Page 39 of Texas Made
“I have to run the elevator for you.”
Again, he was thankful to live where he did. The Wildcat Tower in Whiskey River had security measures, but it was the only complex in the town that did. The others were just plain old apartments. Some nice and some in sketchier parts of town. Barring some parts of the Barrels, most of Whiskey River didn’t have the crime that parts of Dallas and the surrounding areas did either.
He parked and got out, grabbed his small bag from the back seat and entered the foyer of the building she’d directed him to. And then she was there, in his arms and kissing him madly, and suddenly nothing else mattered. He’d gladly have fought three times the traffic to get to her.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, when they stopped kissing long enough to speak.
“I’m glad to see you too. That was too long.”
“It was, but you’re here now.” Jaclyn took his hand and led him to the elevator, putting her key in to go to her floor. “Are you hungry? I picked up Chinese takeout earlier but we can reheat it later if we don’t want to eat yet.”
“I’m hungry but not for food.”
She smiled. “Isn’t it fortunate that I am too?”
They barely made it inside her apartment before they were ripping off each other’s clothes. Minutes later they were both naked and he’d backed her up against the door and picked her up. “Wrap your legs around me,” he ground out. She did so and he slid home in one hard thrust. Pumped in and out of her until he could hold back no longer. She cried out, her muscles contracting around him and he exploded in a rush that damn near blew off the top of his head.
“Marshall?” she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
Still breathing hard he answered. “What?”
“I really missed you.”
He laughed. “I missed you too,” he said, and carried her into the bedroom.
*
All too soon,Sunday rolled around. Marshall had to leave but he’d said he could put it off until evening. Jaclyn had loved having him there. She’d taken him to show him her offices and the manufacturing building. He’d been sincerely impressed and said so, which made her feel good. He’d also been interested, truly interested, which was clear from the questions he asked about the business side of what she did as well as the manufacturing. She couldn’t help contrasting his attitude to Keith’s, her unlamented ex. He had never wanted to hear anything about her work, even going so far as to call it her ridiculous hobby.
But Marshall wanted to know all about it. And she enjoyed sharing it with him.
They only ate out once and ordered in the rest of the time in favor of spending more time in bed or just lying around talking and watching a few movies. They never made it through an entire movie since whenever one of them kissed the other, they wound up making love.
It was, she thought, a little like a honeymoon. Nothing to do but maybe go for a drive, talk, eat and definitely, make love. Horrified, she squelched that thought. Regardless of the fact that they hadn’t broken up, that didn’t mean there was a permanent relationship in their future.
But what if there could be?
Forget it.Marshall couldn’t move to Dallas if he wanted, not without giving up his horses, and she couldn’t imagine how miserable he’d be if he did that. Added to that, he’d be leaving his family in a lurch and he was not the kind of man to do that. Which only made her admire him more. As for her, the business was here in Dallas and commuting wasn’t an option. Not as often as she’d need to. Unless she figured out a way to give Rachel more autonomy but still keep her hand in the business. But if she did that, then what would she do for work? She wasn’t ready to give up her career, not even for Marshall.
Stop it, she scolded herself.These are pipe dreams and you know it. Just be happy with what you have right now. So you don’t get to see each other often. That just makes the times when you do get to be together that much sweeter.
“Did you say something?” she asked, guiltily aware Marshall had been talking to her while she paid absolutely no attention.
“I asked where you were,” Marshall said. “Because you sure weren’t here.”
“Sorry. I was just thinking,” she said lamely.
“About?”
“I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“So do I.” He took her in his arms. “Maybe you can come to the ranch next weekend.”
“I’ll try,” she said. “If not next weekend maybe the one after.” Assuming, as always, that something didn’t come up.
*
Since Marshall haddamn near killed himself working the weekend everyone was sick, they all felt they owed him. Except for Damaris, who had covered for him the weekend he went to Dallas. But Chase and Gabe, and for that matter Ella, still felt like they owed him. Which, truthfully, they did. So when Jaclyn was finally able to come to the ranch for the weekend, he had a talk with each of them.
