Redeemer Page 6

  “You don’t have the magic touch,” Jessie said with a fond look in his green eyes as he cuddled Tink against his chest. “She needs a soft touch and low voice, like you talk to your horses.”

  Ashe scowled. “I did that when Nicole first brought her home. She didn’t go for it, and I don’t care. We’ll just stay away from each other, like always, or until she takes off again.”

  “She was gone longer this time.”

  Adrian had worried, given the abundant wildlife that made keeping outdoor cats difficult. There were always strays, usually feral, that hung around the stables and were great mousers. When they could safely catch one, they would get it spayed or neutered and vaccinated, and the hands made sure they had access to fresh water, but otherwise, they didn’t bother with those felines. Nicole had been crazy about Tink though.

  He noticed the bowls when Tink jumped down and went to the corner. “It seems Sophie likes cats also. I guess you’re still the only one Tink can’t abide, Ashe.”

  Adrian went to his office wondering why that was then let it go for the sake of work and a reprieve from his constant distrust of those he should possess the utmost faith in. Hours later, the antique hall clock chimed numerous times and he tossed his pen down in disgust at his inability to stay focused on work. Jessie’s comment about Sophie being left to eat alone then his swift gut reaction when he and Ashe offered to teach her to ride were bugging him, as was the thought of her sitting in her room alone all evening.

  Adrian shut his computer down, set aside the McCrory contract for Ashe to sign in the morning, and stood. Turning off the office light as he left, the room plunged the hall into darkness. He’d heard Jessie leave over an hour ago and Ashe go upstairs. Having grown up in the mansion, he knew every nook and cranny, every sound by heart, and could make his way around without much light. They left a dim lamp lit in the foyer but, as he ascended the stairs and reached the utter darkness only broken by the blue glow of the moon out the window of the second floor, he made a mental note to add a light to the sitting area. The last thing he wanted was for Sophie, who wasn’t familiar with the house, to get up at night and take a tumble down the stairs.

  Before taking the stairs leading to his upper suite, he paused outside her room. Telling himself it was only natural to ensure she was settled in bed without worry on her first night, he rapped then inched the door open and peeked inside when she didn’t answer. She’d left the bathroom light on with the door open only a few inches, enough light to make out her huddled form in the bed. Satisfied she was fine, he closed the door and went up the back staircase, hoping for a decent night’s sleep for a change.

  The next morning, after fixing himself a pot of coffee from the coffee bar he’d installed in his suite, Adrian carried his cup with him up into the attic off his room. The narrow stairs were still creaky and rickety even after he and Ashe had shored them up, but they were safe, which was all that mattered. The low A-framed ceiling of the cramped space didn’t allow for him to straighten to his full height, but he spent most of his time squatting in front of boxes and trunks anyway, going through stored items searching for Nicole’s journal.

  He had spent the weeks following her death tearing their room apart looking for the notebook she wrote everything in, going through her walk-in closet, dresser drawers, and writing desk. She’d been a clothes horse and had a shoe fetish that had driven him nuts leaving them lying around for him and everyone else to trip over. Before moving his search up to the attic, he’d gone through the guest rooms and every cabinet in the house, not putting it past her to have hidden it in some obscure niche.

  Last week, he had started up here, and glancing around at the heaps of storage containers accumulated over the years, the task before him appeared daunting. His determination to solve the unanswered questions surrounding her death wouldn’t allow for him to back off now though. Setting his coffee mug on a crate, he settled in front of a large Rubbermaid container filled with books and started taking them out one by one, hoping to find the slim brown notebook and the answers he sought.

  Less than an hour later, with the container almost emptied and the notebook nowhere inside, Adrian heard a knock then his bedroom door opening. Sophie’s voice talking to Tink filtered up the stairs. Even though he couldn’t tell what she was saying, his pulse jumped with an odd spike of expectation, and he cursed from both the unwelcome response and his inability to curtail it when it became clear he couldn’t stay focused on his task.

  Giving up for now, he climbed down and entered his room to find Sophie standing on the fireplace ledge, her buttocks showcased temptingly in tight jeans as she stretched up and ran a dust rag around the frame of Nicole’s portrait. Her wavy, caramel hair was pulled up into a swinging ponytail, and her body swayed to whatever tune she had playing in her earplugs. He strode toward her, forcing himself to be polite and inquire if she needed anything when what he wanted to do was walk out and forget the image of him baring that enticing ass for his pleasure. Not paying attention, he bumped the lamp on an end table next to his favorite chair, startling her enough she lost her balance.

  She squealed, and he rushed forward and grabbed her waist, catching her against his chest as she turned. Her soft breasts pressed against his pectorals, her nipples hardening as he held her too close for too long. Her dark eyes widened, her warm breath fanning his neck before she went rigid and her flushed face paled.

  “I…I didn’t hear you come in. Sorry.”

  “My fault. I should have announced myself.”

  Adrian lowered his arms and stepped back, dropping his eyes to her long-sleeved T-shirt and the photo of a baby girl the spitting image of her mother. Reading the name and dates below the photo, his chest constricted as he identified the source of her grief and relationship.

  “I finished dusting yesterday, except for your room. I can go start on the floors and come back when you’re done up here if…”

  “No need to leave. I’m not staying. Just checking to see if you need anything.”

  “Oh no, I’m good. Was dinner okay last night?” She moved back another step, as if uncomfortable standing so close to him. If so, that made two of them disturbed by the sexual tug that had sprung up with unexpected swiftness.

  He nodded. “More than okay. It was very good and, since Jessie dropped by, there isn’t much in the way of leftovers.” He hesitated then let the lingering guilt overrule his better judgement. “Don’t feel like you have to eat alone. Join us anytime you want.”

  “Thank you,” she said without committing either way. She shifted her eyes to the portrait. “She was beautiful. You must have loved her very much.”

  “You would think so, wouldn’t you?” he murmured, looking at Nicole’s flawless face. “Unfortunately, my wife’s beauty was only skin deep and, by the time she died, so had any love I once felt for her. It was my announcement that I had filed for divorce that made her flee this room the day she died.”

  Her look sharpened, and her slim brows furrowed. “You don’t blame yourself for her accident, do you?”

  Adrian slid his gaze from Nicole’s image to Sophie’s haunted eyes, seeing compassion he didn’t deserve or want. “Sometimes. She was unfaithful, and I wished her gone since finding out. Gone, but never dead, and not under suspicious circumstances.” Realizing he might have said too much, he added abruptly, “I have to get to work,” and spun around to leave without another word.

  ****

  Sophie watched Adrian leave, her body still pulsing with way too much heat from pressing against his rock-hard chest. On one hand, it was nice to experience the normal rush of sexual attraction again after going so long without any interest in sex or men. On the other hand, she couldn’t pick a worse candidate to stir her libido after all this time. Between him being her boss and the little she’d learned about his and his friends’ sexual preferences, there was no way she could let it lead to anything. Even if she were willing to jeopardize her new job, he wouldn’t find a boring, vanilla lover too exciting.

  But it was fun to fantasize. If nothing else, the images of getting naked and letting him tie her up or bend her over for his pleasure pushed her grief aside while she resumed working. Her long, sleepless night was already dragging her down, and she cursed the loneliness that had seeped in last night when she’d been watching the big television in the second-floor living area and heard the men’s voices from downstairs. The sheer size of the house, with all its explainable and unexplainable noises, emphasized the sense of isolation that had crept in when Kasey died.

  Craving companionship, and yes, sex, was what had led to finding herself pregnant by a man who wanted nothing to do with a child. God help her, there were times these past months when she wondered if she wouldn’t have been better off getting the abortion he’d tried talking her into. Then, like now, she imagined her life without those eighteen months with her daughter and knew those precious memories were worth every day of heartbreak. No one could take those from her.

  Sophie finished dusting the portrait of Adrian’s wife, finding it odd he would keep such a large memento of the woman he claimed to have fallen out of love with and who had betrayed him. She supposed it was the guilt he felt at her death, or the fight that had precipitated it that prompted him to keep the memento. Labeling her death suspicious was also strange as nothing she’d read about her hiking accident had hinted at such a thing.

  One thing was for certain – boredom wouldn’t be one of her issues to cope with while here.

  Stepping off the fireplace ledge, she checked the mantel for any dust she missed, admiring the dark marble. This one made four fireplaces in the house, which she supposed would all get plenty of use during the long winters. She turned her attention to his dresser and nightstands, her mind filli
ng with those hot images again as she saw a pair of his discarded jeans lying on a chair, the wide, black belt still lopped through the waist. Nora had displayed pleasure from the pain of leather striking her butt, but Sophie just couldn’t wrap her head around such a thing. Then she leaned over the wide bed to straighten the pillows and caught sight of leather restraints attached to the slatted headboard but tucked away.

  She shocked herself when she went wet picturing herself restrained on his bed, her body bare and spread for his taking. Pressing a hand to her churning stomach, she glanced down at Kasey’s picture on her shirt. “Kasey, baby, your momma may have finally lost her ever-loving mind because of you.” What else could explain such an uncharacteristic response to a mere lustful thought? If this kept up, by Wednesday she would be more than ready to get away and spend time with Nora and Rachel. In the meantime, it might be best if she kept her distance from her employer until she found a better suited outlet of distraction from her constant grief.

  Sophie kept an eye on the activity around the stables as she worked, checking out the windows whenever she was sweeping the floors near one. Around midafternoon, she spotted Adrian and Ashe riding toward the cattle herd grazing in the far distance, watching until she could barely make out their broad-shouldered forms. Since she’d skipped taking a lunch break in the hopes of getting this opportunity, she didn’t hesitate to pause in working now.

  With luck, she would find a ranch hand to give her a short riding lesson, and with that thought in mind, she walked down to the stable. Entering, she breathed in the sweet scent of hay and caught the attention of a young man cleaning stalls. He made it easy for her when he looked up, smiled, and asked, “Can I help you with something, Ms. Turner?”

  Adrian must have given her name to his other employees. She returned his grin as he continued to spread fresh hay in Nightingale’s stall. “I was hoping one of you could give me my first riding lesson. I’d love to give Nightingale a try.” The mare’s sweet disposition made her size less intimidating.

  “Sure. She’s in the padlock, and I’m done here, so I can saddle her for you and give you a few minutes. I’m Dustin, and the boss has already given the okay to assist you.”

  “Thanks. I’ll wait for you outside.”

  Grateful for the bright sunshine that cut the chill in the air, she strolled out to the corral, pleased when Nightingale trotted over to her. She laughed when the mare nudged her shoulder, demanding attention. “Are you going to be this nice if I get on you? Remember, I’m a newbie, and you’re sweet but awfully big.”

  “She’s an easy mount to ride,” Dustin said, coming up behind her carrying a saddle.

  “That’s what I’m hoping.” She waited while he saddled Nightingale then beckoned her inside the corral. Following his instructions and accepting his boost up, she gasped, gripping the pommel to keep her balance at the high height. “Oh wow,” she breathed, looking out across the acres and acres of wide-open space so different from the city.

  “Takes your breath, doesn’t it?” Handing her the reins, he kept hold of the bridle. “Tighten your knees. That’ll help you feel more secure.”

  For thirty minutes, Sophie thrilled to her first experience on a horse. Dustin exhibited a wealth of patience with her endless questions, giving her constant pointers as he walked around the enclosure leading Nightingale. She found her rhythm without much trouble, the slow swaying as soothing as the warm sun on her shoulders and the panoramic vista that constantly drew her eyes. After doing so well relaxing while maintaining a healthy dose of caution, it surprised her when she dismounted and landed on rubbery legs that made her wobble enough to need his assistance.

  “Thanks.” She blew out a breath as he grabbed her waist and held on until she got her bearings. “I didn’t expect that.”

  “Most tend not to notice when their muscles stay tight for so long, but you did great. I expected you to be fearful at first.”

  “So far, only thunderstorms seem to put Sophie on edge,” Adrian said, entering the corral, startling her with his sudden presence.

  Damn. Her heart executed that funny flip, and her blood warmed again watching his loose-limbed stride in those sexy chaps, his face shielded by his Stetson, hiding his expression but not the deep timbre of his voice.

  She moved away from Dustin, somehow feeling the need to defend taking this time from work. “I skipped taking an earlier lunch break, wanting to finish the floors downstairs. They’re all done and look much better even though they’ll need another going over before I get them as clean as I want.”

  Halting in front of her, close enough for his body heat to add to the warmth already running through her veins, he cocked his head in an unreadable scrutiny.

  “You don’t have to give me an accounting of your work or time, Sophie. I can already see your efforts and have no complaints. You’re free to take breaks whenever you want.” He turned to Dustin, placing a hand on the horse’s shoulder. “From the little I saw, she did very well. Thank you for helping.”

  “Sure thing, boss. Took to the saddle like a pro. I’ll get Nightingale taken care of and get back to the stalls.”

  “I should do that,” she felt compelled to offer. Considering how much she had enjoyed that slow walk around the corral, Sophie was now interested in learning more about riding.

  Adrian shook his head. “Maybe next time. I’ll walk you back to the house.”

  Sophie shrugged off his abrupt tone and went with him after thanking Dustin. She wouldn’t allow his mood swings to put a damper on her first riding experience or waste time trying to figure them out.

  Adrian returned to work after seeing Sophie back to the house, his frame of mind sour from his inability to ignore his growing interest in his new employee. He couldn’t begin to list the reasons why he shouldn’t crave to see her slender body strung up on a chain station, writhing in pleasure so intense she forgot about the pain of losing her child. They shared grief in common, but that didn’t explain why she was the one to reignite his interest in sexual control or in sex period. And lust didn’t explain his admiration when he’d eyed her fearless perch atop Nightingale, one of their largest mares, or over how she took to the saddle with such ease and obvious pleasure. She was smart enough not to push for a faster ride yet and conscientious enough of caring for the animal by offering to unsaddle her herself.

  He mounted King, his palomino, and nudged him into a trot back to the small herd of Red Devon cattle, their red or burgundy coats explaining their name. As far as he was aware, they were the only ranch in the state raising the British breed, but that was what happened whenever he thought outside the box. Ashe had jumped onboard once he told him how adaptable and docile the large breed were. Compared with others, their genetics were of the purest and highest quality, one of which was their dual purpose of milking ability and providing some of the best meat.

  The Coultranes only went for the best, and his penchant for trying things others weren’t doing and not the norm was what led them to take on raising prize thoroughbreds in the harsh Idaho climate. As he neared the herd they were driving closer to the hay barn before the snow started, he contemplated whether that trait of veering in opposite directions of others accounted for his sudden interest in Sophie. She was nothing like Nicole, who wouldn’t lower herself to do housework, or put out any physical exertion for that matter. He’d never known her to saddle or unsaddle whatever horse she rode. She would hand the reins to the nearest cowhand as if such a chore was beneath her. In all the years he’d known his wife before they married, he’d ignored her faults because they didn’t affect him.

  Regardless of making the mistake of marrying her, he couldn’t rest until he unearthed the truth about her death. He owed their twenty-plus years of friendship at least that much. His suspicion one of their closest friends was involved must be the reason for the protectiveness that gripped him when Ashe had put Sophie on edge, not that he wanted her for himself, or that her haunted face stirred both lust and compassion.

  Given his unwise, growing interest in Sophie, Adrian figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask Shawn McDuff, the county sheriff and one of the owners of the private club, Spurs, about updating his application when he went to see him this week regarding Nicole’s death. All he could hope for was Shawn’s opinion, since there was still no concrete proof her fall was anything more than a tragic accident, but at this point, he’d take what he could get. With luck, a night at the club would be all he needed to stay focused on his goal and get his thoughts off his new employee.