“Dizzy, can you walk me to my car?”
Following Easton outside, she wanted to say something to him but she wasn’t sure how to word it. She didn’t want to come off as ungrateful but she also didn’t want him to feel like he had to protect her when it wasn’t his responsibility.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said, standing next to the driver’s side door. The air had turned cool and goosebumps covered her arms while a tension had taken up residence between them. It wasn’t awkward or unwelcome but it was definitely there, almost a living, breathing entity that stood between them. But if she reached out to touch it she would only find her hand on his chest.
Would that be so bad?
“You’re welcome. How about we spend the day together tomorrow? Maybe go for a ride on the ranch?”
Dizzy wanted to spend more time with him and he seemed to feel the same. But first they needed to get something straight.
“That sounds like fun but…”
“But?” he prompted. “You don’t sound too sure.”
Taking a deep breath, she plunged in. “This isn’t your fight, Easton. I know how the Anderson men are. I’ve spent most of my life with you all. But protecting me isn’t your job. Until about twenty-four hours ago you didn’t even think there was anything to protect me from.”
“I do now.”
His expression gave nothing away and she was damn good at reading people. He could probably take up poker for a living.
“Yes, but it’s still not your responsibility. Zach is protecting Leann because they have a relationship.”
That tension had built to the point she could barely breathe in oxygen and she was beginning to get lightheaded. Easton, on the other hand, didn’t look perturbed in the least, simply smiling widely before sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her close to his warm body. If she’d been cold a second ago, now she was burning up.
“A man protects the woman in his life.” Easton bent his head, his lips hovering just over hers. She couldn’t see his eyes well in this light, but she had a feeling they were that soft dark blue instead of like ice earlier when they’d met his sort of friends. His hands had splayed out on her lower back and he was urging her even closer until her breasts were pressed tightly between them. “I like you, Dizzy.”
If she hadn’t known Easton Anderson her whole life she would have thought his revelation no big deal. Nothing to see here, folks. But she of all people knew that he’d just revealed a bombshell.
He liked her. And that wasn’t something he went around saying to every girl.
She had to swallow hard to be able to speak through the lump that had taken up residence in her throat. “I like you too.”
His lips on hers was his reply. He was tender but in control, his mouth questioning, seeking, but not tentative either. And damn, did he know how to kiss. She’d heard rumors, of course, about all the Anderson boys but somehow she hadn’t thought of Easton that way. Maybe it was something in their genes. A giggle rose up in her throat at her wayward thoughts.
Lifting his head, Easton smiled indulgently. “What’s so funny? Do I kiss wrong?”
Shaking her head, she had to cling to his shoulders to stay upright. He’d kissed her until her knees had given out. “Not in the least. It’s just…I’m happy.”
His fingers brushed her cheek. “I’m happy too. Now about tomorrow?”
“What about work?” she asked as he trailed his lips across her jaw. She had to stifle the groan but she couldn’t do a thing about the bar of arousal that was building in her abdomen. All from a few kisses. Clearly, she’d been too long between dates.
“I have exactly one hundred and sixty vacation days that I have not taken and HR – that’s Leann – is always bugging me to take them but I never had a good reason. I do now.”
Heat swept through her cheeks at his intimation. She was that good reason. It felt nice to be wanted. Tami might lecture her about getting involved with such a strong-minded male but Dizzy liked that Easton didn’t roll over and play dead. He had thoughts and opinions of his own. They could debate and discuss, then still be friends.
Or lovers.
That too. Maybe.
And then he was kissing her again and all logical thought fled her brain and she was operating on emotion only. Never had she been so swept away by the meeting of mouth on mouth but one touch from this man and she became a blithering idiot.
“I have to go. I’ll call you in the morning. Let me know if anything else happens tonight.”
He stepped back and she immediately felt the loss of his body heat. His fingers trapped a strand of her hair and he tucked it behind her ear, stroking her jaw as he did so. With a shaky breath, she bid him goodbye and a safe trip home. Watching his taillights disappear into the night, she tried unsuccessfully to get her racing heart under control.
Easton.
He was the last person she would ever have imagined would make her feel this way. But now that she did? She didn’t want it to end.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
It might have been more romantic to horseback ride around the Anderson ranch but Dizzy seemed to be enjoying the ATV Easton had pulled out of the barn. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist and her laughter was like music to his ears with every hill and dip. Her perfect breasts were pressed against his back, inspiring more than a few naughty fantasies that he shouldn’t be having about his cousin’s best friend.
Oh well. I’m going to enjoy them.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken the day off of work and just had fun. Usually he dragged his laptop and cell phone with him like a life preserver as if Anderson Industries would implode if he stopped watching. This was the most liberated he’d felt in ages and it was all because of Dizzy. There was something about her that encouraged him to leave his comfort zone behind and stake out new territory. With her, the status quo simply wasn’t good enough. He wanted to take it to the next level no matter what they were doing.
Which made it all the more ironic that he felt so comfortable in her presence. Kissing her had certainly not felt strange in the least. It had felt…right. But within that comfort was excitement and passion as well. So strange that the two could live so easily together. Life didn’t have to be boring but it didn’t have to be a roller coaster every single minute either.
Pulling up to the stream at the back of the property, he parked the ATV under a large shade tree and swung his leg over before tugging off his helmet. Dizzy’s came next, her long hair spilling out of her ponytail and over her shoulders and back. Like a punch in his gut, he couldn’t stop from staring at the beautiful picture she made. Her cheeks were pink with excitement and her light brown eyes sparkled with delight. He didn’t even have a chance to stow their helmets before she threw her arms around him, placing a kiss next to his mouth. His skin tingled where she’d pressed her lips. Jesus, he was like a teenager out with the prom queen.
“That was fantastic,” Dizzy crowed, her voice a little dry from the wind. “This was a much better idea than horses. I want to do that every day of my life.”
“Easy, honey,” Easton chuckled. “That might be overkill, but we can definitely do this often if you want to.”
He sent that idea up like a trial balloon, hoping she didn’t see it for what it was – the hopeful suggestion that this relationship could be a thing. An ongoing one. Not just a few dates and then they’d drift apart. He wanted to see where this might go.
Was that completely insane? A week ago he thought Dizzy was – at the very least – eccentric. Now he was seeing her in a whole new light. She was creative and beautiful and kind. People and animals adored her. So what if she walked in the rain to cleanse her soul? It was only water. His soul could probably use a good scrub.
“I’m going to hold you to that, Easton Anderson.” She scrambled away from the ATV and stood at the banks of the stream. Bending down, she stuck her fingers into the water before gasping and jerking th
em back as if she’d touched a hot stove. But he knew from experience that water was anything but warm. “Holy Mother Nature, that water is freezing. It’s not fit for humans.”
And yet all the Anderson siblings and cousins had jumped in to cool off after working long, hot days on the ranch. Not that they’d stayed in long. They would have turned blue.
“How have you known our family all these years and never gone for a swim? How is that even possible?”
Wiping the water on her soft and worn blue jeans, she climbed up onto a rock to stare down into the crystal clear water. From there she should be able to see all the way to the bottom.
“Because every summer Tami and Louis dragged me on whatever trip they had planned,” she reminded him. “They said they wanted to expand my mind and be aware of the world outside of Tremont.”
He stood behind her and placed his hands on her hips to hold her steady. He’d seen a few people slide right off that rock and into the cold water. “Did it work?”
Glancing over her shoulder at him, she wore a smug smile. “Many of the residents of our little town would tell you it worked far too well.”
“True,” he laughed, lifting her off the rock and placing her on the ground. The way she was leaning over he had visions of fishing her out of the stream, her forehead bloody from hitting one of the jutting rocks at the edge. “Now be careful unless you’re looking to go for a swim.”
“I most certainly am not.” She stepped back and her body was pressed against his again, not that he minded at all. In fact, he decided to live dangerously and wrapped his arms around her waist, effectively trapping her close. She felt and smelled better than anyone he’d ever known. “Thank you for bringing me out here today. I desperately needed time away from the house.”
About that…
“I’m glad you’re having a good time. But I have to admit that I feel terrible about leaving you last night. I barely slept, worrying about you and your sociopath of a neighbor. I already told Zach that since he had to leave today, I’m going to stay with you. I hope that’s okay.”
Not that it mattered if it wasn’t. He wouldn’t leave her unprotected either way but he was trying to be polite about it.
“Why did you feel badly? Zach was there.”
Yes, he had been but Easton had not. He had to lie in bed imagining all the terrible things that could happen.
“And he’s probably a hell of lot better at this protection thing than I am,” Easton admitted. “I know he’s done it for a living and all but I was really worried about you.”
“And Leann.”
Dizzy had Easton so turned around he barely remembered his own cousin. What was happening to him?
“Of course, that goes without saying. I just felt like I was abandoning you, going home to my safe house and leaving you there.” He gave her a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose I can talk you into staying at my place? Leann could stay with me or at Zach’s place.”
He had his own home in a nice neighborhood in Tremont about five miles from Dizzy, although he’d had the option to build on the ranch just like all the Andersons. He preferred to be closer to the office and town but he might be persuaded otherwise when he married and had a family.
She shook her head. “I need to keep an eye on Trip.”
Easton wasn’t going to give up so easily. This was Dizzy’s life they were talking about.
“I can understand feeling that way before last night but now that we think he’s buried the body, what are we watching for? He thinks he’s covered his tracks and I’m guessing he’ll go back to living his life as if nothing happened. He’s going to want to act as normal as possible. At least that’s what I would do.”
Wrinkling her nose, Dizzy lowered herself onto the big rock and stretched out under the sun. “I’m not sure I like you identifying with a murderer.”
“I’m not sure I like it myself but what options do I have?”
Easton settled next to her, the warm sun on his skin despite the cool temperatures, but by tonight it would be as cold as that stream. It was quiet for awhile, neither one saying anything but it wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward. It was rare in his life when he didn’t feel like he was “on” constantly.
“I’ve been pondering why I was the one to see this,” Dizzy finally said after several minutes. “Why was I standing at that particular spot at just the right moment? Apparently none of the other neighbors were outside. Why did fate choose me? And this is not me boo-hooing as if I’m some sort of victim here. I’m not the victim, that poor girl is. What I’m wondering is why the universe wanted me to witness this. If I can figure that out, then I think I can know what they want me to do about it. Or what I’m supposed to learn from this.”
There it was. It had been hiding lately but Easton had always known it was there, although he wasn’t annoyed by it like he thought he would be. In fact, he found himself wanting to help her figure it out.
“Maybe,” he began cautiously. He didn’t want her to be offended by his more logical approach to her problem, but he frankly wasn’t a believer in all the mysticism. “Maybe you’re not supposed to learn anything from this. Maybe it was just a coincidence. After all, most of your neighbors were probably watching television or on their phones, two activities you hate. If you think about it, it totally makes sense that you were the only one to witness it. Half of the people on your street don’t even look out their windows once they’re home from work. My street is the same way. I barely speak to my neighbors.”
“True,” she conceded with a nod, although her gaze was somewhere far away. She was thinking but she wasn’t sharing it with him, probably because she thought he might make fun of it, “I had to make an effort to get to know the people in the cul de sac. I made them all gingerbread cookies at Christmas.”
“I’ve baked nothing for my neighbors. But I try not to throw wild parties and run around naked.”
Giggling, she slapped him lightly on the arm. “Nice of you. You said you try not to throw wild parties though. Does that mean that you do on occasion? Because I don’t think I’ve ever received an invitation. I’m a little hurt about that.”
Sadly, there were few – if any – of his friends he wanted to see without clothes. In fact, Dizzy was the one and only person on that list.
“I’ll make sure to put you on the guest list for the next one. Seriously though, I don’t think the universe is trying to send you a message.”
Her brow arched and she gave him a wicked smile. “Perhaps you’re the one being sent a message.”
“That would be a waste. I’m a lost cause. But if they were, what message do you think the universe would send me? Read more? Get more sleep? I know, spend more time with your mother. Or maybe it would tell me to eat all of my vegetables. I’m terrible about that.”
Those soft brown eyes were gazing at him again, but not with disdain or impatience. This time she liked what she saw and his own heart seemed to swell in his chest until he could barely breathe. Why had he never noticed just how beautiful Dizzy was? Or had it happened when he wasn’t even looking? At this moment, just reclining on a rock wearing old blue jeans and a bright red sweatshirt, she was more gorgeous than any actress or model in a magazine.
“Maybe it would try and tell you that there’s more out there than what you can physically experience.”
His mouth had gone dry but he managed to get a few words out. “And I should open my mind?”
Her smile was gentle as was the chuckle that escaped those perfect lips. “I think perhaps you already have. You should give yourself more credit.”
That he was growing as a human being? That would be a surprise.
“You’re too kind to me. That might be the universe’s message, you know. Stop being so easy on people. You’re far too nice most of the time, even with people that don’t deserve it.”
“I am? How so?”
“You’re polite when people are rude to you. Like the people at the art show or my so-called fri
ends at the restaurant last night. They didn’t deserve your patience or your kindness.”
“You were patient too,” she pointed out, stretching out her legs so that they dangled above the water. “But even if you or I had become angry and nasty, they wouldn’t have really changed. No one can make another person modify their thoughts and behavior. I doubt anything you said to your friends is going to make them better or worse people. They are who they are.”
Dizzy had a point but it still pissed Easton off that people could be so awful to one another. It was one thing for them to be closed-minded like himself; it was another to just be mean to anyone not like themselves.
“Is that your motto?” he teased. “You do you and I’ll do me? The old live and let live?”
“Not a bad philosophy. I try not to judge others even if they judge me. Honestly, I don’t have the time or inclination to go around sticking my nose in other people’s business. It sounds exhausting.”
“You don’t want to judge me?” he asked. “Not even a little bit.”
“Not even a little bit.” She turned on her side, her head propped up on her palm. “And don’t let anyone else do it either. You’re just fine the way you are.”
“Cold and calculating. Logical and reasonable. No flights of fancy here.”
Reaching out she placed her hand on his. It was such a small gesture but from Dizzy it meant so much. “They couldn’t say that today.”
No, they certainly couldn’t. And today was by far the best day he’d had in a long time. Because of her.
Now that is a flight of fancy.
Chapter Sixteen
‡
Easton hadn’t tried to kiss Dizzy when they were lying next to the stream but he should have. He’d been thinking about it but this whole relationship with her was so new. He wanted more with her but he didn’t want to push. Taking a page from Dizzy’s playbook, he was going to be fatalistic about it. If it was meant to happen…it would.
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