15
T
he sight of Catherine as she’d stood in his kitchen would be forever tattooed onto his brain. Hell, his black shirt had never looked so good. Her curves had pulled the material tight. Her tangled mass of red hair falling down around her shoulders all but begged him to sink his fingers in and get good and lost. Her bare legs and feet had been the final straw. He’d forgotten about Dee. All he could think in that moment was getting Catherine back to bed where he could love that voluptuous body for the next few hours.
“Uh, earth to Dean,” Deanna said. “Come in, Dean.”
His morning definitely wasn’t going as planned. He’d envisioned waking up to Catherine all cuddled close and slowly rousing her up with his kisses. Instead, the doorbell had woken him and everything had gone to shit. He never should’ve answered the damn door.
Dean shook his head and went straight for the coffeepot. He grabbed the glass carafe and brought it to the table, then poured himself another cup. He had a feeling he was going to need it. “Want another?”
“No, I’m good.” Dean barely had the pot back on the warmer when Deanna began to hammer him with questions. “You and Catherine, huh? When did that happen? Does Wade know?”
Dean crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her. “Not that it’s any of your business, right?”
She pointed a finger at him. “Hey, you nosed into my business when I started seeing Jonas. Turnabout is fair play, brother.”
He supposed she had a point there. He took his seat and looked down at his mug, uncertain how to respond. “Last night. That’s all there is to Catherine and me. And yes, Wade knows. He’s not thrilled, but he knows.”
Deanna leaned across the table and in a quieter tone she asked, “One night? She’s Gracie’s sister, Dean. Not some hot little piece you picked up at a bar.”
He rolled his eyes. “Christ, Dee, don’t you think I know that?”
“Then what are you doing messing around with her? Do you care about her?”
He thought of how perfect they’d been together and he was tempted to say yes, but he couldn’t let himself be blind to the fact that he still didn’t trust Catherine. A single night of sex hadn’t changed his mind about her. “Look, I’m not sure if she has something up her sleeve. Everything points to the fact that she doesn’t, I know, but—”
“She’s here for one reason, Dean—to get to know her sister. Why can’t you accept that?”
Dean had no answer for that. The hair on his neck stood up whenever he thought of trusting her, and he needed to know why. “There’s something she isn’t telling. I can feel it.”
Deanna shook her head and looked away, but not before Dean saw the sadness in her eyes. She was worried about him, and he hated it. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “It’s going to be fine.”
She snorted. “It’s not you I’m concerned about. Catherine is a sweet person. Kind, gentle. Her adoptive parents are dead. All she has is Gracie.”
His chest tightened when he thought of all that Catherine had been through. He didn’t like to think of her hurting and in pain. “What’s your point?” he bit out, getting angry and not sure why.
“My point is that she’s vulnerable right now, and all you’re going to end up doing is confusing her.”
Dean shoved his chair back and stood. Christ, when had things gotten so damn complicated? “Look, I know you mean well, but you need to butt out of this one, Dee. This is between Catherine and me. No one else.”
“Fine, but you might want to ask yourself why you’re so drawn to her. She’s not like the other women you’ve dated.”
He pushed his mug away, no longer interested in the hot brew. At the mention of other women, Dean immediately thought of Linda. She’d seemed sweet and gentle too. So had the two women he’d dated before Linda. Right up until they’d kicked him in the gut. “And what would you know about my personal life?”
“I know enough to know that you pick women who know the ropes. You don’t date a woman because she makes you laugh or can engage in intelligent conversation. You date for one reason only.”
“Christ, Dee, you make me sound like a world-class prick.”
Deanna stood and went to him. “No, you’re not a prick,” she replied softly, “but you are a guy who guards his heart with a double-edged blade.”
“Whatever,” he ground out. “It doesn’t change the fact that you need to mind your own business.”
“Only if you’ll promise to be careful. She deserves that much, don’t you think?”
“The only thing I can promise is that before she goes back to Georgia I’ll have my answers.”
“Answers? Is that what this was all about?” The questions hadn’t come from his sister. Dean cursed under his breath and turned to find Catherine standing on the other side of the room, dressed in her wrinkled dress and staring at him as if he’d kicked her puppy. Fuck. He started for her, but she put up a hand, green fire shooting from her eyes. Damn, if looks could kill he’d be a dead man.
“Don’t,” she said, her voice a little unsteady. She dismissed him altogether and looked toward his sister. “Can you please take me back to my hotel?”
“Uh, sure.”
“Catherine,” Dean growled.
To Dean’s horror, Catherine’s lower lip quivered. “Please, you’ve said enough.”
Dean felt like someone was ripping his heart out of his chest when Catherine left the kitchen. He watched as she pulled on her coat and waited for Deanna by the door. His sister pulled him down for a hug and whispered, “I’ll talk to her.”
He shook his head. “My mess,” he said around the rock suddenly lodged in his throat.
“My fault,” she whispered right back.
When Deanna released him and went to pull her coat on, Dean started across the room. He couldn’t let Catherine leave. Not like this. But damn if he wasn’t quick enough. Catherine made it out the door and partway down the sidewalk, hell bent on getting away from him, before he could reach the living room. Deanna looked at him and shook her head in sympathy, then took off after her.
Dean was forced to stand by and watch as they pulled away. He willed Catherine to look back at him. She didn’t. Damn, he’d screwed up royally this time, and he desperately needed to fix it. He wouldn’t let her walk away that easily. If she didn’t listen to reason on her own accord, then he’d just have to tie her pretty ass to the bed and force her to listen.
Catherine waited until she was inside her hotel suite before she let the tears fall. Her purse dropped to the floor by the door, and her legs shook as she headed to the couch. God, she’d been such a fool thinking Dean might’ve actually wanted her. The entire time he’d only been working her, hoping to get under her defenses so he could learn all her deep, dark secrets. If only he could see the truth, that there weren’t any damn secrets.
Deanna had tried talking to her in the car on the way back to the hotel, but Catherine hadn’t heard half of what she’d said. Her ears were still ringing from Dean’s vow to get answers. Catherine’s stomach knotted as she recalled the way she’d hurried to get dressed. She’d been so anxious to get back to Dean. Her body had burned and her insides felt scorched by the sinful promises he’d spoken before leaving her next to his bed. Her mind had taken a pretty X-rated turn as she’d imagined what other sexual adventures Dean might have in store for her. Catherine had conjured up all sorts of things as she’d slipped into her badly wrinkled dress and uncomfortable shoes. As she’d stepped into the kitchen, overhearing Dean talking about her as if they hadn’t just spent the entire night loving each other, Catherine’s libido had all but shriveled and died.
“I’m such a pathetic fool,” she groaned as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Several deep inhales and exhales later, she felt more in control and less like she would shatter at any given moment.
“Get hold of yourself,” she gritted out. “He’s just a man and it was one night. You’ve managed worse situations.” When she opened her eyes and stood, she became aware that she still wore her coat. She tossed it onto the couch before kicking her shoes off. She thought about calling Mary. She was always good for a shoulder to cry on, but Catherine didn’t really want to talk to anyone about Dean. The pain was too sharp at the moment.
As she went into the bathroom, Catherine turned on the light and got a good look at herself in the mirror. “God, I look like . . . sex. Messy, frantic, lust-filled sex.” It had been fantastic, too, right up until the bubble had burst thanks to Dean’s big mouth. “Distrustful Neanderthal,” she muttered as anger finally took the place of pain. Dean had been great, but it was over. Time to move on. What she really needed was a long, hot shower, then she’d call Gracie. Her sister was the reason she’d come to Ohio in the first place. Dean didn’t have a thing to do with it.
Having given herself that pep talk, Catherine stripped out of her clothes and stepped into a hot shower. In her mind, she heard Dean’s last words, though, and she felt the stab to her heart all over again.
The water went cold before Catherine’s second crying jag was over. She got out and wrapped a towel around her body. As she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, Catherine heard a knock on the door. She frowned and left the bathroom, wondering who it could be.
When she looked through the peephole, she frowned and pulled the door open. Gracie and Wade stood in the hallway. Catherine easily saw the worry on Gracie’s face. “Deanna called you, huh?”
Gracie nodded. Catherine let them in and closed the door behind them. She wanted to reassure them, but before she got the chance, Gracie was pulling her into her arms and giving her a big hug. Catherine had to force back the emotion clogging her throat. When Gracie pulled back she said, “I could kick Dean for this, I swear.”
“No need,” Wade chimed in. “I’ll beat the crap out of him and solve all our problems.”
Catherine’s heart swelled at the way the pair rallied around her. She smiled, hoping to keep the conversation light. “It’s fine, really.” She looked down at her towel-clad body and said, “Let me just get dressed, then we can go see that movie.”
“Are you sure you still want to go? We don’t have to if you aren’t up to it, I mean.”
“I definitely want to,” Catherine said, and meant it. Dean wasn’t going to spoil the little bit of time she had with her sister. Catherine quickly left the room. As she entered the bedroom she closed the double doors and went about getting dressed. By the time she had on jeans and a brown scoop neck blouse, Catherine’s hair was nearly dry. She decided a ponytail would be the quickest fix. Within minutes she reentered the living room. “Ready?”
Wade and Gracie’s gaze landed on her, and she knew they weren’t quite buying her act. “Catherine, we can both see you aren’t fine.”
She waved a hand in the air. “He said some hurtful things, but it doesn’t matter. Dean didn’t make me any promises. I knew what I was doing when I went home with him. I’m a big girl. I can handle a little rejection.”
God, please let them believe me.
Catherine had zero desire to dig around in her bruised heart at the moment. She’d had enough crying for one day.
“I don’t know what Dean’s problem is,” Wade bit out, “but I’m putting a stop to it.”
Catherine heard the severity in Wade’s tone and it shook her. “I don’t want you and Dean fighting because of me. Please, I couldn’t stand it if I was the cause of some family feud.” She’d never been a weak woman. In fact, she was usually pretty confident, but with Wade ready to fight her battles and Gracie’s need to shelter and protect, Catherine was more than a little shaken. She’d never experienced that sort of loving devotion. She’d always known a parent’s love, but it had been different. This made her feel cherished, even though she hadn’t known either of them for very long.
On impulse, Catherine went to Wade and hugged him. “Thank you,” she said. His arms wrapped around her in a tight bear hug, and that’s when she knew. He did truly care. Like a brother might care for a sister. It felt good to have him in her corner. She stepped back and looked over at Gracie and saw the tears shining in her eyes. “I can’t tell you how much it means to know that you two are here for me.”
“That’s what family is for,” Gracie said with a small smile.
“I know, but this thing between Dean and me, it’s complicated.”
Wade laughed. “You’re trying to tell us in a nice way that our help isn’t required, aren’t you?”
Catherine winced, knowing how ungrateful she seemed. “Something like that. Although it is appreciated.”
“Okay, but I still want to punch him.”
She shook her head. “If violence is needed, I’ll be the one dishing it out.”
Gracie nodded. “Get him, sis!”
“Darn straight,” Catherine said, feeling a fraction better. For the first time since Dean had opened his big mouth, Catherine felt a real smile coming on. “Now, how about we go see that movie?”
Gracie still appeared unconvinced, but in the end she relented. “I hope he’s at home rotting in his own misery.”
Catherine didn’t want to think about what Dean might be doing. That road led to disaster. She grabbed her coat and purse, and the three of them left the suite. Wade dropped Catherine and Gracie off at the mall, giving them time alone, and promised to swing by and pick them up after their movie to take them to dinner.