Wild Nevada Ride (13 page)

Her startled eyes swung to her father before she exclaimed, “Daddy? Have you been checking up on him?”

Her father shot a look at her before answering, “You showed interest, Katrina. Of course I’ve checked up on your friend here.”

“Yes, sir, I do have a place outside of town, and I raise and sell cattle on my property. I’m originally from Wyoming, but I settled here a few years back. Got tired of the snow.”

“My contacts tell me you have quite a spread out there on the Flying W.”

“If you can call two thousand acres quite a spread, then I’d say you’re right.”

“Two thousand acres?” she asked surprised, but clamped her mouth shut with a click when her father’s eyes swung to her.
No wonder it seemed like we rode for hours and never left his land. Holy shit!

“You didn’t know how much land he has, Katrina?”

She slipped her arm around Justin’s waist and looked up into his face. “Well, I, uh…I never really asked, Daddy. It doesn’t matter to me how much land he owns. I love him anyway.”
Those words were a little too easy to say.
Justin leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.

“I know you haven’t been seeing him that long, daughter. It couldn’t be more than a couple of months at the most.”

“I know, but I always told you it would take a special person to tame me.” Justin chuckled next to her, and she felt like jabbing him in the ribs, but she held back. “Justin is everything I need.”

Her father’s gaze narrowed when it rested on Justin, and she could tell he stiffened next to her. “Forgive me, but I’ll reserve judgment until I know him a little better.”

“We probably should get going. We have some things to discuss. You know—wedding plans and all that.” She slipped from Justin’s side and approached her father. “We still need to set a date, but now you have to get better.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll come back and see you tomorrow morning, okay?”

“All right, Katrina.” Turning to Justin, he said, “Take care of her. She means everything to me.”

“Yes, sir,” Justin replied when she returned to his side.

“Bye, Daddy. Please, get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Justin slipped his arm around her shoulders, and they walked out of the door, pulling it shut behind them. Moving several feet away, he rounded on her and almost shouted, “Why the hell did you tell him we are getting married?”

“Keep your voice down, please. Can’t we talk about this once we are out of the building? There are too many people staring.”

“Fine.” He grabbed her arm and ushered her toward the elevator.
Oh man, he’s pissed.
She didn’t even try to pull her arm out of his grasp as they continued to his truck, and he pulled open the door.

He almost squealed tires when he ripped out of the parking lot, and she saw the white-knuckled grip he held onto the steering wheel.
Holy hell. I’ve screwed up.

* * * *

“Justin…”

“Don’t, Katrina,” he growled, shooting her a glare across the expanse of the cab.

She stiffened her shoulders and swung her gaze back out the front windshield.

The ride back to his place held a very uncomfortable silence as he contemplated how to deal with the situation.
I can’t believe she told her father we’re getting married! Yeah, we are good in bed together, but getting married? No way!

Reaching the front of his house, he shut the truck off and angrily pushed the door open. By the time he had come around to the passenger side, she already starting stomping off to where her car sat parked next to the house.

“Oh no, we are going to talk right now.” He wrapped his hand around her arm and had to almost drag her toward the door.

“Let me go.”

“Not a chance, lady. You’ve got some explaining to do.” He opened the front entrance and pushed her inside the house before he slammed the door shut behind them. “Now—start talking.”

“I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“Excuse me? How do you figure? You just told your father we are getting married. Correct me if I’m wrong, babe, but I certainly don’t remember askin’.” He practically stomped to the refrigerator and pulled out two beers before handing one to her. Tipping the bottle to his lips, he took a long drag before indicating to her to sit on the couch with a tip of his head. She wiped her palms down the thigh of her jeans nervously before she sat down.

“I’m sorry. When he told me he probably wouldn’t be able to walk again, I had to do something. My idea was if he thought I would be getting married soon, he would try. He acted like he didn’t even want to try. I couldn’t handle that.”

The torture in her eyes pulled at his heart. He knew the kind of torture and terror she probably had ricocheting through her. He had the same type of useless feeling when his mother had gotten sick a few months back and when Cole had been in the car accident… He shook his head and sat down next to her before he pulled her into his arms. Cradling her, they sat back against the cushions of the couch, and she rested her head on his chest.

“I understand. How are you going to get out of this when a wedding doesn’t happen in a few months?”

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I’ll just tell him we had a big fight or something and the wedding is off.” Her fingers drifted across his chest, fingering the buttons of his shirt before she slipped one free and moved to the next one.
Damn!
He grabbed her hand to forestall the movement. “What’s wrong?”

“Is this makeup sex?” he asked.

“I didn’t realize we had a fight. Besides, I thought two people had to be a couple to fight and have makeup sex. Does that mean we’re a couple?”

Their eyes met, and he didn’t like the look he saw in hers. It spoke volumes.
It doesn’t matter how much property he owns, I love him anyway.
Those were her words, and he’d be damned if she didn’t sound convincing even to him.

He needed distance from her disturbing presence so he could think. Standing up quickly, he headed back into the kitchen.

Several minutes later, she came in behind him as he emptied the beer in his hand and grabbed another one.

“I guess I should go. The last several days have been great. I’m glad you let me come over and spend some time with you, but the fantasy is over. It’s time for me to go home and get on with my life.”

He wiped the beer from his lips and swallowed. “Fantasy?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. The one about us getting along outside of the bedroom.”

“I thought we were getting along just fine.”

She waved her arm indicating the room around them. “It’s not real. I have my life—flying jets, traveling, trying to be the best pilot the Air Force has ever seen, and you have yours here raising cattle, horses, and I’m sure children at some point in your life.”

“Why does there have to be future things involved? Why can’t we just keep on like we are? I like you, and I’m assuming since you don’t seem to have trouble with my company—you like me well enough…”

“That’s the problem.”

“Problem?”

“I like you too well.”

“I’m confused.” His gaze swept her enticing figure.

She started to pace while she chewed on her fingernail nervously, but wouldn’t look at him.
I wish I knew what the hell she’s talking about.

When she finally stopped, she stepped in front of him. “I don’t want this to end.”

“What to end, Katrina?”

“Us…this.” Wrapping her hand behind his head, she pulled until their lips met and she slanted her mouth over his. Her tongue swept along the crease of his lips, and he opened his mouth to take her inside. He groaned when their tongues danced. Gripping her butt with both hands, he lifted her in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He slid her ass up on the countertop as his mouth left hers and trailed kisses down her neck.

“Make love to me, Justin,” she whispered when he lightly bit her neck.

He lifted his head to look into her eyes.
When had it gone from ‘let’s fuck’ to making love?

“Kat, I think we may be getting in way over our heads,” he said as he stepped back, but the look on her face tore at his heart. He could handle her anger and her passion. He couldn’t handle the look of love shining in her gaze.

A veil of indifference came down over her face and she jumped off the counter. “Thanks for the good time. I guess I’ll see you around.”

She left him standing in the kitchen. A few moments later, the growl of her car and the sound of gravel flying met his ears.

* * * *

“How could I be so fucking stupid!” she yelled, her voice ricocheting off the leather upholstery in her car. “Good job, Katrina. ‘Make love to me, Justin.’ Just great! Why didn’t you just tell him you’re in love with him? That would have just sealed the deal, and he would have dumped you in a heartbeat.”

Her heart stopped in her chest, and she pulled the car over onto the side of the road. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the steering wheel as tears burned behind her eyelids.
When exactly did I fall in love with him?
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “He doesn’t love me. I’m nothing more than a fuck-buddy.”

She pulled her car back out onto the highway, and when the dim lights of the Vegas strip came into view in front of her, she shored up her pride and headed home.

Slipping into her parking spot, she shut the lights off and turned off the ignition. Her gaze found the living room window of her apartment. The lonely darkness of it mocked her. She grabbed her small bag from the passenger seat and headed up the stairs. Once the door swung open, the deafening silence greeted her as she walked inside. Her gaze wandered around her space. Every corner now sang of Justin’s presence even though he had only been there for one afternoon. She could picture him making love to her on the kitchen countertop, how he had carried her down the hall into her bedroom after he had found her in the tub, and how the table had been set so romantically when she served dinner.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sank down on her couch. She choked back a sob and wrapped her arms around her waist while she tried desperately not to completely fall apart.

Sunlight shone bright through the window next to her front door, bouncing off her eyelids when she peeled the gritty surfaces open with a groan.
God, I feel like shit! That’s what happens when I cry myself to sleep, I guess.
She moaned softly when she stood heading toward the bathroom.
A nice hot shower, that’s what I need. Then I need to see Daddy. I have to explain about Justin.

She stepped into the hot stream of water, letting the soothing liquid sluice over her head and down her chest for a moment before she grabbed the shampoo.

After she had finished with her shower and combed her hair, she slipped on some shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt. She grabbed her keys and her purse before heading for her car.

The drive back to the hospital seemed to take forever, while she tried to come up with a logical explanation for the absence of her supposed fiancé.

When she stepped into her father’s room, she smiled brightly and walked to his bedside before she kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Morning, Dad. How are you feeling today?”

“All right, I suppose. Where is Justin?”

“He…uh…had some business to take care of this morning, so he couldn’t come with me.”

“Good.”

“Good?” she asked confused.