The Whisperers: A Three Book Box Set Page 6

  Panic flared. Her eyes flew open to see Jed standing beside the couch watching her. He sat down beside her holding a steaming cup of coffee. “Rise and shine, beauty. It’s almost dawn and we’ve got work to do.”

  Just the act of looking at him had her better sense fleeing. She might have screwed up in the worst possible way but the damage was done. There was no going back. Besides, she couldn’t look at him and want to turn back the clock.

  “I don’t have a job. You fired me, remember?”

  “Well, I’m rehiring you.” He set the cup on the coffee table and took her hands to pull her into a sitting position.

  “Good morning,” he whispered and kissed her gently.

  “Hmmm, yes it is.” She pulled him closer, wiggling onto her knees so she could climb onto his lap, straddling him.

  He rewarded her with a sexy smile and tangled one hand in her hair to draw her face closer. “Trouble maker,” he murmured against her lips.

  She slid her hand up between their lips. “Morning breath,” she said from behind her hand.

  “Not here,” he replied with a grin, dipped her back and lowered his mouth to her breast.

  Mik felt like her eyes were about to roll back in her head at the delicious sensations rioting through her body. Jed was either the most talented lover in history or their night of openness had given him intimate knowledge of how to play her body like a master.

  Either way, it didn’t matter. She was enjoying the moment way too much to waste it with analyzing.

  The persistent buzz of a cell phone filtered in as his mouth started a slow trek down her body. “Damn!” Jed paused and pulled his phone from its belt clip. “Yeah?...yeah, ten minutes.”

  “We’re late for breakfast,” he announced.

  Mik groaned and fell sideways on the sofa. “I guess this means morning sex is out.”

  “Unfortunately. But hey, there’s always lunch break.”

  Mik grinned at him but a thought had her sobering. “Jed, this thing…us…I won’t let it be a problem. I mean, I don’t expect—“

  “I know what you mean,” he interrupted. “Don’t worry about it, honey. If you’re half as good as Jake claims it’ll be fine.”

  “Half as good?” She sat up, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. “Baby, I’m twice as good as he thinks.”

  “Twice, eh?”

  “You bet’cha.”

  “Well in that case, I reckon you ought to be able to take at least an hour for lunch.”

  She smiled and climbed off the couch. “You’ll have to talk to my boss about that.” She headed for the bathroom, looking over her shoulder as she reached the door. “I hear tell the man’s a real tight ass.”

  Jed came off the couch after her and she squealed and dashed into the bathroom. In less than two minutes, they were in the shower, the water beating down on them as Mik’s legs wound around Jed’s lean waist and all thoughts of breakfast were forgotten.

  *****

  Deidre drained the last of the apple martini and turned her attention back to the leather-bound photo album. This was a pictorial view of her life, at least that’s how she thought of it. She looked at it once or twice a year. Not to remind herself where she’d been or how far she’d come, but to judge whether she needed to have more cosmetic work done.

  One thing Deidre hated was the idea of looking old. She would never let herself be like her mother. Even as a child, her mother had looked old. Old and worn. Faded blond hair with no discernable style, faded blue eyes and pale lashes that matched her faded clothes.

  Deidre had sworn to herself almost the day she hit puberty that she would never end up like her mother – the ghost of a woman, someone that would never earn a second look.

  That was one promise she’d kept.

  She flipped through the album, stopping to look at a photo of herself taken when she was sixteen. Had she been able, her artfully arched eyebrows would have drawn together in a frown. Years of Botox had rendered that impossible. Yet it didn’t stop the narrowing of her eyes or the downturn of her newly plumped lips.

  “Sixteen wasn’t a good year.” A soft voice sounded close to her right ear. Deidre turned her head to see the ghostly apparition of her ancestress Sara Whitestone, sitting beside her.

  “Sixteen was a bitch,” she replied, turning her attention back to the photo. “That was the year I seduced the new doctor that arrived in town to set up practice.”

  “Yes, an ill-fated plan,” Sara, replied.

  “It should have worked. I had it all planned. I’d land the doctor, get him to marry me, have a nice house and expensive car.”

  Sara chuckled softly. “Which goes to show that trapping a man requires much more than a bulging belly fat with child.”

  “That bastard!” Deidre’s voice rose in anger that had never died. “He offered to help me terminate the pregnancy and said he had no intention of marrying a teenage girl. Particularly not one from the wrong side of the tracks.”

  The memory had her hands tightening into fists and her breath coming faster. She had resisted the idea of abortion until she was too far along in the pregnancy to make that a viable option. She was certain the doctor would change his mind, realize he loved her and take her as his wife.

  “But it didn’t work out that way, did it?” Sara whispered. “He wanted only to be rid of you. Rather than let you parade around town with his bastard child as you threatened, he bought you off.”

  The enraged hiss that emerged from Deidre’s lips brought only a smile to Sara’s face. Deidre hated the man. To this day, she would cheerfully cut out his heart and roast it if given the chance.

  With what he had saved and what he could borrow, he set her up in a modest apartment in Atlanta, paid for her medical costs and gave her enough to live on for a year after the birth of the child.

  For the remainder of the pregnancy Deidre clung to the fantasy that he would change his mind, realize what a mistake he’d made and come for her. That hadn’t happened.

  She gave birth to a healthy daughter. Six months later, she was out of money and sick of tending to a baby. She called the doctor demanding more money and that he take the child.

  He did provide her with more money, but didn’t take the child. Instead, he arranged for a private adoption. That suited Deidre. By that time, she’d lost whatever affection she had for the doctor and already had her eye on someone new. The baby was a hindrance to her plans. Once freed of it she could set about trapping the new object of her affection. And this time she’d be much smarter.

  “Madame?” Her butler interrupted her reverie. “A Mr. Raymond Franklin is here to see you. At your request, he insists.”

  “Yes,” Deidre pulled her thoughts from the past, set aside the photo album and smoothed her silk crème skirt. “Show him in, Walden.”

  “Yes, madam,”

  “Will you stay for this meeting?” She asked her ghostly visitor.

  “My dear, would I leave your side in such a crucial moment in our plan?”

  “Then stay quiet. I don’t want him to know you’re here.”

  “Quiet as a mouse,” Sara promised with a smile.

  Deidre nodded and composed herself mentally. She was well aware that Dalton had hired Ray Franklin at her behest and planned to man the helm of the operation personally. But she never left anything to chance. She fully intended to deal personally with Franklin.

  Besides, Dalton was a little viper and she wouldn’t trust him as far as she could spit him. She knew he had his sights on usurping her position at Manning Enterprises. She’d be as stupid as he believed to be unaware of his ambition.

  But it served her purpose for him to underestimate her. Because before the day was done, Mr. Franklin would have a new plan of operation. Bring down her step-son along with the Nash family. Take out all of her enemies in one fell swoop. Just like she and Sara had planned.

  Chapter Eight

  Damn if Jed Nash didn’t make it hard for a woman to keep her mind o
n work. Mik watched him ride up from the southern pasture. Now there was a man who could sit a horse. The two moved as one, in perfect harmony.

  Her pulse spiked a bit as she watched his approach. If she was a woman given to flights of romantic fantasy, it’d be an easy matter to imagine him as a gunslinger from the old west, or a marshal returning from the capture of a bad guy.

  His hat rode low on his forehead, shadowing his eyes so that attention was drawn to the lines of his face and the stubble of beard that shadowed his skin. And his body. Good lord, his body. Mik couldn’t look at those strong arms, firm chest or muscular legs encased in worn denim without getting the female equivalent of a hard on.

  “Hey there, beauty,” he said with a smile as he reined his mount to a stop beside her.

  “Hey.”

  “You got that look about you, Mik.”

  “Look? What look?”

  “The kind that makes a man want to take a long slow ride.”

  She grinned up at him. “Not my fault the sight of you on a horse gives a gal girl-wood.”

  “Girl-wood?” He squirmed slightly in the saddle. “Woman you’re a witch.”

  “Takes one to know one,” she said with a laugh. “Ellen said some fella from the breeders association had been calling for you. Something about wanting to breed his mare with one of your stallions.”

  “Yeah, I forgot. Guess I better give him a call. What you up to?”

  Mik jerked her thumb toward the corral. “Training.”

  “Jake or the mare?”

  “A little of both.”

  “Want to do dinner?”

  “Do or do?”

  “Well, I plan on doing my share of biting.”

  “You’re on, handsome.”

  “Meet you at the lake house.”

  “I’ll be there.” Mik watched him ride away then blew out her breath. That man should come with a warning label – ‘Warning, highly addictive.’

  With a smile, Mik climbed onto the fence rail and watched as Jake worked with the mare. He might be the original party boy and give the impression that there wasn’t much beneath his Stetson but a great head of hair, but the truth was he was one smart fellow.

  And he caught on fast. They’d been working with the mare, Gilly, for two weeks and he’d caught onto her technique within days. Watching him now, she’d never know he’d been doing it for only a short time.

  Mik smiled and closed her eyes, tilting her face up to the sun and letting the breeze cool her skin. Life on the Rocky River Ranch was better than she’d ever imagined. She had work that paid well, was surrounded by competent and friendly people, and felt like she was part of a team.

  And then there was Jed. Just thinking of him brought a flush to her skin. He was everything she’d dreamed of in a man and more. She’d never imagined she’d find someone who could not only accept her for her special abilities, but someone who was not at all afraid of what she was because he was a bird of the same feather with abilities of his own.

  Her cell phone buzzed and she pulled it free of the belt clip and looked at the caller ID. It was her sister. A smile rose on her face as she lifted the phone to her ear.

  “Teddy! What’s up girl?”

  “Mik, hey. I’m almost ready for the grand opening but decided I had to take time to unpack my own stuff so I’ve been working on the house this week. Which, by the way, you still haven’t come to see.”

  “I’ll get there. I promise. Just trying to settle into things on the ranch.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “Going good. But that’s not why you called. What’s up?”

  “Well… I found something in a box of Mom and Dad’s things.”

  “What?”

  “One of those padded envelopes. Addressed to you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know how it got there but it’s definitely Mom’s handwriting.”

  Mik felt something tingle in her mind, a sensation that wasn’t pleasant. Her spider sense was picking up something. But what? Anxiety over something left to her by her parents? That was silly. They’d loved her. They wouldn’t leave her anything that would make her uncomfortable.

  “Mik?”

  “Yeah. I’m here.”

  “So, what do you want me to do with it? Mail it to you?”

  At that moment, Jake wandered over. “Hold on, Teddy.” Mik lowered the phone and looked at Jake. “You done?”

  “I got Sam to take Gilly in and rub her down. I’ve got to run over to Monroe and talk to our attorney about a little matter.”

  Mik saw an opportunity and jumped on it. “Mind some company?”

  At the frown that started on Jake’s face, she clarified. “My sister lives in Monroe and I need to run by her place. If you’d drop me, I could visit while you’re doing the attorney thing. And I’ll buy you dinner at the Grille after.”

  Jake grinned. “You mean you’d ditch dinner with Jed for a burger with me, sugar?”

  Mik laughed. “I wouldn’t call it ditching.”

  “You’re on. Meet me at the main house in half an hour. I’m gonna go grab a quick shower.”

  “Thanks, Jake.” Mik raised the phone, sliding off the fence as she spoke. “Teddy? Jake’s gonna drop me by your place. He’s got something to do in town and it’ll give me a chance to see your house and pick up the package. That okay?”

  “Sure. You know the address?”

  “Text it to me. Jake’ll know where it is.”

  “Okay, great. See you after while.”

  Mik was already on her way to the lake house, planning on taking a shower and changing before they left. She dialed Jed’s cell phone. Two rings later, he answered.

  “Hey, my beauty.”

  “Hey, yourself,” she said with a smile. “Listen, Jake said he had to go to Monroe to see an attorney and I want to go over to my sister’s place so I thought I’d catch a ride with him. We were going to stop by the Grill on the way back and grab something to eat. Want to meet us there?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “Okay, that’s clear as mud.”

  Jed chuckled. “Yes, I’d love to grab a burger, but no on meeting you there. I think I probably should go along with Jake to see Melvin.”

  “Okay, great. I’m going to get a quick shower and will meet you at the main house.”

  “Shower?”

  “Yeah,” she said around a grin.

  “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  Mik laughed as the call ended. Knowing Jed’s idea of a communal shower, they’d be lucky if they made it to Monroe at all.

  *****

  “Girl you look like the cat that just ate the canary,” Teddy said with a grin when Mik released her from the hug. “So?”

  Mik shrugged, not quite ready to get into a discussion over what had her smiling these days. “Wow, this is a great place, Teddy.”

  “I know! I love it!” Teddy whirled around, hugging herself and grinning widely.

  Mik smiled at the sight. It was good to see Teddy so excited. She’d had her share of hard knocks the last few years and Mik was glad she had a chance to make a fresh start.

  The house was lovely. An old home in the historic section, it was small and quaint. The lower level housed an old-fashioned sitting room in the front of the house. Across the hall was a formal dining room and behind it the kitchen. There was a half bath in what appeared to have once been a cloak closet.

  Upstairs were two bedrooms separated by a bathroom. The bedroom in the front of the house boasted of a small balcony that overlooked the tree-lined street.

  Teddy had already added her touches. A small sculpture of a fairy perched on a crystal ball, a spray of flowers, chimes that tinkled in the slight breeze of an open window and colorful throws that begged one to wrap up and snuggle down on the deeply cushioned sofa.

  “Oh, and it’s just two blocks from my store! Oh, Mik, wait until you see the store. It’s… it’s wonderful. I’m so excited and…”
<
br />   The delight faded from her face to be replaced by a look of anxiety. “Mik are you sure you’re okay with this? I mean, I know the farm was important to you. And I know the only reason you agreed to sell was so Alex and I could have the money we needed to start over. But still, to give up your share to us means you got nothing and… and, well, selfishly I’m really grateful, but I want you to be happy too.”

  Mik had never been able to stand the sight of either of her sisters being upset. The tears that threatened to spill free from Teddy’s eyes were enough to have her rushing over to throw her arms around her youngest sister.

  “Honey, don’t you worry. I’m fine. And nothing could make me happier than to see you this excited.”

  Teddy pulled away to search Mik’s eyes. Had she been just another ordinary woman Mik wouldn’t have a second thought. But Teddy wasn’t ordinary. She had special abilities of her own. She was empathic and had psychometric abilities. By holding or touching an object, she gained insight and information about the person who owned the object.

  It was her empathic skills that were about to come into play right now. Mik knew it was only a matter of moments before Teddy discovered that Mik’s life had taken an unexpected turn.

  “Mikayla Morgan! You’re in love!”

  Mik gulped, felt the blood rush out of her head and suddenly felt dizzy. Not until the words erupted from Teddy’s mouth had she realized the enormity of her feelings for Jed. What she felt for him wasn’t just lust, or excitement at discovering a man who wouldn’t shun her for what she was. Teddy was right. She was in love.

  “Mik?”

  Mik held up her hands, palm out, and stepped back. “Just give me a sec.”

  “You didn’t know! Oh my god, Mik! How could you be in love and not know? Oh, my god. Tell me. Who is he? How long have you known him? Where did you meet him? What’s his—“

  “Whoa!” Mik held up her hands in a time out position. “Slow down.”