by Lori Wilde
What else could life do to him today? The entire restaurant was watching him and laughing.
Thankfully, he took it well. He leaned back in his chair and nodded his head, as if he were trying to remember every warning the song gave. After Darla and company finished, he gave them a big tip and laughed.
“I guess that’s better than getting hit in the head with a coffeepot,” he said to Megan.
When he grinned at her, Megan smiled back. He was so wonderful. Not just his handsome-devil looks, but his humor and kindness. How could she not be in love with him?
She took a sip of her lemonade, her gaze locking on the assortment of fruit sitting in a bowl in the middle of the table. In the center was a pile of cherries—complete with stems. She’d ordered the fruit because she loved fruit—but now a variety of possibilities popped into her mind.
“I guess we head back to Honey in the morning,” she said, still looking at the cherries.
“I guess.”
“Did you enjoy this trip at all?” She held her breath, waiting for his response, more than a little bit afraid he’d say he’d had a terrible time.
“Yeah. I enjoyed it.” His gaze was intent, heated. Megan’s heart beat furiously in her chest. She loved the way he was looking at her, with fire and want and lots of good old lust in his gaze. Leaning forward, he added, “I always enjoy being with you.”
Megan tucked that comment close to her heart. Then she gathered her nerve and plucked a cherry out of the bowl.
“Watch this,” she said, holding Chase’s gaze.
It took her a little bit of effort since she hadn’t practiced nearly as much as she should have, but eventually, she managed to tie the cherry stem into a knot using only her tongue. She held out her handiwork for Chase to see.
“Ta-da,” she said with a grin.
Chase looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He made a mumbled, groaning sound as he first studied the knotted cherry stem, then glanced at her mouth.
“Party trick,” she said softly.
“Come on.” He stood and tossed money on the table. Then he wrapped his hand around hers, tugged her out of the restaurant, and hustled her back to the hotel. It wasn’t easy keeping up with him, but she managed.
When they reached the bridal suite, she waited while he unlocked the door, dreading what would happen next. One of them was going to pack up their things and move to a room down the hall.
“Give me a moment to pack,” she said, once they were inside the room.
As Chase tossed the key onto the dresser, Megan moved by him to get her suitcase. When she started to unzip it, he placed one hand on her wrist, stopping her.
“Hold on a moment.”
His deep voice was husky, strained, and Megan moved closer to him. “Why?”
With a gentle touch, he brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “You remember I mentioned earlier that my willpower was draining away?”
She couldn’t believe what was happening here, or at least, what she hoped was happening here. Trying to contain her excitement, she kept her voice even when she said, “Yes.”
He seemed almost as if he were looking into her soul. “I’m afraid I’m on dead empty, Megan.” Then he bent his head and kissed her.
11
Megan didn’t give him the chance to change his mind. As soon as he moved to kiss her, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him first. She threw herself at him with such gusto that he had to wrap his arms around her to keep them both from falling over.
“Whoa, whoa,” he tore his mouth away from hers. “Sweetheart, let’s not crash through the wall.”
Megan kept kissing him. His cheek, his neck, his chin. “Kiss me,” she murmured.
Oh, he intended on kissing her all right. He intended on doing a lot more than merely kissing her. But he also didn’t want to end up in the hospital. Not now. Not when he’d finally decided to give in to the desire he felt for Megan.
He gave her another long, lingering kiss. Megan returned it with an enthusiasm that rocked him straight down to his boots. At the back of his mind, he still had a lot of reservations about making love with Megan. But he was only human, and he hadn’t been kidding, his willpower had dried up quicker than rainwater in the Texas sun.
This time, one kiss led to another, then another. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. Although his hormones screamed yes, yes, reality smacked him in the face.
“Whoa.”
She groaned and laid her head against his chest. “Stop saying whoa. Say giddy-up.”
He chuckled. “I’ll work on that. I only stopped this time because we’ve got a problem. I don’t have anything with me.”
She tipped her head back and looked at him. “By anything, do you mean like handcuffs or feathered boas?”
“No, I don’t think we’re going to need any help having a good time.” Slipping his arms around her, he pressed his body against hers, enjoying the feel of her soft curves. “I meant I don’t have any condoms with me, and I can hardly call downstairs and ask Judy to send up a few.”
Rather than looking disappointed, a grin lit Megan’s face. “I have the situation covered—literally.” She walked across the room and picked up her cosmetic case and opened it. She removed the tray containing her makeup, then pointed inside. “Will these do?”
Chase looked inside. There were half a dozen boxes of condoms in all styles and colors.
“What in the world? Megan, you must have fifty condoms in here. Expecting reinforcements?”
She giggled and nudged him. “No. I just wanted to be certain I got the right kind, and Mary said—” That stopped him cold. Mary Monroe was the wife of Ted Monroe, the owner of the one drugstore in Honey. “You bought all these condoms at Monroe’s Drug Store?”
“Of course. At first, I felt a little embarrassed, but I knew they wouldn’t mind answering any questions I had. If I’d gone to a big store in a different town, they might not have been as helpful.”
Megan was looking at him as if there wasn’t anything unusual about buying condoms from the biggest gossip in a town that thrived on gossip. He looked at the boxes in the bottom of her makeup case. At least Mary would tell everyone he had a lot of stamina.
“So Mary told you to buy all of these?” he asked, picking up one of the boxes.
“Oh, no. She recommended the ones with the car on the front, but Lilah said—”
Chase groaned. “Lilah Pearson was there, too?”
“Well, yes. She thought the ones with the sunset would be better. And then Troy Everson said the ones with the arrow on the front were really good.”
With effort, Chase tried to pull air into his lungs. Finally, he managed, “Exactly how many people did you talk to about condoms?”
She shrugged. “Not that many. Four. Maybe five. And I didn’t ask anyone’s opinion. They noticed me looking and came over and made suggestions.”
She squinched her eyes and admitted, “I guess I’d better tell you now that Nathan and Trent came into the store while I was there.” She rooted through the boxes, finally pulling out one with a picture of a shooting star on the front cover. “They told me to buy these.”
Chase took the box his brothers had recommended and tossed it into the trash. “No offense, but considering everything that’s happened, I don’t think I’ll trust my brothers.”
With that, he snagged one of the other boxes and tossed it on the bed. Then he nibbled on Megan’s neck. “The whole town thinks we’re here having wild sex, and yet, we’re standing around talking.”
She leaned toward him. “That does seem like a shame.”
Leaning back, he held her gaze. “Megan, you know I won’t change my feelings about love and marriage, right? You know that after this trip, I’m going to want to go back to being simply friends. Do you think you can do that?”
“I’ll always be your friend, Chase,” she assured him. “Tonight won’t change anything. I promise.”
Things had definitely ch
anged. Megan stood on her front porch, debating what to say to Chase. The drive back from San Antonio had been fairly silent, but not uncomfortable. They both seemed to be caught up in their emotions from last night. Just thinking about how wonderful it had been to make love with Chase brought a silly grin to her face.
But last night had been last night, and now it was time to pay the piper.
“Thanks again for everything,” she said as Chase carried her suitcase into her house and set it on the living room floor.
“Since I’m not exactly sure what you’re thanking me for, I’m not going to say ‘you’re welcome.’” He turned to face her. “Besides, I didn’t do anything that deserves your gratitude.”
Okey dokey. That sounded like a man who had picked up a few regrets on his trip to San Antonio. As usual, Chase was being hard on himself. As the oldest in his family—who’d practically raised his siblings—he held himself to impossible standards and never cut himself any slack.
Determined to keep things light, she said, “Fine, cowboy, have it your way. I had a great time.”
He raised one dark eyebrow. “How do you mean that?”
Megan had to stop and think what she’d said, then she laughed. “I meant I’m glad you came with me on the trip, but you can take it the other way, too.” Her bluntness seemed to throw him for a moment. He shifted his weight, glanced around her living room, then cleared his throat. “Guess it’s about time we talk about what happened.”
Even though she was far from psychic, she knew what he was going to say next. He intended on apologizing, which was the last thing she wanted to hear. So to prevent him from saying he was sorry the best night of her life had happened, she said, “I love you.”
That certainly shut him up. For a second, at least. Then he sighed.
Uh-oh. A sigh wasn’t a good sign. Not at all. Again, she hurried to prevent him from apologizing.
“Before you say last night was a huge mistake, I want to tell you something. I meant what I said. I love you. I’ve loved you for years as much more than a friend. And I think we can be happy together. But I also know you don’t feel that way, and I accept that. I still want to be your friend. So, let’s forget about last night and get back to being just friends.”
“Megan, last night was just lust. Nuclear lust, I admit, but only lust. You can’t let it convince you that you love me,” he said softly.
She studied him for a moment, then said, “You know, sometimes you’re one dumb cowboy.”
That caught his attention. “Excuse me?”
“I mean it. If you think for one second last night was about lust, then you’re acting dumber than mud.” She’d never been more certain of anything in her life.
One corner of his mouth lifted, and she could tell he was fighting back a smile. “For a lady who claims to be in love with me, you sure are calling me dumb a lot.”
“Oh, I love you. I feel bad that you’re avoiding happiness like it’s a giant pothole, but I still love you,” she said, smiling despite her best intentions.
He finally let his smile break free and gathered her close for a hug. “You don’t hate me?”
His question tugged at her heart. “No. I could never hate you.”
He rested his chin on top of her head and rocked them slowly. “Because you know, what you’re feeling is infatuation. It will fade, trust me.”
With a groan, she shoved out of his arms. “There you go, being dumb again. Of course it isn’t infatuation, and of course my feelings for you won’t change. Give me some credit here, cowboy. I know love when I’m standing in it.”
“I just meant—”
Megan held up one hand. “I know. Well, here’s the deal. Since you’re so convinced what we shared is only lust, then last night should have slaked our appetite for each other. I mean we did about everything a couple can legally do in Texas.”
With a chuckle, Chase said, “I’m not too sure about that last little idea you had. I can’t believe you read about that in a book.”
“Books open new horizons,” she said in her best librarian tone. “You can learn a lot from reading.”
“Yeah, well, it certainly taught me a thing or two.”
For a moment, they simply looked at each other, the memory of the previous night fresh and vivid between them. Then Chase broke eye contact.
Megan cleared her throat and forced herself to say the words she’d so carefully thought out during the ride home from San Antonio. “Anyway, now that we’ve made love, your sexual interest in me should wane since you don’t love me.”
He glanced back at her, the heat in his gaze still very real. But his response belied the look he was giving her. “Guess so.”
“And in a few days, I’m sure we can go back to acting normal around each other.” With effort, Megan pasted a bright smile on her face. What she was about to do was a calculated risk, but one she had to take. “Let’s avoid each other for a while and let things cool down. I know, the playground committee is set to meet a week from Tuesday. We can see each other then. We’ll also use that as an opportunity to tell everyone we’ve called off our engagement.”
For a moment, she thought Chase was going to argue with her, and she couldn’t help hoping he would. She wanted him to say he couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her for eight whole days. But he didn’t raise a single objection. Instead, he nodded his head.
He really was one dumb cowboy.
“Seems like the best idea.” He shifted over to the front door. “Guess I’ll see you at the meeting, then. And Megan, I know you’re going to find any feelings you have for me will fade with time.”
She sighed, but she might as well argue with his horse. Even after making love, Chase hadn’t changed his mind about them.
After he drove away, Megan looked out her front window, surprised she didn’t feel heartbroken. After all, Chase still maintained he didn’t return her feelings. But rather than feeling heartbroken, she felt filled with expectation, like something wonderful was going to happen to her very soon. No doubt the sensation came from knowing that Chase loved her, too. Oh sure, he didn’t want to love her. And he was going to fight it all the way. But she knew in her soul that he loved her.
From now on, she wasn’t going to push him anymore. She’d done what she promised herself she’d do—she’d shown Chase how wonderful things could be between them. He needed to take the final step himself. He needed to decide if he wanted her in his life or not.
Smiling, she headed toward her bedroom to unpack. She had every confidence that sooner or later, things would work out. One way or the other.
“But if he does decide he loves me and wants to build a life together,” she muttered to herself. “I only hope our children get his looks and my common sense.”
“What do you mean you don’t want to talk about it?” Leigh crossed the family room and flopped onto the couch near Chase. “You have to talk about the trip. I’ve been dying to hear what happened.”
“I’m not telling you a thing.” He picked up his beer and took a long sip. Then he nailed his sister with a narrow-eyed look. “And by the way, you’re grounded until you’re eighty-six for that little stunt with the hotel rooms.”
Rather than even attempting to appear innocent, Leigh grinned. “Liked that, did you? So, what did you do? Sleep on the floor like a gentleman?”
“I already told you, I’m not saying a thing.” When Leigh finally realized he really wasn’t going to give her any details, she threw her hands in the air and bolted from the couch. “I’m going to call Megan.”
“She won’t tell you anything, either,” Chase warned.
Leigh stared at him, her expression mutinous. “You can’t do this. You owe it to the town to tell them what happened.”
“You people need to get your own lives,” he pointed out.
“I’m trying to, but since I’m grounded until I’m eighty-six, it may be a little difficult.” She headed toward the kitchen, turning when she reached the
doorway. “By the way, I’m too old to be grounded by you. It’s a useless gesture.”
“Fine, then I’ll have Trent arrest you instead,” Chase said.
Leigh snorted. “You wish. I’m calling Megan.”
After his sister flounced out of the room, Chase exhaled an exasperated breath. Women. They were driving him nuts. His original theory about the water still held true. The females in this town were acting weird.
Especially Megan. Why did she have to go and say she loved him? That’s what he’d feared when he’d given into the lust he’d felt last night and made love with her. But he couldn’t help himself. He’d never lost control like he had with her, but dang it, when she’d tied that cherry stem, he’d almost had a heart attack.
He really was one dumb cowboy. He sure had been last night, probably because all the blood had rushed from his brain to other organs, leaving him with limited common sense.
“Hey, if it isn’t one half of the town’s most famous engaged couple,” Nathan said, wandering into the family room.
Chase studied his brother. “How’d you get in here?”
“Came through the front door. I haven’t quite mastered walking through walls yet. But I’m working on it.”
“Very cute.” Chase took another big swig of his beer. Although he rarely drank, he figured even a teetotaler would need a drink after the weekend he’d had. Heck, the way his life was going, the devil himself would be nervous. “I thought I’d locked the front door to keep undesirable people—like you—out.”
Nathan sat in the chair facing him. “Leigh was leaving and let me in. She said she was going to go see Megan and uncover the juicy bits about your trip.”
“Juicy bits? What if there weren’t any juicy bits? Did you people ever consider that?”
Nathan pretended to think for a second, then said, “Nope. No one is going to believe nothing happened. Not after several of us witnessed Megan stocking up on condoms at Monroe’s Drug Store.”