Harm's Hunger (11 page)

She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. This just didn’t seem like something you’d be interested in.”

He chuckled, then glanced back toward the crowd. “Half the crew from my ranch is here, but yeah this isn’t my thing.”

Jena saw a few men pointing at them and nodding their approval. “Then why in the world would you torture yourself like this?”

Harm shrugged, his gaze drifting down to hers. “I came into town to run an errand. When I saw the signs Mary had posted about the dance event and you were one of the dance partners, I knew this wasn’t what you thought you were signing up for, so I stuck around.”

Jena tensed in his arms. “Why didn’t you just wait to see if my card filled up? I don’t need your pity, Harm.”

His fingers flexed on her back. “You think this is me pitying you? Hell no, I figured you didn’t want to be groped by total strangers for a few hours.” He paused, suddenly going still. “Or was I wrong about that?”

Jena shook her head and squeezed his hand holding hers. “No, I didn’t want that, but well…” She shrugged. “It’s for charity at least.”

Harm resumed dancing, mumbling, “That doesn’t make it okay. Mary should’ve explained what volunteering entailed.”

Jena snickered. “Why would she? She just got the biggest donation ever, thanks to you.”

Harm snorted. “Don’t remind me.”

At that moment, Mary tapped Jena on the shoulder. “Just wanted you to know you’ve got a premium add-on. Hunter bought your last dance.”

“Sounds like your charity will do well tonight,” Jena said, smiling.

Mary rocked on her heels, her eyes glistening as she glanced at Harm. “Thanks to Mr. Harmon Steele’s donation.”

Once Mary walked off, and as Harm began to dance once more, guilt wedged in Jena’s stomach. She pressed her hand to his back to get him to look at her. “Thank you for the gesture, but I’ll give you half the money. You really didn’t need to do that.”

His dark eyes flashed. “Don’t insult me, Jena. I might not have Prince Charming’s manners, but I know how to do what’s right.”

Jena’s gaze widened. “I wasn’t trying to insult you. I know you’re a good man. I—” she paused and bit her lip, unsure what else to say that wouldn’t tick him off more. She seemed to have a knack for it.

“Hey.” Harm’s fingers folded around hers, drawing her gaze back to his. “Truce for tonight?”

Sincerity reflected in his dark brown eyes, and she smiled, nodding.

“Good. ‘Cause the last thing I need is for the guys from the ranch to see us fighting. They’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Jena wanted to jab him in the gut. What did he mean by
that
? Instead, she forced a smile. “I can pretend if you can.”

As the song segued from a slow tune from the fifties to a recent song with a soulful beat, Mary announced, “Okay, time for the next partner.” While dancers switched out all around them, Harm and Jena kept their gazes trained on each other.

The amusement in his eyes faded, and a flash of something she couldn’t decipher replaced it. “That’s one thing you and I do very, very well together.”

Not an ounce of blame showed in his eyes, and his voice had dropped to an even deeper bass, hitting Jena straight in the belly. Her heart ramped up several beats and when she realized his gaze had lowered to her mouth, she worked hard not to lick her lips.

Were they pretending now?

She really had no clue, but if tonight was the only time Harm would ever touch her again, she’d damn well enjoy it. Might as well make a memory to hold onto.

Sliding two fingers under his belt loop, she hooked her thumb along the top of his jeans. “Show me what you’ve got, Mr. Steele. I’m always willing to learn new moves.”

Harm’s hand flattened on her lower back. It’s warmth seeped into her dress as he slid his palm upward and pulled her a bit closer. “Are you sure you’re up for it, Miss Hudson?”

She slipped her hand free of his, then curled it around his neck. Tugging him down as they twirled in a slow circle, she whispered in his ear, “I can take whatever you dish out. Just be prepared to get it back. As you know, I’m
all
about mutual sharing.”

When she released him and moved to step out of his personal space, Harm’s fingers flexed on her back, his arm around her like a band of steel. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I was giving you your space back.”

“What if I
want
you in my space?”

She smiled and flattened her palm on his chest. “Then all you have to do is ask. It’s as simple as that.”

His eyes shuttered as his expression turned serious. “It’s never that simple.”

Jena didn’t know how to respond to that, but Harm didn’t give her a chance to either. He wrapped his arm around her waist and twirled her to the uplifting part in the song.

She realized they were done talking—flirting—whatever they had been doing, but Harm didn’t stop dancing.

For the next hour and a half, Jena forgot about being hungry. She forgot about the way they’d originally met or how they’d parted the next day as they danced to various types of music from jazz to pop to country. It surprised her that Harm knew so many different types of dances until he told her his mother taught him when he was a boy. He even taught Jena the two-step, which she found harder than she thought it would be, but she eventually caught on.

When the music finally switched back to a slow song, Harm didn’t hesitate. He instantly pulled her body flush with his as if they’d done so a million times before. Jena stiffened for a second, until he whispered in her ear, “Relax. Give a little.”

His hips began to move to the sensual song, his movements directing her to follow the rhythm with him. The sensation of his hard chest touching hers, combined with hearing the similar phrasing he’d said to her the first time they had sex, made her pulse race and her insides shake.

Jena tried to keep her thoughts lighthearted and her emotions firmly detached, but Harm’s warm hand caressing her lower back, then sliding to her hip to lock her lower body even more firmly to his, made her want him so much she found it hard to breathe.

When this dance event was over, she knew in her heart that Harm would walk away and pretend it had never happened. This was her punishment. The thought made her chest constrict and her head feel woozy. Jena took several deep breaths to try to calm down, but spots continued to dance before her eyes right before her legs gave out.

“Jena?”

She felt Harm’s arms cinch around her, heard him call her name, and then he was carrying her off the dance floor. “I’m fine,” she said quietly as he reached the table area outside the cordoned area. “I just got woozy.”

Harm frowned down at her, his arms tight around her back and legs. “You almost passed out. That’s not fine.”

She shook her head. “I just need to sit down for a minute. I haven’t eaten since breakfast. Got too busy, and I guess it finally caught up with me.”

Sighing, Harm headed for an empty table and set her down in the chair.

“You okay, Jena?” Hunter walked up, concern in his gaze as he set a water bottle on the table in front of her.

Jena picked up the water and managed a half smile. “I’m fine, Hunter. I just got lightheaded for a second.”

Harm must’ve given Hunter some kind of look, because he nodded and backed off, saying, “Let me know if you need anything.”

“You don’t have to dance anymore,” Harm said quietly once Hunter walked away.

Jena shook her head. “There’s only twenty minutes left. I can deal.”

Harm’s lips pressed together, a determined look on his face. “I paid for the card. No more dancing.”

Jena gestured toward Hunter, who was talking to his mom by the DJ table. “I have one more dance. I’ll finish out the night.”

“I’ll buy Hunter’s spot.”

Jena jerked her gaze to his. “Don’t you dare do that. I made a commitment and I’m going to fulfill it.”

Harm’s face settled into hard lines. “Do you ever think more than five minutes ahead, Jena? You’re the most stubborn woman—” Cutting himself off, he stood and shoved his hands in his front pockets. “Make sure you don’t fall flat on your face.”

Jena kept her gaze on his belt buckle. She didn’t need to look up at him. His tone told her he was mad at her. What’s new? “I promise not to embarrass you, Harm.”

She watched him walk away. The hard hit of his boots on the pavement reminded her of that day he’d stalked off after he’d regained his memory. Why did she keep pissing the man off? It seemed that’s all she was good at lately. Sighing, she’d just returned her attention to the crowd when Hunter slid into the chair beside her.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

She nodded and sipped the water. “Thank you for the water.”

He smiled. “Been waiting all night to dance with you. I’ve got to keep you hydrated.”

A few minutes later, a teen in a red apron and matching baseball cap tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you Jena?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He quickly handed her a brown paper bag. “I was told to bring this right over.”

Baffled, she took the bag and thanked him. After the boy ran off, she glanced inside and her mouth began to water. A chicken wrap and a bag of chips suddenly looked like a gourmet meal. Jena grabbed the bag of chips first. Their saltiness should help settle the nausea in her belly.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry?” Hunter asked, his brow furrowed.

She popped a chip in her mouth and chewed. “I didn’t think about it until later. It’s no biggie. I’ll feel fine after I eat.”

“Still, you should’ve told me,” he grumbled.

Hunter let her eat in silence, and while she ate the rest of her food, Jena contemplated Harm’s complexity. She really didn’t understand him. She’d only gotten a glimpse of the lighter side of Harm tonight, yet he’d yanked that away so quickly, swinging back to the distant, judgy man she’d come to know these past few weeks. Sending her food had been nice of him, but why did she feel he’d done it because he felt obligated? Like he’d done when he bought her dance card? He didn’t say he’d bought it because he
wanted
to dance with her.

Did she project an “I need to be rescued” vibe? Is that why he asked about her brother coming back? Was that comment about more than an indirect reminder about the land he still wanted to buy? Was it because, once her older brother returned, he wouldn’t feel obligated to keep an eye on her? The last thing she wanted was to be anyone’s obligation. She especially didn’t want Harm to feel that way about her.

Maybe she’d been living in a dream world too long and she didn’t have what it took to get Harm to open up. He might be the man of her dreams, but she was starting to realize that she wasn’t the woman of his. And the thought depressed the hell out of her.

“What the hell, Jena!”

Jena turned from touching up the shutter. She’d thought she was done with the shutters when she finished painting them yesterday, and she certainly wasn’t dressed for painting in a sundress, but when she saw the spot she’d missed on her way out for an appointment with a realtor in town, she couldn’t let it go. She’d rescheduled with the realtor for later in the afternoon, then pulled out the ladder and paint can.

She plucked the left ear bud from her ear, since Harm had yanked the right one out and turned off her mp3 player sitting on the top of the ladder. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of days, and now he stood on her porch yelling at her? Sighing, she stepped down from the ladder, then laid the paintbrush across the porch railing. “What have I done to tick you off now?”

“You’re selling?” He scowled, then flung his arm toward the drive. “And I had to find out when I drove past your property and saw the For Sale sign?”

“Calm down. My brother will be here this weekend, then we can draw up the paperwork. We’re not going to sell it to anyone else. It’ll all be yours soon enough.”

He still looked angry. Why did he look angry? “I thought you weren’t going to sell the house and land around it?” He gestured toward the shutters and flowerbeds. “You’ve just gotten it the way you wanted it. Why are you selling it now?”

She turned away and put the lid on the paint bucket. Tapping the lid down with a rubber mallet, she said, “Because I’ve been reminded enough times by enough people that it’s time to grow up, and that I shouldn’t let my flighty whims interfere with other people’s lives. I guess believing in fairytales are a thing of my past.” Taking a steadying breath, she faced him and kept her tone upbeat. “I’ve found a place in town that’s closer to Dr. Macomb’s practice. I start work next week, so you’ll have plenty of room for more horses now. Make sure you put it to good use.”

As she brushed past him, then headed for the barn, Harm’s long strides quickly caught up to her. “You can’t leave. You have responsibilities here: the horses, the house.”

Jena slid a sideways glance his way. “You can take care of them; you’ve been doing so long before I came into the picture.” Stopping, she pulled the house key from her pocket and held it out to him. “Here, you can have this back. I’ve got a spare at the house.”

Harm frowned at the key in her hand as if it was going to light him on fire if he took it. “I don’t think you’re flighty, Jena. I know you work hard. I’ve seen your work ethic in how you’ve transformed Sally’s house and with the horses.”

His praise made her heart beat a little faster. “Thanks for saying that. It means a lot. And now you’ll have a nice place to get away to if you want.” Swinging the key on the ring, she said, “I take the apples and carrots out of the fridge a half hour before I give them to the horses. They like them a little cold. I’ll be back and forth while I’m meeting relators this week, so I’ll need you to take care of Sally’s horses if you don’t mind.”

When he took the key from her, she held his gaze. “I sincerely hope you find her, Harm.”

His brow furrowed. “Who?”

She tilted her head. “The woman you’ll be willing to take a risk for. I might’ve given up on fairytales, but I still believe in that.” Forcing a smile, she walked away and entered the barn.