Radclyffe - Homestead

Ella shook her head and spoke before Kelly could reply. “That’s not a good idea. I need to take Tess home and you shouldn’t be—”

“I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try a repeat.” Clay rose abruptly, laid money on the table, and looked down at Tess. “Can I speak with you privately for a moment?”

Caught off guard, Tess glanced at Ella.

“It won’t take long,” Clay growled, her dark gaze fixed on Tess.

“Go ahead,” Ella said. “There’s no rush.”

“Outside.” Clay grasped Tess’s hand and pulled her through the crowd toward the door.

“Clay—” Tess protested, tugging to get free. Clay’s hold was too tight to break, and when a few people looked their way, she relented and simply followed. If she didn’t, she could just imagine the stories that would be going around by morning. As soon as they were outside and away from prying eyes, she yanked her arm free. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting your attention for a change.”

“What?” Tess shivered under the wave of angry heat rolling off Clay’s tense form. She’d never been the focus of Clay’s anger before and it was like being buffeted by high winds in a thunderstorm.

“If you hadn’t avoided me all week we might have avoided this,” Clay said.

The slanting light from the tavern etched the contours of Clay’s face in stark black and white, carving out the sharp angles and planes. She looked a little dangerous there in the dark, and Tess’s heart beat hard. The night was still hot, and every now and then a slight breeze would carry the scent of earth and sky that clung to Clay. The primal force of her called to Tess, and something deep inside yearned to answer.

“What?” Tess fought the spell and focused on her own anger. She hadn’t avoided Clay—well, she’d made sure their paths never crossed, but that wasn’t the same thing. If Clay had wanted to see her, she knew where she was. Where she’d always been. Her spine stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

Clay drew her beneath a large maple by the corner of the parking lot. “You need to hire an attorney.”

“I’m sorry? What are you talking about?”

“You need to get an attorney, Tess.” Clay leaned closer and Tess’s back brushed the trunk of the tree. “You’re out of time.”

“I have an attorney. Why?”

“The company is sending up our attorneys to finalize the rights contract Ray initiated. There might be loopholes in there you can exploit to get out of it, but these guys are good. They’re used to getting what they want, loopholes or not.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Tess shot out her chin. She wasn’t going to run from anyone, especially some high-priced New York lawyers.

“Because I know how they operate.” Clay bit off the words as if every syllable was an effort. “If you want a choice in this, you’re going to need someone smart and tough to represent you.”

“That’s not what I mean. Why are you helping me?”

Something hard passed through Clay’s eyes, something wild and untamed. She spread her hands on the tree on either side of Tess’s shoulders and bent until their faces nearly touched. “What did you say?”

“I said,” Tess repeated softly, trapped by the fire in Clay’s eyes, “why are you helping me?”

“How can you not know?” Clay grasped Tess’s arms and yanked her forward, her mouth coming down hard on Tess’s.

Tess jerked as flames shot through her, and she reflexively gripped Clay’s shirt in both hands. Twisting the fabric in her fists, she braced her arms to push Clay away, but the no forming in her throat gave way to a moan. The ache that had lived inside her for so long exploded into need, and some far deeper instinct compelled her to drag Clay closer, to meet the hot hard heat of Clay’s mouth with a hunger of her own. Clay pressed into her, and her back slammed into the tree. She slid her hand upward, over the hard muscles of Clay’s shoulder onto the soft skin at the nape of her neck. Her fingers found the silky strands, so sleek and seductive, and she gripped Clay’s hair, molded her breasts and her belly to Clay’s hard frame, wanting nothing between them. Clay’s arm around her waist was a steel band of possession, Clay’s thighs stone pillars anchoring her to the earth when she was in danger of spiraling out of control, fragmenting in a million directions. All her carefully constructed caution and self-preservation disintegrated under the demand of Clay’s hands and mouth.

Clay was kissing her and she was kissing her back.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, could only want. Another soft moan echoed through the roaring in her ears—hers, Clay’s? Clay’s mouth slanted over hers, demanding entrance, demanding surrender. Tess wanted her inside with a fierceness she’d never known. Helpless longing, a craving so profound her eyes flooded with tears, swamped her.

“Tess,” Clay groaned against her neck, “I want you.”

Tess’s back arched and she bared her throat, the scrape of Clay’s teeth sending shock waves deep into her center. Her thighs trembled and she opened, ready to give her anything. She would give her anything, everything, to sate this wild hunger, to staunch this storm of heat and passion. She would lay herself bare for her.

Take me. The words trembled on her lips, bruised and swollen and still famished for the taste of oak and earth and fire. Terror tore through her. Not again. Never again. She pushed at Clay’s chest. “No.”

“I need you.” Clay’s voice was a broken whisper, her body immovable, rigid as marble.

Tess turned her head away, gasped, “I can’t.”

“Please, Tess.” Clay’s mouth was at Tess’s throat. “You’re all I can think about.”

A sound, half groan, half sob, vibrated from Clay’s chest. Her shirt was soaked with sweat. The muscles under Tess’s hands quivered, hot and furious. Clay’s hips pinned hers to the tree, thrust against her, insistent and insatiable. Tess wanted to spread herself open, take her inside. She wanted the fury of Clay’s desire to bring her screaming into the flames until she burned to ashes.

“Oh God, I can’t.” Tess struggled to get free. “Clay—”

Ella’s voice, cool and strong, cut through the insanity. “Everything all right here?”

Clay stiffened, shuddered, a lit fuse ready to ignite.

Tess fought to steady her breath. “Yes,” she said, pushing at Clay again.

Clay braced her hand on the tree, her head down, breath rasping like a racehorse pushed too hard to the finish, ready to collapse. Tess ached to stroke her, to soothe her, but she couldn’t touch her now. She didn’t know what Clay would do. She didn’t know what she would do. All she knew was what she couldn’t do. She couldn’t give herself again, not to Clay. Not everything, ever again. Pushing harder, Tess made enough space to slide out from between Clay and the tree. She forced herself to back away, to leave Clay there, alone and vulnerable, and the ache was so huge she nearly cried out.

“Tess?” Ella said quietly.

“I’m fine.” Tess ran both hands through her hair, wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Hands on hips, Ella’s sharp gaze tracked between Clay and Tess. After a moment, she nodded. “I’ll be at the car.”

Tess turned to Clay, torn between comforting her and raging at her. “Why?”

Clay turned and sagged against the tree. “I lo—”

“Don’t,” Tess snapped. “Don’t you dare.” Fury scorched through her as strong as the desire seconds before. “You walked out of my life, without a word, and you say that to me now?”

Tess’s whole being vibrated with the urge to slap the words away, to hurt Clay the way Clay had hurt her. She fisted her hands, willed the raging fire to burn out, welcomed the ice slicing through her. “Go to hell.”

* * *

Tess rolled down the window of the SUV as Ella drove along the deserted roads toward the farm. The air held just the barest hint of a night breeze, a teasing promise of a break in the unrelenting heat that would disappear with the dawn. Just another in a long line of empty promises.

“Is there anything I can do?” Ella said quietly.

Tess’s face flamed. She would have been embarrassed at being so exposed to anyone, but knowing Ella had witnessed such a terrible private moment was beyond humiliating. “Sorry about all the commotion.”

“That’s all right. You’ve nothing to apologize for.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Most things that really matter are.”

Tess glanced over at her and saw only gentle sympathy in her face. “You’re amazing. How did you get to be so understanding?”

“Am I?” Ella laughed. “I spend a lot of time watching people. Occupational hazard.”

“What have you learned?”

“That sometimes things are simpler than we think, and always more complicated.”

“That is very Zen,” Tess said softly. “I wish I could tell the simple from the complicated.”

Ella reached between them and squeezed Tess’s hand. “Tell me to back off if I’m out of line, but I get the feeling that everything between you and Clay isn’t past history.”

“It’s more like unfinished business.” Tess wished she could say more, Ella deserved more. But she couldn’t betray Clay’s confidences even if what they’d once shared hadn’t been what she’d believed. She’d held Clay, loved her. She’d loved her, and if she turned her back on that, she’d lose part of herself. “I realize this puts you in a terribly awkward position, and I’ll understand if—”

“Tess,” Ella said softly, turning down the drive to the farmhouse, “I enjoyed today. I’d like to do it again.”