All Through the Night (Liar's Web) (19 page)

“
I love you, Jake.”

Chapter Ten

I love you, Jake.

The words hung in the silence for a few minutes as Jake struggled to make sense of what he'd just heard. He'd never imagined that four little words spoken in the heat of passion could rattle him so badly. He searched her eyes for the truth. What he saw there scared the hell out of him. Sincerity. Emotion. And love. There was love shining back at him from Darcel's warm brown eyes.

He felt almost giddy. Euphoric. On top of the world. Fanfriggintastic! And then the doubt set in. Did she really love him? And if so, why? Because she was a frightened witness in his custody and they'd bonded during their time together? Did she feel sorry for him after seeing the disastrous reunion between him and his so-called father? Or had the sex between them been so damn good she'd confused lust with love?

“
I didn't mean to freak you out,” Darcel said sheepishly as she lowered her eyes.

“
You didn't. It's just that—” He was struggling to explain himself, unsure of how much of his heart he wanted to reveal in this moment.

Darcel reached out and placed her hand over his mouth. “Shhh. You don't have to explain anything. I told you how I felt. You don't have to say anything back to me.”

“
I-I've never…I'm not good at this.” He was fumbling badly for words. Dammit! Why couldn't he just say how he felt? That he loved her too? The words sat heavy in his throat like quicksand, unwilling or unable to come out. Heat suffused his face, and he felt as if he were suffocating, strangling under the pressure of this intimate moment. Crap! He was a disaster at this. Utterly useless.

“
Thank you,” he finally murmured.

“
For?” she asked with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk.

“
For bringing my wet dream to life,” he replied with a satisfied smile. “No pun intended.”

“
My pleasure,” she said cheekily as she shook her hair in his direction, deliberately spraying him with the water that bounced off her curls. She indulged in a throaty laugh as water splashed on his face. He splashed her back in retaliation, enjoying the way she let out a high-pitched scream and primly covered her private parts. For a moment he just stared at her, letting his gaze roam leisurely over her delectable body.

She was a work of art, from her delicious mocha breasts to her lush, womanly hips, to her toned, athletic thighs. Her beautiful brown skin glistened in the afternoon sunlight like a freshly baked pecan pie. He reached for her, pulling her to his side so he could plant a kiss on the top of her forehead. In many ways this was an afternoon he would remember for the rest of his life.

Although he'd suffered the nasty shock of coming face-to-face with his deadbeat dad, he'd also enjoyed a magical moment with Darcel at The Falls. For him it was a life-changing moment. Normally after run-ins with Kohana, he ended up being in a funk for weeks, snapping at everyone around him and brooding over the past. All he felt now was pure happiness. Because of her. She'd changed him. He couldn't pinpoint when it had happened, but he knew he was a different man than he'd been a mere week ago.

They emerged from the water together, their naked bodies glowing in the warmth of the Texas sun as they allowed themselves to air dry. He watched as Darcel squeezed all the water out of her hair and gracefully wound it into a sleek bun.

“
I think that's your phone,” she said, pointing toward the buzzing sound emanating from his pants’ pocket.

He let out a groan. “It's gotta be either Ruby or Ella. Whichever one it is, I'm not up to talking right now. Ella will be fretting about Bo's stitches or something equally ridiculous, and if it's Ruby, she'll be apologizing for Kohana. I'm not in the mood for either,” he said darkly, a scowl overtaking his lighthearted mood.

“
It could be important,” she cautioned, her face on edge as if she were expecting bad news.

She was right, he reasoned. He couldn't ignore the call. He was still Sheriff of Liberty Creek, and as such, he needed to be accessible at all times. For the last hour he'd been caught up in a world of sexual fantasy with Darcel. All he'd been able to focus on was making love to her, of taking them both to the heights of pleasure and beyond.

Although it had been a mind-blowing experience, he needed to get back to the real world. In his reality a killer was still out there hunting for Darcel and seeking to harm her. Jake reached for his jeans and fumbled in the pockets until he located his phone.

“
What is it, Ella?” he said into the phone once he saw her number pop up on the screen. He was silent for a brief time, his brow furrowed in concentration as he listened in rapt attention. Then he held up his hand and shouted, “Whoa, Ella. Slow down. They found who? What? When did it happen?” He paused for several minutes so he could listen to his deputy and her breaking news.

Darcel looked at him anxiously, her face reflecting fear and dread. He nodded his head and mouthed the words “It's okay”, wanting to make her feel as safe as she'd felt a few moments ago in his arms. Her features relaxed a bit, yet she continued to watch him carefully and listen to every word he spoke. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, to let her know she was safe and he'd never let anyone hurt her.

It was amazing how protective he felt of her. The feeling surpassed anything he'd ever known in his professional life as a lawman. This need to keep Darcel safe felt almost primal. She was still running scared, tormented by the thought that someone was lurking in the shadows waiting to take her out. Having lost her memory of the shooter only served to intensify her fear, he guessed, since she had no idea of who was hunting her.

“
Okay, I'll be there in an hour or so.” He ended the call and palmed his phone, his mind whirling in a million different directions. He needed to tread carefully with her, to be mindful of the fact she was still harboring memories somewhere within her subconscious. She'd been so strong since this whole ordeal began. Perhaps too strong. There was no telling how close to the breaking point she might be.

She regarded him warily, as if she sensed he was about to break some important news. She bit her lip, nervously chewing it as she waited for him to speak. “Tell me,” she begged as the seconds dragged on and he still hadn't spoken.

“
We need to get back to town,” he said gently. He watched her face carefully, braced for an emotional reaction from her. “It seems as if our shooter has been identified.” He saw her eyes go wide, watched her flash of panic as she tried to process the information he was giving her. She was still gripped in fear, her body shaking with uncontrollable tremors. He reached out for her, grabbing hold of her hands and looking directly in her eyes as he spoke.

“
He's dead, Darcel. The shooter killed himself. You don't have to be afraid ever again.”

Disbelief flashed across her face. “How? Who was it? God, why can't I remember?” she asked in an agonized voice.

“
Shhh,” he crooned as she pulled her toward his chest and held her in a tight bear hug, gently rocking her from side to side. “Take it easy. You suffered a traumatic event. You witnessed the worst act a human being can commit. Just like Cherry said, ‘sometimes our minds protect us from harmful memories’. You'll get it all back in time. I'm sure of it.”

She pulled away from him, searching his eyes for answers. “Who was it? Who killed Ronnie?”

“
Cree Robinson. One of Ronnie's partners in crime.”

Darcel looked at him with vacant eyes. “I don't know him. That name means nothing to me. ”Her voice was full of confusion. “Shouldn't it mean something to me?”

“
Robinson was one of the names Lenny tossed out when he was being interrogated. Seems Cree was part of Ronnie's organization, his right hand man. When Lenny was interrogated, he named Cree as Ronnie's partner in crime and he said he collected money for Ronnie on a few occasions. We thought he had an airtight alibi for the night of the shooting, but it looks as if that's no longer the case.”

“
Are they sure it was him?”

“
He left a note behind confessing to Ronnie's murder. The gun he killed himself with was the same gun used to kill Ronnie. His prints are all over the weapon. That's pretty solid evidence.”

She looked at him with trepidation, obviously unwilling to believe just yet her ordeal was over. He held her gaze, flashing her a look that spoke volumes.

“
It's over, right?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

He let loose with a wide smile. “Officially, there are still a lot of Is to dot, but unofficially, I think your nightmare may be coming to an end.”

With a look of gratitude, she threw herself into his chest and snuggled against him. He felt a strong tug on his heart as she burrowed her head against him as the realization began to sink in that her nightmare was over. She was safe. He reached up and caressed her hair, running his fingers through the still wet, curly strands. For the first time since the night of the shooting, Darcel seemed at peace.

“
Thank you, Jake,” she said in a voice laced with emotion. “You've done so much for me since this whole thing started. I don't think I've ever properly thanked you. Taking me into your home, feeding me, keeping me in one piece. You put your whole life on hold to keep me safe. In a million years, I could never find a way to repay you.”

“
No repayment needed. I was just doing my job.” What he didn't tell her was that at some point it had grown into much more than a job. Protecting her was as vital to him as his own heart beating within his chest. Somewhere along the way, she'd become important to him. Vital. . She was a part of him now, embedded in his soul like a permanent tattoo. Separate and apart from his duties as sheriff, he'd wanted to keep her safe from harm because the thought of losing her was too painful to bear.

After getting dressed and gathering their belongings, they headed back along the trail to where Jake's car was parked. Just as they reached the car a beat up orange van came barreling toward them, its tire spewing dust as it ground to a halt. Ruby hopped out of the driver's seat and came rushing their way, words tumbling out of her mouth before she even reached their side.

“
Jake, I've been looking all over for you. I need to talk to you. I'm so sorry you were blindsided like that at the clinic. I should've told you before.”

He held up a hand to ward off her longwinded apology. “I've got to head back to town. I don't have time for this right now.”

“
You can't keep running away from this,” she argued with a frown.

“
I'm not running.” He grimaced. “We'll talk about this…some other time. The two of us. You and me. Not Kohana.”

“
Jake, he's your father,” Ruby said with a hint of reproach in her voice.

“
No, Ruby,” he said, “he's
you
r
 
father. He was never much of father to me. I know that’s not what you want to hear, dammit, but it's the truth. My truth.

“
He did things.” Jake clenched and unclenched his jaw. “Unspeakable things I can't ever forget. And because of his reckless, selfish actions, I lost my mother.”

Ruby shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. “I'm sorry. I know what you've lost, how much you suffered after your mom died.” Sobs wracked Ruby's petite frame, and Jake moved toward her, wrapping her up in his large arms and comforting her.

“
I just wanted us to be a family,” she sobbed.

“
You'll always be my family, Ruby Red,” he reassured, planting a kiss on her forehead. As Jake comforted Ruby, he noticed for the first time that Darcel had tears streaming down her face. He made eye contact with her, trying without words to comfort her, to show her he wasn't in any way broken by his run-in with Kohana and his disagreement with his sister. Darcel smiled back at him, a tender, sweet smile that made his spirit soar.

His heart lurched painfully in his chest, and his head felt a little cloudy as if he couldn't think straight. If it hadn't already been painfully obvious to him, he knew for sure now he was head-over-heels in love. This beautiful, spirited woman had come crashing into his life and stolen his soul like a thief in the night. He'd never been more scared to death in his life.

Chapter Eleven

Darcel reclined in the tub, her head lazily propped against the back of it, a sea of bubbles and foam hiding all her extremities. Only her head and neck were visible above the suds. Whenever she shifted ever so slightly, he'd see her dusky nipples poking up through the foam, a sight that left him hot and bothered. After sprinkling some sea salts in the bath, Jake leaned over and turned on a CD player.

The bathroom was suddenly infused with the melodic strains of Bruno Mars singing
Just the Way You Are
.
 
Immediately, Darcel began to sing along, her voice pitch perfect and soulful. Twinkling vanilla-scented candles surrounded the tub, adding to the sultry atmosphere. Jake reached for a scrubby, lathering it up before he began washing her neck and shoulders. She leaned forward in the bath, scooting her butt up to give him full access to her.