“How long has this been going on?” Ryder asked, his gaze sharp and questioning. It was obvious that he was still digesting the news.
“Long enough.”
“For a while.”
Speaking in unison, Lynn and Russ looked at each other, their eyes locked in a duel. She swallowed a gulp of air as his gaze narrowed. Ryder was watching them both, and Lynn managed a smile when she turned her attention back to him. For a moment, she wasn’t certain if her brother wasn’t still a little unconvinced. But Russ tugged her closer to him, as if to reassure Ryder of their feelings for each other. His body heat enveloped her, and she swayed, feeling a little light-headed.
Russ shifted his gaze to Ryder. “Look, I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but could you give us a few minutes? We’d like a little privacy, and Lynn needs to dress before we go into any more details.”
“Sure thing.” Ryder searched around the room for his hat. Spotting it on the floor, he picked it up, then walked to the door.
“Ryder!” Lynn called before he could leave. As he settled his hat on his head, he looked back at her. “Um, could you just give us a little time and not say anything about this to anyone? I’m, uh, we’re not quite ready to share this with the family.” Her eyes pleaded for a little mercy as she felt Russ’s fingers digging into her shoulder.
“You’ve gotta be kiddin’, darlin’,” Ryder replied. “What a hoot! You think I’m gonna sit on this and keep it from Ashley?” He snorted a laugh. “She’d kill me.” He gave his sister a magnificent grin, then opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.
“Are you crazy?” Outraged, Russ turned and grabbed Lynn by the shoulders before she could move away.
She blushed. “I’m sorry. It was the first thing that came to my mind.” Afraid it would slip, her fingers clutched the sheet tighter. Then the heat of his hands on her skin seeped into her, and it was an effort just to breathe.
“‘We’re getting married?’ That was the only thing you could think of?”
“Well, I didn’t hear you coming up with any great explanations!” she countered, trying to shrug free.
“Great. Just great.” Russ shook his head, trying to make sense of everything, and his hands tightened just a fraction on her shoulders. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. In the space of twenty-four hours, he’d made love to Lynn McCall and become engaged to her. Could this day get any worse? He let go of her and stormed across the room, his hands on his hips.
“I was trying to save your job!” Lynn yelled, fuming.
So that’s what the charade was about, Russ thought, the muscle in his jaw beginning to tick. “That’s what you were doing? Saving my job?” He shouldn’t feel annoyed that she was admitting she felt nothing for him, but nonetheless it irritated the hell out of him. He’d spent the night making love to her, and this was the second time she’d insisted it meant nothing. He gritted his teeth as the pain of rejection stunned his heart.
Russ turned away from her, unwilling to let her see the wounds she’d opened inside him. He really shouldn’t have been surprised. His own mother hadn’t wanted him. She’d dumped him with a spinster aunt who’d raised him because of propriety. His wife had cheated on him and had gotten pregnant with her lover’s child. Why should Lynn’s rejection surprise him or hurt him? It wasn’t as if he had delusions about keeping her.
“Yes. You should be thankful, you ingrate,” she argued. “Besides, it’s not like we’re really going to get married.”
Russ swivelled around and gave a forced laugh. “Oh? And how do you figure that?” he scoffed. He reached up and rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “By now Ashley knows what happened between us last night, and by this afternoon, everyone who lives on the ranch will know, too.”
“So?”
“So, I’m gonna do the right thing and marry you!” Though he knew he’d never have had a chance with Lynn under normal circumstances, he couldn’t just stand by and see her reputation ruined. He was duty bound to do right by her, even if it meant that they’d be married only long enough to make it look good.
Lynn went still. “You are not!”
That afforded her a harsh glare. “Oh, yes, I am.” His tone was as obstinate as hers, but held underlying menace. Danger lingered in his scorching gaze.
“I don’t want to get married to you. We don’t even like each other!”
“We liked each other well enough last night,” he reminded her, his heated gaze running over her skin like warm sunshine.
Lynn felt as if he’d actually touched her. “That was just sex.” Her tone was defiant.
“It was hot sex, honey. The best sex I’ve had in a long time.”
Her eyes widened as she absorbed the shock of his words. A pleasurable sensation traveled through her. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him how long, but she caught herself from blurting her thoughts. Instead, she said, “But it was a mistake! It only happened because of the circumstances last night that led up to it.” Her voice shook slightly, and she stared at him.
“A mistake?” His laugh was wry. He knew when a woman was naturally responding to him, and Lynn was all over him last night. “A few beers and a little champagne were the reasons you responded so eagerly when I made love to you?” He regarded her silently and struggled with the effort to keep his temper under control. “So, you’re saying now, in the light of day and without the mood of last night and a little alcohol, you wouldn’t respond the same way?”
“I’m saying it doesn’t matter.” Her voice lost some of its boldness as she adjusted the sheet, tucking it under her arms so that it wouldn’t come loose.
“It doesn’t?” One of his eyebrows quirked up.
“Last night is over. This engagement between us is a pretend engagement.”
“Were you pretending last night?” Russ demanded, still annoyed that she could dismiss what happened between them so easily.
“I—”
“Are you saying you were pretending when you begged me to come inside you?”
“Russ, please—”
“When you screamed my name and came apart in my arms?” he asked, studying her. “Lynn, honey, you’re lying.”
“Oh, no, I’m not,” she declared, clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking. How had she let him back her into a corner over this? She didn’t want to argue with him. She had her own agenda—starting her own horse ranch. Growing up under the control of three older brothers while trying to assert her independence had been difficult, and she just wanted a chance to prove herself. Though she knew her brothers loved her and wanted what was best for her, Lynn was ready to think for herself, make her own decisions.
And she didn’t want to be attracted, physically or otherwise, to Russ Logan.
“Prove it.”
“What?” she gulped.
Russ let his gaze slowly slide over her. “Come over here and prove it, honey,” he said evenly, the determination inside him fueled by her persistence that what happened between them was a fluke and by the fact that he was now engaged to her.
She retreated a step, then silently cursed herself for it. “I will not!”
Russ pinned her gaze with his. “Come over here now, Lynn.”
“No.”
His jaw muscle twitched as he walked over to her. Without speaking, he touched her chin with his finger and lifted her face so he could look into her eyes.
“Come on, honey, show me how much you don’t want me.”
He moved closer, crowding her space. Trapped, Lynn felt the bed behind her legs, preventing her from moving. Russ lifted his hand and gently stroked her neck with the back of his fingers. Her eyelids closed as pleasure began a torturous flow through her body.
“Kiss me,” he commanded.
“No,” she answered, opening her eyes slowly and looking at him. Her answer held little conviction as awareness tightened the tension between them. The air in the room became thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe.
She leaned toward him, her nipples hardening beneath the sheet as her breasts swelled.
“Kiss me,” he said again, dropping his hand away from her.
Though his words were still a command, they came out sounding more like temptation. Lynn opened her mouth to tell him no again and felt his hot breath skim her lips. Her lungs seemed starved for air. He didn’t touch her, but, oh, how she wanted him to. Her entire body tightened with desire as the heat of his skin penetrated hers, luring her closer.
Her teeth clinched her bottom lip as she looked at his mouth. She licked her lips, and she didn’t know how he managed it, but he moved closer, aligning his body with hers so that they touched from chest to knees. The friction between them felt like icy fire.
“Show me,” he whispered, then he bent his head toward her. Her lips parted, and he caught her lower lip with his teeth, biting it gently, then letting it go. “Show me, honey,” he whispered.
“Russ.” Lynn raised her hands, but instead of using them to push him away, she slid them over his bare chest, then up to his cheeks, holding his face near hers. “This is insane.” Her words came out in a rush of breath. Seeing he wasn’t going to let it go, she gave in and brushed her mouth against his.
What started as a simple kiss changed so suddenly that Lynn didn’t have time to think. All she could comprehend was the vortex of need that consumed her as his tongue invaded her mouth, touching the tip of hers.
Someone groaned. Lynn thought it was her, but she wasn’t sure, wasn’t aware of anything except the heady feel of Russ’s lips on hers, the pressure of his hard body as she moved closer to him. She lifted her mouth from his, caught her breath in a snatched moment, then she pressed her mouth against his again. Her hands slid to his neck and tightened, and she strained on her toes to fuse her lips against his.
Finally, he pulled away from her and she opened her eyes. Everything inside her had shifted. Her wants, her needs, her focus. What had happened? Though she felt as if she’d been ravaged, she realized he hadn’t even touched her. His hands were still hanging by his side. She was shocked and quite embarrassed that it was her, not Russ, who appeared so moved by their kisses.
“This, um, doesn’t prove anything,” she said, pulling her hands away from him. She scooted around him and started to gather her clothes. Bending down she snatched up her blue dress.
Stepping back a little, Russ grinned lasciviously. “Yeah, right.” Oh, he was in trouble. If he’d kissed her any longer, he’d have pulled the sheet off of her, pushed her down on the bed and taken her again.
Furious at her response to him, she straightened and squared her shoulders. Then, out of the blue, another disturbing thought hit her.
“Condoms!” Her eyes widened, and she drew in a sharp breath as she ran to the bed. Clutching the sheet to help keep it in place, she whipped the remaining tangled covers from the bed and tossed the pillows willy-nilly. “Oh…dammit!” Dropping to her knees, she threw herself on the floor and searched beneath the bed for torn-open empty packets. Then she came up slowly, her head showing first, her eyes filled with dread.
“We didn’t use any protection, did we?” she wailed.
His expression deeply regretful, Russ shook his head. “Not that I remember,” he admitted, confirming the worst.
He usually always took precautions.
Always.
Except last night.
Lynn sank onto the bed, then bent forward, holding her head with her hand. “Oh no, no, no.”
Russ walked over to her, not believing he’d caused yet another complication. He just couldn’t get a break here. “Damn, Lynn, I don’t know what to say, except that I really screwed up.” That was an understatement of humongous proportions.
“You mean we screwed up.”
Russ grunted. “I’m the one who should’ve been concerned with protecting you,” he insisted. “I don’t usually drink enough to cloud my brain. Last night was an exception, rather than a rule.” He looked down at her, feeling like a fool. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. Since we’re getting married, it’ll be all right if you’re pregnant.”
Three
“I am not going to be pregnant!” She said it with confirmation, staring steadfastly at him. “And I am not going to marry you!”
Russ’s lips thinned, and his green eyes glittered. “Yes, you are.” His tone made it sound like a done deal.
“No, I’m not!” She almost stamped her foot, but quickly realized how childish it would appear.
He bent down toward her, putting his face so close in front of hers that she could see the tiny veins in his eyes. “I…don’t…lie.”
She jerked her head back. “What?”
“I gave your brother my word, and I mean to abide by it. You are the one who forced this issue, and you’re just gonna have to live with whatever problem you created.”
Though momentarily impressed by his integrity, she wasn’t going to let him bully her. “We’ll think of something. Wait, I know!” she said in a rush. “We’ll pretend for a while we’re getting married, just long enough to be sure I’m not pregnant, which, I repeat, is not going to happen. As soon as we know for sure I’m not, then we’ll stage a fight and break off our engagement.”
“That’s ridiculous. Your brothers aren’t gonna fall for that,” Russ scoffed.
“Let’s not worry about it right now. For the moment, Ryder’s happy, and you have your job. That’s the important thing.” Darting around him as well as she could with the sheet around her legs and feet, Lynn hurriedly gathered her clothing. “In the meantime, I’m getting dressed and getting out of here.”
Russ bit his tongue. He started to push his argument with her, then stopped himself. In a short time she’d realize just how serious he was. He’d given Ryder his word. He wasn’t going back on it, no matter what she said. “Fine.”
She snapped her head around and looked up at him, and a flush gave her cheeks a rosy tone. “Fine.” She walked toward the bathroom. “I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes.” Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her, then wished she could sink into the earth and disappear.
We’re getting married!
What had she been thinking? Jeez, having an impulsive nature, she’d been known to put her foot in her mouth more than once, something her three brothers had teased her about more often than not. But this time she’d really done it.
Okay, maybe she had spoken hastily, but she didn’t understand Russ’s hostile attitude. He sure as heck didn’t seem to appreciate her idea of breaking up a pretend engagement, either. Instead of fighting her on it, the man should have been thanking her for saving his job!
He’d looked positively thunderous and intimidating moments ago when he’d said he was going to marry her. A chuckle escaped her lips as she slid on her panties and bra, then arranged the dress so she could slip it over her head.
What a ridiculous thought! She and Russ getting married. Lord have mercy, the last thing she wanted was to be tied down with a husband. She’d lived with her three older brothers telling her what to do her entire life. Now that she was old enough to make her own decisions, she certainly wasn’t going to do something stupid like get married and let another man tell her what she could and couldn’t do. She wasn’t going to throw away her hopes and dreams.
Now, honestly, she’d have to admit that being with Russ last night had been something she’d never forget. She shivered as she remembered the delicious sensation of him stroking her body with his big hands and the tantalizing feel of his tongue on her skin. The taste of him still lingered in her mind. Being initiated into lovemaking by Russ had definitely been the high point of her life.
But as wonderful as it had felt being with him, it wasn’t real. They weren’t in love, or for that matter, anything close to it. Heavens, all of this fuss just because she’d made a little mistake. Well, maybe sleeping with Russ was more than just a little mistake, she amended silently, struggling to zip up the back of her dress.
&nbs
p; She looked in the mirror and studied her image as memories of being in his arms continued to taunt her. Did she look any different, she wondered? She shook her head as if to shake away the thought. No, of course not. That flush in her cheeks was from embarrassment—not from learning what it was like to have a man make love to her.
Or to have Russ Logan make love to you.
Frowning, she looked down at the bathroom counter and picked up a bottle of his cologne. She sniffed at the cap, and the scent of him filled her senses. She closed her eyes and the memory of feeling him moving inside her assaulted her. She swayed, then put her hand against the counter, catching herself.
Oh, heavens! How could she face him day after day after what they’d done last night?
She opened her eyes and stared at herself. Okay, she’d just have to grin and bear it. Seeing him every day would get easier, right? Eventually, it would be as if it had never happened.
Squaring her shoulders, she brushed her hands through her hair, but it still looked quite mussed. Grabbing Russ’s comb, she ran it through her hair several times, giving it some order. Using a piece of bathroom tissue, she wiped traces of her tears from under her eyes.
She took a deep breath, deciding she was looking as good as she was going to under the circumstances. As she opened the bathroom door, her gaze landed on Russ. He hadn’t moved. He was staring at her, his jaw set tight, his expression just as rigid.
“I’ll, uh, just get out of here,” she said, frowning and looking away. Russ didn’t say a word. Swallowing past the knot in her throat, Lynn looked around the room for her heels. She spotted them on the floor at the foot of the bed. Quickly, she walked over and scooped them up, then went to the door. But she couldn’t bring herself to just walk out as if nothing had happened between them. As much as she wanted to ignore it, there was no disputing that they’d crossed an invisible line in their working relationship.
Still, what could she say? By the way, thanks for giving me a night I’ll never forget? While she’d never really gotten along with Russ, she’d always been aware of his masculinity, of his virility. She’d just never dreamed he’d be the man who’d teach her about making love. Nor had she any idea that making love with him would make her so aware of her own sexuality.
One Wedding Night... Page 3