It was clear she had a whole lot on her plate. She had to be worn out from the challenges in her life, and he had no intention of taking advantage of that.
“It’s smelly,” Riley said, wrinkling his nose at the adhesive patch pad Chase was tucking under the edge of a hole they’d cut in the living room carpet.
“Talk quietly,” Chase said, demonstrating what he meant by saying the words in a whisper. “Mommy’s sleeping.”
“It’s smelly,” Riley repeated in a whispered voice.
“Don’t touch it,” Chase said, finding it easy to read Riley’s intentions from his expression.
“Is it hot?” asked Riley, thankfully still keeping his voice down.
“It’s sticky,” Chase said. “Like honey.”
“Can I taste it?”
“No.” Chase made a face. “It’s yucky, and it’ll make you sick.”
“Yuck.”
“Exactly. Yuck. Now, move back just a bit.”
They were kneeling on the floor. Chase picked up the carpet square cut to the right size.
“I need a little more room,” Chase said.
Riley wriggled back, while Chase carefully set the carpet down.
“Help me press it down.” Chase used the flat of his hand to anchor the carpet to the wet glue.
Riley happily helped, patting his small hands against the carpet. The carpet ends they’d found in the basement weren’t as faded as the carpet on the floor. But, overall, the match was pretty good.
“Better,” Chase said, pulling back to look.
“Better,” Riley echoed.
“What are you doing?” Maddy asked, dressed in a T-shirt and her pajama bottoms, she leaned against the end of the wall.
Chase still found the outfit incredibly sexy. He realized there had to be something wrong with him, because he’d bet there weren’t a lot of guys into green plaid.
“We chopped up the carpet,” Riley announced with glee.
He jumped up and trotted over to Maddy, giving her a hug.
“I found a roll end in the basement,” Chase said. “It’s not perfect, but we got rid of a few worn spots.”
“It needs to be replaced,” she said, looking embarrassed.
“You can still replace it. This just buys you a bit of time.”
“Thanks. And thanks for letting me sleep.”
He retracted the blade, tucked the cutter into his pocket and came to his feet. “You got in pretty late.”
“Still…”
Riley tugged at her hand. “I helped,” he said proudly.
She scanned the carpet. “You fixed the spot by the door too,” she said in obvious surprise.
“And under the window,” Riley said. “And where Daddy dropped the paint can.”
“You remember that?” Maddy asked Riley.
Riley nodded. Then a strange look came over his face, and he glanced at Chase.
Chase pounced on the moment.
He crouched back down so he was eye level with Riley. “Did you know that some people have more than one daddy?”
Riley’s lips pursed, and his eyes squinted down.
“Sometimes, when one daddy has to go away, a different one comes into a little boy’s life.”
“Daddy always comes back,” Riley said. But his eyes took on the sheen of tears.
“Daddiess come back when they can.” An unexpected weight settled on Chase’s chest as he spoke.
For some reason, he was reminded of his own father leaving. The situations were completely different. Mac Garrett hadn’t died, and Chase had been fourteen when it happened. But he’d left and he hadn’t come back.
Riley swallowed. “Are you going away?”
Chase decided he’d pressed enough for now. “I’ll have to go ride bulls again.”
Riley gave what looked like a brave nod.
“But not today,” Chase said. “Today we’re going to paint your bike.”
It took Riley a moment to react. When he did, he seemed guarded, as if the offer was too good to be true. “What color?”
“Any color you want,” Chase said.
“Can it be red?”
“Sure.”
“Like a fire engine?”
“Chase.” Maddy’s cautious tone had Riley glancing at her with apprehension.
Chase kept his tone light. “You have something against red?”
“Your ribs.”
He waved away her concern. “It’s light work. A little sanding, a little spray paint and polish.”
“You don’t need to do this.”
“There’s a hardware store in town?”
“Yes, but…”
“Can you go get your shoes?” he asked Riley.
“Yes.” Riley grinned from ear to ear then took off down the hall.
“You want to come along?” Chase asked Maddy.
She looked worried, and a shot of anxiety went through him. It occurred to him that there might be something about the situation he didn’t know. He might have made her life more difficult by trying to help.
“Maddy?” He moved toward her, ready to apologize and make it better.
“What I want,” she said on a note of wonder, “is to thank you all over again.”
“For what?” He couldn’t stop himself from inching closer.
“For last night.” She gestured to the carpet. “For this. And now his bike.”
“It’s nothing.”
“But most of all,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “for telling him he could have two dads.”
“It’s true.” Chase had moved too close. He knew it, but he couldn’t bring himself to back off.
“I saw his face,” she said. “He’s thinking. It’s a start, a gentle start.”
“It’s a start,” Chase agreed. He was very glad the thought had occurred to him.
She closed her eyes, and her shoulders drooped in what looked like relief.
“Hey.” He couldn’t help reaching out to touch her.
Then he wrapped an arm around her. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to pull her into an embrace.
The second he did, he remembered her state of dress. She was naked under the thin T-shirt, and her loose breasts touched his chest. She felt delicate in his arms, and he was overcome with a wave of protectiveness. It was followed by an equally potent wave of desire.
His hug tightened, and she rested her head on his shoulders.
“I shouldn’t do this,” she whispered. But she seemed to be talking to herself as her arms went around him.
“You’re not doing anything,” he assured her.
“I’m leaning on you.”
“It’s okay.”
“I feel weak. I can’t be weak.”
“You’re not weak. You’re resting. Everybody needs to rest.”
“I don’t know you,” she said.
“You will.”
“You’re leaving.”
“I am,” he agreed. “But not yet. Not today.”
She nodded against his shoulder.
He moved his head so that he could whisper in her ear. “Lean away.”
“Am I hurting you?”
Her question took him by surprise. But then he remembered his ribs. He’d forgotten about them. With her in his arms, they didn’t hurt at all.
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. But it wouldn’t matter. I can take it.”
“You’re a cowboy?”
“That I am, ma’am. And no self-respecting cowboy would let a little thing like broken ribs keep him from aiding a woman in distress.”
She laughed at that. “I like you, cowboy.”
“I like you, Maddy.” He pulled back, partly because he wanted to look at her face while they spoke, and partly because Riley was going to be back any second.
Their gazes met. He smoothed back her hair then he stared at her lush lips for a long moment. After an internal battle, he settled for kissing her forehea
d. Even that small gesture felt absurdly erotic. He loved the taste of her skin, the scent of her hair, the feel of her slender shoulders beneath his palms.
He had to back away now. But he knew for certain that when she came home tonight, he wouldn’t pretend to be asleep.
*
When Maddy got home, Chase was still up. She’d known he would be, and she knew why. She’d tried all night long to forget the feel of his embrace. And she’d tried very hard to pretend she hadn’t sent the signals she’d sent him.
“You’re up.” She pretended to be surprised as she peeled off her high shoes. Her feet were killing her.
“How was your night?” He was sitting on the sofa, a single lamp burning in the living room.
“It was fine.” She padded barefoot across her newly patched carpet, trying to quell her growing desire for him. “Like riding a bike.”
“You’ve dealt cards before?”
“Only at charity events. I was too young to do it in the casino. But I waited tables in their restaurant during high school. So I know how the place runs.”
“You look tired.”
“I am tired.”
“You want a drink?”
She did, but she wasn’t comfortable jumping into a fling.
“There’s a decent bottle of bourbon in my bag,” he said when she didn’t immediately answer.
“Chase.” She sank down on the opposite end of the sofa, deciding she owed it to him to be honest. “I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”
He sat up straighter. “And what idea is that?”
“I know.” She didn’t know how to say it, except to come right out and say it. “I know we kissed and earlier you hugged me. And I hugged you back. And you’re a good-looking guy and all.”
“What’s the idea you don’t want me to get?” he prompted.
“You’re a bull rider. You’re here for a week, maybe two at the outside. I’ve got a son, and I’m not about to fall into bed with you just because—”
“Just because you want to?” There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
“Just because you want to,” she corrected. He might have guessed at her attraction to him, but she was equally aware of his attraction to her.
His voice was low, deep and melodic. “Who says I want to fall into bed with you?”
“You stayed up and waited for me.”
“I didn’t have expectations.” His words said one thing, but his expression said another.
“But you had hopes.”
“I’m a man. And you’re amazing. And I absolutely had hopes. I still have hopes.”
“Chase.”
He gave his head a shake. “I’m not that shallow. I also stayed up because I wanted to have a conversation. I wanted to see how it went for you at work. I thought you might like to know how things went here with Riley.”
She experienced a flash of worry. “Is everything okay?”
“Riley’s fine. I gave him a bath, read him a book, and he went to sleep.”
“You gave him a bath?” She didn’t know why that touched her so much.
“He was pretty dirty from playing outside.”
She leaned back, feeling herself relax. “He always gets dirty.”
“He’s a boy.”
“He certainly is.” Her son might be confused about Chase at the moment. But besides that, he was an ordinary, healthy happy young boy.
“And how are you?” Chase looked like he genuinely wanted the answer.
“My feet are killing me.”
He grinned and held out his broad hand. “Give ’em here.”
She wasn’t about to fall into that trap. “Chase.”
“You think this is seduction 101?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not. It’s sympathy 101. Nothing happens tonight that you don’t want to happen. I swear to that.”
She knew his words were meant to comfort her. Unfortunately, they didn’t. Because she was more worried about herself than she was about Chase. Everything he’d said and done in the past few days told her he was a principled gentleman.
She, on the other hand, seemed to want to throw herself into the arms of a handsome bull rider who was only passing through town. She’d always questioned the morals of the women who did that. Maybe she’d been too judgmental.
“You need me to save you from yourself?” he guessed with frightening insight.
“I do not,” she lied.
“Then there’s absolutely no danger here.” He leaned down and lifted one of her feet, setting it on his knee and pressing his thumb into her heel.
She knew she should stop him, but she wasn’t strong enough to say no. His circular strokes were heavenly. For a few minutes she sat silently and selfishly, letting him massage his way along her foot.
“Where did you lean to do that?” she asked.
“Internet how-to video.”
The answer made her smile. “Seriously?”
“I read that pregnant women appreciated foot massages.”
“Pregnant women?”
A funny expression crossed his face. “I want to have children someday.”
“Are you married?” She tried to pull her foot away, but he stopped her, holding it fast.
“I’m not married. I’m not engaged. And I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Are you sure?”
He gave her a lazy smile, and resumed massaging. “I’ve been with myself my whole life. I think I would have noticed.”
She accepted the answer, relieved and glad he was unattached.
“What about you?” he asked softly into the quiet.
She found the question odd. “My husband died.”
“Since him? Before him?”
“Before him, I was in high school. I was a tomboy back then. I wasn’t dating anyone.”
“You must have had offers. You’re a knockout now, and I can’t imagine you’ve changed that much in four years.”
“You’re exaggerating. Besides, I had Zane and three older brothers. There weren’t a lot of guys getting past those guard dogs.”
“But Chase Barrett did.”
“They liked him.” Her mind went back to their first date and Lucas’s reaction. “He reminded them of themselves, and they thought he’d take care of me.”
There was an edge to Chase’s tone. “Instead he got you pregnant.”
“We didn’t tell anybody, and we got married right away.”
“Your brothers aren’t stupid,” Chase said. “They knew.”
“Then they preferred to pretend it hadn’t happened.” She didn’t want to talk about this anymore.
Chase seemed to catch her change in mood. He stopped asking questions and leaned down to lift her other foot, silently massaging it. The first few strokes were blissful, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against the sofa.
He pressed circles into her heel, then longer strokes along her arch. His hands were large and strong, releasing tension from the balls of her feet.
“Did you love him?” Chase asked, his voice resonating deep.
Maddy blinked herself back to reality. “What?”
“Did you love him?” Chase repeated. “You had to marry him.”
“I didn’t have to marry him.”
“At the very least, the decision was complicated by Riley.”
She stared at him. “What is it you want to hear, Chase?”
His hands stilled as he gazed back.
“Nothing,” he finally said. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
She pulled her foot away, sitting up straighter and curling both feet beneath her.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated.
“It’s okay.” She wasn’t mad.
There was no reason for her to be mad. Chase was the one doing her so many favors. And he kept doing them.
“How are you feeling? Your ribs?”
“Getting better.” He shifted his body, his expression tightening as he moved. “S
lowly but surely.”
“You’re still really sore,” she guessed.
“I’ll be sore for a while. Sore’s not a problem.”
“You should stop doing so much work around here.”
“I’m not doing much.”
“Well, that’s about the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.”
“I painted a bike. It was fun, not work.”
“And you fixed my carpet. And when the sun comes up tomorrow, am I going to find something else? Like maybe you painted the porch or replaced the roof?”
“The porch does need painting,” he said.
She picked up a throw pillow and tossed it at him. It hit him in the chest.
“Ouch.”
She immediately regretted her action. “I’m so sorry.”
He grinned. “I’m joking. Even in my wounded condition, it’ll take more than a pillow fight to lay me out.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“What color?”
“What color what?”
“What color do you want your porch?”
She came up on her knees and shook her head. “Oh, no you don’t.”
“I don’t see how you’re going to stop me.”
“I’m… Well…” She searched her brain for an idea.
Truth was she didn’t see how she could stop him either. And if she was being completely honest, she wasn’t sure she wanted to stop him. An image of him sweaty and shirtless with a paintbrush in his hand came up in her mind.
It was staggeringly sexy, as was Chase.
“I’ve got you stumped,” he said.
He had her more than stumped. He had her confounded and disconcerted. Her feelings for him were a jumble of gratitude, admiration, and desire.
She wanted him. It was going to take a lot of self-control to stay out of his bed.
Chapter Five
Chase was feeling better every day. He’d given up the painkillers, and he could feel his strength returning as he ran the sander along the floor of the porch, removing the chipped white paint.
Maddy had complained at first, but he could sense that her heart was never in it. She felt guilty for taking his help, that much was clear. But he could also tell she appreciated the few things he was able to do around her house. She’d made it clear she was on a budget, and it was obvious her husband hadn’t done a lot of maintenance between his bull-riding events.
She didn’t have a shift at the casino today and she was pitching in, scraping the decorative rails. Riley was riding his newly red bike around the concrete patch in front of the garage, making siren noises.
Chase (American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Book 2) Page 7