His mother gave him a merry smile, making him frown. “Not at all, dear. And Jessica can help me get ready.”
“Okay.”
As soon as Cal was out the door, Mabel moved to the telephone and dialed a number by memory. “Jessica? Cal just called and offered to pick you up on his way over here.”
“That’s not necessary, Mabel. I’ll drive myself.”
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry, but he’s already left. Do you mind terribly much?”
“It’s not that I mind, Mabel, but it’s too much trouble for Cal. He might have plans for afterward.”
“I’m sure he won’t. But if you don’t want to ride with him, I suppose you can tell him. Only, try not to hurt his feelings.” She waited, her smile widening, as Jessica debated her answer.
“Mabel, I shouldn’t go along with this, because I know what you’re doing. But Cal doesn’t, so I guess I’ll accept a ride this time. But I’m telling Cal. So you’d better stop your shenanigans.”
“Of course, dear. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Stop? She was only getting started.
JESSICA CHECKED HERSELF in the full-length mirror on her closet door. She’d told herself not to do as Mabel asked, but she had. Instead of her usual loose clothing and flowing skirts, she’d bought something new to wear.
A very short, very tight skirt. Red. And a white crinkle top that molded her figure and left her shoulders bare. Then, instead of her usual braid, she was wearing her waist-length hair unfettered. She sprayed a little extra perfume between her breasts and took a deep breath.
Maybe Mabel had a point.
She’d never pushed Cal. She’d always accepted his guardianship, even as it irritated her, and hoped he’d realize she cared for him on his own.
Until she’d kissed him on Saturday.
Even thinking about that few seconds left her flushed...and wanting more. And tonight she was serving notice. If Cal didn’t want her, maybe she’d attract someone else. It was time to get on with her life.
The doorbell rang.
After taking a deep breath and straightening her shoulders, she walked to her front door, only stopping to pick up her purse and keys on the way. She swung open the door, a nervous smile on her lips.
“You didn’t check to see—” Already in the middle of his lecture, Cal’s gaze slipped below Jessica’s eyes and came to an abrupt halt. “Damn it, Jess, what are you doing?”
She pretended she didn’t know what had caused his outburst. “Going to a party for your dad.”
“I hope he’s not the one you’re planning to seduce,” he growled.
She blinked, not expecting the attack. She’d hoped to see admiration. “I beg your pardon?”
Putting his hands around her waist, he picked her up, moved her back out of the doorway, and entered. Then he set her down. “You’d better hurry and change. Mom wants us there early.”
She stared at him. “Change? Why would I do that?”
“Because what you’re wearing is liable to incite riots. The men will all be trying to get close to you, and the women will want to pull your hair out.”
“Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a little bit? My outfit may be a little...flirtatious, but other women dress the same way all the time.” She raised her chin, irritated by his response.
“You’re really going to wear that outfit? Leave your hair loose?”
“What’s wrong with my hair?”
“Hell, there’s nothing wrong with it. But every man there will be thinking about running his fingers through it.” His cheeks flushed and he looked away.
His response encouraged Jessica a little. “Every man?”
His head whipped around and he frowned at her. “That’s what I said.”
That answer suited her. She decided it was time to end the discussion before it got out of hand. “We’d better go if we don’t want to be late.” She walked past him out the door.
He was still frowning, but he stepped outside.
She’d intended to tell him about his mom’s plan on the way over, but after his response to her clothing, she decided to await the return trip for her revelation. She could have a little fun first.
CAL COULD HARDLY KEEP his eyes on the road.
Jessica’s skirt left a mile of tanned legs visible to his eyes. And that blouse was no better, baring her shoulders, dipping slightly between her breasts, letting a man’s imagination work overtime.
“Where did you buy those clothes?”
“Why? You want to shop for your girlfriend?” she asked as if the idea didn’t bother her.
He swallowed, his mouth dry. “No! But I don’t think—I mean, it’s not a good idea to dress so suggestively. Some men might get the wrong idea.”
She gave a heavy sigh, as if disturbed. “But not you.”
“What? Of course not! I know that you’re not that kind of woman.” He pressed his lips together, hoping to distract himself from the urge to trace hot kisses over those soft shoulders.
She rolled her eyes and looked out the truck window.
She’d been doing that a lot lately, as if he just didn’t get it. Whatever it was.
They didn’t have far to go, since Cactus was a small town. He couldn’t think of anything else to say before he pulled into the driveway. “Look, I’ll keep an eye on you tonight. If you get in trouble, give me a look.”
“What kind of trouble do you think I’ll get into?”
She couldn’t be that naive. “You know what kind of trouble.”
She leaned toward him. “You mean, someone might want to kiss me?”
Her soft red lips were only a couple of inches away. Did she know how much she tempted him? Maybe he should kiss her, let her know firsthand what he meant. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he acted on it.
He’d meant to kiss her gently, but hunger burgeoned like a sudden spring storm and he pulled her against him, his lips pressing hers, pleading for entry.
She opened to him at once, her arms stealing around his neck, her breasts pressing against his chest. He came up for air at some point, he wasn’t sure how long, but slanted his lips over hers again. His hands slipped beneath the top of her blouse, eagerly seeking the soft breasts that tormented him.
Someone banged on the window of Cal’s door, and they both jumped apart.
“Damn!” Cal muttered. He looked over his shoulder to discover Spence standing there, grinning. Cal opened his door and stepped out. “Forget what you saw.”
“Is that an order from the sheriff?” Spence asked softly.
Cal didn’t hesitate. “No, that’s a request from a friend. That shouldn’t have happened.”
Spence smiled. “I’ll forget it, but if you’re not planning on advertising it to the world, you’d better remove that red lipstick from your face.”
With a groan, Cal whipped a white handkerchief from his khakis and scrubbed his lips while he moved around the truck to open Jessica’s door, to see if she was okay.
And still speaking to him.
“Baby, we’ll just pretend that didn’t happen. I wanted to show you what could happen, but it... Well, things got out of hand. I apologize.”
She sat still, not looking at him. “You want to forget it happened?”
“Yeah. It was a warning, nothing else.”
“A warning.” Still she didn’t move, nor look at him.
“Yeah. Are you going to get out?” He reached in to grab her around the waist and set her on the ground. After all, his truck was high up, and she’d revealed a lot of leg when she’d gotten in.
“Don’t touch me!”
He frowned. “Are you mad at me?”
“No. But I can get out on my own.”
She did, and though he enjoyed the way her skirt slipped up, he chastised himself for his appreciation. Clearing his throat, he added, “Spence won’t say anything.”
“Good.” Without looking at him, she hurried to the front door of his parents’ hou
se.
What was wrong with her? He’d apologized. True, he’d gotten carried away, but Spence’s arrival had taken care of that problem. If he hadn’t arrived when he had, Cal knew he’d have pulled that blouse down and made love to her breasts until she’d cried for mercy.
The thought of what he’d wanted to do caused a reaction that he wouldn’t be able to hide if he went in the house now. He took a deep breath and tried to think of other things, like changing the oil in his truck. He’d been needing to do that. Or calling the vet to discuss his bull. Old Toro didn’t seem to be feeling good lately.
Probably had too many cows to service.
Damn! That didn’t help. His mind immediately flew to Jessica. Tuck’s comment about getting Jessica pregnant popped into his head. He closed his eyes, hoping inspiration would hit him to erase those pictures.
“You sleepwalking, Cal?” Tuck called.
Cal was on the far side of his truck, with it between him and his friend. “Trying to get rid of a headache.”
“Rough day?”
“So-so. Glad to see you. I assumed Mom would invite everyone, but since it’s a party for Dad, I wasn’t sure.”
Tuck grinned. “Yeah. Are you going in?”
“Sure. I was supposed to get here early, but I got...sidetracked. If I come in with you, I won’t get in any trouble.”
At least no more than he was already in.
“JESSICA, I expected you earlier,” Mabel said as a greeting, her gaze roving Jessica’s sexy outfit. “Perfect, dear, just perfect. You’re—Oh, you need to fix your lipstick. It’s a little smeared.”
Jessica’s cheeks burned. “I got a drink of water just before I left,” she said hurriedly. “I’ll go to the powder room and fix it.”
And hope she could regain her composure before Cal came into the house. The man was driving her crazy. Kissing her that way to warn her? Any more warning and she’d have to go home and hide behind locked doors. Didn’t the man have a clue? Did he think she responded to other men’s kisses like that?
Oh, she’d tried. When she’d gone away to college, she’d already given up on Cal wanting her. She’d dated a lot of men. But after two dates, she’d always walked away. Only once had she tried having sex with a man. He’d been nice, sweet, very interested in her. When she’d agreed with his plea to become intimate, he’d been ecstatic.
She’d regretted her decision at once. But it was too late. And too late, she realized she was a one-man woman. And that one man was Cal. Either that or she was frigid. Now she knew for sure that she wasn’t frigid. Not after Cal set her on fire in his truck.
After fixing her lipstick, she returned to the living room, and was glad to see several guests had arrived. Florence Gibbons was there, as well as Spence’s parents.
But there seemed to be an unusually high number of young women arriving. Jessica searched for Mabel, to see if she needed any help, of course, and also to ask her a few questions.
“Mabel, is there anything I need to do?” she asked when she found Mabel in the kitchen. After Mabel assured her she had everything under control, Jessica added, “I didn’t know Ed was friends with so many young women.”
“He’d better not be!” Mabel retorted with a smile. “I guess I can tell you now. The party is for Cal.”
“Why?” Jessica didn’t feel any better that all the young women had been invited for Cal.
“He just had his fourth anniversary as sheriff. I thought we should celebrate it.”
“And you invited all those women because Cal is friends with them?” She was trying to be subtle, though she didn’t think Mabel believed her.
“Heck, no! They’re all camouflage.” Mabel put her arm around Jessica. “You’re the one. And dressed like that, you can’t miss. Come on, let’s make the big announcement.”
Jessica stood to one side in the large living room as Mabel surprised her son. She figured Cal didn’t have any idea about his mother’s other surprise, either.
Jessica should have told him on the way over.
But she’d been distracted.
“Hey, Jess, you’re lookin’ fine tonight,” someone said from behind her.
She turned toward the voice. “Johnny! I didn’t know you were here,” she murmured. Automatically her gaze sought out Cal.
He’d already spotted her and her companion, and his gray eyes were hard as steel.
“Yeah. Mrs. Baxter called and invited me personally. Nice of her, wasn’t it?”
When she nodded, he leaned closer and wrapped his hand around her bare neck, whispering, “I’m glad she did. I wouldn’t want to miss seeing you in this outfit. Maybe you can wear it for me when I take you out to dinner.”
She didn’t like his touch or the way he was practically hanging over her. “Maybe you should take Lydia out instead.”
His gaze narrowed. “I don’t want Lydia. I want you.”
“Get away from her.” Cal had suddenly appeared in front of them.
Jessica closed her eyes briefly, then placed a hand on Cal’s chest. “Cal, please, we’re just talking. Don’t ruin your mother’s party.”
“I won’t if he leaves you alone.”
Johnny, who spent a lot of time building his muscles, couldn’t compare to Cal who, at six foot three, topped him by five inches and fifty pounds of muscle.
“Listen, Sheriff,” Johnny responded, refusing to give up, “you can’t tell her what to do.”
“No, but I can get rid of uninvited guests. After all, it’s my party.”
“Your mother invited me!”
Seeing a fight in her future, Jessica desperately sought a distraction. Music was her answer. “Dance with me, Cal. I want the privilege of the first dance with the honoree. If you’ll excuse us, Johnny?” She made it a question, but she was sure Johnny would recognize dismissal when he heard it. He might be a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.
She wasn’t sure Cal would accept her invitation. Sometimes men preferred fighting. To enhance her offer, she ran her arms up around his neck and leaned into him.
His big hands curled around her waist and he pulled her even closer against him, moving fluidly to the center of the floor where the rug had been rolled up. Several couples were already making use of the available space.
Now that she’d achieved her goal, Jessica tried to ease back from his hold, but his hands kept her pressed against him.
“I thought you wanted to dance,” he murmured, his breath warm in her ear as he bent his head down to her.
“Yes, but if we dance like this, people will think we’re...you know, a couple. And...and the other women will think you’re taken. Your mother invited a lot of women here tonight so you would have a good time.”
“I’m having a good time.”
He spun her around, then pulled her back against him. “In fact, I haven’t had this good a time in years.”
She was having trouble breathing. “I think you’re trying to control your temper. When you calm down, you may regret what’s happening here.”
And something was definitely happening. She could feel his arousal through their clothing. Was Mabel’s plan working? Could she trick Cal like that?
In spite of how she felt about him, she didn’t want him to fall into a trap. She only wanted him if he wanted her, without tricks.
She nibbled on her bottom tip. Finally she muttered, “Remind me to tell you something on the way home.” Until then, she decided to enjoy herself.
Chapter Five
Cal wasn’t happy with his mother’s surprise. Nor was he happy that she’d invited Johnny Boyd. But he couldn’t object to dancing with Jessica. It was pure pleasure.
And he could justify his dancing with her because Johnny kept hovering around her. Cal let her dance with his friends, Mac, Spence, and Tuck, but the rest of the dances he claimed for himself.
He enjoyed himself so much, in fact, that when friends began to leave as midnight approached, he was startled.
“Y
ou’re leaving already?” he said.
“Hey, man, work starts at sunrise,” Tuck reminded him. He had his arms around two young ladies, but he didn’t seem eager to extend his evening.
Cal nodded. After his friend walked away, he leaned down to Jessica. “Do you think he’s interested in either of those ladies?”
With a sigh, she shook her head no.
Since she only confirmed his thoughts, he didn’t question her answer. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes. Tuck’s right, it’s late. I can catch a ride with someone so you won’t have to—”
“I’ll see you home,” he insisted, not wanting to end the evening. He knew Jessica considered him to be her big brother, and had no interest in him, but he intended to keep an eye on her.
“I have to help Mabel clean up,” she murmured, her gaze searching the crowd for his mother. When she spotted her with her three friends, she left Cal’s side and headed toward Mabel.
Cal watched as Jessica kissed Mabel’s cheek, bringing a smile to his mother’s face. In fact, he was relaxed, leaning against a wall, watching, when Johnny moved in on Jessica. Immediately, he straightened from the wall and hurried to Jessica’s side, sliding his arm around her narrow waist, shifting her hip against his.
“You leaving, Johnny?” he said, nodding at his mother and her friends at the same time.
“Yeah. And I thought I’d offer Jessica a ride home,” Johnny returned, frustration in his voice.
“Not necessary. She came with me.”
“Man, when are you going to let her have a life? She’s not some little lamb about to be attacked by a wolf.” Johnny moved a little closer.
Cal retained his hold on Jessica. “I’m not stopping Jessica from doing anything she wants. Baby, you want to go with Johnny?” He was taking a gamble, but he didn’t think Jessica would let him down.
“Thank you for the offer, Johnny, but I did come with Cal. I think Lydia needs a ride, though.”
Cal breathed a sigh of relief after Johnny glared at Jessica before stomping away.
“Well, ladies, Jess and I are leaving. Mom, thanks for the surprise party. We’ll see you around,” he said, pulling Jessica toward the door.
One Hot Daddy-To-Be? Page 5