by Jenny Penn
Try as she might to block those thoughts, they blossomed nevertheless, multiplying until the need to give in nearly overwhelmed her. Panicked by the loss of her control Heather tore her gaze from the tempting sight of Alex’s body to glare in frustration at the mud beneath her feet.
“Mom?” Taylor prodded her, making her realize he’d asked her a question.
She had to ask him to repeat it and then didn’t have the heart to tell him “no” when he asked if she was going to let Alex be her buddy. She wanted to, though. After all, the last thing she wanted was to get to close to him. She feared the temptation he represented.
She’d spent years erecting all of her defenses when it came to him, but knew they could be so easily crumbled. All it would take was a stroke or two of those big, callused palms of his and she’d be putty in his hands. It was a risk she’d have to take, though, because she couldn’t disappoint Taylor when he looked up at her with those big, concerned eyes and asked if she were sure.
“Of course.” Heather tossed him with a wink that she matched with a challenging grin she knew would turn his attention. “I’m ready and willing to kick your butt, mister, so prepared to go down.”
“Ha! Victory will be ours!” Taylor declared proudly, taking the bait and boasting loudly. “You two are going down!”
Taylor pointed at Alex and her as he did a little dance, getting worked up again as Konor joined him in an all-out bragfest that would have amused Heather about a minute ago. Now she was too distracted to laugh. So was Alex.
Paying little mind to Konor and Taylor’s teasing, his gaze remained narrowed and trained on her. There was a promise there, an intent simmering beneath the carnal swirl of hungers glittering in his eyes that would have worried her if the knight guarding the Battling Pit hadn’t called out for them to approach and ready themselves to go next.
All her concerns over Alex faded as once again she faced the obstacle of doom. She couldn’t do it. Heather knew she couldn’t even as she let them dress her up in several extra layers of padding. She took the battling baton the guard handed her and climbed up on Alex’s shoulders then panicked like a little girl.
It was embarrassing and humiliating, and she didn’t even care. Alex did, but then again it was his hair she had a death grip on. Heather guessed he didn’t want to go bald because he was quick to put her back down. What she didn’t expect of him was the compassion he showed by ordering the guard to pull up another contestant and quickly hustling Heather out of safety gear and the ring.
Only when she was finally certain that the ground was beneath her feet did she finally catch enough of a breath to realize how silly she was acting and blush. She’d just made a complete fool of herself. Worse, Alex now knew the truth. She was afraid of heights.
* * * *
Alex caught Konor’s questioning look but paid him little mind as he escorted Heather back behind obstacle’s banner. He’d put Alex into this situation and now Konor was just going to have to trust him to handle it. Of course, it would help if he knew how to handle it, but the truth was he was more use to dealing with a feisty Heather than a quivering one.
“You’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?” Even as Alex asked that question he knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but it was too late.
Heather instantly bristled with clear insult and he couldn’t blame her. He’d never known Heather to be scared of anything. Fearless is actually how he would have described her. Fearless, strong, intelligent, beautiful, perfect…and completely untouchable—that was his Heather. At least that was the image she worked hard to project and, clearly, she did not like having it questioned.
“I am not.” Stiffening up at that accusation, Heather’s brow furled into an all too familiar scowl as she began to try to pull her hand free of his. “I just find it a little hard to trust you is all.”
“What a shock.” Alex sighed, wondering why it was that all of their conversations went this way.
“Yeah, I’m sure it is, at least for one of us.” The molten honey swirling in her eyes hardened into shards of amber as her gaze narrowed in on him. “After all, only one of us is really screwing with the other, right? So, are you going to tell me what the game is?”
“Game?” Alex snorted at that. “This isn’t a game, Heather.”
“No?” Heather’s perfectly arched brow tipped up with a look of expectancy. “Then what is it?”
Taking a deep breath, Alex braced himself and confessed to the truth. “This is me making a move.”
“What?”
Of all the responses Alex had imagined he hadn’t anticipated how incredulous Heather’s reaction would be. Her mouth gaped open in shock and she reared back, giving in to a cautious reflex that ignited Alex’s more predatory ones. He couldn’t help but enjoy repeating himself and watching the flush racing across her cheeks as she stumbled over her own feet.
“I am going to kiss you.” Alex took a measured step forward and then another as Heather retreated rapidly backward.
“Are you sure you can hold your breath that long?” She spat at him, assuring Alex that she remembered their last conversation on the subject of kissing. He didn’t let that or her caustic tone deter him as he took another pointed step forward.
“But first, I intend to say a few things that are long overdue.”
“Like how you’ve grown to admire my curves? Like how you now appreciate a real woman’s body instead of some scrawny, wannabe teenage Lolita?”
“Like you cheated on me—”
“I did not!” Heather snapped, her voice rising with the resurgence of panic that matched the way her gaze cast frantically about looking for an escape, but Alex wasn’t going to let her go that easily.
“You did.” That was an inescapable truth that only Heather would argue against. “And I forgive you.”
“You forgive me?”
Her lips quivered with her indignation, leaving them parted and swollen looking so damn kissable it made Alex ache. It always been one of the biggest regrets of his life that he had never tasted even a single sample of all that Heather had once so willingly offered, but he’d been bent on being a noble dumbass.
Alex had known how hurt Heather would be one she found out about that bet. He’d also known that he’d never stand a chance of salvaging the situation if he took advantage of her before there was honesty between them. He’d just been too afraid to tell her the truth, but then he’d been thinking of the long-term, never realizing that Hugh had his own short-term plans.
They’d included getting revenge for Alex hooking up with Hugh’s ex before she’d actually been his ex. That, admittedly, hadn’t been the best decision of Alex’s life, but that didn’t make it right for Hugh to use Heather the way he had. After all, Alex hadn’t exactly used Ellen, so much as having been used by her and her attempts to get revenge on Hugh for cheating on her with a rather long list of ladies.
The whole situation had been screwed up, and, now that years had passed, Alex could admit that Heather had been the only real innocent in the whole mess. That didn’t change the fact that she had hurt him, but it was time to let the pain go. Konor was right about that.
“That’s great…just great,” Heather huffed. “Forget the fact that you should be asking for forgiveness instead of granting it, you’re still about thirteen years too late.”
“I guess we’ll see about that.”
“Alex—”
“Taylor and Konor are entering the obstacle,” Alex pointed out, stepping around Heather and all but dismissing her, even as he knew he was driving her insane.
He’d said what he’d had to say. He’d given her an honest warning, along with a confession. That was more than Heather had ever given him.
Stomping up next to him, she stood there fairly seething with rage, but as Konor approached the ramp up onto the big log stretching across the mud pit, Alex felt her outrage begin to turn back to worry.
Taylor cheered Konor on as he ran up the ramp, but Heather�
��s breath had clearly caught as she stilled. For a moment, Alex feared she’d hold it until she went blue but, thankfully, she let it go in a massive sigh as Konor made it to the top.
Taylor hollered gleefully, spinning his baton overhead as he called for the competition to begin. The kid was clearly eager and not half as concerned about his situation as his mother. He probably should have been, given the size of his competition. Alex glanced down the thick length of pine to study the boy perched on Tuck Derrington’s shoulders. The boy might not have been much older, but he was a good deal longer and heavier.
The loud clatter of the starting bell had both boys hooting out hollers as the other kids in lines cheered them on. Heather didn’t join in with a celebratory shout, but instead began to pant with little panicked breaths. Alex could sense her building up into a full-on meltdown, especially when Taylor’s opponent landed the first blow.
To his credit, Taylor tried hard to return the measure but unfortunately his arms, along with his reach, were shorter than his competitor’s. The other boy managed to clock Taylor in the side, knocking him hard to the right.
Taylor teetered there for a bare second as Konor’s arms flexed, his grip clearly tightening down around the boys thighs as he snapped him back into place just in time for the other boy to land a second blow, this time to Taylor’s head. That was all that it took. Heather was marching across the grass and Alex could sense the explosion of maternal outrage coming.
He moved quickly to interfere before she could, catching up to Heather and bringing her to a stop as he settled his hands over her shoulders. Muscles bunched and bound with tension bulged beneath his fingers as Heather tried to twist away from him, but Alex held tight.
“Whatever you’re planning on doing, all you are actually going to accomplish is humiliating your son,” he warned her, keeping his tone soft and calming. It was a talent he had practiced many times on the job right along with finding the right things to say. “Taylor is going to be all right. Konor won’t let anything happen to him.”
“That boy hit him in the head!” Heather snapped, not ready to be soothed.
“And he is wearing a helmet,” Alex reminded her.
Slowly, beginning to knead the muscles bunched beneath his fingers, he eased the tension from her shoulders, half expecting her to jerk free and turn her anger on him, but it wasn’t rage that tainted her words but fear.
“He could fall, break his neck and—”
“He won’t.” Alex cut her off before she could work herself back into a fit. “Konor won’t let him.”
“But—”
“No buts. Now come and watch.”
Alex’s tone assured he would tolerate no argument, and Heather didn’t make any, not even when he took her hand and led her back to the edge where Taylor would be able to see his mother watching. Amazed at her easy compliance, Alex couldn’t help but wonder if all it really would take was a firm tone and a sure grip to bring Heather around.
That is, if she could be brought around.
* * * *
Heather barely paid Alex any mind as she watched Taylor get whacked again. This time by a water balloon. It hit with enough strength to have his head snapping to the side but Taylor managed to land a blow he’d been aiming for.
He got two more in as the competition began to heat up with both boys grunting and straining as they pounded on each other while their buddies tried to maintain their balance on the rough, hewn log under their feet…feet that could slip and lose their grip sending her baby—
A loud cheer broke through Heather’s panicked prognostications, bringing her back to the moment in time to watch Taylor land a decisive blow to his competitor’s stomach, sending him and the man beneath him flailing backward into the mud pit. Taylor let out a loud whoop as he raised his baton over his head in victory and Heather let out the breath she’d been holding.
It took a minute for the fear to fade and the fresh air to rally her defenses, but Heather became suddenly aware that her hand was still locked in Alex’s. At the same instant a warmth flooded through her, making Heather’s breath catch and her heart flutter. Just like Konor always did, Alex rubbed a thumb over the inside of her palm, sending dangerous shivers rushing up her arm.
She needed to escape, to flee before she did something stupid like forget what kind of man Alex Krane really was and the vendetta he was carrying. Sucking in a deep breath, she stiffened her spine and turned to confront him with the only concern she had that was greater than the fear she held for herself.
“This is the last obstacle where anybody is going to be hitting my baby, right?”
Alex’s lips twitched and she could sense the smile he suppressed as he nodded. “Don’t worry. This is the only one-on-one battle scheduled today.”
“Good.” Heather nodded before jerking her hand free of his. “Now, let me go. I’ve got to congratulate the victors.”
Leaving him standing there, Heather rushed away, fleeing not only Alex but the strange mix of emotions that he provoked. They had long ago agreed to the terms of their relationship. They hated each other, barely tolerating one another long enough to be civil, and were often unable to accomplish even that meager feat. That meant they didn’t hold hands and have tender moments.
Nothing was going to change that.
Chapter 16
Things were not improving and for a while there, Konor had been hopeful, especially when he’d noticed Alex and Heather holding hands while Taylor and him had competed in the Battling Pit. Whatever had bonded them in that moment, it hadn’t lasted.
Of course, it didn’t help that Alex was stalking after the woman like a predator on the prowl. He took advantage of every opportunity to touch her as close to it inappropriately as he dared to, with her son standing only a few feet away. Alex had gotten almost all the way to third base by now, which would be reason to celebrate except that Konor could sense that Alex wasn’t so much trying to flirt and seduce Heather as he was waiting for his chance to jump on her.
The man was coming close to losing all control.
Konor sighed, admitting that he’d known that was a possibility. After all, Alex wasn’t really known for control. He was more of a “if it felt good go with it” kind of guy. Heather, on the other hand, tended to be much more cautious, except for sex. So maybe there was reason to hope.
Even if there wasn’t, it was too late now to put a stop to things. Alex and Heather were clearly headed toward a confrontation. Even Taylor had begun to sense the explosion coming. Standing by Konor’s side, the kid chewed his lip thoughtfully as he watched his mom scale the cargo net below them.
“You ready for the next obstacle, squirt?” Konor nudged him, trying to turn Taylor’s attention from the sight of Alex boldly palming Heather’s ass as he gave her a boost up the net. Heather’s face flushed a deeper red, which would have easily been mistaken for indignation if it hadn’t been for the hard tips of her breasts pressing against the soft cotton of her shirt.
“I’m ready for any obstacle,” Taylor assured him, losing his frown to toss Konor a smug grin. His momentary smile faded away just as quickly as it appeared as he glanced back down at Heather. “But shouldn’t we wait for my mom?”
“She’s got the sheriff to look out for her,” Konor assured him as he dropped a hand onto Taylor’s shoulder and began nudging him toward the slide that dropped down into the tunnels.
The tunnels were actually brick arches the boys had built into the ground. Lined up tight as they were, they formed a muddy, shadowed maze that the contestants had to crawl through to find the exit. They were dark and private, making them the perfect place for Alex to finally make his move—that is, if he could wait that long.
Konor couldn’t be blamed for having his doubts about that one, but he didn’t doubt what Heather’s response would be. It was as clear as the flush flaming across her cheeks. The more brazen Alex became, the hotter her face grew, leaving Konor convinced Heather wasn’t trying to escape Alex so much
as she was trying to escape her response to him.
The damn was finally breaking…or, at least, he hoped it was. Konor had everything riding on this bet and feeling that it was all going to be settled in the next several minutes. So, he tried to rally Taylor again.
“Besides, you know only one team is allowed in the tunnels at a time,” Konor reminded him, but the kid barely glanced away from his mom.
“The sheriff likes my mom, doesn’t he?” Big brown eyes watched the couple below with a seriousness that didn’t belong on a twelve-year-old’s face.
“Yeah,” Konor sighed out the word, wishing he knew what to say. He didn’t have the clue, but was pretty sure lying wasn’t the right answer. The truth probably wouldn’t go over too well either, which made him screwed.
“I thought…maybe…you know, you might like my mom.” Taylor looked up at him hopefully. “I mean…you two seemed to be getting along really well.”
“We do get along well, and I do like your mom.” Konor offered Taylor a quick grin. “Everybody does. Your mom’s a great lady.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Taylor muttered with a frown, his words taking on a sullen note that let Konor know Taylor felt betrayed by his answer.
“I know,” Konor admitted, uncertain of what else to say.
He had plans for how to deal with Alex, Heather and all the Cattlemen hounding after her. What he hadn’t figured out yet was how to explain the situation to Taylor. A very cowardly part of him had hoped to avoid the conversation altogether, assuming that Heather would want to explain or not explain things as she saw fit.
Now he was in dangerous waters. If he said the wrong thing he could upset not only Taylor, but his mother, too. Of course, he could say the right thing and not end up upsetting Taylor and still end up with a pissed off mama on his hands. This was a no-win situation. So Konor did the only thing he could, he tried to avoid the conversation.
