The Taming (The Black Thunder Series) (39 page)

“Hands back on your head!” he ordered.

“I can’t,” she said breathlessly. “I want to touch you. Oh God Jack, let me touch you.”

“Not yet, baby,” he moaned watching her through lusty eyes
. “Touch yourself instead. Grab those sweet tits and squeeze them.”

Kate lowered her hands and cupped her breasts like he instructed
. Never had she touched herself while making love to another. The act was so erotic she felt a rush of sweet liquid spill from inside her.

“Oh baby, you like that don’t you,” said Jack as he watched her lift her breasts and squeeze upward while still riding him.

Jack lifted his hands and reached for her nipples pinching them between his fingers. A sweet and explosive sensation swept through Kate and she released a high rasping moan. It was more than Jack could take. He sat up and seized her melons with his mouth, teasing her with his tongue and his teeth. Kate dropped her head back as a groan of pleasure escaped her lips. Jack cupped her sweet bottom and lifted her up and down. He needed to feel her deeper.

In one swift move he flipped her onto her belly, slid his hand under her, and lifted her up
. Jack knelt behind her and thrust himself hard into her. Kate cried out as she climaxed feeling his deep penetration. She grabbed the sheets and dug her nails into the soft material. Jack held onto her hips pounding and grinding her hard. Suddenly, his release came as his fingers clenched against her soft skin, an explosion of raw male pleasure. Jack came with such intensity that his sounds could be heard throughout the house.

He collapsed on top of her, then rolled on to his side, taking her with him, spooning her against his body
. Jack stroked her arm and nestled his head into her hair smelling the sweet fragrance he missed.

“Why is it I always want to be inside of you,” he whispered in her ear.

“Because it feels right,” Kate whispered back.

“Do you like it when I’m inside of you?”

“Are you kidding me?” she giggled. “I always want you inside me. Sometimes it drives me crazy when we’re apart.”

He was surprised to hear Kate felt the same way
. “Me too,” he laughed. “What do you think it means?”

“It means we’re either very horny
or we like each other very much.”

Jack got quiet and thought about it
. “Kate,” he whispered again. “Do you think we’re soul mates?”

She
looked at him over her shoulder. With Jack it was all or nothing. Once more his intensity was swallowing her whole, but this time she was no longer afraid. “I thought you told me you don’t believe in soul mates?”

“I also told you I didn’t believe in ghosts,” he grinned
. “Anyway, just answer the question.”

Kate turned over on her back
. Jack ran his hands along her belly. “I believe in soul mates,” she answered.

“But do you think we are?”

“What do you think?” She wanted him to explore his feelings.

“Well, I certainly never expected this with you,” he said as he lowered a kiss to her belly
. “I used to think it was a bunch of nonsense. But you’re the spiritual one, what do you think?”

“Do I think there’s one person out there just for me?” Kate thought about it for a minute
. “I’d like to think so. There’s a completeness to thinking there is, and I feel complete when I’m with you so yes, Jack, I think we are soul mates.”

He
smiled and laid his head on her stomach. Kate knew how to word just how he felt. She seemed to have the ability to express all the emotions he didn’t know how to say. He felt complete with her too, almost whole, which was not something he ever experienced before.

“Do you think it will always be this way between us?” He lifted his head and looked at her.

“No Jack,” she smiled. “It’s going to get better with each passing day.”

“You have the heart of a poet,”
he grinned.

“Oh, shit
-” she cried and sat bolt up. “The poetry class! What time is it?” Her eyes darted around the room for a clock.

“It’s almost six,”
he said startled.

She
jumped from the bed and started running around the room looking for her clothes. “I gotta go,” she said as she found the box housing her skirts. She slipped on a white skirt then ran to the drawer and pulled out her underwear.

“Wait a minute,” he sat up totally confused.

“I promised Kyle I would meet him at the poetry class tonight,” said Kate as she hooked her bra then threw on a black top.

“You spoke to Kyle?” Jack stood from the bed as his spine pricked
. “How?”

“He gave me his number, remember
?” She flipped her legs back and slipped on a black pair of heels.

“Yes, but I had it
.” He was growing annoyed.

“I found it in the pocket of your jeans,” said Kate picking up her hairbrush and brushing out the tangled matted mess
. “So I called him and told him I wanted to go.”

“You made a date with Kyle?” his temper flared
. “Boy, you work fast.”

“It’s not like that,” said Kate as she hurried in to the bathroom
. She did a quick wash, brushed her teeth then applied mascara to her lashes and pink gloss to her lips.

“So tell me what it is.” He stood in the doorway blocking her path.

“It’s simply two friends meeting for a poetry class.” She stood by the door waiting for him to step aside.

“You may think
it’s two friends,” growled Jack. “But I know Kyle isn’t thinking that especially since you probably told him we were fighting.”

“I didn’t tell him anything about us,” said Kate
. “I just told him I was available tonight and I wanted to go to the class.”

“You told him you were available?”
He shook his head violently from side to side. “You’re not going to that class without me, and that’s that.”

“I don’t want you to go to the class with me,” said Kate vehemently.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re going to be overbearing and marking your territory all over me
. So thanks, but no thanks.”

“I won’t Kate, I promise,” said Jack
. “I’m just making sure that Kyle doesn’t get the wrong idea.”

“See, this is what I don’t like,”
she stated. “You need to loosen the rope a little and trust me.”

“I trust you
. It’s Kyle I don’t trust.”

“Well I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”

Jack moved away from the door and let Kate pass. “I don’t like it,” Jack mumbled under his breath as he watched Kate place a thin chain around her neck and earrings in her ear.

“I know you don’t, baby.
” She approached him and took his hand. “But I need to do something other than just you and me.”

“Why?” He was being obstinate.

“Because I need to grow as an individual, and so do you.”

“I have the ranch,” he said with stubborn pride.

“Besides the ranch,” said Kate as she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I have to go.” She hurried to the door, grabbing her cell phone along the way.

“When will you be home?” he asked trying to take control of what little he had left.

“I don’t know, eight or nine,” she said as she disappeared from the room.

Jack walked to the door and watched her rush down the stairs and out the door
. “What about dinner?” he called to her but it was too late. Kate was already gone.

Twenty-Nine

Flat Tires and G.E.D.’s

F
ind something besides you,” Jack grumbled while making the dinner Kate forgot to make. He grumbled sitting eating that dinner alone. He grumbled all the way to his office as he sat in his chair behind his desk and turned on his computer. A picture of Kate flashed on his screen. “I’m supposed to find something besides you?” he yelled at her image then typed in his password and she disappeared. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

For the next hour he busied himself paying bills and balancing his checkbook
. When he was done he looked at the time on the bottom right of the computer. It was seven-thirty and Kate would be home in about an hour.

To while away the remaining time
, Jack went to a gaming site and played poker, getting annoyed with each hand he lost. An ad popped up on his screen. He went to close it but the ad caught his attention.
Get your G.E.D. in less than four weeks
the ad flashed on the screen. It got Jack thinking and he heard Kate’s voice in the back of his mind.
Find something besides me.

Jack closed the ad and typed in Sierra Nevada Community College
. A host of websites appeared. He clicked on the college’s official web site then typed in G-E-D and found an array of classes.

Some were at the college in Carson City, while others were at various high schools
. There was an adult course ready to begin at the high school in Virginia City. Jack clicked for further details and read the course outline. It was an eight week class, two evenings a week and one of the nights could be done on his computer at home.

Jack sat back in his chair and stared at the computer
. “Find something other than you, Kate,” he grumbled aloud. “Well two can play that game.”

Jack signed up for the course
. He was on a mission to prove to Kate that he could find something that hadn’t anything to do with her. The class would be perfect since one of the classes was held on the same night of her poetry class. She would never be the wiser, and the other night he could do on the computer after she went to bed.

Jack paid for the course with his credit card
. He printed the itinerary and tucked it out of sight in his desk drawer. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, he went upstairs, took a shower, turned on the television, and crawled into bed to wait for Kate to come home.

Kate met Kyle just as the poetry class was ready to start. Some read their own work while others shared pieces that held personal meaning. She listened mostly but on occasion joined in the discussion. Afterward, two of the members asked her to join them for coffee.

The coffee shop was nothing fancy and situated in the small town’s casino
. The group of three gathered around the table consisting of Kate, Kyle, and an elderly woman named Betty. They all ordered pie and coffee, except for Kate who ordered tea. She was thrilled to learn that Betty was also a teacher for the Virginia City school district.

“How long have you been teaching?” Kate asked Betty.

“Thirty-two years,” said the older woman. “Can you believe it?”

“That’s wonderful
! I hope one day I can say the same thing.”

“I should retire and be rid of those little hoodlums,” she stated as she took a sip of her coffee then a large bite of her pie.

“Don’t let her fool you,” Kyle said to Kate. “Betty is a great teacher, and I doubt she’ll ever retire.”

“What grade do you teach?”
She asked as she took a sip of her tea.

“The questions is what grade haven’t I taught,” laughed Betty
. “I’ve taught them all, my dear. I started out teaching high school, but over the last fifteen years times have changed along with the students. So now I’m back to teaching grade school where, for the most part, the children are open to learning.”

Kate understood all too well the challenges teachers were now facing
. It left little time for education and increasing more time for behavior modification. “I’m going to be teaching third grade at Virginia City,” said Kate.

“Yes, we are all aware of your arrival,” said Betty as she hid a little snicker.

“I guess news travels fast in a small town,” added Kate.

“It most certainly does,” stated Betty
. “You can’t sneeze around here without somebody knowing about it, and trust me, we have heard all about you.”

“I hope it’s all good,”
she said, tapping her fingers nervously on the rim of her tea cup.

“Well that all depends on what you consider good,” the elder woman
brimmed with an inquisitive smile. “It’s good for the town’s gossip.”

Kate could only imagine what the town
was saying after Jack pulled his latest stunt. A horrified look washed over her face.

“Betty, you’re scaring the poor girl,” said Kyle as he looked at Kate
. “Trust me, no one is gossiping about you.” Kate breathed a sigh of relief as she cut her pie with her fork and took a bite.

“But we are curious,” said Betty.

“Curious about what?” she asked with a mouthful of food.

“How did you snag the most unavailable bachelor in all of Storey County?” Betty leaned in waiting for her answer.

Kate choked on her pie. She washed it down with her tea hoping to relieve the spasm in her throat. “I wasn’t aware that’s what I did,” she said when she was finally able to speak.

“I’ve known Jack McBride for most of his life
. I taught him in school. He was a hard child back then, and he’s a hard man now.”

“You sound like you’re not fond of Jack,” said Kate as her wall went up.

“Oh no, quite the contrary. I’m quite fond of Jack, as are most around these parts.”

“Jack is very well respected,” added Kyle.

Kate gave them both a confusing look. “Am I missing something here?” She wasn’t certain just what they were implying.

“Let’s say he’s not the most sensitive man when it comes to treating women,” said Betty trying to be delicate for Kate’s sake.

“I know Jack can be a little rough around the edges.”

“That’s certainly a nice way of putting it,” said Kyle
. “I think what Betty is trying to say is that our dear Jack got a “D” for bad manners where women are concerned.”

“I think he skipped the class entirely,” laughed Betty
. Kyle laughed too, but Kate didn’t see the humor in it. She didn’t know why, but she felt like she needed to defend him.

“Jack’s not like that with me,” she said
. “The man you’re describing is not the Jack I know and love.”

“Just be careful dear,” said Betty
. “Remember the apple does not fall far from the tree.”

“If you are referring to Jack’s father, I disagree,” said Kate getting extremely annoyed
. “Jack is not an alcoholic.”

“Thank God he didn’t pick up that trait,” said Betty
. “But what Jack learned about women he learned from his father. As far as Jacob McBride was concerned, women were good for one thing and one thing only. After that he had no use for them.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say,” gasped Kate.

“It’s true,” interjected Kyle feeling a little bad for her. She needed to know the kind of man he was. “Which is why it’s kind of surprising to see the way Jack acts with you.”

“How does he act with me
?” Kate was getting downright angry.

“Almost normal,” said Kyle
. “But a little possessive if you ask me.”

“Well who’s asking you?” snapped Kate as she stood from her chair
. “I think I should go.”

“Please dear, we didn’t mean to offend you,” said Betty taking
her hand. “You seem like a very nice girl. We’re just concerned.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I know what I’m doing.”

“Come on Kate, don’t leave,” said Kyle. “We’ll stop talking about Jack if you please sit down and finish your dessert.” Kate returned to her seat, against her better judgment.

“So tell us a little bit about yourself,” said Betty trying to mend the bridge.

“What do you want to know?” Kate was guarded.

“Where are you from?”

“Santa Cruz.”

“You don’t say
. My sister lives in Santa Cruz,” said Kyle. “She and her husband own a bistro there. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s called Wine, Bread, and Cheese.”

“I lived right around the block from it,” said Kate relaxing a little
. “Their food is very good.”

“Well isn’t it a small world,” he laughed
. “First Chico University and now this. Our paths seem to cross. I’m amazed we never met before this.”

“I guess so,”
she smiled.

“Did you teach in Santa Cruz?” asked Betty.

“Yes, I taught fourth grade.”

“Well you’re going to love teaching at Virginia City,” she stated
. “The school is extraordinary and very supportive of the arts.”

“That’s good to hear,” said Kate
. “When do the teachers start decorating their rooms?”

“About a week before school starts.”

They continued their conversation about school, current events, and literature. Soon Kate forgot all about their original discussion about Jack. It felt good to talk with other intellectuals, and she realized how much she missed this since leaving Santa Cruz.

It was getting late
, and their time together was coming to a close. Betty and Kyle said their goodbyes as they headed to their cars. Kate climbed into her car and picked up her cell phone on the passenger seat. She didn’t feel the least bit guilty leaving it behind so she wouldn’t have to deal with Jack and his overbearing nature.

She looked at the time and saw it was almost ten o’clock
. She cringed when saw Jack left her six messages. She tossed her phone back on the passenger seat not wanting to listen to his lectures about her being late. She would deal with it soon enough when she got home.

Kate started her car and pulled out of the
parking lot. She headed down Highway Fifty, making her way toward Six Mile Canyon Road, though Jack advised against it, saying he didn’t want her on that road after dark.

But i
t was quicker cutting straight through the mountain rather than taking the longer alternate route traveling up around the outer mountain’s edge, considering she was already late.

Kate turned onto Six Mile Canyon and headed up the long winding road
. The road was dark with no street lamps, and there was no light except for the headlights of her car. Shadows bounced along the canyon walls as trees with balding branches swayed and bellowed with the wind.
It was spooky at night
, she thought and a chill ran up her spine. It looked so much different in the daylight when she was riding with Jack.

She
heard a loud pop and her car began to shake as if she were rumbling over gravel and rock, making it difficult to steer.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me
! She pulled alongside the makeshift shoulder and got out of her car. She walked to the front and saw her tire was flat.
Shit!

Now what was she going to do
? She never changed a tire before. Once she had a flat on the freeway, but she called road service and they came out and changed it for her. She doubted there was road service anywhere around here.

She hated the idea of calling Jack knowing full well he would read her the riot act first for being late,
second for being on Six Mile Canyon Road and third for not knowing how to change a flat.

She
crawled back in her car and picked up her cell phone then called Jack. She waited for it to ring but the call failed. Kate noticed she had no bars on her phone and the words in red
no signal
flashed on top of her screen.

“Shit!” she exclaimed again
. Kate stepped out of her car and walked around the perimeter with cell phone in the air, hoping to find a signal. “Nothing,” she grumbled still seeing the red message against the darkness of night.

Now what was she going to do
? She was out in the middle of bum freaking nowhere. She decided she would have to change the flat tire herself.
How difficult could it be-right
? She went back to her car and sat down then leaned over and opened her glove compartment, pulling out the owner’s manual. She turned the overhead light on and flipped through the pages until she came to the instructions of how to change a tire.

With manual in hand, she left her car, heading for its rear
. She popped the trunk and searched the small compartment for the spare tire.

“There’s no tire in here?” she groaned as she read the manual again.