This Kiss (Made In Montana Book 12)

by Debbi Rawlins

  Sophie lifted her head and stared outright.

  He dropped the phone into his lap and hit the steering wheel with the heel of his hand.

  Cursed.

  Hit the wheel again.

  “Tell me,” she said, the tension in her chest beginning to hurt.

  “Wendy isn’t going to admit she lied. She can’t change her story now.”

  “But her husband...”

  “Fullerton already knows. His ranch foreman doesn’t like Wendy, so he told the old man he saw me leaving around midnight. That’s why she made up a story about turning me down at the bar and me following her home.”

  “But as far as Fullerton knows, you could’ve just been giving her a ride home or dropping something off...”

  Ethan smiled.

  “It’s possible,” Sophie said, annoyed that he thought she was the one being naive. “So, why did Arnie sleep with her? And anyway, doesn’t that just prove she’s a serial cheater?”

  “She played him. Wendy found the perfect way to keep the dumb ass from telling her husband the truth. Claiming I’d ripped her off was overkill. She must’ve regretted it as soon as she realized she’d have to get rid of the jewelry and deal with an insurance investigation. So when Arnie showed up in front of a bunch of witnesses she jumped at the chance to tell everyone he’d brought the jewelry back to get her to drop the charges. He made it real easy for her to keep her jewelry and stick to the lie.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “Crazy or not, I don’t need that kind of publicity dogging me at the finals.”

  “Yeah, but who’d believe you would do something like that?”

  “Probably no one but her husband, if only to keep the marriage intact and save face.”

  “Men and their damn egos.” She saw his eyebrows go up. “Yes, I’m talking about you, too.” She huffed out a breath. Something had been bothering her... “What’s a suicide wrap?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Where did you hear that?”

  “Some guys sitting next to me on the bleachers.”

  Shaking his head, he sighed. “We wrap the hand we use to hold on to the leather strap. Weaving the rope between the ring finger and pinkie makes it harder for the bull to pull it out of your hand,” he said. “It also makes it harder for a rider to let go.”

  “And he can get hung up on a thrashing bull.”

  “Yes, sometimes that happens.”

  She tried to control a shudder. “Did you use one of those wraps today?”

  “No.”

  “Do you ever?”

  “Yes,” he said, his gaze steady. “But I’m not reckless, Sophie.”

  “Uh, do you even know what the word suicide means?”

  “Sorry we can’t all be as smart as you,” he said, his expression stony. “That doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

  Sophie briefly closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know I’m snide sometimes—of course I wasn’t saying you’re stupid.” This was another reason kids had picked on her. She just didn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. “If anyone’s stupid, it’s me. I’m supposed to be taking you back, not trying to find a way to— You don’t even care what happens. Why should I?”

  He caught her waving hands and held them both in one of his. “I care,” he said, and looked directly into her eyes. “I thought Arnie would come through. Brian will, but probably not in time to avoid court, so we’ll head to Wyoming tomorrow.”

  “In the morning?” she asked hopefully.

  “No. After my ride.”

  “That’s cutting it close.”

  He shrugged. “I got here in twelve hours with one stop. What about you?”

  “The same.”

  “I’ll talk to Matt about switching the schedule. We should be able to leave by midafternoon. Stop at a motel halfway and get a few hours’ sleep.” Ethan leaned over the console to brush a kiss across her lips. “How’s that?”

  She nodded, happy she could call Lola and not have to lie. Happy she was sitting here in Ethan’s truck, feeling his warm breath on her face. “You might still need an attorney.”

  “I guess it’ll depend on how far Wendy pushes her story.”

  “I bet she wants this to go away as much as you do.”

  “Sure hope so.” He cupped the side of her face and studied her lips, his mouth curving in a slow smile.

  “Wait. Let me say this before we get crazy and I forget.”

  A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Make it quick.”

  “Uh-huh.” She touched his jaw, intrigued by the stubble that hadn’t been there this morning. The rasp against her fingertips was oddly arousing. Imagining how amazing it would feel pressed to her breasts had her holding her breath.

  “Last chance,” he said, sliding his fingers into her hair.

  Whatever she’d been about to say was already in the wind. She hoped it wasn’t important. It didn’t matter. She was more interested in what Ethan was doing to her scalp. His touch was sheer heaven. The soothing massage turned into a slight tug. She realized she’d closed her eyes.

  Apparently he wanted them open. Watching her face, he held her still as he lowered his mouth. Their lips barely touched and lightning shot through her. His tongue didn’t politely wait for an invitation. He demanded entrance, coaxing and teasing his way inside, stoking the fire that had ignited low in her belly.

  She clutched his arm, digging her fingers into hard muscle, and met each stroke of his tongue. The console was in their way. She wished they could push it to the floor. Or what if they climbed into the backseat?

  A light came on somewhere behind him, closer to the house. She didn’t care. Her existence had narrowed to the urgency of Ethan’s touch, his greedy mouth, the feel of his warm hard body and the longing about to burst out of her chest. Her young girlish fantasies hadn’t prepared her for this, not for Ethan in the flesh.

  He moved his shoulder to block the light from hitting her face. But he kept kissing her, touching her jaw, the side of her chin, testing how their mouths fit together from different angles. He traced her ear with his thumb, then followed the curve of her neck, and dipped his fingers under the neckline of her top. He thrust his tongue deeper into her mouth and still she couldn’t get enough of him. Finally, gasping for air, they pulled apart.

  Trying to catch her breath, she looked around. When had it gotten so dark? Where was everyone? Low-voltage security lights from the stable and barns provided a soft glow. A couple of ranch hands stood outside the well-lit bunkhouse. Lots of activity happening where the fifth-wheelers and motor coaches were parked. But it was the porch light from the house that had shone in her face. No one was close enough to see them, though.

  The fog had lifted from her brain and she looked at Ethan, who was staring at her.

  She smiled at him.

  He smiled back.

  A wave of distant laughter came from the direction of the house.

  “The barbecue,” they said at the same time.

  “Bet they won’t miss us,” Ethan said, reaching for her again.

  Who cared if they did? she thought, and bumped his nose in her haste to get to his mouth. He murmured an “Ouch” and she started giggling.

  “I barely touched you, Mr. Big-Tough-Bull-Rider.”

  “I never said I was tough. I get a paper cut and I cry like a baby.” He ran a palm down her arm, then worked his thumb underneath the sleeve, stretching the fabric as far as it would go so he could probe her muscles. “You’re the one who feels pretty tough. Work out much?”

  She knew the question was rhetorical. “Every chance I get,” she said anyway, and punctuated it with a quick teasing kiss.

  “Remind me not to mess with you.”

  “I tried to warn—” She gasped at the feel of his han
d sliding under her shirt.

  “Nice abs.” He smiled against her mouth, then brushed his tongue over hers. His hand skimmed her right breast, proving the bra an ineffective barrier.

  Her nipples tightened immediately. He dipped his fingers inside the satin cup and grazed the puckered flesh. His touch sparked a surge of liquid heat that spread throughout her body, seeking release. Seeking more...

  “We’re making out in your truck,” she whispered.

  “I noticed,” he murmured, his breath coming quick and short.

  “People are inside...” She tried to swallow, but her mouth was parched. “The barbecue. We have to—”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “We can’t stay here—”

  “Right.” He caught her earlobe between his teeth and tugged lightly. His fingers pushed deeper, plucking at her nipple, while his lips trailed the side of her neck. “I don’t know where my keys are.”

  “They aren’t in my bra.” She felt his smile against her flushed skin.

  “You sure? I should check.”

  “In high school you might’ve found tissue, no keys, though.”

  Pulling back to look at her, he laughed.

  Sophie sighed. Not something she would’ve shared had she not been so fuzzy-headed. “That was a joke.”

  “I figured,” he said, still laughing.

  She cupped the bulge straining his jeans, and that shut him up. Holy cow, he was hard. Yeah, they definitely had to go someplace private. And the second she got her thoughts and mouth in working order, she’d tell him just that.

  And after he stopped hissing.

  And she supposed she’d also have to move her hand. Eventually. She shifted in her seat, causing the light to shine in her eyes again.

  She lifted her hand to blot the brightness.

  Ethan leaned way back against the seat, and it took her a moment to realize he was having trouble sliding his hand into his pocket.

  “We have to go inside,” she said.

  “No, we don’t. Matt doesn’t care.”

  “You have to talk to him about changing the schedule. So we can leave early tomorrow.”

  With a grunt, Ethan finally withdrew the keys. “I’ll call him in the morning.”

  “It’s better to give him a lot of notice. So you won’t put him in a tight spot. Otherwise you’ll give in and we’ll be delayed.” She watched his jaw clench and understood why he was resisting. She wanted to get back to the inn, herself. “Please. I really don’t want to have to go out with Craig,” she murmured.

  “Who’s Craig?”

  “What?” Oh, crap. That thought wasn’t supposed to have left her brain. “Craig who?”

  “That was my question.”

  Dammit. If they were both naked already, they wouldn’t be talking. “He’s an attorney. From Casper. A very good attorney, and if you need him, then...” She waved a hand, wishing he’d just go inside already. “I can probably make that happen...” She trailed off as she turned her head to stare at the darkness outside her window.

  Finally he opened the door, which triggered the interior light. Something she could’ve done without. “We won’t need your friend Craig,” Ethan said, and got out of the truck.

  “He’s not my friend. I don’t even like him.” She opened her door and slid off the seat. By the time she met him on the driver’s side something had occurred to her. “There’s really no reason for me to—”

  Ethan cut her off by backing her against the truck. He had a good eight inches on her, and with his shoulders broad as they were she couldn’t see the porch or even the house. But she heard a door open and close. Heard voices and laughter.

  And then Ethan’s big, rough hand touched her face. The fingers from his other hand were tangled in her hair. Aware that he had pinned her with a thigh partially nudged between hers, she stood in shock for a moment, feeling the truck’s cold metal against her back.

  “Ethan?”

  “They can’t see you,” he whispered, and kissed her. “You don’t know them.”

  “But—”

  His openmouthed kiss silenced her. She heard the catcalls, so of course he did, too. And when a man with a heckling tone called Ethan’s name, one hand briefly disappeared followed by rowdy laughter, so she was pretty sure Ethan had flipped him off. But even then Ethan didn’t miss a beat. He slanted his mouth across hers, hungry and demanding, deepening the kiss until he’d left her breathless.

  She gulped in air. “What are you doing?”

  “Come on,” he murmured, not breathing so easily, either. “Let’s go.”

  She eyed the hand circling her arm and realized he meant they should leave the Lone Wolf. “But you were going to talk to Matt.”

  “I can’t go in there. I’ll call him.”

  A funny feeling slithered down her spine. Since she couldn’t bodily force him inside the house, she rounded the hood and climbed back into the truck. He already had the keys in the ignition. “You’ve changed your mind about going back tomorrow, haven’t you?”

  He frowned at her, then reversed the truck. “No, I have not.” Once he’d steered them toward the driveway, he said, “This has nothing to do with tomorrow. And everything to do with a certain physical condition that is completely your fault.”

  Sophie smiled when he stopped to kiss her hand. She just wished she believed him.

  10

  BAD VIBES WERE coming off Sophie in waves. They were halfway to town and Ethan still couldn’t figure out what had caused the shift in her. It had started right after he told her he wouldn’t be going inside to talk to Matt. Whether Ethan called him to change tomorrow’s schedule or asked in person made no difference. And she was well aware of the damn hard-on that wouldn’t quit. He couldn’t have walked into the house like that.

  “Did I embarrass you?” he asked after a long silence.

  “When?”

  “Just before we left. When I kissed you in front of Travis and those other folks.”

  “No. You said I didn’t know them.” She finally turned and looked at him. “But why did you kiss me like that in front of those people?”

  “Travis Mills. I heard his voice and I did the first thing I could think of to avoid him.” Saying it out loud made him sound like an ass. “That was rude. I’m sorry.” He tugged at his snug jeans. “I got paid back, though. This hard-on is never gonna ease up.”

  “You could do a commercial for one of those pharmaceutical companies. I bet they’d give you a nice endorsement contract.”

  Ethan choked out a laugh. Nice to hear the smile back in her voice. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that.” He saw a turnout and pulled off the highway. He had a feeling he knew what could be bothering her. Might as well put her uncertainty to rest.

  “What are you doing?” She twisted around to peer at the dark road behind them.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t jump you. Not yet, anyway.” He got out his phone. “I’m calling Matt.”

  “We’ll be in town in ten minutes.”

  “Like you said, better to give him as much notice as possible.” He listened to the rings, aware that the tension in the cab was easing. So she hadn’t believed that he was serious about returning to Wyoming. It irritated him, since he’d given his word, but then he hung around with a dumb ass like Arnie, so what was she supposed to think?

  Arnie didn’t know it yet, but this time Ethan had had it with him. Back in school the jocks had picked on Arnie; so had the geeks, which was really pathetic. Ethan used to think he was one of those kids who just couldn’t catch a break and he’d gone out of his way to befriend him. Once Ethan had turned pro he hired Arnie to do odd jobs and help him manage his schedule and social media. But the bastard hadn’t only screwed Wendy; he’d screwed Ethan. And it hurt.

/>   No surprise he was sent to voice mail, what with Matt having a houseful and all, but he hated leaving a message. For Sophie’s sake, he left one anyway. It was short, to the point, and judging by her smile, it did the trick. He was glad she seemed relieved.

  “I’m going to call Lola—she’s my partner—oh, and my cousin. She was a year behind you in school.”

  He watched her pull out her phone. She was about to hit speed dial when her words sank in. “Your partner?”

  She looked up, her expression wary. “We own Lola’s Bail Bonds together. I’m good with computers. And Lola...” Sophie shrugged. “She’s better with just about everything else.”

  “Why isn’t your name in there?”

  “I nixed it. The business is more Lola’s gig. I wanted to help her get started. She knows I don’t want to do this forever.”

  “Yeah, I’m thinking you’re a little better than good with computers.” He sat back and left the truck idling. “When I first thought I recognized you, I figured I had to be wrong. I mean, why would someone like you be working as a bounty hunter?”

  “Fugitive retrieval agent,” she muttered. “Scratch that. I like bounty hunter. Sounds pretty cool.”

  Was she acting flighty on purpose? Sophie was crazy smart. It wouldn’t surprise him if she’d skipped her senior year and had gone on to college early. “Is this something you don’t like to talk about?”

  “I don’t understand why you would think I’m such a computer whiz or why the bail bond business wouldn’t be for me.”

  “Because you’re too smart, that’s why. Jesus. You were a freshman taking junior and senior classes and you were still bored.”

  She stared at him, her mouth open. “How would you know that?”

  Shrugging, he put the truck in gear and eased them back on the highway. “You don’t think I noticed you, but I did.” He smiled at a memory of her hiding under the bleachers, nearly choking to death on her first and only cigarette. “You used to wear that ugly, oversize blue coat. Remember that? It could be a hundred degrees outside, the sun hotter than hell, and you’d be wearing that damn thing.”