01 Winters Thaw

by Mari Carr

  He’d hoped after Christmas she was ready to turn a corner, to give up on Josh altogether. Now she was standing outside in the cold winter wind, talking to the prick on the phone while he sat inside nursing a warm PBR.

  “What’s up?” Jade leaned against the counter across from him.

  “Working tonight?”

  She nodded. “Yep. My shift just started. You’re stuck with me until close. Why aren’t you over there with the other hands?”

  “Just spent all damn day with them. Needed some quiet time.”

  Jade nodded, her eyes filled with mischief. “So obviously you decided to come to a rowdy redneck bar on the busiest night of the week. Ah, I love the peace and quiet and tranquility of this place.” The sound of glass breaking as a waitress dropped a tray full of beer bottles almost drowned out the last part of her comment.

  He grinned. Of all Sienna’s cousins, he liked Jade the best. She spoke his language—sarcasm. “I invited Sienna to come out with me. Next thing I know, seven other yahoos added their names to the guest list.”

  “Sienna’s here?” Jade peered around at the growing crowd of partiers. She hadn’t been lying—the place was packed. “Damn. I can never get her to go out with me. Where is she?”

  He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “She’s out front. Got a phone call.”

  An understanding look entered Jade’s eyes. “Ah. Josh must have sensed she was having fun and decided to ruin it for her.”

  He grimaced. “Yeah.”

  “I told her to block his number.”

  Daniel nodded. “That’s a good idea. I can’t understand why she still talks to him after that stupid I need a break bullshit at Thanksgiving.”

  Another patron at the bar caught Jade’s eye. She nodded at the unspoken request and started pouring two beers from the tap. “He was pretty clever in the way he worded it. Said he needed some time apart, not that he wanted to break up. He pretended like this separation would be good for both of them and then he promised to come back and play by her rules for as long as they both shall live.” She placed air quotes around the last part of her comment.

  “Calling her every fucking other day isn’t what I consider taking a break.”

  Jade placed the two beers in front of the guy next to him and took the money the man offered. “I agree. I assume one of two things is going on. First of all, maybe Josh has discovered that the grass is not greener. He was pretty lucky to land Sienna in the first place. She’s bright and funny and strong. Josh is more or less the opposite of that. He’s always been quiet, a bit shy, too serious. The only time he really shines, really stands out, is when he’s with her. Maybe he’s realized that he had a good thing all along.”

  Daniel could definitely buy that idea. He hadn’t spoken more than ten words to Josh over Thanksgiving. Mainly because he’d decided from the get-go that he hated the prick. But Jade was right. He hadn’t noticed much personality in the other man. “What’s the other thing? The other reason why he could be calling all the time?”

  Jade frowned. “While he’s out there sowing his wild oats, he doesn’t want her doing the same.”

  Daniel had come to that same conclusion two days ago, when he first discovered Josh was calling. “You mean he pretended that this break was for both of them when really it’s just for him. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too.”

  Jade wiped the counter, refilled a couple empty bowls with peanuts. “I hope that reason is wrong, because if I find out he’s trying to fuck my cousin over, I will personally beat the shit out of him.”

  His hand clenched. Jade wasn’t going to have to make good on that promise because he intended to get there first. There wasn’t going to be much of Josh left by the time he finished with him. Daniel needed to cool off. He took a swallow of the beer and winced. Tasted like piss.

  “Here, you can’t drink that.” Jade dumped his beer in the sink, grabbed a fresh frosty mug and poured him a new one. “On the house.”

  “What for?”

  She grinned. “Because I think you’re going to need it.” She nodded toward the entrance. Sienna was making her way to the bar and she seemed upset.

  Jade walked away as soon as Sienna reached him. He’d managed to save a stool next to him. “Take a load off,” he said, pointing to it.

  “Thanks.”

  “Want a beer?”

  She nodded, then tried to get Jade’s attention. “I’ll have my regular,” she called out. Jade raised her hand to indicate that she’d heard.

  “Sorry about that.” Sienna sat down.

  Daniel considered her apology. He’d never been the sort of man to hang back, to give a woman space. His mother used to say she pitied the woman who finally captured his heart because she’d never have a moment’s peace. When he saw something he wanted, he went after it with a single-minded determination. The only reason he never took her words as an insult was because she’d go on to blame his father for his rather forceful ways, but his mom’s eyes were always soft and happy as she looked at her beloved husband.

  He’d seen that same expression when Jody gazed at Seth. He’d even caught it at Christmas when Lucy batted Silas’ hand away as he playfully pinched her ass. She’d been complaining about the extra pounds she’d picked up over the last few years. Silas had told her it just gave him more to grab on to. There’d been no doubt that while Lucy wasn’t happy with the weight, Silas would never see her as anything less than completely beautiful.

  For a month Daniel had given Sienna the free and easy side of himself, played the casual lover, entertaining her fantasies. He’d done it because he thought that was what she’d needed. Now…well, the leash he was wearing was starting to chafe.

  “Let me guess. That was Josh.”

  She nodded. “He’s drunk.”

  “He called to tell you that?”

  Sienna laughed. “No. He called to tell me he loved me.”

  Motherfucker.

  Daniel forced himself to take a drink of his beer. It was that or lose his cool. A lot of his current situation was his own fault. He’d let Sienna think he was okay with no strings.

  “Is that so?”

  She toyed with the label on the bottle of beer Jade had placed in front of her. “Yeah, but the whole time we were talking, all I could think about was…” Her voice drifted away, but Daniel needed to hear the rest.

  “Was what?”

  “I can’t remember the last time he said that to me.”

  Daniel struggled for an answer that would convince her to give up on Josh once and for all. He wasn’t going down without a fight.

  Sienna saved him from having to find the right words. “Don’t you think it’s pretty sad that he can only say those words when he’s wasted?”

  “Yeah. I think the guy’s a jackass, but I’ve said that before.”

  “The truth is, he’s not. He was right to ask for this break. I didn’t think so at first, but obviously Josh saw something I was too blind to recognize and, by asking for this distance, he’s really just trying to fix the problem.”

  Daniel’s chest ached. He didn’t like where this conversation was heading. “What problem?”

  “That even though we’re technically adults, we were both actually just silly, inexperienced kids, clinging to a dream we’d concocted when we were too young to make those kind of decisions.”

  “Do you know what you want now?”

  She leaned closer. “I think so. It’s weird to admit it, but suggesting this time apart may be the most mature thing Josh has ever done in his life.”

  Daniel wanted to ignore the admiration in her voice. Though she’d been hurt by her boyfriend and aggravated by his drunk phone call, she still harbored feelings for the man.

  She took a long sip of her beer. “You know what?”

  “What?”

  “I’m sick of talking about Josh. I’m tired of worrying about the future, of wondering what the hell’s going on inside his head…and my head. I’m fucking
done with all of it. We’re here to have fun. Let’s do it.”

  He grinned, though the happiness wasn’t sincere. Clearly he had more work to do if he hoped to erase Josh from her mind—and her heart—once and for all. “Dance with me.”

  She hopped up quickly. He wasn’t fool enough to think she’d completely shut Josh out of her mind. He could see a shadow in her eyes that told him she was still upset. It didn’t matter. The kid gloves came off tonight. He was about to take ownership of Sienna Compton’s heart.

  Sienna reached for Daniel’s hand, letting him lead them to the crowded dance floor. An old country song, “Honey Bee”, started to play. It was one she’d heard her dad sing—badly—to her mom many times when she was a little girl. The words were funny and sweet and silly. Though she’d only been young, she remembered how she and her mom had giggled when Dad danced them around the living room, calling them his honeysuckles.

  Daniel took her hands, spinning her around. Damn. He was a smooth dancer. Weeks had passed as she tried to find something the sexy cowboy didn’t do well. So far, she hadn’t found a single thing.

  He drew her closer, the two of them swaying to the beat. Their close proximity brought her in direct contact with one of the things she’d decided she liked best about him. She pressed against his hard cock, her gaze lifting.

  “Really, cowboy?”

  He chuckled as he grasped her hips, holding her tighter to him. “Sweetheart, if you’re around, he’s around. It’s something I’m learning to live with.”

  She blushed at his compliment. Weeks spent in his bed hadn’t alleviated her need for sex one little bit. If anything, she’d become a raging mass of hormones, walking around in a constant state of arousal.

  So much for slaking her needs and moving on. Had there actually been a time in her life when she thought a couple quick tumbles with Josh over the holidays would be enough to soothe her? The sad fact was, it probably would have scratched the itch and she wouldn’t have even realized what she was missing. She’d never experienced the same passion for Josh that she felt for Daniel.

  The music ended, an upbeat song filling the room.

  Daniel bent closer. “You wanna play pool?”

  She glanced over her shoulder and discovered most of the Compass ranch hands hanging out around the table. She shook her head. She’d been disappointed when a bunch of the guys had decided to come along with them. Though she didn’t think Daniel had intended his invitation as a date, she’d sort of liked the idea of the two of them going out somewhere together. Alone. In public.

  “There’s a corner booth over there that’s empty.” Daniel pointed. “How about I buy you a beer?”

  She smiled. “I’d like that.”

  They claimed the tiny booth. It was tucked away between two larger tables. Sienna wondered if it had been tossed there as an afterthought. Or as a private spot for lovers.

  Daniel waved for the waitress to bring them a couple of beers. His arm rested against the back of the cushion and it felt too inviting for her not to wiggle closer. He grinned when her knee brushed his beneath the table, then he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and dragged her over until she was tucked tight to his side. “You smell delicious. Coconut?”

  She wondered how she’d ever manage to keep her hands to herself until they made their way back to his place. “Must be my body wash. I like it because it makes me think of summer and sunshine. Helps me pretend it’s not freezing outside.”

  He shrugged. “Has it been cold this winter?” His fingers began to caress the back of her neck. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “You keep that up and I’m going to straddle you in this booth right here and right now. I’m just going to say to hell with the crowd, my dad, your job and ride you hard.”

  He groaned, then reached down to adjust his jeans. “Dammit, See. I was hoping we could sit here and talk. Problem is, if you’re within fifty feet of me, all I can think about is touching you.”

  “Talk about what?” she asked.

  “I thought it might be nice if we spent a little time getting acquainted with one another.”

  She tried to ignore the extra skip in her heart, tried not to read too much into his words. He’d never acted like he intended to be more than a casual lover, someone to help her kill the hours between sunset and sunrise. “Why?”

  “Do I need a reason?”

  Did he? No. And she was a fool to fight what she wanted too. She shook her head. “Actually, I feel like you know me a hell of a lot better than I know you. I’ve sort of spent weeks monopolizing the conversations with all the Josh bullshit. So fair is fair. Tell me about your last girlfriend.”

  Daniel didn’t balk at her request. Now that she thought about it, there wasn’t anything he hadn’t shared with her willingly. Though she knew he didn’t like to talk about his injuries or his brother’s death, he’d told her about them, given her that tiny peek inside. After watching him the past few months on the ranch, she noticed he didn’t open up that way with anyone else.

  “Last girlfriend. Let me see.” His brow creased, and she sensed he was actually thinking about it.

  “You don’t remember?”

  He’d started to take a sip of his beer, but he put the bottle down again. “Well, I assume when you say girlfriend, you don’t mean women I’ve slept with.”

  A tiny spark of jealousy flared before she could tamp it down. “No. I don’t need a list of your past lovers. Thanks anyway.”

  He chuckled. “Now, don’t get your feathers all ruffled. It’s not like there were that many.” He stressed the word that just enough to jerk her chain again.

  His grin grew when she scowled. “Just answer my damn question.”

  “Fine. My last—and only—girlfriend was Jessie. We went out our senior year in high school.”

  “High school? You haven’t dated anyone since then?”

  He shook his head. “Why do you sound so surprised? Not to criticize or anything, but didn’t you just stop seeing your high school sweetheart?”

  She crossed her arms. “We’re talking about you. Not me. So what made Jessie so special?”

  He shrugged. “She was pretty. We were in a bunch of the same classes. She let me fuck her.”

  “Ug. Seriously? These were the deciding factors that made her your first—and only—girlfriend?”

  “I was seventeen years old, See. Sorry to say, sex was a pretty big deal back then.”

  Her gaze drifted lower, her eyebrows lifting to indicate that fact didn’t seem to have changed much.

  He grasped her hand and directed it to his lap, pressing her palm against his denim-covered erection. “You don’t have to be shy,” he teased.

  “I thought we were talking.” She didn’t bother to move her hand away even though Daniel had released her.

  “Don’t see any reason why we can’t do both.” The arm wrapped around her tightened.

  “Were you close? In love?”

  Daniel considered her questions. “We were kids. I walked her to class so I could sneak kisses in the hallway. We went out on the weekends, parked in the woods so we could have sex in my backseat. I’m sure I thought I loved her at the time. Maybe I really did.”

  “Why did you and Jessie break up?”

  “We graduated. She was going off to college and I was heading West.” His finger lightly traced the shell of her ear. She tried to ignore the pressure building in her pussy.

  “Were you sad?”

  He tilted his head. “Probably. For a little while. She was a nice girl. We got along. It just wasn’t our time.”

  “What about now? There’s nothing stopping you from going home and contacting her.” Sienna cursed herself for the suggestion. She hated the thought of him leaving Compton Pass.

  He reached over with his free hand, lifting her leg to place it over one of his. She should have protested. She was too open, unable to squeeze her legs together for that tiny bit of relief.

  “She got married about a ye
ar ago, around the same time as my accident. I’d actually planned to go home for the wedding, but life got in the way again.”

  He’d kept his hand on her knee, but as he spoke, it drifted higher on her thigh. What the hell was he going to do? She’d foolishly worn jeans. Tight jeans. From now on, it was nothing but skirts for her.

  “So the two of you are still friends?”

  He nodded. “I guess you could say that. Couple emails a year, occasional phone call to catch up. That’s it. I haven’t seen her since the day I hopped on the plane and headed to Denver seven years ago.”

  She turned her head to glance around the crowded bar. While the booth was secluded, there was no hiding the fact that she was practically sitting in Daniel’s lap.

  “Look at me, See.”

  Her gaze returned to his handsome face. Sometimes at night, when he slept, she’d study his features, trying to figure out what it was that made him so fucking hot. There was a slight crook in his nose that indicated it had been broken once. Hell, maybe more than once. There was a razor-thin scar above his left eyebrow. His jaw was chiseled to the extent that it was almost too sharp, too pointed. His beard grew fast. Though she knew he shaved every morning, right now, his five-o’clock shadow was thick and black. And his eyes were dark, so dark she sometimes struggled to find his pupils amidst the deep brown.

  Yet, somehow, when all those features were put together, the result was Daniel. And he—quite simply—took her breath away.

  He was ready to leave, anxious to drag them out of here, to find somewhere private. She could see it in his eyes. It was hunger. Pure and simple.

  “Is there anything else you would like to know?”

  Unfortunately, there was. While she wanted nothing more than to escape to the Neverland of his bed, to shut out the world for another night, there was still one question burning in her mind. “Why hasn’t there been anyone else?”