Rider's Kiss (3 page)

“To answer the question hanging in the air, yes, I did hear every word.” She glared at Rider and said, “I wouldn’t go out with you if you were the last man on earth.”

He stood and held up his hands as if in surrender. “Victoria, you don’t understand—”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I do.” She glanced at Reena, ignoring Rider completely. “Ready to go shopping for your birthday?”

“Uh, sure.” Reena stood and grabbed her purse off the table in front of her.

Rider was still talking as they left the kitchen. Victoria did her best to tune him out. To pretend she wasn’t actually breaking into a thousand pieces. Once they were in the car, Victoria let the tears fall. Damn it, why did she even care? Rider didn’t owe her anything. The crush she’d had on him was years ago. It shouldn’t hurt so much to hear him describe her as nerdy and spinsterish. His comments should not mean so much to her. The argument didn’t help her feel any better, though. The tears continued to fall regardless.

Reena reached out and patted her thigh. “I’m sorry my brother is a thick-headed ass,” she said, her voice filled with understanding.

Victoria angrily swiped at the tears. “No, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter what he says. Besides, it’s good to finally know the truth.”

“What truth?”

“That I never had a chance.” She put on her seat belt and backed out of the driveway. “Not then and definitely not now.”

Reena buckled herself in and replied, “I suppose, but I know my brother.”

Even though it wasn’t beneficial for her shredded ego to ask, curiosity got the better of her. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just that Rider tends to lash out when he’s put on the spot, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s being honest.”

“You’re saying he doesn’t really think I’m nerdy and spinsterish?” Victoria snorted. “Hate to break it to you, Reena, but that’s exactly what Rider thinks of me. It’s what most men think of me.”

“Damn, I’m sorry, sweetie. I shouldn’t have interfered.”

Victoria pasted on a smile for the sake of her friend. “Screw it.” She took the card she’d bought days ago out of the glove box and handed it to her. “It’s your birthday, and we’re going to have a fun day, even if it kills me.”

“Damn straight,” Reena said as she opened the envelope and read the card. Her voice was a little shaky as she said, “In fact, I say the topic of men is off limits as of right now.”

“Good idea. Now, let’s go to Sal’s. There’s a large slice of lasagna and hot buttery breadsticks calling my name.”

“And chicken parmesan is definitely calling mine. That and a slice of Sal’s fantastic caramel cheese cake.” Reena made a humming sound. “God, I love that stuff.”

At the mention of the delicious treat, Victoria’s mouth watered. “I don’t usually get dessert, but today I’m breaking tradition.”

Reena slapped her on the arm. “That’s my girl.”

Like so many other disappointments in Victoria’s life, she pushed Rider and his ugly words out of her mind. Instead, she focused on treating her best friend to a fabulous birthday. She could cry over her mutilated ego later.

By the time Tuesday night rolled around, Victoria found herself sprawled on her living room couch, scarfing down a pint of rocky road ice cream. Pathetic. This morning she’d gone into work, hoping to forget about Rider, hoping for a fresh start. Instead she’d managed to forget her purse and laptop, which contained all her client information. Her day had started off bad and gone downhill from there. The icing on the cake had been when she’d learned that the Williamses’ wedding was off. The bride ended up with a bad case of cold feet. No wedding meant no reception, no fancy hors d’oeuvres and no recommendations from the Williams. Lovely.

Her remedy for such a lousy day? Wallow in self-pity, eat herself silly and, for good measure, watch a chick flick. Victoria looked down at the spoon in her hand and sighed. She was going to have to run an extra four miles just to work off the calories she’d consumed tonight. A long hot soak in the tub, that was what she really needed. Anger rose up all over again. Anger at herself for caring what Rider James thought of her. Anger that his words hurt so much. She thought of the look on his face as she’d walked into the kitchen. The surprise and regret. Even after all the things he’d said, Victoria couldn’t help the excitement she’d felt at seeing him after all the years. He’d aged well.

His broad shoulders and powerful arms filled out the long-sleeve navy-blue button-down shirt he wore, and the snug jeans emphasized his muscular thighs. Brown leather work boots completed the manly look. She’d never seen another man quite as masculine and virile as Rider. The wild mess of his black hair begged her fingers to sift and play. She’d always liked his messy hair. Victoria was glad he hadn’t gone with a neater style. Neat didn’t suit Rider. Conforming to society wasn’t his way. He’d always been the quintessential rebel in Victoria’s mind. He’d looked great, which made the words he’d spewed all the worse. Damn if her body didn’t respond with a rush of heat even now. Clearly she had no pride at all. Where Rider James was concerned, she was putty.

The doorbell rang. In her heart, Victoria hoped it was Rider coming to apologize for his hurtful comments. When she heard Reena call out to her to open the door, Victoria’s hopes plummeted.

Victoria grumbled at the interruption, secretly pleased to have company. She pushed off the couch and strode across the room, then unlatched the door. “Hi,” she said.

Reena gave her a once-over and said, “You’re moping, aren’t you?” She pushed her way inside and shut the door behind her.

“I’m allowed after the day I’ve had.” Victoria frowned. “How’d you know I was moping?”

“Brenda called me,” she said as she glanced around the room.

At the mention of one of her employees, Victoria made a mental note to thank the older woman. “Brenda is sweet, but she doesn’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”

“She worries for good reason, if you ask me. Especially after the Williamses’ wedding fell through.” Reena sniffed the air and screwed up her nose in disgust. “It smells a lot like the locker room down at the gym.”

“Yeah, well, I haven’t had time to clean up,” Victoria growled, then went back to her couch and her wallowing. “I’ve been a little busy.”

“Busy moping. Yeah, I can see that.” Reena arched a brow and plucked the container of ice cream off the coffee table. “I think you’ve had just about enough sugar for one night. And you really need to go shower.”

Victoria frowned. “Are you saying I stink?”

“No, but the hot water will make you feel better.” She waited for her to stand up, but when Victoria didn’t budge, she crossed her arms over her chest and flatly stated, “I could drag you there if you’d rather, but I can’t guarantee the water will be warm.”

Victoria weighed the merits of denying her, then decided it just wasn’t worth it. She stood. “I think I’m going to go shower.”

“Good idea.” Reena held up the dripping cardboard carton. “I’ll just go put this away.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reena replied as she headed for the kitchen.

When Victoria reached the bathroom, she flipped on the light and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her tangled hair hung in messy clumps down her back, her mascara was smeared all over her cheeks and her clothes were wrinkled beyond repair. “I look like crap,” she mumbled. “Worse than crap.”

She turned to the task of showering away the grime, hoping the hot spray and steam would make her feel loads better. By the time the water ran cold, she did feel a little more human. Once she finished, Victoria slipped into a clean pair of heather-gray cotton shorts and a white T-shirt. She tucked her hair under a towel and went to find Reena. She was surprised to see the living room tidied and Reena doing the dishes. When Reena noticed her, she pointed a soapy finger toward the table. “Sit while I finish this, then we can have a nice long talk.”

Victoria pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “I don’t see what there is to discuss,” she mumbled.

“How about your attitude, for starters? If you ask me, that’s a damn fine place to begin.”

Instead of being offended, Victoria laughed. It sounded rusty, but still, it was something. Reena was always that way, making her smile when she really felt like crying. “I’m sorry for being such an ungrateful bitch. I’m lucky to have a friend like you.”

“Yes, you are,” Reena said as she sat down across from her. “But that’s not the issue right now. The issue is, what are you going to do about my brother?”

“Your brother?”

“He’s the idiot who’s got your panties all in a twist, isn’t he?”

“I had a bad day, Reena. I thought we already established that.”

“You’ve never tried to eat yourself into a coma because you lost a client. No, this is because of the stupid things he said about you yesterday, right?”

She firmed her jaw. “Rider has a right to his opinion. He and I aren’t friends, so whatever he says about me really shouldn’t bother me.”

Reena’s eyes softened. “And yet it does.”

Victoria slumped, feeling like the biggest fool ever born. “Yeah, it does. I hate myself for it too.”

“It’s because you still have feelings for him.”

“I shouldn’t, though. I mean, it’s crazy to carry a torch for a guy all these years. I think they call that obsession.”

She snorted. “It’s not like you’re a stalker, Victoria. And you haven’t exactly put your life on hold waiting for him to come running.”

“If he’d only stayed in New York, damn it.”

“Seeing him again is bringing it all back, is that it?”

She shrugged. “I just don’t get it. I feel like such a dolt. I’m an intelligent, successful businesswoman. So why am I reacting like a teenager with her first heartbreak?”

“Maybe because for you, the feelings go deeper than attraction.”

“You’re talking about love.” Victoria shook her head. “No, it’s not possible to love someone you’ve never spent five minutes with. This is desire, nothing more. A lot of which can be attributed to Rider’s bad-boy nature. Let’s face it, plenty of women are attracted to the outlaw type, and your brother is definitely wicked.”

“Okay, then let me ask you this. How did you feel when you broke it off with George? Did you wallow in misery then too?”

Victoria frowned. “No. I mean, I was frustrated that I’d wasted so much time on him, but I didn’t cry over the guy.”

“It seems to me you care a great deal more for Rider than you ever did George.” When Victoria started to defend her actions further, Reena sped right on. “Personally, if some guy said those rude things about me, I’d want to do something about it. Get him back. Make him twist a little.”

Victoria looked down at the table as she considered Reena’s words. “I don’t know. I’m not sure anything I do would make a difference.”

Reena reached a hand across the table and laid it on top of Victoria’s. “Look, I know my brother and can guarantee he’s kicking his own ass for hurting you. He can be a jerk, but he isn’t cruel.”

As Reena’s words sank in, Victoria knew she was right. “I suppose I should have given him a chance to explain.”

Reena smiled. “Nah, he deserves to squirm a little. Still, I do have an idea.”

Victoria closed her eyes tight. “I’m afraid to hear it.”

“Let me take you shopping.”

Her eyes popped open. “How is that going to fix anything?”

“The way I see it, you need to show Rider that you are anything but spinsterish. So we get you prettied up. I guarantee you he’ll get his butt in gear once I’m done with you.”

Victoria burst out laughing. “A makeover? Seriously?”

“The thing is, I’ve never once thought you really needed to change a single thing. I happen to feel that you’re beautiful just the way you are. Still, taking some of that natural beauty and making it more…noticeable couldn’t hurt either, right?”

Her poor ego deserved the boost, for damn sure. “But if he notices the new-and-improved me when he never gave the nerdy me the time of day, that’s going to seriously suck too.”

“You think it’ll hurt worse if he’s only attracted to the stylish clothes and fancier makeup?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “I guess I’d rather he want me as-is.”

“I understand, but sometimes you have to give men a little nudge in the right direction. That’s all we’d be doing here, Victoria, giving Rider a wakeup call.”

Victoria let out a breath, then took the plunge. “I might live to regret it, but I’m starting to really like your plan, Reena.”

Reena clapped her hands together. “Finally! I can’t wait to get started.”

“Oh God, I feel like I’ve just unleashed Doctor Frankenstein.”

Chapter Three

Rider needed to see Victoria. He had things to say, and she was going to listen, damn it. After she’d taken Reena shopping on Monday, looking as if he’d struck her, Rider had counted the hours until his sister had come home. He’d pleaded with Reena to give up Victoria’s address. He’d explained that he wanted to apologize for his hurtful remarks. But that was only part of his reason for seeking her out. He wanted to see her. He missed her bright smiles and the warmth in her hazel eyes. It’d been ten years since Rider had last laid eyes on Victoria. She’d barely changed, though. She still looked as young as ever, and she even wore her hair the same, long and pulled up into a high ponytail.