River's End (River's End Series, #1)(62)

He didn’t know? All this time and no one ever mentioned she worked at the Bikini Babes Barista? Everyone else knew she worked there. “Your brothers didn’t tell you?”

“No one told me.”

“Even Ben?”

His jaw clenched. Okay, that wasn’t the thing to say. She didn’t get it. Why was he so angry? “What are you so pissed off about?”

“I’ve been wondering why I get so many salacious comments about you from other ranchers and friends in the area. I didn’t realize, of course, they’d all been ogling your half-naked ass while I kept cutting off their rude comments out of respect for you.”

“I thought you knew. I mean it wasn’t a secret I could ever expect to keep. And besides, I don’t get why you’re so upset about what I’m doing.”

“Why? Because you live on my ranch. Everyone already knows about you and Joey. But Joey’s moved on. And now they think it’s me, Erin. They think I let you stay here for me. So do you really think your working half-naked in a smutty coffee stand helps to squelch that rumor? What you do reflects on me, on my name, and on this ranch. And anything I do reflects on my two sons. That’s what this has to do with. And having to explain this to you finally does suggest perhaps you actually are stupid.”

Her mouth came open; first, from the shock of his crudeness, and second, that he’d go so far as to call her stupid. She stepped back as if he’d physically hit her.

“It’s just a swimsuit.”

“Yeah, right. Just a swimsuit.”

“If you’re so against it, why did you come there?”

He paused. She stumped him. He scowled harder at her.

“You were there to look at the girl in the bikini, weren’t you, Jack? Because I recall perfectly you telling me you never drink those drinks. So what? You can go there to look, but me working there makes me a whore? You’re acting like you caught me on the street corner, offering you a blow job for ten bucks.”

He didn’t answer her. Silence settled over the darkened barn as her angry words hung between them. She regretted them the minute they left her mouth. She closed her eyes and took a breath. “I have no skills, Jack. I can’t read. Where do you think I can find work? The local library? Maybe the law firm in town would employ me. When I told you I have nothing and no choices, this is just one of them.”

He shook his head in obvious disgust, then turned his back on her, leaning his arms on the workbench and staring at it.

She was ashamed. Never in her life had she felt so ashamed. She never meant to embarrass or disgust Jack. She would have done anything to take it back because of all she owed him. He showed her kindness and extended a hand to her when she had nothing and no one else.

She stepped closer to him. Guilt gnawed at her stomach. He hated her now. He thought she was cheap, slutty and easy. He’d seen her first with Joey, and now this. And he thought she was stupid. Which, of course she was, but to date, she somehow thought maybe he didn’t really think that of her.

“I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t know you’d get this upset at me. I didn’t even know I was hiding it from you. I assumed Shane told you the first day he dropped me off there.”

Jack didn’t answer her and didn’t move. She felt tears burning her eyes. She couldn’t take Jack hating her. “I’ll quit. I will. I just need time to find something else, you know because…”

“Because you’re stupid?” he filled in for her. He turned his head to the side so he could see her and she nodded in the affirmative.

He let out a long sigh and she started to turn, stopping suddenly when his hand grabbed her wrist. Shocked, she looked down to where his long fingers encircled her wrist, then up into his eyes. He turned towards her. “You’re not stupid, Erin. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She shook her head. Who cares? She was and she knew it, just as long as Jack wasn’t mad at her. “It’s okay.”

“No. See, it’s not. It’s not okay you so blithely, or so easily think anyone can call you stupid. It’s not okay that job does nothing but reinforce that idea to you, and other people. It’s not okay no one ever taught you the basic skills to survive in life.”

She didn’t know what to say or what he wanted from her. He looked at her and there was heat in his eyes, his anger very obvious. She didn't know what he wanted her to do about the job.

He pulled her forward as his other hand came to her waist. She froze in his arms. She was in Jack’s arms. She didn’t get it. It couldn’t be real or happening. Jack couldn’t mean to do this. Then he shifted her closer to him, and the heat of his body burned through her clothes and seemed to radiate into her. Lowering his head, that quickly, his lips met hers.

He kissed her and she didn’t know what to do. Both of his hands moved to her waist. Then his tongue licked her lips. Her insides liquefied at his soft, gentle touch. God! It was incredible. She opened her mouth to him, as his tongue felt hot and wet. Her tongue met his, and their lips moved and danced, making her blood boil like it would explode from her. Jack was kissing her. The shock and thrill of it left her weak-kneed.

Then he shifted, placing his leg between hers as he moved her, and lifted her up against him. She could feel him getting hard and warm as he cradled her against his belly. His hands moved restlessly on her back until they found the hemline of her shirt. His hands felt so warm against her bare back and she sighed at the touch. He suddenly pulled her with him, turning her as he guided her somewhere. She was too focused on his mouth over hers to care where or what they were doing. She’d never felt a kiss so long, or deep, or so intimate.