Texas Two Step: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1 (9 page)

His light touch bore into her shoulders like a ten-ton weight. Or it could have been her guilt bearing down on her. She shrugged out of his grip. She’d almost lost control of her emotions while they danced, which could have been disastrous. Truth be told, she probably shouldn’t have even danced with him, much less kissed him again.

Mistakes. One after another after another. She’d decided on the drive home last night that it’d be better for her to break her own heart by walking away from him than to wait for him to do it by walking away from her. She wasn’t sure she’d survive another goodbye from Mitch.

“No. I have to get home. Sorry.”

His eyes darkened. The smile dropped off his mouth. “I want you to stay.” Used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it, the frown on his face revealed his frustration at being told no. But tonight, that was the answer, like it or not.

She’d promised herself one memorable night with Mitch and she’d had last night to make her memories. Each time they parted, she left a part of her behind. She couldn’t keep doing that.

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?” He leaned over her, his warm breath touching her face with each word. “I saw the look in your eyes when we kissed. Felt you shiver at my touch. You want me as much as I want you. What are you not telling me? Did you lie to me?”

Her breath hitched. Did he know about Adam? Had someone inadvertently mentioned her son? Mitch could do the math. He’d know, or at least suspect, that Adam could be his son.

“Lie? About what?” Her voice shook.

“Is there another man in your life? Are you still in love with your ex-husband?”

She almost laughed in relief. Another man. Oh yeah, she had another man and he was waiting for her at home…with his babysitter.

Her guilty conscience demanded to be spilled. Her gut roiled in remorse. The day might come when she explained her actions, however, that day was not tonight.

“No, I didn’t lie. I’m not seeing anyone. And I told you the truth about Drake. I love him like a friend, but that’s all.”

“So stay.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Last night was—”

“Was what? Incredible? Hell, yeah.” She lowered her voice to avoid attracting attention of the other guests. “You want to know you’ll always be the best lover I’ll ever know? You are. There’ll never be another one like you in my life. But I can’t stay.”

She spun away from him.

Tomorrow he’d be gone.

I can’t watch you leave again.

She’d thought—hoped—if she gave herself last night, the memories would be enough to sustain her. Instead, she wanted more, even though she knew how it would end.

A tight band around her chest made each breath a struggle. Unwanted tears burned the back of her eyes. Her throat throbbed with heartache.

“When do you fly home?”

When he stepped up behind her the heat radiating from him blanketed her. She fought the urge to step back closer to him. He didn’t even have to touch her to ignite the smoldering embers inside.

His large hand manacled her wrist, his fingers tightening, preventing her from walking away.

“Soon,” he said in answer to her question about his leaving. He turned her to face him. “I can’t stay. I wish I could stay longer but I have to get back.”

She gave a hollow laugh in a vain attempt to cover her resentment at being left again. “Of course you do. Your family needs you. Your cows need you.”

The tears that’d been burning at the back of her eyes began to collect in the corners. Opening her eyes wide, she tried to stop the waterworks before they got out of control. “I’m sorry. I’m being rude.” She forced a chuckle. “My mother would be appalled.”

She swallowed around the lump in her throat and forced the tears in her eyes to dry. Turning to face the only man she’d ever loved, she held out her hand, praying he’d make this easy. “Goodbye, Mitch Landry. It was great seeing you again. Have a nice life.”

Of course the concepts of
easy
and
Mitch Landry
hadn’t ever gone together. He stared at her hand as though she’d offered him a dead cat. “So now we exchange handshakes? After last night, you offer me your hand?” He sneered. “I don’t think so.” Grabbing her extended hand, he jerked her against him. “You know you’d rather have a kiss than a handshake.”

The touch of his lips to her mouth ignited internal fireworks. She grasped his shoulders for balance and held on. In answer to the stroke of his tongue along the seam of her lips, she opened her mouth, welcomed him inside. Their tongues met, wrapped around each other. Both tongues twisted and moved, struggling to taste as much as possible.

The kiss was deep and wet and oh-my-God sensual. He pulled her flush against him, growing long and hard against her abdomen. She felt herself growing soft and damp for him, dying to press harder against his arousal. She wanted this…Mitch and her…together…making love.

Stop it.

She had to walk away. If she didn’t—and right now—she was afraid she’d beg him to stay. Knowing she had to be convincing, had to make him believe she was done with him, she shoved him away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a deliberate insult. “I offered my hand, not my mouth.”

A cocky, self-assured look flashed across his face. “You didn’t mean it. You wanted me last night. You wanted me during our dance. You want me now.”

She ground her teeth in frustration. He was right, but that still didn’t erase her irritation at his arrogance. “Believe what you want. You always do. Go home. Let me get back to my life. I’ve finally gotten it where I want it.” She forced her feet into motion and made two steps before he grabbed her arm. She jerked to a stop.

“Liar,” Mitch growled. “Your life can’t be complete. You know we belong together. Didn’t last night teach you anything? I was wrong six years ago. I’ve made mistakes. I know that. But can’t you forgive me? Give us another shot? I…I still care about you.”

Desperation held her body rigid, while inside her heart broke. Years of tears and regret filled her. She yanked her arm free from his rough hand. “We can’t go back, Mitch. Too much time has passed. There are things I’ve done, things you’d never understand. You’d never forgive me. It’s too late.”

He frowned. “It’s never too late. Come home with me. Give me a month or even two weeks to convince you to give us another try.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart. I’ll always love you, Mitch, but I just can’t.”

Olivia spun around and hurried through the lobby, racing to get to the safety of her car before everyone saw her meltdown. The foyer shimmered through her tear-filled eyes. She wasn’t going to make it to the privacy of her car before the waterworks started.

Sprinting across the lobby, her ankle went one way and the rest of her went the other. Through her eyes, everything seemed to all happen in slow motion. The world shifted sideways. She threw out her arms, scrambling to find something to grab, something to stop her fall, but there was nothing around her but air. She hit the hard tile floor with a thud.

The sound of stampeding cattle was a whisper compared to the pounding in Mitch’s head. What could Olivia have possibly done she believed was unforgivable? Nothing was unforgivable, except maybe cattle rustling. You don’t take what another man owns.

Damn women. All of them.

He watched Olivia’s delectable backside as she dashed from the reception, her pale blonde hair flying behind her, her tight dress hugging the luscious curves of her bottom.

Damn woman.

He started after her. All he needed was two weeks. She said she loved him. Surely she could give them two weeks to rediscover a life together.

He picked up his pace, his long stride quickly covering the distance between them. He planned to intercept her before she could get to her car and lock him out of her life. Six years ago, he’d let go too easily. This time he’d fight for what he wanted.

He made it to the lobby in time to see the heel of her shoe snap. Her ankle twisted in an awkward position. She threw her arms up in the air for balance but there was nothing to stop her fall. He was close enough to hear the thud of her head when it hit the hard marble.

His heart shuttered, skipped a beat, and charged into overdrive.

“Oh God,” he shouted. “Olivia.”

He joined others from the hotel as they gathered around her.

“Call an ambulance,” someone shouted.

“Is she alive?”

“Who is it?”

“Someone with the wedding party.”

Mitch ignored the questions, dropping to the floor beside Olivia. Her left ankle was turned in an unnatural angle. He wasn’t a doctor, but it looked broken to him. “Don’t touch her,” he yelled. He gently swept her hair from her face and leaned close. Her eyes were shut, but she was breathing.

“Olivia. Olivia, open your eyes,” he demanded.

She groaned and opened one eye. “Shit, that hurt.”

He watched the mother of the bride pushed her way through the crowd of milling onlookers. “Move. Move. I’m a doctor. Damn it. Move.” She shoved a bellman over. “Make sure an ambulance has been called.”

Dr. Miller squatted beside him. “What happened?”

“She’s alive,” he said. Relief coursed through his veins.

“That’s always good news,” Dr. Miller snapped. “What happened?”

Heat infused Mitch’s face. He wasn’t responsible for this, so why did he feel so guilty?

“The heel of her shoe broke,” he said, gesturing with a nod toward a spiked heel. “Threw her off balance and she fell.” He shuddered. “I heard her head hit the floor.”

Olivia groaned again. “I can talk for myself.”

The sound of her voice—although weak—made him take a deep breath in relief that she was conscious and alert. But concern still gnawed at his gut. The position of her ankle and knee didn’t look normal.

Dr. Miller checked Olivia’s head while speaking to her. “Hey, Olivia. It’s Teresa Miller.”

“Hi, Dr. Miller.” Olivia gave a tortured laugh. “Damn high-heel shoes.”

Olivia lifted her head off the floor and began to sit up.

“Don’t move too much until I get a look at you.” Dr. Miller applied gentle pressure to Olivia’s shoulders to lower her back to the marble floor. “Good. Where do you hurt?”

“Head. Back. Ankle,” Olivia said, flinching with each word.

“Okay. Hold on. An ambulance should be here soon.”

“Adam,” she said through gritted teeth. “Have to call him.”

“I will, as soon as we know what’s going on with you.”

“Did I break it? My ankle, I mean.” Frowning, Olivia shut her eyes again.

“I don’t know. Your foot is at an odd angle. It’s already starting to swell and turn purple. Maybe, if you’re lucky, it’s just a bad sprain.”

Mitch’s lips tightened. Adam again. Olivia was involved with someone…this Adam person. So that’s the unforgivable thing she was talking about. She’d lied to him about being involved with someone. Well, that and the fact she’d lied when she said she still loved him.

Women did that…lied about being in love. Women used the phrase “I love you” to justify having sex with a guy. He wondered if that’s what Olivia had done…last night and tonight. The thought stabbed like an arrow in his gut.

Mitch stood, looked down at Olivia’s ashen face twisted in pain. He couldn’t leave her until he knew she’d be okay. Adam or no Adam, he cared for this woman. Whether she still cared about him or not didn’t matter. He wouldn’t leave her alone when she needed him.

“Okay, Olivia. I’ll go with you to the hospital. Without tests, I can’t be sure what you’ve done to your ankle. Okay?” Dr. Miller patted her shoulder.

“Okay.”

Mitch nodded. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”

The shrill scream of a siren interrupted whatever else Dr. Miller was going to say. An ambulance wheeled into the drive, stopping directly in front of the door. Two paramedics jumped out, snatching lockboxes of drugs and supplies from the van.

After stabilizing her neck in case of an injury, an inflatable cast was place on the ankle to stabilize it for transport. They started an IV and attached a bag of fluid. Finally, Olivia was loaded into the ambulance.

Mitch grabbed the doctor’s arm as she climbed in the ambulance with Olivia. “Which hospital?” He held Olivia’s small black clutch in his hand.

“Baylor Medical Center.” She reached for Olivia’s purse. “There’s nothing you can do. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

He gave a terse nod before the ambulance door slammed in his face.

Oh God, she hurt…everywhere. She opened her eyes then slammed them shut again when one look into the ceiling lights above her drove sharp daggers of pain into her head. Her body rocked as the gurney swayed with the ambulance’s movements. Voices carried on conversations around her. A male voice she recognized as one of the EMT’s. Then Teresa Miller’s voice.

Olivia opened her eyes and groaned. “You think this ambulance is really necessary?”

Teresa smoothed a hand across Olivia’s brow. “Yes, I do. Besides,” she leaned closer, “isn’t it exciting with the siren going?”