Efrem (7 page)

“Whew! You look good enough to eat.”

He laughed and hooked an arm tight around her waist. “That’s later, darling.”

“Promise?”

She turned to catch his eye and share the joke. But there was nothing amusing about the look they shared. Afraid of the intensity of that look, she slipped from his grasp and headed out the door. She distinctly heard, but chose not to acknowledge, “Coward.”

He stepped around her and held the car door for her. Tucking in her legs, she let him close the door.

“Whew,” she said again once she was alone in the car. She took a deep breath and managed to greet him with a smile as he got in and started the engine. The knowing look he gave her said a lot, but she didn’t respond.

The Shack was situated on the banks of the Indian River Lagoon. Moonlight tipped the gentle waves, which didn’t distract the large crane standing motionless in the water. He stared at the water with one gimlet eye, the other turned toward the dark sky. She figured they’d be eating long before the crane.

Along with their drinks came easy conversation. They talked about things people do when they’re getting to know each other.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“What about college?”

“What brought you to Florida?”

“Who’s Trey?”

She chuckled. “You’re not going to let me slide on that one, are you?”

“Nope.”

She sighed. “Okay, the short version.”

“Unless I have questions.”

Narrowing her eyes, she said, “You’re getting pretty demanding all of a sudden.”

He narrowed his own eyes. “Not any more than when you’re lying under—”

“To start with, Trey is Dan’s nephew.”

He chuckled. “That I know.”

“Stanley Hightower is a lifelong friend of my grandfather. He’s the executor of the will which put him in charge of the ranch until I turn thirty.”

“But you’ve been working the ranch since your grandfather died, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Uncle Stanley doesn’t even like getting his shoes dusty never mind covered with…well, you know.”

He grinned. “I do know. First hand.”

She smiled and reached across the table for his hand. He turned his palm up and accepted her touch. “At least you had a soft landing place.”

“Cost me a pair of hundred-dollar jeans.”

“I told you to buy Levis.” Smiling, she scratched a pattern on her napkin. “Thank you. You’ve been a big help.”

“What did I help you with?”

Studying the pattern she was tracing on her linen napkin, she debated how much to say. “I don’t feel alone anymore.”

“Lisa. Look at me.”

She lifted her gaze, wondering if he was going to push her.

“Who, or what, was Trey to you?”

He’s gonna push. How much to tell.

“Tell me everything.”

She repressed a shiver.
Everything would take hours.

“Trey and I were lovers.” There, get it all out in the open.

“I know that.”

Startled, she lifted her eyes to his. “How do you know that?”

“There’s hurt in your eyes whenever you mention his name. I figured he broke your heart, so you must have been lovers at some level.”

“You’re right.” She couldn’t look at him while she talked, so she stared at the big crane still posing in the water. “Trey said he loved me. And I loved him. At least I thought I did.”
Stop right there.
“Anyway, he was the restless type. A few weeks on the ranch and he had to take off for a week or two. To shake out the willies, he said.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I believed that.”

Problem was, she had believed it.
Until I found that picture of two big-haired blondes showing off their silicone…with Trey attached.

“What did he do?”

“Hmm,” she said, turning to look at Efrem. His eyes were focused intently on her. She couldn’t remember if Trey had ever looked at her that way.
The rodeo results maybe, but not me.
This man, sitting across from her with a tenderness she had trouble recognizing, always seemed to be focused on her, even in the middle of something else. Like when she had confronted Dan. Efrem had followed her, stood beside her, stepped in front of her when he thought Dan would actually lay hands on her.

“What did he do besides betray you to his uncle?”

“He cheated on me.”

One of Efrem’s black eyebrows rose. She’d never seen it move independently before and was fascinated.

“Once?” he asked.

“Doubt it.”

“Did you catch him?”

“Kind of. I found pictures someone had taken of him and two chesty blondes.”

“Geez, what an asshole.”

She smiled. “Thanks.”

He scoffed. “For what? Calling an asshole an asshole?”

Their combined laughter covered the approach of a distinguished gentleman who looked remarkably like Colonel Sanders of fried chicken fame.

“Lisa? It’s wonderful to hear you laugh again.”

“Uncle Stanley!” She got to her feet and
,
gentleman that he was, so did Efrem. She gave the old man a soft hug conscious of age and arthritis.

“Efrem, I’d like you to meet Stanley Hightower. Uncle Stanley, this is Efrem Mantz, the computer genius I told you about.”

“Mr. Hightower. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I hope it was complimentary.” He laughed, making the lines around his eyes deepen with amusement.

“Every bit of it, sir.” They shook hands.

“I’ve heard a good bit about you, too, son.”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at Lisa.

“I only told him about the computers.” Her face flamed as she realized what she’d admitted.

Efrem chuckled, and Hightower covered a laugh by clearing his throat.

“I was going to call you tomorrow, Lisa,” Uncle Stanley said. “I need to speak to you about the will.”

“I’ll call and set up an appointment.”

“No, just come by the office first thing.”

“I’m in no hurry to finish off the paperwork.”

“It’s not about the ranch ownership paperwork. Something has come up.”

“What is it, Uncle Stanley?”

He looked around the restaurant. The surrounding tables were mostly empty. “I’d rather do this at my office but…”

“Please, Uncle Stanley. I won’t sleep a wink knowing something’s wrong.”

“There’s a challenge to the will.”

“What? Who?”

“Dan Morris.”

A laugh burbled up her throat. “He’s got nothing to challenge the will with.” The deadly serious look on Uncle Stanley’s lined face squashed her laughter flat. “Does he?”

“That’s for the court to decide. But he does have witnesses that say your grandfather promised him half the ranch.”

Dread filled her stomach. “But that’s ridiculous. Granddad would never have said anything like that.”

“I agree.”

“Who are the witnesses?” Efrem asked.

Uncle Stanley looked at Efrem, then back to her. She didn’t like that one bit.

“Trey Adams…”

She scoffed at that.

“Bob Lynch…”

“Bob who owns the feed and seed in St. Cloud? That’s easy to understand. The ranch owes him money.”

“And Ben Khouli.”

Shock didn’t cover what she felt. “Ben Khouli? Why would he…” She broke off knowing the answer.

“What?” Efrem asked. “Does the ranch owe him money too?”

Forcing a smile she said, “I’ll fill you in later.” The last thing she wanted to get into was how Dan had purchased feed and supplies without telling her. The two checks—one to Lynch, one to Khouli—had bounced. And at $4,000 and $5,500 respectively it was a big deal. Both agreed not to prosecute as long as she paid off what she owed. She had thought the incident was behind her. Obviously, she’d been wrong.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Uncle Stanley said. “We’ll fight and we’ll win.”

Seeing the edges of her dream, of owning the ranch outright, running a successful business—never mind the horses themselves—fade around the edges, she sighed. “Thanks, Uncle Stanley. I’ll meet you at your office tomorrow first thing in the morning.”

“Good.” He gently touched the side of her face. “We’ll keep your ranch.” He headed for a table where his companions were already seated.

Some secrets were necessary.

“Have a seat,” Efrem said, holding her chair.

She sat and watched as the crane struck like lightning at his fresh fish dinner. He lifted his head, flopping fish clutched in his beak, and took to the air. His large wings flapped in tandem with the struggles of the dying fish.

“Wow.”

“Huh?”

“That big bird. He caught a fish.”

A moment of silence, then she laughed. Out loud. Uncle Stanley glanced over and smiled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

“Okay. But you have to tell me what was so funny about the bird.”

Laughing again, she took his arm and let him lead her out.

The smell of her skin drove him crazy. The scent drove his hormones into overdrive, attack mode.

So he attacked her. He braceleted her hands behind her back and dragged his open mouth along her collarbone while tugging at her clothes. She groaned and twisted, trying to reach his mouth. He let her. Fused together at their lips, moaning for more contact, he let her hands go and finished taking off her clothes. A wisp of cool air—her room was very well air-conditioned—made him lift his head. His shirt was gone.

“That was qui—”

She attacked him this time. They dropped to the bed, Lisa on top, her hands all over him. Challenged, he reciprocated. He squeezed her breasts, traced her rib cage, spanned her waist, and clenched her beautiful, beautiful ass. She arched her back
,
asking him for more. His stomach knotted as she climbed up his body, levering herself out of her pants. Her breasts jiggled above his mouth. It watered as she presented him with her
w
aist, hips, and crotch.

She straddled his face and gently angled herself over his mouth. He stared up as she flowered for him, petals separating, glistening, pulsing.

“Please,” she whispered.

I’ve got you now.

“Please…what?”

“Efrem…”

“Tell me exactly what you want.”

“Lick me,” she pleaded, her legs trembling on either side of his head.

Lifting his head, he gave her one slow, long lick. “Like that?”

“I love that.”

He laughed, making her knees give
and bringing her dripping pussy close enough that he wouldn’t have to lift his head to lick her. “I meant, was that what you wanted?”

“More. Please.”

Tired of teasing, he stabbed his tongue deep inside her, licking and tasting, tonguing her clit, sliding it in and out of her cunt. Always helpful, she lifted and dipped, she rotated her hips
,
dragging her drenched pussy across his face. He grabbed her ass cheeks to hold her steady while he plundered her with his tongue and lips. He sucked on her clit, and she exploded all around him. Alternately screaming and whimpering, she pressed down on his face, her cunt pulsing and running wet and slippery. As her climax faded away, she hung from the headboard, limp and wet above him. He slid his aching body from between her thighs and came up from behind her. He spread her cheeks and pulled her hips back. Taking aim at her cunt, he plunged inside. She screamed and straightened up, pulling away from him. He held on tight.
You’re not going anywhere.

Ruthlessly, driven by feelings he couldn’t define, he plunged in and out of the precious woman he held in his arms. He kissed her neck, kneaded her breasts, loved her the best way he could. A stomach
-
clenching, spine
-
tingling orgasm had him blind and deaf. Emptying himself
,
he hoped more would come of it.

They ended up collapsed together on their knees. He was draped over her back, sweat fusing them into one.

“I love you.”
Did I say that out loud?

“You don’t have to say that.”

Yep. I said it out loud.

She squirmed trying to turn around to face him. He held her still as possible then realized how much more it would mean—to her and him—if he said it face to face. He let her go.

She whirled around. “You do—”

He held up one hand. “I love you. I think I have since the moment you looked at me across moldy cottage cheese.”
Oops.

She choked off a laugh. “I think I’ve loved you since you wiped it up without being asked.”

“You…you love me?”

“I love you,” she said and threw herself at him.

“Thank God.” And he kissed her.

* * * *

Armed with the reciprocated love of a wonderful man, Lisa sailed into Uncle Stanley’s office the next morning.

“Good morning, Gloria. Is he in?” she asked as she headed for his partially open door.

“He’s got someone…”

Lisa pushed the door open and came face-to-face with Ben Khouli and Bob Lynch. Uncle Stanley stood behind his desk.

I hope like hell Dan isn’t expected.

A noise behind her crushed that meager hope. She refused to move. He stepped out from behind her.

“Hello, Boss Lady.”

“Dan.” She glanced at the other two bozos. “Bob. Ben.” She turned to Hightower. “How are you, Uncle Stanley?”

“Why don’t we all have a seat,” he said.

“There’s no need for me to sit,” Dan said. He handed an envelope to Hightower. “Here’s my notarized statement. I’m sure Bob and Ben gave you theirs.”

They both nodded at the floor.

“What’s the matter, gentlem
e
n?” Lisa asked. They hadn’t so much as glanced at her.

“Yes, gentlemen. The least you could do is greet the woman you’re trying to rob,” Hightower said.

Both jerked their heads up.

“I’m not trying—”

“Rob? Who said anything—”

Hightower held up both his hands. “Stealing her ranch is, in effect, what these statements will accomplish if they are accepted by Judge Rhine.”