caught sight of them and straightened, then reached down to pick up a shopping bag at his feet.
“Jake!” Emma called to him and waved. “Here we are!”
Emma had been a bundle of energy and excitement all week. She’d asked endless questions about the Stone family that Savannah couldn’t answer and had packed and repacked her bags countless times. Savannah, on the other hand, had been a bundle of nerves. As she’d prepared her own suitcases, the temptation to take her niece and run had been overwhelming.
But she hadn’t, of course. And now, as Jake Stone strolled determinedly toward her and Emma, Savannah once again wished she had.
He stopped in front of them, his gaze intense as it slid slowly over Savannah. She’d tried to convince herself that she’d imagined that feeling she’d had the last time he’d looked at her this way, but she hadn’t. It was there again between them. Unspoken, but every bit as powerful as before, and Savannah nearly shivered with the force of it. There was a taut moment of silence before he looked over at Emma and reached into the bag he carried.
“I thought you might like this,” he said to Emma, and pulled out a fluffy white stuffed animal.
“A kitty! Thanks, Jake.” Emma hugged the present to her. “Did you bring anything for Savannah?”
“Not this time,” he said, and when he turned his gaze back to Savannah the predatory look that flashed through his blue eyes made her pulse skip. “Maybe next time.”
“There’s nothing I need, thank you,” Savannah said, meeting Jake’s dark gaze, though her throat was so dry she hardly knew how she got the words out. “You just concentrate on Emma.”
Jake knew that Savannah was right, of course. He’d brought his sister to Stone Creek for a family gathering, not to get her beautiful aunt into his bed. But when he’d looked at her after she’d stepped off the plane, that had been his first thought. That pink slip of a dress she was wearing might be cool for her, but it had him so hot it was damn near embarrassing. What red-blooded male wouldn’t look at those long smooth legs and imagine them wrapped around his waist?
Jake nearly sighed aloud at the thought. With all the problems he’d been having since he’d had to fire his only ranch hand a month ago, there’d been no time to even consider female companionship, let alone do anything about it. To Jake, lust and sex were as natural a part of life as breathing. But since his ex-wife, he’d taught himself to control those urges with women. Savannah Roberts would be no different, he told himself.
Still, he’d seen the interest flare in her green eyes, too, whether she was willing to admit it or not. Maybe, just maybe, if the time and place were right and the lady was willing...
The midmorning air was cool, so they drove with the windows down. Jake had borrowed Jessica’s station wagon, and the car, though certainly not new, was comfortable and clean, two things Jake’s truck was not. Emma was stretched out in the back seat, firing questions at Jake about his ranch and Jared and Jessica and what kind of animals he had. He patiently answered them all, until finally, as the drive wore on, she fell asleep.
Savannah looked behind her at the exhausted child and smiled. “She’s been up since five. I’m surprised she lasted this long.”
“You look tired yourself.” Jake adjusted the rearview mirror. “Why don’t you go ahead and take a nap? It’s still another two hours to the ranch.”
“Two hours?” Savannah looked at the expanse of land in front of her. As far as the eye could see were mesquite and sagebrush, cacti with yellow blooms and tall porcupine-looking plants with white flowering spikes. Low-lying mountains hovered at the horizon, and dark clouds prowled the outer ridges. There were no signs of people, no buildings. Just land, and more land.
“Isolated” was the word that came to mind. She’d been nervous about coming here, but never actually afraid. Until now. “You didn’t mention your place was so far away from the airport.”
From people.
The radio was more static than music. Jake fiddled with the dial for a moment, then shut it off. “Does that bother you, being far away?”
“Well, no, of course not, it’s just that, well, I might need some things. A month is a long time.”
“Cactus Flat is about forty-five minutes from the ranch. You can get most anything you need there, except for fast food or sushi,” he added.
With a place that sounded as warm and welcoming as Cactus Flat, Savannah could hardly wait. “No fast food?” She opened her eyes wide in feigned disbelief. “I had no idea we’d be roughing it like this.”
Her sarcasm brought a frown to his face. “People from the city think life out here is a stroll in the park, Savannah. Pretty little horses and cute little cows.” His frown deepened. “Ranching is hard, dangerous work. Long hours, no medical pay, no sick leave.”
He was angry, Savannah realized. His words were bitter, and she almost felt as if he was intentionally painting a bleak picture for her. That hardly made sense, since he’d pushed so hard to get her and Emma out here.
“So why do you do it if you feel that way?” she asked.
His frown softened and he stared out the windshield, his gaze briefly following the dive of a hawk overhead. “I could no more explain it than you could ever understand it. It’s just what I do, that’s all.”
Savannah pressed her lips tightly together. “I might understand more than you think, Jake. Why don’t you get to know me a little better before you pass judgment on me?”
He turned to her then and a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. His deep blue eyes darkened and narrowed with a look of intense masculine interest. She nearly shivered at the response that rose unwillingly in her.
“I’ll do that,” he said huskily.
Heat shimmered over her skin and she looked quickly away before he could see the blush she knew was working its way up her cheeks. It was suddenly stifling in the car, but she refused to ask him to turn on the air. She’d show Jake Stone she was tough as any Texas rancher.
* * *
“Savannah?”
She heard someone calling her name, but just couldn’t quite pull herself from the leaden mist wrapped around her. She turned her head slightly, but a soft “Hmm?” was all she could manage.
The voice came again, “Savannah.”
It was a nice voice, she decided. Deep, with a rough, gravelly texture that sent warm tingles over her skin. It sounded just like—
Jake!
She opened her eyes then, startled to realize she’d fallen asleep. He was leaning close to her, so close she felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” he whispered. “We’re here.”
His words, along with the intimate tone of his voice, made Savannah’s pulse race. Embarrassed, she sat upright and leaned away from him. “I—I’m sorry. I must have been more tired than I realized.”
“Emma,
