Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
WESTON, COLORADO, WAS a small ranch town, markedly different from the fast-paced city life Kat was used to. Here, dressing up meant a nice pair of Levi’s and shinin’ your boots, and she loved it. She’d been to Hal Braden’s ranch a number of times, but the breathtaking view of rolling hills and green pastures never failed to fill her with a peaceful feeling, which shockingly overrode the nervous energy of riding in the rental car in close proximity to Eric. Small talk had come surprisingly easy, even if most of it was laced with flirty comments and naughty innuendos. The more time Kat spent with Eric, the more she liked him. But she couldn’t ignore the warning bells going off in her head. The man was a definite player, and she was over that part of her life.
It was well after midnight when they finally pulled down Hal’s dark driveway.
As they stepped from the car, Eric pointed to the horses in the pasture. “Do you ride?”
“No, but it’s on my list of fears to conquer.”
“How’s that going for you? Conquering your fears?”
Kat watched her handsome driver with interest as he rounded the car and grabbed his bags from the trunk. He’d asked her several personal questions on the drive over, like what she did with her time now that Brianna was gone and how her best friend traveling so much affected their relationship. Most guys wouldn’t give a hoot about such things, or even think to ask. She liked that about him. He wasn’t as self-centered as she’d originally pegged him.
“Okay,” she finally answered. “I’ve got a few left to overcome.”
“Like?”
“Gosh, I don’t know. Like flying, maybe, as you saw.”
“You did great on the plane tonight.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can do better. And my other fears are sort of silly. I know you’ll laugh, but I used to be afraid of driving fast.”
He arched a brow.
“Don’t worry. I totally love driving fast now. Of course, fast in Richmond means sixty-five miles per hour. Nothing like the high speeds you and Hugh drive.” She reached for her bag, and he touched her hand.
“I’ve got it.”
“It’s okay. I can take it.” She didn’t want to lead him on, but there was no denying the heat between them, which had only gotten stronger on the drive over.
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to sleep with me for me to carry your bag.” His lips quirked up, and before she could respond, he added, “But you’ll want to, and who am I to try to dissuade you?”
Hell, yeah, she wanted to—but she couldn’t go there. Not at the Braden ranch and not with a man who’d already proved that he could easily turn her world upside down—and would then move on.
“Eric, I’m not sleeping with you again.” No matter how much I want to .
He closed the trunk, and with moonlight shining down on his gorgeous face and his eyes boring into her, he stepped closer and said, “If the airport was all we’ll ever have, then how about one final kiss?”
“A kiss?” She was already salivating at the thought.
“One kiss.” He stepped closer, causing their thighs to brush, and she felt the heat of him from her head to her toes and in all the best places in between. “Then that’s it. A send-off, if you will.”
“A send-off.” This guy was trouble with a capital T . She’d like to get him off, not send him off.
The darkening of his eyes told her that he didn’t miss the breathlessness she felt. He ran his fingers through her hair, settling his warm palm over the nape of her neck and sending a now slightly familiar rush of anticipation through her.
“Tell me no,” he said in a rich voice, “and I’ll back off.”
No , was on the tip of her tongue, but it got lost somewhere between please and kiss me now . She clutched the waist of his pants, unsure of her voice, and hoped he’d take it as confirmation that she wanted the kiss just as much as he did.
“Kat,” he whispered against her lips. “You’re not going to be able to forget me. I won’t let you.”
He sealed his lips over hers, and their bodies bumped, causing the bag he had slung over his shoulder to slide down his arm and crash against their hips. They both smiled for a blink of an eye, and then his mouth was claiming hers again, pulling her in to his taste, his scent, the slick slide of his tongue over hers. She tried to hold on to her thoughts— make it a short kiss, a short farewell —but his hand sank to her ass, pressing her against his formidable erection, and her thoughts spun away. No man had ever tasted so good, tested her resolve so aggressively.
When their lips finally parted, she kept her eyes closed, reveling in the electric currents coursing through her body, the stinging of her lips, the ache of desire in her loins. His fingers brushed through her hair, and she heard him exhale a soulful breath as his forehead touched hers. She opened her eyes and found him looking at her in a way he hadn’t before. His gaze was tender, a little confused, and intense with something more than desire. She wanted to take a picture and disappear into that look for hours.
“Who are you, Kat Martin?” he whispered. “You feel so familiar, like I’ve known you forever.”
The porch light turned on, and neither of them moved. She wasn’t sure they even breathed. The sound of the front door opening broke through her foggy brain. She forced herself to swallow the thick taste of desire and take a step back. But their eyes held, and she had a strange feeling that she’d left a piece of herself with him.
ERIC COULDN’T SHAKE the feeling that he’d met Kat before. He searched her eyes, looking for some sense of recognition beyond the obvious, but he sensed he was alone in his recognition. The relief was bittersweet. She stirred memories of his troubled youth, memories that he usually kept buried so deep that no one could unearth them. Only these memories were laced with something pleasurable. Fleeting feelings of happiness that broke through his treacherous upbringing.
Kat touched her lips, as if she could hold in the heat of their kiss, but it was the lingering look of desire in her eyes that told him there was no way in hell she was going to forget their kiss. He knew he couldn’t. How could he when she was so sweet, so sexy, and sparked such good feelings inside him?
He slung her bag over his shoulder and stepped in close as Hugh and Brianna descended the porch steps. Kat was nibbling on her lower lip again, watching their friends approach, and he could read the worry filling her eyes. He touched her hand, prepared to reassure her that he wasn’t going to say anything to Hugh and Brianna, when her eyes narrowed.
“That never happened,” she said harshly before pasting a smile on her lips and hurrying into Brianna’s open arms.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Brianna hugged her. “And I’m so glad you met Eric. How did you guys hook up?”
Kat’s smile fell flat, a beat that Hugh obviously didn’t miss as he shot a quizzical look at Eric.
“We met in the rental car line,” he explained quickly, “and decided to save a few bucks.” Kat’s relieved sigh was a nod of approval.
“I’m so glad. Come on. The kids and Hal are asleep, of course, but I’ll get you settled in your room.” Brianna and Kat headed for the house.
Both men were well over six feet, and they stood eye to eye. The coy look in Hugh’s dark eyes wasn’t lost on Eric as he embraced his friend.
“Good to see you, Hugh.”
“It’s been a while. How was your trip?” Hugh closed the trunk of the car, and they headed down the gravel path toward the front door.
“Great. No issues other than the delays.”
They’d known each other since their early racing days, when they’d shared everything from secrets to women. But love had changed Hugh, and even now, a few years and a baby later, Eric could see the fulfilled look in his friend’s eyes.
“Want to talk about the vibe you two are giving off?” Hugh asked.
Hugh had been too good of a friend to Eric for him to lie to him, but he also had the unexpected urge to protect Kat’s privacy.
“She’s a gorgeous woman. I’m a good-looking guy. We’re gonna have some kind of vibe.” Easy enough and not a lie.
“There is truth in that statement, my friend.” They climbed the porch steps, and Hugh touched Eric’s arm before opening the door. “Eric, how are you really? Anything new on the parental front?”
Nothing like starting with the hardest subject. “I’m well, and no. Nothing new. They live their simple, and thankfully sober, lives, and I live mine. I’m glad to be here, though, Hugh. Nothing beats a weekend at Hal’s.” Eric had gotten a job at the racetrack when he was fifteen, and a mechanic had taken him under his wing. At sixteen, he’d moved out. Eric had thought about reaching out to his parents many times those first few years, but it had been too painful seeing the people who were supposed to care for him being unwilling to care for themselves. And later, when they’d finally cleaned up their lives, they were still disinterested in him. To this day, their interaction was minimal.
Hugh searched his friend’s eyes, and Eric wondered what he saw there. The longing for a childhood he’d never have, unresolved anger toward his parents, or the longing for a woman who had somehow infiltrated the walls he’d built around himself and who’d overtaken his thoughts in the space of a few hours.
“Well, bro,” Hugh said. “You’re here now. Let’s get you settled in.”
Settling in wasn’t something Eric had ever been good at, but between the Bradens’ welcoming arms and the knowledge that Kat was inside, he wanted to try.