Secret Pressure (Rhinestone Cowgirls Book 4)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  “Sorry. I hope you’ll forgive me and realize I did this because I love you and I love Ruby. I think eventually you’ll thank me.

  Em”

  He squeezed the phone until he heard plastic snap and loosened his hold. What the hell was going on? And what the hell was she sorry for?

  He started to text his sister-in-law back when the door opened. He swiveled on the heel of his soggy boots and his lungs deflated. Ruby stood in the doorway, her long wet hair plastered to her cheeks, her clothes fitting like a second skin. He tore his gaze back to hers, swallowing. “What are you doing here?” Every muscle in his body tightened.

  She took a small step inside, shutting the door with a thud. “I knew if I asked to speak to you, you’d turn me down.”

  He jerked his head. “That’s about right.” He didn’t like being a bitter man, but after leaving The Stone Hedge Ranch with the realization he had a son, he’d only gotten angrier. He’d missed out on two years of his son’s life. Birthdays, walking, his first words…

  The first thing he’d done when he’d gotten back from San Antonio was sit down with a lawyer, paid him a large sum of money, who then assured Jobe he’d be seeing his son within six months.

  Six freaking long months to see my own flesh and blood.

  He then sat down with his brothers and told them about Jack. Having their support meant the world to him.

  Seeing Ruby now scratched at the bitterness. He couldn’t trust her—didn’t want to trust her either. She was the cause of the pain in his chest now.

  “I asked Em to get you to come here. Please don’t be angry with her. It wasn’t easy talking her into it, but we have to talk, Jobe. For Jack’s sake.”

  He gritted his teeth. How the hell could she look so innocent when she’d done him wrong? “We’re past the stage of talking. That should have been done years ago, when you first found out you were pregnant. Now it’s action time.” He took a step toward her.

  “I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “This is wrong and it won’t work.” He started to move past her but her hand on his elbow stopped him. He brought his gaze around, looking at her. Her bottom lip trembled and he forced compassion behind a steel wall. He wouldn’t fall for it, not again.

  “You have every right to be annoyed with me, but you must be able to see past the anger.”

  He chuckled, cold and bitter. “I’m supposed to stop and think of your emotions? That’s a good one.”

  “We have to come to an understanding—an agreement.”

  “That’s why I hired a lawyer. He’ll work it out.” He pulled away and her hand fell to her side.

  “There’s no reason to involve attorneys. We’re adults. We have a child together. We can figure something out, just the two of us.” Her soft voice made the hairs on his arms stand. He hated that still, even through his wrath, she could make his body react.

  “Keep dreaming, sweetheart. I’d have to be able to trust you.” He snorted. “So much for that.” He squinted and rubbed his forehead.

  “Think of Jack.” She pleaded.

  “I am thinking of him. If you even think for a moment that I’m going to step back and take a backseat on how my son is raised, you’ve underestimated me.”

  “And you can’t honestly believe that I’ll step aside and allow you to file for custody just because—”

  He blinked. “Just because what? That I’m the sperm donor?” Ice trickled through his blood.

  Her lips parted. “That’s not what I was going to say. I’ve never thought of you as the sperm donor.” She wrapped her arms tight around her waist.

  “Really? Pretty interesting when you’ve made no effort to allow me to be a part of my son’s life.”

  “Our son,” she corrected.

  Another snort. “Yeah, unfortunately.” Realizing this was going nowhere fast, and with a risk that he’d say something he’d regret, he stepped toward the door and grabbed the knob, practically jerking it off the hinges as he pulled it open. “You’ll be hearing from my attorney. For now, I think it’s best you and I don’t speak. I’m going home.”

  “Not so fast. Jobe.”

  He turned on his boot heel, ready to get the hell away. “What?”

  “You can’t leave,” she said.

  “Can’t? Watch me. I’m done with this conversation.” He stomped onto the porch and came to a dead halt. He had a flat tire. Marching down the steps, he saw that he had two flat tires. He turned and eyed Ruby who stood in the open doorway, her arms still wrapped around her waist. “What the hell have you done?”

  “I’m sorry, but I had to get you to listen and I knew the first chance you had, you’d be flying out of here.”

  He stomped back up onto the porch, fury slicing through him as he made his way toward her. Her eyes snapped open wide and she stepped backward. “You had no right!” he said through tight lips, continuing toward her.

  Her back struck the table. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to show you what your rowdy ways can get you.”

  She darted around the table, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you better stop right there…”

  Her words were lost on his steaming ears. “Damn woman! We’re stuck here. Have you thought of that?” He stomped around the table, taking several steps toward her. “No way in hell will we be going anywhere in that little thing you have sitting outside.” He caught up to her and grabbed her around the waist, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

  “Put me down this instant!”

  “Not happening.” He carried her toward the living room.

  “What do you think you’re doing? How dare you!” She pummeled his back with her tight fists, but he only smiled.

  “Keep doing that, sweetheart. That feels good on these old tired muscles.”

  “You-you—abhorrent pig!”

  “Yeah you have the right to talk.” He dropped her down onto the couch, tugging her across his lap. Her head dangled, her feet were thrashing in the air and her ass was pushed out, only inches from his face. He wanted to caress the perfect mound and explore every inch, but not going to happen. She’d left him no choice but to respond angrily. “You’ll stay here until you admit that your sassy ways have got to change.”

  “Don’t hold your breath!” She jerked and attempted to free herself from his hold.

  “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to show a Stone woman that she can’t get away with everything. Looks like I’m the chosen one for you, honey.”

  “Go to hell! You hear me? You’re not showing me anything. Now let me lose, you jerk!” She kicked her legs.

  “Be still!” he growled.

  “Let me go!” She tried pushing herself off his lap but he still held her with a firm grip.

  “Not until you say you’re sorry.” All of her jerking around caused parts of him to grow in awareness. He cursed his body for betrayal. The last thing he wanted was to feel anything but resentment for her.

  “I will not! If you refuse to speak to me like an adult about something as important as our son, then I had no choice but to do something extreme.”

  “Fine. Have it your way!” He couldn’t continue holding her, otherwise he might go right there in his jeans. He stood up, still with a firm grip on her and stomped down the hallway, looking through each room until he came to the bathroom. She continued to thrash and pound his back but he was much stronger than her.

  “You’ll regret this. I swear you will!”

  “Oh, darlin’, there are many things I regret. I just wish you were one of them.” He couldn’t deny, even after everything he knew, he still craved her, wanted her more than his next breath. She couldn’t be trusted and was a spider ready to suck his blood dry, if she hadn’t already succeeded in many ways. He turned on the water in the standup shower and adjusted the temperature to lukewarm. Thankfully, she didn’t weigh much so he was capable of holding her while she thras
hed around.

  “You better not! Don’t you dare!” she squealed.

  He tugged her around and easily placed her into the shower, blocking the exit. “Say you’re sorry!” he ordered.

  “Over my dead body.” She stood there under the spray of the water, her hair plastered to her rosy cheeks. Her shirt had become see-through and her nipples were pebbled. His palms ached to caress the mounds, but he had to keep himself in check. She deserved every second of this.

  “You’re going to turn into a prune soon.”

  “Then we’ll match,” she huffed, blowing wet hair out of her mouth.

  “Good one.” He clapped his hands. “Sticks and stones—well, you know the rest.”

  “I want out of here now!”

  “And I want to leave too, but unfortunately someone slashed my tires. You know, they have a name for this. It’s called kidnapping.”

  Her eyes became brown lasers and he knew he’d fry if she had the ability. “I am not kidnapping you! However, you’re being ridiculous by keeping me here under the water.”

  “Sugar melts, honey, so you don’t have a problem.”

  She brought her hands over her chest, shivering. He couldn’t let her get cold, he just didn’t have it in him no matter how angry he was. He shut off the water, grabbed a towel from the rack, and tossed it at her. “It’s not worth it. I don’t want your apology anyway.”

  He turned and stomped for the door, half expecting her to pick up a bottle of shampoo and whirl it at his head. It didn’t come. Instead, she marched past him.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “I’m leaving. I was stupid for thinking I could talk sense into you!” She threw open the front door and made her way down the porch.

  “You aren’t going anywhere. You’ll kill yourself on the road in that car.” He stomped after her.

  “I’ll take my chances.” She opened the door to the car, just as he reached her. He seized the keys from her hand. She tried to grab them back, but he held them high above his head. “Give them back! I mean it!”

  “Not until you realize you can’t leave. The road is dangerous. Especially while it’s still raining.” No way in hell could he let her leave, not with the risk of her wrecking.

  “You won’t stop me.”

  “Is that right?” Before he thought over his action, he gave the keys a toss into the grass.

  Ruby’s mouth fell open as she seemed to wrap her brain around what he’d done. “You-You horrible man!” She marched across the driveway and into the grass.

  He followed her. “This is crazy. Come inside.”

  She lifted a hand and flipped him off. Lightening cracked the sky, close to where they stood. “Damn, woman!” He stepped up behind her and scooped her up.

  “Not again. Let me go.”

  She continued to move and when he stepped across the grass, his boot slipped in the wetness and together they fell, into the middle of a mud puddle. Jobe looked at Ruby and couldn’t contain his laughter. She was covered in mud.

  Her lips were thin as she stood, gaining her balance and she stepped out of the two inch deep water. She said nothing as she made her way back into the cabin. Jobe, covered in watery mud too, scanned the grassy area for the keys and found them. He shoved them into his front pocket and followed her muddy footsteps.

  “Ruby?” he said as he made his way toward the steps. He climbed them, two at a time, his boots squeaking. Catching up to her as she stepped into the upstairs bathroom, she turned on him, her glare making him almost laugh. “You don’t want to talk now I see.”

  “No, I don’t,” she snapped.

  “Things are getting out of hand.” Damn! He should hold strong, but he didn’t like seeing her upset.

  “I’m drenched.” Her bottom lip puckered.

  “So am I.” He grabbed his hat and shook it. “And damn. My favorite hat is ruined. If you weren’t so stubborn…sheesh!”

  “Me? Stubborn?” She rolled her eyes. “How many times do you need me to apologize for what I’ve done? We’re in this together.”

  “You can’t control everything, Ruby. An apology doesn’t make things right.”

  “Well, you certainly wanted one bad enough a few minutes ago,” she huffed. “I’m taking a shower by my own free will this time.” She slammed the door in his face.

  Luckily, there was more than one shower. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any extra clothes.

  Going into each bedroom, he finally found a closet that had men’s clothing, but everything was too small except for a pair of shorts. They were a tad tight in the gonads, but until his clothes were washed and dried, what choice did he have.

  He stepped into the shower and inhaled sharply, wishing the itch for a sweet brunette would go the hell away.

  What had the crazy woman gone and done?

  He shook his head and stood under the spray. A smiled played at his lips, but he bit it back. He couldn’t find her humorous—shouldn’t at least. The woman was the devil’s spawn.

  But he cared for her.

  Damn emotions anyway.

  Quickly washing the hardening mud from his body, he dried and dressed. Downstairs, he loaded his clothes in the washer and laid her keys on the kitchen counter.

  And fifteen minutes later when she walked in, he looked above the open refrigerator door, his heart kicking up in speed. She wore only a T-shirt that landed at a tempting place on her thighs—right where he would grab as he plunged deep inside—

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

  He wasn’t allowed to travel down that dark path. Hadn’t he learned his lesson?

  Apparently not because looking at her now, the long curve of her toned legs that led up to her rounded ass made his dick so hard, he thought he’d explode—and the shorts he wore left no room for expansion.

  Her long hair hung in waves down her shoulders and back, glistening like black satin. He remembered, all too well, how the silken mane felt against his body as she rode him with a velocity of a skilled cowgirl. Her lips, the prettiest pink he’d laid eyes on, matched her nipples that were hard now. They pressed against the cotton material and the word ‘Ohio’ written across the front. The O’s were like an owls’ eyes, popped out. Who the hell would have an Ohio shirt? Jealousy ripped through him thinking she was wearing another man’s shirt. Where the heck did those emotions come from? He’d never been a jealous man, never had reason to be he guessed, until Ruby.

  He stuck his head back into the fridge, inspected the contents and shook his head in frustration. Beer or water. Right now, he’d go with the first. He grabbed a long neck and popped the lid. It went flying across the floor. He bent to pick it up and caught a glimpse underneath Ruby’s shirt. His dick shot up and the shorts cut off his blood supply.

  She cocked her hip. “If you’re done getting a peek, maybe we can finally talk.” Her murmured words broke through his fantasy.

  He stood and smiled. “Ain’t my fault you’re not wearing undies, sweetheart.” He wanted to pretend it didn’t cause his body a reaction, but she could see for herself that his shorts stuck out.

  “Yes, actually, it’s all your fault. I had to rummage through the closet and glad I found this.” She tugged the shirt and the hem lifted slightly. Now that didn’t help his cock any.

  “Who flattened my tires?” He lifted a brow.

  She shook her head and flipped her damp hair over one shoulder. “And you want to know something? I still don’t regret it.”

  “Oh you will when we’re stuck on this hill for two days.”

  One corner of her mouth twisted. “Two days?”

  “You didn’t hear me earlier? Even with my truck I had a hard time making it up here on this narrow lane. The water was hitting the top of the bridge. If this rain doesn’t stop we’re going nowhere for a while.”

  “I-I just didn’t think about the rain.”

  “Of course you didn’t. Em didn’t tell you that any amount of rain and the valley floods, right?” Seeing her ex
pression, he shook his head. “Didn’t figure so. She was probably hoping we’d get stuck up here. You Stone women and your high-handed ways of dealing with things. I don’t know how DJ and Nash tolerate you women.”

  The tight lipped expression was back. “How you Walters tolerate the Stones? Oh now that makes me almost laugh, considering your brothers have fallen mad over heels in love with my cousins. I’d say they tolerate us just fine! And, for your information, buddy, I didn’t see you fighting when we got naked at the hotel.”

  He drank half the cold beer in one gulp but the tension remained. “We should just agree to disagree.”

  “I didn’t intend for us to get stuck here.” Concern etched lines around her eyes. “Em is keeping Jack and I’ve never been away from him all night—” Jobe cleared his throat. “Okay, except for the night with you.”

  “At least he’ll be well taken care of.” He knew that Nash and Em had been trying for some time to get pregnant. His brother had mentioned several times that Em was losing hope that she’d ever have a child of her own.

  “True, but he’s a mommy’s boy.”

  He frowned. “That’s because he doesn’t have a daddy,” he snarled.

  “He has one. He just needs to get to know you.” Her eyes turned soft and she looked at him in a way he’d never been looked at before, mingled with her calling him Jack’s dad did something serious to his heart.

  He blew out a long breath through the corner of his mouth. “Ruby, I know you’re a good mother. Asking for full custody wasn’t an easy decision.”

  “Thank you for the compliment. And as mad as you are at me, you have to see your request is unfair.”

  He nodded. Maybe a talk was something they needed. In some way it would release the demons piling up inside of him. He couldn’t live like this, full of anger and despair. A slow burn crawled down his backbone. He’d have to swallow some pride. “I was bitter when I found out about Jack. Well, even further back, when you left without saying goodbye.”

  She popped up a shoulder, then let it drop. “I promise you I didn’t do it out of spite. In that moment that I saw you, I decided we would go nowhere. I understand it’s a lame excuse, but it’s the only answer I have. And I did want to tell you.” She plopped down into the chair. “There were many moments I wanted to reach out to you. The first ultrasound. When he was born, looking so much like you. So many firsts that I wondered what it would be like if you knew. But days rushed by in a blur and I didn’t want to disturb your life.”