Bitter Wild (19 page)

Jack
thought he’d taken a few cold showers in his time, but he found out in a hurry
that cold wasn’t an adequate adjective to describe the temperature of the water
in the tank overhead. Bitter, frigid, and glacial all came to mind as his body
drew up beneath the onslaught. Still, it felt good to get clean. He even
managed a clumsy shave with a disposable razor and tiny mirror he’d brought
along but never found the time to use. He knew what he was doing. He was
cleaning himself up for her. Maybe that’s what she’d done as well. There was an
unspoken promise between them. They were going to pick up where they’d left off
earlier. It didn’t matter how cold the water was, Jack didn’t for a moment
imagine that the fire in his blood would be quenched by anything less than
making love with Casey. It had been building for days and there wasn’t much
that could stop it, now. Nothing but his own sense of integrity.

From
the moment he first started acknowledging the fact that he wanted Casey, he’d
also had to face the fact that she wasn’t the kind of woman a man had a fling
with. She was commitment and marriage and kids and happily-ever-after. She was
exactly the kind of woman he’d avoided like the plague for as long as he’d had
enough sense to understand that all women weren’t the same. He couldn’t give
her what she wanted, what she needed. He couldn’t make her any kind of promise
at all, beyond the guarantee that once they’d confirmed that Jester was dead,
he’d be heading back to civilization as fast as he could go. Casey deserved
better than that. Her boyfriend was probably ready and willing to marry her and
give her a house full of babies. Jack had no right to confuse her by letting
her think he might entertain such a domestic notion.

Casey
was trying not to pace when Jack finally came back into the cabin. He’d
actually shaved. Casey jerked her gaze off him and devoted herself to opening
the can of peaches. He really meant to make love to her. Her heart started a
wild rhythm in her chest. Her stomach clenched and unclenched in anticipation.
Okay, she wanted him. Maybe she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted any
other man, including Andy. That thought brought a stab of pain to her chest,
but she didn’t shy away from it. She’d loved Andy long before they were lovers.
He’d given her pleasure, but she’d never felt the thrill of sexual attraction
like this. She’d tried to convince herself that she wasn’t ready for an affair.
But maybe an affair was exactly what she needed.

Jack
tossed his bag on the cot he’d claimed as his own. He hadn’t wanted Casey to
sleep in the same space where Russell Jester had lain. He never wanted to even
imagine her that close to him. Jack watched as she opened the can of peaches,
then pulled a couple of metal bowls out of the cabinet. She glanced over her
shoulder at him.

“Supper’s
ready.”

He took
one of the bowls from her and spooned some of the chili into it. She poured
stew into her own bowl, then followed him to sit at the small table in the
center of the room. She’d made coffee and had already put it on the table. Jack
poured them both a cup, still not saying anything. The silence was worse than
the arguing that had sparked during their first meeting. Casey forced herself
to focus on eating. She finished her stew and retrieved the can of peaches from
the counter while Jack got a second bowl of chili. She poured a few peaches
into her bowl, then quietly ate them. She’d forgotten the simple pleasure of
something sweet after dinner. That was another reason she’d always loved the
woods. They reminded her to be thankful for all the comforts of home. She ate a
peach slice, then another, smiling as a drop of syrup dribbled onto her chin.
She lifted her finger to swipe at it, then stuck her finger in her mouth. That
was precisely the moment she realized Jack wasn’t eating any longer.

He
still held his bowl and spoon, but they were both motionless. His dark gaze was
locked onto her and the heat in his eyes was enough to melt solid stone. Casey
froze, her finger still in her mouth. They sat there for what felt like an
eternity before Jack finally shook himself out of whatever daze had taken him.
His eyes jerked up to meet hers and for one breathless moment, neither of them
moved. An instant later, they both moved at once.

Contents

CHAPTER
SEVEN

Jack’s
chair fell to the floor as he shot to his feet. Casey’s slid backwards, but
didn’t topple as his had. They met mouth to mouth a moment later and Casey knew
that whatever doubts she had, she meant to ignore them. Tonight she was going
to love him with every fiber of her being. She didn’t know how to do it any other
way.

Jack
couldn’t get close enough to her. He’d convinced himself while he was still
outside that it would be best to just go in and eat and then go to bed. He
didn’t want to risk hurting Casey when he knew she’d already endured so much
pain in her life. He’d been doing a decent enough job of keeping that thought
in mind until she started eating those damn peaches. It wasn’t that her method
of eating them was particularly seductive. It was the expression on her face as
she savored each bite. It was as close to nirvana as any look he’d ever seen.
When she’d sucked a drop of syrup off her finger it had felt like his entire
body was sizzling with suppressed fire. He was lost, then, and knew he would be
for a long time to come.

He
pushed her backwards toward her cot. Her fingers were already working at his
clothes and he let her go long enough to help her. He got his flannel shirt
unbuttoned and shrugged out of it even as she began working at the buttons of
her own shirt. He jerked his undershirt over his head, then stopped when she
did the same. The bra she wore wasn’t anything special. He’d seen all kinds of
lingerie in his time, some of which was obviously meant to be taken off more
than it was intended to be worn. At that moment, though, the simple cotton bra
she wore was a thousand times more seductive than anything in a Victoria’s
Secret catalogue.

She
reached behind her and undid the clasp, hesitating only a moment before
shrugging it off her shoulders. Jack had already seen her naked. He’d been
doing his best not to look at the time, though, trying to preserve some scrap
of her dignity while he fought to keep her from dying. Now he let his gaze roam
over her. It wasn’t enough. He needed to touch her, to feel her body against
his. It took them mere seconds to rid each other of their remaining clothes.
That done, they met again, hands and mouths seeking each other in an almost
desperate hunger. Jack wrapped his arms around her, holding as tightly as he
dared. Casey clung to him as well. It seemed that they both felt an equal sense
of need and maybe even insecurity.

Jack
tasted the peaches she’d been eating on her tongue. She was as sweet as the
peaches though, her very essence seemed to surround and intoxicate him. He
dropped his hands to cup her rear as he ground his hips against her. God, he
wanted to feel her closing around him. He felt like he’d explode if he had to
wait much longer. He released her mouth as she dug her fingernails into his
shoulders. She leaned forward and nipped at his chin with her teeth and he
shuddered. She wasn’t just letting him lead their headlong fall into passion.
She was as on fire as he was. He lowered her onto the cot, stretching out
beside her. He propped himself up on one hand while letting the other trail up
her side to her breasts. He circled one peak with a finger and watched as it
tightened in response. She moaned when he teased the hard tip with his finger.
He leaned forward and tasted it with his tongue.

Casey
felt herself beginning to tremble as Jack stroked her with his tongue before
scraping her nipple with his teeth. She wanted him to continue and she wanted
him to stop. She wanted more and at the same time feared what more would do to
her. Then he sucked her hard at the same time that his hand slid between her
thighs. He stoked her boldly and she shuddered as pleasure rippled through her
body. She groaned and arched into his mouth and hand, wanting, needing more.

Jack
had known his share of lovers. He was no stranger to a woman’s body. But
touching Casey was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. She wasn’t naïve,
yet she was hardly so experienced that sex was automatic. She trembled at his
touch, one moment seeming to urge him to give her more and a moment later
almost begging him to stop. He was so hard that it hurt and he couldn’t ever
remember feeling as uncertain of himself. He didn’t just want her, he wanted to
please her like she’d never been pleasured before. He wanted to drive her to
the brink and then tumble with her over the edge. He loved the feel of her hot
body beside him. He loved the noises she made as he slowly stoked the fire
within her.

He was
wondering how far to push her and driving himself insane with imagining how
she’d feel as he sank into her when he had his first harsh flash of reality.
His hand went still and he released the breast he’d been nipping at as it
occurred to him that he had no way to protect her. He closed his eyes. What the
hell was wrong with him?

Casey
opened her eyes when Jack went still. She was panting and covered with a fine
sheen, on the verge of a release unlike any she’d ever known before. His eyes
were closed and the look on his face was one of doubtless agony. “Jack?”

Jack
opened his eyes and focused on her uncertain gaze.

“Oh,
God, Casey. I don’t have any protection.”

He
watched as pain flashed in her eyes for a moment, then vanished as she gave him
a gentle smile.

“You
don’t need to worry about me getting pregnant. I can’t.” Her gaze clouded for
just a moment. “There was internal damage from the attack.”

Jack
cupped her face. “I’m sorry.”

She
shook her head. “I’m alive. That’s what matters. It’s all that matters.”

She
turned toward him then, reaching out to wrap her hand around him. Jack jerked
as her fingers stroked him. “Love me, Jack. Now.”

He
couldn’t have denied her if he’d wanted to. He caught her around the waist and
shifted so that he was above her. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around
him as he sank into her. It took every ounce of strength he possessed not to
drive into her like some raving lunatic. He went slow, for her and for himself.
He wanted to savor every moment. He wanted to burn every instant into his
memory.

Casey
came apart in Jack’s arms. He rocked above her, in and out, over and over until
she thought she’d go mad if the tension didn’t snap. When it finally did, she
screamed his name as her body clenched and shuddered. He tightened his hold on
her, then jerked and spilled himself into her. At that moment, Casey knew a
sense of fulfillment unlike any she’d ever experienced before. It was far more
than physical pleasure. It was as if some part of her that had been empty was
finally filled. A piece that she hadn’t even known was missing had been returned.
She felt tears gather in her eyes. She was in love with him. God help her.

It took
Jack all of thirty seconds to realize that he’d been horribly mistaken when
he’d imagined that having Casey would ease the hunger that had been plaguing
him since the moment he first saw her. He still wanted her. Again and again and
again until they were both so exhausted that they couldn’t move. The first time
had been too rushed, too driven by raw need. He wanted to do it again, but this
time he wanted to take his time to explore every inch of her beautiful body. He
lifted himself off her, intending to kiss her, to silently let her know how
much he still wanted her. He froze, however, when he saw the tears clinging to
her lashes.

“Casey-”

She
shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just been a long time, that’s all. I forgot how
good it can be.”

She
reached up to pull his face down to hers. Jack let her kiss him and tried to
believe her explanation for the tears. Somewhere deep inside he knew she was
lying to him. Coward that he was, he chose to believe the lie.

Casey
almost groaned as she stretched. All the aches in her body weren’t unfamiliar,
but there were a few that she knew had only one explanation. She felt a smile
touch her lips as she remembered all the ways Jack had loved her. Slow and
fast, soft and hard, on the cot and even on the counter. That brought a blush
to her cheeks as she remembered. They’d gotten up to stoke the fire and to
finish the peaches. They’d wound up with more peach juice on their bodies than
in their mouths. Casey’s smile turned to an uncomfortable frown as she realized
Jack’s tongue hadn’t managed to clean all the sticky syrup up.

The cot
wasn’t large, but there was enough room for her to turn her head so she could
look into his sleeping face. He looked utterly relaxed. She reached up to
finger his hair. She loved him. Her heart was all but bursting with it.
Sometime during these days alone together, she’d fallen in love with this man
in spite of the fact that she knew it could never work between them. He didn’t
belong in her world and she couldn’t live in his. They had nothing in common,
beyond the attraction that drew them to one another. And not once during the
night had he even hinted that he had any real feelings for her. Sometimes, the
tenderness of his touch and the reverence in his eyes had almost convinced her
that he cared for her, but in the morning light Casey had to admit that it had
more likely been wishful thinking on her part. She wanted him to care. She
wanted him to love her. She sighed and turned away from him. She knew better
than most how rare it was to get what you wanted.

She
carefully pushed the covers aside and began to slip off the cot. She’d barely
moved, however, when Jack caught hold of her arm.

“Where
do you think you’re going?”

His
voice was sleepy, but there was a rough note in it that Casey recognized. She
turned back to him and met his kiss. By the time he let her go, she was flushed
with hunger again and all the aches she’d woken with were forgotten.

“I’m
sticky. You didn’t do a very good job of cleaning me up, last night. I thought
I’d take a quick shower.”

He gave
her a sleepy smile. “Okay, just hurry back.”

She
kissed him lightly. “I will.”

Casey
gathered her clothes. Chance reached the back door before she did. He was ready
to get out of the cabin. Casey opened the door and he darted outside. She went
straight to the shower and cleaned herself up as quickly as she could. Her
teeth were chattering by the time she managed to get her clothes pulled on.
She’d brought her handgun along automatically. She had it in her hand when she
heard Chance’s first bark. Every hair along her nape rippled at the sound.
There was no mistaking the aggression in the sound. When it was followed by a
second bark Casey knew something was wrong. She took a step toward the cabin,
intending to alert Jack. The shot that echoed into the valley sent a shiver of
horror along her spine. Chance’s yelp sent her running around the cabin.

Jack
jerked upright when he heard the shot. He hadn’t really been sleeping. He was
more dozing, dreaming of Casey coming back into the cabin and of what they’d do
when she did. He shouted Casey’s name as he scrambled off the cot. He jerked on
his clothes, feeling his heart stutter when she didn’t answer. It took only
seconds for him to dress, though it felt like an eternity. He grabbed his weapon
and moved toward the door. He pulled it open a crack and peered outside. He
couldn’t see anyone or anything in front of the cabin. That didn’t mean no one
was there, of course. His field of view was fairly limited. He couldn’t just
stay inside, though. Casey was out there somewhere and he had to find her.

He was
just pulling the door open when he heard a second shot. This time he knew it
hadn’t come from the immediate vicinity of the cabin. He heard it echo in the
valley and he guessed that it must have come from farther up the ridge, toward
the area where they’d found Jester’s rope. Jack allowed himself an instant of
self-loathing. He should have known it was too convenient. He should have
guessed that Jester wouldn’t die so easily. He didn’t have time to berate his
stupidity for long. He knew Casey had met up with Jester and Jack didn’t dare
let himself imagine what that might mean.

Jack
ran out of the cabin, heading up the hill toward the waterfall. He hadn’t gone
all that far when he caught sight of the dog lying on the ground. Jack felt his
gut clench as he slowed. He was almost at the dog’s side before he finally saw
the animal’s chest rise and fall. He sank to one knee, reaching out to touch
the dog. Chance made a pitiful moan and tried to move. Jack held the dog down
and whispered. “Easy, boy. You’re in no shape to move. I’ll find her, I swear.”

Chance
relaxed and Jack marveled at the dog’s apparent understanding. Sometimes he
wondered if the dog was really a dog at all. He heard a shout that he recognized
as Casey and got to his feet. She was still alive. That was something. Jack was
getting ready to move on when he heard the sound of galloping hooves behind
him. He spun around, gun drawn. The relief that hit him when he saw the sheriff
and Casey’s boyfriend was unspeakable. They slid down off their mounts as Jack
motioned for them to be silent.

He saw
both men’s eyes go to the dog. Jack nodded as he moved closer to them. He kept
his voice barely above a whisper. “Chance is shot, but he’s still alive. Jester
has Casey, though.”

Jack
couldn’t have missed the fear that filled her boyfriend’s eyes. It was very
similar to what he felt, though he sincerely hoped that his feelings weren’t as
evident. The other man shot him a glare. “What the hell happened?”