“Why not?”
How could she explain that? Then she realized he thought she meant she didn’t want to be with him. “Let’s go to the ranch,” she said.
His eyes widened fractionally. “The ranch? Now?”
“Sure. We can make it there in half an hour.”
He pursed his lips. “Okay.”
“Here comes Nick.”
They dropped him off at home and Tara waited in the car while Joe disappeared inside and returned with a small bag. Then he drove her home and she too ran in to grab a few things. To her surprise, she met Sasha on the stairs, coming down with an empty wineglass. Her nose was pink and shiny, eyes red-rimmed.
“Sasha. I thought you were going to a party.”
“I changed my mind.” Sasha brushed past her and continued down the stairs.
“Sasha, wait.” Maybe she should stay. Maybe she should try to talk to Sasha about whatever was bothering her so much. She bit her lip.
“What?” Sasha asked, pausing.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course.” Sasha gazed at her defiantly, then continued down the stairs.
“Wait. I’m…I’m going to the ranch tonight.”
Sasha paused again at the foot of the stairs, turned and peered up at her. “Now?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back tomorrow. Or maybe Sunday. Can you let Grandpa know?”
“Sure.” With a hitch of her shoulder, she turned and walked away. Tara gazed after her, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. Oh lord.
“Do you want me to drive?” she offered when she climbed back in Joe’s Porsche. “I know the road better than you.”
“That’s okay.”
“I can get us there faster,” she said persuasively.
He laughed. “I can get us there alive.”
“You were nervous when I drove out to the ranch, weren’t you?”
Still smiling, he shifted gears smoothly as he headed into the mountains. “Nah.”
“Yes, you were.” She smiled, warm inside. “I’m a good driver.”
“Sure you are.”
She grinned, liking the easy teasing between them, but then she started thinking about Sasha again and her smile faded.
“Hey.” Joe reached his hand out and took hers. His fingers were warm against her cold flesh. She curled her fingers into his, wishing it didn’t feel so comforting, wishing she didn’t actually like him so much. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed. “I’m kind of worried about my sister. She’s been drinking too much and she’s gone back to hanging around with Baxter the Bastard.”
Joe laughed.
“I call him that because he treated her like crap,” she said. “They broke up, but lately she’s been seeing him again. And I think…” She bit her lip.
“What?”
“Well. She really likes Nick and he turned her down. She was definitely not herself tonight.”
“She did seem different.”
“I don’t suppose…” Her voice trailed off.
“What?”
“Could you talk to Nick? She’s really hurt by him telling her to stay away from the center.”
Heavy silence filled the car. “He had to do that,” Joe said quietly. “It’s the law.”
Tara sighed. “I know. But he didn’t have to turn her down for a dinner date.”
Joe’s mouth tightened. “You think he should go out with her just because she wants to?”
She bit her bottom lip. “No. Of course not.”
“He has his reasons for not wanting to get involved with her. It’s not our business, Tara. It’s between them.”
Tara stared out the dark side window. “I know, but…she’s my sister. Grandpa was angry at her tonight. I could tell.”
Joe’s silence encouraged her to keep talking.
“Usually she’s the one who can do no wrong,” she said softly. “And I’m the one who does everything wrong. Tonight it wasn’t like that.”
She felt his glance, but still he said nothing.
“I thought that would make me happy, but it doesn’t. I’m worried about her.”
“She’ll be okay.”
She turned to Joe. “Yeah. Probably. It’s just…weird.”
The drive through the dark mountains on the winding road went quickly, the tension in the car humming and building as they neared the ranch. Tara’s tummy fluttered with nerves and anticipation. Soon they turned off the highway onto the road to the ranch and the mill. The branches of the old olive trees formed a twisted, lacy black canopy against the star-dusted sky. When Joe pulled up in front of the house and killed the engine, it was so quiet and peaceful they sat there for a minute looking at each other.
What was she doing here with him? This was insane. But the aching emptiness was still there inside her and every time she thought about Joe’s kiss at the restaurant, she was flooded with wet longing, her insides low down cramping with desire.
“Come on,” Joe said and opened his door. She opened her own door before he could come around and stepped out of the car.
They were barely inside the door of the house when they were in each other’s arms. His hands were all over her as they groped and kissed and staggered down the hall to the bedroom.
Joe found the side zipper of her dress while her fingers fumbled with the rest of the buttons on his shirt and shoved it off his shoulders. His beautiful shoulders, dark skin smooth over hard muscle and bone. Her hands lingered there admiringly and she leaned down and sank her teeth into one firm muscle. He jumped at that, giving a little growl low in his throat, then his hands slid down her sides, pushing the dress down her thighs until it dropped to the floor.
His hands found her ass, bared by her thong underwear, and cupped it. Then fire flashed over her butt as he laid his hand on her in a gentle smack.
She cried out. “Joe!”
“That’s what you get for biting me,” he growled and laid another warm caress on her other cheek. Heat radiated from his hand over her flesh. Liquid flowed between her legs. She moaned. Oh God.
She kicked off her stilettos just as Joe picked her up and tossed her on the bed on her back. She let out a little cry of surprise, watched him with wide eyes as he shucked his pants and underwear, and then he was over her. He had a condom in his hands.
He rolled it onto his erection, tugged her tiny thong underwear to one side and fingered her.
“Are you wet, Tara? Ah, yes you are. Good girl.”
Liquid pleasure slid through her veins, making her helpless and weak.
He pushed into her slowly, stretching her, filling her. Sensation exploded in her, raced through her bloodstream and heat rolled over her skin. Her hips lifted against his in a mindless, seeking rhythm.
He was on his knees and he lifted her legs, pushing her thighs back against her chest, giving him deeper access. Then he turned his head and, hands on her ankle, he lifted one calf and pressed a long, slow kiss there.
Her world slowed and thickened at that moment, watching him press a kiss to her calf with closed eyes as he filled her. Her heart tilted and her mind spun. He rubbed his rough cheek against her leg, opened his eyes and met hers and something shifted in her, made her breath stop. Their eyes connected and held as he lowered her calf, held both legs with his big hands and thrust harder into her.
God. She wanted to close her eyes against the intensity in his eyes, the frightening intimacy of having him inside her while looking at her like that, but she couldn’t look away, held captive by his gaze.
“Come for me,” he growled. “Come now.”
She slid her hand down her body, found her swollen clit and rubbed. He pushed in again, faster, harder, once, twice, three times…and she came hard, ecstasy crashing over her, stars sparkling behind her closed eyelids.