Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts) (10 page)

Paige had to bite her lip to prevent a grin. The urge to grin dissipated immediately when she heard Nathan’s ragged intake of breath. “Yes, Calvin, he’s a friend.” She ushered Calvin toward the barn door. “Why don’t you go have a cola or something? And maybe start dinner. I’ll join you in a little while.”

Calvin gave Nathan a cool once over before he sauntered out of the barn. Paige released the breath she had been holding when the kid disappeared. “What do you want?” She glared at Nathan with all the anger she had suppressed since seeing Celine in his arms the night before.

“Who is that little—?”

“Calvin is a client of mine, and a friend,” she interrupted coolly, “if that’s any of your business. He’s going to be spending a few days with me.” Paige walked back to the mare she had been grooming.

“You’re letting him stay here?”

“Yes.” She turned her attention to brushing Ariel, her wide strokes rustling in the tense silence.

Nathan stood behind her, his body so close she could feel his simmering agitation. “It wasn’t what it looked like,” he said quietly, though not completely composed. “I didn’t invite Celine over. She just—”

“I’m really not interested, Nathan,” she broke in.

He sighed, frustrated. Paige ignored him. He could stand there all night, and still she wouldn’t care.

“Paige, I just want—”

“I don’t care what you want, Nathan.”

“Stop stroking that damned horse,” he thundered, snatching her hand and pulling her around to face him.

“Fine.” She pulled her hand free of his, put the brush down and folded her arms over her chest. “You have my attention, now talk—fast—before I change my mind.”

He blew out a heavy breath and plowed a hand through his hair. His eyes glowed like hot coals. Paige didn’t look directly into his eyes for fear of igniting herself. She kept her gaze on his full lips, which was probably an even bigger mistake.

“I don’t want there to be anymore misunderstandings between us,” he began hesitantly. “If we’re going to start this friendship off right, I want to keep it that way.”

Friendship
. Paige almost sighed, but caught herself. If only friendship was enough. It would have to be enough. She couldn’t keep acting like a jealous lover. “I’m sorry, Nathan. You’re right. We don’t need anymore misunderstandings.” The last one had ruined any possibility of her ever finding happiness. For Jesse’s sake she had to make sure it didn’t happen again. “We’ll make that rule number one,” she added.

Nathan nodded, the fire in his eyes cooling somewhat. “When I got home last night, she was waiting. I asked her to leave and she left.” He exhaled some of the frustration and relaxed a bit.

“If you say that’s what happened, then I suppose that’s the case,” Paige replied noncommittally.

“That
is
what happened.”

“I can’t tell you how much better I feel, Nathan, Now that you’ve shared that with me, I mean,” she said sarcastically. Did he really expect her to believe that load of bull? What healthy, unattached man would turn down a woman who looked like Celine and who was obviously ready to jump his bones?

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut and swore. It wasn’t English.

“Now I’m really impressed.”

In a move so lightning fast that Paige didn’t see it coming, Nathan clasped her face in his hands. “I’ll show you impressive,” he growled before taking her mouth with his.

All thought ceased. His lips felt firm and hot yet unbelievably tender. Slow and easy, he kissed her, cupping her face gently. His tongue skimmed over her lips... traced and prodded until she opened for him. His taste, strong and wild, filled her. Oh, he tasted so good. She moaned softly and balled her fists at her sides. She held her body rigid and away from his. She would not respond... She would not respond!

“Paige,” he murmured, his lips still caressing hers. “Touch me, please.”

His plea sent a shiver of awareness sweeping over her. She relaxed the fists her hands had become. How could she deny him? Deny what she felt herself? “I can’t... where?” she asked, lost in his kiss and helpless to resist his request.

“Somewhere... anywhere.” His lips continued to torment hers. “Just touch me, please.” His tongue teased and tortured her mouth. He stroked her neck, her hair. His fingers sent tendrils of fire racing through her.

Slowly, hesitantly, she placed her hands against his muscled chest. Nathan groaned, the sound filled her, melted her. Desire, strong and hot, surged through her body. He slid his hands over her shoulders and down her back, pressing her—molding her—to him. He cupped her bottom and crushed her to his hardened length. Paige felt him tremble with need and she trembled herself. His kiss grew harder, deeper—more demanding and she never wanted him to stop.

But he had to stop, she pushed at the rock wall of his chest. Pushed as hard as she could. This couldn’t happen. It would only make matters worse when she told him about Jesse. Nathan would feel even more betrayed. She couldn’t bear to hurt him any worse. They had both already suffered enough. And even if he didn’t hate her when she told him about Jesse, he would never want her. Not now. She had nothing to offer him. She would spend the rest of her life alone. She pushed again with what little force remained in her seemingly boneless body.

“You want me to stop?” His words were taut, ragged. His gaze darted from her lips to her eyes and back.

“Yes,” she said hoarsely. “I want you to stop.” Want had nothing to do with it. She stepped out of his embrace and crossed her arms over her middle. Her lips fairly sizzled. Desire coursed through her body, but she had to stop before things got completely out of hand. This couldn’t happen.

Nathan started to say something, thought better of it and closed his mouth. Hunger blazed in his dark eyes. He licked his lips, no doubt tasting the kiss they had just shared and dropped his head. “I guess that was a mistake.”

No, it wasn’t
, she wanted to scream. Paige searched her brain for an appropriate response to his statement. Something neutral. Nothing came.
For Pete’s sake, Paige, you’re a lawyer—words are your business. Say something
. “Rule number two,” she said, as calmly as possible considering she’s just had her socks kissed off. “Friends don’t kiss friends like that.”

He smiled slightly and nodded. “You’re right.” He shoved his hands into his back pockets, unconsciously making his arousal even more visible. “Sorry. I’ll do better, I swear.”

Paige forced her eyes to stay above his belt buckle. “I guess it’ll take a while to work out the kinks in this relationship, but we can do it.” Her words came out more hopeful than confident.

Nathan took her hand in his and gave her one of his heart-stopping smiles. “We can do it, Blondie.” His voice was low, caressing, reassuring.

“Help me with the horses and I’ll let you stay for dinner,” she offered, her heart still beating a little tattoo. Somehow she had to shift the focus away from what had just happened.

“All right.” He squeezed her hand one last time before letting go. Nathan’s eyes sparkled with some emotion that Paige couldn’t quite define.

At that moment, she would have wagered all the chips in Vegas that a friendship with Nathan Blackrope would never work—not in a million years. Every instinct she had told her she would win that bet. Or would she really be losing?

~*~

Paige said grace as quickly as possible for fear that while she had her eyes closed the two men sitting on either side of her might go at each other’s throats across the table.

Her gaze moved from one agitated male to the other as she pulled her linen napkin across her lap. Nathan sat on her left and Calvin on her right. The two glared at each other without saying a word. Each filled his plate without taking his eyes off the other.

“Nathan, do you still have that old Corvette?” Paige asked, breaking the tense silence and hoping to establish a conversation to which both men could relate.

“Oh... ah, yeah, sure,” He shook his head distractedly and then gave Paige a hard look. “Old? It’s not old, it’s a classic.”

“
He
has a Vette?” Calvin blurted, shocked.

“Yes.” Paige mentally kept her fingers crossed and hoped this would be a subject the two men could reach common ground on. “Nathan lives just across the road, maybe he’ll take you for a spin.”

Nathan’s gaze shot back to Paige, his eyes widened with disbelief and then narrowed into a warning.

“That would be awesome,” Calvin exclaimed. “You live across the road in that mansion?” he asked Nathan. “Man, that place looks like Graceland. You rich, too? What kind of work do you do?”

“Calvin,” Paige scolded, shaking her head.

Nathan looked from her to Calvin. “I breed horses and run a few head of cattle.”

“Nathan breeds and trains champion quarter horses,” she explained.

“Man, I’d really like to see that Vette,” Calvin said eagerly, more interested in the car than what Nathan did for a living.

Nathan finally drew his gaze from Paige to Calvin. “I suppose that can be arranged.”

“All right!” Calvin threw up his hand for a high five.

“On one condition,” Nathan added.

Calvin’s expression fell.

“My name is not Tonto or Chief, it’s Nathan, I’d appreciate it if you called me that,” he said evenly.

Calvin nodded. “Okay man—Nathan. I can do that.”

“Good.” Nathan breathed a sigh of relief.

Calvin ran with the conversation. He talked incessantly about cars and motorcycles. Nathan seemed to enjoy talking about guy things with him. Paige liked watching the two of them. So different, yet so intrinsically the same. Full of enthusiasm and totally animated, Calvin’s whole body seemed to be a part of his language. Nathan sat very still, speaking only with his mouth and eyes. Yet the two thought a great deal alike, inherently male.

After dinner, with the kitchen cleaned and the dishes put away, Calvin excused himself to watch some television.

“Thanks for dinner,” Nathan told her. “I had a nice time.”

“I knew you’d like Calvin—once you got to know him.”

Paige followed Nathan onto the porch. A full moon lit the yard and a surprisingly warm breeze stirred the air.

“It’s nice out tonight,” he noted as he slipped on his Stetson.

“Yes, it is.” Paige hugged her arms around herself and fought the shiver that being alone with Nathan generated.

Nathan stared at the plank porch floor for a long moment.
Please go home, Nathan
. She couldn’t bear this much longer.

“Good night,” he finally said. His gaze rested on hers, but he made no move to leave.

“Good night.” Paige smiled a nervous little smile. If he looked at her like that much longer, she’d simply die on the spot.

Nathan touched the brim of his hat with two fingers and turned away. She closed her eyes and breathed a tiny sigh of relief—or perhaps regret.

“Oh, by the way,” Nathan turned around on the first tread of the steps. “Send Calvin around tomorrow and I’ll take him for a ride in the Vette.”

“That’d be great, Nathan.” She hurried across the porch. With Nathan down a step, she stood almost at eye level with him. “I didn’t want to ask you in front of Calvin, but I have court in the morning. I’d really appreciate it if you would let him hang out with you until I return. I don’t want him to be alone.”

A frown creased Nathan’s brow. “What’s his story?”

“I don’t know all the details yet, but we’re going to talk tonight. I would just feel better if I knew you were with him.”

Nathan nodded. “No problem.”

“Thanks.”

“I have one question.”

“Yes?”

“On rule number two, when you said friends don’t kiss friends like that, did you mean there was some other way of kissing that would be acceptable?”

If he only knew how much she wanted him to kiss her again. Right now. But that would be a mistake. She sighed and tried to read the emotion behind the intensity in his gaze. What did he really want from her? He probably didn’t know what he wanted anymore than she knew what she wanted.

“I didn’t mean to complicate the issue,” he said softly.

Paige leaned forward the few inches necessary and kissed him on the cheek. “Good night, Nathan.”

He smiled and brought his fingers to the spot she had kissed. “Good night.”

Paige turned and walked into the house without looking back. She closed the door and sagged against it. She would have to tell him about Jesse soon. No way could she tolerate this kind of tension. He wanted more than friendship and he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding it.

Pushing away from the door, Paige headed for the parlor. She had one more issue to deal with tonight. She crossed the newly carpeted room and shut the television off. She had awakened at seven this morning to find the carpet installers in the parlor. Of course, they possessed a key.

“What’s up?” Calvin straightened from his supine position on the couch. He propped his forearms on his widespread knees.

Paige sat down beside him. “I need to know why you’re so popular, Calvin.”

He dropped his head and blew out a heavy breath. “My cousin A.J. works for the man.”

“I assume you mean Malcolm Reed, the drug dealer?”

“Yeah.” He paused. “I was running late for work. My car wouldn’t start and I didn’t want to get into trouble with my boss so I hitched a ride with A.J.”

“Is A.J. one of the guys who took you for a ride today?”

“Yeah. Him and Baby Dave.” Calvin shifted and clasped his hands, twiddling his thumbs around each other.

“Did A.J. tell you something or show you something he shouldn’t have?”

“Naw, he’s too smart for that. That day he took me to work he got a call on his cell phone. The caller wasn’t none too happy. So A.J. said he had to make a quick stop.” Calvin shifted again. “What could I say? Beggars can’t be choosers, you know?”

“I understand,” Paige assured him.

“When we got to the place, I waited in the car for a long time like he told me to.” Calvin shrugged. “But I was gonna be late for work, so I got nervous. I went on in the pawn shop to see what was keeping my cuz.” He let out a long breath and paused again. “The man running the place gave A.J. a package and told him he should be especially careful with it.” He fell silent then.