Harm's Hunger by Patrice Michelle Read Free Book Online

believe her intentions were pure—that she hoped to show him it was okay to let someone in—when she’d made up their entire relationship? Swallowing the guilty lump in her throat, she was thinking again about how she wished they’d met under different circumstances when her gaze landed on the welt that had formed on his forehead. “You’ll have a nasty bruise tomorrow. I’m pretty sure you have a mild concussion.”
    He snorted. “You sound like a doctor. Is that how we met? Did you stitch me up or something?”
    Was he in constant need of stitches being a rancher? He only had one tiny scar on his chin that she’d seen. Apparently, he wasn’t giving up on this memory-lane trip, but he’d at least given her an idea as to how they’d met. “Close. Well, kind of. I’m a nurse. That’s how we met. I was here for a medical convention and a mutual friend introduced us.”
    His eyebrows rose. “Which friend?”
    Rack your brain, Jena. Think, think, think. What names do you remember Sally mentioning? Joe? No. Jake? No. Jack. Yeah. Good ‘ole Jack.
    “Jack.”
    His brows drew together. “My foreman?”
    Jena nodded. “He and my dad knew each other. My dad told me to stop by and visit him while I was here for the conference last fall.”
    “And that’s how we met?” he concluded, brow furrowed.
     “Yep, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
    Harm shook his head as if Jack was the last name he expected her to say. Pulling her closer, he kissed the tip of her nose. “Remind me to give Jack a raise.”
    Laughing, she laid her cheek on his skin, soaking it all in: the warmth of the fire, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the relaxed thump-thump of his heart, the masculine smell that was all Harm. All the sensations lulled her. She grew up believing in fairytales, and this…this was heaven. If only it wasn’t a fantasy of her own making.

 
     
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    Jena waited until Harm’s breathing leveled off in sleep before she eased off of him. She’d give him an hour, then wake him to make sure his head was okay. After testing her ankle, she walked over to the window. The storm still raged outside, but with the fire blazing behind her, the house was cozy and warm.
    Since her dad’s job moved them around a lot, she’d lived all over the country. When she moved out on her own, she’d traveled around Europe a bit, just to show her parents how it felt to have their daughter flitting all over the globe. But there was something special about Boone, Texas. The picturesque green valleys and crystal clear streams that filtered off of the main river of Sweetwater beckoned her, yet it was more than just the scenery. That inexplicable pull was the very reason she’d wanted to see her aunt’s place once more before she made her decision. As soon as she stepped into the house, the happy memories she had there came flooding back. Aunt Sally’s home might be tiny, but it represented the promise of a place to stay and settle. She’d always felt like it might be possible here, but in the past, she’d written it off as childhood romanticizing. Not any more.
    No matter what happened between Harm and her, she’d made up her mind. Harm could buy Ty’s portion of the land and part of hers. She didn’t need tons of acreage. That should be a fair arrangement for all concerned.
    “What are you thinking about so deeply, darlin’?” Harm slid his arms around her waist, gathering her back against his hard chest. The deep timbre of his voice surrounded her, resonating all the way down her spine. Jena closed her eyes at the feel of his strong arms and his masculine scent invading her senses. “I thought you were asleep,” she murmured.
    He kissed her temple. “I was until I reached over and you weren’t there.”
    He settled her into his tall frame, melding them together. The unmistakable hardness pressing against her bare bottom made hot moisture gather between her legs. The man had the most amazing