by Susan Arden
“Next time, see if I help!”
This was typical. A daily occurrence when it came to his dad and uncle. They were a click away from a bona fide clearing of the air.
Matt shut it down by saying, “Before you both go off on a tangent, either we go over the logs or I’ll see ‘em tomorrow.”
“Since when are you leaving before supper?” Uncle Calvin demanded, exchanging a look with Wade.
His father and uncle regarded him as if he’d announced that he was taking the next flight out to Vegas to bet the family ranch in high-stakes poker.
Did he have to spell it out for them? He walked past them and over his shoulder gave a clipped reply, “I’ve got a guest. And the logs are this way.”
Chapter Eleven
Carolina trembled and her mind raced. In the aftermath, quivers danced over her skin, in her belly, and between her legs. An interplay of pleasure and ache.
Her fingers shook as she buttoned her shirt. Carolina gazed into the mirror. Her pupils were dilated and her cheeks were flushed. This was madness. Matt drove her to the brink. One hard-muscled cowboy’s body was all it took! She had to calm down instead of standing there gawking.
Carolina didn’t know if she wanted to laugh, cry, or scream. For once, she hadn’t fought being out of control. Her reward: the big ‘O’ by way of almost having sex in her newest and only client’s office. Nice going.
They’d gone the distance — well, not for Matt. Anticipation quaked in Carolina, bone deep. That’s right! What would happen next? In her immediate future, she was very sure she couldn’t go out there into his office or beyond. She most definitely lacked the composure to greet his father as if what they’d done wasn’t clearly written on her face.
For a second, Carolina examined her reflection. Yep, there it was. As plain as the nose on her flushed face. An expression of unveiled want and need, and it took her aback. She was powerless. What if this were Matt’s thing? Explosive raunchy office sex. This wasn’t much different from how they’d gone down to the business center at the hotel. He’d been all up for it then and now. Hard, fast sex.
Were cravings transferrable? That didn’t make sense. If they were, she’d have succumbed to Jeff months, no years ago.
Geography differed along with the man. Minutes ago, Matt had sought to gather their collective sanity. He wasn’t telling her to ‘go’ as in leave the premises. Something Jeff had once done when she’d shown up unexpected at his office. It had taken Carolina a while to figure out why: Dr. Jackass had been holding private office hours with his teaching assistant. Water under the bridge.
Now, with Matt, she’d experienced something not only new, but illuminating. Passion, their passion, was explosive.
It didn’t take plotting, planning, or pain. With her eyes wide open, Carolina saw her past mistake. Sex with Jeff had been a humiliating experience. Don’t, don’t go there!
Carolina swallowed around the brick lodged in her throat. She slammed her eyes shut, attempting to collect herself. In a few minutes, she had to exit this washroom. This was a new beginning. Her past was dead and gone. There was no reason to hold on to it. Her hands were actually fisted. That’s how hard she was clinging to something that she had to let go or it would drag her down.
She drew in a cleansing breath. Refocused, she recalled the feel of Matt’s mouth. His words. His hands. Matt was powerfully built. He wanted her. Their coming together was wildly off-the-charts.
McLemore craved her just as much as she hungered for him. Slowly, gradually the stress unravelled from her shoulders and arms. She exhaled a deep, harsh sigh of release. Carolina opened her fingers and her eyes.
Here in Texas on Evermore, she’d found a doorway. Matt was right, neither of them wanted this to end in regret. She’d already been classified as a survivor. A storm of passion might leave wreckage, carnal but no less damaging, but only if she were going at it blindly. Been there, done that!
If this affair were going to be short-lived, that she could handle. What she needed to do was make sure this time, it was on her terms. She’d be the one in control and set the rules. If ever there was a moment to set her course, it was now.
Carolina took a fresh towel hanging on the bar and wet it. As she pressed the cool terry cloth to her cheeks, she considered exactly what she wanted and needed. The feel of Matt and how her body responded to him went cellular. Something animalistic. And all the more reason to take care.
She ran the towel from her face down her neck, leaving a trail of water where his kisses had once lingered. She shivered a bit. The moisture cooled her skin and helped relax her tangled thoughts.
Carolina redressed, tucked in her shirt and straightened her skirt. She ran a brush through her hair and even reapplied her mascara and a touch of lip gloss. She checked her phone. No text or messages. God, she’d been in the bathroom for fifteen minutes.
She gathered her things and emerged to survey the room. Dear Lord, it looked like a tornado had come and gone! Yet standing in the middle of this office mayhem, Carolina smiled. Who knew sex could be this crazy. This disorganized and fun!
Laughing, she bent down and began collecting the pens, Post-it notes, clips. Then she started on stacking the folders. From under the desk, Carolina noticed there were other items scattered along the carpet. On all fours, she picked up a crystal cube.
The door opened. Matt stood for a second at the threshold before shutting the door.
“How’d it go?” Carolina backtracked from under the desk. She peered up as Matt walked to where she crouched.
He bent down, on eye level with her, and gently touched the side of her face. “We’d better go. If we’re going to make it to the courier.” His hands tugged her upward. Matt kissed her once before picking up the shipping boxes. “The shipper is in Clarkesville. You have what you need?”
“Everything.” Probably more than he realized. “Should I go and say something to your father? I feel like I’m hiding out, first from your brother and now your family.”
“Not to worry. I told my father you had a headache.”
“And? Since when does a headache get a person out of saying hello.” She followed Matt to an exit on the other side of the storage closet in his office.
At the doorway, he said, “Maybe not in Miami. But it does around here. For decades, women have set the tone. Make no mistake.”
“You sound pretty sure for someone who’s taking a back exit.”
“Men like my father and uncle don’t argue with any type of feminine complaint. They’ve been schooled far too long. And my car is parked out here, Dr. Smarty Pants.”
“What about you? Have you been schooled?” she asked just to see what he’d say.
“I’d like to think I’m a hybrid. Guess time will tell.” Matt was good with the comebacks.
Slipping on her sunglasses, she laughed and said, “Touché, cowboy.”
They exited the building and he slipped on a pair of aviators. After depositing the boxes into the back, they both got into the Jeep. Carolina started to braid her hair and glanced over at Matt. He was waiting, watching her. When she finished, he smiled and shifted into reverse as she held onto the hand grip.
Just like before, Matt tore down the road, clouds of dust following. They didn’t travel far, though. With a sharp turn, he veered and punched the clutch as they rounded one of the barns. In the rear, there was another set of outbuildings and he hit the brakes, coming to a stop near a fuel pump.
“We’ll switch cars for the ride to town.” Matt helped her from the Jeep.
“Why?” she asked.
“This is a farm car. Doesn’t have regular plates.” He pulled a key fob from his pocket and clicked. The lights on a sleek black sports car blinked. They walked over and he held opened the passenger door for her.
It was low-slung and matched Matt’s obvious enjoyment of driving fast. The slam of the door was solid. Carolina ran her fingers on the sleek dash, fingering
the buttons. The car was equipped with every imaginable gadget.
When he got in, she asked, “Does this drive itself?”
“Almost.” He laughed. “It’s what Tesla is known for, but not yet.” He keyed in information into the GPS and handed her an iPod. “Whatever your tastes are, there’s plenty of music to choose from or go to the Apple store and surprise me.”
The engine revved and she gripped the armrest, preparing for the movement of the car backwards. He handled the car well, smoothly shifting between gears. Carolina closed her eyes, struggling to stop the runaway beat of her heart as he floorboarded it. “Whoa,” she murmured. “Ever think of NASCAR as a profession.”
“Naw. What can I say. A man’s got to have some toys.”
More like a powerful man in a powerful car. The iPod was cold in her palm. She swirled her thumb around the control, opening the music menu. “You’ve got a lot of songs.”
“I travel and the radio stations out here are few. Mostly country and they stick to playing the same old songs. How about something new? What do you listen to down in Miami when you get hot and bothered?” He waggled his eyebrows and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.
“Cowboy, if you only knew.”
“I’d like to,” he said.
“Ah, let me see what you’ve got. Maybe there’s already something worth replaying.”
He arched a brow. “Will you always challenge whatever I suggest?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not in my book, as long as you’re good with payback.”
In reply, Carolina softly laughed at his sexy challenge. She read several titles of songs and stopped on a pop-up suggestion from the Apple Store: “I Got the Boy” by Jana Kramer. She pressed play and sat back as the music filled her headrest. Even the speakers were perfect in delivering sparkling musical notes, separating the piece into layers and currents. She floated inside the car, adrift on the poignant lyrics and melody; a refuge away from the need to sort through confusing emotions.
The sky was littered with clouds starting to swim in late afternoon shadows. Matt smiled at her. The turn signal flickered on and off. Up ahead was the overnight courier. He parked outside the building, leaving the engine idling.
“Do you want to come inside?”
She shook her head. “Only if you need me too.”
“Stay put,” he said in a rich chocolatey voice.
Carolina rocketed into orbit. Was this the last stop before they resumed where they’d left off. Or were they having dinner with his family? Why hadn’t she thought to ask?
As seconds ticked by, she watched Matt inside FedEx at the counter. The man definitely was someone to write home about as the saying went. He opened the door and stepped aside for a woman with a child about to enter. A simple movement and he held Carolina’s rapt attention. Apparently not only hers. The woman gave him an appreciative glance over her shoulder.
That’s right, he’s something, isn’t he? Diving headlong into a pool of desire with this cowboy had been evocative, Carolina mused. And very, very enjoyable.
But the next time, she had no intention of breaking the surface, gasping for breath. Matthew McLemore was her prize for the night and she wanted to drive him to the brink. Her heartbeat sped up, enthralled at the prospect.
Carolina pressed her lips together, realizing she hadn’t come up with any sort of absolute plan on how to have her cake, and eat it, too.
Chapter Twelve
Matt climbed behind the wheel. His gaze swept across Carolina’s face and the slight quirk to her lips. She had him going but good. “What are you thinking?” he asked, hungry to do more than talk.
“You’re one handsome man.” She glanced down at his iPod, her lips about to bust out into a wide grin.
“Somehow, I doubt that’s what has got you smiling,” he said, interested in unearthing her secrets. “Are you always such a mystery?”
“I’m not the only puzzle.”
“Me?” he scoffed. This woman had the ability to turn the tables on him, time and time, again. “Carolina, I’m not hiding anything from you. Turn down the music for a moment and let’s talk.” If there was one thing he understood, it was not making the same mistake twice. He’d walked away from her in Miami rather than push boundaries or talk about that fact. After this afternoon, they were finally on the same page. If she wanted to talk or needed answers, for the sake of moving forward—to his bed—he’d discuss her concerns, for as long as it took, to make her comfortable.
She clicked the volume on mute.
“Are you hungry or thirsty?” he asked as a segue to address other things.
Carolina touched his hand with her soft fingertips. “Look, there’s no point ignoring the elephant in the room. Not that you asked, but I just don’t want this to turn into something that becomes complicated. At first, I thought it was a bad idea to cross certain lines, but we did. And here we are.”
“That sounds wide open. Are we talking tonight or for the next two weeks?”
“Both. We just overnighted your samples. Results are due back in a week or less. You’ll know all that I can tell you in two weeks, tops. Then I’m flying back home. I like you. You like me.”
He tried to pick apart the thread of where she was coming from. “It sounds like you want assurances.”
She laughed nervously. “Matt, don’t make it seem like I’m being unreasonable. I’m not looking to be part of something painful, someone getting hurt.”
He took hold of her hand. “I’ve got no problem with structure. It’s part and parcel in business. But you’re asking for something that I’m not sure is actually possible. If this is because you’re uncertain about your future, don’t worry. I’m not the kinda man who takes a woman to bed and then jumps into a relationship for the next decade. Give me a little credit.”
“I am.” Carolina squeezed his hand. “Of course, we can’t fully define the terms of any relationship. But we can agree on certain things. Neither of us wants or is interested in anything long-term or serious.”
Translation: Carolina wasn’t looking to get boxed in. If he had to guess, this came from her desire to not repeat history. He was right there with her on that point. But if she was trying to stop from being vulnerable, good luck on that one. Trying to put up fences around emotions never worked out, yet if he told her that, she’d probably think he had some ulterior motive.
“Agreed,” he replied. “Caro, we both aren’t interested in rushing into anything. I’m more than happy that we can see our way around what we first thought was impossible. I’d hate to be so fixed on an idea that I couldn’t see a better way to do things.”
“Good. That’s exactly what I mean. Neither one of us wants to make a mistake. Back in Miami, I was in a relationship that officially ended the day of my cousin’s wedding.”
Matt did a double take. Her words cut through his thoughts. “I wouldn’t classify our time together as a mistake. We’re just getting to know one another.” He revved the engine, downshifting so that the tires screeched, loud enough to turn heads.
Carolina’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean that ‘we’ would be a mistake.”
“I get it.” He wasn’t piss off that she classified their pseudo relationship as a potential mistake. Hearing that she’d just gotten out of a relationship was unexpected and hit him hard. He heard that one before and it hadn’t ended well. “Women like control as much as men.”
She touched his arm. “Is that a bad thing?”
Well, let’s see. If it comes from a woman who’s two-timing her boyfriend with her husband, then yeah. It leaves a sour taste in some asshole’s mouth. The memory of being sentenced to five fucking years of probation lit Matt up. “Generally, speaking no,” he bit out.
“There’s something you aren’t telling me.”
“Like what?” he retorted, in full denial because, of course, she just nailed his ass.
“If I knew, I woul
dn’t have to ask.”
Carolina wasn’t going to let it go. What would she do if she discovered he had a criminal record? It might’ve been a street brawl but he’d been booked, fingerprinted, and ended up with a suspended sentence. He’d paid a hefty fine and done community service. If he kept his nose clean, his record would be expunged. Otherwise, one fight and he’d go straight to jail. Six months without parole because of his idiot temper.
He felt like flooring the gas, pulling out of the lot so fast her head would spin. Only he doubted even that act would cause her to put aside this tack she was on. If he wanted to build trust, downshifting so hard and fast—with the force this car was capable of—would probably not be the way to go.
Matt didn’t tear his eyes from the road. From a heated conversation, silence ensued. The awkward kind but it was better than having to lay out his fucked-up relationship history.
After several minutes, Carolina seemed to want to say something to bridge the newly formed gorge that lay between them. He did, too. It wasn’t her fault his experience with love was as twisted as a corkscrew when it came to sex and emotions. He liked sex, a lot. Anything more, he veered away from. Since Caro wasn’t a mind reader, she most likely thought he was off his rocker from this little chat. Eventually, at some point in his life, he’d have to talk about his past. Only why did it seem ten times as hard with this woman? Without an answer, Matt gripped the steering wheel. If he could, he’d force the words to materialize. So far, they didn’t.
Chapter Thirteen
After the longest twenty-minute drive back Carolina had ever endured, they were at Evermore. Matt still seemed deep in thought. With a sigh, she turned her attention to the land. It really was beyond beautiful. It was easy to get lost in the view of mile after mile of grasslands. The ranch lands weren’t flat though. She held up her hand, squinting in the late afternoon sun. Over to the south, there were areas of rolling hills, some were actually a bit steep.