Bones Of Contention: The McKinnon Legends - The American Men Book 3 (17 page)

It was just as well, Josh thought.

He was sure it would not be a pretty picture for either of the men vying for her attention should Trey get any closer. Jamie would most certainly give them both a piece of her brilliant and beautiful mind.

Armed with the knowledge, he kept his thoughts and desires close to the vest. It would just push her further away if he demanded she not see anyone except him. And moreover, he really had no right to ask, not that it mattered. He still hated the thought of her with someone else, and that was something he was going to change.

He vowed, before this weekend was up, he would ask for that exclusivity. By Sunday afternoon Jamie would be his in more ways than just the physical.

He, weeks ago, admitted begrudgingly to Robert and Barbara, he was no longer able to keep his professional distance and objectivity where Jamie was concerned. Now, he was wondering if he ever had been able to keep a professional mindset from the moment he walked through her examination room doorway.

“Josh? What’s going on up there?” Jamie tapped his temple. She was fascinated as she watched his face and body language go through a series of changes in just a matter of moments. There were no walls for this man where she was concerned, making her feel guilty that she was still so closed off to him.

Josh brought himself back to the moment. Taking the eggs off the burner, he turned to her running his fingers through her hair. Settling his palm at the nap of her neck and pulling her close she felt relaxed, warm, and soft there in his arms.

“Right now I have several things on my mind, Love. I'm thinking you, me, a warm fire, soft pillows, and even softer music, chocolate covered strawberries, wine, and this for starters.” He finished by leaning in, capturing her mouth. Kissing her softly, he loathed releasing her as they stood close together in the kitchen flooded with morning light. Her soft unconscious sigh did not go unnoticed.

“Jamie, I want to be honest with you. I want you to stay the rest of the weekend and be with me,” he confessed.

He felt her stiffen. She fully understood his request.

She backed up a step so much more afraid of her own reaction to his request than fear of the request itself.

“And if I say no? What then? Will you stop training me?” It was all she could think to say to push him away. She knew better. He was not that kind of man, and had she been rational she would have fully understood he would never hold her training hostage to his physical needs.

She was just afraid, scared of the emotions she had never felt,and the desires she had never hoped to experience. It made her heart race, and her desires were pushing her in a very different direction than she had planned for her life.

She did want to stay. She wanted to stay more than anything she had desired in a very long time. Yet, if she did stay and deepen their relationship, how long would it last? Would it go past the weekend, past the holidays? With Josh her heart could well be involved already. It was a risky proposition, and casual sex was never her preference.

He smiled understanding fully where her question was originating. “Jamie, I may be a lot of things, but a cold-blooded, blackmailing bastard is not one of them. I’m not going to withhold your self-defense if you are not ready. I will gladly continue to coach you either way.”

“I’m sorry I said that, Josh. I know you are a good and decent man and I should not have questioned your integrity. Maybe, I should just go,” she glanced toward the door.

He had Davis drive his truck back to Lubbock leaving her Explorer at the ranch. He understood her need to have a way to leave if she felt the need. If she stayed, it was her own decision, not based on the fact she had no ride.

“Baby, please stay. If we are not at the same place in this relationship right at this moment, it’s fine.” He pulled her against him again. “I’ll lick my wounded male pride, and then I’ll patiently wait, ask again in the not too distant future, and hope the answer will be different the next time.”

“I’m sorry. This is just all so fast.”

“I’m willing to wait,” he kissed the top of her head, “and it certainly is not ‘give in or leave’.” He reassured her running has hands slowly up and down her back. “Please stay.”

He felt her exhale. It was a sigh of relief. He knew her answer without her ever vocalizing it. He was disappointed. What man wouldn’t be? Nevertheless, he was not discouraged. Waiting to be with her was worth the physical discomfort his body was experiencing. Once she opened up, it would be worth the wait no matter how long it took.

“I need to sleep this morning anyway, so you are safe from me for a little while.” He stepped away giving her a little space as he set the table of breakfast. His answer and actions eased her fears.

She did not deserve him.

He closely watched her as they ate and saw her visibly relax. “Once I get up, I’d like to take you riding this afternoon if the weather holds.”

She never committed one way or the other, and as he climbed the stairs to catch a few hours of sleep he wondered what she would do to keep herself occupied.

Twice Killer barked beside his bed trying to get his attention. Tossing the extra bed pillow at him and swearing to lock the mutt outside if he did not leave him alone, Josh rolled back over drifting back to sleep unfamiliar with the little dog’s habits.

“Josh!”

He heard her scream his name. It penetrated his sleep, stabbing him through the brain like a bolt of hot electricity.

Startled, he sat up automatically reaching for his gun, and tossing the covers back he listened. The house was quiet except for the whine and bark of the dog downstairs.

Perhaps he was just dreaming.

His sleep had been erratic for weeks. Fear for her safety was always lurking just below the surface of his conscious mind, and on several occasions he had awakened in just this same dramatic manner hearing her screams in his sleep. Pulling on his jeans and grabbing his gun from back off the nightstand, he wandered downstairs.

Something did not feel right, he thought. Then he knew why. He could not feel her presence.

She was no longer in the house.

Josh was in a panic. Killer sat whining by the back door, scratching to get out.

“Jamie!” he yelled as he made his way quickly through the house. “Jamie, answer me!”

Now that he was awake, Killer barked frantically scratching incessantly on the door marring the paint. The dog was transferring his fear to Josh.

There was no note or sign she was still in the house, yet her clothes and toiletries were still in the guest bedroom and bath.

She simply was not there.

If she were gone it was by force, and he had slept through the whole thing. The thought curdled his blood and made it run icy with trepidation.

He looked outside for her SUV. It was still parked where Davis left it the day before. Her purse was on the kitchen table as was her cell phone and car keys. More than this was the fact Killer was still here.

She would never leave him behind, he thought.

“Oh, God, no!”

What had he been thinking to leave her alone without a guard, except Saber, while he slept? Heart racing, he grabbed his coat and badge and headed out the back.

Then he saw her white as the snow softly falling around her.

Frightened, frozen, and as still as death, Josh saw her standing with her back against the wood shed located just off his workshop. Saber, his police dog partner, was standing guard, or more precisely, holding her in her frozen position. Josh could hear the low growl deep in the highly trained dog’s throat. He knew Saber was just doing his job by following his last command to guard the premises. Unless he gave the command to attack, Jamie was perfectly safe from assault as long as she did not run. Still, she had no way of knowing that piece of information.

He saw her begin to shift her body toward him.

“Don’t move!” he wanted her to take him seriously, gruffly issuing the order, holding up his hand in a gesture to stop her.

“Saber, lass es, hier!” Josh threw the command with authority for the dog to leave it and come.

The dog, hearing the German commands, automatically wheeled and came toward him. “So ist brav, sitz, bleib.” Josh commanded again in the dog’s native tongue.

If Jamie had not been beyond fear, she would have recognized the command and praise. The dog was just doing his job she supposed; still he had made a believer out of her.

Without question the beautiful animal sat in front of his master and stayed as Josh walked calmly toward her, pulling off his coat in the process. Not tempting Saber to make a wrong interpretation of the situation he commanded her again, this time more sympathetically.

“Just remain still, Jamie, until I get to you. Okay?”

She nodded her understanding.

Two feet from where she was planted and probably growing roots, she threw herself into his arms. Basking in the warmth of his body, he placed his coat around her. That one contact felt so good, warm, and reassuring.

As he picked her up behind the knees and carried her back inside, all she could manage to mumble through chattering teeth was something about man’s best friend and horse excrement in the same sentence.

Far be it from him, he thought, to correct her.

Josh opened the back door commanding Saber inside. “Saber, geh rein.”

The magnificent animal went without question.

Wow, she thought. If only she had known it was that easy.

It was twenty-three degrees outside, snowing again, with a wind chill making it feel like a bone-chilling ten. Josh was quick to note she did not have on anything more than a light wrap, tennis shoes, and no cover for her head. She was wet and freezing cold.

“How long were you out there?” he said leading her to the fire after getting her into dry clothing and lots of it, layering her in several of his heavy flannel shirts. She looked ridiculously like the Michelin Man.

“It was just before noon. I needed more wood,” she answered through chattering teeth. He noted that her lips were blue and so were her nail beds as he took her hands to inspect them for frost bite.

Jesus, Josh thought. It was past two. She had been outside in the elements over two hours and it had turned nasty and cold since early morning.

Covering her in the thermal blanket that he pulled out of the cedar chest below the window casing, he pulled her down on the sofa and into his arms where he could rub her icy limbs through all the layers of clothing. If she did not warm up soon, he might need to get her into a warm bath and then under the electric blanket on his bed. Her core temperature had to be down to near dangerous levels.

“You scared the life out of me, woman. I thought someone had gotten to you. I cannot bear that thought.” Josh kissed her on the side of the forehead closing his eyes against the horrible thoughts tumbling across his mind.

She pushed off him enough to see his face. “You think you were scared? How do you think I felt seeing Jaws on Paws coming at me? You tell me about the coyotes, but not about him? What’s up with that?” she demanded feeling better and rebounding quickly thanks to her family genes.

“Saber is no threat to Killer.” Still he saw his error in hindsight.

That was an understatement Jamie thought as she looked over at the crate containing both dogs curled up together.

“And he, in truth, was no real threat to you either,” Josh said pushing her head back against his shoulder. “However, you were smart not to run. You should have called me.”

“I did. Once, shortly after I went out, and realized very quickly that was not the thing to do. It was at that point he pinned me down. I did not know what else to do except stand there.”

“Hum.” What else was he going to say? She was making him feel bad in his failure to introduce her to his partner. It was an oversight. He could not go back and undo it.

“I was screaming your name inside my head thinking maybe you might pick up on it by some miracle. Too bad you don’t read minds, Josh. Come to think of it, maybe it would not be good thing. I was not happy once I realized he would not attack if I did not move. I had two hours out there to think about it. And you know what? I think that damn dog was just screwing with my head.”

Josh laughed at that. He could visibly see she was feeling better and felt sure she was out of danger. He kissed her fingers which he noted were now a nice baby pink.

It felt good having Josh close, too good, in fact. She was much warmer now having on dry clothes and Josh wrapped around her. Saber might not be a threat, but Josh certainly was to her career, her way of life, and her heart.

She was falling in love with him, purely and simply. His caring ways, his giving personality, his desire to take care of her all just served to win her heart. The fact he was eye candy was icing on the cake.

Yet, she could not fall in love with him.

She had obligations to her family, to the museum, and the school. Besides, she never stayed in one place very long, ten years max. She had good reason, too.

Besides, how would he react when she told him of her family tree?

He obviously accepted her gift with the bones. Would he accept the reason why she had the gifts?

Would he even believe she was only half human?

Her father had never been one for convention. So his people were not happy, but neither were they surprised, when he fell in love with a beautiful young maiden in 1960 BC.

He married the maiden and took her into the Otherworld Land of the Sidhe Fae or Mystical Fairy. It is in the forth dimension where space and time do not move the same as here in this dimension. She was her father’s only child recognized by the Sidhe Fae. Although, if you were to believe Greek and Roman mythology, her father had seriously gotten around, and gotten around a lot and her half brothers would be none other than Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. If that were not enough fiction for a person, her grandfather was supposedly the deposed King of the Universe.

She was sure that was all a mistake. Laughable, even, but the fables suited the purposes of the beings of Olympus, who did exist. So the tales and legends were allowed to persist through time, gaining them god-like status with the ancient world.