Chapter Six

T he creek came into view, and Jax gripped Jill's hand tighter. It hadn't been a complete lie when he'd promised a productive afternoon, but the way he planned to deliver had absolutely nothing to do with work.

He didn't want her heading for the hills when she put the details of his plan together.

The gentle cascade of water over stone laughed as if the creek were a living, breathing thing. Which it was, in a sense. Within its fluid borders it held the carp and shiners Jax, Matt, and Bennett used to nab on their fishing lines when they were nothing but tadpoles themselves. Dodging the fish were mosquitos, gnats, and horseflies that tap-danced on the water's membrane, hoping for another day out of the mouths of those bigger than them and hungry.

Jax understood that on a visceral level, but that wasn't why he'd brought her here this afternoon.

"The water is beautiful," she commented, a serenity in her smile that had been missing the past month. Something had shifted, but he couldn't tell what. "It looks like a clear ribbon someone's shaking on the other side of the canyon."

He smiled. "I like that image. Like a puppeteer behind the sandstone."

"Exactly." She released his hand, and though it pulsed with longing in her absence, the view in front of him wasn't awful. Jill bent down, her strong, slender shoulders outlined by her thin tank top. Her backside was entirely too tempting not to stare at, but when she turned around, a smile on her face, he wished he hadn't.

Her cheeks blossomed into deep scarlet rosettes.

"You are the least subtle man I've ever met, Jackson Marshall. Could you at least pretend you're not ogling?"

"I'd rather you know how I think about you."

Her lips parted and her eyes went wide. To be honest, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. But now that he had done what he'd teased about earlier—put his head right in the gutter—he walked over to where she was bent, hands tracing the curves of the water in the same way he'd imagined tracing her silhouette.

"And, at the risk of not liking the answer, what do you think of me?"

Jax drew his bottom lip between his teeth. He could tell her that she was stunningly beautiful, driven in a way that spoke to his core, and frustratingly difficult to understand sometimes.

Or he could show her.

He gave his fingers permission to tuck a long, frazzled curl behind her ear, keeping her gaze. She didn't flinch, didn't avert her eyes. As he dipped close enough to catch the whiff of floral sweetness with an edge of salt from her hard work, she gave a subtle nod.

I hope you know what you're doing. She won't be okay with a one-night stand.

Didn't he know it. Though he wasn't sure what he could offer her in terms of a future, he knew with absolute certainty how he wanted to spend the next few weeks in her arms, if possible. Maybe if they let this heat building between them simmer, it would bake off any ill feelings they'd had before.

His lips were a breath away from hers, and it seemed as if the whole canyon stilled to watch. The water slowed to a meandering pace, the breeze went in search of other places to play, and even the heartbeat loud in his ears a moment ago became a distant echo.

And then two things happened at the same time. First, Jill gripped his arms as if she were clinging to life itself. Her nails dug into his skin, and he started to pull back, to ask if this was her way of leaning into a kiss or was he reading things all wrong. Instead, she let out a blood-curdling scream that pierced his eardrums and sent him careening off-balance.

He wobbled, teetering on the water's edge for a fraction of a second before realizing that she still had a vice grip on him. Jax saw it happening as if it were happening to someone else, slowly and frame by frame. His instability on the balls of his feet finally gave in to gravity, and they tumbled into the creek.

Jax was completely submerged, and Jill still hadn't let go.

He stood, sputtering the water from his airway. "What the heck was that?" he asked, wiping the water from his eyes. His chest heaved in huge gulps of air. And still, Jill latched onto him like a baby colt afraid to venture out in the field.

"J-J-Jax, look ."

When his vision came back and his pulse calmed the hell down, he followed her terrified stare along the opposite bank until he saw the familiar black ball of fur and his much larger furry mama.

"Damn," he muttered.

"I know," Jill hissed, her chin wobbling. By now, she was close to drawing blood from his biceps if she didn't let up. "It's a bear , Jackson!"

"Two bears, actually, and what I meant by damn is that he's grown up since I last saw him. I can't believe he's a teenager already." He waved and nodded at them, and the momma bear sent him a grumble back.

"Did you just wave at a bear?" Her voice had gone full-blown operatic. The animal observers didn't pay attention to her shrill screeching, but he had to hold back a laugh.

"Yeah, and she waved back in her own way. Jill, they're friends, remember? As long as we keep to our side of the creek, they're just checking in and feeding and we let 'em. Don't we, Gertrude?"

"You've named her?" Jill was full-blown hysterical.

Jax cupped her cheeks, which hilariously put Jill's own hands above her head since she still hadn't let him go.

"Jill, look at me." Her lips were shaking, but she didn't look away from the bear duo. They, however, couldn't have cared less about him and Jill. "Jill. They won't hurt you. I'll protect you if they even get close, okay?"

She nodded and slowly, her chin migrated so she was facing Jax, the terror still evident in her scrunched-up forehead and wide eyes. But at least she wasn't shaking as badly.

"I'll protect you," he whispered as he placed his forehead to hers. Her fingers relaxed but didn't leave his arms. They slid up until they perched on his shoulders.

"I know you will."

A deep, feral want welled up inside his chest, but he put aside the need to feel her lips on his, to know the feel of her body pressed against his. The cool water dripped off the tip of his nose, and his breath stalled in his lungs. As sexy as this woman looked in a suit or adorable with dirt and grease stains marring her skin, it was nothing compared to the fire in his stomach at seeing her drenched and dripping, the tight white fabric of her tank top clinging to her skin. Every new iteration of her wowed him more than the last.

"I'm sorry I knocked us in here," she said. Her voice had taken on a sultry deep tone that turned him on.

"Don't be." It was the plan all along, even if he was gonna go about it with a little less falling and a lot more suaveness.

He cupped his palm, dipped it into the cool water, and poured it over Jill's shoulder. Using the pad of his thumb, he rubbed the grease until it dissolved. He repeated the process on both shoulders, then her back. When his fingers wrapped around the base of her neck, she nuzzled against his palm while he cleaned the dirt and grime from her cheeks.

The creek was higher than a year ago, a fact everyone in Deer Creek was thankful for. Jax was in that camp, but for entirely different reasons. At least with it over waist high, Jill couldn't see the obvious effect she had on him.

Especially when her eyes dipped to the smudges on the tops of her exposed breasts. He quirked a brow and smiled, trying his best to bite back the Owwwuuuga! he wanted to shout like he was a cartoon wolf in front of a juicy steak.

Dipping one hand in the creek, he used the other to draw her close. If she couldn't see below the reflection of the canyon on the surface of the water, now she'd surely feel his want against her abdomen. The time to hide his intention had passed.

She inhaled a small gasp and bit her bottom lip as he palmed her breast and cleaned the skin from any blemishes. Her eyes shut and the corners of her lips tilted up in a sensual smile.

Christ. She has no idea how goddamn sexy she is, does she?

But she slid a hand under the sticky fabric of his cotton T-shirt, and he shivered from something other than the cool water parting around their hips. He froze in place, afraid to break the tension building between them by breathing.

She lifted onto her toes and wrapped her hands around his neck.

And he couldn't have taken a breath if he wanted to. The kiss began as a soft exploration. He let the warmth from her skin eradicate the chill on his. Damned if he ever wanted to breathe again. All he wanted, needed , to survive were Jill's lips on his.

Whoa there , his brain chimed in. Slow your roll.

His pulse raced, but with the creek cascading around them, the trees swaying overhead, he was calm. Still, he'd had some pretty sexy encounters in his life, and this topped them all, no contest.

There was no slowing anything. His fingers twisted in her curls. His lips crashed into hers. His tongue tangled with hers, and he drew long breaths from her, tasting her as he explored. Coffee and salt reminded him of the caramels he'd buy in Dallas when the rodeo went through there. It was his favorite food, his favorite flavors, until now.

Now all he wanted was this woman and her unique flavor that opened up a desire in him that might never be sated.

She's going back to San Antonio , his head tried.

Fine , his heart answered. I'll follow her there. It's not like my new job won't let me travel.

A hunger opened cavernous and wide in his chest, and her mouth opened for him. That invitation was all it took. His hands fisted in her hair, and he pulled her closer. His tongue found hers, teasing it into a tangled dance not unlike the rodeo.

She moaned, and damned if he didn't want a bed, a soft patch of grass—anything to lay this woman down and keep exploring her. His hand slid down her arm, wrapping around her waist, as she breathed life into him. Which was a funny concept since he was breathless with want. It surged in his veins, melting him into a puddle.

The gentle give of flesh balanced against him was his only tether to the earth. It was strong, fortifying, but also soft enough for him to lean against and feel…

Home. His heartbeat stuttered.

He broke off from their kiss, his lips and heart regretting it immediately. His pulse still raced, but his mind slowed.

What were you thinking? He couldn't answer. All he'd known was the pure shock and delight of being gifted a passionate moment that topped anything he'd come there thinking would happen. But the feelings that followed were more than inconvenient. Passion and desire he'd expected. The rightness and security and coziness were a whole other story.

And damn—they hadn't even slept together. Yet.

Oh boy. He was in trouble.

"What was that?" he asked. A soft smile played on her delicate features, and her eyes gleamed.

His long finger traced his lips where hers had just been, and he struggled against the desire to dive right back into their plush warmth. Her hand still sat at the small of his back.

"I just wanted to say thanks, I guess," she managed. At the same time, she stepped back. Which was fine.

Some distance was definitely needed if he was going to figure out these feelings.

"For?"

"I dunno. Helping with the mower."

"You say thanks with your lips a lot."

"No," she said, her cheeks red. "I don't."

"It was the second time you kissed me in response to something nice I did. I'd say those odds are in my favor."

And not a reason to stop doing nice things for her. If—and it was a big if—he could stop imagining a future that was impossible.

"I don't—I don't do that with anyone else."

"Glad to hear it. But if I thought it might end in a kiss like that, I'd have fixed every damn machine in your shed."

The gleam and smile turned downright mischievous. But he couldn't help it. He wanted her something fierce. Screw it; he'd figure out the feelings later.

"That's—" She swallowed and shivered. Oh, how bad he wanted to heat things back up again. "That's not going to happen again."

Except he didn't believe it. The record showed she was zero for two when it came to not kissing him.

"Too bad. It was nice." Okay, now he was smirking.

"Well, don't get used to it."

He took a step closer. "What if I already have?"

Jill frowned, but desire danced in her eyes. She wanted him, too.

"In fact," Jax said, closing the gap between their bodies, "what if I wanted to thank you for you thanking me?"

He dipped his chin and brushed his mouth lightly to her lips. The juxtaposition between the tenderness of this kiss and the fiery-hot one just moments before confused him enough that he let it rage out of control again. His tongue explored her with a fever of discovery, and his hands were tangled in her damp curls.

Sanity finally found him again.

Their foreheads still touched, but he could breathe without her kiss disorienting him. Ragged half-breaths, but still.

The grumble at the edge of the water broke the spell captivating them both. They shot apart and Jill's more audible gasp pointed him to the problem.

The momma bear and her teen were headed upriver closer to him and Jill.

"Time to go," he whispered. "Just walk slowly and confidently. They're just fishing, but we're in their way at the moment."

Jill obeyed his instructions and didn't panic. Instead of following her out, he glanced behind him and shot the momma bear a withering look.

"Thanks a lot," he mumbled. As they walked back toward the Newman ranch house, Jax couldn't help but think the bear smiled right back at him, perfectly aware of what she'd done.

On the way, the boy who'd been lurking earlier was still sitting on Jax's back porch, flipping through a smartphone.

Hmm. Better figure out what that was all about before he tackled the even more confusing enigma that was Jill Henley.

*

Jill paced behind the couch, her cosmopolitan spilling over the edge of her glass each time she spun and headed back the other direction.

"Of all the stupid, senseless, idiotic—"

"Hey, that's my best friend you're talking about," Maggie said. She sipped on pink lemonade in a martini glass. The mother-to-be wasn't allowed cocktails.

"Yeah, well, your best friend is a class A jerk with no self-preservation tactics. If that bear comes back, you won't have just let her get me. I mean, honestly . Kissing Jax? What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking he's a hot, sensitive cowboy who's attracted to you, too, and you deserve to have a little fun."

"Well, fun is bad for my health, turns out." To make her point, she tipped her glass and swallowed the contents in one gulp. "Ooof," she hissed as the alcohol burned down her throat and into her chest. She refilled her glass with the pitcher of cosmos she'd made, full-on forgetting that Maggie couldn't have any.

Oh well. More for me. I'll need them to think through this catastrophic lapse in judgment.

Then she'd tell Maggie about the young woman who'd sparked a future internship program. She was trying to limit the stress she subjected her friend to, so until the colleges she'd reached out to returned her calls, she would keep the idea to herself.

Besides, she needed advice on the other person who wasn't calling her back.

"You're being too hard on yourself." Then why did Maggie look so pleased?

"Hardly. Two weeks ago, I couldn't stand the guy and now I'm sticking my tongue down his throat? Not exactly soundproof I'm operating on all four burners."

"Will you sit down? I'm blissed out and more relaxed than I've been all week and you're just making me stressed."

"Sorry," Jill grumbled. She slouched back into the overstuffed chair next to Maggie's. "But if it was such a good idea, why didn't he invite me over? Or call? I mean, things were hot enough that if that bear hadn't interrupted us…"

She put her chilled glass against her cheeks.

"You'd have jumped his bones?"

Jill nodded, moved the glass down her chest. "Yes," she lamented.

Maggie's smile only deepened. "Ooooh, did you think about how we could be sisters? I mean, I already think of you that way, but it could be official. If I'd have thought getting knocked up would have forced you two together sooner, I'd have stopped taking birth control right after the wedding."

"Hold your horses, Mags." Maggie smirked. "And stop looking so smug. We kissed, it was hot, and I wanted more. But not that much more."

"C'mon. You have to admit there's something to those Marshall boys. They're sweet and sexy and so darn cute in cowboy getup."

"They are. But…" Jill traced the rim of her glass, so it made a gentle hum that matched the one buzzing in her heart since the kiss two days ago. Maggie held her gaze but didn't rush her. "He doesn't want kids. So even if—"

"Even if you fell head over heels for each other, you'd have to consider compromising the one dream you've had since you were a kid."

"See? There's a reason you're my best friend. You get me."

Maggie's smile fell just enough to worry Jill. "Hmmm. I didn't know that about him. Okay, brace yourself; I'm going to give you some tough love."

Jill inhaled and tucked her legs underneath her.

"If you feel more for him than a good roll in the hay can fix, you need to keep him at arm's length. At least until you have a chance to get to know each other more and can feel out if this was a petty reaction to Bennett's weirdness lately or he genuinely doesn't want to make that very serious life choice. Either way, he was vocal about it, knowing how you felt. Take that seriously until he proves otherwise."

Pressure built behind Jill's eyes, but she smiled it away. "Yeah, that love was Dwayne Johnson tough. And here I thought you were going to tell me to eat something so I'm not hungover tomorrow."

Her veiled attempt at humor was weak at best.

"Well, that too, but also the first thing. You gave up so much with Liam and it almost broke you. I don't want to see you get hurt again, even if it would mean we might be related by our handsome husbands."

The pressure came back with a vengeance, and this time a few tears spilled on Jill's white linen top.

"I know," she whispered. "Again, you're right. I can't fault you for telling me the truth. But, man, it stings a little. For a split second between bear sightings, I actually wondered if it was possible for me to have it all."

Maggie set down her glass and rested her hands on her stomach. The pose screamed pregnant lady coming through , and the glow on her cheeks, with the soft smile always within reach left nothing to interpretation. She was a peaceful pregnant momma with everything she'd ever wanted.

Jill swallowed back the unwarranted jealousy that rose in her throat. It tasted like bile and what she imagined being a bad friend would taste like if it were a tangible thing. She didn't begrudge anything good happening to Maggie. But that didn't mean Jill didn't have pretty strong desires to have her own happily ever after.

"And you still might. But you've never been one to rush into things, and you're right; you drove each other nuts two weeks ago. Take time and think through what you want and how his role in your life might add to that, because if he doesn't make your life infinitely better, he doesn't get to be a part of it. Period."

Her own mother hadn't ever come close to saying this much when Jill left Liam. Just a stern warning of how it would look for the prince and princess of the rodeo world to split. Family truly was who stood by you when you needed it.

"How'd you get to be so smart all of a sudden?"

Maggie fluffed her hair dramatically, laughing. "I'm pretty great, huh?"

"Seriously. I love you like a sister, and I always knew you were brilliant when it came to business, but you're this level-headed about dating, too? I want your confidence."

Heck, I want your life. It wasn't the whole truth—she thought of Bennett as a brother, nothing more. But she wouldn't mind the stability, the pregnancy, the career, along with a certain Marshall brother who had given her the best fifteen minutes of her life. And that was saying something since a bear and her cub were present for most of it.

"Well, borrow it whenever you need it, okay?"

"You got it. Anyway, have you seen Lily? She came home last night but was gone again when I woke up. I mean, she's about to give birth—where could she possibly be going?"

Maggie's lips screwed up and she tilted her head to the side. "I have no idea. I did see her by the creek when I was on the deck the other morning. I'm sure she's fine, though."

Jill nodded at the same time her phone rang. She jumped to grab it as the shrill ring reverberated off the tall ceilings.

"Is that hiiiiim ?" Maggie sang.

Jill couldn't keep the grin off her face. "Yep. Finally." Maybe if they could talk about what happened—because it was so much more than a kiss—they could either put it behind them or figure out what to do with their very visceral, very real feelings.

"Hello?" she asked. "Can I take this?" she whispered, covering the mic.

"Of course," Maggie whispered back. "I'm going to refill my lemonade and pretend it's a martini. Take your time."

"Hey, Jill. It's Jax. You got a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?" Her feet tapped out a tattoo on Maggie's hardwood floors.

"I just wanted to talk through a few things—" He cut himself off and his voice became muffled like he'd covered his own microphone. After what felt like a full minute of waiting—rather impatiently in fact—he came back.

"Can you hold on?" he asked.

You called me , she wanted to bite back. "Yeah, okay."

"Thanks. There's someone here who I think wants to know about the ranch hand position, but when I went to talk to him after cleaning off in the creek, he was gone. I wanna catch him before he pulls a disappearing act again. It looks like the kid from before." He said that last part quieter than the rest.

A pause filled the silence, and Jill chewed her bottom lip.

"Huh. I wouldn't give him a day over fifteen. Hope he knows I'll have to turn him away if he can't legally work in the state. I'm not dealing with Bennett if he finds out I've hired an underaged kid." Another pause. How did any of this have anything to do with her? "Any who, can I call you back after I meet with him? I have some stuff we need to chat about."

"Um, sure." Panic rose to the surface of her skin and made her itchy. "I'll talk to you later, I guess."

But he'd already hung up.