Cutter Mountain Rendezvous (32 page)

Colton bent his head Kate’s direction. “What’s that? You’d like to meet the ladies?” He pointed his beer bottle at each beauty. “Marley, Jasmine, and Trish. This is Kate.” Each smiled at the mention of their name. Colton waved a hand overhead for a waitress. Tammy, a server Colton seemed to know, appeared at his elbow. Beers soon appeared.

Kate was amazed to see Colton’s ability of gather a buzz of attention without a stitch of effort other than standing in one spot. As a songwriter with a hit, she loved being anonymous. Blake was another story. How could Colton keep their attention to the point they didn’t recognize him? His face was as well known in these parts, and more so than Colton. Even Blake seemed in awe of Colton, who energized the space around them.

The three women twittered with shy glances and leading questions about Colton’s lounging form plastered across a billboard outside of downtown Nashville. The ad featured him in nothing but a pair of knit boxers. Kate tipped the beer to her lips to keep from telling the trio she had seen Colton in the flesh
without
his briefs. Another sip of cool beer was like throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.

The band took a break about the time she and Blake were on their third beers. Two more than Kate’s usual limit. The jukebox kicked in with a slow song. He took her by the hand and led her out onto the dance floor. She leaned heavily on him.

Blake stared into her eyes. “How about we shake up Colton and head out to somewhere quiet and talk? I’ve seen enough of the band, if you have.”

“Actually, I’m starved. And a little drunk. I need food.”

“Let’s go.” He wove through the crowd.

Colton was soon on their heels. “Whoa, wait up, Blake buddy. You guys leaving already?” The muscle in his cheek was twitching.

Kate tried not to sway. “We saw what we came for.” Her tongue wasn’t working right. Blake put his arm around her, she let him keep her steady. “Have fun with your girlies.” Kate winked. She never winked. In fact, she might have used both eyes. Colton didn’t look amused.

“You know what makes me a damn good ballplayer, Kate?”

“Ego?” she said, wide-eyed.

“Patience. Have a good tour, Blake. I hear you and the boys take off tomorrow.” He administered a hard stare and headed back to the waiting trio.

****

Colton had a nice view of Kate’s elf door from his bedroom, if he used the telephoto lens he unscrewed from Trace’s Nikon. Midnight and she was still out with Blake. He straightened upon seeing movement in the shadows and put the lens to his eye. He stood, grateful to be out of the chair in which he sat glued for the last three hours, and strained to see through the lens. Just in time to see Blake follow Kate inside. “Dammit, Kate.”

Colton stalked out of his bedroom, through the kitchen and out past the pool. Landscape lights lit the way through the flower garden and into the wooded area where the guest cottage sat nestled in dark shadows. He pounded on the door and rested his hands on his hips.

Kate opened almost immediately. He ran a quick glance over her fully clothed body. “Where’s Blake?”

“Shhh. He’s on the phone. What are you doing here?”

“Visiting. Hey.” Colton gave Blake a head nod and bored him with two mean topaz eyes before turning to Kate. “You were really pounding back the beers tonight. You sober?”

“Two and a half beers on an empty stomach is hardly pounding them back. Blake fed me and now I’m fine. Be nice. I’m warning you, Colton.”

Blake hung up the phone and wagged his head. “You’ve got it bad, dude. You need me to hang around, Kate?”

“Kate’s fine.” Colton took a stance that was anything but friendly.

“Go, Blake. Tomorrow’s a hectic day for you. Colton will be leaving with you.” She held the door open and waited for them to file past. “Have a good tour.”

“Definitely.”

“How long you on the road?” Colton asked as they disappeared into the dark with his hand clasped over Blake’s shoulder.

Kate closed and locked her door, then peeked out to see the two men talking by the pool. She blew out a breath and went to the refrigerator for a cold bottle of water. By the time she got back to the front window, they were gone. She uncapped the bottle and took a long drink. Light rapping at the door made her wonder if Blake had returned to check on her.

Nope. Colton. “Are you proud of yourself?”

“Yes. I am.” His eyes blazed as he entered her living room. “You got another one of those?”

“Refrigerator.” Her gaze fell to his bare feet, up over his navy sweats that had seen better days, to a Bullets tee. “What did you say to Blake?”

“We kissed and made up. Didn’t want him going on tour with bad vibes between us.”

“You didn’t have trouble sending Trey back to California with bad vibes.”

“Trey’s an asshole. Blake’s a good guy, which makes him all the more threatening.”

“Threatening?” Kate laughed out loud while Colton emptied half his bottle of water. “Why’s that?”

“Because he might have kissed you. Or worse.”

“That’s a bad thing?”

“It is to me. I’m the guy who loves you.”

“Good night, Colton.”

“Good idea, but let’s talk first.” He headed down her short hall and quickly located her bedroom as Kate sputtered behind him.

“You want to talk in the bedroom?”

“I like talking in the bedroom. It gets better results than the kitchen table.” He settled into a large overstuffed chair near Kate’s bed. “Did you have fun on your date?”

“We did.”

“That’s it. We did?”

“Are you jealous?” Kate asked and pulled off her boots to sit cross-legged in the middle of her bed. “Because given my celebrity status you need to understand men come on to me. My days are filled with men hanging on my every word.” She raised an eyebrow. His earlier agitation gone, he appeared...content. “You know. Like those star-struck girlies in the bar tonight. I’m surprised you’re not busy with one up in your room. Or is that why you’re dressed ready for bed?”

“I love you, Kate.” Colton sat forward on the chair and dropped his head a moment before he looked her in the eye. He had that serious demeanor she had observed before. The one she figured was reserved for the ballpark when bases were loaded with two outs. He took a breath and said softly, “I may not be saying it pretty or romantic, but I want to be a part of your life. Forever.”

There was the sincerity she longed to hear in his voice. She climbed from the bed to straddle him on the chair. It was uncomfortable in her jeans but she didn’t care. After talking to Blake for hours about the complications of loving a man like Colton, and the endless meaningless attention they garnered from women that Blake understood on a personal level, she was ready to bare her own heart.

She cupped his face with her cool fingers. “I love you, too. The fire was nothing compared to your walking out the door.”

“I was insensitive.”

“I know. What can I touch?” Her gaze darted to his shoulder. Light from the bedside lamp lit in his eyes like burnished jewels.

She closed her eyes when he ran his thumb across her lips and stroked her throat. “Have at anything below the waist.”

Kissing his thumb at her lips, she settled closer when he cupped her hips to bring her forward. Her parted legs strained against the constraints of her jeans as their lips came together. Slow kisses meant to savor built into deep sensual need and sent waves of desire into her every limb. The hard imprint of his desire pressed through the soft fabric of his sweats against the apex of her parted legs.

Colton slid his hands over the silk on her arms and tugged the hem from her jeans. The snaps popped open one by one. She helped him make quick removal of her shirt and bra and his T-shirt. The new scar was a deep scarlet but bruising minimal.

He took a moment to drink in the sight of her small, perfect breasts. “God, I’ve missed you, Kate.” The stroke of his hands over her skin sent new shivers of desire.

“You’ve no idea how good that sounds. Feels.”

Her fingers curled into the back of the soft chair as she pushed up to allow him an attempt at getting her jeans off. Impossible. They stuck over the curves of her hips, yet neither moved from the chair too caught up in the moment. Every sensation was recorded. The seductive slide of his tongue against hers. His hands warm upon her skin. Her breasts. His caress to her curves with a soft growl when he broke the kiss. “Uh, Kate, we’re about to have unprotected sex if we don’t back it down a notch.”

“I’ve condoms,” she said breathless.

“I’m afraid to ask why.”

He helped untangle her from his lap and the chair as she considered what he was wearing. No pockets. No condom. No problem. She opened the nightstand next to her bed. “Take your pick. There’s all kinds and sizes. I guess the cottage served as a Love Shack before Lindsay and I made the place respectable. I left the condoms but hid the sex toys.”

“We’ll have to dig them out sometime.” He gave her a lopsided grin and made a low whistle. He ran a finger over the boxes and made a selection along with quick disposal of his clothes. “God bless men with guitars and tour buses.”

“A-men.” She threw back the covers and beckoned to him. His eyes were hungry with desire but he stilled.

“Does that mean you and Blake used the drawer?”

“Please. Blake didn’t get past first base. Seems ballplayers are my thing.” That earned her one of his outrageously sexy smiles.

“Where were we?”

Making love to Colton was even better than their first time. Words were now wrapped around their physical expression to love one another. Limp with contentment, she marveled at the good fortune to find the right man in her bed. He kissed her belly and teased her navel with his tongue before curling her into his body. They lay together a long time in quiet contentment.

“I’ll be staying the night,” he whispered against her temple.

“Only if you don’t sneak out at dawn.”

“I swear, Kate. I’ll never leave you again.”

****

That afternoon, they lazed around on lounge chairs beside Trace’s pool. The band had taken off in the tour bus after lunch.

“Let’s swim.” Colton pushed up from the chair where he’d been half asleep.

“No. I’m too warm and cozy.” Kate pulled a sheet towel tight around her chin. “Oooohhh!” she squealed with the awkward lift that favored his good arm. “Stop lifting me. You’ll hurt your shoulder.”

“Okay.” Water splashed wet droplets on the stone when he tossed her into the pool. The towel floated then sank to the bottom. Kate treaded water, trying to get her bearings when Colton joined her and took hold of her to bring her close.

“What should we tell Lindsay?”

“What do you mean?”

“About us.”

“About us what?”

“Getting married.”

Kate stilled. “You didn’t ask me to marry you.”

“Sure I did. I said I wanted you in my life forever. That sounds like a marriage proposal to me.”

“Honestly, Colton. It’s no wonder you’ve not married yet. You don’t know how to ask.” Not that she minded. Fate had saved him for her.

“I’ll tell you what. A situation has come up in Chicago.”

“You’re leaving.”

“The Piranha called. The Bullets want to talk about my contract.”

“I thought your contract expired at the end of the season.”

“It did. The Bullets want me at the negotiation table this week. As much as I want to stay, I have to go back to Chicago.”

Kate found it hard to hide her disappointment. It seemed every time she and Colton found their way into each other’s arms life’s demands tore them apart.

“For how long?”

“A week. Maybe less. I’ll tell you what. How about you meet me at Cutter Mountain Outlook on October first? That gives us two weeks. Can you be there?”

“Can’t you come here?”

“Come on, Kate. Wasn’t it you who said I needed to improve my presentation? Cutter Outlook is where we first met. I’ll give you fair warning. You’d better understand what type of relationship you want with me or don’t show up.”

“What time?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Colton looked at his watch while standing near the low wall at Cutter Mountain Outlook. It was definitely October first, and Kate was definitely late.

He placed a booted foot on the wall to gaze out over the valley, alive with fall color. Red, yellow, and gold melded with hints of green. Where fog hung low, it appeared black. What had his mother told him about the view? Oh, right. “Only God painted with such expertise and perfect palette,” she had told him, while trying to explain her decision to retire to the area.

The beauty of Bear Creek and the surrounding mountains wasn’t her only excuse. The other attraction was a budding relationship with Judge Lowell. Both he and Mason were able to agree this was a healthy direction for their mother and offered their support.

He took in a deep breath of fresh mountain air. When had the quiet sounds of nature brought so much appeal? He glanced at his watch for the tenth time. Kate’s absence sent pulse throbbing in his neck.