by Dawn Brower
He raised his eyebrow. “Only sometimes?”
“I was trying to be nice.”
“Don’t. I’d hate for you to think we could ever be friends.”
“You could at least be civil. We have people we care about in common.”
Wes narrowed his eyes at her. “No, I really can’t”
“You are such an ass. Whatever did I do to make you hate me so much?”
“The fact you have to ask tells me everything I need to know about you,” Wes replied.
“You know nothing about me. If you did, you wouldn’t treat me like something you’d hate to scrape off the bottom of your shoe.”
Wes glared at her. He knew her far better than she thought he did. He remembered everything. It wasn’t something he was likely to forget anytime soon. She was pure poison. He folded his arms across his chest and tapped his foot impatiently.
“I thought you were going to get dressed.”
Vitoria glared at him. “You could at least turn around.”
“Why? Are you afraid I won’t like what I see?”
Vitoria tilted her head and studied him. “You don’t think I’ll do it do you?”
“Do what?” he asked. He had a sneaky suspicion she planned on dropping her towel and letting him get a glimpse of her luscious body. He hoped she didn’t. Who the hell did he think he was kidding? He hungered to see her naked.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Why would I? Do you believe mind reading is one of my abilities?”
“No. You probably majored in dickhead with a minor in conceited assery.”
Wes could feel his lips twitch into a smile. Damn her for being so irresistible. “Well, whenever you decide to get dressed we can leave.”
“I’m not leaving. I already told you that. I have things to take care of—”
“In Seattle, I know.” Wes finished for her. “I was talking about dinner.”
“I am not going to dinner with you.”
“I don’t exactly look forward to it myself. Unfortunately, Dallas and Ginnifer are expecting us to meet them in a half hour.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Vitoria demanded. “All you said was you intended to take me to Novak Springs.”
“You didn’t exactly let me.” Wes shrugged. “And I do intend to take you back to Novak Springs. I keep my promises.”
“You could have jumped in at any time with that bit of information.”
Wes noticed she ignored his remark about keeping his promises. He wouldn’t press her about anything because he needed her to get dressed for dinner, but sometime in the future he planned on making her own up to the promises she didn’t keep. “I didn’t want to deprive you of your dressing down—although maybe you like taunting me with your nearly naked body.”
Vitoria stormed over to his side and glared up at him. “Oh, how dare you.” Vitoria slapped him.
Wes rubbed his jaw where her hand had met his face. He could feel the sting of the slap as it spread through his nerve endings. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“Or what?”
“I’ll paddle your ass.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Wes smirked. “You don’t know the extent of what I’d dare to do. Now get dressed. We have some place we need to be.”
Vitoria’s lips twisted into a sultry smile. She took two steps back and loosened the towel hugging her sumptuous full breasts. Teasing him with the possibility it might fall in waves at her feet. Wes stood transfixed at the sight of her fingers playing across the top of the white towel. She let go of the edge and licked her lips, staring at him with desire.
Her hips swayed seductively as she strolled over to the bed and picked up a pair of scarlet, lace-trimmed panties. She slid them over her legs until they rested on her slim curvy hips. The white towel scrunched up at the base of her hips above her panty line, giving him a good view of her perfect behind. Before she could turn and give him a view of the front, sans towel, he turned around and started to walk toward the room’s exit.
“Going so soon?” she called after him.
“I’ll wait in the hallway. When you’re ready to leave, meet me there,” he replied.
He could hear her melodious laugh as the door clicked closed behind him. Damn her, and damn him for wanting her so much. Wes punched the wall as his body hardened at the thought of slipping off those decadent panties and filling her with his aching cock. He didn’t want to want her, but his body clearly had other ideas. He would have to think of something to dampen his arousal.
Oh yeah, he had a memory loaded with explanations why loving Vitoria Miene was not only a bad idea, but the worst damned decision he could ever make.
He let them roll through his mind and he could feel his breathing begin to taper off. He would not be ruled by his body’s response to such a treacherous woman. Wes Novak didn’t bow down to anything or anyone. There was only one thing he wanted from Vitoria and it had nothing to do with sex. He sought retribution for all of the evil she unleashed on his best friend. She was the reason he died, and she would pay for it.
Chapter Four
Vitoria watched as Wes clicked the door shut. Clearly all she had to do to chase him away was threaten him with her nude body. She would have to keep that in mind for further skirmishes. Anything that could possibly give her the upper hand would be beneficial in their war against each other.
She shook her head and let thoughts of Wes float out of her mind. There were more important things to do. Getting dressed was now her top priority. Ginnifer expected her for dinner. Letting go of the fluffy white towel pinched between her fingers, Vitoria allowed it to slide down her body and hit the floor. She picked up her matching bra and slid it around her body.
Now what was she going to wear? She originally was going to get into some comfortable pajamas and settle in for some light reading before going to bed. Now she had to get herself ready to have a meal with one person she loved, one she tolerated, and one she absolutely hated. Ginnifer better appreciate what she put up with for her sake. Dallas she didn’t mind so much, but his brother, Wes, was a complete jerk. Tapping her finger against her mouth, she considered her options. She picked up a silky black dress that hugged all her curves and slipped it on.
Her hair was still damp, and she didn’t have a lot of time to do much with it. She twisted it into a knot at the base of her neck and secured it with a pair of black chopsticks, a few pieces of her hair falling in wispy waves around her face. Not wanting to bother with makeup, she slid some lip-gloss across her parched lips and considered herself presentable.
Vitoria didn’t want to rummage through her suitcase for any other shoes. She walked over to her discarded ruby stilettos and slipped them on. It was now time to face the devil on the other side of the entrance. Strolling over to the door, she turned the knob and yanked it open. She found Wes lazily leaning against the opposite wall with his arms folded across his wide muscular chest.
“Took you long enough,” he retorted.
“I didn’t have nearly enough time. You’re lucky I’m out here at all.”
“I wouldn’t call it luck.” His eyes flashed the hatred he spewed at her every time they encountered each other.
Vitoria glared up at him, placed her left hand at the base of her waist, and leaned her weight on one leg. She lifted her right arm and flipped her hand dismissively. “I almost hate to ask, but what would you call it? Coercion? You might be right. I do feel awfully forced into going on this outing.”
“For once we actually agree on something. Come on, let’s get this dinner over with. The sooner I can leave your company the better my night will be.”
Wes stood up and started walking down the hallway. He presumed she would follow. Again. Audacious bastard. Vitoria stared after him, her eyes trailing down his torso and rested on his firm butt. If only he wasn’t such a dickwad. She might actually give it a nice squeeze.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she t
apped her foot and waited. She wanted to see how long it took for him to realize she wasn’t trailing after him.
She counted one, two, three seconds before he stopped and turned.
Vitoria could feel the heat of his glare across the span of twenty feet separating them. If she had doubts about how much he disliked her, the look alone would tell the whole story. He crossed back over to her in long pounding strides. Each step of his feet was a loud thud echoing through the empty hallway.
“Do I have to pick you up and carry you?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I’d dare a lot, sweetheart. Don’t push me.”
“I’m not your sweetheart”
“And you never will be. Let’s go this time. We’re already running late.”
Wes turned to stomp down the hallway, and Vitoria reluctantly followed. At least he was nice to look at. When she first saw him several months ago, her mouth watered in anticipation. His hair, such a lovely buttery-blond, long and silky, falling to his shoulders, made her crave to run her fingers through it. His aquamarine eyes flashed from blue to green depending on his mood. Most of the time they flashed a dark green when he glared at her, causing her to wonder what color they would be when desire ruled him.
His body—oh how lovely and rock hard—she needed to rub herself all over him.
A bunch of on-the-spot fantasies ran through her brain from a glance at his perfect physique. Then he ruined it by opening his mouth. All her fantasies were crushed into a billion tiny shards of despair. So much for thinking she might have found her dream man. Vitoria dismissed her wandering thoughts and followed Wes onto the elevator. He pushed the button for the first floor, leaned against the opposite wall, and continued to ignore her.
“You don’t always have to treat me as if I’m the scum of the Earth.”
Nothing, not one word came out of his mouth. He really irritated her. She clenched her fists and felt her fingernails bite her palm. “Why do you insist on ignoring me?”
Wes shook his head and sighed. “I don’t see any reason to pretend we’re on cordial terms. What’s the point of conversation if we don’t have anything meaningful to say to each other?”
“There is such a thing as pleasantries and small talk. It makes situations less awkward.”
“Yeah. When you care whether someone is uncomfortable, I can see why you would make an effort. Don’t ever assume I care for your comfort because I don’t.”
He didn’t mince his words and sure as hell refused to pull his punches. His words fell on her like the weight of a thousand Egyptian pyramids. Ancient, heavy, and soaked with the blood of those who built them. Wes didn’t have a problem with shredding her dignity to nothing. Why she cared, she didn’t know, but it was time she stopped.
“I have never given you any reason to believe what you care about matters to me. I only ask because this thing”—she motioned her hands between the two of them—“we have going on here is only going to cause us more grief in the end. Ginnifer is my best friend. She’s marrying your brother. We’re bound to run into each other from time to time. Wouldn’t it be far easier if we had some sort of truce?”
“I don’t really see the point.” Wes shrugged and went back to pretending she didn’t exist.
Vitoria gritted her teeth and reminded herself to breathe. She could be rational—besides, killing him wasn’t a feasible option. Breathe in, breathe out. After repeating the mantra inside her mind several times, she managed to get her anger under control.
“You fail to see my point. I don’t really give a damn if I’m uncomfortable. I could care even less if you are. However Ginnifer means something to me, and Dallas means at least as much to you. So for their sake can we call a cease fire?”
Wes appeared to think about her words. He lifted his chin and stared at her through the slits of his eyes. His irises flashed between olive green and a warm shade of brown. After what seemed like hours, he nodded his head. “I will give you one concession. We do have that much in common. My brother does mean a lot to me, and I’d hate to disrupt his happiness in any way. So I’ll refrain from open hostility while we are in their presence, but as soon as they are gone anything is fair game.”
“I suppose it’s better than nothing,” Vitoria grudgingly agreed.
“It’s all you’re going to get. So accept it or not. I don’t really give a damn.”
The elevator doors clicked open, and he strolled out into the lobby of the hotel. Vitoria rushed after him, walking as fast as she could to keep up with his long stride. He was such an inconsiderate bastard. True to his word, it was all out war when they were alone. Well she could give as good as she got. If he wanted to use her for target practice, he was about to get a rude awakening. She was no one’s doormat, and he would learn that little tidbit the hard way.
Wes continued to walk out to the front of the hotel. He handed a slip to the valet and waited for them to retrieve his vehicle. He crossed his arms and watched the man walk away with keys in hand. Vitoria caught up to him as the valet walked off to get the car.
“You could walk a little slower. I can’t keep up with you.”
“Maybe you should consider different attire to wear on your feet. You might have a better chance if you didn’t wear killer heels.”
Vitoria stuck her tongue out at him. Childish yes, but she couldn’t help herself. He drove her insane. “Even if I wore sneakers I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you. For every step you take, I need to take five. I’m short and can’t keep up with your strides. If you expect me to do that, I’m going to need to take up running.”
Wes shrugged again and said, “Not my problem.”
“No, nothing is ever your problem.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. There are plenty of things that concern me. You don’t happen to be one of them.”
“Yeah, you’ve made your feelings for me quite clear. No reason for you to expound on them further.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a sleek black sports car pulled up to the curb, and the valet jumped out of the driver’s side. He ran up to Wes and handed him his keys.
Wes walked over to get in and glanced up at her. “Are you coming or not?”
He slid into the seat and started to put the car in gear. He barely gave her time to pull open the passenger door and slide in before he began to pull away from the curb. She slammed the door shut and reached for her seatbelt.
“Are you trying to kill me?” she asked.
“Not at all. It would be too kind, especially when I believe you should suffer unbearable torture for the rest of your miserable life.” Wes spat out his venom-filled words as his fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Vitoria sucked in a shocked breath at his harsh words.
What had she ever done to him? Nothing. Wes had issues—serious ones. It was clear he really didn’t care if she lived or not. Vitoria meant little to him and he made no qualms about it. She chose not to say anything, already bleeding internally from his razor-sharp barbs. All Vitoria wanted to do was get through this evening relatively unscathed. So far it wasn’t looking good. She took the time to remind herself why she was putting up with Wes’s mutinous behavior. Ginnifer, her best friend, deserved all the happiness life had to offer.
No matter what happened or what she had to go through, she would make sure she remained clueless about how miserable Wes was making her. She didn’t need to know how much of an ass her future brother-in-law actually was. Besides, how much would she really have to put up with Wes after the wedding? Vitoria could limit her visits with Ginnifer to the city or when she knew her enemy was not on the ranch. It was doable—at least she hoped so.
Chapter Five
Wes pulled into the parking lot of a sophisticated-looking Italian bistro. He swung the car into a parking space and hit the brakes. Vitoria flew forward. The seatbelt stroked her neck and suffocated her for several seconds until she was able to pull herself back into the seat. She gasped for
breath and rubbed the rawness across the base of her throat.
If she took anything away from this day, it was to never ride in a car with Wes when he was pissed off.
Unfortunately for her, he was perpetually angry with her. Which pretty much led to her never stepping into a vehicle with him as driver ever again. She’d have to discreetly call a cab before it was time to go back to her hotel. Not bothering to acknowledge her, he opened up his door and stepped out into the cool night air. Vitoria shook her head and followed his lead. She didn’t need to talk to him to allow him to show her the way to her best friend. Trailing behind him, they entered the restaurant and greeted the hostess.
“We’re meeting another party. They are probably already here. The reservation is under Novak.” Wes explained.
“Ah yes. They’re already seated. Follow me, and I’ll show you to your table.”
The hostess was a perky blonde with light-green eyes. Vitoria could see she found Wes attractive as her gaze skimmed his body when she believed no one was looking. Her eyes met Vitoria’s, and a guilty expression crossed her pretty face. The blonde glanced down, apparently no longer comfortable making eye contact with her. As far as Vitoria was concerned, she could have Wes. She didn’t want a damn thing to do with him, but the hostess assumed they were a couple.
Maybe it would be to her benefit to tell her to go ahead and make a move.
It might help her to escape from another horrifying car ride back to her hotel. Maybe she could excuse herself to use the ladies room and pull her aside for a little chat. The more she thought about it, the better the idea sounded. They neared their table, and she could see Ginny laughing with her fiancé, Dallas. The light of love shown through her eyes and reflected back on Dallas’s face. They appeared so comfortable with each other.
A pang of sadness filled Vitoria’s heart. She was happy for her friend—truly she was. What bothered her about watching her friend falling in love was the possibility of never finding something so wonderful for herself. She had begun to believe she would forever be alone and walking in the shadows of real love. Ginnifer turned to see them walking in their direction. She stood up and strolled over to her side and embraced her.
