She shook her head. “Larry does that, I’m afraid. But I will certainly recommend to him that we go lenient on this.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” I said. “The good folks of Snow Creek like to stick it to the Steels.”

She arched her eyebrows. “Why would you say that?”

I wasn’t sure why I had said that, to be truthful. As far as I knew, no one had anything against us in town. “I don’t know. Because we’re the rich ranchers. We own half the damn town.”

She nodded. “I see.” She paused a moment. “So where were you last night, anyway? Marj worked her butt off cooking that great dinner for all of us. She was really hurt when you didn’t show up.”

I gulped. What could I say? Turned out I didn’t need to say anything, because Jade kept talking.

“And then that cop comes around looking for you, saying he has an arrest warrant. Do you have any idea what you put all of us through? I was worried sick. But never mind me. What about Marj and your brothers? None of us got any sleep last night.”

I let out a guffaw. “Join the fucking club.”

“No way. Don’t turn this around. I get that you have trouble sleeping, and I’m sorry. But that doesn’t negate what you did last night. And you have sleeping pills now. Why aren’t you taking them?”

I didn’t know what to say. She kept talking.

“You owe your sister an apology. And for God’s sake, where were you last night? People here care about you, you know. You can’t just take off like that when your sister is expecting you for dinner, and then have some cop come along—”

“Hey, I didn’t know Steve was coming around. It’s not my fault that jerk ex of yours had me arrested.”

“Not your fault? Do you listen to the words that come out of your mouth, Talon?” She shook her head.

I looked down. I don’t know why I’d said it wasn’t my fault. But he’d been kissing her, touching her… “I told you I’d plead guilty.”

“And back to that again.” Jade sighed. “You really are determined to fuck up your life, aren’t you?”

I didn’t have to fuck up my life. It was already fucked up beyond recognition. “Fine. What should I do? Will he drop the charges?”

She looked back down at the files on her bed, shaking her head again. “All right, we’ll talk about your case, since whenever something personal comes up, you clam up.” She cleared her throat. “Honestly, I don’t think you have a lot to worry about. I tried calling Colin and left a voice mail. When he calls back, I’ll get this taken care of. After all, he owes me a lot more than this.”

“Why does he owe you anything?” The thought of him owing her made my teeth rattle.

“Hello? He left me at the altar and humiliated me beyond repair. He did come back here to apologize and try to make things right, though. I’ll just tell him that he can make things right by dropping the charges.”

“You don’t have to use your favors on me.”

Jade gathered the papers together and stuck them back in the file, slid the file into a slim briefcase, and set it by the side of her bed. Then she looked up at me, her eyes slightly misty. “Why are you resisting my help? I’m here and willing to help. I care about you.”

Pinpricks covered my body. “No, I don’t want you to care about me.”

She scooted to the edge of her bed and stood, facing me. “I don’t understand you, Talon. We’ve had some amazing times together, and don’t tell me you haven’t felt the connection. I know you have.”

I said nothing. I couldn’t deny it. I felt the connection, and it scared the hell out of me. As much as I wanted to disconnect from it, I couldn’t stay away from her.

“Look, you made it perfectly clear where you stood when this first started. You’re not going to fall in love with me. Fine, I can deal with that. But for God’s sake, I can help you here. Please, let me.” Her red lips trembled.

All thought fled from my head. I grabbed her, pulled her to me, and kissed her.

As usual, she responded right away, opening, sliding her silky tongue against mine. She tasted of strawberries and sweetness, and I was hungry, hungry for the flavor that was her.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her breasts into me. When I needed to take a breath, I broke the kiss. “My God, what have you done to me?” I said into her neck.

She didn’t reply. She just pressed tiny kisses to the top of my chest that was exposed. Her touch, I hungered for it. Something about her… Being with her…

I almost felt whole.

I pushed her slightly way. “Take off your clothes,” I commanded.

I turned and walked back to her door, locking it. When I returned, she stood before me, naked and inviting. So beautiful. I trailed a finger down her cheek to her chin, down her neck, over the plump swell of her breasts, and flicked a nipple. She moaned and jerked.

“Now undress me,” I said.

She pushed me down until I was sitting on the bed, and then she knelt before me, pulling off my boots and socks. She slid up, unbuckled my belt, and unzipped my jeans.

My cock was straining. I wanted her so much. I ached to have her beneath me, obeying me.

She stood and pulled me into a standing position. She brushed my boxers and jeans over my legs, and I stepped out of them. Then she worked at my shirt, unbuttoning it and pushing it off my shoulders until I was as naked as she was.

“Lie down on the bed,” I said, “facedown.”

She gazed at me with those steely blue eyes and then did as I bid. I could take her now, have her any way I wanted her. She would let me. She gave me that power. She trusted me. Unworthy as I was, she trusted me.

I grabbed my jeans off the floor and pulled the blue bandanna out of my pocket. Quickly I bound her hands together behind her back.

She tensed but said nothing.

“Okay?” I asked.

She moved her head in what I thought was a nod, but because her head was on the bed, I wasn’t quite sure.

“You have to answer me. Verbally.”

“Okay,” she said.

I trailed my finger over the globes of her beautiful ass and then between the crease. She shuddered.

“Close your eyes,” I said.

She complied.

“I’m going to do what I want to do to you, blue eyes,” I said. “If you want me to stop, you tell me to stop. Okay?”