Last Chance Texas, page 11
Of course you’ll drive me. That was the plan all along.
He wanted her to spend the night. He just couldn’t bring himself to ask. Building a fire was simply a stall tactic.
“Go ahead and start the fire, Nathan. I’m going to pour myself some wine. Can I get you anything?”
She realized their stilted conversation was beginning to sound scripted. Normally a self-assured person in any situation, Kelsey suddenly felt tongue tied.
“No, I don’t need anything. I’ll get the fire started now.” His words came out slowly, his tone breathy.
You do that, Nathan. You start that fire. I’ll be there shortly to fan the flames.
~ ~ ~
Kelsey sat cross legged on the rug, petting Nathan’s dog. When she lifted the glass of wine from the coffee table, Nathan watched her take a tiny sip. She’d been nursing the same glass for nearly an hour, and he decided she didn’t want to let her guard down; didn’t want alcohol to play into the situation. And honestly, considering the long drive ahead of her in the morning, the last thing she probably needed was a hangover.
But the two of them soon got past their awkwardness, and began talking nonstop about everything from how cute Jessica and Tommy Randall were, to how expensive hay was. What he assumed would be a completely boring topic of conversation seemed fascinating to Kelsey. Or at least, she’d pretended it was. Hell, maybe she was just trying to keep things light so he wouldn’t try and put the moves on her again.
As the light from the flame cast a glow about her face, he could barely take his eyes off her. When the logs in the fireplace shifted, making a loud crackling noise, she looked up at him and smiled. Once again, those amber flecks in her dark eyes left him weak in the knees.
When the dog stood up, stretched, and began walking away, Nathan decided to move things along. He’d spent a good part of the evening trying to get a read on Kelsey, to see if she wanted to pick up where they’d left off. He was referring of course to that rendezvous they’d had at the clinic which seemed like a lifetime ago.
Too bad they didn’t know one another better because, if they did, it would have eliminated all this foreplay crap. That’s really what it amounted to. Why the hell couldn’t he just take her into his arms and kiss her like he’d done at the clinic?
Kelsey suddenly stood up, and he quickly jumped to his feet.
“I’ll wash out my glass.”
“No, Kelsey. I can get that.” He followed her into the kitchen as she made her way over to the sink.
“You can just put it in the dishwasher.”
“I’m not sure it’ll fit. There’s a ton of dishes in there from the cookout.” As she bent over to see if there was enough room for one more glass, he watched the blue sweater she was wearing ride up slightly, exposing flesh. He quickly looked away, fighting off the urge to touch her. Common sense told him to move away from Kelsey. Unfortunately, his body refused to oblige.
She closed the dishwasher and nearly backed into him as she moved away. “Oh, Nathan. I didn’t know you were there.”
They were so close to one another; he could hear the rhythm of her breathing. When he heard her exhale sharply, the tiniest hitch in her breath, he made his move.
He reached up, cupping her chin in his hands, tracing the outline of her lips with his thumb.
“I wondered when we were going to get around to this.” Her comment made him smile, and for the first time in hours, he finally began to relax.
She ran her hands along his arms, stopping when they rested squarely on his shoulders. After a few seconds, she wrapped them around his neck. When she gave him a lingering look, he pulled her closer. He tilted her head back and thoroughly kissed her.
“Mmm . . . this feels good, Nathan.”
She parted her lips, and he slowly worked his tongue inside her soft, supple mouth. The kissing accelerated, and before long, the two of them were kissing one another with reckless abandon.
He considered doing her right here, on the floor of his kitchen, but he wanted her in his bed.
When he stopped kissing her, she stared up at him, the light in her eyes dimming. “Is something wrong? Nathan, what is it?”
“Spend the night with me.”
She paused just long enough for the chimes of the grandfather clock to bong nine times.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
As he began ascending the stairs leading to his bedroom, she reached for his hand. He squeezed it, grateful he had one more night with her.
~ ~ ~
Meredith perched herself on a bar stool at Jake’s tavern. They’d made the drive out to Marfa, only to discover that the lights weren’t visible because of the clouds. The locals said you couldn’t always see them, but Meredith had ignored their comments and hoped for the best. She’d probably never make the drive out here again, so the Marfa Lights would be something she’d need to scratch off her bucket list.
“Another round?” The bartender Jake referred to as Adam dipped his head as he waited for the threesome to answer.
“Sure,” Jake replied, as he glanced over at Rachel’s empty wine glass.
Atta boy, Jake. Get the girl all liquored up so you can get her to sleep with you.
Meredith hated the fact she was in such a foul mood. But envy had reared its ugly head. Jake had been falling all over himself trying to please Rachel, and while on some level it was almost comedic, it served as a grim reminder that Meredith’s husband was totally disengaged. She couldn’t recall the last time Blake had touched her.
“Toasted Head?” The bartender glanced down at her empty glass, and she nodded.
“Sure. Why not?”
He reached for her glass and as she eyed him curiously, noting his black, shiny hair and dark eyes. The man looked as though he could be Native American.
The guy glared back at her, arching an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”
“Not a thing.”
When he sauntered away to retrieve a bottle of wine in the fridge, she felt herself frown.
Her phone rang and she fished around in her purse for several seconds until she located it. She stared at the screen for a second. It was Kelsey.
“Hi, Mere.” Kelsey sounded unusually upbeat. Apparently, she and that cowboy were hitting it off.
“Hey, Kels. Have Nathan drive you over to Jake’s bar instead of the lodge. We’ll be here a while.” When the phone began crackling, she pressed it tightly against her ear, covering the other ear with her hand. “Speak up, lady. I can barely hear you.”
She couldn’t tell if the connection was bad or if Kelsey just wasn’t speaking loudly enough. “Kelsey, are you there?”
“I’ve decided to spend the night at Nathan’s.”
Meredith gasped loudly enough for Jake and Rachel to stop the conversation they were having. She wasted no time trying to talk Kelsey out of it. “Have you lost your freaking mind?”
When the bartender stopped pouring the wine she and Rachel had ordered, Meredith decided to move out to the patio to finish the call.
“I’ll be outside. Would you mind bringing my drink out there?” When he didn’t argue with her, she took it as a yes.
Jumping off the bar stool, Meredith rushed outside to the patio, relieved to be the only patron foolish enough to sit outside on a winter’s night. She glanced about the rows of picnic tables, struggling for something to say that would keep Kelsey from making yet another mistake. She counted to ten before letting Kelsey have it.
“Don’t do this, Kelsey. You barely know this guy. We should’ve taken you with us. I can’t believe you’d do something this stupid. How much did you have to drink before he talked you into it?”
“Nathan didn’t talk me into anything. It’s not what you think. We plan on seeing each other again.” The defensive tone in Kelsey’s voice led Meredith to believe there was little she could do to change Kelsey’s mind. Panic gripped Meredith as she considered the enormous risk Kelsey was taking sleeping with a guy she’d known less than three days.
“Here’s your chardonnay.” The bartender plopped the glass down on the table with what appeared to be a little more force than necessary. When she made eye contact with him, he rolled his eyes.
The second he left, Meredith continued her lecture, praying Kelsey would come to her senses. “I assume you’ve told him about the in vitro. And in the event you have, he’s either desperate or completely insane to agree to sleep with you.”
“I haven’t told him yet, but I will. Please, Mere, don’t ruin this for me.”
As she listened to the hitch in Kelsey’s voice, listened to the way her voice trailed as she pleaded for understanding, Meredith decided that no matter how terrible a decision this was, Kelsey was following her heart. And she hadn’t done that for a long time.
It occurred to Meredith that with her own marriage heading for the ditch, she probably wasn’t one to dole out advice. She glanced over at the distant hills, barely able to make out their formations in the dark. When had she become so cynical? Swallowing her pride, she made the decision to keep her opinions to herself and support Kelsey.
“Mere. Are you there?”
“Yes, Kelsey. I’m here. You do whatever you think is best. How about Rachel and I swing by and pick you up tomorrow around nine? That way, you and Nathan can have more time together.”
“I love you, Mere.”
“Love you too, Kels.”
Meredith hung up before she changed her mind.
~ ~ ~
Nathan sat on the king-sized bed, watching Kelsey move about the room. She strolled over to the bureau, her thick, auburn-colored hair flowing down her shoulders. As he studied the gentle swaying of her hips, he nearly came undone.
She cupped the necklace she’d been wearing in the palm of her hand, handling it delicately, as though it would break. “I’ll just put this on your dresser. Don’t let me forget it, okay?”
“Okay.” As he spoke, he realized it sounded as though someone had shoved their arm down his throat. His desire to make love to her was so overwhelming he could barely contain himself.
“I love this necklace. My aunt gave it to me on my fifth birthday. I rarely saw her after that, so, naturally, I cherish it.”
Nathan closed his eyes, waiting for the small talk to end. When he opened them again, she was staring over at him, as though waiting for him to respond to her comment about the necklace.
“It’s a nice necklace.”
Come on, Kelsey? I’m dying here.
“I don’t know if you can read the inscription, Nathan, but it says . . .”
She suddenly stopped midsentence, her eyes widening as she stared down at him. By now, his jeans had become so tight he could barely keep himself together. A slow, wicked smiled crept across her face as she continued staring.
“I guess we can talk about this later, huh?”
Thank you.
Her brown eyes penetrated him, lighting up as she continued staring at his arousal. But the expression on her face changed abruptly, her eyes narrowing as their gazes locked. She appeared almost frightened, and for a split second, he considered she might be having second thoughts.
He held out his arms to her, praying she wouldn’t change her mind.
She slowly made her way over to his bed - her breathing more labored now.
When she reached his bed, their gazes locked. Bending over, she slowly slid her hand inside his jeans. She stared at him intently as she stroked his erection. It took every ounce of self-control not to rip her clothes off and ravage her.
As he stood up to undress, his legs unsteady, he decided the expression ‘sea legs’ held new meaning for him now. As Kelsey slowly unzipped his pants, Nathan groaned with anticipation.
“Your turn.” She sank down on the bed, waiting.
He moved slowly, peeling off her sweater first, and then her bra. The bra fell to the floor, revealing her perfectly rounded, supple breasts. He quickly dropped to his knees, positioning himself between her legs. Gazing up at her, he flicked the top of his tongue across one of her breasts, kneading the other with his hand.
He lifted his head and called her name. “Kels.”
She reached out to him and pulled him onto the bed to join her.
The two of them stared at one another and couldn’t decide what to do next. He wanted all of her at the same time. It’d been so long . . . so very long. He prayed his body wouldn’t fail him. That he wouldn’t disappoint her.
But when she reached over, caressing his cheek with her hand, he decided to quit worrying about how he’d perform and just do what came naturally.
The rest of the evening was a blur.
Chapter 9
Kelsey stared out the window the next morning, watching the sunrise as she lay in Nathan’s arms. She couldn’t recall a time a man had satisfied her this much. To be sure, they’d gotten off to a slow start. But once he’d figured out what she needed, he’d gone full speed ahead.
The first time had been almost primal as the two of them tore off each other’s clothes. But the other two times made up for it. Nathan was so gentle, so attentive, so intent on pleasing her that she realized whoever she let into her bed after this trip would have a tough act to follow.
This was definitely more than a one-night stand. She’d promised herself it wouldn’t be. That making love to Nathan was a one-time thing; that the two would never see one another again. But all that had changed since last night.
“How ‘bout we go for another round?” Nathan was pulling her toward him now, his breath hot as he nuzzled her ear.
He shot her a smirk which quickly morphed into a lewd grin. The man exuded confidence as he rolled over on his side, pressing his erection against her. When he cupped one of her breasts with his hand, slipping the other under her backside, he began kissing her. As he leaned over and continued nuzzling her, remnants of a five o’clock shadow scratching her, she felt a knot forming in her throat as her stomach tightened up.
She’d promised Meredith and Rachel she’d be ready by nine when they came for her, and if she let Nathan make love to her one more time, leaving Alpine would prove even more difficult.
When he began moving away from her, she realized that by not answering his question about going for another round, he’d figured out she wasn’t interested. A typical male, he appeared to take it personally. She decided to let him down as gently as possible.
“I’m pretty tired, Nathan.”
“I take that as a no.”
“I’m sorry, Nathan—”
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
Now would be an opportune time to tell him she intended to keep Mimi’s land. She played the scene out in her head quickly. He’d probably ask her what she needed the money for, and that would be when she’d tell him about the in vitro.
She sat up in bed and pulled away from him. “Nathan, I have something to tell you.”
“Can’t it wait?” He slid his hand between her legs and began kissing her.
“Please, I need to tell you this before I lose my nerve.”
That seemed to get his attention. He’d stopped kissing her now and moved away from her.
“I intend to sell off the property my aunt left me.” He didn’t respond at first, but instead, climbed from the bed and began pulling on his jeans.
“When did you decide that?” He’d begun working the muscles in his jaw now as his eyes narrowed. Clearly, he was angry with her.
“I need those ten acres of Mimi’s property, Nathan. If I didn’t need it, I’d let you keep it.”
Grabbing the shirt he’d worn the night before, he punched his arms through it, pulled it down, and began smoothing out the wrinkles. He strode over to a nearby chair and flopped down, his hulking frame nearly swallowing up the chair. He’d resorted to clenching his fists again, and she could tell from how tightly his jaw was clenched that her confession had shocked him.
He stared over at her, his eyes narrowing. “The way I see it, that land belongs to me. Ever heard of Squatters Rights?”
“Not really.”
He sat up straighter in the chair, unclenched his fists, and smirked. His steel gray eyes penetrated her as he continued talking. “In the state of Texas, if you don’t keep up your land and pay the taxes on it, whoever does can lay claim to the title after a certain amount of time has passed.”
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking him what the time frame was. Clearly, he’d given this a great deal of thought.
“I . . . I, um, I wasn’t aware of that law.”
She wracked her brain, trying to calculate.
What month was it that Mimi passed away?
Panic gripped her as she realized that if Nathan actually knew what he was talking about, actually had looked up the Squatters’ Rights law-he might well have a shot at getting the land.
Attempting to get him off track, to spin their conversation into a new direction, she decided to try another approach.
“From what you’ve told me, you own quite a bit of this land. What could possibly be your motive in acquiring Mimi’s property? Another notch in your belt?”
Her sarcastic remark appeared to set him on edge. He shot her an angry look before replying, “I have my reasons.”
She watched the way the muscles in his face were tightening, the way his brow furrowed, and she found it impossible to believe how intimate the two of them had been just a few hours earlier.
She felt rage boiling up inside her as she considered he’d probably intended all along to keep the land for himself. Hell, he’d probably sweet talked her into sleeping with him just to soften her up. Meredith had been right. Spending the night with Nathan had been a stupid, hideous mistake.
