Fighting For Jemma Read online

  “It’s okay. No need to apologize. I am not a big fan of spiders,” she managed to get out between heaving gulps of air.

  They both took a moment to catch their breaths while looking at each other, and when they were finally able to speak, both burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, finding the entire situation hilarious.

  “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”

  “Oh, no! Please don’t apologize. I wanted you to come. I’m glad you did. But you should have told me you were so scared of bats. We could have met somewhere afterward.”

  Angel laughed at his ineptness. “I was trying to make a good impression, and I guess I failed miserably at that.” His eyes shone with laughter, and a boyish grin plastered his face.

  “You didn’t fail. You definitely made a good impression last night and today, just by showing up. But, seriously, dude, that scream is going to stay with me for quite some time,” she snickered under her hand.

  Angel chuckled. “I will never live this moment down with you, will I?”

  Jemma shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Calliope and her friends, well, they won’t let me.”

  “I guess I deserve it. I mean, who has ever heard of a veterinarian afraid of a stupid bat?”

  “In your defense, it was a million or more bats. You did fine when it was just a few hundred.”

  “Ooh, I like that. I’m gonna steal that when they try to embarrass me about it.”

  “We all have our things that we’re afraid of. I promise I won’t hold it against you.”

  Finally, the fear and craziness and laughter began to subside as they calmed down from the situation. Angel managed to loosen the tight grip he held on the steering wheel. He removed his hat and slipped it behind him before he turned to her and captured her delicate hand, the one that lay on the seat between them. “I’m glad.”

  Outside the window of his truck the black cloud of bats only got thicker, but with her beside him he didn’t even notice them any longer. His attention was fully on the beautiful woman next to him.

  “I liked the message you sent me.” He had been surprised by it, but hopeful. He had been tempted to respond to it all day, and had looked at it a dozen or more times, but nothing seemed right before he hit SEND, so he’d deleted the half a dozen responses he had typed.

  Jemma blushed. I can’t wait to be alone with you, too. That had been her message. He had liked it. And now here they were, alone, in his truck. Well, if you didn’t count the bats swarming outside eating their fill of bugs.

  “What are your plans after the viewing?” he asked her, hoping he could steal her away for a few hours.

  Jemma looked nervous and quickly responded, “Callie has to leave in the morning. She and I were going to spend the evening together just catching up, and then I was going to head home in the morning. She’s going on the road for a few months tracking storm activity. I’m not sure if she’ll be in the area for a while unless we get bad weather.”

  Angel expressed his understanding, but kept the disappointment at bay. “Do you have to go home in the morning?” The next day was Sunday, and he had nothing planned.

  Jemma jumped at the chance to see him again. “No. I don’t have to rush off. I mean, I would have to leave in the evening, though. I have some papers to grade and then work the next morning.”

  Angel measured her response. She seemed suddenly nervous to be alone with him. “Would you consider coming out to my ranch and spending the day with me?” He hoped she would say yes. He wanted to make up for today.

  Her smile gave her answer away before she said the words aloud. “I’d like that.”

  “Good. I’d like that, too.” Then, his arms stretched across the space between them and reached around the back of her neck until he clasped it. He drew her toward him gently, not wanting to force more on her than she was ready for, but he wanted to kiss her again so badly.

  Jemma felt more than just the physical tug to get closer to him; it was a slight pressure, so effortlessly, she slid across the space between them until she was sitting next to him on the bench seat of the pickup. Without words, or permission, they kissed for the third time. Jemma was incredibly attracted to him and wanted to get to know him better, a lot better, but she wasn’t sure when she would be ready for more intimacy. But this was okay; this felt good.

  Knowing they still had half an hour to kill before the viewing would be officially over, Angel relaxed and let his kisses linger. He wanted Jemma to see how much he desired her, but he also wanted her to thoroughly enjoy the moment, too. They weren’t in a rush. No one was waiting for them to finish. Angel first nibbled her bottom lip until she opened for him and then his tongue wound around hers.

  When she moved in even closer, he was able to scoop her up and settle her onto his lap. His instant erection pressed tightly against his jeans, and if she felt it, she didn’t let him know, but from the soft groans and sounds she made she was just as clearly excited and aroused as he was. He let one hand slip from behind her and began to slowly caress her rib cage, and when she did not protest, he began to slide that hand up until he could test the weight of one of her full breasts in his hand. Through the thin material of her peach blouse and summer bra, he felt her nipple immediately pebble under his thumb’s ministrations.

  “Oh, God! That feels so good,” she mewled. And it did. She hadn’t been with a man like this since college. Though a virgin, she wasn’t completely innocent. And in those few experiences she’d had in college, nothing had ever felt this good. This right!

  And that’s why she was still a virgin at 29 years old. She hadn’t planned on waiting or saving her virginity until marriage. But she had always wanted to wait until it felt right. And now, for the first time in her life, with Angel, it did. But she didn’t want to lose her virginity in the front seat of a pickup truck, either.

  After what seemed like hours of sweet torture, but was just minutes, she reluctantly pulled back. Both of them, full of emotion and yearning, leaned in to each other with just their foreheads touching.

  “Angel,” she whispered in the dark cab, for the sun had set. “I want you to know that I’m a virgin.” She blurted the words before thinking. “I also want you to know that I want you to be my first.”

  Her words hit Angel in the gut. That explained her nervousness earlier. God, she was amazing. This sweet, gorgeous woman in his lap just told him she was a virgin. That no man had ever touched her. He tightened his control, and knew that he would wait until she let him know she was ready for more. He knew she would be worth it.

  “My beauty, you don’t know what those words do to a man. I want you, too. Please know that I won’t pressure you into doing something that you’re not ready for.”

  Her answer surprised him. “No. I think I’m ready. It’s just that I don’t want my first time, our first time, to be in your truck, so we’re going to have to stop, or I don’t think I will be able to control myself.” Her blush reached the roots of her hair.

  He loved that she was so open with him, unlike other women who made men guess what they wanted and played coy. She was the woman of his dreams, any man’s dreams, really. But she chose him. He vowed to himself he would never disappoint her.

  Angel separated from Jemma so that he could look in her eyes. He wanted this beautiful woman to trust him. Implicitly, and without doubt. “When you’re ready, Jemma, you let me know. I’ll take my time and I’ll make it special. I’ll let you know what it’s like to be well and truly loved by a man.”

  Hearing him say those words made Jemma even more sure that Angel was exactly the guy she had been waiting for all these years.

  Chapter 5

  After breakfast with Calliope, she hopped into her car, and made her way to the address Angel had texted her last evening. In fact, he had sent her several text messages. All of them said he was excited about her coming out to see him, one asking if she liked to ride horses, which she did, and another aski
ng if she had any food allergies he should know about, which she did not. The fact that he even considered such a thing warmed her even more to him. He was such a thoughtful man.

  Jemma followed the directions on her GPS to Angel’s ranch in Banderas County. She loved the Texas landscape as she approached the small ranch home. Though she had gone to the university in Oklahoma, she’d never considered leaving Texas permanently. Her father had instilled in her an appreciation of the wildness and barrenness of Texas. He’d spent his time off duty, and when she wasn’t in school, teaching her about the landscape and landforms of Texas, its animals, and critters. It’s why she loved science so much. Camping trips through the various rugged hills, forests, and plateaus of Texas, including Guadalupe Peak, the highest mountain range in Texas which ran along the Pecos River, and hikes to see some of the ancient caverns and extinct volcanoes of Texas had taught her so much. And, it had given her the best memories of the one and only man she’d ever loved. Her father.

  After passing the gate marked with the sign Clear Waters Ranch, indicating she’d arrived on Angel’s property, she traveled briefly down the dirt road and saw the small ranch home nestled in a grove of trees. Off in the background she saw a much larger barn, painted red, that looked well maintained. It was in much better shape than her own. The home looked in much better condition as well. It was newer than hers, and by the looks of it had recently received a fresh coat of paint.

  When she stepped out of her car, she heard Angel come out of the front door of the house by the telltale sounds of a screen door slamming shut behind him. She watched as he jumped down the three steps off the wrap-around porch that was popular for many Texas homes. The old timers had loved to sit on the front porch at night to watch the Texas sky darken at sunset or to greet any neighbors that happened to come by for a visit.

  She had barely taken two steps when Angel reached her. He immediately pulled her to him for a quick hug and a peck on the lips. “I’m so glad you’re here, darlin’.”

  “I’m glad I came, too.” She licked her suddenly dry lips, feeling nervous around him for the first time. She had looked forward to getting to know him better, but her attraction to him was powerful stuff. Being alone with him added to that feeling.

  Angel took no notice of her sudden awkwardness, and after he released her, he simply turned her to face his home. The house was in the shape of an L and made of stone.

  “You have a lovely home,” she muttered.

  His enthusiasm for it was clear. “Thank you. I bought the place five years ago, and have been fixing it up since. It’s not that large. Four small bedrooms, but a great big kitchen which I love.”

  “You like to cook?” she asked, enjoying learning these little details about Angel.

  He smiled at her and began to lead her to the house. “I do. I don’t have a great deal of time to cook often, but yes, I do.”

  “I like cooking, as well,” she confessed. Her aunt Eden had loved to cook, and taught Jemma her skills and secret recipes. She was happy to hear they shared a passion for that. It was something they could do together.

  His dark eyes shone and she wondered if he were thinking the same thing. “Great. We’ll have to cook together.”

  He winked, and she blushed at the double entendre. She couldn’t tell if it was intentional or not.

  When he opened the door for her, she gasped at his truly beautiful kitchen. It had a large open plan that extended into the family room. Remodeled with modern appliances, Jemma could tell that Angel spent a great deal of time in the kitchen. Looking beyond the kitchen, she saw a stone fireplace with logs sitting in it, waiting for a cozy fire on a cool Texas night. The rug in front of the hearth caused her to nervously contemplate what could occur there later. She turned back to the kitchen to avoid looking at the fireplace and the image that cropped into her mind.

  “I love your kitchen,” she stated exuberantly, perhaps too exuberantly.

  Angel gave her a funny look, and she shrugged her shoulders to pass it off. “You’ll have to give me some ideas for my own,” Jemma added. “I’m in the process of remodeling it. It’s a real fixer upper, but I haven’t had the time to do it until recently.”

  He exuded so much sex appeal as he stood beside her that butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She stared at his lips and imagined him kissing her and leading her to that fireplace when he said, “I’d love to. But, let me give you the full tour.”

  She nodded mutely as he led her to an area with three small bedrooms and a bathroom on the end of the house beyond the living room. Then on the other side of the house past the kitchen, there was a much larger master bedroom, with an attached bath. The king-sized bed was covered by what looked to be a hand-made quilt. The furniture was cherrywood and looked to be antique pieces. The pale blue paint complimented the style. When he led her into the bathroom, she saw that this room had been updated as well. It had a walk-in steam shower which turned her green with envy.

  As they walked out of his master bedroom, Jemma couldn’t help but glance again at the king-sized bed that took up most of the room. Today, she could very well end up in it. She shook her head once more, and focused on the view outside the large window over the bed that showed his barn. She needed to get her mind on something else other than having sex with the incredibly handsome man standing beside her. She needed a distraction. She swallowed, hard. She knew what the problem was, though. She had come here thinking that today might be the day, so she had become apprehensive in the process.

  She glanced up at him to find him watching her. He had a serious expression on his face, so she laughed and then he led the way back to the kitchen. Angel was being the perfect host, the perfect gentleman, and she just had to go with the flow, she told herself. It didn’t help. Her stomach coiled into knots.

  Once back in the safer kitchen, Angel spoke. “So, I was thinking I would show you the barn, and then take a tour of the property. It’s not large, just over 250 acres, but this isn’t really a working ranch anymore. I can’t, not with working off site three days a week. But I do keep some animals. I have ten head of cattle, and a couple of pigs. I also have three horses, and a few other animals on Clear Waters Ranch, but they are mostly animals I’ve rescued. After the tour, I’ve planned a picnic lunch outside by the lake.”

  Jemma felt herself relax a bit. A tour of the property and picnic lunch outside kept them away from the big bed and the fireplace. She breathed a little bit easier. “That sounds like a great plan. So, tell me, is the lake why it’s called Clear Waters Ranch?”

  “Yes, actually. It’s a man-made lake, so not too large. The previous owner told me that the family who had it before him built it back in the 1960s.” Angel indicated she should follow him and then opened the screen door, leading them back out onto the front porch with two rocking chairs to enjoy the night sky.

  Fields of tall Texas grass surrounded the ranch house, creating a beautiful panorama. Behind the house and barn, Jemma saw a small outcropping of pine trees. She had many pine on her own homestead. Though she had just a little over 100 acres left of the once 1,500-acre ranch, her home was larger than Angel’s, and her barn, too. She still hadn’t decided what to do about her barn. In its current dilapidated condition, it wasn’t fit for animals. She was considering razing it and using some of the old wood for her restoration projects inside the house. The materials were valuable; the shiplap alone could pay for a great deal of her remodeling projects. But something held her back from taking that route. It was a piece of the past she wasn’t ready to let go of just yet. As a child, she had played in it for hours, chasing her cats and bringing her friends over and hanging out.

  As they crossed the yard, a scruffy looking dog bounded toward Angel and received a scratch under the chin. His tail wagged as he happily trotted in front of them to get some attention from his master.

  “This is Mikey. He’s an old mutt I found in San Antonio. He’d been hit by a car, and no one ever came to claim him so I brought him her
e.”

  “Hi, Mikey,” Jemma said and stooped to scratch the black and white, medium-sized dog under his chin. He rewarded her by licking her hand and wagging his short tail profusely, kicking up the dust in the path. When she stood and nodded for Angel to continue the tour, he gave her a brilliant smile, and both she and Mikey followed his master into the barn.

  The barn, as pristine as barns could be, amazed her. She saw one corner outfitted as a small receiving area for animals. It included an examination table, computer, small library of books, and several cabinets with glass doors with what looked like feed and medicine inside. Beside it stood a full-sized industrial refrigerator.

  “You take patients here?”

  He nodded. “Sure do. Some of the locals bring their pets to me. Though I do drive out to ranches and make house calls on the larger animals. Plus, I take in rescues, too.”

  A strange noise came from the rear of the barn. “What the heck was that?” Jemma whipped around, startled by the unusual sound.

  Angel smiled broadly when Jemma raised her eyebrows in question. “You won’t believe me if I told you. So, you’ll just have to come see for yourself.”

  He held out his hand to her, and was happy when she took it. She’d been as skittish as a filly the moment she’d arrived and just now seemed to be relaxing. After telling him she was a virgin the day before, he knew she would be nervous, so he vowed to go as slow as she needed.

  “It’s not a Chupacabra, is it?” she asked teasingly about the urban legend of the beast that purportedly terrorized Texas Hill Country.

  He laughed. “Nope, not at all.”

  She liked the feel of his strong hand wrapped around hers and followed as he led her to the rear of the barn past several horse stalls.

  Bringing her to the last one, he stopped. “Look over the gate.”

  She was short and had to step onto the ledge on the door to see over, which made Angel laugh. The strange noise came again, and Jemma slipped off the side and had to climb back onto the gate.