Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

J enny clung to Caleb as his stallion carried them steadily toward her family’s ranch. The horse’s rhythmic movement was soothing, but her muscles ached from the long hours on the saddle. She remained silent, her discomfort a small price to pay for the reassurance she needed to provide her family—that she was safe. She had been missing for seven days now. Jenny closed her eyes, heart-wrenched at how frantic her Ma must be.

Despite their plans to leave the cabin the following morning, a raging tempest had rushed down the mountains and the rain had kept them indoors for another day and night. Caleb had made love to her five times that last day in that cabin, and now, two days later, she still felt tender, and her sex ached. He had taught her to dance the waltz, they had laughed and read the dime novel his brother left, and they had talked long into the nights while they watched the moon’s beauty on the small log by the creek. She could scarcely believe that she’d made love with Caleb Callahan or that she might never see him again.

“You will be leaving in about a week,” she whispered, her throat hot and aching.

His arms tightened around her waist.

“Yes.”

A lump tightened her throat.

“I will write to you, Jenny.”

It wasn’t a promise or anything, yet her heart leaped with a secret thrill. She swallowed tightly, confused by the chaotic emotions writhing inside her heart. As the sprawling silhouette of her family’s ranch came into view, relief swept through her. Her heart raced with anticipation and anxiety about their reception—especially in her current state, wearing Caleb’s oversized shirt, which dwarfed her petite frame. Her own clothes had been left in tatters, unsuitable for wear, and Caleb, now in one of his brother’s shirts, appeared cool and composed.

Their approach was heralded by a scream of relief from Bethany, who was walking her son in her arms. Her sister-in-law darted back inside, presumably to gather the rest of the family. Moments later, the front door burst open, and her family spilled out, their faces a mixture of concern and joy.

Jenny’s nervousness about her appearance melted away under their warm gazes. She was home. She noticed the absence of her brothers Joshua and Noah and wondered briefly where they might be. They had not encountered them on the trail down from the cabin. The thought was quickly overshadowed by the rush of her family toward her.

Caleb slowed the horse and carefully helped Jenny down. The moment her feet touched the ground, her mother enveloped her in a fierce embrace, tears of relief mingling with soft cries. Her father, August Kincaid, was close behind. He pulled Caleb into a hearty hug, clapping him on the shoulder with a gruff, heartfelt, “Good job. Seems my boy was right about you.”

Caleb frowned. “Sir?”

Her father smiled. “Everyone in town’s talking about how you rushed in to save my Jenny, and when you rode away, you placed her in front of you to keep her safe. Joshua said that alone told him you’d die before letting anything happen to her. That assurance helped her ma sleep at night. Now, I’m damn grateful, but where have you been with my daughter?”

“Pa,” Jenny protested, blushing. “A rattler bit Caleb and he was unconscious for several days. We came down from the cabin as soon as he regained consciousness.”

Gasps of concern erupted, and Caleb looked bemused as her mother began fussing over him. She took Jenny by one arm and Caleb by the other, gently pulling them toward the house.

“Let’s get you both inside. You must be starving,” her mother said, releasing Caleb briefly to wipe her tears as she led them toward the home. “August, please send a ranch hand to let Jeremiah know his grandson is alive and well.”

As they entered, the warmth of the family home embraced them, and the rich aroma of a home-cooked meal filled the air.

“Ma, I should wash up and make myself more presentable.”

Her mother cupped her cheeks, tears glistening in her eyes. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes.”

“Then we shall eat first; after, you can worry about looking pretty for Caleb Callahan.”

“Ma,” she gasped.

Her mother laughed and tugged her into the large dining room. Caleb joined them at the table, and as they settled in, Jenny’s stomach rumbled audibly. Their cook bustled in with heaping platters, filling the table with roasted chicken, thick-cut steaks seared to perfection, baked potatoes dripping with butter, tender green beans, and freshly baked cinnamon bread, its aroma rich and warm. A bowl of creamy corn chowder and a side of collard greens sat nearby, completing the spread.

“Miss Jenny, somehow I knew you’d be home today,” the cook announced with a smile. “I baked an apple pie just for you.”

Jenny grinned, misty-eyed, and murmured her thanks. The golden pie, with its delicate lattice crust and scent of spiced apples, sat waiting to be enjoyed. She knew it had been made with extra care.

They laughed and ate, passing around platters and helping themselves to generous portions. Caleb watched them all with a quiet, contemplative gaze, his eyes lingering on Jenny perhaps a touch longer than necessary. Her mother noticed and gave a soft, approving smile, but her father’s brows furrowed slightly. When Jenny raised her chin toward her father, Caleb smiled and averted his gaze.

“Forgive me if it’s indelicate to ask while we dine, but do we know who those men were?” Caleb asked.

Her father took a sip of his coffee, his face thoughtful. “The sheriff believes they were bank robbers. With the railway expanding, there’s been plenty of talk about payroll shipments carrying a handsome sum—temptation enough for men like them.”

August paused, glancing at Caleb before continuing, “When news of your disappearance reached us, Noah and Joshua left to track your trail. They’re damn fine hunters, those boys, and I figured if anyone could pick up your trail, it’d be them. I had hoped they’d bring Jenny home safely.” He cast a proud glance at Jenny. “They sent word that first night to say the rain muddied the tracks, but they will keep at it. They should return soon. We have ranch hands posted at every two mils to relay news. It is already spreading that you are both home and well. I owe you—”

“You owe me nothing, sir,” he said. “Miss Kincaid is…she is my friend.”

“When a man puts a woman’s life before his, that woman is more than a friend,” her father said, pinning Caleb with a hard glare.

He nodded once. “I agree.”

Oh! Emotions rushed through Jenny, and that awful ache returned to her throat. “Caleb is leaving soon,” she blurted before her father got any ideas.

“Leaving?” her mother gasped. “Permanently?”

Caleb cleared his throat. “I have to return to assume the duties and responsibilities of the earldom. I shall visit once again, but it might be a few years before I do so.”

“I see,” her mother said, sympathy glowing in her eyes.

Caleb nodded, a quiet understanding passing between him and her father. Jenny frowned, not understanding their silent communication. Her father’s stern expression softened as he studied Caleb.

“I’m grateful for what you did for my daughter, son. You rode hard to bring her home, even after everything you’d been through. That doesn’t go unnoticed.”

He deftly changed the conversation to ranching, the circus, and even with news from Boston. As they ate, laughter and stories flowed easily around the table. Sitting among her family, with Caleb by her side, Jenny felt a happiness she wished never to leave.

If only you belonged here, Caleb .

A couple of nights after escorting Jenny home, Caleb lay in the darkness of his room, hands laced behind his head, staring into the shadowed ceiling. The quiet of the night wrapped around him, yet his mind remained restless. He would leave Bravo in precisely four days. Just as he felt himself drift, a familiar, mouthwatering scent—ripe as sun-warmed peaches—drifted into the room.

He stiffened, his heart pounding, as he recognized Jenny's unmistakable presence. She moved like a shadow, her steps light and careful, but he felt every inch of her approach as if she’d called his name. His chest tightened when she eased onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath her slight weight. She crawled over his body, her movements languid and deliberate, and lowered her mouth to his. The warmth of her breath stirred his senses.

“How long are you here for?” he murmured raggedly against her mouth.

“Only for an hour,” she whispered, her hair falling over them like curtains, creating a cocoon of intimacy.

Caleb spun with her, pressing her body into the mattress with a force that was both urgent and controlled. The savage tension gripping him was almost unbearable. He jerked away from her, his hands moving with desperate precision as he pulled her belt and dragged her trousers down. They hitched on her boots, so he lifted her legs, the trousers pooling above her ankles. He rested her booted legs on his shoulders, the weight of them grounding him even as his desire sharpened. Her harsh panting seemed loud in the room, a symphony of need that matched his own.

Caleb’s fingers damn well shook when he freed his cock from his trousers. He fisted it, and with unerring accuracy, he found her pussy, the slick heat of her drawing a groan from deep within him.

She moaned as he started to sink into her pussy, the sensation of her tightness around his cock almost too much to bear. It was slow going, each inch a delicious torture, and only their ragged breathing echoed in the room, along with her whimpers and moans.

His cock sank in a couple of inches.

So damn tight .

“Caleb,” she groaned, shifting restlessly beneath him.

“Hurt?” he asked, his voice strained, his heart pounding.

“Yes,” she admitted, her voice a mix of pain and pleasure.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No!” The word was a desperate plea, her nails raking along his knees when she stretched her hands down.

He swiveled his hips, pushing in a bit deeper, the sensation of her tightness around him sending waves of pleasure through his body. That was how he fed her his cock, sinking in a bit and then withdrawing, each movement deliberate and controlled. Over and over, and with each push, she got wetter and wetter, her moans shaping into a melody of desire. It was torturous, but he loved every damn minute of it, and from her wetness and trembling legs, he knew Jenny did too.

By the time he shoved his cock to the hilt, sweat rolled down his chest, mingling with the dampness of their bodies. He could feel her inner walls clenching around him, the tightness almost unbearable. He withdrew and shoved deep in one slide, and she screamed, her body arching beneath him as she reached climax.

“Caleb, I—” she gasped, her voice breaking as when he drew back and thrust deep again.

She released a second time, her inner walls clenching around him in a rhythmic pulse. The sensation was too much. Caleb felt his climax building, the tension coiling tighter and tighter until it exploded, sending waves of pleasure through his body. He thrust into her one last time, his release spilling into her as he groaned her name, his voice raw with emotion.

He pulled from her, collapsing on the bed, and Jenny curled against him, settling her cheek on his chest as if it were the most natural place in the world to be. Caleb wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, savoring the warmth of her in his embrace. He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her scent, his chest swelling with the quiet comfort she brought.

This was madness. The restlessness had eased, and it felt like his whole world had just slid back into place. For a long moment, they lay in silence, their steady breathing the only sound in the room.

“You were watching the moon,” she said softly.

He turned his head toward the large, open windows, where the moon hung low in the sky, so close it seemed he could reach out and touch it.

“Yes,” he murmured.

“I want to see it too.”

He shifted so Jenny could peer through the open windows at the night sky. A sigh of pleasure whispered from her and glided over his senses.

“I will also think of you when I see the moon,” she said softly.

Caleb’s fingers traced gentle circles along her back, grounding himself in her closeness. He frowned. Once again, he had been so lost in her taste and felt he had not withdrawn in time. This had never happened to him before. In truth, in all his previous lovers, he used a sheepskin contraceptive sheath over his cock. A part of Caleb wondered if he was trying to find a reason to leave London and rejoin her.

He needed to clear his head. Even if Jenny were pregnant, he couldn’t abandon his duties to the realm and his family, and he knew she wouldn’t leave hers or the Triple K. Caleb resolved to keep his distance, ensuring they wouldn’t see each other again before he departed.

“Your heart is racing. What are you thinking about?”

“Things that are best left for when they occur.”

He felt the curve of her mouth against his chest as she smiled.

“I heard your brothers were back.”

“Yes.”

He felt her tense slightly, and he tightened his hold on her. “They’re home? Safe and sound?”

She nodded against him, her hair brushing his chin. “Yes, both of them. The sheriff had pulled together a posse with Noah and Joshua, and they hunted down the robbers. They caught them, Caleb.”

Jenny lifted her head to look at him, her eyes catching the faint light filtering through the window. “Those men are being taken to Waco to stand trial. They robbed and killed there. They’ll face justice now.”

Caleb felt the weight in his chest ease, a tension he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying since that night finally releasing.

“Good,” he murmured, “Sam and I were going to his cabin tomorrow to ensure they did not find it and to see if we picked up any trail.”

Jenny rested her head on his chest, her hand tracing slow patterns along his shoulder. “I wrote you a letter. You must read it whenever…whenever you long for me,” she whispered, her voice barely a breath against his skin.

“Are you so certain I will long for you?”

“Of course.”

He chuckled and pulled her closer, his hand sliding up to cradle her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “How long do we have before you have to go.”

“We still have fifty-five minutes. Our…glorious tupping was only a few minutes.”

Caleb froze, and she pealed with laughter. He chuckled and kissed the laughter from her mouth for endless minutes. They laughed and chatted longer before she roused herself and began dressing. Caleb slipped on his shirt, belted his hunting knife at his hip, and took her hands in his for a moment before riding alongside her until she reached home. He leaned against his pommel, staying in the shadows of the tree line, and watched as she rode to the stables, slid off her horse, and handed the reins to a ranch hand before hurrying inside the main house.

“How long do you plan to stay there without speaking?” he drawled, sensing a familiar presence.

A low, menacing chuckle broke the quiet as Joshua Kincaid stepped out from the trees. “I’m impressed, Callahan. Not even Elijah would have known I was following.”

Caleb grunted, unfazed. He’d sensed Joshua’s presence the moment he’d left the house with Jenny by his side. It was why he’d kept it chaste with ruthless restraint when she tried to kiss him deeply goodnight.

“You’re leaving, Callahan,” Joshua said flatly.

“Yes.”

Silence stretched between them. Caleb turned his horse toward Joshua, though he could barely make out his shape in the darkness, only a vague impression.

“You’re leaving,” Joshua repeated, “but you let her sneak into your room.”

Caleb’s gut tightened. Damn it. “No one ‘lets’ Jenny Kincaid do anything. If she decides to do something, she’ll see it done.”

Joshua sighed, his exasperation clear. “Maybe it’s best you’re leaving. She’d have you wrapped around her finger, letting her get away with anything.”

Caleb managed a faint smile, though it felt like a dagger to his chest. He’d give anything to make her his, to lay the world at her feet.

“Kincaid,” Caleb said, tipping his hat, and began to urge his horse away.

“Callahan…”

He slowed his horse. “I’m listening.”

“The next time my sister sneaks into your bedchamber, make her leave—or close the damn window.”

Caleb’s fingers clenched on the reins, the memory of Jenny’s cries of wanton delight flashing through his mind. Bloody hell . Part of him half-expected Joshua’s knife in his back. Without a word, he urged his horse into a canter along the woodland path, letting the shadows swallow him.