The Price of Passion (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 1)

“I didn’t cheat.”

Cam glared at the other man. “You did. In more ways than one.”

Justin’s pale cheeks flushed with barely contained rage, and Beth wondered what Cam was talking about. Now wasn’t the time to find out, though.

“Okay.” She spoke into the tense silence that followed. “I think that’s enough testosterone poisoning for today. Cam, maybe you should go.”

Both eyebrows rose when he looked at her. “You want me to leave?”

“Please.”

Justin looked smug that she’d chosen to have him stay, but that wasn’t the reason she’d asked Cam to go instead of him. It was simply that she’d known Cam would do as she asked and had been positive that Justin wouldn’t have.

Cam nodded, with one last, hard look at Justin. “All right. I’ll go.” He shifted a glance to Beth. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes,” she said, though she knew that wouldn’t make Justin happy. Not her problem.

Once Cam was gone, Beth looked up at Justin and saw his eyes flash with irritation,

“Justin, thanks for the lunch offer, but I really am too busy today.”

He ignored that and groused, “I don’t think it’s appropriate for a nearly engaged woman to be alone with Guthrie’s kind of man.”

That she hadn’t expected. Even leaving aside the nearly engaged woman thing for a moment. “Excuse me?” Beth blinked at him. “Guthrie’s ‘kind of man’?”

“Money doesn’t buy class. He’s still the same as he was in school.”

“All of us are, apparently,” she muttered. She clearly remembered Justin and his friends trying to bully Cam because he was half Native American, but they hadn’t succeeded because Cam had never cared what anyone had had to say about him. He just went on with his life and fought back only when he was forced into it.

“Justin, I’ll be alone with anyone I choose. You’re not in charge of who I speak to. And, more importantly—” she paused for emphasis “—I really want you to hear me on this... We are not engaged.”

“As good as,” he argued.

“Not even close,” Beth said firmly. Honestly, she hadn’t wanted to hurt Justin’s feelings, so she’d dated him for far too long. She hadn’t wanted to be mean when she turned down his proposal, and he’d interpreted that as uncertainty. Now she was done. “We’re never going to be engaged, Justin. In spite of the fact that you simply won’t listen to me.”

“Beth, I’ve been more than tolerant of your indecision, but I believe I’m running out of patience.”

Talking to Justin was exhausting. Like beating your head against a steel wall trying to make a hole. All that happened was a headache.

“As am I,” she said, suddenly so tired of this whole thing that all she could think of was to get rid of Justin so she could have some peace. If the man wouldn’t respond to her polite refusals, maybe it was time to be less polite. “And I haven’t been indecisive. I’ve told you repeatedly that I wasn’t interested in a relationship and nothing has changed. We’re not engaged. We’re not going to be. No one tells me who I can speak to. And I don’t want to go to lunch.”

He gave her a sadly indulgent look. “Beth, honey, ladies don’t show their tempers.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Justin!”

He frowned, more disappointed. He tucked both thumbs behind his oversize silver belt buckle and said gently, “Now Beth, honey, calm down.”

“Telling someone to calm down does not calm them down, just so you know.”

He only stared at her. “What was Guthrie doing here?”

Beth sighed and said, “Cam’s an old...friend.”

“Yeah, I know all about that. I live here, remember?”

“Okay, Justin, the truth is Cam dropped off a donation to the children’s wing at the hospital.”

His mouth worked and she could see the muscle in his jaw twitch as he ground his teeth. “Fine. But I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to be alone with your ex, Beth. People know we’re a couple and—”