“She’s looking for a job in Missoula. It’s doubtful I’ll see her much.”
Dana didn’t know why she cared one way or the other. The odds she’d see Mitch more than a handful of times each year were slim. She pushed her plate away at the same time he finished the last of his steak.
“Do you want dessert?”
She rested hand on her stomach and grinned. “Not this trip.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Ten
“Before we go back to the ranch house, I need to stop at my place to pick up the mail and make sure everything is okay. Unless you need to get back sooner.” Mitch glanced at her, then shifted his gaze back to the road.
“Stopping by your place is fine. Besides, I wouldn’t mind seeing how you live.”
“Don’t expect a big house like Rafe’s or hundreds of acres.” He sounded defensive, as if she’d judge him by the size of his home.
Ignoring his comment, she changed the subject as he turned onto a paved road, the lights of a house appearing in the distance. “Have you ridden your bike lately?”
He shot her a quick glance, his mouth pursing. “Nope. There hasn’t been much time. I hope to ride this weekend with a group of guys I’ve known since high school. I heard you bought a new bike.”
“A deal I couldn’t pass up. Two years old, low miles, and no modifications needed. He fits me better than any bike I’ve ever owned.”
“He?”
“Well, of course. You don’t expect me to straddle a female bike do you?” She bit her lower lip, trying not to smile when Mitch let out a bark of laughter.
“No, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it. Do you have a name for this male bike?”
She thought a moment about her answer, remembering a phrase her grandmother used to use when faced with a difficult decision. In for a penny, in for a pound, she’d say. The thought pushed Dana to answer his question with the truth. “Mitch.”
His gaze shot to hers before he slammed on the brakes in front of his house and killed the engine.
“You call your bike Mitch?” His already deep voice held a huskiness she hadn’t noticed before. He turned toward her, an arm resting on the seat back, his eyes intensifying as they locked on hers.
She caught her lower lip between her teeth, then moistened her dry lips, trying to create distance between them by sliding toward the passenger door.
“Yes. It seemed appropriate. He’s a little moody sometimes, takes some effort to start on cold mornings. With the right words and proper encouragement, he does fine.”
The woman is trying to kill me, Mitch thought at the same time his hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him.
“And what do you do if he refuses to respond?” His warm breath fanned her face.
“I…um…” Her voice trailed off as she focused on his full lips a scant inch away from hers. She wanted them on hers again, creating heat and sending the same waves of delicious warmth through her body as he’d done before. When she thought he’d drop his hold and pull away, he drew her forward, capturing her mouth with his.
Showing no hesitation, she wrapped her hands behind his head and pulled him down in a crushing kiss as a hand splayed across her back, the other at her neck. The kiss turned demanding, persistent, her body arching toward him. His hands moved under her blouse, exploring the soft lines of her back and waist.
She moaned as his tongue explored the hidden recesses of her mouth, while a hand slid from her back to her stomach, strong fingers teasing, moving upward. Her emotions whirled as pleasure radiated outward. Breaking the kiss, she gasped for air, her fingers tracing a path down his cheek to his stubbled jaw and across his bottom lip, placing a soft kiss on his chin.
He gripped her chin between his fingers, holding her steady, his mouth descending to meet hers, coaxing her to open once again. Her body tightened even as she melted into him, her hands gripping his arms as if she feared he’d back away. Instead, in one fluid move, he reached under her, settling her on his lap, and deepened the kiss.
Cradling her in his arms, he let a hand move down to her calf, then slowly upward to her thigh and hips, feeling heat radiate, even through her clothing. His hand continued upward to her back, feeling her fevered skin as his mouth continued to devour hers. He drew away, sucking in air, his forehead resting against hers.
“Let’s go inside,” Mitch rasped out, his heart pounding so hard he knew she must also be able to hear it. He set her aside, taking a shaky breath as he climbed out, grabbing Dana’s hand to help her down as she slid over. They wasted no time getting inside, Mitch kicking the door shut. He drew her to him and took her mouth with his, picking up where they left off.
Mitch unbuttoned the top of her jeans at the same time she did the same to his. The sight of her small hand reaching for him caused his mouth to go dry. Gripping her hand, he stopped her movement, pressing it tight to his thigh, his eyes locking with hers.
“Dana, make certain this is what you want. I’m not a great bet for anything more than short term. I don’t want you to regret this.”
She saw the need in his eyes, feeling the same desire course through her. If she had just one night with him, would it be enough or would she expect more? The certainty she’d want more rocked her as well as the realization she’d take whatever he offered and deal with the consequences later. Her gaze lifted to his, a hand spread across his chest.
“I want this, Mitch.”
“All right, but I’m telling you now, one time in my bed tonight won’t be enough.”
She leaned toward him, placing a heated kiss on his lips. “Of course not. It’s just the appetizer.”
******
Dana lay cradled in Mitch’s arms as the early sun cast rays of light through his bedroom window. His deep breathing washed over her face, a feeling of contentedness she’d never known wrapped around her. Spreading a palm, she played with the crisp hairs of his chest, turning her face to trace a sensuous path along the taut muscles. Letting her hand move ever lower, she gasped when a hand shot out to still her path.
“You’re going to kill me, you know.” The deep, morning rumble of his voice sent chills through her body as she gazed up to look into intense, sleepy eyes. He pulled her up onto his chest, taking her mouth for a leisurely kiss, aligning her body with his.
They’d had the hottest sex of her life on the sofa in his living room, then in his bed before he picked her up and carried her to the shower. Afterwards, he’d wrapped her in one of his robes, took her hand, and walked into the hall for a brief tour.
Although he stayed at Rafe’s most nights while his father worked in Fire Mountain, his own home appealed to her on a personal level. The two stories with a wrap-around porch and central courtyard seemed cozy and traditional. The full moon allowed her to appreciate how it faced lush meadows in the front and imposing mountains in the back.
Afterwards, he’d lifted her once more into his arms and set her down on his magnificent bed with hand-carved head and footboards. Making love until their bodies could take no more, they finally slept until she woke at dawn.
Breaking the kiss, he rolled out of bed, tossing her an oversized t-shirt before scavenging for food in a kitchen ill-used the last few weeks. She didn’t know why it surprised her when he whipped up a quick meal of eggs, hash browns, and bacon. Food had never tasted as good.
When they finished, he took her by the hand, walking toward the bathroom, and turning on the water.
She’d used it last night, but didn’t fully appreciate the oversized shower with two heads, oval whirlpool, and vanity with a granite top over the most beautiful cabinets she’d ever seen.
“Did you make these?” She ran a hand over the sleek wood, noting the bronze handles.
Mitch nodded. “Once we buttoned up the house, I finished every bit of the inside. It took a few years, between work and travel, but I got it done.” He tested the water, then drew her under it with him.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she looked up and smiled. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a lovelier home. It’s magnificent.” She rested her head on his chest, feeling him tighten his arms around her.
Mitch rested his chin on the top of her head, knowing he had to let her go, tell her what they had last night and this morning wouldn’t last. Relationships and a belief in love weren’t in his nature. He could have sex with her until they were both totally spent and enjoy every moment without ever committing to more. In his world, people weren’t faithful and no manner of vow could change human nature. Men and women were predisposed to cheat on each other—it wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
He lived in a world of darkness and distrust, while Dana radiated light and hope. Life with him would do nothing except drag her down, drown her in his disgust for what he knew to be the true nature of love and relationships. Loving him would serve no purpose except snuff the radiance and warmth out of her, and it would kill him to watch that happen.
“We should get moving,” he whispered, tightening his grip while letting his arms fall to his sides.
They finished, each soaping the other, resisting the urge to make love once more before returning to real life. As he dried Dana, then wrapped her in one of his oversized towels, he cursed himself for what he believed, deep in his soul, to be true about men and women, and their inability to be faithful.
“Are you ready?” He pulled on his boots, then stood, watching as she finished buttoning her blouse. He’d never get enough of her and accepted he had no choice except to let her go.
She drew fingers through her hair, trying her best to get rid of the thoroughly loved look.
“What will they think?”
Mitch’s brows drew together. “Who?”
“Sam and Rhett. They know we went to dinner and never came home. Now we’ll be driving to the office about the same time. What should we say?”
“Nothing. It’s none of their business. Besides, you’ll be leaving tomorrow. End of story.” He grabbed his hat, trying to ignore the flash of pain he saw cross Dana’s face or the tightening in his own chest. “I’ll drop you at the house so you can pick up your computer then drive in, unless you prefer to work there until we meet this afternoon.”
Dana swallowed the lump in her throat as well as the unbidden pain his comment caused. As it turned out, their time together meant nothing to him except another one night stand. After she left, unpacked, and spent another night in her apartment, he’d be back with Lizzie, perhaps taking her to dinner and for a drive afterwards. Stop it, she cautioned herself before turning toward him.
“Did you say something?” Mitch asked, waiting by the door.
“Just that I believe I will work at the house and drive to the office this afternoon for the meeting.” She averted her gaze, pretending to search for her purse when she knew it sat in the same spot as last night.
After the night they’d spent together, the silence on the way to the house choked her. She wanted to scream at her stupidity, believing what happened between them might be the start of something special when it was just sex. She took a deep breath, staring out the window at the passing scenery, deciding her best course of action was to act as unaffected as Mitch. Straightening her back and clutching her purse, she jumped out as soon as Mitch pulled to a stop, not turning when he called her name. The fantasy had morphed into reality and she had to accept it.
******
Mitch let loose with a stream of curses as he turned the truck around and drove to the office. If only he could take back his thoughtless comment, sit down with her and explain. Instead, he’d smacked her with his flippant response, trying to push her away, and succeeding. Turning onto the highway, the reality he already missed her hit him in the chin like a knockout punch. Wrenching the steering wheel to the right, he pulled to a stop on the side of the road, slamming his fist onto the dash.
Rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, he muttered another oath at the sound of his phone. He swiped a finger across the screen and brought it to his ear.
“MacLaren.”
“Mitch, where are you?”
“Something wrong, Sean? I don’t remember having any appointments.”
“You don’t, but we have another situation. Something happened last night at the far corral. A section of fence broke and we’re missing four of our young bulls.”
“I’m on my way.” Forcing thoughts of Dana from his mind, he pulled back onto the highway, focusing his energy on where it should have been from the start, on the business. Pulling into the lot, he spotted the sheriff’s car and noticed a group of men huddled outside the office.
“Hey, Mitch. Over here.” Sean motioned for him to join them, then turned his attention back to the sheriff, his deputy, Emilio, and Fritz.
“Sheriff.” Mitch extended his hand.
“Mitch. Seems you’re plagued with problems of late.”
He nodded, looking at Emilio. “Did you find them?”
“We did. They couldn’t go far and are already secured in another area.”
Mitch let out a breath. At least they’d been found. “Show me where they got out.”
Skye and Rhett joined the group who walked the length of the property to the most distant corral. One section of wooden fence lay on the ground, as if it had been trampled. Mitch and the sheriff studied the area around the corral, looking for anything that would give them a clue as to what happened.
Mitch turned to Sean. “Looks to me like the animals spooked and trampled the fence. It may not have been intentional.”
“You’re right, but I thought it best to get the sheriff out, just in case.”
“I see you have a cyclone fence around the perimeter. Is it new?” the sheriff asked Mitch, holding his notepad and pen.
“We installed it about six months ago for situations such as this. Most of the corrals and pens are made of metal tubing, and we’ve never had a problem. A couple pens, where we keep young bulls, are wood. They’re scheduled to be replaced this month. With the cyclone fence, the bulls might get out of the corrals, but they have nowhere to go unless someone cuts the fence.”
“It appears to be a simple case of the animals breaking through the fence. If it were an attempt at stealing them, the cyclone fence would be cut. We’ll check it all out anyway.” The sheriff turned to his deputy, instructing her to take pictures and interview the person who first found the damage as well as anyone who helped round up the bulls. “Do you think it could be a prank? College or high school kids out for some fun?”
“It’s hard for me to believe anyone from around here would think letting young bull stock loose would be funny. Most everyone’s been raised around cattle or horse stock of some kind. Now, if you’re talking city kids in town for a few days, yeah, maybe. Again, I don’t think it’s likely.” Mitch rubbed the back of his neck, agreeing with the sheriff’s thoughts about it being a case of animals getting spooked.
“I need to head inside for a conference call, Mitch. It shouldn’t take long.” Sean took off toward the office as Skye and Rhett continued to circle the area.
Mitch thought of the extra men guarding the area around the clock. “Emilio, do you know what happened to the person assigned to this area?”
“He called in sick, Mitch, and I didn’t have anyone to replace him. Fritz was in Bozeman to pick up an order we placed weeks ago. I tried to make the rounds myself. It didn’t help much.”
“Don’t blame yourself, there’s a lot going on and we’re all working overtime to keep up.” Mitch thought of his night with Dana and felt a pang of guilt at not being here with the other men. “Guess I’d better get back to work. Emilio, unless the sheriff needs to look around some more, I’d like you to get some men to fix this right away.”
He shook the sheriff’s hand and turned toward the office, his mind again wandering to Dana and their night together. It struck him how difficult it would be to forget her and try to convince himself she meant nothing but a
one night pleasure. To make matters worse, even now he wanted her again.
The rest of the morning and afternoon dragged on. Mitch could concentrate on his work for only short periods of time before his thoughts would shift to Dana and he’d lose all concentration. They’d known each other for several months during his time in Fire Mountain, joining the others for horseback rides, trips on their motorcycles, and dinners at Heath and Annie’s. They’d worked on various projects, including the last week while finalizing the marketing changes. He wondered how any woman could work her way under his skin in such a short period of time, stealing his thoughts, and creating a passion he wanted to forget.
Setting down his pen, he closed his eyes, picturing her smiling at something he’d said early in the morning while chowing down on breakfast. Her sparkling eyes crinkled at the corners, and he’d reached out to wipe a dab of yoke from her chin, licking it off his finger. She’d leaned over, placing a warm kiss on his lips then traced the outline of his mouth with her tongue.
He cursed, standing to gain relief as his body responded to the memory. Grabbing a bottle of water, he twisted off the cap and took a long swallow, wishing he could pour the entire contents over his head.
He’d been a fool to believe one night with Dana would be enough. Hell, a hundred nights wouldn’t come close to satisfying his desire for her. Rubbing a shaky hand down his face, he cursed his flawed luck—finding the perfect woman, but knowing he’d be able to commit to nothing more than what they already had.
******
Cold Creek, Colorado
“We’re approved as the contractor for the rodeo in Oklahoma.” Cassie’s enthusiastic voice traveled down the hall and into Cam’s office before she stepped inside.
“Congratulations. I know you’ve been worried about this one.” Cam hung up the phone as Cassie sat across from him.
“We may need to bring in one or two sub-contractors. I won’t know until I check stock and the event schedule again.”
Hearts Don't Lie Page 10