everything okay with your girlfriends?” he asked.

She sighed. He was so good to her that it made it hard for her to capture the spears of anger and keep them alive.