A couple pulled two kids on a sled. Add a dog or two and that could be Dakota’s future with Bryce. Nevada wouldn’t mind being an aunt. Well, as long as diapers and throw up weren’t involved.
“The not-so-exciting, non-cosmopolitan life of a graduate student away from school,” she added.
“Nothing wrong with relaxing.” Dustin let go of her hand. He reached into his pocket and then held out his phone. “Last photo for the scavenger hunt.”
He leaned toward her. His nearness brought a rush of heat, and then his shoulder touched hers.
Her breath caught in her throat, and her pulse skittered.
“Say cheese,” he said.
Nevada didn’t say anything. She had no idea if she was smiling. She only hoped she didn’t look like a deer caught in the headlights due to the way he pressed against her. Her stomach felt like an overcrowded butterfly aviary.
Uncertain, she looked at him for a clue to tell her what was going on. His face was closer than she realized, but his expression was unreadable except for the gratitude shining in his eyes.
He wanted to thank her.
For what happened at Miracle Lake.
That was fine, except…
A twinge of disappointment caught her off guard. She was a realist, so she wouldn’t set herself up to feel hurt or upset. There was no reason for thinking he’d want anything to do with her beyond the quest. A guy like him wouldn’t want to kiss her. Dustin pushed a hair away from her face and back into her hat. “Thanks again for today.”
“You’re welcome.” Her voice sounded husky. He was the reason. “Happy to help.”
“You did. In so many ways.” The corners of his mouth lifted. “Now it’s my turn.”
“To do what?”
“Help you.” Dustin lowered his head.
His lips touched hers. Tentatively. Gently.
She stiffened. Tried not to freak out. But panic flooded her body.
The way his lips moved made her knees wobble.
Oh, wow.
Heat replaced some of the panic. She didn’t pull back.
This cowboy knew how to kiss.
But why was he kissing her?
His lips pressed harder. Teased. Coaxed. Made her lean against him.
A million and one thoughts vanished from her mind.
Hot. Oh, so hot.
The tightness melted from her body. The tension evaporated as if it had never existed. She understood the allure of the cowboy.
At least this one.
Nevada wrapped her arms around him to keep from dissolving into a puddle at his feet and arched toward him.
She’d been kissed before, but never so thoroughly, so desperately, as if he needed her kiss as much as he needed oxygen to survive.
That made her feel powerful, as if her pink jacket was a pink superhero cape. She liked the way that felt.
His kiss.
Him.
Slowly, Dustin backed away from her.
Her lips throbbed, and she could barely draw a breath into her tight chest.
His gaze locked on hers. Desire had replaced the gratitude in his gaze, and that sent a burst of feminine pride through her.
But she couldn’t get carried away. She’d done that before with disastrous results.
Gain control.
Think.
She cleared her throat. “How is a kiss supposed to help me?”
He lowered his arms and stepped back. “If your mom asks who was the last man you were with or kissed, you can honestly answer Dustin Decker.”
Nevada’s mouth dropped opened. He kissed her because of her mom?
Put the pink cape away. This was why she should keep her distance from men.
Dustin said he wanted to help her, but his kiss had woken long-dormant parts of her. He’d made her feel attractive and desirable.
She’d hoped he felt something for her, but he’d kissed her out of pity and to say thanks.
What a letdown.
Still, he was waiting for her to say something. Only one word came to mind. “Thanks.”
Though that didn’t feel or sound right.
“You’re welcome.” He headed off the gazebo. “Let’s go back to the chocolate shop and see how we’re doing against the other teams.”
Nevada had forgotten about the quest. Worse, the only thing her still-tingling lips wanted was more kisses.
That was a distraction she didn’t need.
Or want.
She forced herself not to touch her mouth.
What was she going to do?
*
Thirty minutes later, Dustin stood outside Copper Mountain Chocolates with Nevada. He couldn’t believe how far they’d moved up in the standings. A glance around told him they were alone. “Are we okay to whoop it up now?”
She’d suggested they keep a low profile in front of the other competitors. After kissing her at the gazebo, he would do whatever she wanted.
Boy, his ivory-tower princess sure could kiss.
He wanted another one.
And hoped to get it soon.
“Yes!” She held up her hand.
He high-fived her. “We did it. We’re in second place!”
Although he wouldn’t kid himself. Without Nevada, this wouldn’t have happened. She’d been the star performer today, and he owed her. Other teams had noticed, too, and congratulated her. That had made her beam.
“We should go out and celebrate,” he suggested.
“I wish I could, but I need to go back to Dakota’s. I have a class to teach in the morning, and I’m not prepared.”
“That’s okay.” He was flexible. Especially if being that way meant he could spend more time with Nevada. “I need to be out with the livestock before dawn. We can make it an early night.”
Nevada dragged her teeth across her lower lip.
He’d rather have his mouth there.
“I’m sorry, but I would be thinking about all I have to do,” she said. “Another time?”
Dustin ignored the disappointment. He could understand someone like Nevada not wanting to procrastinate. “I’ll drive you home.”
“I can walk.”
Okay, that was strange. He’d been driving her home each night. The temperature wasn’t as cold, but still. “Sure?”
She nodded.
Dustin stood there, unsure what to do next. He wanted to kiss her, but something in the way Nevada had her shoulders angled away told him now wasn’t the time. Especially since he wanted no distractions.
Her kisses would qualify as major distractions.
He rubbed his chin. “Well, thank you. You’re the reason we moved up.”
“We both played a part.” She smiled. “Guess I’ll see you on Saturday morning.”
Huh? That was so far away. Too far away. “We might need to get together to strategize.”
“You think?”
No. Dustin didn’t want any distractions, but he wasn’t waiting five days to see her again. “Definitely.”
“Text me when you’re free.”
He was free tonight. Except she’d said no. “I will.”
“Bye.” With that, she walked down Main Street, turned onto Third Street, and disappeared.
Marietta was safe, and she didn’t have far to go. A part of him was still tempted to hop in his truck and follow her to make sure she got home okay.
Wanting a kiss was one thing, but worrying about her?
What was going on? And how did he make it stop?
He texted Eli.
DD: You at Gray’s?
Eli: Y
DD: On my way.
Dustin crossed Main Street and walked another block. Grey’s Saloon wasn’t that busy. Music played from the jukebox, and the scent of beer hung in the air. He waved to a few regulars he knew.
This place wasn’t fancy like the brewery, but the saloon was a few steps up from the Wolf’s Den. He thought of Grey’s as a home away from home. He only hoped he would get the two things he nee
ded tonight—a beer and answers.
Dustin found Eli sitting in a booth with two pints on the table.
“I ordered you one,” Eli said.
“You read my mind.” Dustin slid into the booth. “Next round is on me.”
“How did today go?”
He raised his glass. “We moved up to second place.”
Eli tapped his beer against Dustin’s. “Congrats.”
“Thanks.” But he didn’t feel as happy as he thought he would. Not without Nevada here. “It was an interesting day.”
“You must have done well.”
“We won every task, but…”
Eli stared over the lip of his pint. “What?”
Dustin drank. “It’s Nevada.”
“Is she holding you back?”
“She’s the reason we won today.”
“And the problem with that is?”
“She’s different from other women I know.” That was turning out to be a good thing, but a need to be with her burned inside him. That was bad. “I… I like her.”
“Like as in friends or something more?”
“Something more. She pushed me hard today. I saw a different side to her that’s a real turn-on. But I can’t make a move until the quest ends.”
“So wait.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
Eli laughed. “Way to keep things casual.”
Dustin leaned back. “Nothing’s going on.”
“Not yet.” Eli sipped his beer.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Figure out what’s more important. The Valentine Quest or Nevada. That will tell you what to do.”
“What if they’re both important?” Dustin couldn’t believe he said those words aloud. But if he were being honest, they were.
“Then, my friend, you’re screwed.”
Dustin stared into his beer. Yeah, he might just be.
*
The short walk to Dakota’s house did nothing to clear Nevada’s head. Dustin’s kiss had sent her neatly organized world into chaos. She’d wanted to go out with him tonight, but self-preservation wouldn’t allow her to say yes. A celebration was one thing, but his kiss had been a thank you and a joke. That made her wary. She wanted to trust him, but could she?
She’d been the butt of a joke taken too far at Valentine’s Day once. She didn’t want that to happen again.
Maybe she was overanalyzing this. Maybe the way she responded to the kiss wasn’t about him. Maybe she would have reacted this way to any man’s kiss since she wasn’t used to being kissed.
The front door was locked, so she pulled out her key. Inside, Kimba slept on a chair in the living room. The dog crates in the dining room were empty.
Dakota and the two dogs must be over at Walt’s to say goodbye to Bryce and his German shepherd Rascal.
Nevada was thankful for the quiet. She wanted to be alone so she could work on lesson plans, forget about Dustin Decker, and sleep. The only question was, could she?
*
Monday morning, Nevada had her answer—a resounding no. She hadn’t forgot about Dustin or his kiss. To make matters worse, he’d played a starring role in her dreams.
She touched her lips.
His kiss last night hadn’t meant anything. He’d been kidding around on the gazebo. Casual was his middle name. Kissing was fun for him, nothing more. He didn’t do serious.
Neither do you.
She didn’t do anything right now, but she wouldn’t mind spending more time with Dustin. Time outside of the race.
Except she had no extra time with a class to teach and a dissertation to write.
Focus.
She needed to concentrate on her research and writing.
Romantic love as a bourgeois myth.
Just because this wasn’t happening in a nineteenth-century novel didn’t change anything. She knew better than to believe true love and happily ever after could happen to her.
Because of a kiss with a man she barely knew.
Maybe her mom was correct about one thing. Nevada needed to date so a kiss from a gorgeous guy wouldn’t have her dreaming, fantasizing, and ready to tumble into the deep end.
Ignoring the part of herself that desired being with a man wasn’t good for her. Putting herself out there, even if she got rejected, might be a good thing in the long run. Heaven knew, she wouldn’t mind being kissed like that again.
And often.
When she returned to Columbia.
Not here in Marietta.
The scent of coffee drove Nevada downstairs. Dakota sat at the kitchen table with the two dogs lying at her feet.
Nevada poured herself a cup. “Good morning.”
“You went to bed early.”
“Busy day. I was tired.”
Dakota picked up a blueberry muffin. “I hear you and Dustin are in second place.”
“We worked hard to catch up after that rough start, but I didn’t think you were going to work yesterday. Who told you?”
“Portia.” Dakota reached down and gave both Chance and Frodo a pat. The dogs soaked up the attention. “I went over to her place after saying goodbye to Bryce.”
“That must have been a late visit.”
“Very.” Dakota stared into her coffee cup. “Portia had dinner with her mom and twin sister, Wren. It was time for Portia to finally tell them she’s six months pregnant. People had noticed she’s been putting on weight. She tried to keep her stomach hidden, but she realized she couldn’t hide her belly bump any longer.”
“Pregnant.” Nevada sat across from her sister. “She’s so young.”
“Yes, but Portia’s determined to do right by this baby.”
“What does that mean? Is she keeping it?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Nevada couldn’t begin to imagine what the young woman was facing. “What about the baby’s father?”
“No idea.” Dakota rubbed the back of her neck. “Portia refuses to talk about him.”
“That’s…” Nevada wasn’t sure what to say.
“I know.” Dakota sighed. “Portia is due in May. Sage wants to throw a baby shower, so she must think Portia’s keeping the baby. But Rosie told me Portia isn’t sure that would be in the baby’s best interest.”
“Wow. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with something like that.”
“No kidding. The main point of the shower is to remind Portia she’s not alone. No matter what she decides. I’m sure you’ll be invited.”
Nevada straightened. She hadn’t expected to be included in something like this. That made her feel good. “I’d like that.”
“Portia has a lot of support, but you’re closer in age to her than I am. Maybe after the quest, you could get to know her better.”
“Sure.” Nevada would like to make friends in Marietta. Even after all the vacations she’d spent here over the years, she hadn’t made any.
“You and Dustin must be working well together to move all the way to second place.”
Thinking about him made Nevada feel warm all over. “We’re doing much better than we were, though his knee is bothering him.”
“That’s typical Dustin.” Dakota sighed. “The night the rescue flooded, he was carrying out crates and animals. His knee started hurting then, too, but he kept on going even though his limp got worse. Strong guy.”
Nevada could see him doing that. “Strong, but stubborn.”
“That, too.”
“I hope he knows when to stop.”
“You may have to be the voice of reason.”
Funny, considering he was the one who ended the kiss last night. “I’ll do my best.”
“I’m sorry for warning you about Dustin in front of Walt and Bryce.” Dakota sounded contrite. “But you’re my little sister, and I worry about you. Walt has the same concerns.”
Nevada wrapped her hands around her mug. She liked that people cared about her. “Thanks, I appreciate it, but I’m okay.
”
“Good to hear.” Dakota stared over her mug. “I came down hard on Dustin Friday night, but if you ever wanted to take a slight detour from your plans and have a fling, he would be your guy.”
Nevada stared at her in disbelief. “Is that another warning? Or are you encouraging me?”
Dakota pressed her lips together. “To be honest, I’m not sure, but I wanted to put it out there. You seem to be having fun doing something different.”
“I am.” But Nevada knew better than to jump into anything else with Dustin. “Doing the quest has been good for me, but I’m more behind than ever. No time for detours right now. This week is about catching up, and once the Valentine Quest is finished, the dissertation and teaching will be my priorities.”
“Don’t let my three fur babies stop you.”
“They won’t.” Too bad Chance and Frodo didn’t nap at her feet as they did with Dakota. “After my class, I’m going to work at the library. I know you’re home today, but I want to see how that works.”
“Go for it,” Dakota encouraged. “I’ll have dinner ready at six.”
“I’ll be here.” Dakota was the best big sister. “Thanks.”
“I’m really glad you came to Montana to work on your dissertation.”
“Me, too. And not just because I’m saving a ton of money on rent. It’s good to spend time with you.” Nevada noticed her sister’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I know you’re missing Bryce already.”
She nodded. “We had a rocky start, but these past couple of months have been magical. Christmas was incredible. I want to believe this is how it will always be.”
“Then do.”
“I’m trying. I just don’t want to make a mistake.” Dakota leaned back in her chair. “Mom keeps asking me about wedding plans and saying how May would be a good month to get married, but I’ve told her that was too soon.”
She’d always been the one to bear their mother’s criticism. Dakota had been too nice, too slow, too forgiving, too sensitive.
“Don’t worry about Mom,” Nevada said. “She’s just happy that you and Bryce are a couple. So happy, in fact, she’s been on me about dating and settling down.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.”
Dakota’s forehead creased. “But you’re her golden child. The baby of the family who followed Mom’s dream of getting a PhD.”
The Valentine Quest (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 5) Page 12
