Three-Year Rule Page 2

  His kiss burned like fire. Elizabeth's breath left her instantly. When he released her Elizabeth gasped for air and found herself saying, “Would you like to come inside?”

  Joshua's eyes widened in surprise. This was almost too easy. He took the key card from her hand and unlocked the door, opening it for her. “I’d love to.” He answered and followed her inside.

  Elizabeth spun slowly to face him as he closed the door. Their eyes met as he slowly walked toward her. He ran his hand down the length of her arms, took hold her hands and gently pulled her to him.

  He kissed her softly and said, “You sure you want to do this? You’re a bit tipsy.”

  Elizabeth's pouty lips parted slightly and she drew a slow deep breath that sent a ripple of fire through Joshua. She said, “Shut up and kiss me again.” She never wanted anyone more at that moment than she wanted Joshua.

  He slid his hands around her waist and slowly moved them downward and he pulled her against him. She moaned as their lips met and gently dug her fingernails into his back. His lips broke away and explored the hollow of her throat as his hands moved to unbutton her blouse. Elizabeth sighed with pleasure and kicked off her shoes. She quickly removed her jeans and allowed her blouse to fall to the floor then unbuttoned his shirt as he removed his jeans.

  Her bra fell to the floor and Joshua hands trailed across her breasts. She arched her back and moaned. They fell onto the bed clinging desperately to each other.

  Elizabeth forced down her second glass of orange juice and half of the bagel room service brought. She knew hydration was key to ending a hangover. She dropped her robe on her bed, took a quick shower, pulled her hair into a ponytail and dressed in a loose pink t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She couldn’t believe what she allowed to happen last night. In one fell swoop, she successfully initiated herself as the New York City slut before she even managed to move into the upper scale rural community. She stopped and touched her throat remembering the heat of Joshua’s kiss. It was an incredible night of passion she knew she would never forget. Joshua made her feel things she’d never thought possible.

  She finished her juice and took another bite of the bagel then headed for her car. Elizabeth had a 7am appointment to look at a rental property. She was going to need temporary housing. Her uncle's home was demolished long ago. The fire completely gutted the interior, there wasn’t much left. The house was located near the rear of the 200 acres. She was going to build near the center of the property closer to the road. She couldn’t bring herself to rebuild on the site where her Uncle died.

  The drive to the rental house was quiet and serene. Elizabeth opened the sunroof of her rental car and allowed the cool morning air to flow through the car. She turned off the main road and headed onto the wooded property up a narrow, winding, gravel road with large ruts that mirrored her tire width. A small creek with a thin trickle of water ran right across the road. It appeared that no one seemed to mind since the road simply sank into the creek and back out again. No wonder this house was cheap, Elizabeth thought. You’d need a huge 4-wheel drive for rainy days and snowmobile to reach it in the winter. As the ruts in the road grew deeper, Elizabeth was forced to straddle them with her small car. It actually reminded her of the road to her uncle’s house. She was beginning to realize why her uncle always drove a pickup truck.

  The trees began to thin as the road curved one last time to reveal a clearing with a small cabin, detached garage, stable and a small corral. There was a tiny pond with a layer of green on top next to the corral and another slightly larger clear water pond at the far end of the small clearing. Elizabeth was enchanted. She pulled up in front of the split-level cabin. It had a big picture window that overlooked the large front lawn and pond. It was a charming, rustic little log cabin with a one-step front stoop and a few small bushes. A large tree grew just close enough to the front of the house for a rambunctious boy to clamor out his bedroom window and down the tree for a midnight adventure. A cobblestone walkway led to the door. She glanced around and noticed a faded gray pickup truck parked behind the stables. An elderly gentleman dressed in jeans and a blue jean jacket appeared from inside the stables and waved at her.

  She waved back and went to meet him. She pictured her dog Charlie galloping across the distance and rushing around the perimeter. A seven-month-old Golden Retriever would certainly be at home here.

  The man offered his hand when she reached him, “You must be Elizabeth. I’m Gene Weller; it’s nice to meet you.”

  Elizabeth shook his hand, “Hello Mr. Weller, you have a charming place here. I can’t wait to see the cabin.”

  He motioned toward the cabin and she turned to walk with him as he added, “It needs some updating but everything is clean and in working order. It’s fully supplied with dishes and such so you will only need the bare essentials. My son uses it during hunting season and the holidays. He’s quite the elk hunter. I was just checking the stables and did a quick check of the area. I found only a couple of snakes but I’ll go ahead and bring Topper and Nobby by for a few days to clear any out. You can’t beat Tom Cats as snake eaters. My two boys will clear this area in the wink of an eye.”

  “Snakes?” Elizabeth glanced down at her feet and the grass when they veered from the road to cut across the lawn.

  “Rattlers,” He explained, “These Mountains are full of them but I don’t think there is a den anywhere close by so not to worry. The ones I found were way back behind the stables. I’ll leave my boys here for the next couple of weeks if you like. They are good hunters and your retriever won’t even know they are here.”

  Elizabeth stopped and stared at him, saying, “Rattle snakes? My Uncle Wendell always said they usually kept deep into the woods.”

  Mr. Weller stopped and turned back to face her saying, “Darlin’ you are deep in the woods.”

  Joshua walked into the sheriff's office in the small storefront that had been converted to hold the one law enforcement office in town. He walked into Sheriff Randal Connor’s office and sat down on the chair in front of his desk. The Sheriff glanced up from his paperwork briefly then returned to his work.

  Joshua frowned and said, “Don’t pretend to be busy. Unless someone robbed the general store or the wolf pack returned to Beldon Falls you are completely free of paperwork today.”

  The Sheriff put his pen down and stared at Joshua. The Sheriff pushed his light brown hair from his eyes and he flashed Joshua a huge smile, “I guess your meeting didn’t go so well last night. Was she everything you expected? Dowdy, fat and covered with warts?”

  Joshua sighed and put his feet up on the Sheriff’s desk as he leaned back in his chair. He said, “Randy, she was the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. The night couldn’t have gone better.”

  Randy asked, “Then why are you such a grouch?”

  “It was too good to be true.” Joshua sat up abruptly. “I hit on her right out of the gate and she didn’t bat an eye. We went to Sadie’s and a couple of hours later we were back in her hotel room.”

  Randy stared at him in disbelief and said, “You’re worse than I thought. You bedded the old shrew? I know you took a hit when the real estate bubble burst, but that’s no reason to prostitute yourself for a contract.”

  Joshua’s feet landed on the floor and he leaned forward in his chair, saying, “First of all she was gorgeous. Probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Secondly, this had nothing to do with the contract. It was . . . I don’t know what it was. It was crazy, it was intense it was more than I expected. What I’m positive of, is it was the best sex I’ve ever had.”

  Randy looked at his best friend since childhood and said, “So you’ve entered new territory. Is it safe to say you just might have feelings for this gal?”

  “No!” Joshua rose to his feet and headed for the door. “It’s not that at all. She just wasn’t what I expected. I plan to get this relationship back on a professional level. I’m not going to have some lovesick loner hanging all over me for
the next few months while I build her home. That’s the last thing I need.”

  Randy called after him, “Not every woman is like Joanne.” His answer was the sound of a slamming door.

  Chapter Two

  Elizabeth finished packing just as her phone rang. It was the front desk informing Elizabeth her assistant had arrived with her dog, Charlie. The bellhop appeared at the door and grabbed her bags as she rushed downstairs. Her assistant, a young college graduate named Amy Rothchild stood outside the entrance holding tightly to Charlie's leash when Elizabeth walked out the door.

  Amy’s French braid was disheveled and she looked exhausted. Her light blonde hair and big blue eyes accented her pale complexion and rosy cheeks. Amy’s petite form was no match for the golden retriever’s power. When Charlie saw Elizabeth, there was no stopping her from greeting her master. Charlie bounded away from Amy with one leap and reached the Elizabeth’s side. Amy lurched forward and stumbled along behind Charlie. Elizabeth laughed and caught Charlie’s front paws as she jumped up to greet her.

  “How’s my little puppy?” Elizabeth asked as she scratched Charlie behind the ears.

  Amy straightened her clothes and checked her hair then handed Elizabeth the leash and said, “Puppy? You’ve got to be kidding. She’s a few pounds away from becoming a horse.”

  Elizabeth accepted the lease and released Charlie’s paws. She smiled at Amy and said, “Amy, what would I do without you! You are my angel of mercy driving Charlie half way across the country so she wouldn’t have to fly.”

  Amy stared at Elizabeth with one raised eyebrow and countered, “A two day drive in a Mini Cooper is all the way across the country, not half.” Amy smiled and hugged Elizabeth, adding, “Charlie was actually a very good girl. She made me feel safe.”

  The bellhop appeared with Elizabeth’s bags, followed quickly by Franklin. Elizabeth headed for her car, saying, “We’ve got a 20 minute drive to the rental property then you can relax and even take a nap if you like. Franklin is going to return my rental car after we unpack.”

  Franklin flashed a quick smile at Amy and dashed off after Elizabeth. He climbed into the passenger seat and began his interrogation of Elizabeth’s spontaneous date with Joshua before she even reached the road. “Where did you go? What happened? When did you get back?”

  Elizabeth shrugged and said, “The streaks were very good but the bar is a dive. We didn’t stay long. I went right to bed when I got back.”

  “But you were supposed to call me.” Franklin said quietly.

  Elizabeth refused to look at him. She was afraid she might actually see him pouting. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you when I got back to the hotel.” Elizabeth offered sweetly, “I just wasn’t in the mood for work.”

  Franklin frowned and stared out the window. Elizabeth felt as if Franklin somehow knew Joshua spent the night. No, that was impossible. They went straight to the room and she didn’t recall seeing anyone along the way. Even if he did, she wasn’t going to discuss this with Franklin. He was her agent, not her father. She did consider him a friend but her sex life was none of his business. Elizabeth gripped the steering wheel firmly, trying to decide why she allowed that to happen. She never had sex with someone on the first date, not even the second date. She practically never had sex with the men she dated. Elizabeth was a romantic soul. She believed in love before sex. Somehow, last night love didn’t even cross her mind. Last night was only about the sex. There were no emotions involved, there couldn’t be. She hardly knew Joshua. Although she had to admit, he was incredibly sexy, build like a Mack truck and made love like the world was coming an end. The mere thought of their encounter made her breathe faster.

  She flashed a guilty glance in Franklin’s direction then smiled in relief as the entrance to her new temporary home appeared up ahead. She announced, “Here we are. You’re going to love this place, Franklin. It’s full of character and a little adventure. The cabin backs to the woods. The landlord installed a large picture window on the rear of the house so there’s a gorgeous view. Mr. Weller said if you are quiet and leave the lights out, you could watch the deer come into the yard to eat the acorns early in the mornings. I saw a bunch of turkey crossing the road when I left here yesterday. This place is great!”

  Franklin sighed and shook his head then smiled. He said, “I’m sure it’s awesome, but does it have electricity and indoor plumbing?”

  Joshua was having a hard time calling Elizabeth. He sat at the desk in his home office and stared at the phone. He’d just spoken to the inspector. The environmental survey was going to be done tomorrow. His last project was in clean up mode. All he needed was her decision on which design to go with and he could break ground within the next week. Yet he hesitated. Why in Hades name was he putting this off? Joshua grabbed his phone and viciously punched in Elizabeth’s number. He’d keep it strictly business.

  “Hello?” Elizabeth’s sultry voice came over the phone.

  “Hi Elizabeth, this is Joshua. I just wanted to let you know the environmental survey is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I don’t expect any complications so whichever floor plan you’ve decided on shouldn’t be a problem.” Joshua kept his voice low and monotone.

  Elizabeth frowned and walked out the back door of the cabin to watch the sun sink behind the mountains. She was surprised at the lack of pleasantries but held to the topic at hand saying, “That’s great, Joshua. I’ve chosen the two-story log cabin. I like the layout and square footage but I’d like to add a 2 car attached garage and possibly a three-stall stable placed deeper into the lot. There is a pond about an eighth of a mile from the build site I thought would be great to incorporate inside a horse fence.”

  Joshua relaxed; she wasn’t going to push the relationship, which was a good sign. He said, “That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll pull up some basic stable plans and get you some samples of fencing. I’ll get my foreman to check out the pond and surrounding landscape then we can discuss your options. I’ll check back with you tomorrow afternoon and we can set an appointment to finalize everything.”

  He was blowing her off! Elizabeth couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He wasn’t even going to mention last night. What a loser! Elizabeth gripped the phone fiercely and answered in a calm voice, “Sounds great! I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

  “Okay,” Joshua hesitated, “Talk to you soon. Have a great evening.”

  “Oh I will,” Elizabeth’s voice reeked with sweetness, “I’m in my new place, Mr. Weller’s cabin.”

  “Gene Weller?” Joshua asked confused, “I thought his son owned that cabin?”

  “He does but he won’t need it until deer hunting season and as long as you stay on track I should be out of here by then.” Elizabeth triumphed at his continued conversation.

  Joshua knew exactly where that cabin was. It sat on the edge of Beldon Falls Preserve. “Elizabeth, there have been wolves sighted in that area. Given the fact the cabin is vacant most of the year I think you should stay inside after dark for the first few days.”

  What? Now he was concerned for her welfare? Elizabeth paced back and forth along the small porch as her face flushed with anger. Forget about the fantastic night of wild sex, let’s talk about hiding from factious wolves, she thought. She took a deep breath and answered with slightly more irritation than she intended, “Don’t worry about me. I’m not alone. My assistant arrived today with my golden retriever, Charlie.”

  “What?” Joshua couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Elizabeth, listen to me. Don’t let Charlie outside after dark. A golden retriever is no match for a pack of wolves or a bear. You are on the edge of a huge preserve. There are more than just deer and elk roaming around in those woods. Promise me you’ll keep to the cabin after dark and not go too deep into the woods alone during the day.”

  Elizabeth lifted the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Who did he think he was? She lifted the phone to her ear and asked, “Just exactly what gives you the right to tell me how t
o live my life? One night alone with you and me, think you can just walk all over me! It’s bad enough you’re just ignoring what happened between us do you have to add it by being so controlling?”

  Joshua had a bad feeling in his gut. She wasn’t listening, she was going to get herself or more likely, her dog killed if she didn’t learn how to respect the animals in the area. “Beth, listen I’m not trying to boss you around. I’m trying to give you some very practical advice. These woods are not like the forests you hike around in Missouri. There are mountain lions that would sooner eat Charlie or you than sit pretty and wait for you to take their picture. Do you own a gun?”

  “What?” Elizabeth gasped. She completely missed the fact that he called her by a more intimate name. She snapped, “No I do not own a gun!” Just then something rustled in the brush at the far end of the backyard, Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin. Charlie charged out of the backdoor and headed right for it. “Charlie! No!”

  “Beth!” Joshua was on his feet heading for the door. “What is it? Are you outside? Let Charlie go and get in the house!”

  “Leave me alone!” Elizabeth yelled in the phone and hung up just as Charlie dove into the bushes.

  Amy appeared in the doorway as Elizabeth started to run after Charlie. She took only a few steps when a huge deer broke through the brushes and dashed across the yard to disappear into the trees. Charlie was at its heels.

  “No Charlie! Bad dog! No!” She screamed.

  Amy ran to her side waving a large knife asking, “What is it? What’s happening?”

  Charlie followed the deer to the tree line before deciding to obey her master. Charlie turned and galloped back to Elizabeth who sank to her knees and hugged Charlie with all her might. Elizabeth was completely out of breath. Her heart was racing. Damn that Joshua Miller, he’d pumped her so full of nonsense she’d nearly scared herself to death.