by Lori King
Zeroing in on his target, he froze in his tracks as she lifted a glass of ice water to her lips and took a big swallow. His gaze followed the column of her throat as it bobbed, and suddenly his jeans were way too tight. Widening his stance, he crossed his arms and glared at her with as much intensity as he could muster with a hard-on. “You know when a man apologizes to you, you should at least be courteous enough to accept it civilly.”
“I don’t accept it. Civilly or otherwise,” she said, dabbing her lips and then her sweaty forehead and neck with a hand towel. “That shade of purple looks lovely on you by the way.”
Confused, he looked down at his clothes before realizing she was talking about the bruise on his face. “Are you always this difficult?”
One side of her lips curved up, “Pretty much. Are you?”
Fighting back a grin, he nodded, “Yep. Look, I am sorry about getting behind the wheel. I don’t normally do that kind of thing. It was reckless and irresponsible, and then I followed it up by being immature and hateful.” He paused and waited for a reaction, but her face remained completely emotionless. “I would really like the chance to start over, and forget last night ever happened. Please?”
The only sound in the house was the drip of water as he waited for her response. He added the leaking kitchen faucet to his mental list of fixes but kept his eyes firmly trained on her face.
“I’ll agree to a truce and accept your apology, but I promise you, Ryker Thompson, if you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll call the cops after I beat the snot out of you myself.” Her tone was so serious he nodded solemnly.
Claudia spun around and refilled her empty glass of water, taking another big drink before she spoke again, “Where’s Mack?”
“I don’t know. He was gone when I got up.”
Her eyes widened and she stared back at him in shock. “You came to me before you talked to him? Why?”
This was his chance to lay it all out there. Moving closer to her, he took her glass from her hand and set it on the counter before cupping her jaw. “When I woke up all I could think about was getting to you and convincing you to forgive me, duchess. It never crossed my mind to look for him first.”
Her dainty pink tongue flicked out to lick her lips and he saw her anxiety rise as he boxed her in against the counter. “I don’t understand, Ryk. Mack’s your brother, you should—”
“Mack’s a big boy. We’ve had much worse fights, trust me. I’ll talk to him later and we’ll clear the air. You were my first priority.” He let his thumb stroke the line of her jaw before caressing her bottom lip. It was plump and so soft to the touch he almost groaned out loud. Lifting his other hand, he took her hair in his hand forcing her to tip her head back. If he had any doubts about her desire for him, they were gone in an instant because her pupils dilated and her mouth dropped open on a gasp.
“Ryker, we can’t.”
“Why not, Claudia? Who’s stopping us?” he murmured, tightening his grip on her hair and her jaw.
“Mack.” The one word came out in a breathless whisper.
Smiling, Ryker lowered his mouth until they were close enough to share a breath. “He isn’t here, duchess. I am. And you want me as much as I want you.”
He gave her another moment to say no, and then he lowered his mouth capturing her lips in a scorching hot kiss. It burned through his body, searing his soul and branding his heart with her essence. Everything ceased to matter in that moment as he plundered her with a kiss and she took possession of him.
After a pause, her tongue sought his, and she stroked his lips inviting him into her warmth. Somewhere in the back of his brain he registered when her hands slid up his chest and around his neck to hold him in place. It gave him the opening to drop both hands to her hips and lift her so she was seated on the kitchen counter, making their kiss more comfortable, and bringing his hips into alignment with the V of her thighs. His groin rocked in an instinctive motion, as her ankles crossed behind him, pulling him closer.
The sounds she made in her throat were making his balls tighten, and he fought for control of himself as he made love to her mouth. When she finally tore her lips away from his, and stared up into his eyes still gasping, he could see guilt and desire at war in their golden depths. Neither one of them spoke, but her ankles released him, so he took an awkward step back to give her more room. His cock was throbbing behind his zipper, and his bruised face ached where they had been pressed so tightly together, but he felt like a God when she looked at him with lust in her eyes.
“I can’t do this with you. I’m seeing Mack, and it wouldn’t be fair to him. I’m not the type of person to cheat on a man.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you two were exclusive already.”
She shook her head groaning in frustration, “We’re not, but considering I was kissing him last night, it doesn’t seem like he would be thrilled I’m making out with you this morning.”
“I want you, Claudia. I know you met my brother first, but I had to make it known I’m in this to win you for myself.” He pressed a kiss her palm before helping her off the counter, steadying her when she swayed.
“I’m not a prize at a carnival, Ryk,” she responded, staring at the center of his chest.
“No, you’re worth so much more, duchess.”
In an instant the desire and anxiety on her face was replaced with fury, and she gave him a hard shove knocking him backwards into the opposite counter. “So that’s what this is about? You’re broke now, and Mack found a rich girl, so you want to steal me and my fortune away? Miss the good life, huh, Ryker?”
His own temper reacted and he grabbed her wrists, keeping her from storming away or throwing another punch, “No, Claudia. I don’t give a damn about your money. I want you. I want the Texas girl that drinks beer, talks back, and dances till her feet ache. The girl who plays darts better than any man I know, and takes stupid chances like standing on a ladder as old as my grandma to scrape a house that’s seen more generations than a cat has lives. Fuck. Do all of the men you know have ulterior motives?”
Pain filled her wide eyes, and a flush of pink stole up her cheeks. She looked torn between anger and shock, so he took a chance and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his chest.
“Believe me, Claudia, please. I think we could have something good between us if we’d both just lower our damn defenses. All I’m asking is for a chance. Let me take you out, or we’ll stay in. Hell, I’ll help you weed your roses, just give me a chance to make amends for last night’s stupidity and show you who I really am. Surely, my brother wouldn’t complain about me hanging out with you helping you fix up your house as friends.”
After a few tense breaths she nodded, and whispered, “Okay, but only as friends. And if we’re staying in you’re going to have to bring your own paint scraper. I only have one.”
He laughed as the anxiety eased in his chest, and he breathed easier. “Deal. In fact I’ll run in town to The Garden Hut now and pick one up. I’ll grab us some lunch too if you haven’t eaten.”
She shook her head, “Can you eat with a hangover?”
Winking at her, he gave her his brightest smile, “For you I can do anything, sweet cheeks. Do you need anything else while I’m in town?”
“Uh, I was going to go in later and get some paint stripper. I took the old shutters down to repaint them and realized they had like umpteen layers of paint on them already.”
“Done. I’ll be back before you know it.” He turned and started for the front door, but stopped short to look back over his shoulder at her, “And, Claudia, do me a favor and stay off the ladder. You nearly gave me a heart attack earlier. I’ll get the upper stuff when I get back.”
When she laughed and nodded her agreement, he hurried out to his car feeling better about his life than he had for nearly a year.
*****
Claudia’s heart continued to thud in her chest like a stampede of horses for several long minutes after Ryker�
�s car left her driveway. Her panties clung to her pussy lips, damp with the moisture of her desire for him, and her scalp still tingled from the tugs on her hair.
No matter which way she spun it she knew she was in trouble. Mack intended for them to be seeing one another faithfully, and she knew it would hurt him more because it was his brother.
Ryker might say the words she wanted to hear, but he didn’t mean them. He wasn’t going to accept a friendship when the spark between them was so hot. That was obvious after just one kiss. The biggest problem was she wanted him just as much as she wanted Mack. They were very different from each other, and yet she felt the same connection with both of them. Something deep inside of her was happier when she was in the presence of the Thompson brothers, and it unnerved her a bit.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the tinkling sound of her cell phone, and she cursed as she ran to look for it. She had a bad habit of laying it down wherever she was when she hung up and then forgetting where it was. It jingled away for several seconds before chiming a new voicemail was available as though punctuating the fact she had missed the call. When she finally located it on the bathroom countertop where she left it last night before taking her shower, she regretted listening to the message the moment she heard her father’s voice.
“Claudia, this is your father.” Like she didn’t already know who it was. She rolled her eyes as he continued, “I’m following up on the Granite Estates project. We got a fax today that the Stone River planning board is holding a town hall meeting this week. You need to be there, Claudia. This project must proceed without hindrance.” He cleared his throat, “Uh, I hope you’re well. Call your mother soon so she doesn’t worry.”
The message clicked off, and she attempted to slide the phone into her back pocket, knocking the paint scraper to the floor with a clatter. She jumped nearly a foot when the doorbell rang a minute later.
Seriously, this place is like Grand Central Station all of a sudden.
Pondering how Ryker had managed to get to the store and back so quickly, she was frowning as she tugged open the heavy door. To her surprise, Mack was standing outside her front door, holding a bouquet of daisies that were clearly just picked. Her heart flip-flopped when his face lit up in a brilliant smile. He reminded her of a kid with his clear blue eyes, blonde curls, and dimples.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Mack! What are you doing here?” She held the door open as wide as possible, but with his broad shoulders he still had to turn to fit through the opening beside her.
Handing her the bouquet, he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I was thinking about you and wanted to come see you in the light of day. Is that okay? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Uh, no it’s fine. I’m just scraping paint off the house today. Let me go put these in water.” She started to twist out of his grip, but he stopped her with one hand on her jaw.
His eyes narrowed, “You seem tense. Does it upset you that I came over, Claudia?”
Stilling in his hands, she sighed, “No. Actually I’m glad you did. I wanted to see you again after last night.”
Pure male satisfaction lifted the corners of his lips into a smirk, and he dipped his head to claim a kiss from her, stopping her words. His kiss was so different from his younger brother’s it made her gut twist with guilt. As much as she enjoyed it, she couldn’t continue without telling him the truth. Forcing one hand up to his chest, she pushed a little, breaking their kiss.
“Mack, stop. We need to talk.”
His hands dropped away from her and he cursed. “I’m moving too fast for you, right? I’m sorry for pushing you, sweetheart, I’ll ease up.”
“Damn it, would you let me explain before you get all worked up,” she snapped. “What is it about you two Thompson brothers that impedes the connection between your ears and your tongue? I want to kiss you, Mack, I happen to enjoy it. A lot. But you need to know Ryker showed up here just a little while ago.”
“What did he say? Did he upset you?” His instant anger on her behalf was sweet considering he thought she and Ryker were still at odds.
“No, he apologized profusely, and then he kissed me.”
Mack’s mouth fell open and he stared at her in shock. There wasn’t any other emotion on his face. No anger, or betrayal, just pure confused shock. “He what?”
“He kissed me, and I kissed him back—” Mack took a step backwards away from her, and she hurried to put the daisies down on the sofa table so she could reach for him. Gripping his hand with hers, she held him in place while she continued, “I stopped it, Mack. I told him you and I met first and until we agreed otherwise I was off limits.”
His head cocked to the side, and a small smile lifted his lips again, “You did?”
Nodding, she continued, “I did. I’m not the type of woman to play you two against each other, and I needed you to hear it from me. I like you a lot, Mack, and while I’m in Stone River I would like to keep seeing you, but not at the expense of your relationship with your brother.”
“Well I’ll be jiggered. Ryker’s a smooth one, that’s for sure. I never dreamed he would attempt to go for you after last night’s knock out round. What did he say when you told him you weren’t interested?” Mack asked, his fingers laced through hers, and she sighed with relief he wasn’t angry.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested. I told him I couldn’t hurt you by going behind your back. Anyway, he said he is in it to win it, or some other such nonsense. He agreed to a friendship when I told him that was all I could offer. He’s actually coming back here shortly to help me with the paint scraping today.”
Mack snorted out a laugh, “Oh I’m sure he’s playing for the win. Ryker is competitive by nature, and he sees this as another game.”
Claudia considered that angle, and the longer she thought about it the madder she got. If Ryker really did see winning her heart as just another way to one up his brother, then she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. And it also burned her ass a little that Mack didn’t take the competition seriously. It was almost like he didn’t think Ryker really was interested in her.
“There will be no competition because I’m not playing games, with either one of you.” She released Mack’s hand and scooped the daisies up, “I’m going to put these in water. You’re welcome to stay and help, but I only have one paint scraper.”
The sound of a car door punctuated her statement, and she hurried to disappear in the kitchen like a coward. Mack and Ryker could hash out their differences without her around. Unable to locate any sort of vase, she settled on a mason jar for her flowers and took her time arranging them before she set them in the center of her dining table. They were the kind of tiny white daisies you might see on the side of the road while you were driving. Beautiful, but unlikely to survive very long, and a moment of melancholy swept through her as she realized they likely represented the relationship she would have with Mack. It wasn’t like he was going to pack and move to Austin with her when she finished the Granite Estates project. The subdivision would likely take several years to complete, though, so it was possible they wouldn’t even be into each other by then.
Forcing her feet to carry her back into the living room, she found Mack and Ryker quietly conversing just in front of the door. They both looked up when they spotted her, and smiled.
“Okay, that’s a good sign. No blood on my floors, no new bruises…” she looked pointedly at the bruise she had left on the Ryker’s face the night before, “and you’re smiling. Does this mean we’re all friends?”
“I already told you we were friends, duchess. Mack and I were just discussing—”
“Who was going to scrape paint and who was going to fix your squeaky screen door,” Mack interrupted, and Ryker frowned slightly. She wasn’t a moron, she knew they hadn’t been discussing the house chores, but she wasn’t ready to touch the alternative topic of conversation so she went with it.
“You guys don’t have to help yo
u know?”
They both seemed to roll their eyes in unison, before Mack spoke, “I’ll be glad to help, but tell me, why are you putting so much work into this house if you’re planning on moving back to Austin?”
He followed her out the front door, as she answered, “I love to work with my hands on projects. I always have. My father doesn’t think there’s a life in being an artist or I might have pursued it. This is the first chance I’ve had to buy an old place and really fix it up. If I’m going to be here for a couple of years working on the subdivision project, then I wanted to have a home I could enjoy.”
“I hate to ask this, sweetheart, but what if the project doesn’t happen? Last I heard the planning board and the council weren’t thrilled about the idea.” Mack’s words made her hands sweaty. That was exactly the problem. She needed this project to prove to her dad she could follow in his footsteps and take over the business someday. His approval was too important for this to fail.
“I’m a Schmidt. We don’t deal in what ifs, we make things happen. There is a town hall meeting this week, and I intend on convincing them all that this project will bring new residents to the community and with them new funds for roads, schools, and growth.”
Ryker stood on the front steps casually leaning against the railing, grinning. “Good luck with that. This is small town Texas. They don’t have much interest in growth.”
“Then I will make them interested in it. Granite Estates is the best thing that could happen to Stone River,” she said, with an arrogant toss of her head.
Mack cleared his throat, “I beg to differ.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, tugging her into his chest for a kiss. When he released her lips, she was wide-eyed and breathing hard. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to Stone River, sweetheart.”
Her eyes darted over to Ryker who was frowning at their embrace, and she felt guilt rush through her. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings or make things awkward. He shifted in place and grumbled, “Before you two start humping in the grass, Claudia needs to eat her sandwich.” For the first time she noticed the white paper bag in his hand. He shook it at her, and asked, “Do you need a plate to eat off, or can you tolerate a napkin just this once, duchess?”
