Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was past dawn by the time they got close to Max's ranch, just north of San Antonio in the hill country. The sun was already a bright orange ball rising over the hills in the distance, burning off the thin layer of fog that had settled low across the ground.

The grass along the narrow two-lane road was brown and dead, and the cedar trees were sparse and so dry Jade hoped no one lit a match anywhere in the vicinity. The whole state was liable to go up in flames.

There was a rugged beauty about the whole area—the rolling hills and miles of pastureland—and she could see why Max had been drawn to the area. It was a far cry from his DuPont Circle brownstone in DC. That posh area of wealth and prestige had belonged to the old Max—the Max who had been more carefree and laughed more easily before his injury—the Max who wore his wealth and privilege like an old cloak.

Jade looked at the man sleeping in the passenger seat, taking in the longer length of his hair and the growth of beard on his cheeks. He overwhelmed the space beside her, and even in sleep, he looked a little bit dangerous—a little bit rough around the edges. Max might have come from privilege, but you couldn't buy your way into the service he'd done for the country. The kind of service that required skills that required training designed to make even the strongest man break down and quit.

He'd worked his way up the ranks the hard way and paid the consequences with a bullet to the head. It was a good thing his head was so hard. Not many men could live to tell the tale of an injury like that. But it had come at a price. There was an edge of danger to him now that hadn't been there before. Gone was the lightness and carefree attitude of the man who'd tried his best to live up to the playboy reputation the tabloids had given him. And she was struggling with the feelings that came from the changes in him. The darkness and danger were very attractive.

She slowed the Explorer as they came to a steep turn and then navigated across a slatted wooden bridge that ran over a creek that was more mud than water.

"We're almost there," Max said, eyes still closed.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I woke up when you started muttering to yourself about the cows blocking the road. You'll get used to it, city girl."

Jade snorted out a laugh. "So speaks the boy with the silver spoons in both fists. I never thought I'd see you living the cowboy life."

Max grinned and stretched, putting his seat back in the upright position. "I've loved every minute of it. Look at all this land. Everywhere you can see is mine. I love getting up before the sun comes up to see to the animals, and I love working my hands bloody with the kind of work that makes your back hurt in the evenings. I love soaking sore muscles in the hot tub and watching the sunset.

"This place was the only reason I considered telling Atticus no when he showed up at my door wanting me to come work for him. But I've got a great foreman and hands to help with the day-to-day operations while I'm away. They all do it much faster and easier than I do anyway. I'm sure it amuses them to have to teach me the ropes, but I've learned a lot."

"I'm sure it helps that you pay well."

He grinned and said, "Yeah, it helps."

"How's the headache?" she asked.

"It's gone. They never last more than a few hours and sleep seems to be the cure more so than the pills. It's mostly an annoyance. Watch the turn here," he said. "The road drops straight off into the ditch."

"I guess you don't get much company out here."

"That's the point. There's no one around for miles and I've got sensors in the road to alert me if someone's coming. I originally put them around the perimeter of the property, but there are so many wild animals they kept setting the sensors off."

Jade took the corner slowly, holding her breath as she kept the Explorer on the narrow road. Max hadn't exaggerated—there was a ten-foot drop-off on each side and the tires came almost to the edge of the pavement. The curve straightened out and she had to squint her eyes against the sudden darkness. Tree branches gnarled over the road and hung low so they almost scraped the top of the car, and limbs scratched against the side windows.

"Good grief, Max. This is a little overboard, don't you think?"

"I like my privacy," he said, shrugging.

"So you're saying I shouldn't have posted the picture of the exit I took on my Facebook page?" She widened her eyes playfully. "Oops."

He laughed. "You're getting a little cheeky in your old age, Jax." His eyes darkened and he reached across the console to trail his finger along her jawline. Things had gone from playful to seduction in a matter of seconds and she was still trying to keep up.

Her breath was tight in her chest as she rounded the last curve and sped toward the house. It was a sprawling single-story house of gray stone and cedar with a slate roof and a wide wraparound porch. There were black rockers and lush ferns. It suited him, she realized.

She stopped the car on the circular drive, and her fists tightened on the wheel. They'd had more time than most to think and wonder about what next steps would look like. She knew Max wanted her and that he was a good man—one of the best men she knew. And their relationship would progress to the next level—an intimate level. It was inevitable.

Her desire for him had only grown over the last three years. Only now she had clarity. It wasn't clouded by grief and anger. She could say with truth that she wanted him—heart, body, and soul. But she also knew a truth that he didn't know and wouldn't understand. There could be no more between them than something physical, and only for a short time. Because the longer they were together, the more a bond had a chance to form, and the more heartbreaking it would be to leave. And she would have to leave. He was a Devlin. And she was a nobody who could give him nothing. What man wanted to be with a woman who couldn't continue his legacy?

"What's wrong?" he asked. "If you're having second thoughts?—"

"No, it's not that," she said hurriedly. "To tell you the truth I'm nervous. It's been sexy and fun and banter up to this point, but now we're here and it's just you and me and no interruptions."

His lips twitched. "I'm looking forward to that part."

She couldn't smile so she licked her lips instead. "I just wanted to tell you that it's been a long time for me. I just don't want you to be disappointed."

She could feel his eyes on her, and then before she could turn to meet his gaze he'd opened the car door and jumped out, coming around to her side. He opened the door and then held his hand out for her to take.

"I could never be disappointed," he told her when she placed her hand in his. "Don't you understand, Jade. This is us. And we have all the time in the world to touch and explore and figure each other out. Come to bed with me."

She stumbled as he helped her out of the car. All the time in the world was what she was afraid of.