Higher Than Eagles (Donovans of the Delta) by Peggy Webb Read Free Book Online

onto the registration book as if it held state secrets.
    “What’s the problem with the bed?” Jacob asked.
    “It’s a twin bed. Barely room enough for a big man like you, let alone the little lady too.”
    “Rachel?”
    “I like to be cozy.”
    Much later, snuggled together on the narrow bed under the down comforter, Jacob asked, “Is this cozy enough for you, Rachel?”
    She put her head on his chest and listened to the steady thrum of his heart. “Hmmm, it’s perfect.” A vision of Jacob battling the roaring blazes of an oil field fire came to her, and she hugged him fiercely. “I don’t ever want to be more than a heartbeat away from you.”
    He laughed. “You won’t.”
    She squeezed him tighter. “Promise me, Jacob.”
    “Those are my plans, sweetheart. No separate bedrooms for us. We’ll have a great big old kingsized bed, just right for romping. Or if you prefer, a twin bed. Just one for the two of us.”
    Lifting herself on one elbow, she looked into his eyes. “Promise me, Jacob.”
    “Hey, Rachel.” Quick to sense her moods, he tenderly brushed her hair back from her face. “I promise you, baby. I promise.”
    Content, she put her head on his chest. “Never more than a heartbeat away. . . .”
     o0o
    The words echoed in her mind as she looked at Jacob standing there in her late husband’s towel. For a moment she thought that nothing had changed. Jacob had the same powerful body, the same devilish twinkle in his blue eyes, the same wicked smile. Slowly, she rose from her chair and started toward him.
    He watched her come. She was everything he’d ever dreamed of, everything he’d ever wanted. The look in her eyes fooled him. He saw the deep intensity, the bright passion that he remembered so well. Jacob was caught in a time warp.
    He reached for her. His left hand circled her waist, his right traced her face.
    “Do you know how your face glows when you’re thinking about lovemaking?”
    She said nothing, merely stood in his embrace. She couldn’t pull away, not yet. His touch sent shivers through her; the look in his eyes made her weak.
    His hands slowly sifted through her hair, cupped the back of her neck, and pulled her closer. Their legs touched, flesh against flesh, hers bare in the brief shorts she wore, and his naked below the towel.
    Jacob lowered his head, and Rachel unconsciously parted her lips. Only inches away from her mouth, he hesitated.
    “You want me, don’t you, Rachel?”
    “Yes,” she whispered. She saw no point in denying the truth.
    His breath was warm against her cheek, his eyes hot and intense. The sound of their harsh breathing was loud in the stillness of the room. Behind them, Bob Devlin’s bed loomed, a severe brown object that seemed to shout its presence.
    “In his bedroom, on his bed . . . you want me.”
    The sudden coolness of Jacob’s tone shattered the spell of passion. She pulled out of his embrace and walked back to the chair. Instead of sitting, she stood stiffly, seeking composure by gripping the back of the chair.
    “I got carried away,” she said.
    “Memories, Rachel?”
    “Yes, damn you. Memories.” Biting her lower lip, she turned her face away.
    He came to her quickly, holding out his arms for comfort.
    “Don’t.” She lifted her hand to stop him. “Don’t touch me.”
    Ignoring her command, he rubbed her shoulder. “I’m not offering passion, Rachel. Merely comfort for an old friend.”
    Knowing he would never be hers, she couldn’t bear his touch. She jerked away.
    “Don’t. I don’t need your comfort. I don’t need anything from you except one thing. Leave. Leave us alone.”
    “I can’t do that, Rachel. And you know why.” He strode across the floor, grabbed his pants, and pulled them on. The towel drifted to the floor. There was a small tearing sound as he pulled Bob’s too small T-shirt across his broad chest.
    “A seam,” he muttered. “I’ll have it repaired.” Lines of tension hardened his face.
    “No.