Page 4 of Waiting for the Rancher
“So do you, darlin’.” He let his smile widen, hoping he could cheer her up. “I’d sure love to see your pretty lips smile right about now.”
Her eyes only welled with more tears. “Oh, Maverick.”
“I said I wanna see your smile, not tears.” He gentled his voice.
“I think I have feelings for you too.” Her arms tightened around his shoulders.
“Whoa, now.” What was going on here?
Her gaze trailed his face again. “I’ve tried to ignore the feelings, but they just won’t go away.”
“Don’t go saying things like that.” He lowered his voice to a hiss. This was bad. Real bad. Worse than bad.
“You can’t deny you’ve been feeling things for me too.” Her fingers at the back of his neck crept into his hair.
He had to fix things quick-like, before the situation went downhill even more. “Now darlin’—”
She rose up and pressed her lips to his, cutting him off. Her mouth was soft and her kiss filled with desperation. Her hands in his hair dragged him down, and at the same time, she deepened her kiss.
Maverick couldn’t move. The shock of the moment paralyzed him. What was Violet doing? Why was she kissing him? And how could he help her see the error of her way? Help her realize the only man she oughta be kissing was Sterling?
At the banging of the front door and Sterling’s shout, Maverick’s heart plummeted. No doubt his friend was witnessing this whole interaction with Violet.
Maverick’s muscles stiffened. He couldn’t let Sterling find out the truth, that Violet had been the one to initiate the kiss. It would break his heart.
There was only one way to keep Sterling from suspecting Violet had cheated on him. Maverick pressed into her. He’d take the blame for the kiss, act like it was his idea.
The instant he let his lips fuse with hers, he knew the plan was foolish, that it wouldn’t work. That he couldn’t kiss her in return, not for any reason. But before he could pull back, Sterling was grabbing his arm and wrenching Violet from him.
2
Maverick didn’t have time to react or even think. In the next instant, a fist flew into his face, and knuckles slammed into his cheek.
The impact sent him stumbling backward with pain ricocheting through him.
Another fist pummeled into him, this one into his gut.
“You dirty, low-down dog!” Sterling’s voice held a rage that Maverick had never heard there before.
Maverick finally glimpsed his friend coming at him with another fist. Maverick barely had time to duck before Sterling swung at him.
“Hold on!” Maverick held up his hands not only in self-defense but also to try to stop his friend.
Sterling’s eyes contained the same rage as his voice. “You’re trying to steal my woman!”
“No, it’s not like that at all.”
Sterling growled and then barreled toward Maverick, this time tackling him so that the two of them toppled over. Maverick hit the ground with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. Sterling landed on top of him but was still swinging his fists the whole time.
Maverick rolled out from underneath his friend. He’d wrestled enough livestock over the years that he was tough and could fend for himself.
Even so, he’d never been in a fight where he felt as though he might actually be in danger of losing his life. But with Sterling’sexpression twisted with deadly fury, a slight flicker of fear pulsed through Maverick.
“I was bringing Violet inside to you!”
Sterling grabbed him to keep him from getting away. “You were kissing her!”
Maverick wanted to deny his friend, to tell him that he had no desire for Violet. But it was better this way, for Sterling not to know about Violet’s lapse in judgment, likely brought about because she was nervous.
