“You don’t mind people thinking we’re an item?” she asked.
Jack didn’t give a rat’s ass what people thought. They tended to make up their own
minds no matter what you did, so what was the point in trying to appease them?
Bending his head close so that only Liza could hear him, he said, “After the way we
just fucked, aren’t we an item?”
It was an aggressive, possessive move. Right up there with the way he’d marked his
territory last night at the bar or carried her up to the cottage when her spiked heels had stuck in the ground. He hadn’t thought he was the Tarzan type, but clearly he’d
dispelled that personal myth. Not a big surprise, really. Jack would never be accused of 75
Calista Fox
not going after what he wanted with gusto and determination. His father had taught
him that. Sam Wade had butted plenty of heads in this town when he’d had a point to
get across. Unfortunately, the forces working against him had gotten the best of him.
Including Jack’s mother.
He’d almost let her get the best of him too, years ago. But Jack had taken a stand
against his own family in order to break the cycle and restore a little bit of order to the town. Getting elected to the City Council would help him to hold the ground he’d
gained.
He knew the reverend would try to sabotage his chances. Jack’s uncle wasn’t the
live and let live type. He wanted what he considered to be “his town” to conform to his ideal of small-town life. That meant church and picnics and family-type activities…and no public drinking. What the reverend called carousing even when it was just a couple beers with friends at the end of the work week.
Sanctimonious bastard, Jack thought. He’d been Sam Wade’s biggest opponent and
never-ending nemesis. And he’d transferred his animosity to Jack after Sam had left
town.
Jack pushed the past from his mind, even though it was still a part of his present.
Looking down at Liza, he found her staring up at him with a breathtaking smile, her
green eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, apparently pleased with what he’d said about them being an item.
“Well, if you’re okay with it.” She gave a quick shrug of a shoulder, as though
attempting indifference. But that smile was a dead giveaway. She looked thrilled that he’d hooked them up both in and out of the bedroom. Salving the sting of the one-night stand stigma, he suspected.
Jack didn’t mind, either. There was no need to say out loud it was a temporary
arrangement. The writing was there on the wall, what with his reputation—which he
didn’t intend to hide from her—and her uncertainty of whether she was staying or
going. Admittedly, it’d been a long while since he’d wanted to be a couple. Longer still since he’d met a woman he’d pursued with this much enthusiasm. The pretty New
Yorker made him a little less cynical about life in Wilder and did some seriously
amazing things to his libido.
So he wasn’t looking to unhitch the wagon just yet.
With their fingers twined—and yes, each passerby did eye them curiously—they
walked a ways down the street. Jack noticed the head-to-toe assessments Liza received from the good citizens of Wilder. Her apparel seemed to be as shocking as she and Jack holding hands in broad daylight. Jack didn’t care. Just wished people would mind their own business.
“Everyone’s staring at me,” she said, obviously feeling self-conscious.
She wore a turquoise summer dress that looked better suited for the runways of
Milan than the sidewalks of small-town America. The heavily beaded neckline rounded
her neck and clasped in the back, leaving her shoulders and back bare. The top was
76
Devil in Texas
billowy, gathering tighter at her slim hips and then transitioning into a curve-hugging skirt that ended mid-thigh. She’d paired the dress with white sandals comprised of
flimsy-looking straps and turquoise stones. She carried a matching handbag.
Personally, Jack thought she looked sexy as hell. He’d never seen a woman dress
like this one and he found that he liked the classy, yet provocative look. He wouldn’t change a thing about her.
Seemed she wasn’t feeling quite so confident about her selection, though, as she
said, “I’ve owned this dress for two seasons, but…some people consider it too flashy for their conservative taste.”
He suspected she was speaking of someone in particular. But he didn’t pry.
Whatever or whomever she was running from, Jack figured she’d spill the beans to him
eventually. When she was ready.
“Guess this is what you’d call a subconscious, double-fingered kiss-off,” she
mumbled beside him.
Jack grinned. She was working her way through whatever plagued her. That was a
good sign.
To calm her obviously jangled nerves, Jack said, “No one’s staring at you, darlin’.
You’re okay. They’re just noting what a fine-looking couple we make.”
She laughed. “Sure, I can see that.”
Admittedly, there was some serious gawking going on. But Jack didn’t want her to
feel awkward. He hated narrow-mindedness and didn’t want anyone making Liza
question herself because the people of Wilder weren’t accustomed to big city clothes
and attitude.
“I’ll try to tone it down in the future,” she said in a low voice.
Jack shook his head. “Not on my account. I like how you dress.”
“Yes, but people are definitely staring,” she insisted.
Jack didn’t have a self-conscious bone in his body. There might be a thing or two on
his mind today, what with his uncle’s unexpected and unwelcome visit. Not to mention
the fact that he’d already heard about Jack’s intended bid for a Council seat. But in the grand scheme of things, he was grounded enough to not worry about the Wilder
grapevine. He’d been the star of it on a regular basis as a rebellious teen and as a wild twenty-something. He was more settled now, but still managed to send a ripple
through the universe with his actions from time to time.
He didn’t let the rumor mill get the best of him, but others weren’t always as thick-
skinned. He’d learned that lesson several times over. The hard way—with his family.
He hoped Liza was strong enough to withstand whatever ridicule might be coming her
way as a result of her clothes or her association with him.
“You know,” the beauty beside him said, drawing his thoughts away from the past
and returning him to the very enjoyable present. “You warned me earlier that people