Between Hope & the Highway (29 page)

“I can’t ever feel sad when I hear you laugh.”

“That’s laying it on extra thick, even for you.”

Rawson chortled. “Most girls would’ve been putty in my hands by now, but not you. You’re not easily charmed.”

He was wrong. I was just better at hiding it than other girls. Years of building walls to protect myself had made me master of my emotions.

“Because you’re never serious.”

“I think it’s time to play the
Love Triangle
game.”

I groaned.

“I just gave you a bunch of traits I love. Now build your triangle and tell me three more.”

“We need to muck.”

“Lizzie.” He lifted an eyebrow.

“Okay. I love being single because I can date whoever I want.”

Rawson smirked.

“I love my lips because you can’t kiss them.”

He gave me an smug grin. “Someday that will change. Even Vanilla Boy squeezed some kisses out of you, so I know my cause isn’t hopeless.”

I ignored the infuriating man. “Three, I love my sharp wit to poke you when you try to step all over me.”

“My feet are getting a little bloody from our battles.” He leaned down to peck my forehead. “So you’ll date me, but not exclusively. If someone else asks you out, like say Rusty”—I huffed as he purposely picked the youngest, pimply faced hand and waggled his brows—“you’re free to go out with him too?”

“Exactly. And you can go out with other girls, like Bambi or FooFoo.”

He scowled. “In my book, we’ll be exclusive. I won’t be dating anyone else no matter how much they remind me of a Disney movie.”

“Do whatever you want, but don’t pull the jealous card on me.”

Rawson sighed. “Why do I get the feeling dating you will be more work than herding cattle?”

I grinned. “It’ll be like herding cats.”

We entered a stare-down, which I enjoyed since it gave me an excuse to study his gorgeous eyes.

“Meow,” he mewed.

I started laughing and my obnoxious seal barks erupted. That made him lose it. When we finally contained our mirth, Rawson grabbed my hand.

“So will you be my date this Friday? I know this upscale bar in Bozeman that—”

I whipped my hand away. “I’m not going to a bar. That’s another of my rules.” Dad had told me nothing good happened there. “Besides, you told me you don’t drink.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why would you go to a bar?”

“There’s more to do in a bar than just drink. There’s the whole social aspect—meeting people, dancing, watching games.”

“If we date, bars are out.”

He ran a hand through his hair as though he wanted to rip it out. “How many rules do you have in that cute, little head of yours?”

I shrugged. “Those are the main ones, I think.”

“You think?” He puffed out his cheeks. “What did you do with Mackay besides being bored at movies? There’s not much else to do around here.”

“I don’t mind movies. We can even stay home and watch them with Benny.”

He squeezed his temple. “Yeah. Maybe we can invite my parents and Addie to watch them with us too.”

His sarcasm wasn’t lost on me. “We don’t have to do anything. You can go to town and have fun with some beautiful model girl in a bar for all I care.”

“Why would I go to town when I have a beautiful model girl right here in my arms?”

“Oh, please. I’m not a—”

“Don’t say it.” His lips next to mine arrested my words. “I swear I’ll kiss you senseless if you say one negative thing about yourself.”

I didn’t dare move since his mouth hovered millimeters from mine.

“You. Are. A beautiful. Woman.” His spearmint breath made me shiver. He shifted slightly, allowing me to breathe.

“We…uh…should get mucking.”

The irritating man grinned. “Okay. But first, let’s work out our date. Are you free this Saturday to go on a hike?”

“Can Benny come?”

I thought he’d say no—his enthusiasm definitely waned—but he surprised me by shrugging. “Why not? If I can’t kiss you, we might as well have my brother tag along. Be ready by three. We’ll drive out to the canyon and take a sunset hike.”

“I look forward to it.”

After we finished mucking stalls, I wanted to squeal
.
Rawson had passed my test. If he’d balked at my idea of bringing Ben, I would’ve known I couldn’t trust him. But he’d passed with flying colors, and I had to admit, I was excited to get to know him better.

Chapter 47

Rawson

It had been ages since I felt so alive. In fact, I doubted I’d felt so energized since I was a child running wild and free on the ranch. As Benny hobbled ahead of us on the trail, I clasped Lizzie’s hand and swung it back and forth like an eager school boy.

Her laugh made me grin. Why had I ever found the cold model-types so appealing in high school and college? Those women were so self-absorbed and boring that if I compared them to ice cream, they’d be glued together plastic props used in commercials. They looked really good on the outside, but had nothing sweet or real to bite into; they only left one wanting. Lizzie, by comparison, was made of the freshest cream, sugars, and ingredients known to man. No wonder Chance and Seth mooned over her. It wasn’t like she was drop-dead gorgeous or even the life of the party type of girl…yet she somehow drew everyone to her. Maybe it was her kindness and simple honesty. She didn’t try to grab my attention like every other girl, which I found refreshing.

As I squeezed her hand, she gifted me with a smile.

Wow. Her smile did things to my body that Vanessa could only do with her clothes all off. Muscles flexed beneath my jacket as heat soared through my loins. Why had it taken me so long to figure out I liked this woman?

“This has been fun,” she said.

As Benny disappeared around the bend, I stopped and gently touched her nose and cheek. “You’ve healed up nice. You don’t look like a cartoon anymore.”

She laughed. “You mean Quasimodo?”

“A very adorable Quasimodo.” I leaned down to touch foreheads. “You should so kiss me right now.”

“N-n-no,” she choked.

Her reaction made me chuckle. “I’m just messing with you. Come on.”

I pulled her up the trail and tried to shake off her rejection. Again. Why wouldn’t she just kiss me? I knew she wanted to.

The sun dipped close to the horizon as we reached the look-off so we didn’t spend much time there. We took the trail at Benny’s pace and had to use our headlamps for the last part. When we neared the end, I pulled Liz behind a tree and shocked the poor girl.

“What are you doing?”

“I need a few minutes alone with you on this date, don’t you think?”

I brought her hand to my mouth and slowly kissed each knuckle. By how her perky chest rose and fell, I could tell she liked my attention. Her eyes revealed all.

“Rawson,” she whispered.

“Yes?” I licked my lips in anticipation.

“Don’t do that.”

I deflated so fast it felt like a power vac got hold of my insides on maximum suction.

“As you wish.” I threw in the
Princess Bride
reference to spark a smile, and miracle of miracles, it worked.

She took my hand of her own free will and pulled me back onto the trail. I couldn’t help but grin. I didn’t get a kiss, but I still felt like a million bucks as Lizzie led me to the truck and swung my arm back and forth with a great big smile of her own.

Chapter 48

Liz

A satellite crept across the inky sky as I followed Rawson onto the deck where wind chimes rippled in the breeze. I closed my eyes. We’d been dating for three weeks, and despite the stupid rules I’d created to keep distance between us, we’d grown closer. I nestled my chin into my coat as he sank onto the log swing and gestured for me to join him.

As his arm wrapped around me, I snuggled closer for warmth. At least that’s what I told myself. The other option was probably more accurate—that Rawson was Lucifer in disguise and I’d fallen headlong into his wicked trap and now sped helplessly down the highway to heartbreak. A man like him would eventually grow tired of a Plain Jane like me. That’s why I refused to kiss him. It’d be too easy to lose my heart to him. But tonight, I cast aside my fears and enjoyed our time together. Leaning back into his chest, I raised my eyes.

“This is incredible. I can see the Milky Way.”

“You’re incredible.”

I elbowed him. “Shush.”

Peaceful silence settled between us as we searched the sky. He’d told me the Orionids meteor shower was happening this week, and I’d been eager to witness the event. Growing up under the Vegas city lights, I’d never seen more than a handful of stars. When a meteor shot across the sky, leaving a blazing trail in its wake, he squeezed my fingers.

“Make a wish,” he whispered before kissing the skin right below my ear.

A tremor shook me. Even though it was October and the temperature rested in the 40’s, my body experienced a heat wave. Feeling slightly sinful for the thoughts racing through my head, I pushed him back.

“No kissing.”

“I’m not. My lips are nowhere near yours. I’m nibbling.” He buried his head into my neck and continued his so-called nibbling, turning my insides into burning magma.

Frightened by the powerful ache he ignited inside me, I once more pushed him away. “How can anyone not believe in God when they see the heavens?” Maybe a religious discussion would make him behave.

He pulled my ponytail free from its elastic.

“Why do you do that?” I gathered my hair to tie up again. Ever since he’d thrown my elastic out his truck window, I kept a spare around my wrist.

“Why do you do
that
?” He grabbed hold of my hands so I couldn’t rein in my tangled curls. Running his fingers through them, he murmured, “I definitely believe in God, but seeing all the stars makes me feel insignificant, like I don’t matter.”

His honesty touched me. “You matter.” I caressed the sturdy line of his jaw.

“How can you be sure?”

“Because God created all this for us.” Goosebumps erupted on my arms as Rawson rubbed them. “We matter most because we’re His children.”

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.”

His poetic words surprised me. “That’s beautiful.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “
Empire Strikes Back
. Yoda.”

I jabbed him. “You’re impossible.”

As comfortable silence settled between us, I tilted my head to look into his mesmerizing eyes. “What are you thinking?”

“That I want to kiss you,” he said with a lazy smile.

“You’re always thinking that. What else?”

“That we should get more cozy.” He lifted me onto his lap.

Fiery convulsions shot through me as the hard planes of his body pressed into me. My body buzzed from desire, which set off a chain reaction of shallow breathing, heated skin, pounding heart, melting limbs, and limited brain function.

“Stargazing’s my new favorite hobby.” The low rumble of his voice played sensually against my sensitized neck.

“You’re not looking at the stars,” I said, then gasped as his lips claimed me in the most pleasurable nibbling session yet. As he practically supped on my neck, my fingers curled into his shirt. My heart pounded time in agonizing pleasure as my sluggish mind wondered if I should stop him. Daddy had outlined the dangers of boys in my youth. Was Rawson trying to give me a hickey? I had no clue whether something that felt so right might be wrong.

“Rawson,” I managed to whisper, “you won’t…leave any…marks, will you?”

“No hickeys.” His tongue flicked out along my skin, making me shiver. “Just sweet dreams.”

Stars were forgotten as he made love to my neck. My brain gradually became aware that our bodies had molded and entwined in a prone position on the swing. The gentle rocking motion mingled with Rawson’s tender ministrations rendered me blissfully numb. But not enough to forget Dad’s warning to never be caught in a horizontal position with a guy. Reluctant to stop the powerful waves of pleasure rolling over me but knowing I must, I pushed Rawson’s face away.

“We should call it a night.”

“Night. I called it.” He wrapped me in his arms and tried to claim my neck again.

“Stop.” I rolled off him and fought to gather my senses. “We really should get to bed.”

I thought he might try to lure me back into his muscular arms, but he gave me a devilishly sexy grin. “Sweetheart, that’s the best thing you’ve said all night.”

“N-no,” I sputtered. “Not together. I mean you should go to your bed and I should go to mine.”

His rumbling chuckle made me gulp. “You are so damn sexy when you talk about bed.”