All Through the Night (Liar's Web) (13 page)

“
You need a doctor,” he'd said. “I can go find Kuruk.” Kuruk was an elder who was sought after to provide spiritual and physical healing on the Reservation. Some called him a shaman.

“
No, cantkiya, I'll be fine,” she whispered.

“
Why doesn't he love us?” he asked as painful truths rained down upon him.

His mother had whimpered painfully upon hearing his question. He'd watched her steel herself right in front of his eyes. She straightened her back, took a deep breath, and looked him directly in the eye. “Some people don't know how to love, Jake. Some people are so twisted up inside they don't know how to go through the world with love in their hearts. And it makes them mean inside.”

“
I hate him!” Jake shouted fiercely. “I'll hate him till the day I die.”

His mother reached out and smoothed his dark mane of hair by running her fingers through it. It was what she did whenever she wanted to soothe his wild soul. “Don't hate, cantkiya. Love. Love with all your might. One day you'll find a special someone who'll be worth loving with everything you have. It will be a love like no other. Her happiness will be the most important thing to you. That is the difference between loving and possession.”

Although he didn't betray his feelings to his mother, chaotic thoughts ran round and round his head. What had loving his father ever given his mother but heartache?
I'll never get married
,
 
he vowed.
I'll never let someone twist me around like this. If this is what love does to a person, I'll skip it.

Again, pain sliced through him upon remembering all the difficulties his mother had endured.

She'd deserved so much better. A damn sight better than she'd ever received. And she'd wanted so much for him, much more than he'd ever dared to dream for himself. She'd wished him a love like no other. Here he was at thirty years old, still single and unattainable, much to the chagrin of many ladies around town who'd tried to snag him. Growing up in a household where fists were more normal than kisses had scarred him. Hardened him.

He'd always thought he didn't have time for love, but he knew now it went much deeper. He was jaded. Damaged. He was a serious non-believer. At an early age he'd learned the perils of loving hard and placing your trust in the wrong person. Until death do us part. The words splintered through his soul, haunting him with their weight and simplicity. He thought of Darcel—spunky, spirited, sexy Darcel. Something inside him felt as if it were bursting wide open, and he knew if he wasn't careful, he was about to fall headlong over the edge.

* * * *

Darcel looked at the listings on her Dawkins Realty website, making note of several stunning houses in the million-dollar range which might appeal to her client. A sense of excitement thrummed through her as she began the process of matching the client's needs with her existing properties.

It wasn't every day that a gorgeous movie star relocated to Liberty Creek. According to his agent, the move was temporary and only slated to coincide with the filming of his next movie. The film company was set to purchase a large property so the actor could live comfortably while filming in the area. Although she was sworn to secrecy for the moment, it tickled her to imagine the reaction from the females in town when they heard Jabari Alexander was coming.

Personally, she didn't really care about the movie star. For her it was all about the sale. Selling a property was an adrenaline rush for her, and it provided almost the same intoxicating thrill as an orgasm. Who was she kidding? She blushed furiously as she remembered the fireworks Jake had set off in her body last night. Selling a property couldn't compare to having Jake Trueblood rock your world. Being made love to by Jake was infinitely more of a rush.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of color as Jake made his appearance. He cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked up from the computer, he was standing in the doorway dressed in a gray suit and purple tie. His hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail, and he wore a fancy pair of shoes that looked as if they'd recently been polished. He looked simply delicious.

“
It's Sunday.”

She stared at him blankly. “Is that code for something?”

“
We've been invited for Sunday dinner.”

“
Sunday dinner?” The realization hit her all at once, slamming into her solar plexus as if she'd been hit with a baseball bat. Fear sliced through her, creating a panicky feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Oh, no! No way!”

He grinned at her wolfishly, showing an inordinate amount of straight white teeth. “I never turn down an invitation to Sunday dinner.”

“
Call Bodine…or Ella. Tell them it's an emergency and you need someone to watch me.”

Jake stood with both arms crossed over his chest. “Nope. I think it's time you met Aurelia.”

Aurelia. Otherwise known as Old Widow Jenkins. Panic skittered through her, and her heart began doing a wild tango in her chest at the thought of coming face-to-face with Aurelia Jenkins. What would she do? What would she say to the woman?
So sorry for spreading unfounded gossip about you sleeping with your semi-adopted grandson?

“
Cancel!” she begged in a strangled voice. “Tell her you're sick—”

“
It's too late to cancel,” he stated firmly. “She's expecting two dinner guests, and that's exactly what she's getting.”

“
I thought you said I was supposed to keep a low profile. If I'm gallivanting all over town, that's not keeping a low profile.” Her voice sounded whiny even to her own ears, but she was feeling desperate and boxed in. She wasn't used to following orders and being bossed around by a control freak with a badge.

“
Aurelia lives out in the country. I'm going to leave two of my deputies here to conduct surveillance on the house. Most likely, it'll be Bodine and Ella.”

Her spirits buoyed at the mention of Bodine. “Leave me here with Bodine. He wouldn't have a problem with it.”

He flashed her a look of annoyance. “No, I'm sure he'd be thrilled,” he said sarcastically.

She flashed him a knowing smile. “Ella, on the other hand, might scratch my eyes out.”

“
You noticed her mad crush on Bodine?” he said with a disgusted shake of his head.

“
Noticed? You'd have to be blind, deaf, and clueless not to see the signals she's putting out.”

“
I'm going to have to talk to her about that,” he informed sternly.

“
About what? A little crush?”

“
It's unprofessional.”

“
It's real life. She's human. And she's in love.”

Jake wrinkled his nose as if he'd just smelled something rotten. “Love? You think it's love?”

She nodded her head and grinned. “Yup. I think she's in love with him.”

“
That's just disturbing on so many levels. Not to mention the fact that Bodine doesn't seem to know she's alive and breathing, although I think he would rate her a ten on the annoyance scale. I think he treats her as one of the guys.”

She clapped her hands together with excitement. “I should play matchmaker,” she declared dreamily. “I could give Ella a makeover. Not that she's not cute,” she quickly added. “It's just those deputy uniforms do absolutely nothing for a girl's figure. I could take her to my girlfriend Trina's hair shop, get her hair blown out, slap some makeup on, and put her in a Herve Leger dress and a pair of Laboutins. She'd be a head-turner!” Darcel gave a spirited snap of her fingers. “Bodine wouldn't know what hit him.”

Jake looked at her as if she'd gone mad. “Don't even think about it. She's already working my last nerve with her lovesick antics. Can you imagine if they actually became a couple?” He shivered in an exaggerated fashion and made a crazy face. “There would be madness and mayhem at the sheriff's office.”

Darcel giggled with laughter at his horrified expression. She would pay good money just to see it all go down.

Jake looked at his watch and tapped the glass. “You better go get dressed. We're fixin’ to be late for dinner.”

She looked down at her comfy jeans and T-shirt, wishing she could convince Jake to allow her to stay behind while he went to dinner at Aurelia's house. Something about his determined expression told her not to fight his decision, since in all likelihood, she was going to lose that battle. There was no way she was wriggling off the hook.

Ten minutes later she was dressed to impress in a new dress she'd recently purchased at an upscale boutique. The floral dress clung nicely to her curves without being overly sexy or inappropriate. It cinched in at the waist, showcasing her curve appeal without being too flashy. The bodice was very modest, and she didn't have to worry about showing off too much cleavage.

It was a perfect dress for having Sunday dinner with Old Widow Jenkins and the sheriff. She didn't know what had prompted her to pack the dress along with the rest of her casual items, but at the moment she felt thankful she had something decent to wear. She'd taken her hair out of the ponytail and quickly flat-ironed it into a sleek style that hung prettily around her shoulders. With a dash of mascara and lipstick, she was done. “Not bad,” she said as she viewed her reflection in the mirror.

By the time she made her way downstairs, Bodine had just walked in the door with an armful of flowers.

“
Sheriff, here are the flowers you asked me to pick up for Aurelia.” He handed Jake a bouquet of white roses interspersed with heather. The flowers were so beautiful, and for a single wild moment, she imagined how she would feel if Jake had bought the flowers for her.
But they're not for you
, she reminded herself, feeling silly for even thinking such thoughts.

Bodine looked at her with manly appreciation as he let out a soft whistle. “You look hot, Darcel.”

She grinned at him, making a mental note of his handsome features and leanly muscled physique. She could definitely see the appeal as far as Ella was concerned. Bo definitely had it going on with his cute self.

Jake scowled at his deputy, appearing a bit menacing as he stared him down, his eyes slitted like a snake and glimmering with an emotion that made him look dangerous. An unspoken tension lingered in the air between the two men, causing her to wonder if something had gone down between them earlier. They looked as if they were ready to tear each other apart.

Not certain if she fit the bill for Aurelia's Sunday dinner, she turned toward Jake in search of his approval. “Do I look all right?”

“
You look…pretty,” Jake said as Bodine looked on like a proud papa.

“
Thanks.” She felt a bit self-conscious as both Jake and Bodine gawked at her. She smoothed the floral-patterned dress down over her hips, noticing the way Jake's gaze followed the movements of her hands as they lightly trailed along her curves. His eyes spoke volumes. Desire pooled in their black depths, leaving Darcel feeling languid and sexually charged. He was making her want him again right here in his living room.

As his attention lingered on various parts of her body, she remembered the way he'd touched her in certain places. A tweak of her nipple. A small lick at the base of her neck. His feather light touch as his fingers skimmed over her ass. There was no doubt in her mind he was undressing her with his eyes, mentally stripping her of her clothes the way he'd done for real in his kitchen. An electric current of awareness passed between them as they stared each other down, neither one of them willing to look away.

Bo glanced back and forth between them, his brows furrowed in annoyance as the air in the room became sexually charged and thick with tension.

“
We should get going,” Jake said abruptly as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. Bo's expression darkened as he watched Jake's hand lace with her own. Crazy as it seemed, it was as if Jake was staking his claim. Although she had no clue as to what had provoked him to grab her hand, she had no complaints. His hand was big and strong. She loved the way it felt linked with her own. It made her feel safe. And wanted. If only for this brief moment in time.

* * * *

As they headed to Aurelia's house, Jake's head was racing with a million different thoughts. He'd acted like an idiot back at his place. He'd been as jealous as hell watching Bo drool over his woman like a lovesick cow.
His woman
?
 
Where the hell had that thought come from? She wasn't his woman. Just because they'd had balls-to-the-wall sex didn't mean he owned her.

Just because they were temporarily living under the same roof didn't mean they had a relationship.
Relationship? Sheesh
.
 
He hated that word. It was all fluffy and romantic. He didn't do fluffy and romantic. Ever. Even the flowers Bo had bought were way over the top. He usually bought sunflowers for Aurelia, not an armful of roses, and he was pretty damn sure he'd passed that information on to Bodine. Roses were for romantic love, not motherly love. He'd bet his last dollar that Bo had bought the flowers with Darcel in mind.