A Perfect Cowboy Daddy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 7)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

She dropped her fork and it hit the plate with a loud ding. “Oops. Forgive my clumsiness.”

  Last night wasn’t sweet and romantic. They’d fulfilled a strong lust, that was all.

  He crooked a brow. “Eggs not any good?”

  “No…they’re delicious. We should talk.” She pushed her plate away.

  Fine lines appeared around his eyes. “I never liked those talks.”

  “You’ll like this one. I-I just wanted you to know that I am fully aware of what we did last night.” She took a swallow of coffee.

  “I am too.” He grinned.

  “I don’t want you to get the wrong impression.”

  He laid down his fork. “Moon, if I made you feel bad…”

  She gave her head a quick shake. “I don’t feel bad. I feel good.” And there lies the problem.

  “You and I didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll feel like a jerk if you feel guilt.”

  “I’m not saying we did. I’m only making it clear that—”

  He picked up his fork, stabbed some egg, and brought it to his mouth. “You’re not wanting a relationship,” he said around a mouthful.

  Under the penetrating weight of his brooding gaze, she shifted, wishing she could lose herself in those beautiful blue windows. “Last night was great, better than great, but things could get a bit sticky. I want you to know that I don’t expect anything from you.”

  He winced and her pulse sprinted into an erratic pattern. “Is this the morning-after lecture?”

  She laughed, but it fizzled. “No, not even close. It’s more of a…‘If you don’t call I’ll understand speech’.”

  “Now I really feel like a jerk.” There went that fork again, and this time he pushed his plate away. “So I come off as a love em’ and leave em’ type?” His brow popped up and heat slashed through her.

  “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  “Then maybe you should explain it better.”

  Wanting to act casual, she hoped her voice wouldn’t betray her desire to hide the chaos going on inside of her. “How did this go down the wrong path?” She leaned on her elbows. “Isn’t this what a man wants? After hot sex a woman gives him a free ticket?”

  “Hell, I have no clue what women want these days.” His eyes darkened. “But I know what I want and a repeat of last night wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

  “Really?”

  “I know I didn’t handle last night right. I must have made you feel like I had what I wanted and that was the end. I invited you to stay and fell asleep. I think we’re both a little rusty when it comes to this scene and we’re not wanting to feel vulnerable.”

  Every logical thought disappeared from her brain cells. Licking her lips, she cleared her throat. “Wow, this has all happened so fast.”

  “It did? It seems like I’ve wanted you for a very long time.”

  She blinked. Holy crap! Did he just reach in and tickle her every nerve ending with a feather? “You’ve said that before and I’ve been just as shocked each time. You don’t see me as just one of the guys?”

  He chortled. “They’re pretty cute, all of them, but you on the other hand are beautiful, feminine. I don’t think you get how much.”

  A thrill raced down her spine. “I had no clue you thought this way.” She felt like a school girl being asked to her first dance.

  “I didn’t give you an insight on that last night?”

  Her toes curled. “Well, in fact, last night…yes…you did.”

  He relaxed back into the chair and folded his hands together. “I can’t say that I know what tomorrow brings, but one thing’s for sure, I’m old enough to know my head. Last night was great, but…”

  “But?” She never liked buts—unless they’re in Wranglers and look as good as Cam’s.

  “It wasn’t how I would have planned for the first time. I would have liked to spend a little more time—a lot more time—exploring. I like to indulge.”

  A scorching heat crawled up her neck and into her cheeks. He couldn’t have missed her flushed cheeks, no way. “Wow.”

  “I’d be the alpha male and swipe my hand across this table, knocking everything to the floor, but I have a perfectly good bed I’d like to use.”

  “I…” She couldn’t get her tongue to work.

  He stood up so fast that his chair knocked backward, hitting the floor with a loud bang. Her body was already responding with a satin dampness that moistened her thighs. Her nipples were tight and throbbing and a hunger so deep, so frantic, took hold in her core. “What will everyone at Nirvana think about this…about us sleeping together?”

  “Am I supposed to care?”

  She roved her gaze over his perfectly strong face, his lips that kissed her expertly and she wanted them on her. They stood upon a threshold, one that would lead them down a path where she could indulge in chocolate and hard candy, or down another where she’d be dieting on carrots and celery.

  She stood up. “Let’s go mess up the bed.

  The phone rang.

  “Shit!” Cam tore a hand through his hair.

  “You’ve got to get that?”

  “’Fraid so. Could be Maria.” He sighed and reached for his cell sitting on the counter.

  Maria? Who is Maria? It was none of her business. “Go ahead. I understand.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I hope Nola is okay. You have no clue what happened?”

  Cam turned onto the narrow lane on Nirvana Ranch, catching a glimpse of Moon across the bench seat. She looked concerned. “All I know is that she was found by one of the hands outside of her treehouse with a nasty looking cut on her head. Chase asked Jennifer to call me.”

  “She must have fallen. I know she was upset that she was leaving.”

  He shrugged. “We’ll find out more when we get there, but Jennifer did say that Nola had been struck.”

  “Struck? That sounds like she was hit.” Her shoulders slumped. “I know Nola and she’s such a sweet lady. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt her.”

  Although Cam was worried about Nola and making sure she didn’t need stitches or a CT scan, his gaze naturally skimmed over Moon’s lips, to her neck and the dip between her breasts. The top of her blouse was stretched, giving him a better view. If duty hadn’t called, he would be kissing her luscious lips and holding her curvaceous body. “If it was serious, I’d say they would have taken her to the hospital.”

  Moon nodded, but he could still see the worried lines around her eyes. She had a big heart and he appreciated that about her. When he woke up that morning he’d expected to feel guilt, but instead he’d felt happier than he had in a long time. He’d gotten a glimpse into Moon’s soul and he liked what he saw there. His interest had tripled and he wanted to get to know her better. He enjoyed her sense of humor and her lack of hesitation in diving right in to whatever was in front of her. She was intelligent and he found her lack of inhibition to say what was on her mind to be refreshing.

  Hell, he couldn’t deny the most important thing here. She didn’t want a relationship so she held no expectations where he was concerned. Where promises were concerned, he couldn’t provide any. Yet, he liked her companionship. He liked the idea of just having ‘fun’.

  She shifted in the seat and the open neckline of her shirt gaped and a bolt of need struck him in the gut. His mind lingered on her full breasts and how they felt in his palms. How her nipples were hard like diamonds as he suckled them. The delicate curve of her waist, her hourglass hips and her luscious, soft inner thighs. He’d spent most of the night pondering what they’d shared. Damn, he’d never taken a woman outdoors, let alone on his front porch, even back in his wilder college days. He’d never been so caught up in wanting a woman that he would have been fine with taking her on an iceberg if that meant the tight grip in his balls would be relieved. He was certain he’d spend the rest of the day, the week…hell, his life, remembering how good it felt to caress her supple curves, bury his face between all of the glorious swells and
dips of silken flesh—something he was hungry to try.

  Instinct warned him that this was a dangerous situation. He could very easily dive in neck deep and find himself falling, but right now, he couldn’t pull back if his life depended upon it. He wanted something that wasn’t necessarily part of a five-year plan, but he sure as hell wanted Moon. If he was lucky, she would feel the same.

  Once they were almost to the administration building, Moon tugged his elbow. He slowed. “What’s wrong?”

  “No one knows we’re together. We should keep it that way,” she said, a worried expression working her delicate features.

  “Where do your friends think you had gone last night?” He raised a brow. He didn’t like keeping secrets, but he understood Moon’s need for privacy.

  “I told them I had a headache and called a cab. You go on to Nola’s lodge. I’ll come up in a while.”

  He pulled to the back of the building and she slid out. She turned and waved and he returned the gesture, but his concentration was on a familiar tightness in his chest. He’d wanted to spend more time with her. He gave his head a shake and reminded himself that he had work to do, more importantly, a patient who needed his help. He had to get his mind back on track.

  Cam parked outside of Nola’s cabin, grabbed his bag and hurried inside, finding his patient sitting, holding an ice pack against her forehead. Chase was across from her, straddling his chair. Jennifer and Kaycee were standing close, both wearing concerned expressions.

  He stood and shook Cam’s hand. “Glad you could come out early.”

  “How is she doing?” he asked.

  “Besides the cut and being shaken up, she’ll be fine, but you’re the doc so I’ll let you make that conclusion. I wanted to take her to the hospital, but she refused. Calling the sheriff is still on the table. I just haven’t asked her many questions. I thought it would be best to wait until she isn’t so upset.”

  Cam placed his bag next to the frazzled woman and knelt down in front of her. “Hi, Nola. Remember me?” At first visual exam, he could see her eyes were red-rimmed and her hands were trembling.

  “Hello, Dr. Parker. I told Chase not to bother calling you. It’s just a scratch.”

  “How about you take off the pack and let me have a look?” She did as he asked and he examined the cut closer. It had stopped bleeding, but by the dried blood, and the red-splotched towel beside her, he could see that it had bled profusely, which made him wonder how long after the accident she was found. “Who helped you first?”

  “That wonderful man Maverick. He was here for a bit, but he had an appointment with his lovely wife.”

  “Although you won’t need stitches, you’ll have a headache. Did you fall?” He grabbed a clean pair of gloves from the bag and slipped them on, then pressed his fingers around the edges of the cut, checking for any dirt or debris left behind. He found a pebble in her hair.

  “I-I was attacked,” she said in a quaking voice.

  Cam shot Chase a quick glance. “Attacked?”

  “I was coming out of the treehouse this morning and I heard heavy footsteps, turned and out of nowhere came a man in a mask. He hit me with something and I fell. I don’t know who it was.”

  Chase stepped forward. By the tight set of his jaw and worried lines in his tanned skin, he wasn’t happy. “Did you recognize anything about the attacker? Height? Weight?”

  “He had a toboggan on, pulled down over his face. I wish I could have seen more, but it was still dark and it all happened so fast. I’m sorry.” Her mouth thinned and more tears fell down her cheeks.

  “No, you have nothing to be sorry about,” Chase said, blowing out a long breath through tight lips. “I should call the sheriff—”

  Nola jerked forward. “That’s not needed.”

  “I think Chase is right.” Kaycee joined in. “We’ve never had anything happen like this at Nirvana. We don’t want any of the other guests to be put in danger’s way.”

  “What can they do?” Nola lifted a shoulder and let it fall.

  “And the person wasn’t inside, didn’t take anything?” Cam asked. He wet a cloth with antiseptic and patted the cut.

  “No. I must have scared him. Maybe he thought I had already gone.”

  “You say ‘he’ when referring to the attacker. Are you sure it was a man?” Chase sat back down.

  She nodded. “Yes. I guess it was.”

  “I’ve got to look out for everyone’s best interest.” Chase scrubbed his jaw. “The sheriff will have to be notified. He’ll want a statement from you, Nola.”

  “That’s not possible. I’m leaving. Oh no. I’ve probably missed my flight.”

  Kaycee laid a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Would it be a problem if you stayed longer? A few days maybe until we get this all figured out? You’re the only witness to the attack and I’m sure the sheriff will want to speak to you.”

  She blinked. “I don’t want to cause an upheaval in the peace and tranquility here.”

  “Safety comes first for my guests,” Chase said.

  “If it’s not too much trouble I can stay. I could even move into another lodge if this one is reserved,” Nola said. Some of the color was coming back to her face.

  The door opened and Cam shot a glance over his shoulder as Moon stepped in. His chest tightened and so did other parts that became very uncomfortable in his kneeling position. He shifted. How could this woman make every nerve ending in his body come alive? He wasn’t sure how things had gotten on the fast track, but they’d skipped a few red lights and jumped right into the frying pan, which was quite unlike him. He hadn’t dated, or much thought about dating, since his wife. And here he was, smack dab in the middle of…well…what were they doing? After this morning’s chat over breakfast, he got the feeling they’d agreed upon a “friends with benefits” arrangement. Most men would be slap happy with this arrangement, but Cam was a bit tepid. Yet, as she strolled closer, her hips swaying and her eyes shining like diamonds, the last thing he wanted to do was ever deny his body the satisfaction of touching her.

  And the fact was, he wouldn’t.

  “Nola, are you okay? I just heard.” Moon shot Cam a quick glance.

  “I’m so happy you’re here, dear.” Some of the lines around Nola’s eyes disappeared. Cam knew the feeling. The rooms always seemed brighter with Moon in them.

  “You heard?” Chase asked. “News travels fast around these parts.”

  Moon nodded. “All of the hands know.” Her gaze met Cam’s and there was a silent message in the deep color of her irises.

  Chase stood. “Kaycee, let’s go call the sheriff. Cam, will you stop down at the office and talk to me before you head out?”

  “Will do.” Cam dragged his gaze off Moon and hoped no one noticed how edgy he was.

  *****

  “I feel so sorry for her,” Moon said to Cam as they descended the steps of Nola’s lodge.

  “Something doesn’t add up.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “By the looks of her wound and the bloody towel, I’d gather it bled a lot. The head always has a tendency of bleeding heavily. But, by the time I got here, she was no longer bleeding and it was dry around the cut. Her timeline isn’t matching up.”

  Moon shrugged. “Why would she lie about something like this?”

  “I’m not saying that she’s lying. I’m only pointing out that her wound appears older than when she said she was attacked.”

  “And yet why would she lie?”

  “Like you said, she didn’t want to leave. Now she gets to stay longer until things are sorted out,” he said.

  “Well, if that makes her a liar than more than ninety-nine percent of the guests are liars because no one that I can remember has ever wanted to leave Nirvana. The facts are, she has a pretty deep cut on her head. Did she throw herself down the steps?”

  “Okay. I don’t think she threw herself down the steps. I don’t know what she did.”

  With
out looking too suspicious, Moon leaned closer. “I should go. Thank you for breakfast, and last night. Will I see you around?” One brow snapped up above his curious eyes. “No?”

  “You’ll see me.” He dipped his hat and strolled down the walkway to his truck. She stood there until he disappeared in a cloud of dust on the lane.

  She was certain she’d see him again.

  “I don’t blame you one bit.”

  Jennifer’s voice behind Moon made her swivel. Seeing the other woman’s grin made Moon’s heart skip a beat. “What are you talking about?”

  “Hmm. Do I need to say the words?” Jennifer practically ran down the steps and stopped in front of Moon. “I wondered who the lucky fellow was last night.”

  “There was no one. I told you. I had a headache and called a cab.”

  “Honey, you can use that excuse for anyone else, but I know you. The flushed cheeks and the tell-tale glances between you two were like explosions going off inside of the room.” She brushed past Moon.

  She opened her mouth, ready to deny her friend’s accusation, but she realized it would do no good. She caught up to Jennifer. “Do you think anyone else noticed?”

  “Chase was too busy with the news of an attacker. Kaycee maybe, but she is also worried about this maniac on the loose. Don’t worry, girl. You know I won’t tell a soul. I’m just happy for you. Dr. Cam is a great catch.”

  “It was just a one-time thing.”

  “Sure.” Jennifer laughed. “An experience with a man like him is never a one-time anything. You and I both know that. And honestly, by the heat in his expression when he was looking at you, I’d say the second time will be pretty soon. Now I’m off to hate you.” She kissed Moon on the cheek and hurried down the walkway.

  Moon didn’t want to stick around to see if Kaycee had any theories. Moon had never been a good liar. Her parents had caught her in every single one.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Moon?” Cam stuck his head around the partly opened door into the treehouse. Just as soon as he’d gotten the message to meet her here, he’d been anticipating the moment when he could plant his eyes on her again.