“So the plumber’s coming back out then?”
“Bite your tongue. Of course not. I’ll fix it.”
She nodded, but inside her head, she grinned.
“I plan to paint the back steps and porch tomorrow, so don’t use the back door.”
She stopped her horse and waited until Cash stopped beside her. She leaned over, grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him across for a kiss. The kiss was supposed to be a friendly, quick brush of her lips. It wasn’t supposed to almost knock her off her horse, but Lord Almighty, the man still had the ability to melt her bones with a simple touch.
When she broke the kiss and pulled away, he shoved his hat up with a thumb and grinned. “What was that for?”
Turning Lady Jane Grey toward the barn, she smiled. “For fixing the back steps so I wouldn’t trip.” She urged her horse into a trot.
“Can’t wait to see what you’ll reward me with for a new whirlpool tub.”
She flashed him a wicked grin. “I guess you’ll have to put one in and see.” Then she charged away in a gallop.
When they got home, the aroma of roasting meat filled the house. Cash’s stomach growled in anticipation.
“What can I do to help?” he asked, in a hurry to dig in.
“Wash up and then set the table, please. Oh, and let your dog out.” Paige pulled the roast from the oven, the surrounding brown liquid bubbling around the potatoes and carrots. “I’ll throw some biscuits in the oven while it’s hot.”
“He’s not my dog,” Cash protested as he headed for his bedroom. By the time Cash had the table set and Buster fed, Paige had sliced the roast and put bowls with the potatoes and carrots on the table. He grabbed the butter and jelly from the refrigerator, ready to slather the biscuits while they were hot.
“Milk, water, iced tea or Coke?” Paige asked, pulling two glasses from the cabinet.
Cash noticed the lack of alcoholic offerings. “Milk.”
She nodded and poured two large glasses. She set those on the table then retrieved the platter of hot biscuits.
Dinner was pleasant. Conversation flowed easily between them. Cash found himself watching Paige’s mouth as she ate or talked. Every time she dragged her fork between her full lips, he wanted to moan. When she darted her tongue out to lick a drop of milk off the corner of her mouth, his entire body noticed and hardened at the sight.
And no matter how many times he told himself that Paige was off-limits, that getting involved was the worst idea ever, his mind didn’t want to pay attention. It just kept producing erotic images…Paige naked in his bed, Paige’s full lips wrapped around his hard penis, Paige holding her breasts up to his mouth…
“Cash. Are you listening to me?”
Cash startled. “Um, yes, I’m listening. You were talking about some patient you saw today, right?”
Paige rolled her eyes. “Yeah, about ten minutes ago. I was asking if you’d mind cleaning up the kitchen. I’d like to take a shower and go to bed early to do a little reading.”
“Oh, sure. No problem.”
“Thanks.” She slid her chair back and stood. After scraping her plate into the trash, she set the dirty dish, utensils and drinking glass in the sink. “The plastic wrap to cover the food is in this drawer,” she said with a tilt of her head to the right. “I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks.” She headed out of the kitchen with a wave of her hand.
Cash stared at the leftover food and sighed. Standing, he began gathering up the dishes. After storing the food in the refrigerator and washing the dishes they’d used, he and Buster went outside for an evening walk. But he couldn’t get the image of Paige in the shower out of his mind’s eye or escape the erotic suggestions his mind was making.
The walk outside cleared his head enough that he was sure he could sleep. He headed back to his lumpy bed and tried to find a position that was at least tolerable. One more night with the crappy bed and then he’d be sleeping on a cloud. If only he had a drink or two to help ease him to sleep.
He tossed and turned until sometime after midnight when Buster woke him with a cold nose and a whimper. Afterwards, he decided Buster had the right idea. With the half-bath out of commission until he had time to repair it, he headed to Paige’s bathroom. Done answering nature’s call, he was headed back to his room when he heard a cry. He stepped over to Paige’s closed door and listened. It wasn’t long before he heard her sob.
He opened her door. “Paige?” he whispered. “Are you okay?”
“Mom. Dad.” Paige’s sobs grew louder. “No. Stop. Don’t die. Mom. Dad.” She thrashed around in her bed, tossing her bedcovers off. “Somebody help them. Help. Cash. Oh my God. Cash.”
Cash hurried to her bedside. “Paige. Wake up. You’re dreaming.” He touched her gently on the shoulder. “Wake up.”
She cried out again and then jerked to a sitting position. “What? Cash?” She wiped her face on her T-shirt sleeve. “Oh, I was dreaming.”
“Scoot over,” he said, hip bumping her. When she didn’t move, he bumped her again. “Scoot.”
She shifted to the right side of the bed and Cash slipped onto the left side. After pulling her sheet back up, he put his arm around her.
“Want to tell me about your dream?”
For a minute, she was rigid, and then her muscles relaxed and she sagged against him.
“It’s all jumbled. First it was their accident…Mom and Dad’s.” A shudder wracked her body. “It was horrible. The loud crash. The screeching of the metal.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. Cash wiped her tears with his thumb.
“I didn’t know you were there.”
“I was in my car behind them because they were going on up to Northern California and I was planning on heading home.” She drew in a ragged breath. “It was horrible.”
He pulled her tight against him and stroked her hair. “I can’t imagine.”
“And then…” She hiccupped a sob. “And then I saw you get stomped by that damn bull. Everybody I loved was dying right in front of my eyes.”
His gut clenched at the mention of love. “Shh.” He pressed her head to his chest. “I’m fine. Nobody dying here.”
“I…” Her breaths came in shuddered waves.
“Don’t cry,” he said. “Here, scoot down and rest. You have a busy day tomorrow.”
He pulled her lower in the bed as he slid down. Once he got settled, she put her head on his chest. He wondered if she could hear his heart racing. She’d scared at least two years off his life when she’d cried out. She’d been so much pain when her parents died and then she’d watched his own brush with death thanks to Bad Bob. He hated that sharing this house might produce such emotionally draining nightmares for her. Somehow, he would find a way to make up for all the crap he’d dumped in her life.
“God, your mattress is as bad as mine.” He shifted in an attempt to move his ass off a particularly hard lump. “Maybe worse.”
She snorted. “I know. Isn’t it awful?” She released a wistful sigh. “I miss the gel-filled foam mattress I was sleeping on at Uncle James’s house. It was like floating on a cloud.”
He made a note to call the furniture store first thing tomorrow morning. He may have been a total ass in her past, but maybe he could atone a little now with a decent mattress. It was the least he could do.
“Okay then…” he wiggled his hips, “…I’ve got the worst lump flattened. You need to sleep.”
She yawned. “I’m okay now. You don’t have to stay.” But even as she said the words, her head grew heavier on his chest as she relaxed.
He didn’t reply. Instead, he continued to stroke her hair and rub her back until her breathing became slow and regular.
Bright moonlight streamed through the window, giving him enough light to see that her eyes were shut, her light lashes resting on her round cheeks.
“Are you asleep?” he whispered. When she gave no response, he said, “I wish things could have been different with us. If I could go back and change the past, I would never have walked away from you. I really cared for you…maybe too much. But it’s too late now. You deserve so much more than a broken-down cowboy with a questionable future.”
She shifted, scooting closer and nuzzling her head under his chin. Her soft flesh pressed into his side. He froze, wondering if she’d heard him. But a light snore from her reassured him his secret was safe.
He thought that he might still be in love her, but nothing would happen between them. He wouldn’t pursue a future with her. It wouldn’t be a good life for her.
“You’re safe with me. I won’t make it hard on either of us. I promise not to kiss you again or try to get you in bed. I’ll be your best friend.” He sealed his promise with a press of his lips on the top of her head. The scent of fresh lilacs filled his senses. He drew in a deep breath and let the sweet aroma set a memory in his mind.
So Cash believed she was safe with him. He believed he got to define their relationship, did he? Didn’t she have any say at all? What an idiot. She couldn’t believe he fell for that fake snore.
Dumb-ass.
Goose bumps popped on her arms as she thought about how gently he’d stroked her hair. When he’d left that kiss on her head, it was all she could do not to turn in his arms and rip his inane restraint to shreds.
Hmm. Maybe that’s what she should do. Hook him like a fish, reel him in and then brutally cut line like he had her.
But he’d felt so good next to her last night. Even with the rock-hard lump under her hip, she hadn’t moved away. When she’d awoken this morning still wrapped in his arms, it had taken every ounce of willpower to slide from the bed. Shockingly, he hadn’t moved.
She’d left him cinnamon rolls and a fresh pot of coffee for breakfast. Wonder what he thought about that? Did he smile when he saw them? Would he have licked the icing off his fingers? Licked his lips? Think about her as he ate them? Wonder—
“Paige?”
Paige jumped at the sound of her name. “What?”
Dr. Lydia Henson smiled at her. “You were a million miles away.”
“Just thinking. Sorry. Here’s the file on your next patient.” She passed the medical chart to Lydia, who nodded when she saw the name on the tab.
“Ah, yes. Mr. Francis. We all know him well. Come on. Time you meet our favorite patient.”
The day rolled by slowly. Paige didn’t want to admit how badly she wanted to go home. The nursing work was fine and the clinic staff had all been friendly and helpful, but she couldn’t get the damn man at home out of her head.
She pulled her car around to the back of the house ready to climb the back steps. It wasn’t until she saw the rope tied across the bottom step that she remembered Cash had said he was planning on painting today, and he had. Brilliant, almost blinding white paint covered the new stairs, handrail and back porch. He’d even found time to paint the back door a glossy green. She restarted her car and pulled to the front of the house.
“Hey! You here?” she called, walking in the front door.
“Upstairs. Come up and tell me what you think.”
Paige climbed the stairs, picking up Ruby from the middle step and carrying her along. The change was dramatic enough to have her gasping with surprised pleasure. “Wow. You have a great eye for decorating.”
The upstairs open area now sported a purple, turquoise and brown geometric design rug. The furniture—a set of cushy recliners and a full-sized sofa—were a rich mahogany leather. Light-colored wood and glass end tables flanked the sofa and filled the area between the chairs. “This is beautiful.” A huge—eighty-inch was her guess—flat-screen television completed the room.
“And in here, no more lumpy bed.” He swept his arm toward the large bedroom at the front of the house.
Inside was a king-sized bed with a leather headboard and bedside tables with marble inlays, plus a matching dresser.
“Nice,” she said with a nod. “Very nice.”
Buster bounded out of the bedroom to greet her. “Hey, Buster.” She sat Ruby on the floor and the two pets started a game of tag up and down the stairs.
“Glad you approve. There was an armoire I wanted but I didn’t think it would fit in the room.” He looked around. “Now that it’s all in here, I know it wouldn’t.”
“Well, color me jealous,” she said with a laugh.
“Aww,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll let you rent my room whenever you want.”
She punched his side with her elbow. “Meany.” She slipped from under his arm. “By the way, the back porch looks great.” She headed for the stairs and then looked over her shoulder. “How’s your leg holding up with all the physical labor?”
He rubbed his thigh. “A little achy but I’ll live.”
“I’m going to change before dinner. Leftover roast.”
“Sounds great.”
She went to her room, unbuttoning her blouse as soon as she got to the hallway. Her bedroom door was open, which was odd because she was sure she’d closed it this morning. She let out an ear-splitting scream when she looked in.
“Andrew Lane Montgomery. I can’t believe you did this,” she yelled and then flopped in the middle of her new gel-filled foam mattress. “Oh my God. This is wonderful.” She rolled from side-to-side, giggling with glee. “I can’t believe it.”
“One night was all it took for me. I don’t know how you’ve slept there a week.”
She leaned up on her elbows. “Thank you. I can’t believe it. I just can’t. You didn’t have to do this.”
He gave her one of his lecherous grins. “Nice look.”
Paige looked down and got a great view of her beige bra through the unbuttoned front of her shirt. “Oh crap.” She jerked the sides together.
“I’ve seen a bra before, Paige. Chill.”
She snorted. Of course he had. Plenty of them was her guess. Nonetheless, what he’d done for her, replacing her god-awful bag of rocks disguised as a mattress, deserved at least a kiss.
The grin on his face faltered a little as she neared. “Thank you, Cash. I’ll pay you back. I swear. Every penny.” She arched up on her toes, held his face in her hands and pulled him lower for a kiss. It started as a press of lips. Simple. Sweet. Innocent. Then she felt the palm of his large hand at the base of her neck sliding into her hair. He pulled back until their gazes met.
“You don’t owe me anything. Certainly not for this mattress.”
He took her mouth in a hard kiss that quickly became greedy and demanding. The tip of his tongue tickled at her lips. When she parted them, he thrust into her mouth, his tongue filling the cavity, touching and stroking every centimeter. She moved her tongue against his. Electrified at his taste, buzzed by the sheer pleasure at his mastery of a simple kiss, she put all she had into the kiss.
Her nervous system flipped into overdrive. Heart palpitations. Choppy breathing, when she could draw a breath. Toes curled under. Hells bells. She was sweating behind her knees.
When he spread his other hand across her shoulders and he pulled her tight against him, his hard shaft pressed into her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was too much. He was too much. She wanted more. She wanted everything.
Instead, she pushed away on unsteady legs.
“This isn’t a good idea,” she managed to squeak out. Her voice was raspy, raw, as affected by the kiss as the rest of her. “We have to live together. Get along for the next few months. I—”
“No, you’re right.” He backed up. “Sorry. I—”
“No, it’s was my fault.” She took a couple of steps away. “I’ll just finish changing clothes and get started on dinner.”
“I just remembered I’m supposed to be somewhere.” He
turned and headed back into the hall. “I’ll be back later. Don’t hold dinner for me. I’ll grab something while I’m out.”
“Wait, Cash. You don’t have to leave.”
“Yeah, I do.”
He turned and, walking with long strides, was gone. She heard the front door slam, his truck fire up, and rocks crunching as he tore down the drive. Sitting on the side of her bed, she drew in a deep breath. Well, hell.
She kept expecting him home all evening, but when he hadn’t returned by eleven, she took Buster outside for his nightly walk, killing a little more time. Finally, she had to get to bed if she wanted to have a functioning brain in the morning. Taking Buster and Ruby with her, she sank into her new bed and slept the sleep of the dead.
Cash sat in the drive staring at old man Fitzgerald’s house. What had he been thinking? He lifted the bourbon bottle to his mouth, took a long swig and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Paige Ryan deserved a man who could give her kids, a stable future. He wasn’t that man.
He took another gulp of the booze, feeling the satisfying burn as it slid down his throat. His brothers were right. He didn’t deserve a woman like Paige, not that they’d ever said those words, but it’d been obvious at dinner on Sunday. When Caroline suggested matchmaking Paige with the new sheriff’s department deputy, there’d been a general consensus around the table of the brilliance of that idea because, after all, Marc Singer might make excellent husband material. Not one person had suggested Cash might be a good catch.
He poured the rest of the bottle of bourbon in his mouth. Nope. He wiped his hand across his lips. Nobody had given little brother a second of thought. Not one member of his family saw him as anything other than a loser. General consensus there too. Hell, he agreed with them.
He climbed from his truck and stumbled over the rocky drive to the house. He should just move out, but he wasn’t going to. He liked the little area he’d set up.
The front door was unlocked. After letting himself in, he locked it and stumbled up the stairs. He stepped on something and jumped when it squeaked. Oh crap. Buster. He’d forgotten about Buster.
Texas Twist (Texas Montgomery Mavericks) Page 10
