Chapter 13
Jameson was lost in a haze of pleasure and desire. Kissing Lottie was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Probably because she was so unlike any other woman he’d known. And probably because he felt closer to her than anyone else.
Maybe he felt that way because she was easy to be with. Or because they’d both experienced brokenness in their lives and could understand each other. Or because she was so incredibly beautiful, more than his simple compliments could begin to capture.
He hadn’t planned on kissing her today, but he could admit he’d thought about it when she’d paid him the compliment about how his jaw needed her kisses to soften it. The words had jolted through him, awakening desire in one swift motion.
The desire hadn’t really been slumbering all that deeply.
It had probably barely been resting. Or maybe it had already been wide awake.
But he’d been fighting against it, especially since he’d been spending hours each day with her.
It had been hard to keep control, but he’d been doing his best to ignore his longings.
But lying beside her in the shade? He should have known it would lead to this.
What he hadn’t expected was her initiating a kiss or just how passionate she was.
Her fervor had not only taken him by surprise but rapidly set him on fire, so that he’d burned with need for her.
It wasn’t an ordinary need. It was something deeper, more consuming, and more intense than he understood.
She broke their kiss and pushed against his chest.
He wasn’t ready for their kissing to come to an end, though. He bent in and chased after her lips, finding instead her elegant throat. He got a small taste of it before she shoved him away harder.
“Jameson, someone is here,” she whispered, her voice threading with sudden worry.
Someone was here? He’d let down his guard during the kissing and now had put them in danger. He turned rigid and rolled away from her. In the same instant, he unholstered his gun and leveled it at a group of men on horses.
“Whoa, now.” The man at the forefront of the group held out a warning hand.
The familiar face with a permanent layer of dark scruff belonged to only one man: Beckett Thorpe.
The owner of the Double T and old friend from Colorado was watching Jameson warily.
The other men—Beckett’s best vaqueros—had their guns aimed at Jameson, and after working with the men for months, Jameson knew they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if he made the wrong move.
Jameson stuffed his gun away and then stood. “Beckett? What are you doing here?”
Lottie was scrambling to sit up, all the while staring at Beckett with her wide blue eyes. Her hair was disheveled, some of it loose and other pieces still in the low bun she’d worn today. Her face was flushed and her lips swollen, making her even more beautiful than usual.
Desire shot straight through him, low and hot, but he forced his gaze away from her and back to Beckett. No doubt Beckett would be angry to find him romping in the grass with his half sister and would send him off her ranch with a few bullets in his backside.
Jameson couldn’t make any excuses for his behavior. He shouldn’t have let himself get carried away with her. After all, he’d been the one to start the compliments, which were too intimate and inappropriate for a woman who was his boss.
Lottie began pushing to her feet. He suspected Beckett would blow off his hand if he touched her again, but Jameson did what any proper gentleman would—even though he hadn’t been proper with her a moment ago—and took hold of her arm and helped her up.
“I can explain,” she whispered to him.
“Explain what?” he whispered in return.
She leaned in closer so that her back was facing Beckett. “Why Beckett thinks we’re married.”
“He does?” Jameson’s response was loud.
With a glare, she pulled him several steps away.
Jameson didn’t resist but glanced at Beckett, who was peering at them, clearly waiting for an explanation.
“When we went to town,” she whispered low, “I accidentally told Mr. Buckner we were married.”
“What?” Jameson’s thoughts came to a crashing halt.
“It happened when I was in the store and he was making comments about me living with you in sin.”
“Mr. Buckner said that?” Jameson was growing more appalled with each new revelation.
“Apparently Vinnie told everyone he caught us together indecently.”
Anger sliced Jameson’s gut. Even if Vinnie had assumed they were lovers, he hadn’t needed to spread the story.
“I’m sorry for lying.” She clasped his arm, her expression earnest. “But can we please just keep up the charade? If everyone assumes I’m married, they’ll leave me alone.”
He held her gaze, trying to understand what she was saying.
“After you leave, if they ask where you went, I’ll just tell them you’re a drifter like Dray.”
Jameson didn’t like the idea of being compared to her ex-husband in any way. But he supposed if being married—fake married—would protect her from harassment, why not help her out this way?
“I know it’s a lot to ask,” she whispered.
“I’ll do it.”
“You are married, aren’t you?” Beckett’s hard question interrupted them. “Because if you’ve been camped out here at the Longhorn Ranch taking advantage of Charlotte, you will be married to her before the day’s over.”
Jameson steeled himself. Should he just admit the truth to Beckett? After kissing Lottie so passionately a few moments ago, Jameson knew he was guilty of taking advantage of her. Beckett had every right to force him to marry Lottie.
As if sensing his hesitation, she peered up at him with her beautiful, shimmering eyes. “Please, Jameson?”
Jameson didn’t like lying, but he’d do this for Lottie if she really wanted it and thought it would help her situation.
He pivoted and squared off with Beckett. “Lottie and I are married.”
Beckett’s gaze was narrowed. “Then you’re done with your drifting ways?”
Jameson should have known Beckett wouldn’t accept a quick answer. “For now.” One lie always led to more. That was usually the way of things.
“It’s really none of your concern, Beckett.” Lottie braced her hands on her hips and spoke to her halfbrother in the sassy way she did to everyone else. “Why are you here?”
Beckett shifted his attention to her. “Jameson left the Double T before dawn without saying goodbye. He ran away from his problems, just like he always does. Thought I owed him a farewell.”
Jameson had let Rodrigo—Beckett’s halfbrother and ranch manager—know he was leaving, but he hadn’t wanted to see Beckett or his wife again.
Not after they’d pressured him again to let his family know his whereabouts and had told him they’d sent a telegram to Sterling.
“I think we both know why I left the way I did.”
Beckett’s gaze bored into him. “Sterling deserves to know you’re okay.”
“It was my decision whether to reach out to him, not yours.” Jameson couldn’t wrestle up the same indignation he’d felt a month ago when he’d left the Double T. In fact, he wasn’t really all that angry with Beckett anymore, and he wasn’t sure why.
Beckett blew out a breath. “Listen, that’s not why I came today. I don’t want to argue again.”
“I don’t either.”
“Good.” Beckett’s expression relaxed, but only a little.
Lottie scowled. “So are you saying you came to congratulate me on my marriage?”
“Something like that.”
“Or maybe you were worried I was turning out like my mother and would become an even greater embarrassment to you.”
“Believe it or not, that didn’t cross my mind.”
Lottie released a scoffing noise.
Jameson guessed Beckett had heard the rumors about him and Lottie and had needed to ride out to discover for himself what was really going on.
“It was pretty hard for me to believe that the Jameson Noble I knew had so quickly changed his mind about getting married.”
“We are married through common law,” Lottie said tightly.
A common-law marriage? Jameson supposed if they had to lie, that made the most sense.
“Jameson actually cares what becomes of me and my boys, unlike family who can’t be bothered.”
Beckett tipped up the brim of his cowboy hat. “I came because I do care and want to make sure no one is using you.”
“No one is using me.” She swiped a loose strand from her face. “Besides, if you were so concerned about me—and not just our family’s reputation—then why didn’t you come out and check on me when my neighbor was shooting at me and trying to steal my land?”
Beckett’s jaw twitched. “I didn’t hear about it, or I would have been here to help you.”
“Everyone knows Vincent Barker has been trying to get my land so that he can have the spring.”
“I’m not everyone, Charlotte.” Beckett’s tone softened. “I’ve only been back since May, and it hasn’t exactly been a smooth transition.”
Lottie had mentioned hearing about the incident with Beckett’s wife that had happened not long after he’d returned. She’d also grudgingly admitted it was noble of Beckett to make amends to people who’d been wronged by their father in some way.
On the other hand, despite being busy, Beckett could have taken the time to inquire about Lottie and how she was doing. He would have easily learned she was being harassed by Vinnie.
“Jameson was the one who rescued me from Vinnie’s last shoot-out.” Lottie sidled closer to Jameson. “He single-handedly sent Vinnie and his men running but, in the process, got shot himself.”
Beckett raised a brow at Jameson. “You knew about the threat and came to her rescue?”
“I heard she was hiring, so I rode on over. When I got here, she’d been under siege from Vinnie for a few days.”
Beckett’s fierce scowl fell into place. “A few days?”
Jameson could finally agree with Beckett on something—his anger toward Vinnie. “That wasn’t the first time he’d done it.”
“Has he been back since you ran him off?”
“No.” Hopefully, with the rumor circulating that Lottie was married, Vinnie would think twice before attacking her again. But what would happen when she was alone and Vinnie realized her husband wasn’t coming back?
Lottie’s shoulder brushed Jameson. He wanted to slip his arm around her and draw her into the crook of his body, but he refused to take any liberties with her, even if they were fake married.
In fact, now that he’d had a little time to cool off after their scorching kiss, he wanted to slap himself for being so stupid.
The truth was, he shouldn’t have kissed her, no matter how much he’d wanted to—and not just because Beckett had witnessed their passionate moment.
No, Jameson refused to use any woman for his own pleasure and then cast her aside when he was ready to move on.
That wasn’t the way he operated—at least, since he’d given up his drinking and carousing.
Instead, he wanted to treat women with respect, especially Lottie, because she’d expressed how much she didn’t want to be like her mother. That was really important to her, and he needed to make sure she always felt different and special.
Different and special?
He wasn’t sure where that thought had come from, but he did know he had to be more careful and restrained around her, or he would only hurt her all the more.
“I’m obliged you took care of Charlotte’s neighbor,” Beckett said, his voice less threatening. “How bad were you shot?”
“Not bad.” Jameson rolled his injured arm, and it hardly stung. Mimmi had done a thorough job of keeping his wound tended and clean. She’d taken the stitches out a week or so ago, and although the area was still red and puckered, it was healing and no longer ached the way it had at first.
“He lost a lot of blood,” Lottie cut in, brushing against him again and this time slipping her arm through his and leaning into him.
He liked the feel of her body too much and knew he needed to step away. But if he did that, he’d only cause Beckett to suspect their marriage was a show.
“But I couldn’t keep Jameson down.” Lottie smiled up at him with a fondness that sent a shaft of warmth through his heart. “He was idle for less than a few hours before standing up and getting to work.”
Beckett was watching their interaction a little too closely for Jameson’s liking, almost as if he was judging them. “I’ll visit Vinnie today and warn him that if he comes over here and bothers Charlotte again, he’ll have to answer to me.”
“I warned him too,” Jameson said. “But it won’t hurt for him to know you’re onto him and won’t put up with any more of his hassling Lottie.”
Beckett spoke quietly in Spanish to Cheno, one of his most trustworthy vaqueros. Jameson had picked up a little bit of the language but not enough to understand it in a conversation. Cheno nodded and then commanded the other men.
As the men prepared to leave, Beckett paused and looked directly at Lottie. “I’m mighty sorry you had to go through all that, Charlotte. And I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to come visit you.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to visit.”
Beckett was quiet for a moment, twisting his reins. “I reckon I’ve been a poor excuse of a brother to you, and I’m aiming to make things different between us.”
Lottie opened her mouth to respond, then closed it.
“When you have the chance,” Beckett continued, “I’d like you—and your boys—to visit me and my wife at the Double T. Jameson knows the way and can bring you.”
Jameson nodded at Beckett, grateful he was attempting to make peace with his sibling and get to know her. He would soon learn what an incredible woman she was.