"Come back to bed with me." J.T.'s voice was rough and dark with passion.
Selfishly wanting the time she had left with him to be special, she took his hand, silently leading him back to the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. In the dark hours of night and into the early hours of morning, they made love, their hunger for one another insatiable. Soft moans and whispered words blended with the sensual sliding of damp bodies and warm tangled sheets. Caitlan's love fused with J.T.'s, making the link between them stronger, more intense, more binding. She stored up every feeling, every scent and sensation for when she returned to heaven.
And if she had to suffer consequences for her transgression once she left earth and her only love, she'd gladly pay the price.
Chapter Thirteen
Caitlan gradually woke the next morning, a smile pulling at her lips. Recollections of the way J.T. had found the birthmark in the back of her knee during a very thorough exploration of her body brought a flush to her skin. Stretching languorously, she reached toward J.T.'s side of the bed and met cool, empty sheets. Blinking her eyes open, she leaned up on her elbow and pushed the tousled hair from her face.
J.T. was gone. Sunlight streamed through the window, indicating the start of a new day. The digital clock on the nightstand glowed eight fifteen.
"Eight fifteen!" she said, alarm threading through her voice. Throwing back the covers, she scrambled out of bed, unable to believe she'd slept so late, and so soundly she hadn't heard J.T. leave her. She was becoming lax in her duties.
Berating herself for letting her heart rule her head, she slipped on the medallion J.T. had insisted she remove while they made love. Pulling on the shirt he'd given her the night before, she left his room and went to the guest room to change.
After everything that had happened last night, and her confession that Randal was the person responsible for the incidents, Caitlan didn't want J.T. going anywhere without her. Randal was a bomb waiting to detonate, and nothing J.T. could say or do would change that, except maybe make Randal explode sooner. She knew that for certain, had seen the banked rage in Randal's eyes numerous times. He was on the brink.
An uneasy feeling settled within her, a sudden, dark intuition that made Caitlan anxious. Throwing on her sweatshirt, she left the medallion on the outside, where it would be easily accessible, then pulled on her jeans and boots and raced to the kitchen. Her panic increased when she didn't find J.T. there.
"Good morning," Paula greeted her cheerfully over her shoulder. Putting aside the vegetable she was peeling, she turned around, wiping her hands on her apron. "How about breakfast? I've got some leftover pancake batter and sausage."
The thought of food made Caitlan's stomach turn. The same awful premonition that had filled her last night, before she'd located the fire, had her senses under siege again. A shiver of apprehension skipped down her spine, yet she had no idea why she was receiving such a warning, or where the danger lay. Trusting her instincts completely, she knew she had to find J.T. "Where's John-" she caught her slip-"J.T.?"
"Down at the barn, coordinating the cleanup from the fire." Taking down a mug from the cupboard, Paula smiled approvingly at Caitlan. "He said not to disturb you; thought you'd be exhausted after last night's ordeal."
Which ordeal was Paula referring to? Caitlan wondered idly, a warmth creeping up her neck. The barn fire or the first time she and J.T. had made love? Or the second, third, or fourth time he'd taken her to paradise? All had exhausted her, physically and emotionally.
"Sit down and have a cup of coffee and I'll make you a few pancakes," Paula offered, carrying the mug filled with coffee to the table.
Another ominous warning tugged on Caitlan senses, stretching her nerves to the snapping point. "I need to find J.T." She kept her tone calm so as not to rouse the other woman's suspicions of her sudden fear. "I'll be back up in a bit."
"Bring J.T. with you. He hasn't eaten yet either." A twinkle entered Paula's pale blue eyes. "A man's gotta keep up his energy."
Caitlan couldn't misinterpret Paula's insinuation and blushed. With a promise to bring J.T. back, Caitlan headed out the kitchen door, walking at a fast clip to the barn. With every step, her unease magnified, adding to the anxiety gathering in her chest.
J.T. Her eternal soulmate. The very life of her. Heaven help her, if anything happened to him, she'd never, ever forgive herself.
As she neared the barn, she could hear the men working in and around the structure. She searched for J.T. but didn't see him. In the distance the sky turned dark, carrying the promise of an abrupt storm. Black clouds rolled toward the Circle R, blocking the sun. A slight chilly breeze picked up, ruffling through Caitlan's hair and sending icy fingers of dread skimming over her nerves.
Oh, Lord, she thought. The menacing sky looked exactly like it had the day she'd seen J.T. through the portal, before she'd rescued him.
King, still in the corral, whinnied frantically, capturing Caitlan's attention. Glancing in that direction, she froze, her heart jumping to her throat. Randal, staggering along the corral fence in a drunken haze, bent and retrieved a small rock. He nearly toppled over in his task but managed to straighten up and steady himself.
Muttering a curse, he cocked his arm back and pitched the rock at King, striking his target with an accuracy that astounded Caitlan, considering Randal's intoxication. King shrieked and bolted to the other end of the corral. Whinnying distraughtly, he pranced anxiously back and forth like a duck in a shooting arcade.
Stumbling forward, Randal swooped up another rock.
Caitlan moved forward, her only thought to save King from any more inflicted pain. "Randal, no!" she yelled.
Randal whirled around. Faltering from the quick move, he came up against the fence and saved himself from falling on his butt in the dirt. Hooking an arm around a post, his back straightened. Bloodshot eyes narrowed on her, his cold, cruel smile curling his lips. "Well… if it isn't the heroine of the Circle R." His words dripped with hostility and hatred.
Behind her, Caitlan heard one of the hands say, "Better go tell J.T. there's a problem out here."
She wanted to tell the man no-she didn't want J.T. anywhere near Randal right now-but she lost the opportunity when Randal threw another rock at King, hitting the horse in the neck. King cried out and fled. Eyes wide with terror, the panicked stallion searched for some means of escape.
Randal laughed, an evil sound that slithered down Caitlan's spine. His eyes glittered with sinister pleasure. He picked up another rock, his expression daring her to stop him.
He drew his arm back, and Caitlan charged toward him, grasping his wrist before he could hurl the rock. "Leave King alone, Randal."
He shoved her back, hard. She stumbled backwards but managed to regain her footing. At least she'd saved King from further abuse, she thought.
"Bitch," Randal hissed, forgetting King and stalking her with deceptively steady steps.
Caitlan firmly held her ground, concealing the trepidation coiling in her. "Leave him alone," she said again, her voice calm. "You've terrorized him enough."
Randal waved a belligerent hand in the air, stopping a mere foot away from Caitlan. He swayed slightly, but his anger gave him a powerful fortitude. "That stupid horse of J.T.'s doesn't deserve to live."
The liquor on Randal's breath was unmistakable. Caitlan refrained from the natural urge to turn her face away from the fetid odor. As she met his gaze, something in his eyes changed. Hatred and bitterness swelled into a darkening rage… directed solely at her. The air around them turned icy cold.
Before she could move, he grasped her arms, his fingers biting painfully into her flesh. She winced and struggled to break away, but he tightened his grip.