Rocky Mountain Desire: Six Pack Ranch, Book 3 (12 page)

“I want to do it again.”

Dead silence.

“Hope?”

She sighed. “Honest? I want to do it again as well. But that’s probably not the best idea.”

“Because I went out with Helen?” He hadn’t expected her to have the same concerns he did. Matt turned onto the secondary road that led toward his trailer.

“Went out? Matt, you asked her to marry you. Yeah. Sticking with being friends would be much easier.”

“But friends don’t kiss.”

She huffed into the receiver. “Nope.”

“And I want to kiss you, Hope. I want to touch you, this time without fighting to keep my hands off private places. I want to taste your soft skin and feel—”

“Jesus, Matt, you trying to drive me crazy?”

He was making himself crazy, his body reacting to the thought of what he was describing. “But I also want to help you finish that quilt, and maybe make a few more things for your shop.”

The line went silent for the longest time. Matt worried she might have hung up on him. When she did speak, it was quiet. Even. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I guess, in a way I don’t know either. I’m going out of town for a week, but when I get back, is it okay…I mean, would you mind if I gave you a call?”

“Wait…”

Matt clung to the wheel with two hands, wondering what was up. Praying he wasn’t going to get ditched before he made a real move. Shit, thirty years old and still fumbling with the girls. He needed lessons from his younger brothers or something.

“You have to wait until I open my present before I’ll answer you.” Paper crinkled in the background.

It took a moment before he remembered placing the gift against the wall when he arrived unannounced that afternoon. “You didn’t open it yet?”

“I was waiting, because… Well, when I give a gift I like to be there while the person opens it. But I don’t think you should come back tonight, so I’m breaking my rule this once. Hang on. What the heck did you use to seal this thing?”

“There was no invisible tape left at my place, so I used packing tape.”

She laughed, the sound light and happy like a million sparkling stars. “Duct tape forever.”

“You bet.”

Paper crackled in the background for a minute then her soft voice returned. “A quilt hanger. It’s very pretty, Matt. Thank you.”

He resisted offering to come over right away and put it up. “So, can I call you when I get back?”

“Matt…”

Waiting was killing him. He was back to being fifteen years old and wondering if the girl he liked would—and he didn’t want to think about that. About the memories of waiting for her sister. Those he needed to scrub from his brain. Instead, he thought about Hope’s rosy-red cheeks when he’d opened the door that day, the surprise in her eyes that had shifted to something more.

He wasn’t going to beg, but as Daniel had pointed out, he didn’t usually do things halfway. “I’d like to spend time with you. No pressure. Just get together and enjoy each other’s company.”

“I’m not sleeping with you.”

Jesus.
Instant hard-on. Probably the exact opposite of the reaction she’d been hoping for, but the images in his brain were all soft skin and luscious lips, skimpy seashells and sultry eyes—that nearly naked woman from last summer he remembered in far too great detail. “Okay…”

“I mean, oh fuck this.”

There were crazy noises going on in the background, and he struggled to figure out what the hell she was doing, especially after that announcement. “You okay?”

“No. To be perfectly honest, I’m not.”

The quiet calm he’d associated with her was noticeably absent from her voice.

She went on, picking up speed. “I spent the morning by myself feeling a touch blue before concocting the best
make myself busy
plan I could—pulling together a couple quilt tops for samples in the shop. Then this guy I’ve been trying hard to put out of my mind drops in out of nowhere, turning my relaxing afternoon into an exercise in sexual frustration.

“I’m a dozen kinds of worried about this idea, and yet I’m still thrilled. I’m sure that somewhere along the line I’m going to end up in tears, or you’re going to figure this was the worst idea of your life but frankly? I can’t even pay attention to the red flags waving frantically in my face because I
really
want to see you again.”

“Good—”

“No talking. If I don’t say this now, I’ll chicken out. So, yes, I will see you, but I’m not going to sleep with you. Because I really want to.”

“That makes—” He stopped himself. “Sorry, continue.”

Hope groaned. “You must think I’m a crazy woman. Maybe I should start rescuing stray cats or something. But I’m serious. I could have crawled into bed with you last summer without blinking an eye, but now I think that would be a huge mistake for us both. So I will see you if you can promise we’ll try to keep this out of the bedroom for a while.”

When she stopped he waited, making sure he wasn’t about to interrupt again. “May I talk now?”

Her loud burst of laughter made him smile. “I’m a bossier shit than you thought, aren’t I?”

“I don’t mind. Well, I do mind. I think it’s totally insane that you want us to keep this platonic. But you asked, so even though my balls are screaming
nooo
at the top of their lungs, I’ll agree to your terms. One month no sex? Two? Six?”

“Six? My Lord, if we last six days I’m going to be impressed.”

Him too. “Your idea is a good one for a bunch of reasons, though.”

“Ha, you say that now, but I bet we’re both going to be bitching about it in no time.”

Matt pulled up to his trailer and sat in the running vehicle. “Hope, my turn to be crude. I can find someone to fuck.”

“
Jesus.
”

“Well, it’s true. I don’t want to go out with you just because I can see us having a blast between the sheets. I want to try that friend thing as well, and having sex off the top could get in the way. So…although I can’t believe I’m saying this…fine. No sex.”

“Not until we say—I know, like a double-jeopardy thing. I have to say yes, and you, and then we can’t do it for twenty-four hours or something.”

She had to be kidding. “Don’t try to make rules, darling. If we decide it’s time, there ain’t going to be any double-signed papers or anything like that bullshit.”

“I could wear a chastity belt.”

“I can pick locks.”

She snorted. “Ha, you can not.”

“With my teeth.”

Matt was still laughing when he made it into his trailer. The fire had gone out, and he shuffled through the cold room to light it one-handed as he clutched the phone. “I’ll call you when I get back into town, you crazy woman.”

“Don’t leave it too long or you’ll find I’ve given your quilt space to the cats.”

Matt clicked off, a high-energy rumba on a saxophone echoing in his ears, and the most optimistic sensation in his heart—happier than he’d been in a long time.

Chapter Ten

Hope checked out the menu, but she was more interested in examining the restaurant. Matt had asked her to meet him at a new spot on the east side of town, an eclectic place that was somehow wildly appropriate as a location for them to begin this unusual relationship.

She sipped her water as she glanced around, the butterflies refusing to settle.

“Is this seat taken?”

He slid in opposite her, and she was glad she’d just swallowed or drool would be dribbling off her chin. That facial hair of his got her every time. “Hey. No, I managed to keep that one for you. Just don’t sit in the chair by the wall or my invisible friend will beat you up.”

Matt’s smile flashed white. “I hope he’s not planning on staying for long.”

A snort escaped. “Nahh, he’s got a date.”

“Invisible friends.” He laughed. “Did you ever hear about the time the twins decided there were dragons living in the hayloft?”

She shook her head, not bothering to pretend she wasn’t checking him out. Matt kept talking, but all the while she was examining his beard, the way his eyes sparkled as his hands rose to help with the storytelling. Hmm, hands.

She knew how firm they were. His lips as well.

Hope pinched her thigh and sat a little straighter in an attempt to throw her mental process from full-throttle forward into physical admiration to what this was supposed to be about. Making friends.

And then the sex
, her mind whispered, and she pressed her lips tight to stop from moaning.

Matt leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I think we might need to start again.”

She shook herself alert. “What? I’m sorry.”

“You’re objectifying me already. I know this is going to be tough, but I thought you could at least keep your hands off me for thirty minutes.”

His teasing smirk helped push her thoughts the proper direction. “Busted. I’ll wait with the
guh
comments then. You’re mighty fine, Mr. Colem—”

He threw up his hand. “Whoa. There’s nothing more mood-killing than thinking you’re checkin’ out my dad with lust, okay?”

“Oops.”

That deep chuckle of his sent goose bumps all over her. “What we need to discuss has nothing to do with the drool-worthy state of your being—although let me just get it out there that you look awesome—and everything to do with dinner. See anything you like?”

“Yes.” She stared him over.

Matt laughed and poked at the menu. “This list.”

Drat. “I haven’t decided yet.”

He winked then picked up his own menu.

Hope relaxed as she checked the options, impressed with his tactics. If he’d ignored the simmering heat between them, it probably would have made things harder to deal with. Acknowledging their attraction, putting it right out in the open instead of being an elephant in the corner—well, the desire was still in the room but it was a lot easier to deal with saying it was there.

That it was fine to feel the tension, but for now they could move on to the next thing.

By the time their food arrived, she was laughing out loud at his stories. They stole food off each other’s plates and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Hope eased back in her chair and raised the last of her Coke in a salute. “Here, here. To a wonderful first date. Suggesting this place was fantastic. Ready for my addition?”

He nodded. “Movie? Walk? Are we going to cut innocent chunks of fabric into teeny tiny pieces then sew them back together?”

She snorted. “Innocent chunks of fabric?”

“That’s my nephew Lance’s description of quilting. Kind of the same concept as making trees into furniture, but what you do is nowhere near as manly, you know.”

“Good thing my manhood isn’t offended by that definition.”

Matt took a long, slow gaze down her body, enjoying every minute of it if she was any judge of his expression, before meeting her eyes again. “Your manhood has nothing to be offended about.”

Simmering lust shot way back up to a boil. Why, oh why, had she suggested no sex was a good idea? A change of topic was desperately needed. She sat up and clapped her hands together. “We’re going tobogganing.”

“Oh God, really?”

Hope nodded. “At the ski hill.”

He lifted a brow and smiled with a little more interest. “Really?”

“Ha, you lazy ass. You didn’t want to do it when it required hard labour.”

“Damn right. I got enough exercise today.” He rose to his feet and held out a hand, tucking her fingers into his strong grip. Outside he paused in confusion. “Where’s your car?”

She pointed and waited for the fireworks to begin.

“Okay…”

It was almost anticlimactic, his total lack of response as he walked her to the truck she’d pointed out and waited for her to unlock the door.

“Shall I meet you at the hill?” he asked.

Hope nodded.

He helped her in then shut the door and waved. Only he pulled out his cell phone as he walked away.
Uh-oh.
Seems a moment of brotherly love was about to take place.

She turned over the reluctant engine and shoulder-checked before slipping into the traffic and heading back into town.

Matt wondered how close to danger level his blood pressure was. Still, he wasn’t going to take his concerns out on Hope.

But his brother? He had no trouble stirring up some shit there.

He put through the call. Blake picked up. “Yo, bro.”

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

There was silence for a minute. “This is Matt I’m talking to, right? Calm, cool and collected—”

“Did you sell Hope that hunk of junk that’s been sitting in the back forty for the past ten years?”

“Nope.”

Matt swore as he caught up with her, positive he was going to be pulling over to pick up chunks of metal from the road as the wreck fell to pieces before his very eyes. “Well then, hallelujah, there’s been a miracle, because somehow she’s driving said wreck down the street in front of me. And so I repeat, what the fuck were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that she didn’t have a car, and it must be damn tough to be a single woman with no vehicle. And since the shop figured it would cost more to repair the crap she was driving than it was worth in insurance, when she came here last week and asked if I would sell her—”

“What!” Matt pulled the phone from his ear and clutched the steering wheel tight to stop from flinging anything anywhere, including his own vehicle in front of hers to act as a guard.

He counted to ten. Twice. Then he spoke. “Hey, you still there?”

“For all of five seconds if you continue to be a shithead.”

Matt collected his hard-won calm and forced it into his voice. “Sorry, that was just a momentary lack of concentration. Let me get this straight. Hope came to you and asked for the hunk of junk that’s been out rusting behind the far barn for years.”

“She did.”

“And you sold it to her?”

“I gave it to her. Well, fine, sold it for a dollar. Just to make it legal.”

Oh God.
“Shit, Blake. Still…I mean…”

His brother rumbled back, his own annoyance coming through. “Yeah, I know the truck’s a piece of crap. But she had valid reasons and insisted it would work. She brought over a new battery, a couple of milk crates to secure shit in the back and we used binder twine to lash the front seat in place.”