Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) (7 page)

“Did that tiny little thing really make all that noise?” he
teased.

The heat flooding her cheeks was welcome. “Afraid so. It must
have been all that mountain fresh air. I’m starving.”

Rubbing on the outside of her arms, she missed his body heat
and shivered.

“Come on. We’ll get you fed. I know the warmest seat in the
house.”

The large horseshoe booth tucked in a corner of the lodge’s
kitchen lived up to the hype. Warmed by the ovens and a huge plate of beef
stroganoff with fresh bread, Annie was in heaven. The silence between them was
comfortable.  

“I don’t remember when I’ve had as much fun as today. Your
Wyoming really is spectacular,” she said softly.  

“You only saw a small part of it. Growing up here, the Bighorns
are near to my heart, but each of our mountain ranges has their high points, so
to speak. The Teton’s are brutal and beautiful. The Wind River Range has our
highest peak. Most people are wowed by the majesty of the mountains, but there
is more to Wyoming. The plains have a stark beauty. Our streams and rivers are
crystal clear, clean, and full of Rainbow, Brownies, and Brook trout. It’s a
little more commercialized, but Yellowstone has their springs and geysers,
stunning waterfalls, and Lamar Valley is an amazing place to see wildlife.” He
stopped abruptly and gave a sheepish shrug. “Sorry.”

“Did I mention that my guide made the entire day that much
better? Besides his unbelievable passion and knowledge of absolutely everything
Wyoming, he was funny, sweet and solicitous, repeatedly making sure I was warm
enough and having a good time.”

“He sounds like a hell of a guy.”

“He really is.”

CJ lowered his gaze, shaking his head. “You really had a good
time?”

Annie reached over, topping his hand with her smaller one. “I
seriously can’t think of a better one. Ever. Thank you.”  

“You’re welcome. I had a great day too,” he said, turning his
hand over and lacing their fingers. “Though, I will have to say that it’s the
first time I’ve ever spent the day fighting the urge to kiss my client.”

“Then it’s a good thing I wasn’t a paying customer. I
definitely would’ve felt cheated without a kiss.”

CJ nodded, dimples flashing. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in
mind on future excursions.”    

“My urbanite ways didn’t scare you away?”

“A lot of my clientele are city dwellers that want to get in
touch with their inner caveman. Between you and me, you out-toughed a good
seventy percent of them today.”

“In their defense, they probably can’t get away with hiding
behind you, using your studly bod for a windbreak and nose warmer,” she said
with a coy flutter of her lashes.

“You’d be surprised.”

Annie lost it at the deadpan delivery. Ellie poked her head
around the corner at the hysterics. Her quizzical expression just made Annie
laugh harder and cracked CJ up.

Flapping a hand frantically in front of her face and forcing
deep breaths, she struggled to pull herself back together.

“Oh my God, you are so funny,” she choked out.

His thumb stroked over her hand he still held.

“You’re really beautiful when you laugh.”

The compliment helped sober her the rest of the way. She
hesitated, searching his face. He seemed completely sincere.

“Thank you. I hate my smile because of my teeth. I guess I just
assumed laughing would just showcase them more.”

“You have a great smile. What’s wrong with your teeth?”

“I have fangs,” she said, drawing her lips back in a toothy
smile to show off the pointy canines. “I’ve been told I could get veneers and
fix it, but my dad liked them so I never did.”

“I think they’re adorable. They make your smile a little wicked.
Veneers and all that are okay if they’re actually needed, but I like real.”

“Real, huh? No falsies, fillers or fakes for you?”

“I like my women real. Shoot me,” he said with a cavalier
shrug.

“That’s sweet. Lucky for you or me, putting occasional
highlights in my hair is about the extent of my bogus beauty secrets.”

He studied her hair. “What color?”

“Completely depends on my mood, but usually a dark cherry for
just a little contrast in the sun. I’ve done honey, flame red, breast cancer
pink, a really pretty plum. It’s just hair. Why not have a little fun with it.”

“Very pretty hair and I never thought of it that way, as
something to have fun with.”

“I’m sure it is lovely right now. Hat head is all the rage,”
Annie said running her fingers through her hair. “Up until now, you’ve seen it
on its best behavior.”

CJ snorted and had to lean forward over his plate not to lose
the last bite down the front of his shirt. Grabbing a napkin, he cleared his
throat.

“I have a lot to learn when it comes to the fairer sex and
their hair. I was not aware of the behavioral challenges.”

Wiping her lips daintily, Annie hid her grin.

“Bad hair days aren’t a pretty fable. They’re the real deal and
happen more often than we want men to know,” she said with a sage nod. “I’ve
had to put some serious effort into taming this tangle for polite company this
week. Working at home in my jammies I can usually get away with the go-to ponytail
or blanket fort pigtails.”

CJ’s napkin flew up to cover his lips, but there was no hiding
the shaking of his broad shoulders. His eyes sparkled at her over the top of
the linen.  

“Blanket fort pigtails?” he asked, voice strained.

“Reserved for those days when I just can’t face the world and
want to hide away in my fuzzy fort of solitude like a little girl.”

“Sounds a lot cozier than Superman’s.”

“I always thought that ice castle needed a woman’s touch.”

He shook his head, gazing at her across the table. His
expression radiated amusement, warmth and something else she couldn’t quite put
her finger on. She twirled her fork, trying not to fidget.

“Just when I think you can’t get any more adorable,” he said
softly.

Annie bit her lip against the shiver his words sent through
her. It was probably his voice as much as the words. His soft baritone was
beautiful. Sexy and beautiful. Her heart twisted. She was in so far over her
head.

“You’re going to have to take the blame for this,” she said,
stealing a trick out of his book. “I swear I don’t end up on these ridiculous
topics with anyone else.”

“I’m glad we do. I love to hear you laugh, and I want to know
everything about you.”

“You may end up being disappointed. I’m not all that
interesting.”

“I don’t believe that.”

She closed her eyes. He was doing it again. Something in the
look he gave her made her heart and stomach flip flop. How could CJ be interested
in the real her? She struggled to sound interesting to fans of her books. Book
signings, Q &A sessions, even social media, all terrifying. At least there
she could put on a mask, deflect to her writing. Her fiction had always been
more interesting than her fact. With CJ she felt exposed. When would he realize
he didn’t like what he saw?  He could do better.

“I bet he’d let you redecorate,” CJ said with a silly grin.

Annie frowned. “Who?”

“Superman. You’re probably his Kryptonite too.”

Fingers laced behind his neck, CJ stared into the gloom
overhead. Sleep was eluding him. The day played through his mind. He couldn’t
have envisioned a better one, right up to saying goodnight at her door. That
part had hurt. He’d foregone the familiar comfort of his bed to stay at the
lodge and be close to her, but he wanted to be so much closer. Sighing, he
adjusted the pillow, giving it a thump before relaxing back into it. Knowing
Annie was just down the hall was bittersweet. Part of him wished he was one of
those suave guys with a line that would’ve swung her door, and other things, wide
open to him. The gentleman in him, a smaller part than he wished at the moment,
was ashamed to even be having such thoughts.

Five days. How could everything he’d dreamed of since high school
change in less than a week? He frowned. Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic.
His dreams were still there. Annie just figured heavily into them now. It was
scary how completely she’d slipped into the mental pictures. It hadn’t been
nice, but he’d told her the truth in the woodshop. If he’d been married or had
someone in his life, he wouldn’t be as far as he was now. Surprisingly, Annie
hadn’t been offended. She’d acknowledged his fears as valid but then planted a
seed with the suggestion that perhaps it depended on the woman. He’d already
decided she was different than any other woman he’d known. The question now
was, different enough?

Annie had a passion of her own that she’d fought for. Would she
understand the lengths he’d go to in order to protect what he’d started? He
hadn’t lied. The bills were getting paid. He was even better off than some, but
one, maybe two, bad months of booking and he’d be living hand to mouth. Could
she deal with that? Did he want to ask a woman to deal with that? How much was
he willing to compromise? He pulled an arm loose to let it drop across his eyes.
Was he fucking insane to even be having these thoughts? How could he want to
build a life with someone he hadn’t known a week ago?

CJ frowned. A week ago she’d been four states away putting the
finishing touches on a book without a thought of him, or maybe any man. The
point was, they’d both worked hard to build lives, alone. Was it even possible
to mesh their passions without someone compromising to the point of resentment?
All the experts said arguments about money were the number one contributor to
failed relationships. He couldn’t imagine resentment was far behind. They could
be looking at both. Yanking the pillow out from behind his head, he pressed it
over his face. Was he really lying here unable to sleep and thinking about
marriage?

Groaning, he stuffed the battered pillow back under his head. Yeah,
he was. So the next question became was he reading way too much into this? What
if she’d really stayed to see more of Wyoming? He shook his head in the dark. No.
The kiss in the coat room hadn’t been one-sided. Nor had he imagined the way
her fingers had curled in the front of his shirt to keep herself upright afterward.
Despite the flood of doubts, he knew she felt the connection between them too.

Crystal’s last words whispered across his brain. Had Annie said
something, even in passing, to her cousin? Somehow, he doubted it. Annie hadn’t
needed her aunt to remind her that the weekend wasn’t about her. The sharp
words still grated him. Everything that he’d seen from Annie over the course of
the wedding weekend, hell, even her companion pony nickname, it all painted her
as devoted. She’d gone well above the responsibilities of bridesmaid, or cousin,
in his opinion. If Ty’s mom had screamed at him like that…

His brain stuttered to a stop at the obvious answer. If his
aunt had treated him like that, his mom would’ve had her head on a platter. Annie
didn’t have anyone to stand up for her. Crystal’s mom and dad were as close to
parents as Annie had left. So she’d swallowed the hurt without a word. The
realization made him feel even more like a schmuck. A frustrated growl rumbled
from his chest. When she was his, there would be no question of his right to
defend her.

The thought surprised him. The possessiveness was new. He’d
never felt this way before. Now, he was at war with himself. The shy boy his mother
had raised whispered to take things slow, treat Annie like a lady, and court
her. He smiled in the dark. Did anyone even use that word anymore? The new side
pointed out the logistics of trying to do any of that from half the country
away. If they didn’t establish something serious in the next couple of days,
their chances were slim. Distance, work, life, they would all get in the way
and become excuses. Combine that with fear and they were screwed. The clock was
ticking.        

e He
  

The alarm on her phone beeped. Opening one eye, Annie
contemplated hurling it against the wall. Only a fear of hitting the lodge window
stopped her. The blue light in the corner of the device flashed, warning of a
message or twenty. Didn’t those people sleep? She’d spent most of the night
arguing and pleading with her agent and publicist about a pretentious book
launch party and added signing appearances. After such an amazing day, it was not
the way she’d pictured spending last night.

After dinner, they’d cuddled in front of the fireplace and
talked. No topic was too taboo or mundane for CJ. At several points in the
evening, they’d engaged in rounds of rapid fire questions, forcing the other to
throw out the first answer that came to mind. It had been fun and revealing.
They had a lot in common. Little things, like using the same brand of
toothpaste. Funny how those ordinary things had piled up, adding to their
connection. 

When they’d both decided it was late and he’d walked her up, a
part of her had been hoping for more than a kiss at the door. After the
goodnight kiss, it had been a large part. CJ had seemed just as reluctant to
end the evening, but neither had said anything and finally he’d headed back
toward the stairs. Annie ground the heels of her hands into her gritty eyes.
How could a person that wrote for a living have no words when she really needed
them?  

She wasn’t going to be able to stay. Commitments had been made
for her. So much for me time. The phone chimed with another incoming text.
Annie groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. Why couldn’t she rewind the
clock and relive yesterday over and over? She smiled into the cotton. Fifty
first dates with CJ. She wondered if CJ had seen the movie. It was more a
comedy than a chick flick. He liked to laugh. It was on
Netflix
. Maybe
they’d have to…she was leaving.

Pressing down, she screamed into the pillow in frustration.
Why? Why when she finally found a guy she was interested in did he have to live
in freaking Wyoming? Maybe because she couldn’t imagine CJ living anywhere
else. His passion for his home state was adorable. She loved when he slipped
into rambling guide mode. It was, well, sexy—just like everything else about
him. He had a long list of things he wanted to show her. How was she going to
tell him she had to cut this short?

She sat up, thumping the pillow down in her lap. Her reflection
in the mirror at the foot of the bed caught her attention and held it. Between
her clenching fists and the pillow, her hair had hit a horrifying new level of
bedhead. No ponytail was going to tame that. Flopping back down, she rolled
onto her stomach and grabbed the phone to see what couldn’t wait. She needed a
shower.

Forty-five minutes later she stepped out into the hall to see
CJ exiting a room a few doors down. It was too early in the morning for a
filter. Her tongue let fly the flirtatious words she hadn’t been able to find
the night before.

“If I’d known you were right next door, you would’ve had a late
night visitor.”

“Damn. Missed out again,” he said, looking genuinely disappointed.
“And it wasn’t right next door because that would’ve been creepy.”

“I don’t think you could come across as creepy if you tried.”

His arms wrapped around her.

“There goes my backup plan as a stalker.”

She snorted. “Someone is on his game this morning. Fair
warning. With the amount of sleep I got or didn’t get, you’re dealing with an
unarmed opponent in the wits department.”

She leaned into the hug, savoring it. There might not be many
more of these coming her way. One of CJ’s big hands ran up and down her spine
in a warm caress.

“I didn’t sleep much either. Did you think I left?”

Nodding into his chest, she smothered a yawn. “I figured that
you went home to check on the babies.”

Annie felt the vibration of his amusement though he didn’t give
voice to it.

“I thought we’d stop in there today. I’m sure the babies would
like to see you too. Come on. Let’s get some caffeine in you.”

“My hero,” she breathed in a teasing worshipful whisper.

“Was the room okay? What kept you up?” he asked, leading her
downstairs.

“Everything is fine with the room. In fact, I need to peel back
the bottom sheet to find out what kind of mattress that is. It makes me want to
stay in bed forever.”

“Simmons,” CJ answered easily. “So, why couldn’t you sleep?”

She stole a quizzical peek up at him. “I take it that’s a
question you get asked a lot?”

“No. I wondered the same thing when I was buying furniture for
the house. I bought one.”

“Are you trying to get me in your bed, CJ Barrett?”

“If that’s all it takes, then yes ma’am,” he drawled.

Annie stopped, catching his arm. Maybe no filter was what they
needed. Time was so damn short. She traced the plaid pattern on CJ’s soft
flannel, afraid to look up at his face.

“Are we being serious here?”

“I’ve never been more serious.”

Resting her forehead against his chest she let his words race
through her to crash in a hot coil of anticipation and anxiety behind the
buttons of her favorite 501’s. When was the last time she’d felt like this? The
answer to that was easy. Never.

Callused fingers slid along her jaw, tilting her chin to lift
her eyes to his. 

“I’m very serious about you, Annie. I laid awake most of last
night thinking about you, about us. Wondering if there could be an
us
.”

“Great minds think alike,” she whispered.

Dimples carved deep chasms in his full cheeks. God, he was
adorable when he smiled.

“I know it doesn’t seem like much, but we have six days.
Believe it or not, my mom and dad fell in love in an afternoon and were married
a month later. That was thirty-three years ago.”

“Two days,” Annie said, shoulders slumping.

“What do you mean?”

“I have to be in Grand Rapids for a book launch party Friday
evening. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I mean I should have. That’s my fault. I
should’ve double checked. They’ve never thrown a stupid party before. I knew I
was cutting things close with the wedding and the book release, but I thought
it would distract me from Crys being gone. Then I just wanted to spend time
with you. I thought—”

What she thought was lost under CJ’s lips. His other hand slid
up and he framed her face. His kiss was consuming. Her blood caught flame.
Pressing up on tiptoe, she returned the fervor with everything she had. CJ
moaned into her mouth and she whimpered in answer. They were both panting for
breath when he finally pulled back. Annie blinked up at him. Her eyes didn’t
want to focus and her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.

“Two more days. I can work with that,” CJ murmured, his voice
rough and strained.

“I’m so sorry.”

CJ’s thumb brushed her lips.

“Just hearing that you wanted to spend time with me makes it
all okay. We’ll work it out.”

Annie kissed the pad of his thumb. “The part of the night where
I wasn’t fantasizing about jumping your bones, I argued with them about
rescheduling. I crashed and burned on both.”

“Damn. We really need to share these fantasies when we’re
having them. I hear they’re a lot more fun when you have someone to play with,”
he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

Her shoulders shook in amusement. “As a romance author, I can
tell you that is the popular consensus. My career kind of depends on it.”

“Maybe we’ll have to do our own research,” CJ suggested, lips
sliding over hers again.  

“Hmm,” she purred. “I’ve been wanting a technical advisor. Are
you expensive?”

“I’m sure we can work something out.”

“That sounds promising.”

“If I hadn’t promised you caffeine, I’d be carrying you back
upstairs now.”

She grinned as the frustrated growl of his voice was followed
by one from his stomach.

“Blame it on me if it makes you feel better.”

CJ laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of
her head.

“Come on. We can decide what we’re going to do with our two
days over caffeine and food.”