No matter how much he longed for the love and comfort of having someone waiting for him at home, T-Rex couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t put a woman through that kind of heartache. He picked up the pace until he was running again. Anyone who would go willingly into a relationship with a career marine had to either be so in love to the point she couldn’t think straight, or just insane. The worry alone would age the one left behind.
Again, he thought of Sierra, who still believed in love, despite having escaped an abusive husband. She deserved a man who would go to work and come home each day. A man whose job wasn’t to kill, and in the process be shot at, have bombs lobbed in his direction or IEDs explode beneath his feet. She deserved an accountant, banker or rancher. A man who would always be there for her, who would always be home at night to protect her.
The thought of someone else coming home to Sierra made T-Rex’s heart pinch even tighter. He pushed past the irritating pain and ran even faster. By the time he was almost back to the bed-and-breakfast, he was running full out. No amount of physical exertion was enough to push thoughts of Sierra from his mind. He might have to move out of the bed-and-breakfast to get away from her and the attraction he was feeling toward her.
As the bed-and-breakfast came into view, he slowed, winding down from the punishing pace. Whatever he did, he had to stay away from Sierra Daniels. She was everything he wanted but couldn’t have. The sooner he accepted that, the better off he’d be.
Mrs. McCall was awake and setting the table in the shared dining room.
“Good morning, Mrs. McCall.”
She glanced up with a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Trainor. You’re up early.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He didn’t bother to inform her that he couldn’t sleep because of one blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty on the other side of the wall of his bedroom. What good would it do?
Mrs. McCall laid out another napkin and placed a knife and fork on it. “How do you like your eggs cooked? And how many?”
“Two, over easy, and a slice of toast.”
“Coffee?”
“Yes, ma’am. Black.”
“It’ll be ready in ten minutes. Just enough time for you to get a shower.” She winked. “Would you happen to know when Miss Daniels will be awake?”
And why would Mrs. McCall think he’d know Miss Daniels’s hours? Had she heard them kissing and talking?
“I’m awake,” a soft voice said from the top of the staircase.
T-Rex’s pulse stuttered and then raced as he turned to face the woman who’d been on his mind nonstop since he’d closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep last night.
Sierra descended the steps, her hand trailing along the rail. She wore a form-hugging light blue knit blouse the color of her eyes and a navy blue skirt. Her long, slender legs were encased in dark navy tights, emphasizing her tight calves and narrow ankles. She had her long blond hair loose around her shoulders.
The overall effect left T-Rex breathless, the desire he’d hoped he’d run off surging back in full force. “I’ll go shower,” he said through tight lips. He passed her as she took the last step down.
For a brief instant, their gazes connected.
T-Rex felt as if he’d been blasted by a bolt of lightning when he looked into her eyes.
Her irises flared, and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
Swallowing a groan, T-Rex jerked his glance away from hers and stumbled on the first step. Cursing softly beneath his breath, he caught himself.
Sierra touched his arm. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he forced out, his arm on fire where her hand lay. He was freakin’ great. The one person he needed to avoid was touching him, and he was going hot all over like a teenager in lust. Tearing himself away, he started up the steps.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Sierra said behind him.
“Yes, thank you,” Mrs. McCall responded. “If you could finish setting the table, I’ll start cooking. How many eggs would you like and how do you like them cooked?”
“Two eggs, over easy, and a piece of toast would be nice, thank you.”
Halfway up the staircase, T-Rex stubbed his toe on the riser in front of him. Had Sierra heard him order his eggs, or did she truly like hers just like his?
“Did you hear that, Mr. Trainor?” Mrs. McCall called out. “Just like you. You’re making this easy. You’re two peas in a pod.”
T-Rex said something inane and continued up the stairs.
“Coffee or tea?” Mrs. McCall was asking.
“Coffee, definitely. Black,” Sierra said in her soft voice.
At the top of the stairs now, T-Rex groaned. Could the woman be any more perfect? If she was a Denver Broncos fan, he might as well throw in the towel and ask her to marry him.
* * *
AFTER A RESTLESS night of very little sleep, Sierra had promised she wouldn’t let herself get all wrapped up in T-Rex that morning. She’d been thankful she had the bathroom all to herself, without bumping into the man. If she was honest with herself, she had been a little disappointed that she hadn’t seen him.
Determined to wipe him from her mind and get on with her life, she’d left her bedroom, ready to make it a wonderful day spending time with the children at the community center. Working with children always took her mind off her own troubles and made her smile.
Then she’d seen T-Rex at the bottom of the stairs, and all bets were off. He was right back front and center in her thoughts. Not that he’d ever left them. And he was all sweaty, his face and muscular arms glistening in the dining room lights.
Sierra’s heart skipped several beats and butterflies fluttered in her belly. She could feel last night’s kiss tingling on her lips.
And when she’d touched him... Holy hell, she was going to be sorely disappointed when the man left Grizzly Pass. She hadn’t felt this excited by any man. Ever. Not even when she’d first started dating the captain of the football team in high school. That had been back when Clay was at the top of his game. He’d been nice to her and treated her like he really cared. She’d been flattered and thought she was in love with him.
But never had she felt the spark T-Rex set off in her by merely touching her.
As she set flatware on the dining room table, she listened for the sound of the water running in the shower upstairs and imagined T-Rex naked.
He’d told her not to get attached. And she had no intention of doing so. But what would it hurt to have a fling with the man? Sierra shivered and her core heated in anticipation of getting naked with T-Rex and making love.
He’d be so powerful in bed. All those muscles would be hers to touch, if only for a night. Then perhaps she’d get him out of her system and move on to finding a man she could fall in love with and who would fall in love with her.
She finished laying out the silverware and napkins and helped Mrs. McCall by bringing the toast and an insulated carafe of coffee to the table.
Mrs. McCall smiled. “Thank you for helping. The eggs are almost ready. I’ll bring them out in a minute. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable in the dining room?”
Sierra wandered out to the dining room. She couldn’t hear the sound of water running. Her senses perked and her pulse sped. T-Rex would be down soon, and they would have to sit at the same table for breakfast.
How should she act? How could she look at him and not show how very attracted she was to him? Taking a deep breath, she purposely turned away from the staircase. She would not let T-Rex or any other man have that profound an effect on her. Letting her breath out slowly, she paused to stare out the window as the morning sun bathed the trees and other houses along the street in light. If she concentrated on the beauty of the world around her, instead of the marine in the shower upstairs, she might make it through breakfast without drooling.
The weatherman had predicted the morning would be clear and sunny. Later that evening clouds would roll in from the west. For now, the sunshine filled Sierra with a feeling of hope, and hope was a good thing when you were divorced, dirt-poor and somewhat homeless while your apartment was being reroofed.
A dark pickup pulled up to the curb on the other side of the street.
As if a cloud descended on her spirits, the hope Sierra had felt faded, replaced by a heavy pall of anger and dread. “Damn him,” she whispered, her hands shaking as she stepped back from the window.
Arms came up around her and a deep voice asked, “What’s wrong?”
Sierra spun in T-Rex’s arms and pressed her cheek against his chest. “Out there,” she said, refusing to look again.
T-Rex stiffened. “Ellis.” He gripped her arms and set her away from him. “I’ll take care of him.”
“No. Let the sheriff. I have a restraining order against him. If he gets any closer than fifty feet, the sheriff can arrest him.”
“He’s harassing you.”
“He never liked to lose.” Sierra stared up into T-Rex’s face. “I’ll call the sheriff.”
“Do it. And if they don’t show up and he’s still there when we’re finished with breakfast, I’ll have words with him.”
She smiled and touched his arm. “You don’t have to fight my battles for me.”
“Ellis doesn’t have to harass you.”