“So, this is just political—help your Native sister with her security issues and ply her with fantastic sex to take her mind off the bad guys?”
He grinned. “Fantastic sex, huh?”
But she was serious. “Why?”
For a moment, he was quiet, a thoughtful frown on his face. “I can’t stay here in Scarlet Springs, Win. You know that. But I do care about you. We have a connection. I know you’ve felt it, too. We might not be able to do anything with it, but it’s there. I can’t see what you’re going through without wanting to make it better. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Yes.” Winona didn’t think she’d ever gotten this kind of honesty from a man—other than Chaska and her grandfather, of course.
No wonder she felt safe with Jason.
He deserved the same honesty from her.
She kissed a flat, brown nipple. “I care about you, too. No matter what happens, I’m going to remember tonight.”
“So will I.” He wrapped his arms around her, held her close, pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Sleep, angel.”
Winona closed her eyes and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
* * *
Jason wokeat his phone’s first beep, reached for the damned thing, and shut off the alarm. He didn’t want to wake Winona.
She was sound asleep in his arms, curled up against his chest, peace on her face, the sight of her putting an ache in his chest.
He’d meant it when he’d said he cared about her. He’d only known her for a few days, but it seemed much longer. He was going to miss her when he returned to Sells.
You have only yourself to blame for that.
Fantastic sex, she’d said. It had been incredible for him, too. It was the first time in almost five years that he’d had sex with a woman other than Elena, and it had shown him what he’d been missing.
I want to please you.
Winona had such a generosity of spirit. Everything she did came from her heart. She was straightforward, genuine, honest.
Elena only cared about herself. She’d treated sex like a reward for good behavior, making Jason wait, using his attraction to her to get what she wanted. He’d been so blinded by lust that he’d seen only the package—the pretty face, the curvy body, the vivacious personality. He’d overlooked the excessive makeup, the fake nails, the obsession over new clothes and shoes, the selfishness, the manipulation.
The DEA did you a favor.
That was the truth.
Doing his best not to wake Winona, Jason got out of bed, grabbed his pajama bottoms off the floor, and tiptoed to his room, shutting the door behind him. He took a leak, washed up, and dressed in his warmest clothes, then grabbed his gear and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Nate and Jack were already there, coffee ready, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns on the stove. While they ate, Nate went over the plan.
“Dad will stay here with the women and kids. You and I will take one of our UTVs in a horse trailer to the Forest Service parking area. A sheriff’s deputy is meeting us there. Then we’ll head up and see if you can pick up a trail from last night’s tracks.”
“That only works if this guy got onto the property the same way he did before.”
Jack poured himself another cup of coffee. “Our riders in the south pasture heard the four-wheeler last night. They formed a reception committee, but the poacher never showed himself. They figure he saw them and moved on.”
Jason found that interesting. “In that case, he probably did come in the same way. That indicates to me that he’s operating from a fixed position.”
Nate and Jack seemed to consider this.
Jack grinned. “I can’t tell you how grateful we are for your help.”
Jason drained his coffee. “From what I hear, you Wests are always there for the people of Scarlet Springs. I’m happy to help.”