Can't Wait Read online

  His hand slid up the side of her thigh to her hip, blazing a trail of heat. He squeezed and kneaded. His words told her to go away, but his hand said stay.

  “No.”

  “Honey, if you want to ride a cowboy, I’m all yours,” Charlie called from two tables over where yet another girl turned down his drunken advances. He weaved toward their table. “Come dance with me, pretty lady.”

  Caleb growled an expletive and wrapped his arm around her middle, stood up, and took three steps toward the dance floor before her feet hit the ground again.

  “You’re dancing with me,” Caleb ordered.

  “Surrender, Jack,” Teri said.

  Her brother grunted, but stood and escorted Teri to the dance floor, too. “Don’t you have a husband to harass?”

  “He took the baby home after the tree lighting, so I could hang out with Summer.”

  “If he’d taken you home, Summer would have come home with us.”

  “Oh, stop. Having fun is not a crime. You might even enjoy yourself.”

  Jack didn’t answer, just took Teri loosely in his arms and ushered her around the dance floor next to Summer and Caleb as Billy Currington’s “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” filled the raucous room.

  Caleb resisted the urge to crush Summer to his chest. He held her rigidly at arm’s length, but slowed his pace enough to let Jack and Teri move several feet ahead of them and disappear behind three other ­couples. Summer stepped into him, closing the distance he tried to impose on her. The woman refused to give him any peace.

  “Why are you doing this?” he asked.

  “Deep down, you want me to.”

  “I want you to back off.”

  “If that were true, you wouldn’t be holding on to me so tight.”

  He checked himself, loosening his hold on her hand and waist. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

  “Every time you deny yourself from being in my company.”

  “Summer . . .”

  “Caleb, shut up and dance. Be with me. Right here. In this moment. You and me and the music.”

  He sighed and moved mechanically around the dance floor, looking anywhere but at her. He ignored the intoxicating scent of her citrus shampoo. Her soft skin made him ache to touch more. His thumb brushed along hers as he held her hand, and he stopped himself immediately. Her hand tightened in his, but he didn’t acknowledge the unconscious stroke of his skin against hers.

  The song ended and several ­couples, including Jack and Teri, moved back to their tables, or off to play pool. Caleb stood with Summer in his arms and hesitated just a second too long to escape. Garth Brooks’s “The Dance” moved the ­couples around them into a soft sway and slow rotation around the dance floor. More ­couples joined in, and he and Summer were crushed between all the moving bodies. Summer shifted and moved with him, guided by his hand at the small of her back, pulling her closer. She settled against him like they’d danced like this a thousand times. His whole body jolted with heat at the contact. She sighed and her breasts rose and fell against his chest. He glanced down and couldn’t stop himself from staring at the bounty before him. Her breasts rounded against her white sweater, the deep V between them enticing him to dive in and taste. Devour was more like it. One taste of her would never be enough. He’d need more and more, never content with just a sample. He needed all of her, or he’d spend the rest of his life wanting. She consumed his every thought and dream, that is, the good ones. The bad ones he could do without. But not her. He couldn’t do without her, but he had to find a way.

  “Relax. Teri made Jack sit facing away from us.”

  Caleb glanced over at their table, and sure enough, Teri sat facing them, Jack’s back to him, and she talked, keeping his attention. She caught him staring and gave him a slight nod and a bright smile.

  “Your friend thinks she sees something between us.”

  “Everyone but Jack sees what’s between us. Deny it all you want, but I can feel the truth.”

  “Summer . . .”

  “Relax. Dance.”

  She settled into him and laid her head on his shoulder. He gave in and wrapped his arms around her, steering her across the dance floor and as far away from Jack’s sight as possible. Shrouded in the back of the crowd, he held her close and prayed this song would never end, and if it did, that he could stop time and keep her close forever.

  The song blended into the next slow song that kept the ­couples entwined and the atmosphere in the bar sultry. He didn’t need the music or the mood, he only needed the woman in his arms. For those few minutes, he didn’t think of anything but her.

  The song ended and Jack let out a familiar whistle. One they used on night raids in the military.

  “Time to go.” Reluctantly, he stepped away and took her hand to lead her back to the table. She stood firm and tugged him back.

  “Don’t do that. Don’t leave me because he called you.”

  “This can’t be.”

  “It can if you want it.”

  He didn’t want to do it. Hurting her hurt him more than he could bear, but he endured it for both their sakes. “I don’t want it.”

  “You lie.”

  He put his hand to the small of her back and pushed her toward the table. She resisted, but fell in line with him after a few steps. He hated to do it, but the woman had pushed him time and again. A man could only take so much.

  “Let’s go,” Jack announced when they reached the table.

  Charlie stumbled over, hooked his arm around Summer’s shoulders, and pulled her close. Caleb had enough. He grabbed the guy’s hand, pulled it up and over Summer’s head, and wrapped it around the guy’s back and up behind his shoulder blades.

  “Ow! Let go. I didn’t mean anything.”

  “Caleb,” Summer snapped. “Let him go.”

  “Summer’s my girl, I’d never do anything to hurt her,” Charlie swore, setting off Caleb’s temper even more. He pulled up on the guy’s arm, ready to snap it and him in two for even thinking, let alone speaking, that Summer belonged to him.

  Summer settled her hand on his shoulder. “Caleb, honey, let him go. Take me home.”

  Caleb released the dirtbag and shoved him forward. Teri caught him before he fell flat on his face. “Come on, Charlie, I’ll drive you home.”

  “Finally, we’re out of here.” Jack shoved Charlie after Teri. When he tried to turn back for Summer, Jack grabbed him by the back of his neck and propelled him forward.

  The crowd around them stopped staring and went back to partying and dancing since the brewing fight had been averted.

  Summer stared up at him, her eyes saying so much without her saying a word. He broke the stare-­down and grabbed her purse and jacket from the table, shoving them into her arms.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Three

  SUMMER SAT BETWEEN Jack and Caleb in the front seat of the truck. Tired from a long day and night, maybe one too many beers in the mix, she planted her feet on the dash, leaned back, and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Caleb’s shoulder.

  Jack’s gaze touched her face, but moved back to the road. She watched through her lashes, and when his interest stayed on driving, she settled more into Caleb. He sat beside her rigid and indifferent for several minutes before he relaxed again.

  His hand settled over hers on the bench seat, hidden by her hips and his jacket sleeve.

  “She asleep?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah,” Caleb’s deep voice rumbled out the lie. She flipped her hand over and linked fingers with his. Their secret communication added a layer of danger. If Jack discovered them holding hands, well, she didn’t care, but Caleb did. She settled into him, and though he froze for a second, he settled back into her again. His pinky finger swept up and down against her thigh. She smiled on the inside as wave upon wave of shimmering tickles rippled over her skin from that one spot. Such a small thing, really, but it said so much. When it came right down to it, if she was close enough to touch without discovery, he reached for her in even this small way.

  Caleb’s heavy sigh drew Jack’s attention in the quiet truck cab. Summer tried to keep her breathing even and not draw Jack’s gaze.

  “We’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow, since we spent most of today doing the whole parade and Christmas tree lighting stuff to make Summer happy.”

  “The tree looked good,” Caleb commented, indulging his inner beast with yet another stroke of his finger over Summer’s thigh. He knew better, but didn’t stop.

  “Yeah. Every year my parents took us. When I was little, I loved seeing Santa. As a teen, it was a great opportunity to sneak off with a girl. Sam and I got into a lot of trouble back then.”

  “Same for me and my family. We always went to town for the holiday parades.”

  “You miss your folks?”

  “Yeah. They’re thinking of doing some traveling like your parents.”

  “You think your dad will actually leave the ranch?”

  “He said Mom stayed with him all these years in Montana, the least he can do is follow her to whatever far-­off place she wants to go.”

  “Sounds like my parents. Dad loves my mother something fierce. Never could say no to anything she wanted to do, but ranch life is everyday life.”

  “Yep. Dad’s thinking of leaving Dane in charge. Gabe and Blake already have their own places. Dane spreads his time between all three spreads and the rodeo.”

  “Summer seems to be looking for something more in her life. Stuck here on the ranch has severely limited her prospects if Charlie is the best she can do in this town.”
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  “She’s not interested in Charlie.”

  Summer squeezed his hand to let him know she agreed. He shouldn’t feel this relieved, but he did.

  “I think she’s lonely,” Jack said, a touch of unease in his voice. “Maybe she’s not happy on the ranch all alone.”

  “She loves the ranch and her life here,” Caleb answered for her.

  “Do you know who this guy is she’s talking about?”

  The truck slowed and took the sharp turn into the drive to the ranch, making Summer fall off balance.

  “Jack, my love life is none of your concern.”

  “It is when you’re talking about marrying some guy and having babies. You’re only twenty-­three. You can’t possibly want to settle down.”

  “Why not? If he’s the right man for me, why can’t I want those things?”

  “Well, I don’t know. Who is he?”

  “Does it matter who it is if I’m happy? Isn’t that what you really want for me no matter who the man is?”

  “What? Yes. I guess. But you still haven’t answered.”

  The truck stopped. Caleb released her hand, especially now that she wasn’t pretending to sleep and Jack had turned his attention to annoying her. Caleb slipped out of the truck and waited by the door for her exit.

  “I’ll walk you home,” Caleb offered.

  “What?” Jack looked around confused. “I keep forgetting you moved into the cabin. I’m so used to you living in the big house with me.”

  “If you got more than a few hours’ sleep and stopped working yourself to death, you might think more clearly.”

  Jack frowned, but didn’t deny her claim.

  “See you tomorrow.”

  “I can drive you over,” Jack offered.

  “It’s not that far, I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll see her home. I need to stretch my legs anyway,” Caleb said, trailing after her.

  The front door slammed behind Jack, and she and Caleb made their way along the gravel road and across the pasture to the cabin Jack built the summer before last. She’d moved in when Jack and Caleb took over the big house. She couldn’t be in there with both of them all the time. Her attraction to Caleb made it impossible to hide her feelings. Jack teased her about flirting with Caleb. That became annoying and embarrassing real quick. Jack made her out to be some lovesick teenager, and she desperately wanted Caleb to see her as a woman.

  “You have to stop talking to Jack the way you did tonight.”

  “When I told you, through my conversation with him, exactly what I want.”

  “He’s my best friend, Summer. You do not date your best friend’s sister.”

  “You do if you like her and want to get to know her better.”

  “We know each other well enough. We spend a lot of time together.”

  “Yes. The three of us have become very cozy ranch mates. I want more.”

  “He saved my life. He’s my boss. I owe him more than taking his sister to bed to scratch a long neglected itch.”

  Was that all he wanted? Sex. She didn’t think so, but still, her heart sank. She stepped onto the stairs leading up to the porch and turned to face him. On her elevated perch, they stood eye to eye.

  “So, what you’re saying is it isn’t worth risking your friendship with Jack to see if there could be something worth it between us.”

  “I owe him my life. You never turn your back on a buddy. I’d lay down my life for his. He’d do the same for me.”

  “So, there you go. You’ll give up a chance to be with me for your buddy Jack, a man who can’t see his best friend is hurting. A man who can’t see his buddy overfills troughs and stumbles over rocks because he’s too busy staring at his sister. Jack may be surprised, but he’d never turn his back on you. I’ve seen the bond you share. He cares for you like a brother.”

  “Exactly. It’s complicated. You’re his baby sister. He’s protective of you.”

  “He trusts you with his life. Don’t you think he’d trust you with my heart?”

  Caleb planted his hands on his hips, hung his head, and shook it. “Summer . . .”

  “I’ve overstepped, put words in your mouth, and made rash assumptions. You obviously don’t feel for me the way I feel for you. After all these weeks, what you must think of me, trailing after you all over the ranch and making excuses to see you.”

  “It’s not like that,” he said, trying to let her down easy.

  If the man didn’t want to date her because his loyalty to her brother outweighed his desire to be with her, what else was she to think? Time to back off and save some pride.

  “No need to explain further. I misread the situation. I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed you, or made you feel uncomfortable.”

  “You’ve done neither. I like being with you. If we’d met under other circumstances, maybe . . .”

  “Yes, but here we are. I understand. Get some rest, Caleb. You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

  Unable to stop herself, she reached up to touch her fingertips to the dark smudges under his eyes, but dropped her hand just short of touching him. They both held their breath for a moment. She wanted all those bunched muscles he held so rigidly still to finally leap forward and bring her into his arms. No such luck. As always, he kept his thoughts, his emotions, his body just out of her reach.

  “Good night. Sleep well,” he said, doing an about–face and stalking off.

  Summer let him go without another word. The man was driving her insane. She unlocked the front door, closed it behind her without locking it, went through the dark living room and up the stairs to the loft. She stripped off her clothes, tossing them over the chair, and fell into bed naked, aching, and wanting a very large, confused male in her bed with her.

  She thought over the conversation and realized one thing. He never said he didn’t want her. Maybe there was still hope.

  CALEB STALKED BACK to the house, telling himself every step of the way that he couldn’t take his best friend’s sister to bed, make love to her all night, and wake up in the morning and still have his life remain exactly the same. That thought stopped him cold. He turned and stared back at the large window in the peaked roof and thought of her in bed. Naked. Waiting for him to come to her.

  She tied him in knots and made him think and wish for things he had no right wanting.

  She was all he thought about. He’d never met another woman as happy and carefree. Someone who woke up smiling and giggled at the smallest things she found such delight in. More than just beautiful to look at, she had a big heart. When she spoke of family and friends and spending her life with him, he wanted to believe in the dream because she believed in it so deeply. She believed in him and his ability to make her happy the rest of her life.

  The thought she might actually love him, scared him. What if he made her promises and couldn’t keep them? What if the whole thing ended in her unhappiness? His blood chilled at the thought of hurting or disappointing her.

  Well, he’d disappointed and hurt her tonight.

  They’d never even kissed. They’d shared nothing more than a few flirtatious touches, like the soft caress he gave her in Jack’s truck. So how could he feel this much and this deep for her?

  How could she believe he didn’t want her enough to go against Jack’s wishes? She didn’t. The devious woman just wanted him to think she thought that.

  He smiled at the black windows, staring at him like some haunted house while she slept peacefully in her bed, irritating him because sleep eluded him more nights than he could count, and she knew that, too.

  Right about one thing, he didn’t know how Jack would react. Maybe he’d be okay with Caleb dating his sister. Maybe not.

  Again, everything inside Caleb stopped cold. He didn’t just want to date her. He wanted to make a life with her. Days, weeks, months, years stretched ahead of him, and he wanted her by his side. Always. Forever.

  He’d talk to Jack, broach the subject in a roundabout sort of way and gauge Jack’s reaction.

  What will you do if Jack is against your seeing his sister?

  He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Too bad his every waking thought revolved around her.