Harm's Hunger (3 page)

* * *

“Mr. Steele is on his way,” Ty called out absently as Jena closed the door.

Her gaze slid to the other person in the room. “Hi, Colt. What are you doing here?” Jena asked her cousin. He sat in a chair against the wall, his cowboy hat resting on his knee.

Colt unfolded his tall frame from the chair, put his hat on his head, then pulled her into a bear hug. “It appears your brother sent me on a wild goose chase for you earlier.” He set her back from him and looked her over. “Look at you. You’re all grown up and no longer the tagalong little girl.” His dark brows drew together as a stern expression crossed his handsome face. “But I see you never outgrew your fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ways, Jena Lee.”

Jena sighed. Only the Tanner brothers still called her that. Colt and his two younger brothers, Cade and Mace had teased her mercilessly during the couple of summers she’d spent on her great aunt’s Double D ranch. The Tanners’ own ranch, The Lonestar, was only a few miles down the road.

“I see you’re still ever-the-responsible-one, Colt,” Jena teased back.

Colt grinned and touched the rim of his hat, his blue eyes crinkling in the corners. “We all have to be good at something.”

Ty cleared his throat and settled in a chair at the desk. Once he flipped though the paperwork, he rubbed his square jaw, his vivid green eyes meeting his cousin’s across the room. “Thanks for waiting while we settle this, Colt.” He looked back down at the papers. “Why Sally insisted we not use an attorney, but handle this transaction ourselves is beyond me.”

Colt settled back in his chair, chuckling. “I think she and her brother were definitely of like minds. The Lonestar’s a perfect example.”

Ty glanced up from looking at the deed. “Yeah, I couldn’t believe it when I heard Uncle James didn’t leave his half of the ranch to you. What do you think Marie will do with her half?”

Jena noticed the tightening of Colt’s mouth before he shrugged, then laughed outright. “Uncle James certainly threw me for a loop. But I’ve got it all under control. I’m going to buy the land from his wife.”

“How do you know she’d sell it to you?” Jena piped in.

Colt grinned. “Marie’s retired. She’s at a point where she wants to enjoy life, not feel hemmed in by the responsibilities of running a rodeo ranch.”

His gaze traveled between Jena and Ty. “Steele is a good man. I see him often at horse auctions. I’m happy Sally’s land is going to him. He deserves it.”

Smoothing the short skirt of her yellow linen sundress, Jena settled on the corner of the desk to pick up the deed to the property and house. “As for why Aunt Sally asked us to take care of this in person, I think she wanted us to come back to visit Texas, considering we haven’t been here since we were kids.”

Her brother snorted while he rolled up the sleeves of his blue cotton dress shirt. “I can do without the heat. I’ll take Maryland weather any day.”

Jena ran her finger along the desk’s smooth surface. “I don’t know. I think Texas has a certain appeal.”

Ty jerked his gaze to hers. “What do you mean—”

A knock cut him off. Ty stood and walked over to the door. Opening it, he extended his hand. “Thanks for your patience, Mr. Steele.”

The man walked into the room at the same time Jena looked up. Her stomach instantly bottomed out. Mr. Steele turned out to be her fantasy cowboy. Heat suffused her face and neck as she watched him shake Colt’s hand and discuss his latest horse purchase. When he finally met her gaze, his never wavered or showed surprise, though she knew he had to be as shocked as she was. He damned-well better be!

“I’m sorry about the delay.” Ty cut his eyes back to her. “But my sister is a bit of a free spirit at times.”

Harm raised a thick eyebrow and a small smile tilted the corners on his sensual mouth. “You don’t say?”

Jena collected her wits and extended her hand, a secret smile playing on her lips. “Yes, I like to take opportunities as they arise. Jena Hudson. Nice to meet you.”

He grasped her hand in a firm grip and met her gaze head on. The blatant look in his eyes told her he approved of her not-so-wet look. “Harmon Steele, Miss Hudson. Pleasure’s all mine.”

Harm’s warm hand and the double meaning in his eyes made heat pool between her legs. Jena hoped her brother and cousin didn’t notice the flush she knew stained her cheeks. She withdrew her hand from his and took the seat at the desk, needing to put distance between herself and Mr. Too-sexy-for-his-own-good.

“Okay, let’s get down to business,” Ty said, picking up the paperwork. “Jena, I’ve already signed my half of Sally’s ranch and holdings over to Mr. Steele. We just need your signature.”

Harm pulled a check out of his pocket and set it on the desk.

“I’m not signing the deed over,” Jena said.

“What!” All three men said in unison, staring at her with incredulous expressions.

She nodded and sat back in the chair, folding her arms. “I haven’t had a chance to visit Sally’s place yet. I want to before I make my decision.”

“Do you always make it a habit of getting what you want, Miss Hudson?” Harm’s Texan accent only accentuated the steely edge in his voice.

The look in his eyes told her he wasn’t happy. She stood and put her hands on the desk, leaning forward. “No, but I want the decision to be mine, not because people,” she looked pointedly at all of the men, “made the decision for me.”

Harm crossed his arms over his hard chest and stared at her, a muscle popping in his jaw.

Ty coughed. “Um, is there something I’m missing here?”

Jena straightened and smoothed a hand over her hair. “No. I just want to see the ranch, but after the forty-five minute trip from the airport yesterday, my rental car died. I haven’t been in my room long enough to see if they’d called me back yet. Can I use your rental?”

“I don’t have one. Colt picked me up and we’re meeting Mace and Cade for drinks in an hour.” Her brother glanced at his watch, then pressed his lips together in a thin line. Oh, boy. He was pissed too. Served him right for assuming she’d just sign the ranch away without asking her. Darn autocratic men. All her life men have been making decisions for her. First her dad until his death, then Ty took over with this whole property thing and now Harm expecting her to sign, no questions asked. It’s about time they saw this girl has a mind of her own.

As she and her brother stared each other down, Harm’s calm voice cut through their battle of wills. “I’ll take you to Sally’s place.”

Jena met his gaze. “I’ll rent a car.”

“Storm’s brewing.” Harm jerked his head toward the window. “If you’re going to head out there, you’ll want to beat it.”

Jena followed his line of sight. The sky had turned black and menacing, threatening rain. She debated his offer. She really wanted to see Sally’s ranch again. It had been twenty years. And the storm was getting closer by the minute.

Her brother sighed. “Go on, Jena, let Mr. Steele—”

“Harm.”

“…Harm take you to Sally’s ranch, get this out of your system, and get back here to sign the papers.”

“Fine.” Jena grabbed her purse and eyed all three men. “But I’m not promising anything.”

Harm turned on his heel and walked out. She followed, almost running to keep up with him. How had her best fantasy personified turn into her enemy so quickly?

As the elevator descended to the garage, she chanced a glance his way. He stared straight ahead, not once looking at her. That didn’t sit well with Jena at all. Thirty minutes ago the man had had his hand down her swimsuit. Not to mention the fact he’d given her the best damn orgasm she’d ever had. And that was with his hand. She could only imagine how the rest of him would feel against her.

She clamped her legs to stop the ache that had started at her wayward thoughts. It looked like they wouldn’t be continuing where they left off earlier, but she’d be damned it she’d let him give her the cold shoulder either.

When they entered the garage, she grabbed his arm, pulling him up short. Harm looked purposefully at her hand and then met her gaze with an impassive one.

“Hey, it’s not personal, Harm.”

He turned to her, his expression shuttered. “That land should belong to me. I’m offering a fair price for it, and you’re standing in my way.”

She let go of his arm. “For some reason I can’t fathom, Sally left the ranch to Ty and me. The least one of us can do is go see it one last time. Can you understand that?”

He considered her for a moment, and then gave a curt nod before he walked toward his red Ford truck. Unlocking her side, he helped her into the cab and shut the door before climbing into the truck himself. Removing his hat and cell phone, he placed them on the seat between them then met her gaze. “It’ll take us about thirty minutes to get to Sally’s place. I’m hoping we’ll beat the storm.”

While Harm drove, Jena surreptitiously studied his strong profile. The man was just too good-looking for words. Why in the world wasn’t he wearing a ring on his finger? Well, he was already pissed at her. No better time than the present to find out. “So, why aren’t you married?”

He gripped the wheel tighter. “That’s none of your damned business.”

His rough tone didn’t intimidate her. “Considering that we’ve been somewhat intimate, I think that gives me the right.”

“That hardly counts.”

“Oh, so fly-by-the-elevator encounters are a common occurrence for you?”

He shot her a hard look. “No, I’ve never—”

“See, I
am
special.” She flashed a quick smile and raised her eyebrow, waiting.

Harm set his jaw and stared at the road. For a minute she wondered if he was going to ignore her, but then he finally spoke, “I don’t believe in happy-ever-after.”

“Really? That’s pretty cynical for a man who knows how to fantasize.”

Harm cut his eyes to her, a smartass smirk on his lips. “I didn’t say I don’t know about pleasure.” He shrugged, looking back at the road. “Finding the perfect person to settle down with is a childish fantasy.”

Jena snorted and shook her head. “Oh, Harm. If you don’t have something to look forward to, what’s the point?”

He didn’t really know the answer to that, but before he had a chance to ask Jena about her single status, rain started falling in heavy sheets. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, concentrating on the road. Lightning slashed across the dark sky, illuminating the road ahead of them. Loud claps of thunder immediately followed. Wind whistled and buffeted the truck, rocking it back and forth.

He cast a glance at Jena as he turned onto the dirt road leading to Sally’s ranch. She had a firm hold on the molded door handle, her bottom lip clutched in her teeth.

Damn, it was raining like a sonofabitch. He couldn’t see more than two feet ahead of him. Good thing they were almost to Sally’s place. Another flash of lightning splintered the sky, and Harm looked up in time to see a huge tree falling right in their path. He slammed on brakes and swerved to avoid the mass of limbs and leaves. The dirt road underneath the tires had turned to slippery muck, allowing no traction when the brakes locked the wheels.

The truck began to fishtail and slide toward the side of the road. As they suddenly pitched into a ditch, Harm’s head slammed against the steering wheel with brutal force. Immediate pain followed, then blissful blackness.

* * *

“Harm?
Harm!
” He heard a woman’s frantic voice calling to him, felt her warm hands on his face, his head, the back of his neck. Torrential rain pinged on something metal—was that the roof of his truck?—and thunder rolled in the background. All the loud sounds jackhammered on his aching head.

He opened his eyes and tried to lift his head from the seat. “Sonofabitch,” he hissed out as pain lanced across his forehead.

The woman touched him again, concern written on her face. “Oh, God, Harm. You were out for about a minute. I was so worried. You’re going to have a massive knot on your head.” She held up two fingers. “How many fingers do you see?”

“Two.”

She put up two more. “Now how many?”

“Forty.” She frowned and he tried to grin, but grimaced instead. “Just Joshing. Four.”

She swatted at his shoulder. “Don’t scare me like that. You could have a concussion.”

Who was this gorgeous woman? She talked as if she was very familiar with him. Where was she from? Her accent told him she wasn’t originally from Texas.

 He rubbed his forehead and frowned. “There is one thing. Who are you?”

Jena frowned. “That’s not funny. Now is not the time to be joking while we’re sitting in a ditch.”

He shook his head, his expression truly puzzled. Touching a strand of her hair, he tried to smile but winced instead. “Not to say I don’t mind sharing close quarters with you and all. Beats sitting in this rainstorm by myself. But I’m drawing a blank, darlin’.”

Jena decided to avoid the subject for the time being. If he really did have amnesia, she didn’t need to freak him out about that until after they’d reached Sally’s house. If she remembered correctly, her ranch was just up the road.

She held up his smashed cell phone. “The crash made sure you won’t be using this to call for help, but I believe the house is just up the road. Why don’t we make a run for it, since the truck doesn’t seem to be an option?”

He grabbed her arm before she could unbuckle herself and get out of the cab. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“How about we talk about it once we’re under a roof, okay?” she said, trying to pull away.

“No. I know we’re not far from Sally’s ranch. Though I’m not sure why we’re on this road. I know my name is Harmon Steele and that Sally’s my neighbor, but I’m drawing a blank as to how you fit in the picture. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who you are.”

He looked at her in bemusement; not an ounce of his earlier anger showed on his face.

God, how long does temporary amnesia last?
Jena’s heart thumped hard. Maybe giving him some hints would help. “We were on our way to your neighbor’s house—”