“I’m really sorry, Clint. I don’t want your girlfriend to be mad.” I couldn’t help myself. I just had to ask. He was a nice guy, and I didn’t want to mess things up for him.
“Girlfriend?” He raised both brows in surprise then his lips twitched. “You think Shelby’s my girlfriend?” He shook his head and started the car. “No, sugar. She was just helping me pick up some things for a family gathering we’re having. It’s too cold for a barbeque but same kind of thing.”
“Oh. She’s—um—family?” Dammit, did I sound way too hopeful? Did I really think a gorgeous guy like him would be single?
He backed up, lips tipping up again. “Yep, we’re related. I couldn’t tell you exactly how. Second cousins, maybe—I don’t know. But yes, she’s family.”
I sat back, my stomach calm, much of my agitation easing. “Well, she seems really nice.”
I liked her far better now that I knew she wasn’t Clint’s girlfriend. She seemed like a really awesome cousin. Stellar, even.
I gave Clint directions back to the duplex I’d moved into when I first left Todd and arrived in Cooper Valley. Thanks to the crushing weight of his med school bills—yeah, his, not mine—I couldn’t afford any better. I still couldn’t since we were still fucking married, and his debts were my debts.
“What do you think made you sick?” Clint asked. “Stomach flu? Food poisoning?”
I drew in a breath. “Food poisoning, probably,” I said quickly. While Clint might eventually find out I was pregnant, I couldn’t deal with the complications that would bring at the moment. I’d wanted to see him again, but I’d wanted to be prepared. Have a mental script of what to say. Heck, even makeup and maybe not have throw-up breath.
As happy as I was that he and Shelby weren’t an item, that didn’t mean I got to lay claim to him. Or that I even wanted to. His dick would be good, but all of him? All six-feet plus of hot cowboy? I wasn’t ready for that or the complications that went with it.
I would have enough problems when Todd found out I was pregnant. Knowing that asshole, he’d probably try to claim paternity even though we hadn’t had sex in two years. He was determined to cause me as much trouble and delay our divorce for as long as he possibly could. Adding a pregnancy to the legal proceedings was going to be a nightmare.
“What do you do for that?” He glanced over from the wheel.
Seriously? Had he never had food poisoning before? “Oh, you know. Lots of fluids and staying closer to a bathroom than I did. I’ll be fine. I’m already feeling better. Again, I’m sorry about your boots.”
“Stop apologizing,” he said firmly in that same bossy tone that had made my nipples hard at the store. He pulled in front of my place, parked and quickly texted the address to Shelby, so she could pick him up. He turned to look at me, his gaze roving over my face. “What can I do to help?”
“You’ve been a huge help already, but it’s enough.” I opened the door and climbed out, my boots sinking into three-day old snow my neighbor and I still hadn’t shoveled.
Clint surged out from behind the wheel and jogged to catch my elbow, like he was afraid I’d slip.
I stopped and smiled at him. He really was quite the gentleman. The memory of him gallantly riding to my rescue the night we hooked up came flooding back with fondness. “I’m fine. Really. Hey, your nose is looking better.”
He lifted his free hand to touch it as if he’d forgotten, then grinned. “Yeah. All good.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I replied. “I’m good, too.”
“Well, I am worried.” His forehead crinkled. He steered me forward to my door. “I’m going to come back and check on you.”
My heart did a little somersault before I promptly stepped on it.
Nope. Dating Clint was off the table.
Way too complicated, and I knew it was better to steer clear of him from the start because I had a feeling he had a slew of broken hearts in his wake. I didn’t want mine to be one of them.
“It’s really not necessary.”
“Tough. I’m going to come by just the same,” he said firmly, tipping his cowboy hat.
I tried to ignore the clenching between my legs that simple act produced while Clint stepped even closer and stared down at me as if fascinated. He took a deep breath as he studied me.
Oh lordy. I wouldn’t mind a repeat of the night we hooked up.
It had been mind-blowing to say the least. I remembered the feel of his hands on me, the hard press of his body against mine as he held me pinned to the wall. The feel of him hot and thick between my legs. The deep thrust of his dick. The way he looked when he came. How it felt when he made me come.