Brazen (Brazen #1)(53)

It was only six miles between town and the ranch. Plenty of time to think.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Seth roared up to J.T’s house and threw open his door. Zane got out on the other side and they both hurried to where J.T. stood on the front porch.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Seth demanded.

J.T. blew out an aggravated breath. “Just like I said on the phone, man. She must have heard me talking to you. I thought she was still in the shower. When I went to look for her, she was gone.”

“Fuck,” Zane muttered. “Where did you find her anyway? Seth didn’t say a damn word on the way here.”

“I found her a few miles from the ranch heading this way. On foot. I almost didn’t see her. I could tell she was upset. When I asked her where she was going, all she said was away. When I told her to get into the truck, she said she wasn’t going back. I offered to bring her here so she could dry off at least.”

“What else?” Seth asked sharply. “What could possibly have upset her so much that she set off on foot in the damn rain when she hurt herself just two days ago? Jasmine isn’t stupid.”

J.T. leveled a stare at him. “I asked her what you’d done to upset her. She seemed surprised by my assumption it was you. I suggested that you were the only one with the power to hurt her so bad.”

Seth flinched and looked away. “She must have overheard.”

Zane swore. “Damn it, Seth, I told you it was a stupid idea. What was she supposed to think if she only heard part of that conversation?”

“She’d think we didn’t want her here,” Seth said in a low voice.

“Exactly.”

Zane’s chest heaved and fury was etched into his face. “Goddamn it. I’m sick of doing things your way, Seth. Fuck that. I’m done. Maybe you don’t give a f**k how badly you hurt her in your attempt to push her away, but I do. She doesn’t deserve this from us.”

Seth felt the words to his gut, each one sucking more air from his lungs. “Let’s just find her,” he said quietly.

“She’s upset,” J.T. said.

“Gee, you think?” Zane asked derisively.

J.T. held up his hand. “All I was going to say, man, was to cut her some slack. Give her a little breathing room. As Seth said, she’s not stupid. She just needs time to think.”

“She wouldn’t if Seth weren’t so intent on driving her away,” Zane said with a fierce scowl.

“Let’s go,” Seth said. “We need to find her and get her back home.” He didn’t want to have it out with Zane. Not here. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

Jasmine rubbed her palms up and down her arms as she crossed the small courtyard by the pool and headed for the kitchen door. She was tired, bone-achingly so. Her ankle throbbed, and it had rained on her again on the way home.

Every light in the house was on, and the courtyard was cast in the glow from the dusk to dawn light. She trudged up to the kitchen door and paused. Her hand curled around the handle, and she took a deep breath.

The door opened soundlessly and she walked inside. Seth stood abruptly from the barstool he was perched on, and without a sound, he yanked up his cell phone and punched a number. He put the phone to his ear.

“Zane, she’s home. She’s fine.”

He hung up and stared at Jasmine, his expression thunderous.

“Where the hell have you been?” he asked as he stalked over to her.

She didn’t reply.

“You had us worried out of our minds. And Carmen. She’s upstairs in tears. Is that any way to treat a woman who has been a mother to you?”

“A mother you’d take away from me,” she said bitterly.

He looked startled.

She took a step forward and winced.

Seth cursed and swept her into his arms. He gripped her tightly as he strode toward the stairs. Every part of him was tense. There was no sense putting up a fight so she lay limply against him.

He paused outside Carmen’s door. “Carmen,” he shouted. “Jasmine’s home. I’m taking her to her room. She’s fine.”

Carmen burst out of the door but paused when she caught Seth’s scowl. Carefully she leaned forward, captured Jasmine’s face in her hands and kissed her cheek. “Thank God you’re safe, niña.”

“I’m sorry, mamacita,” she whispered back. “I never meant to worry you.”

Carmen patted her cheek. “I know this, niña. You are a good girl. Now go, let Seth take care of you.”

Jasmine looked sorrowfully at her as Seth started forward again, his abruptness with Carmen bordering on rude.

Once inside her bedroom, he put her down close to the wall. She stumbled back, and instead of steadying her, he pressed in close to her.

He ravaged her mouth, his lips working so hot, so intensely over hers. Her back met the hard surface of the wall, and she was trapped between it and Seth’s body.

“You test every one of my limits,” he rasped as his mouth worked down her jaw and to her neck. “I have no control when it comes to you.”

“You don’t want me here anymore,” she said quietly.

He stopped, his lips pressed to the hollow of her neck. Then he slowly stood to his full height. His eyes looked haunted as he reached out to cup her cheek.