by Kate Kisset
Keeping his cool, rushing, but not in a full-out run, he followed her. “Mariah,” he called when she was within hearing distance. Her smooth tan legs shimmered in the walkway’s lights. On a mission, her heels clicked steadily against the flagstone in a quick staccato beat.
“Please don’t be angry,” Colt said, catching up to her. “You know I still like you, to put it mildly, and I know you still like me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” She picked up her pace.
“Please, don’t be like this.”
“Like what?” She scowled, stopping in her tracks. “Like the way you act toward me?”
Her words punched him in the gut. “What?” he said, seeing the pain in her eyes and regretting anything and everything he’d said to himself about keeping his distance. But what the hell was he supposed to do? “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I swear, Mariah,” he whispered, wishing the day would just end. Hurting Mariah was the last thing he wanted. “It’s just a complicated situation.”
“What is so complicated about me wanting to see you?”
“To begin with, W—”
She shot a manicured hand up. “Do not say Wyatt or mention anyone else in my family. Ugh.” She let go of a heavy sigh. “Our age difference seemed a lot bigger when I was nineteen and you were twenty-five. But now, twenty-four and thirty don’t seem so far from each other. I wanted to spend a little alone time with you. I came here just to see you, Colt, but—” She looked up at the stars and then dropped her head. “Forget it,” she said flatly, but he thought he detected a hint of fragility in her voice.
“Did you really come here for me?” His eyes swept over her pretty face, searching for a clue. Was she being serious?
“Like I said, forget it.” Mariah picked up the path again and swung a right around the hot tub area.
Colt’s heart dropped at the sight of her walking away. The possibility of Mariah never wanting to see him again was too real. It was one thing to have to resist her temptations and her flirtatiousness, and another to be someone she had no interest in. He couldn’t imagine his life without her.
He hurried up the path, catching up with her by the hot tub, where a party of four were laughing over the whir of frothy bubbles. “Please,” he begged, “wait.”
Mariah spun to him, her eyes zeroing in on his. “For what?”
“Look, I care about you, I do.” He tentatively reached out for her arm and stroked her silky skin. Did she think his feelings for her had just evaporated? It didn’t matter how long she’d been gone. She’d always be the same girl he’d been in love with since he was a boy.
“But you’re afraid of me, Colt.” She brushed him off. “Aren’t you?”
He met her gaze, knowing full well she was daring him. She knew exactly how to push his buttons. “What did you say?”
She leveled a dark, mischievous stare at him, the kind that went straight to his groin. “I said, now that we can finally be alone together somewhere other than my dad’s house at Christmas, you’re scared of me.”
“Afraid of you?” The words set him off, shooting flames in every direction through his body, triggering the synapses in his brain to fire off a myriad of thoughts and emotions. Colt Beckett might be a cautious man, but he didn’t become wealthy by not taking risks. He wasn’t afraid of anything.
And the last thing he was scared of was Mariah. Colt was trying to shield her too by stopping their relationship from escalating. The Walkers would not only be angry with him, they’d be disappointed in her. Even if the Walkers weren’t part of the equation, if anything Mariah should have been worried about him. She knew damn well he didn’t like to be tied down. But if she was determined to throw all caution to the wind, so be it. Any ramifications would be better than her hating him.
He took her hand in his. “Why did I think it was even possible to think straight around you?”
She didn’t brush him off this time as he led her away from the nearby guests and down the corridor where the fresh towels were stored.
“Where are we going?” she asked uneasily.
“What, are you afraid?” He opened the first door on the right. “In here,” he demanded, ushering her into a small room and closing the door.
Mariah let go of his hand and backed away. The smell of fresh detergent and clean laundry filled the air; accent lights over the shelves of towels lit the room. And he was happy for the light.
Colt wanted her in this light. The half-darkness helped him forget what he wasn’t supposed to do, but there was just enough illumination to see the heat in Mariah’s eyes clearly and know, without a doubt, exactly what he would do.
He approached her at the same time as Mariah came to him. “Is this what you want, Mariah?”
Her emerald eyes smoldered into his soul as she wrapped her hands around his waist. She tipped her head up, offering her full red lips. “So much.”
Colt buried his hands in her thick black hair and pulled her closer. “I’ve never forgotten you,” he whispered. “Never.” Breathing in lily of the valley and musk, he came down on her lips with his and took what he’d been dying for. She tasted like warm sugar, ripe peach, and summer. His cock, already swelling, pressed against his jeans as they moved in sync, his body melding into hers.
“Colt!” Wyatt called from right outside the door. “Colt! Where are you, man?”
Mariah stilled.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“Is he going to come in? Did you lock the door?” Her voice was barely there.
“Colt!” Wyatt’s shout bounced off the walls.
“Damn it.” Colt rested his lips on her forehead. “I have to see what he wants. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
He hated letting her out of his arms, but with Wyatt so close, he couldn’t risk the off chance he might pop his head into the room. “When I open the door, don’t say anything.”
Mariah’s eyes grew wide. “I won’t. Promise.”
He gave her another kiss. Half thrilled at being with her and half dreading facing Wyatt, Colt’s heart raced as he grabbed a stack of towels and headed out.
“Wait.” Mariah rushed over and wiped his lips with her velvet fingertips. “Lipstick.” She gave him a guilty, sexy-as-hell smile. “Can’t let you leave with my lipstick all over you.”
He wanted to say “Oh, yes you can. Let your lips roam over every inch of me,” but only said thanks and left the room.
Colt looked from left to right.
“There you are!” Wyatt started down the corridor, but Colt rushed to him, wanting to keep him as far away from the laundry room as possible.
“You looking for me?” Colt kept his tone light and headed toward the hot tubs.
“Yeah, I forgot to tell you, Jimmy’s crew is breaking down the stage and dance floor tonight.” Wyatt gestured to the corral area in the distance. “I didn’t want you to think I left you holding the bag. They’re not coming until two, so the dancing should be over by then. They’ll have everything cleaned up by eight a.m. at the latest.”
Colt cringed with guilt. If Wyatt had caught them, Colt couldn’t imagine the ramifications. Wyatt would no doubt think Mariah was just another one of Colt’s conquests. He had a hair-trigger temper and wasn’t afraid to use his fists to protect his family. He’d feel betrayed.
“Thanks. You never let me down.” I’m the one who’ll disappoint you.
What was Colt doing playing roulette, risking everything?
“You got it.” Wyatt grinned. Colt recognized the twinkle in his friend’s eye, the one that said Wyatt was about to suggest grabbing a beer.
“They’re out of towels.” Colt tipped his chin toward the hot tub, adjusting the stack in his hands. “I better get these over there.” He headed toward the whir of jets, not wanting to face his best friend.
“See you in the morning,” Wyatt called out behind him.
Colt shot him a grin over his shoulder. “Yep. Same place. Same bat channel.”
Chapter Five
FRESH FROM A SHOWER and ready for the day, Mariah sipped her grapefruit juice, admiring the purple and orange wildflowers dotting the surrounding hills. She saw Aves entering the outdoor restaurant, one of three on the resort, and waved her friend over. With her hair still damp, Aves hurried to the table and immediately went for the carafe of coffee. One of those natural beauties, Aves looked gorgeous without a scrap of makeup.
“There’s cream and sugar here.” Mariah passed her the delicate tray of condiments.
“I love how they have everything on silver trays around here. It makes me feel so posh.” Aves chuckled, stirring her coffee, and then raised her brows at Mariah. “Well? Aren’t you going to tell me?” Her brown eyes sparkled. “Where were you last night? I waited up as long as I could hold out, but I was pretty tired after the flight and crashed around nine. You still weren’t back.”
“Well . . .” Mariah paused, trying not to break out in a grin, but she couldn’t stop thinking about last night’s kiss.
If only we hadn’t been interrupted.
Wyatt had been so close to catching them, and Colt was so worried about having any contact with her, Mariah wasn’t sure what she should say to Aves.
“I saw Boone and Becca, watched some of Harlan’s show, chatted with his wife, Georgia, and she showed me pictures of her new baby, Ruby.”
“Right. Boone’s the youngest brother, and Harlan’s in the middle. But what about Colt? You haven’t mentioned your virgin prince.” She giggled. “Didn’t you see Colt at all last night?”
“Uh-huh.” Mariah calmly sipped her coffee. “And I talked to Wyatt for a little bit. We haven’t had the chance to catch up in a while. He’s been so busy helping Colt get Dream Maker ready he hasn’t been over much.”
Mariah tucked in to her eggs, checking Aves’s reaction. Aves seemed satisfied with her answers, and Mariah hadn’t technically lied.
“But aren’t you going to tell me about your paramour? The man who stole your innocence at such a tender age?” Aves licked her lips with a smile. “I think I’m just going to have one of these Danishes for breakfast, and skip lunch. I don’t need to look like one of the heifers in the fields I saw on the way in as I’m on the way out.”
She snatched one of the flaky pastries from the basket and laid it on her bread plate, staring at it protectively as if it might sprout wings and fly away.
“Go for it,” Mariah coaxed, happy to keep her on the subject of food rather than Colt. “Knowing your metabolism, you’ll burn it off drinking coffee.”
Aves broke off a hunk of the Danish and chomped into it. “Ah . . .” She fluttered her eyelashes then swallowed. “Sooooo good. But please. Don’t let my butter orgasm distract you.” She waved her fingers, prompting Mariah. “Cowboy. I want to hear about your cowboy.”
Shoot.
Mariah fought to find a way off the hook without lying. “Yeah, I did have the chance to see Colt. He . . seemed happy. With how smoothly the opening went.”
“And?”
“And what?” Mariah kept it light, not wanting to sound defensive. She was still trying to sort out her own feelings about last night and her stomach was in knots.
“Hey, I know you’re hiding something, but you don’t have to tell me. It’s fine.” Aves shot her a wink. “For now. So, what’s on the agenda for you today? I booked a massage, and I’ll be doing a shoot at lunchtime. The chef’s preparing a special artfully decorated meal, specifically for photos.” Aves squinted up at the sky and tapped her chin. “Do you think I’ll have time to take that axe-throwing class?”
“Axe throwing?” Mariah laughed, pouring another cup of coffee. “You’re so tiny. The axe might throw you.”
“That kind of skill could come in handy, you never know, although carrying an axe on the New York subway could get dicey. What are you up to?”
“My dad called. He wants me to run by the ranch tomorrow.”
“Is everything okay? Hey, I can cover anything going on here.”
“He had his business tone on. It didn’t seem like a health issue. I won’t be there long. Today I’m going to catch up with my mentee and see how she’s doing, and maybe get a facial. I’m signed up for the ride this afternoon. Are you going?”
Aves pursed her lips. “Not sure.”
“Wyatt says I haven’t been on this trail yet, which is crazy because we covered so many miles on horseback as kids. I thought I knew every nook and cranny around here. But he says it’s a pretty ride. It leads around back to the waterfalls where Boone and Becca said their vows. You should come.”
Aves shrugged. “Okay, let’s say I survive the axe throwing. What if I get eaten by a wild possum on my way to the barn?”
A familiar male chuckle sounded behind Mariah. “Possums don’t usually attack people unless you corner them. And I’ve never heard of a man-eating possum. They’re not that big.”
Mariah’s heart stuttered and did a little flip at the sound of Colt’s deep, raspy voice.
“Good to know.” Aves brightened, practically bouncing off her chair. She arched her brows to Mariah and tapped the seat next to her. “Pull up a chair, Colt, join us.”
“Mariah?” Colt asked.
She looked up at him, grinning. “Please.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Mariah wiped her lips, reminding herself to keep it cool as she watched Colt saunter in those perfectly fitting jeans of his to the chair beside Aves and take a seat.
A server hurried over and placed a cup in front of him. “Will you be having breakfast, sir?”
“I’m good with the coffee, thanks.” He gave her a warm smile, and the woman must have blushed fifty shades of red before she scurried off.
“So,” he said, leaning back in the chair, obviously at ease being outnumbered by women. “The Maverick Girls have seventy-three thousand followers.” Colt sent her a mischievous grin and pulled out his phone.
“We’d probably have fifty million if Mariah would let us post more pictures of her.”
Colt was already on the app and clicked over to the Maverick Girls Instagram feed. “She’s right. There should be more pictures of you.”
He went back to scrolling, and, for whatever reason, Mariah wanted his approval. She shifted in her chair, feeling her neck and ears get hot watching him sift through the pictures.
“I like this one.” He grinned, holding the phone up so she could see the snapshot clearly.
“Shit,” Mariah said softly. Her entire face heated up. “Out of all the pictures, you had to pick that one.”
“That was at Jump Jack Farm near Hilton Head,” Aves jumped in. “We were all just hanging out on the dock, swimming.” She gestured to the phone and Colt passed it to her. “I wasn’t planning on taking any pictures. I took this with my phone.” She smiled, seeming delighted. She used her thumb and index finger to enlarge the shot and shared it with Colt.
“See how perfect the light was. And the colors of the sky, all those blues and tangerines—it was so delicious. I must’ve taken fifty shots that night.” She handed the cell back to Colt.
“I was actually admiring Mariah’s bikini, but the sunset is pretty too.”
“And all those guys . . .” Aves pointed to the phone. “They came out of nowhere and just surrounded her. It wasn’t planned at all.”
He raised his eyebrows, still staring at the screen. “No, I believe you. Over four thousand likes. That’s pretty good.”
Mariah shook her head, hoping he’d stop. But at the same time she felt tingles rippling up her spine watching him flat-out ogle her. “We’re actually all about the locations and the vibe,” she clarified. “Bikini shots aren’t really our thing.”
Colt winked and shoved the phone back in his pocket. “Maybe they should be.”
“Okay. Have a nice massage.” Mariah watched Aves maneuver through the tables, feeling Colt’s eyes on her.
“That kiss.” His voice was low as he leaned across the table. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Mariah scanned the restaurant, tempted to touch his hand.
“Neither can I,” she whispered, grinning. “I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for you to come back to the laundry room. But you had me so freaked out, I thought someone might find me in there and start asking questions.”
“There’s staff on duty around the clock. Anyone could’ve walked in. You getting out of there was a good call.” When he shook his head, he slipped into his all-business mask. She frowned, guessing what he was going to say next and braced for the words. “But we can’t do that again. I don’t want to hurt you, or disappoint you. And it’s entirely my fault. I take all the blame. I should have had more self-control last night.”
“Colt, please stop. Both of us wanted to kiss each other, so we did.”
“But”—he lowered his voice further—“it’s impossible for us to ever be more than friends.”
Mariah ducked her head, going quiet, and then met his eyes squarely. “Don’t look now Colt, but we already are more than friends.”
“I realize that.” He reached across the table and held his hand out for her to hold, which shocked her. She searched the restaurant for Wyatt—for Colt’s sake, not hers—and clasped his hand. “We’re much more than friends, and we’ll always have that special night to remember. But we can’t kiss each other again. It’s destructive behavior.” He brought his hand back to his side.
Mariah held his gaze while she kicked off her shoes and ran her bare foot up his calf under the table. She bit her lip holding back a laugh as she watched Colt’s eyes widen. It looked like he was holding his breath. Which was fine with her because she now had his undivided attention and he was focusing on every little touch. “What are you doing?”
