Runaway Temptation

by Maureen Child

  “Oh, stop it, Gus. I’m not a battered woman. I’m not a victim.”

  “He hit you.”

  “Once.”

  “And that’s okay?” His voice was thunderous again.

  “Of course not.” God, how had this gone so wrong? She hadn’t meant to paint herself as a pitiable figure. “I survived my marriage. I kept my children safe. And now I’ve got Daniel and he is the light in my eye.”

  Gus’s jaw worked furiously and Rose knew that he wanted to curse a blue streak. But she also knew he would never swear like he wanted to in front of a woman, so he was stuck.

  “I’m not looking for sympathy,” she said. “The past is past. Ed’s gone now and I live my life the way I like it.”

  “You always did have spine,” Gus mused. “It’s why I always wondered why you didn’t stand up to your daddy.”

  “For myself, I would have,” Rose reiterated. “I couldn’t risk my mother.”

  “Guess I understand that.” He took off his hat and scrubbed his hand across his shaggy, silver hair. “But you should have told me. Told Sarah. You didn’t have to cut yourself off from everydamnbody.”

  “Yes, I did.” Rose smiled and shook her head sadly. “How could I watch you and Sarah being happy together when I—” She stopped, held up one hand and fought for control. Blast it, she hadn’t meant to open up any of this mess and now that she had, she needed a way out.

  Rose strove for dignity. Lifting her chin, she said simply, “I’m happy you and Sarah had so many good years together.”

  As if he understood that she had said all she was going to say about the past, Gus nodded. “We did. And now you and I are going to make sure our grandchildren have the futures they should have. Right?”

  “Right.” Grateful to be back on solid ground, Rose took a seat on the bench and patted it. “Have a seat, Gus, and let’s talk about the bachelor auction.”

  “A man auction,” Gus said with a shake of his head. “Who would have thought it?”

  * * *

  “Earth to Shelby,” Camilla said with a laugh.

  “Huh? What?” Shelby gave herself a mental shake and looked at the other woman. “I’m sorry. Zoned out there for a second.”

  “Again,” Cam pointed out.

  Shelby sighed as she gave Caleb’s housekeeper her full attention. Cam was short, curvy and had a long, blond braid that hung across one shoulder, and her blue eyes were shining with amusement.

  “You’re right.” Returning to the task at hand, Shelby looked into the trunk of Caleb’s big Suburban and let her gaze slide across all of the crystal packed in there carefully. “Now I’m back, though. This is everything?”

  Cam nodded. “Everything we set aside for the first trip, anyway. Mrs. Mackenzie really did hold on to a lot of stuff.”

  “She did, but I’ve seen worse,” Shelby told her.

  “I’m glad I haven’t.” Cam shook her head. “And I can’t even tell you how happy I am that you’re clearing this stuff out. I know Caleb is, too.”

  “He hasn’t said much one way or the other,” Shelby said. Her gaze slid across the yard to the stable, then to the barn. There was no sign of Caleb, but that was hardly surprising. Since their little interlude in the kitchen two nights ago, he’d been darn near invisible.

  “Well, take it from me, he’s happy,” Cam said. “Before you showed up the man couldn’t even sit down in the great room. Now it’s more like a home than a warehouse.”

  A home that Caleb was avoiding. Because of her. A spurt of irritation spiked inside her and Shelby let it fester and grow. She’d tried to be understanding. But honestly, the man was acting like she’d laid out an ambush for him and then thrown herself at him.

  Well, okay, she had set him up, sitting in the dark, waiting for him. But what happened after that was on both of them. For heaven’s sake, why was he acting as if they’d done something wrong? And why was he making her feel as though it was all her fault?

  “Shelby?”

  “I’m sorry, Cam.” Shelby glanced at all of the crystal she was supposed to be taking into the Priceless antiques store, then looked at the woman beside her. “Can you do me a huge favor? Could you drive this stuff into town? I have to find Caleb.”

  Cam frowned a little, but nodded. “Sure. No problem. But you know Caleb’s out on the range somewhere. You’ll have to get a horse.”

  “I can ride,” she said, with more certainty than she felt. Shelby hadn’t ridden a horse in years. But it had to be like riding a bike, right? Some things you didn’t forget.

  “Okay, then. Ask my husband where Caleb went. He’ll point you in the right direction.”

  * * *

  An hour later, Shelby spotted Caleb in the distance. It shouldn’t have taken so long, but since she hadn’t ridden a horse in forever, Mike had insisted on giving her a mare with all the energy of a snail. But the sky was a blue so pure and deep, it almost hurt to look at it. The sun shone down like fire from heaven and the surrounding pastureland was varying shades of dusty green and brown. There were cattle grazing and she was glad to note they were on the other side of a fence that seemed to stretch on forever.

  As Shelby rode closer, she enjoyed the look of pure surprise etched into Caleb’s handsome features. She’d enjoy it a lot more if she wasn’t already starting to ache all over.

  “What the hell are you doing out here?”

  “Well, that was charming.”

  “I’m not trying to be charming,” he ground out, “I’m trying to work.”

  “Good to see you, too,” Shelby said and took a good, long look at him. Caleb was tightening a strand of barbed wire around a fence post. He’d taken his shirt off and the sight of that tanned, muscular chest made Shelby’s mouth go dry. If he weren’t scowling at her, she’d have melted a little.

  “How’d you find me? And since when do you ride horses?”

  “Mike told me where you’d be and I took lessons for years as a kid.” She looked down at him while her horse nuzzled his.

  Still scowling, he bent his head to his work. “Fine. You found me. Go away.”

  Both eyebrows arched high on her forehead. “This must be that Southern hospitality I’ve heard so much about.”

  “Damn it, Shelby, I’m busy.”

  “Me, too. I’m supposed to be taking a load of your mother’s crystal into town right now.”

  “Why aren’t you, then?”

  “Cam’s taking it for me because I told her I had to talk to you. Who knew it would be this difficult?” She swung her leg over the horse’s back and jumped down from the stirrups. Taking a step toward him, she stopped, said, “Ow,” and rubbed her behind.

  “Serves you right,” he muttered. “Haven’t ridden in years, then hop on a horse and ride for miles? Be lucky if you can walk tomorrow.”

  “If you’d quit avoiding me,” she said, “I wouldn’t have had to resort to this.”

  “I’m not avoiding you.” He turned his back on her and her gaze instinctively dropped to his butt. Yeah, the view from this angle was pretty spectacular, too.

  “Me being out here has nothing to do with you. I’m working,” he reminded her.

  “Right.” She didn’t believe it for a minute and was surprised that he thought she might. “And you don’t go to the kitchen for food anymore, so what? You’re dieting?”

  He sent her a glare, tied off the wire and clipped the excess. Tucking that bit of wire into a worn, cowhide belt he wore draped around his hips, he yanked off his gloves, tipped his hat back and fired a long, hard look at her. “What do you want? An apology? Fine. I’m sorry.”

  “You never listen, do you? I already told you I don’t regret what happened.”

  He snorted. “You should.”

  “Why?”

  He ignored her, tucking his work gloves into the sadd
lebags. Shelby laid one hand on his forearm and demanded again, “Why?”

  Caleb looked from her hand to her eyes. “Because, damn it,” he ground out, “there’s nothing here for you, Shelby. Not with me.”

  Her hand dropped away. “I never asked you for anything.”

  “Not yet.”

  She swayed back a little, almost as if his words had delivered a physical shot. “Are you under the impression I’m trying to trick you into a relationship or something?”

  “You said yourself you waited in the dark for me the other night.”

  “Yes, because I was attracted to you,” she snapped. “Though right now I don’t remember why.”

  He took off the belt, hooked it on his saddle horn, then turned back around to face her. His jaw was tight, mouth grim and those icy eyes of his looked steely and dangerous. “I gave you a place to stay...”

  “And I’m grateful—”

  “Not the point.” He held up one hand for quiet. “I don’t go around using women just because they’re handy.”

  Shelby just stared at him. “I don’t let myself be used, either, so we’re on the same page there.”

  “All I’m saying is that you’re not the one-night kind of woman and that’s all I’ve got to offer you—” He broke off, turned to snatch his shirt out of a saddlebag and then shrugged into it, leaving it unbuttoned. “So I’m staying clear of you.”

  “I don’t know what to feel here,” Shelby admitted, watching him, sorry to see him cover most of that really great chest. “Should I be flattered you think I’m worth more than one night? Or offended that you think I’m waiting for you to get down on one knee and promise me forever?”

  “I didn’t say—”

  “No, you already said what you had to,” Shelby said, and this time held up her hand for quiet. His mouth quirked at the gesture. “Now it’s my turn. I’m grateful that you gave me a place to stay—but I don’t need you to take care of me. To protect me. I’m a big girl—”

  “I noticed.”

  Her mouth twitched briefly. “We’re two adults, Caleb. If we want to be together, why shouldn’t we? I don’t expect anything from you—no wait. That’s wrong. I do have one expectation.”

  “Yeah?” Wary now, he watched her.

  Irritated, she said, “Oh, for heaven’s sake. You really don’t listen at all, do you? Stop getting that trapped look in your eyes.”

  He frowned at her, folded his arms across his chest and huffed out a breath. “Fine. What’s your expectation?”

  “That you’ll stop avoiding me.” She moved in on him, closing the distance between them. A soft, hot wind blew across the land, lifting her hair and blowing the edges of Caleb’s shirt back. “That you’ll kiss me again. Often.”

  As if thinking about what she’d said, he took a deep breath and released it slowly as he shifted his gaze to the wide pasture stretching out behind her. Several long seconds passed before he met her gaze again and when he did, Shelby saw storm clouds in his eyes.

  “Damn it, woman.” He set his hands at her hips and Shelby sighed as the accompanying rush of heat swept through her. “You should be careful what you wish for.”

  “I’m not wishing, Caleb. I’m saying.” She reached up and tugged the brim of his hat lower over his eyes. Smiling at him, she said, “Stop pretending there’s nothing between us.”

  “And if I do?” His voice was a low growl that hummed across her skin. His hands at her hips tightened, and Shelby sighed a little.

  “If you do, then we’re good.” She stepped out of his grasp, took a step toward her horse and said, “And now that we both know where we stand, I’ll go back to the house.”

  In a blink, he grabbed her hand, tugged her to him and then fisted one hand in her hair. Pulling her head back, he kissed her like a dying man looking for salvation. His tongue demanded, his breath pumped into her and when he finally let her go, Shelby’s knees wobbled.

  Looking deeply into her eyes, he said softly, “Now we’re good.”

  Seven

  When Caleb rode back into the ranch yard a couple hours later, his mind was on Shelby. As it had been since she’d left him and ridden back to the house. He’d thought it through and come to the conclusion that she was right. They were adults. They clearly wanted each other. So what the hell was he waiting for? Kissing her had fed the fires inside until it felt as if the Texas summer sun couldn’t even compete with what was happening within.

  The yard was busy. A couple of the men working with horses in the corral, two more putting a fresh coat of white paint on the stable fence. It was hot and miserable and Caleb wasn’t thinking about work. All he wanted now was to find Shelby and ease the ache that had been torturing him for days.

  Then he noticed the shining silver Porsche parked near the front door. Scowling at the thought of unexpected company, Caleb swung down from his horse, tossed the reins to Mike and jerked his head at the car. “Who’s here?”

  Mike frowned. “Jared Goodman.”

  “Hell.” Caleb swiped one hand across his face and gritted his teeth. He supposed it made sense that Jared would show up eventually. But why now? “What did Shelby say?”

  Mike shrugged. “When I saw him drive up, I went to the house, offered to stay with her while Jared was here but she insisted she was okay.”

  That sounded like her. Stubborn and strong and independent as hell. “Is Cam in there?”

  “Nope.” Mike shook his head and stared at the house as if he could see through the walls to what was happening inside. “She went into town a couple hours ago. Not back yet.”

  So Shelby was alone. With a man who had to be furious at the humiliation she’d served him. Caleb remembered all too well how he’d felt when Meg had dumped him in favor of his brother. It hadn’t been pretty. The thought of Shelby facing Jared down alone was something he didn’t care for. Though why it bothered him, he wasn’t willing to explore. “I’ll see about it.”

  Caleb trotted across the ranch yard, opened the front door and the first thing he heard was Shelby’s voice. She was talking fast. Not a surprise.

  “I’m really sorry, Jared, but I did the right thing. You’ll see that, eventually.”

  “Right.” Jared’s voice came across in a sneer. “I’m sure I’ll be real happy that my bride ran out on me in front of the whole damn town.”

  They were in the great room and Caleb moved quietly across the hall, so he could see what was going on. If she was handling things all right, he could always slip out again. She wouldn’t even have to know that he’d checked in on her.

  But he was distracted almost instantly. His first impression was, he hardly recognized the damn place. Since Shelby had been at the house, he’d been coming and going through the doors in his wing. Hell, he’d been using those doors since his mother started her “collection.” Caleb hadn’t seen the great room since Shelby went to work on it.

  And in a matter of just a few days, she’d cleared the place of all the extra cabinets and dressers and the mountain of crystal and glassware. This was a room people could sit in. There were couches and chairs he barely remembered and a couple of tables that belonged there, but the room was once again a huge space with a wide, unobstructed view of the ranch yard. Of course, at the moment, the custom wooden shutters were closed over the glass, keeping this little scene private.

  But his interest in the room faded as he focused on the man standing way too close to Shelby. Jared Goodman, like his father, stood a few inches shorter than Caleb. His black hair was slicked back and his gray suit looked out of place on a ranch. His features were twisted with anger and his eyes flashed sparks of heat as he loomed over Shelby.

  Beyond the slash of fury that surprised the hell out of him, Caleb felt a quick jolt of admiration to see Shelby holding her own. She faced the man down and didn’t look the least bit worried.

&
nbsp; “I’ve heard the stories your mother’s put out,” Shelby said calmly. “The word is that you’re the one who called things off.”

  “But we know the truth, don’t we, Shelby?” His voice was low and hard.

  Impatient, she huffed out a breath. “Jared, it’s over. We never should have tried this and you know that, too. I let myself believe that I was in love, but the truth is, I wasn’t. I was just really flattered at how you swept me off my feet and that’s not enough to build anything on, Jared—and you know it, too.” She sighed a little, then added, “Honestly, you wouldn’t be happy with me anyway. I talk too much and I’m a little bossy and I like to organize things all the time and you hate that. I mean, look at your office, it’s just a mess, with files everywhere. We would never work out.”

  Jared tried to get a word in and failed. Caleb almost felt sorry for him.

  “It’s just that I’m sure you’ll find the right person for you, but that’s not me and it won’t change, so we should just shake hands and part friends. I can do that, Jared,” she said, “can you?”

  “Friends?”

  She gave him a sympathetic smile that was completely wasted on him. “Oh, Jared. This was never going to work. Really, it never should have started. So I’m sorry for that. But I’m not sorry for leaving.”

  “We’re not friends,” Jared snapped when Shelby finally wound down. He moved in closer and Caleb didn’t like the look on the man’s face. “You don’t get to just walk away from me.”

  Okay, that was enough.

  “She already did.” Both people turned to look at him as Caleb walked across the room to stand beside Shelby. “You should go, Jared.”

  Shelby was clearly startled to see him, but Jared’s features went tight and even harder.

  “What the hell do you have to say about any of this, Mackenzie?”

  “Caleb—” Shelby started talking, but Caleb cut her off.

  He kept his gaze fixed on Goodman. “For one thing, this is my house. My land. You’ve got no business here, Goodman, and no right to stand here trying to intimidate Shelby. You’re not welcome and it’s time for you to go.”