by Debra Webb
"I should have stopped," Gray repeated quietly. "I didn't know until—"
Lauren scrambled out of his lap. "I have work to do." She righted her clothes with nervous hands, looking anywhere but at him. "We can talk later."
Gray rose in one fluid move, his too-observant gaze remaining steady on her.
"Help yourself to the coffee. I'll be in my office upstairs." Lauren spun around and walked away as fast as she could without actually breaking into a sprint.
* * *
GRAY SAT on Lauren's front porch with his second cup of coffee and cursed himself again for being the fool he was. How could he not have known?
Her startled response the first time he kissed her and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. The way she had held herself in his arms.
The signs were there. He had just been too full of himself to notice. At least he hadn't actually made love to her. If he'd…
He couldn't even complete the thought. Lauren Whitmore was a twenty-seven-year-old virgin. And he had seduced her.
Gray had thought virgins didn't exist anymore in women past the age of fourteen. And what would he know about virgins anyway? He had never had one. His first experience at fifteen was with a woman ten years his senior.
Gray liked his women experienced and aggressive. Normally he wouldn't have even been attracted to a woman like Lauren.
He blew out a disgusted breath. And now she was all he thought about. His blood had been boiling in his veins before he had even touched her. He had wanted her so badly that nothing could have stopped him—except the undeniable barrier of her virginity. That sudden realization had stunned him.
Guilt gnawed at his gut. He'd sworn he wouldn't get involved with her, and look at him. Gray shook his head in defeat. A man didn't take a virgin to bed and then just walk away. Lauren Whitmore was strictly off-limits.
The sound of gravel crunching jerked his attention back to the here and now to find a white Lexus braking to a stop in Lauren's drive.
Buck.
Gray set his coffee cup aside and stood. This was all he needed right now.
"Where's Lauren?" Buck growled, striding in Gray's direction.
"In her office."
Buck started up the steps as Gray started down. They met midway.
Buck faced him, his expression hard. "Just so you understand the situation, Longwalker, Lauren's my woman."
Gray stared back at him without a word. Anger knotted inside him, but he refused to show it. He raised one skeptical eyebrow and asked, "Is that a fact?"
"It's a fact. Don't you forget it, either," Buck warned.
"Oh, I'll remember that," Gray replied easily. His lips curled into a smirk as Buck strolled across the porch and rapped against the door. "I'll be sure to remember that," he repeated, then turned to walk away. Next time she falls apart in my arms, he added silently.
Chapter Ten
"Sarah, find your shoes. Quickly! We're going to be late." Lauren tucked her shirt into her jeans, then tugged on her own shoes and made fast work of tying them. She rushed to the dresser and ran a brush through her hair. God, she was late. She never over-slept.
"I can't reach them, Mommy!" Sarah called from her room.
Lauren huffed a defeated sigh. Just what she needed. She rushed to Sarah's room and found her daughter sitting in the middle of the floor waiting.
She pointed to the bed. "They're under there." Her eyes rounded. "Real far away."
Lauren dropped to her hands and knees and stuck her head under the bed. "Is your backpack ready to go?"
"Yep. I told you they were far away."
Flattened on the floor, Lauren reached for the scattered sneakers. She pulled one out and pitched it to Sarah. "There's one." She did the same with the second one. While Sarah pulled on the left shoe, Lauren tied the right.
"Ready now?" She pushed to her feet.
"Gotta get my backpack! And the dollar Uncle Buck gave me." Sarah scrambled up and dashed out the door.
Lauren absolutely refused to think about Buck's little visit yesterday. The man was still furious with her for allowing Gray to take up residence in the bunkhouse. He pushed her again to consider reconciliation. How would she ever make him see that she wasn't interested in a relationship with him or anyone else? Gray's image immediately loomed large in her mind, contradicting her determination.
The memory of how he had touched her made her tremble. Her first climax. And he had been the one to awaken that side of her. Her body longed for him now, on a level she had never known existed. And he had stopped, when Lauren knew he wanted more. That reality only served to strengthen her growing respect for the man.
A shaky breath slipped past her lips. How could her heart long so to know him completely when he stood ready to rip it from her chest? He was her enemy in the strongest sense of the word. He, and only he, held the power to take from her the one thing she loved more than life itself.
The ringing of the telephone shattered her worrisome thoughts. A loud rap at the door snapped her gaze in that direction before she could reach the telephone.
"I'll get the door!" Sarah shouted.
Frowning, Lauren hurried to the kitchen and snagged the cordless receiver from its base. "Hello." She made her way quickly back to the front hall as she listened to Don's urgent request that she come into his office this morning. "Well, sure, if you need me to."
Gray Longwalker stood in her doorway talking to Sarah. She was showing him the shiny gold dollar Buck had given her. Great, Lauren mused.
Another frown tugged at Lauren's expression when Don repeated the urgency of his request. "I'll be there. Thanks." Lauren pushed the disconnect button, her thoughts reeling. What could have Don in such a tizzy? Surely nothing new had come up. Her gaze traveled to Gray. Her defenses instantly melted when his gaze connected with hers. The smile that tilted his lips paralyzed her thoughts.
The telephone in her office rang, snapping Lauren from the trance of Gray's smile. She swore under her breath. She didn't have time for all this. Sarah was going to be late for school. The telephone in her hand rang, startling her.
"It looks as if you're a little busy," Gray commented. Sarah was now wearing his hat and galloping down the hall on her make-believe pony. Where was her backpack?
Lauren shrugged and pressed the talk button on the phone in her hand. "Hello," she snapped.
"Lauren?" It was Rosemary. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, just running behind."
Rosemary groaned. "I'm about to make things worse. I've got to take Erin to the doctor this morning. We've been up all night with a bellyache."
The telephone upstairs rang again. Lauren massaged her forehead and tried to ignore the sound. "It's okay. I'll manage. Take care of Erin, and I'll see you tomorrow." They exchanged goodbyes and Lauren disconnected. This was not going to be a good day.
"I suppose this isn't a good time to talk to you about getting a companion for Spinner."
Lauren tried unsuccessfully to block the effect of his voice on her traitorous body. She shivered in spite of her best efforts. Knowing it would only make things worse, she met his gaze. "I'm really late right now, could we talk about it another time? Sarah's going to be late for school, and that darn phone won't stop ringing." Lauren closed her eyes for a second to drag herself back under control. Her office line upstairs continued its insistent ringing.
"Look." Gray moved closer to her, soothing her frazzled nerves with his nearness. "You go upstairs and answer the phone. I'll take Sarah to school."
How did he do that? He hadn't even touched her and already she felt tremendously better just hearing his voice, just having him near. God, she was pathetic. His words penetrated the frenzy in her brain. She frowned "I…I don't know about that."
"Trust me, Lauren." He did touch her then. His fingers trailed down her arm, squeezed her hand, then released her. "I'll take her straight to school. She can even call you from there if you'd like."
"I want Mr. Gray to take me
to school!" Sarah chimed in, rushing to his side. "I wanna wear his hat, too."
"I don't think your teacher would be too happy about that." Gray plucked the hat off her head and smiled down at her.
Sarah raced to the door. "Come on, I'm gonna be late!"
Gray looked back to Lauren for approval.
"Fine," she relented. "But you have to give me a kiss first," she said to her exuberant daughter. Lauren leaned down, her hands braced on her knees. Sarah dashed back and pecked her cheek.
"Bye, Mommy."
"Bye, sweetie." The child disappeared out the door. She was probably excited about the prospect of riding in Gray's truck.
"I'll be back soon." His gaze lingered on hers a moment longer, before he turned away.
Promise or threat, she wondered suddenly. The telephone in her hand rang again, echoing the renewed ringing upstairs. Lauren shook herself from her disturbing thoughts. She had to get to Don's office. Something must be up.
* * *
I TOLD YOU I'D BE BACK, Gray reminded the horse with his eyes. He slipped through the rails and stepped into the corral where Shadow waited, his gaze tracking Gray's every move. Gray shifted the coil of rope in his hands, allowing it to come to rest in plain sight against his thigh. Suspicious, Shadow sidled away, bumping up against the fence.
Ignoring his small audience, Gray stood in the middle of the corral for a time, the sun warming him against the cool spring breeze. Standing stock-still, Shadow eyed Gray warily. Then, as if he'd made his decision, the animal turned his rump in disinterest.
Gray smiled. "So that's the way of it," he murmured softly. Shadow might be curious, but he wasn't about to allow Gray too close with the rope in his hand. Someone had no doubt used the rope on the horse before, leaving him frightened and possibly even hurt.
Never taking his eyes off Shadow, Gray prepared a loop, purposely keeping his movements slow, methodical. Shadow reacted to the gesture as Gray began to swing the loop around. The horse moved, at first slowly, then into a trot around the outer circle hoping to escape the inevitable. Gray turned more slowly, never changing the rhythm of the swirling lasso. Now would begin the intricate dance of communication. Gray needed Shadow to hook-on, to trust him. But that kind of trust didn't come easy when an animal feared humans.
Gray swung the loop, then snugged it up around Shadow's neck. The horse reared, showing the whites of his eyes, baring his teeth, then bolted. Gray held fast, his hands steady and his voice smoothing as he spoke to the animal trotting around the corral. Manning and one of his men stumbled away from the corral when Shadow stalled, bucked, then tried to leap over the fence. Gray pulled hard on the rope in a display of control. Shadow bolted toward him. Gray sidestepped the horse's path, drawing the rope taut once more when he passed. Still snorting his displeasure and annoyed that his act of aggression had failed, Shadow galloped around the circle for several more minutes before he finally quieted. Gray immediately allowed the rope to go slack, an unspoken reward.
The gallop slowed to a trot, then a walk as Shadow grew accustomed to the feel of the rope around his neck. Gray kept his reassuring gaze steady on the animal's. When the rope had stayed slack for a time, Shadow stopped his pacing. Gray moved slowly closer to him, maintaining that steady eye contact and a smoothing tone in his voice. When Gray was only a few feet away, Shadow faced him in anticipation of his next reward. Gray moved in the final steps and lifted his hand to smooth it over the horse's forehead.
Gray stroked Shadow's neck for a time, earning more of the animal's trust. Then, in slow motion, he drew the loop from the animal's neck.
"Good, boy," Gray said softly. "I knew you had it in you." The horse turned his muzzle into Gray's caress. "Next time," he promised, "we'll take a little ride."
Right now Gray had to get back to Lauren. Shadow wasn't the only one who needed a little extra TLC today. He wasn't sure he could bear to see her suffer through another episode of those headaches. That thought disturbed Gray more than he was willing to admit. A great deal more than it should.
* * *
LAUREN SAT FACING DON, her mouth gaping at the absurdity of his suggestion. "This is your plan?"
Don stared at his desk a moment, his palms flattened on the polished surface. When he lifted his gaze to hers once more, she saw the seriousness there.
"Lauren, I'm trying to help you." He cleared his throat. "I spoke with Judge Madison personally. He insists that being a single mother is not going to be to your advantage."
Lauren made a sound of disbelief. "Longwalker is single! What's the difference?"
Don sighed patiently. "He has biology on his side."
"Oh, God." Lauren shook her head. "I can't believe this."
"You hired me to advise you. You don't have to take my advice, but I would be negligent if I didn't tell you this. You're a single mother who works and has debilitating headaches from time to time." Lauren started to protest but he stopped her with an upraised palm. "Don't think Longwalker's attorney won't use those things against you. He will."
"This is ridiculous."
"Be that as it may, the judge will look more favorably upon your side of things if you have a husband who can support you and Sarah in the event you become incapacitated by your headaches. A complete family unit will go a long ways, Lauren."
"So where am I supposed to find myself a husband?" she demanded, frustrated.
"Is there any chance of a reconciliation between you and Buck?" he ventured.
Buck. "I have to go." Lauren stood. She wasn't going to listen to any more of this. No way.
Don quickly skirted his desk and walked her to the door. "Just think about it, Lauren. I wouldn't give you this advice if I didn't think it was extremely important to your case."
Lauren paused and looked back at him. "I'll think about it."
He nodded. "Good. It might mean the difference between winning and losing. And we both know you don't want to lose Sarah."
* * *
GRAY STEPPED through Lauren's open door and listened intently for any sound. A heated curse echoed from upstairs. "Lauren?" He closed the door and moved closer to the foot of the stairs. "Is everything all right."
"Everything's just peachy," she called back crossly.
He climbed the stairs cautiously. "Where are you?"
"In my office."
On the second-story landing, he paused. The upstairs was one large room filled with office equipment, drawing tables and desks. Lauren sat in the middle of the floor, attempting to untangle a mass of wires. She looked like a child, her hair falling around her face from its upswept do. A frown marring her pretty face.
A very adult curse hissed past her full lips. Gray bit back a smile. "What are you trying to do."
She glowered at him. "I'm trying to untangle this stupid phone wire so I can hook up this blasted answering machine."
The answering machine lay at her feet. The wad of wires knotted in her fingers. There was no sign of a box, the machine was obviously one she already owned. At least he hoped the accompanying wires didn't come out of the box looking like that.
"Would you like me to hook it up for you?" He crouched in front of her.
Another glare arrowed his way. "I can hook it up. I've done it before."
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you the one who—"
She cut him off with a seething look. "Is there something you want, Longwalker?"
He did smile then. There were a great many things he wanted, but he would take none. The way her eyes sparkled when she was angry did strange things to his insides. He held her gaze steady as he took the mass of wires from her hands. "I thought we'd play the question game again," he suggested as he made himself more comfortable by bracing one knee on the floor.
She fanned a wisp of hair from her face. "One for you and one for me?"
"You can start." He deliberately slowed the movements of his hands. He twisted and looped, looped and twisted, slowly methodically, drawing her attention to the repeti
tive moves. She was seriously flustered. Gray remembered Dr. Prescott's warning that stress brought on the headaches. Gray had to defuse the stress that had obviously been building all morning. Just like he'd done with Shadow this morning.
She blinked, but kept her gaze glued to his hands. "You go first."
Another loop, another twist, even slower this time. "Why are you still single?"
Her startled gaze connected with his. He shifted, drawing her attention back to his hands. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin there.
"I don't know. Just haven't met the right guy, I guess."
Gray twisted his right hand in the last yard of wire and slowly looped it around the bundle in his left. "Buck seems willing enough." Jealousy knifed through him at the suggestion.
Much calmer now, her gaze shifted back to his. "Buck and I are nothing but friends."
There was more. "But he wants to be more than friends?" The subtle change in her eyes answered him before her lips could form the word.
"Yes."
He placed the wire on a nearby table and set the answering machine beside it. "He's got everything the average woman looks for in a man."
Lauren giggled, then clamped her lips together.
Gray grinned. "You don't think good old Buck's got it all?"
"Everything except personality maybe."
Gray settled down on the floor in front of her. "That still doesn't answer my question."
She studied him for a time before she responded. "You can't lose anything if you don't invest in the first place."
They had much more in common than Gray first thought. "True," he agreed. "But you don't gain anything, either."
She sighed. "And you would be the expert in that area," she offered.
He looked away. "Yes, I would."
"My turn."
Gray draped his arm over his knee and feigned nonchalance. "Hit me."
"What's the story between you and Buck."
"Let's just say we have a common, unresolvable issue."
"And you're not going to tell me."
