Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

The morning was busy and long. Hays directed the tree trimmers until there was no easy route for somebody to scale a tree branch and clear the electric, barbed-wire-topped fence. When he and Jared were satisfied, it was late morning and they'd missed breakfast.

They hurried back to the house. Hays's grumbling stomach was only part of the reason he rushed. He wanted to be near Liz, keep her safe, and convince her to give them a chance. She said she didn't believe in heaven, that she was dark. He could see the pain and darkness in her, but he could also see the light, love, and unselfishness in her heart. She'd sacrificed herself for her siblings for too many years. It was past time she realized how incredible she was.

The fact that her kiss lit a fire in him was only part of the reason he couldn't get enough of her.

Jared let him use the laundry room bathroom first to ‘freshen up for your gal.' Hays washed up, thanked the cowboy, and hurried into the kitchen area. Elizabeth, Easton, and Millie were in the kitchen rolling out bread dough. Elizabeth had an apron around her that was too big for her and draped down longer than the shorts she wore. She had flour on her arm and her chin. It was a different Elizabeth Oliver than anyone in the outside world had seen. The Ice Queen running for Senate was not who his Liz was. Sometimes Hays wondered if he was the only one who saw the true Liz.

She turned to face him fully, and his breath rushed out as her blue eyes lit up.

"Liz," he managed. "You are so beautiful."

She smiled and brushed her hair away from her face with the back of her hand as her fingers were sticky with dough. Hays had a vision of the two of them living in a small cottage near the sea. He'd go fishing and return carrying a large salmon. Elizabeth would be rolling out bread dough and turn to him with a smile like this one. He would set the fish in the sink, quickly wash his hands, his heart thumping out of control, and hurry to sweep her into his arms. Soon they would both be covered with flour and bread dough.

He swallowed his desire for her. A simple life like that would never be possible for them, but he'd take any kind of life with her.

"I'm covered in flour and have no makeup on. How can you say I'm beautiful?"

"You are the most exquisitely beautiful woman I've ever seen, and right now you look more gorgeous than ever."

She grinned, biting her lip. "Thank you."

Mama Millie grinned even bigger than Elizabeth.

"Rizz …" Easton murmured. "Dripping with it."

"Stop it with your teenage slang," Millie scolded. "You're a grown man, for heaven's sake."

"Sorry, Mama. Too much time on the rodeo circuit with all my female fans oohing over my rizz."

Millie snapped her dish towel and caught him on the arm, raising a red welt and making Easton yelp. "Serves you right, puffing yourself up like a rooster."

Even Easton laughed at that.

Jared came in, and they all worked together to help Millie with lunch while Elizabeth finished rolling out the bread. Millie kept exclaiming what a ‘quick study' she was as Elizabeth blushed at the compliment. Hays found it intriguing and sobering that she was brilliant and accomplished but seemed to have little recognition of that and wasn't accustomed to praise.

After they ate, Hays took Elizabeth out for more target practice. Easton shadowed them. It was annoying not being alone, but he knew they wanted two-deep guards around Elizabeth at all times. He couldn't grumble about keeping her safe.

"Can we use that mat near the weight room in the garage to spar?" he asked Easton.

"You want to spar?" Easton pushed out his chest. "I'd love to."

Hays hid a smile. "Liz would like to learn some self-defense. Then you and I can go at it." He could demonstrate to Liz again how well he could fight. She'd seen him best Peter, but that had been in the dark. Easton was a tough bull rider and Jared had trained his boys ‘up right.' Hays wouldn't underestimate him, but he would defeat him.

"Let's get changed and do it," Easton said.

They returned to the house and changed, then followed Easton to his cabin so he could change. They all walked to the barn together. Hays had used the weights early this morning before Elizabeth woke up. The mat for sparring was a thick wrestling mat. The Coleville brothers had connected PVC pipes to form an enclosure like a boxing ring.

Hays worked with Elizabeth first, teaching her how to break someone's grip on her, where best to poke or jab someone to give her a chance to escape. They talked about using any tool at her disposal—fingernails, car keys, pepper spray.

He enjoyed each moment of having her close. If only Easton could find something to distract himself with. The cowboy was a great guy and only made occasional comments or suggestions, but Hays wanted Elizabeth all to himself.

She was doing well. As smart as she was, she listened and implemented his or Easton's advice. She had great reaction time. Her body was fit, and each touch made heat race through him. Did she not feel what he felt? If she did, she'd never claim they couldn't be together.

He had her wrapped in his arms, standing behind her, both of her arms trapped underneath his.

"You got him, Elizabeth," Easton cheered her on.

She tried to stomp on his instep. He dodged the move, then easily lifted her off her feet so she couldn't try it again.

She jabbed her head back to hit his face, but Hays jerked to the side and she barely glanced her head along the side of his jaw.

"Any other ideas?" she called to Easton.

"You could dig your fingernails into his arms," Easton called.

She tried to move her fingers but couldn't. "He has my arms pinned."

"Dang girl," Easton said. "I don't know. You're all trussed up in his arms like Walker would do to a steer when he's roping."

Hays smiled. The pressure of Elizabeth against him with his arms surrounding her felt exactly right. She looked over her shoulder at him, giving him the most appealing look with her gorgeous blue eyes.

"Hays," she purred.

She leaned in, and he thought she'd try to head butt him again. Instead, she tilted her head and nestled into his neck. Her warm breath tickled his throat. His pulse took off at a gallop.

She gave him a lingering kiss on the neck.

Hays lost all ability to think rationally. He spun her in his arms and set her on her feet. Softening his grip on her, he ran his hands along the smooth skin of her arms. He bent down and was a breath from capturing her lips.

She dropped in a heap at his feet, rolled quickly away, and jumped to her feet, jabbing her hands in the air. Hays could've grabbed her before she rolled away, but he was too disappointed at missing out on a chance to kiss her.

"I did it!"

"Yes!" Easton cheered.

"Nice job," Hays managed.

"The art of distraction," she said, smiling at her triumph.

Distraction for sure. She distracted him like nothing in this world could. Hays was proud of her for escaping but disconcerted that she hadn't been carried away in the moment and aching for a kiss like he was.

There was no way she could be devoted to him like he was to her.

Devastated. That was how he felt as she and Easton celebrated.