Chapter 10

"I think one of us is overdressed." She murmured when she surfaced.

"Hmm." He held her close to him, his heart still hammering inside his chest.

She was nibbling on his neck and sending shockwaves through his body.

"If you continue to do that, I won't be responsible- sweetheart!" He broke off a groan when she sank her teeth into the skin of his throat. "I warned you." He whispered into her hair.

"You are quite insatiable, aren't you?" She whispered back. Lifting her head, she combed her fingers through his tangled curls.

"With you, I am. I thought you were going to allow me to undress?"

"You were taking much too long." She had started riding him slowly, her hips undulating, back arching as he inched into her. "And I couldn't wait."

"Quite greedy. I like that." His eyes sizzled as he cupped her breasts, thumbs circling the tight bud.

"Happy to be of service." Her white teeth flashed in a smile that had his heart turning over. "You are quite good. Would it be in very bad taste if I asked you how many women it took for you to be this good?"

His brows shot up and he chuckled. "It would be in extremely bad taste."

"Does that mean I am not going to get a response?"

"What do you think? What if I asked you that?"

"Go ahead, ask." She invited.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Really? It's none of my business."

"I am going to tell you anyway."

"Dani- "

"Two."

He blinked at her and went still. "Excuse me?"

Her smile widened at his dazed expression.

"Well, three, including you." Her fingers wandered over his neck. "And without a doubt, you are the best I ever had."

It didn't register that she was complimenting him because he was still reeling from her earlier admission. "How?"

"You naturally assumed that because I am an actress, my morals would be loose."

"Yes." He shook his head hastily when she lifted her brows. "You are exquisitely beautiful and yes, you are an actress. Surely you had men relentlessly pursuing you."

"Are we going to continue, or would you rather get into why I decided from the offset that I would not be the type of actress to sleep around?"

"Can't we do both?" He was still trying to figure out why she was still relatively chaste.

He had seen several of her movies and had forced himself to watch the love scenes and they looked so realistic that he had been unable to stomach sitting there and watching while she made love with another man. Pretending or not, he just could not deal with another man touching her.

"Then I am going to insist on you taking off your clothes." She told him with an impish smile. He did so with an alacrity she found herself admiring and without letting go of her. As soon as he had divested his underwear, he slid into bed with her on top of him.

"I am all ears." He told her huskily, hands clamped around her narrow waist.

Planting her hands on his chest, she began. "I was a pretty screwed up child growing up. Typical neglect and desperately vying for my parents' attention. Mother was wrapped up in her career and my dad- "She drifted into silence and Taj had the distinct impression that she had gone back to the past.

"He was wrapped up in her, completely. When he bothered to remember that I existed, he turned on the charms and had me forgetting that he had ignored me. He would take me to the park, and I was so proud of him because the women there would stare because he was so handsome.

But he had eyes only for my mother and I admired that. When my friends' parents were getting divorced, I could safely say that would never happen to me."

Her fingers curled into his chest tensely. "I convinced myself that I had it great. They were there and not living apart. I was not torn in two by them trying to decide who I should live with. But I was so damn wrong. It was so much worse. I was invisible. He was so besotted with her that there was no room for me."

Shaking her head, she switched moods, a smile teasing her alluring lips. "But it did teach me something valuable and my dad even said it to me one day when he took me out for ice cream. He told me he had found his epic love with mother and that it was not perfect, but he would have it no other way."

Taj felt his heart breaking as he pictured the sad and lonely little girl who had to fend for herself. "That's why you decided not to sleep around?"

She grinned at him. "Something like that. And I value my body too much to allow any Tom, Dick, or Harry to have a piece. Besides, sex to me is more than just physical, it's spiritual too and if you quote me on that, I am going to deny every single word."

He did not laugh at her quip but continued to stare at her with an intensity that was making her uncomfortable.

"What?"

"I- Nothing." He shook his head. "Just wondering where on earth they got the impression that you were cold and ruthless."

"They as in "

"The various magazines I read." He gave her an absent smile.

"I am cold and ruthless."

His eyebrows lifted at that. "Whatever you say."

"I am certain you have read about my peculiarities."

"Fresh towels every morning and soft pillows." He teased.

"And I don't share a trailer with anyone."

"Anything else?"

She gave him a dirty look. "Just shut the hell up."

"Gladly," he whispered as he drew her head down to his.

*****

Much later that night, she told him about her favorite role.

"You played a prostitute?" he burst out in surprise.

"I did. ‘Dangerous Living.'" For the first time in her life, she could be herself with a man and it felt wonderful and strange. They had eaten dessert in bed and consumed the rest of the wine. He was propped up against the pillows, with her sprawled on her stomach, half on his thighs, her feet dangling in the air.

"I never saw that one."

She shook her head, her tangled hair gliding over her shoulder. "Although it won several awards, it was not allowed much airtime. The networks bent to political pressures and decided it was not in their best interests to continue airing it.

I suppose people do not want to know that there is a whole other world out there, that needs to be addressed. Anyway, I got the script from my agent, and the minute I read it; I knew I wanted to play the lead. It's about a woman who had fallen on hard times.

Her husband had left her with two children to support and she was working at a government office. She could not make two ends meet and the asshole she married to had disappeared without a trace. So instead of crying about it, she decided to become a prostitute.

So, during the day, she was this respectable working-class girl and model parent by day, and at night, she was something else." She smiled at his absorption and continued.

"She would go home, tend to her children, make sure they do their homework, and then after they were asleep, she goes out at night to service her clients. I followed a girl by the name of Crystal, of course not her real name for three months to be perfect for the role, and when I auditioned, I was a shoo-in."

"You followed a prostitute."

"She was psyched about it too."

He continued to stare at her as if he had no idea what to say.

"Want to hear the rest of it?"

"I am all agog."

Her eyes danced at that. "Anyway, she was doing it for six months when she met someone."

"A client?"

She shook her head. "A lawyer who had stopped by her company to conduct business. They hit it off from the first meeting and he asked her out for dinner. He was sweet and wonderful and recently divorced and did not mind that she had children. She had no idea the romance was going anywhere, so she did not tell him about her other ‘job'."

"Let me guess – he found out."

"He did."

"How?"

"One of her clients recognized her and he also happened to be a friend of the lawyer."

"He ended things."

"By that time, they had both fallen in love with each other. And yes, he was brokenhearted and could not move past the fact that she did what she did."

"He left her?"

"For months she did not hear from her, but by that time, she decided that it was time to hang up her other role and concentrate on her children. One day she was out jogging in the park and there he was. Turned out that he was unable to forget her and was having a hard time living without her."

"He forgave her."

"Yes."

A frown touched his brow. "It sounds like a very heartwarming story with a lovely ending. Why would the network discontinue running it?"

"It was rather raunchy in the beginning and like I said, it showed the underbelly of society. So-called upright people started complaining and they claimed they had to listen to their viewers. In other words, the powers that be ordered them to get rid of it and fast."

"Where can I find it?"

She gave him a surprised look. "In my private collection."

"I would like to get a copy." He gave her an intuitive look. "You contribute heavily to women's shelters and provide further education for women on the streets."

"I suppose I do."

"Now I know why." He said quietly, his admiration for her increasing. The more he knew about her, the more he was in love with her. She was not shallow, but underneath all that bravado and brusqueness lies a heart that was pure gold.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She demanded.

"I think you are wonderful." His deep voice was so sincere and filled with admiration that she found herself going warm with embarrassment.

"I am not that wonderful."

"You are not going to change my mind." Reaching down, he hauled her up next to him.

"Taj?"

"Hmm?" He was about to climb on top of her when something in her expression made him stop.

"I have less than two weeks left, and I will be leaving."

Trying to still the turbulent beating of his heart, he moved into position on top of her.

"I know you believe that."

Her eyes flew to his face as he drove into her.

"It's what's going to happen."

"I don't want to talk."

"Taj- "he solved the problem by seizing her lips roughly.

She could not sleep. Even though her body was exhausted from his slow and thorough lovemaking, and he had dropped off into slumber, she was wide awake. She had told him things she had never told another soul, not even Jason.

She had told him she was leaving when the time came, but she had a feeling he did not believe her. Raising her head on the pillows, she gazed at his face. He was turned onto his side, with tangles of unruly blonde hair, covering half of his cheek.

A smile touched her lips as she took in the thick length of his lashes, several shades darker than his hair. His nose was straight, his chin stubborn with an attractive dent in the middle of it.

He was truly a beautiful man, she thought achingly, and if things were different, she wouldn't be hesitating. But it was. She had fought her entire life to get to where she was, and she was not about to give it up for some man.

Even a man like Taj Byrne – a downright gorgeous, sexy cowboy who not only had the package but knew damn well how to use it. And she loved talking to him. He listened, not just looking through her or telling her what she wanted to hear, but he listened.

Reaching across, she brushed the hairs from his face, her touch light and delicate.

"What am I going to do about you?" She whispered. Sliding down, she eased into his arms and felt a jolt when his arms closed around her possessively.

*****

"What time is it?" She murmured drowsily.

"Six. I made coffee and I am afraid I must run." He touched her face lightly. "I am sorry, but we have some problems with several of the horses and someone got through a part of the perimeter fence.

We keep getting wild animals and vagrants looking for somewhere to crash and it has to be dealt with. What time do you have to be on the set?"

"Not until noon."

"Why don't you stay here and sleep some more? There are croissants and loads of coffee for you to enjoy."

"I might just do that."

"Good."

"I have a night scene scheduled and I am not certain about tonight."

His heart fluttered inside his chest.

"Call me and let me know if it's possible." He urged.

"I will." Tugging him down, she took his lips in a searing kiss that had him clutching her against his body.

"You make it difficult to leave." He whispered against her mouth.

"That's the idea. Go and let me get my beauty sleep."

He kissed her again. "I brought you coffee." He gestured to the bedside table.

"Thanks." Sliding back against the pillows, she drew the covers over her head.

Taj stood there inside the doorway, staring at her form, before turning away and leaving.

*****

"How bad?" He asked tersely as soon as he dismounted his horse and handed the reins to a stable hand.

"Bad," Ben said with a frown. "The entire perimeter fence next to the east garden has been uprooted like someone took a damn saw to it. Several of the animals escaped and the men are now having the task of rounding them out. Something else too."

"What now?"

"We are supposed to be getting one of those freak storms tonight."

"What the hell do you mean?" Lifting his head, Taj scanned the gray-looking sky.

"The air is heavy boss, and humid and the last time it felt this way, a vicious storm rolled in."

"Then we had better hope to God, your instincts are way off," Taj said grimly as he jammed his hat firmly on his head. "Round up the men. We had better fix this fence first and then deal with the barn. We are in for a very long day."

*****

"You are in a chipper mood this morning and you are cutting it close again," Jason commented as she rushed into her room to do her wardrobe change. "Lover boy found it hard to let you go." He trailed in after her and stood with his shoulder propped up against the doorjamb.

"He left at six. "Glancing at him in the mirror, she dragged her fingers through her hair distractedly. "Will you let Maria know that I need to do something about this?" She tugged on the tangled mess of her hair with a grimace.

"Are we going to talk about what you are doing?" Jason stood where he was, eyeing her with mild curiosity.

"I am getting ready to play the scene where I drop the bomb that the baby, I am carrying is not yours." She flashed him a grin.

"And that's going to make me want to murder you."

"Which will make you amenable to my ultimatum."

He nodded. "Where you tell me that I should stage a coup and take over from your dad or you will tell him and the entire ranch that you cheated on me with the damn ranch hand. And not a very good-looking one at that." His moue of disgust had her laughing.

"But you will have no choice but to do as I say because you want control of the ranch more than anything else."

"You went from being a subservient mousy wife to a classic bitch."

"We do what we must. Now leave me alone so that I get into the role."

He shot her a baleful look as he eased off the doorjamb. "We are going to revisit the earlier conversation." He warned.

"No doubt," she muttered. "Get out."

Sitting on the vanity stool, she stared at herself in the mirror and noticed how mellow and relaxed she looked. This should not be the case, considering that she had barely gotten any sleep. A smile curved her lips as she recalled him waking her up this morning with his mouth on her nipples.

"We just started sleeping." She had protested drowsily, her body waking up before her mind did.

"Three hours ago. I am used to getting on with a few hours' sleep."

"I am not. Where the hell do you get the energy from?" she had demanded, her body arching towards his seeking mouth.

"You would be surprised what you can accomplish when you have the right incentive. And I have it right here." He had climbed on top of her, his eyes holding hers as he slid into her slowly. A shiver went through her body as she remembered how it felt to be taken by him. The man was impossibly sexy and completely irresistible.

Jumping slightly when the footsteps sounded, she turned to look at the wiry Chinese- girl walking into the room. "You are late."

"I know."

"And I am supposed to perform some sort of miracle with that thick hair of yours. And you are not even undressed." Throwing up her hands into the hair, she bore down on her prey, a glint in her oblong dark eyes. "We have exactly ten minutes to transform you into your character."

"Then let's get started."

*****

Taj felt the results of last night and this morning taking its tool, halfway through the day. His head was pounding, and he felt drunk from lack of sleep. His shirt was clinging to his body and the sweat was pouring down his face.

Dragging his hat off, he pushed back his hair and felt the dampness curling the strands madly. Picking up the canteen, he took a long swallow and felt his thirst-quenching slightly.

They had managed to round up the cattle and were almost through with mending the fence. But it was the humidity that was troubling him. Lifting his head, he shaded his eyes as he scanned the leaden sky.

He would like to believe that Ben was wrong, but he had a sinking feeling that his foreman was right on the ball. The air was too heavy and the place too still as if it was waiting for something to happen.

They experienced several freak storms over the years, and it was usually not something to take lightly.

"How soon, do you think?"

Lifting his head, Ben stopped what he was doing and scanned the sky. "I would say early afternoon."

"Great." He was about to pluck his phone out and call Dani when several men came galloping toward them.

"What is it?"

"Several of the horses broke through the main paddock and are causing a hell of a stampede."

"Any injuries?" Taj felt his heart sinking and the weariness invading his body like a very heavy cloak.

"A few."

"Show me." Running towards his horse, he vaulted into the saddle and cantered off.

*****

"Why is it so damn hot?" Dani complained, dragging off the scarf and fanning herself.

"I hear rumors that there is supposed to be some sort of storm riding in."

Jason dropped down next to her on the sofa and stretched his legs out. "Your cowboy did not say anything to you about that?"

"We were too busy doing other things." She grinned at him.

"Bitch." He muttered mildly, grabbing her water, and taking a swig. "I would have more to say, but the energy has been dapped out of me. And I can scarcely breathe."

"Thank God, Harry put off the second scene until tomorrow," she said feelingly. Taking back her water, she drank it down. "I don't think I can manage any more activities for the remainder of the day."

Turning his head, he stared at her. "How does it feel to be sexually active after that rather long hiatus?"

"Wonderful," she admitted. "Pity we have just over a week left. I am starting to get used to having a man in my bed."