Rustler's Heart (A Kinnison Legacy Novel) (13 page)

“You’ve had too many beers.” Rein waved away the comment. He didn’t want to think any more about this tonight. He wanted to lose himself in his work. Do something constructive. Blow off some steam.

“I only had two and I’ve got eyes, Rein. Not sure what you think, but I can tell when a woman is interested in a guy.”

He refused to entertain the thought. Not tonight. “I’m going down to cabin three and do some work.”

“Hey, Rein, for the record. You should stop up to Betty’s and see what she’s done with the place. New uniforms, new menu, looks pretty good. Liberty has quite a talent.”

“I’m sure she did a fine job.”

“You know, you can be as hard-headed as her.”

“Kiss my ass, Dalton. See you in the morning.”

“Sweet dreams, bro. I’ll be up here in civilization, if you need me.”

In no mood to tolerate Dalton’s teasing, Rein trudged past her cabin, jerking his gaze away when he saw her pass by the window. She might well be talented in many ways, but the woman screamed trouble. She was a free spirit, and did not intend to stick around. Theoretically, that should please him, but it only frustrated him more. Dammit.

He’d never been a loner like Wyatt. He enjoyed all kinds of people, had friends. Maybe seeing Caroline again, made him think twice about making that kind of commitment, giving himself to someone. Hell, maybe that was the
one
thing he and Liberty had in common. He had goals, his uncle’s dream to finish. She wanted to start a new life. Neither of them appeared to want any strings.

And
that
scared the hell out of him.

He snapped on the overhead light and in short order had changed into his grungy jeans and a worn comfortable tee shirt—standard issue when he did his woodworking. He plastered his ball cap on his head backwards and made a beeline for the sanding project he’d left earlier when curiosity got the better of him, and he went up to Dusty’s Place. It would’ve been wiser if he’d stayed home. He’d not been able to take his eyes off Liberty behind the bar, laughing and cutting up as she juggled bottles with ease, until of course, she stumbled on his gaze and he’d thrown her off her game. He’d felt like some kind of pervert, thinking about her, that kiss and where it might have led had he not stopped it.

When she caught him staring and dropped the bottle, he didn’t know whether to feel more guilt or be pleased that he had some kind of effect on her. He hadn’t tried to stir up these feelings. With just a look she could turn him inside out. Denying this attraction gnawed a hole in his gut and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

With that one kiss, he’d opened up a Pandora’s Box, and being ordered to stay away from another taste was akin to waving a red flag in his face. He opened the sliding door and looked out on the small patch of land that would eventually have a flagstone patio. A cool breeze washed over him, and for a moment, he closed his eyes absorbing the wet, mossy scent of the dark forest. This was his serenity, his calm and it had been since the day his uncle took him in. Jed taught all three of his sons to have pride and understand the value of taking ownership in what you’ve worked hard to build.

With that in mind, Rein set to work, enjoying the fluid heat that burned his muscles as he used the electric sander to smooth a set of bookshelves he’d built to frame the fireplace. Seeing each cabin come to life from his sketches, brought back memories of listening to Jed and his dreams of the Last Hope Ranch. He wanted to carry that through in his designs, making sure to implement the beauty of nature and Montana’s rich traditions and history. He utilized timber from dead-standing lodge pole pine and recycled barn board to create his furnishings, using traditional wood builder’s techniques of mortise and tenon joining as well as dovetail joints. Recycling and antiques also became one of his passions—using the past to serve in new and innovative ways. Only cabins one and two were livable at this point. With Tyler working on electricity and plumbing in this cabin, Rein hoped to have an additional fourth cabin framed in before winter. With each cabin came the added task of lengthening the narrow road connecting each cabin to the main house, making it accessible in all seasons.

He flipped off the sander and straightened, wincing as he did and rubbed his hand across his lower back. He’d been bent over for—he glanced at his cell phone—over an hour. Heaving a weary sigh, he scanned the room, seeing in his mind’s eye what he hoped to accomplish. His gaze landed on a brown portfolio laying on the kitchen cabinet.

Wiping the hem of his tee shirt over his face, he pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and focused on the folder. He didn’t recognize it, but maybe Tyler had left it. Curious, he opened it and studied the soft colored-pencil renderings of the cabin’s interior. Extraordinarily professional, with exquisite detail, he realized that they were by Liberty’s hand.

Had she left it there on purpose to prove a point? He studied the drawings, impressed that the artist had captured a perfect blend of contemporary with the old west in color and texture choices. The fact that the artist was Liberty gave him pause to consider that he’d been too quick to judge her inexperience, her ability to understand his concept for this project.

Which posed yet another challenge. How could he work closely with her on the cabins and keep from wanting to touch her? Up until now, he’d given himself every excuse under the sun why he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t deny the power behind that kiss. Since, the tension between them had been akin to getting close to an electric fence. It looks innocent enough when you’re looking at it, but one touch could be lethal. He thought he heard music and walked over to the open screen. Staring out into the darkness his eyes traveled up to the dark sky littered with stars. The beauty of this place never ceased to amaze him. That’s what his uncle had wanted to share with the world.

His saw first the light pouring out over the landscaped lawn of Liberty’s cabin. The music originated from the open patio door. He chewed the corner of his lip, debating the wisdom of where his thoughts were taking him. If he could set aside his pride, he could really use her help.

By leaving her to work on the interiors, shop and order what they needed, she would free up his time for the construction end of things. By virtue of these sketches, she was good, damn good, and it wouldn’t kill him to play nice and tell her so. Maybe it could also help ease some of the tension. Then again, it might make things a whole hell of a lot worse.

He tapped the doorframe with his the heel of his hand. It was clear what he needed to do. Polishing off the water, he unfastened his tool belt, grabbed the folder, and headed out the back door.

With enough light between the two cabins, he walked down a small incline and sidestepped the group of chairs surrounding a cozy fire pit. The slow sultry beat beckoned to him, reverberating in his chest as he got close to the back door. The seductive beat curled around his senses, playing havoc with his imagination.

He reminded himself that he’d come for a reason—a specific reason. He stopped, glancing at the file in his hand and remembered—a quick apology, an offer to work on the décor and he’d be on his way. Stepping up to the door, he looked through the screen and his heart faltered, while other parts leapt into overdrive. Barefoot, in denim cutoffs and a cami that left nothing to the imagination Liberty danced, blissfully unaware she had an audience. His mouth went bone dry, the thrum of his heart sucked into the backbeat. Lord, she was insanely beautiful.

Her phone buzzed, startling both her and him. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. As she started to answer it, her eyes lifted to his. A tiny gasp, indicating her surprise escaped her mouth, though it was short-lived. Not accepting the call, she placed it on the table, her gaze narrowing on his.

“You been standing there long?” She eyed him, one hand on her hip as she lowered the volume of the music..

Rein had to think for a moment where, who, and why, he was there. “Long enough.” He wiped his mouth, fearing he’d been drooling, blinked and held up the folder. “I found this in the cabin. I thought we should talk. Mind if I come in?”

She tipped her head. “Sure.” She watched him a moment more then went back to shuffling through her cd collection. He walked in, feeling like a stranger in the very place he’d designed and built.

***

“You like to dance?” She kept her eyes on her CDs, in a futile attempt to ease the pounding of her heart. The look in his eyes had been predatory, the set of his jaw firm on his stoic face. She felt the tension radiating off him from where she stood.
Long enough?
She wanted to ask him to explain his comment. Dancing on stage had been her profession, but off-stage—a type of release, how she rid herself of pent-up frustration. And this guy was the very reason she’d been tied up in knots for weeks, and not the kind they both might enjoy.

“Not especially.” He slid open the screen door, stopping to test that it fit the frame, properly. Such a stickler for perfection. She both admired and detested that attribute of his. It was evident in how he designed and constructed his work and on a personal level, she just bet his standards were as meticulous. How he’d reacted after that kiss made it clear to her that she’d never be able to meet those standards.

He gave her a cursory glance. “Do you have a beer?”

She nodded toward the fridge. “Help yourself.” A thin line darkened the center back of his grey tee shirt. Her mouth lifted at the image of him bent over his sawhorse, working diligently on another project. The fabric hugged his muscles, moving with them as he leaned down to retrieve a drink. She followed the line of sweat with an appreciative gaze to where it met the top of his waistband. It’d been bad enough to have tossed and turned with the memory of how delicious he’d looked in that tux, but the fit of those worn jeans and that old tee shirt made her fingers itch, imagining his firm body beneath. “You seemed to like dancing with Caroline.” Her mumbled comment popped out without a thought and she hoped he hadn’t heard it. He had.

He turned, pinning her with that tempest blue-green gaze. “
That
is none of your business.”

Her pride challenged, or so it seemed whenever they were in a room together more than five minutes, stiffened her back. She held up her hand to deflect his comment. “I wouldn’t dream of interfering.”

“Good.” He took a long drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “There’s nothing there to interfere with.

Boy, she wanted to ask more about that, but she dared not. No stranger to sexual tension, she’d learned through her profession how to draw in a man’s attention simply by reading his face by making a connection. Rein was a different story. Trying to read him, was like driving a dark, winding road at eighty miles an hour, at the mercy of what lay around the next curve.

“It’s late. What’d you need to talk about that couldn’t wait ‘til morning??” She glanced at the clock seeing it well past midnight.

He eyed her as he took a long pull from his beer. “These.” He dropped the folder on the cabinet. “I assume you left them in the cabin for me to see?”

She glanced at the folder, recognizing it. “That’s mine, yes. Just a few ideas I’ve tinkered with. But I didn’t leave them in the cabin.”
Dalton
. It had to have been. He’d been trying to convince Rein to come up to the café, see what she’d done. So far, that hadn’t happened. She stepped forward and grabbed the folder. “Thanks, I’ll hang on to it better next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.”

She raised her brow and he continued. “Meaning I’d like you to take over the interior design of the cabins. I admit, I was wrong. You seem to have a very good handle on what I’m looking for.”

What an unexpected, pleasant twist.
About damn time
. Liberty studied him. “Yes. Yes, I am.” She lifted her mouth in a grin. “But be careful, Slick. Remember what happened last time you tried to make amends.” She turned away and in a flash, he stepped across the room and grabbed her arm. His eyes sparkled with a savage glint. She held his gaze, this time he’d have to decide what he wanted.

Obviously, there was a great deal more to this late night visit than just chatting about her designs. He hadn’t figured it out yet, but she had. She’d made up her mind when she saw his heated gaze through the screen door that if she had only one night with him, it would be worth it—for the both of them. Would she get hurt? Probably. But she’d wanted him from the night she climbed in his truck at the bus stop.

His gaze dropped to her mouth and a rush of tingles quickened her body with anticipation. “Was there something else? If not, I’d like to take a shower.”

“You know there is, don’t you?”

“If by that you mean, like me, you haven’t stopped thinking about that kiss or what might have happened if you hadn’t stopped? Or that you want to touch me as much as I’m dying to have your hands on me? Then, yes, I do know.”

He drew in a sharp breath and closed his eyes, his grasp firm on her arm. “This could get really complicated.”

“It doesn’t have to be if we both know what we want. If we agree on what it is we need.”

His blue eyes bore into her soul. “What do you want, Liberty?”

“I think the real question you have to ask yourself, Rein, is what do you want? We both know you came here for more reason than asking for my help.”

“Did I?” He took a step closer, searching her face. “Have you thought about this?” He slid his hands around her waist, his thumbs skimming the hem of her shirt, brushing against her soft flesh. He backed her against the wall and pinned her arms over her head as he pressed his nose to hers. “But you said I wasn’t man enough for you.”

She searched his gaze, the heat from his body conjuring all manner of seductive images in her head. Her eyes dropped to his tantalizing mouth, remembering the urgency in his kiss and her breasts tightened with need. “So you decided to come over here and prove to me I was wrong?” She could barely catch her breath as he drew closer. “Fine, you win.”