Because she’d talked to Presley.
“Of course we can talk. What do you want to talk about?”
“Us, Seth. I think it’s time we talked about us.”
* * * * *
Seth looked pissed. Presley wasn’t sure about what, but in the last twenty-four hours she’d started to recognize his moods and this one looked dangerous. He was scowling at her, his eyebrows drawn down. It was apparent everyone at the table had noticed as his parents kept cajoling him out of his black mood, and Eliza kept looking down at her plate then looking at Presley with an apologetic expression. When dinner was over, she pulled Eliza aside.
“You’ve been giving me looks all evening. What’s going on? Does it have anything to do with Seth looking like someone peed all over his pot roast?”
Eliza nibbled on her lower lip. “I kind of broke it off with him before dinner.”
Presley leaned back against the wall in the hallway. “You did what? Are you serious?”
“It wasn’t fair to lead him on,” Eliza whispered. “I have feelings for another man. Seth isn’t hurt, he’s just mad because I’ve messed with his well-ordered life.”
Presley blew out a breath slowly. “Are you sure? He looked pretty upset. Maybe he’s really in love with you.”
It bothered her to say it, but it had to be said.
Eliza shook her head. “He isn’t. He once told me he’d never loved anyone and no one had ever loved him. I thought it was sad.”
It was sad. And puzzling. Seth seemed like the kind of man a woman would fall in love with. Any woman but her, of course. She knew what men were really like. She’d seen enough of their handiwork.
“Then why is he mad?”
Eliza covered her face, then peeked through her fingers. “I think it might be because I mentioned you and I talked at lunch today.”
Presley groaned. “Outstanding. He thinks I’m the reason you broke it off. That’s great.”
Eliza shook her head. “I told him it didn’t have anything to do with you but he looked pretty steamed.” She straightened up. “Don’t let him bully you. He will if he can get away with it.”
Great. Just awesome.
“I’ll deal with it. I don’t intimidate easily.”
As soon as they walked back into the living room, Seth jumped up from the sofa.
“Are you ready to go, Presley? It’s getting late.”
His mother and father protested, but she could see the determined glint in his eyes. They were about to have it out in the truck.
Good. She’d been blown up, set on fire, foisted on this man in a small, backwater town, and pulled in to the middle of his so-called relationship. And all of it in the last forty-eight hours. She was spoiling for a good fight.
Head held high, she marched out to the SUV, hopping into the passenger seat without his help. He got in, started the truck, and headed back toward town. The tension was so thick between them it was palpable. He was waiting for her to say something, but she decided to let him stew. This was his issue, not hers. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
Finally, he turned to her, a white line around his compressed lips. “I guess Eliza told you she ended things with me tonight. I’m told I have you to thank for that.”
“I’d like to take credit for it, but I think my part in this has been misunderstood.”
“All I know,” he said, his hands tightening on the steering wheel, “is that when I left the diner today everything was fine, and tonight it wasn’t. The only thing different was you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Things weren’t fine between you two. Listen, I told you how things were with me. But did you listen? Hell, no. I told you complete strangers tell me their life story. Eliza told me she’s in lust with another guy. She thinks she couldn’t get his attention and I told her she could. That’s it.”
“There’s another guy?” Seth asked incredulously. “She didn’t say anything about another guy. She simply said she didn’t think our relationship was going anywhere and we shouldn’t see each other anymore. Fuck, there’s another guy?”
This whole day had gone from bad to fucking worse. One thing was clear. Seth wasn’t hurt. He didn’t act like a man who had been wounded. This was clearly his pride talking.
“Was your relationship going anywhere? Were you going to ask her to marry you?”
Dead silence. She heard Seth sigh. “I don’t know. Probably not. We had fun though.”
“What fun things did you do?”
More silence. “Shit, why are you asking me all these questions?”
“Eliza said you’re pissed because she messed up your well-ordered life. Is she right?”
“Maybe. I don’t have to apologize for liking things the way I like them.”
“No, you don’t, and no one is asking you to. I just suspect that your outrage about being dumped has more to do with your gigantic ego than any real feelings between you two.”
“Gigantic ego?” He sounded pissed again and she grinned in the darkness. This pompous ass needed to be taken down a peg or two. “I don’t have a gigantic ego, darlin’.”
“When you get mad, you start talking with a twang. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
Seth let go a string of expletives that would have made a sailor blush beet red. Luckily, Presley had heard and said every one of them. “You make me crazy, do you know that? You waltz into my town and my life and proceed to turn it upside down in one day.” He pointed at her. “I will not allow you to do this, do you understand? I’ll protect you with my life, but I will not turn over my life to you. Got it?”
“Got it,” she retorted. “Don’t flatter yourself into thinking I want any part of your life. I got pulled into this, not the other way around. If anything, you should be apologizing to me.”
Seth sputtered and fumed, much to her amusement, as they entered town and parked outside the station. “I’ll come up with you to make sure everything is okay.”
“You don’t have—”
“Stop.” He raised his hand. “I do have to. I may be pissed as all hell, but it’s still my job to protect you.”
She didn’t bother to answer. She led the way upstairs and let him check the tiny apartment for intruders. He turned to leave, apparently satisfied she wouldn’t be murdered in her sleep.
“Good night, Seth. I am sorry about you and Eliza.”
He stopped right outside the door, but didn’t turn around.
“It’s okay. Eliza was right. It wasn’t going anywhere. Good night, Presley.”
The sound of his boots on the stairs trailed away and Presley tossed her coat on a chair and went into the kitchen to make some tea. It was going to be another long night of no sleep. Too much had happened today and she needed time to process it. Mostly she needed time to figure out what she was going to do about her attraction to Seth Reilly.
She pulled her notebook from her handbag. It was the only thing she had left from her former life, and began to write. It was the one thing she knew would make her feel better. It would make her feel sane.
Chapter Five
It looked like the entire town had come out for the barn dance. Presley hadn’t known what to wear to a barn dance but between herself and Eliza, they’d managed to find perfect outfits. Eliza was wearing a plum jersey long-sleeved dress that fell to the tops of her cowboy boots. It skimmed every curve without being obvious and Presley had assured Eliza it would have the desired effect on one Mr. Alex Peterson.
Presley chose a crimson ribbed sweater-dress paired with knee-high taupe suede boots. She’d let her long hair dry naturally and left it loose around her shoulders. A touch of makeup completed her outfit and gave her a boost of confidence to meet so many new people. Eliza had warned Presley she’d be much in demand tonight. New people in town were few and far between.
Presley scanned the crowd of bodies for Seth. All week her awareness of him had increased until by the end of Friday her libido was screaming. It wasn’t fair for one man
to be that sexy. And maddening. He could teach a mule a thing or two.
“That’s him.” Eliza grabbed Presley’s arm.
“Seth?” Presley sucked in her breath.
“No! Alex. Right over there.” Eliza pointed to a man who exactly matched the description she’d given. He was long, lean, and oozed a sexual vibe. No wonder the librarian was intimidated.
“Holy smokes, he is hot.” Presley watched as Alex Peterson strode into the party with a few of his friends. “Do all cowboys look this good?”
Eliza pointed to a few men in the corner. “No, not all. But they do all seem to have hearts of gold.”
“It looks like he doesn’t have a date,” Presley stated. “Go get him.”
Eliza’s eyes were wide and her complexion had paled considerably. “I can’t just walk up to him. What would I say?”
“How about hi? You know him, right?”
“I know everyone in this town. I’m the librarian.”
“Well, there you go.” Presley patted Eliza on the back. “Does he come into the library at all?”
“No,” Eliza shook her head. “He never has before that I can remember.”
Presley looked down at her root beer. It looked like she would have to take one for the team. She tipped up the plastic cup and slugged the entire thing down.
“Okay, follow my lead.” Presley headed toward Alex and his friends, with Eliza right behind her. When Presley was right beside them, she held up her empty cup with a forlorn sigh, and faced her new friend. “I think I’m turned around, Eliza. Weren’t the refreshments over here?”
Alex tipped his hat. “Excuse me, ma’am? The drinks are on the other side of that wall. We’d be happy to get you and Eliza something.”
“There’s no nee—” Eliza began but Presley elbowed her hard.
“That’s very sweet of you. I’m Presley Lawson, by the way.”
Alex took off his cowboy hat. “I’m Alex Peterson, and these two are Sully Fairfield and Buddy Jacks. Pleased to meet you. You’re new in town.”
“I am, I’m afraid. I’m lucky to have Eliza here taking good care of me.”
Presley stepped back to put Eliza front and center. Eliza opened her mouth and then closed it, clearly not sure what to say. Alex was a smooth talker though, so Presley needn’t have worried. One look at the bad boy’s expression told her he had a thing for Eliza. And he wanted to show it to her.
The biker and the librarian. Very hot and naughty. Eliza was a lucky girl.
“I’m sure Eliza is doing a wonderful job.” Alex’s voice was soft and sultry and Eliza’s face flushed in response.
“I’m really not all that thirsty after all. You should ask Eliza to dance.”
It was apparent these two didn’t need foreplay or a bunch of conversation. Alex only needed the slightest bit of encouragement, which it appeared he’d never received before this moment, and he was off to the races. Or the bedroom, whichever came first.
“I would like to dance. Eliza, would you honor me?” Eliza nodded wordlessly, never looking at Presley, and they headed for the dance floor.
My work here is done.
“Ma’am? Can I interest you in a dance?” One of the other men, either Sully or Buddy, she didn’t remember which, asked her and she agreed. She wanted to have fun tonight and not think about her handsome and sexy boss. She’d spent the entire week in close proximity and it was making her crazy. He looked good, he smelled good, and he was kind to animals. His only negative quality was he was a pain in her ass about the office.
Every time she tried to improve something he would get argumentative. She’d then explain what she was doing and after giving her the silent treatment for a few hours, he would admit it was a better way to do things. This had happened numerous times this week and she was mentally exhausted from playing these fencing games with him. Why couldn’t he be a typical male and not care where something was filed?
Sully or Buddy’s hand moved a little lower, down to her ass, and pulled her body closer to his. She didn’t know this guy well enough to be held this tight. She could feel his belt buckle against her belly and she gently pushed back from him, trying to hike his arm up at the same time.
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Relax, darlin’.”
Presley usually wasn’t very relaxed when a man had his palm on her ass cheek. She pulled away further as they negotiated a turn. It was a relief when Sully or Buddy’s shoulder got a tap from someone wanting to cut in.
“Do you mind?” Seth’s deep voice sent shivers through her body. Damn it, she’d only wanted one day not thinking about him but it looked like she wasn’t going to get it.
“No problem, Seth.” Sully or Buddy scurried off and found another partner immediately. She moved into Seth’s arms just as the band started playing a super-slow romantic ballad.
Well, shit.
They danced in silence for a few minutes before Seth finally spoke. “I saw what you did earlier. That was nice of you.”
“What did I do?” Presley frowned.
“The whole thing with Alex and Eliza. She was too shy, but you got them together.”
Presley lifted an eyebrow. “You seem awfully happy about that, considering you blamed me for ending things between you. I hesitate to call it a break up when there were no broken feelings, from what I’ve seen.”
Seth chuckled and she could feel the vibration from his chest. “I guess I should apologize for being a dick, huh? Eliza’s right. I don’t like change very much. She and I were south of casual, if the truth be known. We were pretty much dating so people would leave us alone and stop matchmaking. I’m happy for her and Alex. Hope it works out. Despite his biker appearance, he’s a hardworking guy.”
She leaned back to look up into his light blue eyes. “Well, well, well, you can apologize. And thank you, I accept. I think they make a cute couple.”
Seth nodded toward the duo, their heads close as they swayed to the music. “Did you two go shopping this morning in the city? You both look nice. That dress on you is very, um, red. If you were trying to blend in, you failed. Although you would have been the center of attention no matter what you wore tonight.”
“My favorite color is red.” Presley laughed. “Yes, we did. I really like Eliza. She’s sweet and we had a lot of fun. Thank you for not making a big deal about me going.”
Seth shrugged. “I talked to Evan and he didn’t see any reason you shouldn’t go. No one seems to have any idea you’re here.”
“Since they think I’m dead,” Presley drawled.
“There’s that.”
They danced until the song ended and she pulled away regretfully. She’d liked being in his arms more than she wanted to admit. His body had been warm and strong, his scent tantalizing. It made her want to press her face to his muscular chest, run her hands over his wide shoulders, and breathe deeply.
“How about some air?” Seth pointed to some partially open barn doors. She nodded in agreement, letting him lead her to several stacked hay bales with blankets thrown over them. They sat and his thigh was close to hers. If she moved they would brush against one another, so she stayed as still as possible. In less than a week, this man had her tied into knots. Usually she could take or leave a man. This one she wanted to take.
The evening was chilly but there were portable heaters positioned all around the barn to keep the dancers warm. Presley looked up into the sky, mesmerized by the amount of stars twinkling overhead.
“I can’t get over how many stars I can see out here. You can’t see this many at home.”
“We’re away from the lights of the city. You can’t see stars because of the lights.”
“How do you know I’m from the city? I could be from a rural part of Florida.”
She heard his soft laugh. “No, Presley. You’re not a country girl.”
She elbowed him. “Are you saying I don’t blend in? That I’m all citified?”
His fingers captured her chin and turned her
so she could look into his eyes. “I don’t think you could blend in anywhere. You’d stand out no matter where you went or what you did.”
“Maybe.” She reached up and captured his hand with her own. “You’ve been pretty mad at me this week. Is all forgiven now?”
“I’ve been a jerk this week.” Seth shook his head. “You’ve done a great job organizing the office. You’ve revolutionized the place. You’re easily the best secretary I’ve ever had. And the thing about Eliza, well…”
“Well?” Presley prompted.
“I was embarrassed,” Seth admitted. “I got dumped while you were watching. I didn’t want you to think less of me.”
“You didn’t get dumped.” She squeezed his hand. “I don’t think less of you. Actually, I really kind of like you. You’re a nice man.” She giggled. “Kind of a pain, but a genuinely nice man.”
It struck her at that moment how few nice men she’d ever known. She scoured her memory banks but couldn’t come up with a name quickly. She could only think of him at this moment. He seemed to take up all the physical space around her and all the real estate in her mind as well.
“Next thing you’ll tell me that we can be friends or that I’m like a brother to you.”
“I never had a brother before,” Presley teased. “That might be nice. Unfortunately, my feelings aren’t the least bit sisterly.”
He leaned closer, their lips only a few inches from each other. “I can work with that. I like you, Presley. You make me mad and you make me happy, but dammit, you make me feel something. What do you feel about me?”
She shook her head. “Damn, are all cowboys so upfront with their feelings? I’m used to men playing it cool and hard to get.”
Seth tipped the brim of his cowboy hat up. “Never liked games between men and women much. That’s why I like you. Seems like it just wastes time better spent kissing and touching.”
Heat swept through her body at his bold words. He was absolutely correct. There were much better ways to spend their time. She simply needed to make one thing clear. She placed a hand on his chest, his heart beating underneath her palm.
Cowboy Command Page 6
