Exquisite Acquisitions

Six

Carter was already sorry.

He held Macy in his arms, splaying his hands on her tiny waist. She was pressed close, her breasts crushed to his chest. His pulse quickened as he looked down at her mouth. Her lips were full and soft and generous. Her expressive violet eyes were closed, but Carter had seen the look of sheer joy on her face, and it was impossible not to feel the same way.

His body grew tight and hard. Awareness coursed through his veins. Her eyes fluttered open after that one teasing kiss, and she stared at him. He held his own, until her mouth parted and her subtle female scent drifted up to his nostrils. A man could take only so much before he caved.

He bent his head farther and nipped at her lips. A little whimper rose from her throat, a plea asking for more. Carter wasn’t going to deny her. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her fully. She fell into his arms, as if she wanted to be there all along, as if she belonged there.

A shudder ran through his system. She didn’t belong in his arms, but her kisses were too damn tempting, her mouth too appealing and the taste of her too damn good.

Was it an ego stroke, or real passion? Carter didn’t want to know. Both of them were in lonely places right now, and if they could bring each other a little pleasure, why not? He pulled her closer and took her in another kiss. This time, he got real serious.

She grew bold and brought her hands to his chest, then stroked up his shirt to toy with his neck. He liked a woman who went after what she wanted. He liked her hands on him. He wove his hand into her hair and pulled her ponytail loose. The silky blanket of curls fell down her back. His fingers threaded through the thick locks. “Open for me, darlin’.”

Her lips immediately obeyed and he drove his tongue into her mouth. He kissed her again and again, their mouths caught up in a frenzy of lust.

Macy whispered his name softly, reverently between kisses. “Carter.”

He wanted her then and was fully aware they were standing in the only room that housed a big, welcoming bed. No strings attached, he’d told her when he’d invited her here. He’d promised her that, and he was about to make that clear a second time. He pulled away from her slightly and met with eyes filled with desire. “There’s-”

Something flashed outside the window, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Henry’s truck coming up the road. “Crap.”

Carter put his head down, bunched up his face for a second and then stepped away from Macy. “Henry just pulled up. He must be looking for me. It’ll be only a minute before he comes up here.”

Macy gasped and pulled herself together quickly. It wasn’t as if she’d been naked or anything, but she looked flustered.

“I’ll go down and see what he wants.”

Carter grabbed his hat, set it on his head and gave Macy one last look before leaving the room. Regret battled with good sense as he went down the stairs. It was a good thing Henry interrupted what might have happened, he told himself. He wished to hell he believed that. He hadn’t quite recovered, but he put on a good show for Henry when he met him out front. He was sitting in his truck, and Carter leaned against the passenger window. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Looks like Belle is ready to foal. You said you wanted to be there.”

“Yeah, I do. How’s she doing?”

“Being it’s her first time, she’s a trouper. I’ve gotta get back to the barn.”

“I’ll come relieve you in a few minutes.”

Macy appeared in the doorway, her hair back in a ponytail, her hat sitting pretty atop her head. Henry tipped his hat and didn’t voice the question Carter noticed in his eyes. Henry knew how to be discreet when he had to be. “Miss Tarlington.”

“Hi, Henry. Anything wrong?”

“Not a thing. It’s good news.”

Carter turned to her. “You ever see a mare give birth?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“You want to?” he asked.

Macy glanced at Henry first then looked at Carter. With a broad smile, she nodded. “I’d love to.”

“Well then, I’ll be going. I’ll see you both at the ranch,” Henry said, revving the engine.

Carter stood in front of the house, watching the Ford truck make its way down the road. When the vehicle was out of sight, he turned around and gave Macy a direct look. Her eyes, when unconcealed, were like a bouquet of blue violets, shocking in their intensity. He glanced at her mouth, tenderly swollen from his kisses. He set his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and leaned back on his boot heels. “Listen, when I invited you here, I said there were no strings attached, and I meant it. You don’t owe me anything, and you shouldn’t feel obligated because-”

“Don’t you dare!” Macy’s lips pursed tight together. They were ready to turn a shade of purple.

He jerked back and blinked at her tone.

“You think I kissed you because I feel I owe you something? Man, that’s rich, Carter.”

Carter’s voice rose. “Why are you so riled?”

Her voice elevated a notch higher. “I’m not riled.”

Fumes were practically coming out of her ears. “Then why the hell are you barking at me?”

“I. Am. Not. Barking. But if you think I kissed you for any other reason than because I wanted to, then you don’t know me very well.”

“Well, that’s right. I don’t know you very well.”

“At this rate, you’re never going to find out.”

“Maybe it’s best if I don’t.” The last thing he needed was to get complicated with Macy Tarlington. He’d been a fool once with a woman, and he wasn’t about to repeat his mistake. No matter how good that kiss had been. No matter how much Macy tempted him with pretty hair, gorgeous eyes and a killer body. “Besides, I kissed you. That peck you gave me wasn’t all that inspiring and hardly rated as a kiss at all.”

“I was thanking you, Carter.” She spoke as if he should’ve realized that. As if he was a moron. “If my kisses were so bad, then why in heaven did you react that way?” Her voice lowered as she glanced at the zipper of his jeans.

She’d turned him on. It wasn’t a crime and he wasn’t going to apologize for it. He met her challenge. His voice a thick rasp, he answered, “Don’t go analyzing my reaction to you. You’re a beautiful woman and we got caught up in something a second ago. That’s all it was.” He pushed the brim of his hat lower onto his forehead. “I’ve gotta get going. You want to come and see Belle give birth, hop into the Jeep.”

He strode over to his Jeep and climbed into the driver’s side. Rocky followed, racing into the front seat next to him, taking up all the space. The dog turned big eager eyes to Macy, and Carter half hoped she’d changed her mind. But sure as shooting, she marched over to the vehicle and got into the back. Before she could get her butt planted firmly onto the seat, Carter gunned the gas pedal and took off.

Seeing the colt’s birth might have been the most fascinating thing that happened to Macy this year, if Carter hadn’t kissed her. That ranked one notch higher in her Top Ten List of All-Time Thrills. Macy couldn’t shake off the feeling of his arms around her, their bodies melding or the heat of his breath as he laid claim to her mouth. Her lips still stung a little, in a good way. Macy had let go of all her doubts and inhibitions up in that bedroom and simply gave in to what she was feeling.

Carter had turned on the heat.

But after the interruption, he’d shut down cold.

Macy wasn’t looking for love, hardly believed in it herself, and she knew Carter wasn’t in the market for another girlfriend. He’d had his heart broken and his faith shattered. And, she couldn’t forget, he was the bearer of the cursed diamond ring.

Yet still, Macy tingled in places she’d forgotten could tingle. Her nerves jangled at the memory of that kiss and what might have happened if Henry hadn’t driven up when he had.

If she was ever to take a leap of faith with a man, it would be with Carter. No doubt about it.

Macy leaned on the corral fence. The air was warm and sticky, the sun taking its last dip before setting on the horizon. To think, it was just an hour ago that the foal had been born, a colt. Macy had watched in awe and slight horror, seeing the mare strain and stretch to deliver her little babe. As soon as the foal was born, covered in a layer of stable straw, Carter checked under Belle’s neck for a pulse and then patted her lovingly on her flank. She’d rebounded from the delivery and lifted up to stand tall in the barn’s stall. Mama and foal were healthy, Carter had reported.

Now, Carter led the mare and the spindle-legged foal into the empty corral. The colt followed close to its mama, and Macy’s heart tripped over itself. Mother and son were beautiful in their awkward grace. As the colt nursed, Belle stood still, swiveling her head to catch a sideways glance of her newborn. They were dark brown in coloring with black manes, their coats like gloss under the setting sun.

Carter left them in the center of the corral and came to lean his back on the fence next to her. He was inside, she outside. He didn’t look at her when he spoke, instead focusing on the two horses. “He’s a fine-looking colt, isn’t he?”

“He’s amazing. It’s hard to believe he’s walking already.”

“It’s in his nature. He’s a prey animal. His instincts tell him to get up and go, avoid predators at all costs. Foals have to be quick on their feet. He’ll be trotting before bedtime, and in the morning he’ll be able to gallop.”

“Seriously, on those legs?”

Carter grinned. In the olden days, she’d be called a greenhorn for being naive. “Those legs are about ninety percent of his mama’s in height. Tomorrow they’ll even be stronger and will easily hold his weight. You watch and see.”

“I’ll do that,” Macy said good-naturedly. The mood between them had eased some after the colt’s birth. It seemed neither one of them could hold on to tense feelings after witnessing something so wondrous.

Macy always thought birth was a miracle in itself, but to witness the colt’s progress an hour after his delivery was truly inspiring.

In the distance, cattle bellowed, their sound almost familiar to her now. This ranch was massive, with so many things going on all at once. The air was damp and uncomfortable and the stubborn man beside her way too good-looking for her equilibrium, yet Macy felt at peace. It settled into her bones now, and a sense of wonder and joy filled her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she fought them hard. She didn’t want Carter to see her cry. She turned her head and pretended to gaze at the crescent moon. Even the sky was perfect right now.

“What’s wrong, Hollywood?” Carter asked. He wasn’t looking at her. He had a sixth sense about things. He seemed to see what she didn’t want him to see.

“I got something in my eye. I think it’s dust.”

“It’s not dust.”

“How do you know?” She whipped her head around to stare at his profile.

He shrugged. “I just know. If it’s about what happened back at the inn…”

“It’s not. I assure you it isn’t.” She spoke adamantly, perhaps too much so, because he finally looked into her eyes. She squared her shoulders. “Maybe it’s seeing…I don’t know…a miracle, right before my eyes.”

“Okay,” he said softly. Her knees nearly buckled from his sweet tone. “Just making sure.”

They stared at each other a long time. Only the shuffling of the mare’s hooves and the distant hoot of an owl sounded in the silence.

A change of subject was needed. “I’d like to start work on the inn tomorrow.”

“I figured as much. I’ll have Henry make sure the locks on the inn are changed.”

“You’ve never locked it up before…at least not since I’ve been here.”

“There was no need to before.”

Meaning, before this, he didn’t care what happened to the inn. His bitterness toward his father translated into disregard for the inn. At least now, he was willing to protect it, the same way he protected most other things in his life.

The way he’d protected you.

“I’ll have Henry give you the new keys in the morning.”

“That’s great. Thank you.”

“We’ll have to talk about your budget.”

“Sounds good. I’ve learned to live on a shoestring. I can be thrifty.”

Carter nodded. “I’ve had to do the same. But, if we’re doing this, I don’t want to pinch pennies. You’ll have all you need to make the place shine. I only have one condition.”

Carter sent her a serious look and Macy blinked. “I’m holding my breath. What is it? You want the walls purple or retro furniture or something?”

“Very funny. I’m asking you to use local vendors for most of the work.”

“Oh?”

“Texans stick together. Folks around here like to keep the neighbors employed.”

“That’s very upstanding of you.”

“I know.” He sent her a bone-melting smile. “I’m that kind of guy.”

It wasn’t easy, but she ignored his down-home charm. “Of course, I’ll hire locals for the work.” Her mind was spinning. She was determined to do a good job with the inn. It was a project she could sink her teeth into.

“Good.”

Macy’s heart raced and her exuberance spilled out. “Carter, I can’t tell you how excited I am about this.”

He glanced at her lips as she spoke and then pierced her with a solid, no-fooling look. “I got that already.”

Heat flushed her cheeks. She didn’t often blush, but Carter had a way of awakening emotions that didn’t usually surface.

His gaze drifted to the mare and her colt. “How about Midnight?”

“Midnight?” She swallowed. “For what?” Was he making a date with her? Surely, he didn’t want to talk budgets in the middle of the night. After the way he’d kissed her, the direction her mind traveled was X-rated. Then it dawned on her. “Oh, you mean as a name for the colt?”

He grinned. “What else?”

He was a tease, a heartthrob and a gorgeous hunk of man. “I like Midnight. It’s sort of…perfect.”

“Midnight it is.” He tipped his hat and left the corral fence, ushering the horses into the barn for the night.

When he disappeared through the double-wide doors, she strode into the house. She had an inn to refurbish. She would focus all of her energy on the task and not give Carter McCay more thought than absolutely necessary.

She clung to that notion for dear life.

Two nights later, Macy sat at a bridge table in the parlor of the inn going over her decorating plans when a knock sounded at the door. She’d locked herself in, as Carter had instructed when the new dead bolts were installed. Glancing at her watch, she noted the time. It was after seven. She’d gotten carried away with paint and floor samples and didn’t realize the late hour. She’d missed dinner at the house with Carter.

“Miss Tarlington? Are you all right in there?”

She recognized the man’s raspy voice. She piled her notes and samples in a stack then stepped away from the table and opened the door to face Bill Fargo.

“Sorry to bother you, miss. I’m doing my rounds, checking on things. And well…”

“Let me guess. You have orders to check on me.”

Contrite, he answered her with a quick smile. “Just doing my job.”

“I’m fine in here. But, wow…I didn’t realize how late it was. Do you have time to come in for a minute? I’ll take a break.”

He wore a cowboy hat, not the same as Carter’s, but it suited him in slate gray to match the rest of his attire. He looked as if he fit in around here already, though he’d been on the job less time than Macy had been at Wild River. He was the newbie.

“I have a few minutes.” He stepped inside and took off his hat.

“I’m working on plans for the house.” He followed her into the parlor just off the entranceway. “Please, have a seat.”

On a nod, he pulled out one of the four folding chairs around the table and waited for her to sit before he took his seat.

Gentlemanly charm got to her every time. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Would you like some iced tea? I have a thermos and an extra cup.”

“That’d be nice. I’m a little thirsty.”

Macy poured iced tea into two foam cups and handed him one. “So, you know my last name.”

He nodded. “Yes, I do. I know who you are.”

“Did Carter tell you?”

He shook his head. “He told me your first name. I figured out the rest. I’m a drifter, but I’m not a recluse. I guess you could say, I enjoyed your mother’s work. She was a fine actress.”

Macy had heard that compliment a thousand times. Her mother moved people with her acting ability, but it was her lifestyle and celebrity status that had kept her name in the limelight. “She was a wonderful mother.”

“I’m sure you miss her.”

“I do. The heart condition that claimed her life moved fast. One day she was healthy and vital, and it seemed the next she was frail and ill. But it was a blessing that she didn’t linger. I know that in my head, but I wanted more time with her.”

“That’s understandable.” He sipped his drink and gave her a smile that reached his eyes. They were perceptive eyes, ones that had seen a lot of life. “Mr. McCay said you’re at the ranch for some solitude. I won’t breach that confidence. I keep to myself, too.”

“Then you do understand.” Macy returned his smile before sipping her iced and then glanced at the paint chips on the table. “I could use a second opinion. I can’t quite decide. Would you mind?”

“I can’t say I have decorating sense, but I know what I like.”

Macy pulled out a string of paint samples that were attached to a metal ring. “I’m leaning toward Stone Mountain. There’s a hint of lavender in the grayish hue. I also like Chocolate Milk and Brown Sugar for the upstairs bedrooms. I can’t decide. I like them all.”

Bill Fargo took a long time to look them over, his eyes assessing and his gaze thoughtful. “Can you choose more than one?”

“I could. I was thinking of doing each room differently. Giving them their own personality.”

“Then I think you’ve made wise choices.” He picked up a sample of Sage. “This one reminds me of the kitchen in the house I grew up in. It’s warm and friendly.”

Macy grinned. “Really? I think so, too. That was my exact choice for the kitchen.” She leaned her elbows on the table and tilted her head toward him. “Where did you grow up?”

Fargo’s face tightened a fraction and Macy immediately wished she hadn’t asked. Here she was, trying to keep her own background hidden only to pry into someone else’s life.

“Oh, I grew up on the East Coast, but I’ve lived all over the country. I can’t say that my life was dull, that’s for sure.”

There was no ring on his finger, but she wondered if Fargo had been married at one time.

She commiserated. “Mine sure wasn’t.”

Fargo’s mouth spread into a smile. “I’ll bet we both have stories to tell.”

“I’d love to hear yours one day.”

He rose from the table. “Maybe one day. But right now, I’d better get back to work. Can I give you a lift back to the house?”

She peered out a slice of window the frayed curtains didn’t cover. “It’s getting dark. Rocky usually leads the way home, but Mara took the poor baby into town today to get his yearly vaccinations. Yes, I’d love a ride home.”

Macy gathered her belongings, making sure to take the paint samples. Hopefully tomorrow the local painters she’d hired would start work upstairs. Macy didn’t know how long she’d be here at Wild River, but indefinitely wasn’t in the cards. She had a life to return to, but while she was here she wanted to accomplish as much as possible.

Later that night Macy sat up on her bed, tired of tossing and turning. Plaguing thoughts kept her from sleep, and she’d learned not to fight it. She rose from the bed and put on her silk robe. She felt stifled in her room, but it wasn’t the place or the heat that really bothered her. Her future loomed large in her mind tonight.

She left Rocky soundly sleeping at the foot of her bed and envied his ability to sleep like the dead. What a watchdog. The door creaked as Macy opened it and tiptoed out of the room. The hallway, devoid of windows, was black as pitch. She padded her way down the corridor, feeling her way. Her shoulder bumped the wall with a soft thump. She quickly righted herself and continued, moving with more confidence now.

She stepped on something. Sharp pain shot through her foot. Her toes curled. Caught off guard, she went down with a loud bang, her body hitting the hard tiled floor. “Ow! Oh, ow! Ow!” Her voice boomed through the hallway.

Her body folded like an accordion. She grabbed her foot.

“Macy?”

Suddenly, Carter was there, bending over her. He came down on one knee and looked her over, searching her eyes first. The hallway was no longer dark as death. Carter was backlit with light coming from the living room. Water droplets covered his chest. He was wet. All over. Only a towel covered him from waist to thigh. Her heart in her throat, the pain in her foot dulled. She stared at him.

“Are you hurt?”

“I…I stepped on something.”

Carter reached behind her and came up with Rocky’s rawhide bone. One end was gnawed to an arrowhead point. “Yep, that looks painful,” he said.

Macy stared at his bare chest. Underneath those cotton shirts he wore lay a plank of hard abs and brawn fit enough for MuscleMag. She’d known he was mouthwatering, but seeing him in the raw was a whole lot better than her imagination had conjured up.

“Let me take a look.” He lifted her leg and examined her foot. His hazel eyes scoured her from heel to toe as his fingers lightly caressed the pad of her foot. A tremble coursed the length of her leg where he held her firm. As she leaned back to allow his perusal, her robe slipped off her shoulders, trapping her arms. “Looks okay. No blood.” He lowered her foot down carefully.

“Th-that’s good.”

He leaned closer and used one finger to wipe away a droplet of water at the base of her throat. His slight touch heated her skin. “Didn’t mean to drip on you.”

Drip all you want. Macy swallowed and forced a glance into his eyes. “It’s okay.”

On bent knee, his gaze flowed over her like a rapidly moving river, taking all of her in. She was wearing a soft pink nightie that barely covered her thighs. He went there and then farther up to view the cleavage between her breasts. “Macy,” he said, eyes blazing. “Where were you going?”

“I, uh, couldn’t sleep. I was going to stretch my legs. Maybe get a drink of water.” Thankfully, she was heading in the opposite direction of his bedroom, so he wouldn’t think she was desperate for something erotic and sinful.

A lock of moist hair fell onto his forehead. A few beads of water ran down his face, and he dripped on her again. Oh wow. On second thought, yes, definitely something sinful. She peered at his chest again. It was hard not to. “What were you doing?”

“I couldn’t sleep, either. Took a swim.”

“I gathered. You, uh, you do have swim trunks on under that towel, right?”

His eyes gleamed. “What if I said no?”

Macy took a big swallow. “Then I’d know you like to go skinny-dipping in the moonlight.”

“Nah,” he said, sending her a crooked smile. “Sorry to disappoint you. It’s not fun to skinny-dip without a partner. Ready?”

Her eyes widened. “For a skinny-dip?”

Carter winked. “Maybe one day, Hollywood. Are you ready to get up?”

“Oh, um.” She nibbled on her lower lip, feeling foolish. She had to learn not to make assumptions. “Yeah, I should be okay to stand.”

Without hesitation, he gripped her hand and put his other arm around her waist. “Easy now.” He bore the brunt of her weight as he set her onto her feet with care. He held her steady, but another spike of pain ran up her limb from the pressure of standing.

“Oh!”

Lowering his head to her level, Carter caught her attention. “You okay?”

She was in his arms again. How could she not be okay? “It’s just a little sore.”

“Hang on,” he said, then she was lifted up, and immediately her arm wound around his neck. He carried her caveman style to her bedroom. With care, he lowered her onto her bed. She clung to his neck a moment too long.

It was dark and intimate and they were barely dressed.

“Macy.” He held warning in his tone. He was half on, half off her bed, and she lay underneath him.

He hesitated, glanced at her mouth, and she held her breath. Something flashed in his eyes and her desire escalated. What had gotten into her? She wanted to make love with a man she’d known only a few days.

Carter blinked and took a deep breath before bringing his mouth down to lay claim to her lips. It was sheer heaven, having him kiss her again. Her heart pounded against her chest. His mouth was hot and demanding, but the kiss lasted only a few seconds before he pulled away. Carter rose to full height and stood over her bed. He spoke with a low rasp. “Get some rest, Macy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She waited for him to walk out and shut the door before she slammed her head into the feather down pillow. Her foot ached, her ego was bruised and now she had nothing but counting ceiling tiles to look forward to tonight. She mumbled, “Yeah right, Carter. As if I could get any sleep now.”