Hidden Treasure(30)

For a second, or maybe five, he thought about flipping her onto her back and sinking back inside her heat, finding solace in her arms. Before he could act on that, he reined himself in. This had gotten far heavier than he’d wanted it to already.

Making love to her had seemed like a foregone conclusion, nothing important, just a way to relieve one ache. But the reality was much different from the fantasy he’d created in his head. The reality was much, much better. And she’d made him want to share some of his past with her. Now he was panicking.

He couldn’t want this woman for more than a single romp in the sheets. She was the enemy. She was standing between him and something he really wanted — something he deserved.

There was nowhere for their relationship to go. Nowhere good, anyway. This would only end in disaster for both of them. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt, so the smartest and best thing he could do for both of them was to climb out of the bed and disappear.

Wait her out.

Okay, that thought didn’t particularly appeal to him. But wasn’t that more than enough reason for him to get moving? Careful not to wake her, he began inching away from beneath her, untangling their limbs as he crawled from the bed.

When he stood up and looked down at her, his heart pounded at the way she grumbled in her sleep and her arm reached out. Was she seeking him out, even while unconscious? That’s what it looked like. After a few seconds, she settled back into a deep sleep, and he carefully pulled the covers up over her and removed temptation from his sight.

And yet, a minute later, he found his eyes caressing her face. Yeah, he had to get away from here, because everything inside him told him not to leave and that was more than enough reason to run as fast as he could.

With fierce determination, Colt turned and began gathering his clothes. Putting on his still-damp jeans was a little more difficult than it had been to pull them off, but a few minutes later he was fully dressed.

He couldn’t walk away without looking down at her peaceful face one last time. He knew that once he stepped from this room, everything would be different. All for the best, though. He quietly opened her bedroom door, slipped out, and closed it gently behind him.

When he emerged from her house, all the men were gone, thankfully. It was only about two in the afternoon and he hadn’t been thinking about her reputation, or about the fact that each of the ranch hands would know exactly what he and Brielle had been up to.

He hung his head in shame at what they would now say about her. He hoped he’d be able to quash any rumors, but just as he started heading toward the barn, his cell phone rang. Looking down at the number, he sighed. This was a call he couldn’t ignore.

“Hello, Tim. What can I do for you?”

He listened to his business manager for several minutes and then cursed. This was definitely not the time to be traveling. He’d walked away from her bed without a word, but he had planned to see her tomorrow. Yes, he wanted distance, but he didn’t want her to feel completely used.

But wouldn’t that actually help him? Wouldn’t she hate him, think he was a monster? Wasn’t that best for the two of them right now?

“Okay. I’ll be there this evening.”

He dialed another number. “Meet me at the airport,” Colt said. “We’re heading out.”

Colt went toward his truck and made his way to the small airport in Sterling, where his collection of aircrafts was stored. He didn’t get to fly nearly as much as he’d like to anymore. Sometimes because of the unpredictable weather, and sometimes because life just got in the way.

Yes, he had men who worked for him, and yes, he could do whatever he wanted to do, but Colt hadn’t been raised that way. His father had worked relentlessly until the day he died, and he’d taught Colt the value of a hard day’s work.

It was something so drummed into him that it would be impossible for him to do anything less than his best. Sure, he’d been spending too much time on Brielle’s ranch lately, but that was work, too. He was working to obtain her land. Hell. Another pang hit him at the deception.

It didn’t take him long to drive to the airport, and when he got to his hangar and opened the giant doors, a grin split his face as he took in his Beechcraft King Air 350i. She really was a beauty. His worries dissipated as he focused on his outside preflight checklist.

His father had flown him all around the States when Colt was just a young boy, and he’d caught the bug early on. He’d begun his first official lessons at age sixteen, and that summer he’d earned his pilot’s license. It hadn’t been enough for him.

As the years went by, he’d pushed himself harder and harder, and now he could fly just about anything. He had several private planes and jets, but this one was his baby, and she definitely got the most attention.