Texas-Sized Temptation (14 page)

She thought about how Jake spent money and the fortune he was giving up because he was too stubborn to do what his father wanted. That didn't bode well for her.

She gave one last look at herself, picked up her briefcase and purse and headed to the airport for her flight to Dallas. She would be in Jake's office in only a few hours. She just wanted to get the meeting over and get away. She was determined to keep control of her emotions because she never wanted Jake to know how deeply she felt for him. Hopefully, after today, all those feelings for him would vanish because it hurt to be torn in two over him.

If he could turn down his father's fortune without hesitation, he could just as easily turn down selling land back to her.

When she landed in Dallas, she rented a car and drove to
Jake's office. Taking a deep breath, she walked into his office after his secretary had announced her.

Jake stood and closed the door behind her. She barely glimpsed a luxurious, spacious office with a balcony, walls of books, leather furnishings, a big-screen television and bar. All she saw was the tall, brown-haired man at the door. His riveting gaze met hers and held. Her heart thudded and her first reaction was to want to walk into his arms and kiss him. He was breathtakingly handsome in a navy suit that made his eyes appear a darker blue.

“Come in and have a seat,” he said and his greeting confirmed her guess that he would refuse to sell. His coolness hurt as if nothing had happened between them and the past weekend hadn't existed.

She fought back tears that threatened, determined to avoid letting him see how upset she was over his cold reception. This morning he was all business. She still wondered how much was revenge against the Santerres, driving them totally out of the county and away from him.

Had he seduced her to amuse himself? Or to add his own touch of Benton success over the Santerres?

She sat in a leather chair in front of his desk and crossed her legs. He pulled a chair to face her.

“Let's get this over with, Jake,” she said, glad her voice sounded as calm as if she discussed the weather. “Kirby called me as soon as I got home. He had been trying to reach me over the weekend, but of course I didn't take my calls. One more mistake. He told me about the oil. Congratulations to you and Benton Drilling and your brother who predicted this.”

“Thanks. My brother is delighted to see that he was right when he said he would find oil.”

“That makes your victory over the Santerres so much
larger. You found the oil when my father couldn't. I know you are not selling back to me.”

“Caitlin, would you want to buy the house knowing we're drilling right by it? With all the machinery, smells, noise and men working? I've thought about other possibilities. I can get the house moved.”

“I've looked into that. It's a three-story old home—over a hundred years old. They've told me it would damage it structurally to move it. There may be a company out there who will tell me something different, but that possibility exists. I'm not moving it,” she said, mollified slightly that he was looking at an alternative and trying to work something out. Maybe he cared more than she had realized. “Maybe before the past weekend together, but now I want more from you, a real commitment that you could best show by allowing me to buy the place.” She took a deep breath.

“Caitlin, dammit,” he said, placing his elbows on his knees and gazing intently at her. “That's moving where I'm not ready to go. I'm offering you hope of saving the house by moving it. I know what this means to you.”

“I'm not surprised, Jake. When you put me off so long, I figured this was where we were headed. Then when your brother found oil, I knew the answer. I know you're giving me the best business answer, the most practical one from your standpoint. At one point, a compromise of moving it would have been acceptable. But now I want more from you. More than you can give me. I don't see any point in discussing it further.” She stood, feeling a sensation of suffocating in his office that had sunlight streaming through glass, one sliding glass door open with cool fall air pouring in.

He stood, too. She gazed into darkened blue eyes.

“This isn't what I wanted and this isn't the way I want things between us to end,” he said in a tight voice. He moved closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She inhaled, wanting him in spite of her anger and hurt, while at the same time furious with him and wanting him out of her life. “I wish I had never gone to your ranch and tried to get you to sell the land back to me,” she said, fighting more than ever to keep from letting tears come. “Get out of my way, Jake. Out of my life. We don't have one thing to say to each other now except you won. The Bentons wiped out the Santerres and you did it single-handedly, seducing a Santerre in your dealings.”

That was all their “relationship” had been to him. A game of seduction. And he'd won.

She brushed past him. Before she could reach the door, he caught her, spinning her around to wrap her in his arms. Her protest was destroyed by his mouth covering hers as he kissed her, bending slightly so she had to cling to him.

His tongue thrust deep in a passionate kiss that stormed her senses and brought the weekend swirling back.

The hurt she had experienced all morning skyrocketed. The man she loved was kissing her as if she was totally essential to his life. She wanted him physically, aching for his hands, his kisses and his loving. At the same time, she was enraged with him, wanting to get him out of her life and never see him again no matter how much she hurt in doing so.

He kissed her passionately while one hand caressed her nape, drifting down her back to cup her bottom against his hard arousal.

“No, Jake,” she said, twisting out of his arms.

They both gulped for air as they stared at each other. Passion had been hot and desperate.

“Stay out of my life,” she said. “I'll get everyone off your ranch and may you enjoy your millions you'll make from the oil discovery.”

While her words poured out, she shook with rage and pain.

“Do you really want me to sell it back to you and you and
your people will live in the center of an oil field? Kirby can't run his cattle there. There will be lights and noise and trucks at all hours of the day and night, not to mention the smell. Have you even thought this through?”

“I've thought it all through and faced up to my mistakes in succumbing to your seduction, which I hope to blank out of my memory. Stay away from me, Jake, although I should save my breath. I suspect you have done exactly what you set out to do and you have no further use for me.”

“That's damn well not true and you know it. The kiss we just shared makes that plain.”

“Get out of my way. We don't have one thing to say to each other now except you won. The Bentons wiped out the Santerres and you did it single-handedly, seducing a Santerre in your dealings,” she said, striking out blindly because she hurt.

“Take the time you need,” he said gruffly.

“Thank you for your generosity,” she couldn't resist replying. “I'm going. You can celebrate your victory, your fortune and one more meaningless seduction. I hope we never see each other again.”

She rushed past him wanting to get out while she still had shed no tears. In the elevator, the tears came, blinding her and making her angrier at herself for succumbing to Jake, for falling in love with him, for ever hoping for any concession from a member of the family that had fought with hers for generations.

In the car she tried to gather her wits and get over the emotional upheaval in order to drive to her hotel. Taking deep breaths, she finally got control, wiping away her tears. She tried to shift her thoughts to what to do next.

When she felt she could focus on her driving, she left. Jake had never intended to sell one inch of the ranch back to her
and had played her along until he could seduce her and then toss her aside.

She thought of the fiery kiss. Had he hoped for another quick lovemaking in his office? Or that she would let him stay in her life and sleep with him until he tossed her out?

She had no idea what his intentions were, only her own. No matter how badly it hurt, she would get over him. Determined to focus on her problems, she attempted to shove thoughts and memories of Jake out of mind. Jake could live with his conscience now.

The thing she dreaded was telling Cecilia who was an optimist, always hoping for the best and giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. Kirby already expected the inevitable outcome and Altheda was as much a pessimist as Cecilia was an optimist, so she expected the refusal from the start.

As soon as she let them know, she would make her plans, deciding to look into some kind of senior assisted living for Cecilia and Altheda.

The minute she closed the door to her hotel room and was alone, Caitlin gave in to her emotions once more, putting her head in her hands to cry. She loved Jake and she wasn't going to stop loving him any time soon no matter how angry she was with him. His rejection hurt badly and memories were a torment that would only grow worse as she began to miss seeing and talking to him. Had their time together meant even the slightest thing to him? Or had he just been another Benton getting even with a Santerre for past history? Jake hated the Santerres because of his sister. He could easily have done everything in revenge, but it was Will the revenge should have been directed against. Not her. She had been an innocent bystander.

Shocked when she looked at the time, she saw she had cried for an hour. She tried to ignore a pounding headache as
she went to the bathroom to wash her face and place a cold cloth on her temple and then at her nape.

She picked up the phone to call Kirby because he would be the easiest call to make of the three. He expected the refusal and had already been thinking about the future.

“Kirby, I'm back at the hotel,” Caitlin said, seeing Kirby, probably with his phone while he sat on a bale of hay or perched on a fence.

“He refused, didn't he?”

“Yes, just as you thought he would.”

“I don't know why he strung you out, Caitlin. Well, I do know. He wanted to go out with you because you're a beautiful woman now. You probably won't see him again.”

“I definitely won't. I told him as much—to stay out of my life.”

“Is that what you want?” Kirby asked and she thought she detected curiosity in his tone.

“Definitely. I don't want to see him again,” she said, the words hollow and making her hurt more.

“I hope you mean that,” Kirby said.

“I'm going to look at assisted living places this afternoon for Cecilia and Altheda. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Thanks, no. I've had four good job offers. Caitlin, one is down near El Paso. I won't see any of you as often, but I'm thinking about it, because it's a great job.”

“Kirby, do what you want. We'll see each other. We don't see each other for months at a time now. Just don't worry about me. I'll be fine.”

“I know you will. I'll go check on Cecilia and Altheda and see that they're okay after you break the news. Cecilia is as sentimental about that house as you are. Maybe even more. You'd think she had grown up in it.”

“I know. This won't be easy.”

“Caitlin, you forget Jake. Go on with your life.”

“I will,” she said.

“I'll get back with you,” Caitlin said and broke the connection. She dreaded telling the women, debating whether to go to the ranch to let them know. Finally she made the call, hurting and crying when Cecilia started to cry. In minutes they concluded the call and Caitlin shed more tears, but she was relieved by Kirby's positive outlook and knew she could count on him to cheer Cecilia and Altheda.

Making a string of calls, Caitlin set up appointments, feeling the only hope for getting over her unhappiness was to immerse herself in work and in getting everyone off the ranch as soon as possible.

Her thoughts shifted to Jake. Was he going out tonight to celebrate with his brother? Or with a woman? How soon would another woman be in his life? For all Caitlin knew, there could have been one in his life all along.

The phone rang. She had told few people where she was staying, giving her cell number to the Realtors. She was surprised to hear her friend's voice. “Ginny, hi. I suppose you called to learn the outcome. It was what I expected.”

She received another surprise to hear Ginny say she was in the hotel and wanted to come up and see her.

In minutes Caitlin let her tall, blonde friend into the room. Ginny carried two frosty malts and handed one to Caitlin. The minute she closed the door, Ginny gave her a hug.

“I'm sorry, Caitlin.”

“Thanks. Come sit and we'll talk. What are you doing in Dallas? I thought you were at home in Houston.”

“I wanted to be with you. I thought you'd need a friend this morning.” Worried brown eyes gazed at Caitlin who smiled at her closest friend.

“You're the best. Thanks for the malt.”

“You look as if you need it. It was worse than you ex
pected, evidently. When do you have to get everyone off the ranch?”

“There's time. I have one more month. They struck oil and that's that. My house could eventually be in the middle of an oil field. It would be bad even if he sold it back, but he doesn't want to do that, of course. I don't think he ever intended to. I think he was just stalling because he wanted to go out with me.”

“You had a good time with him.”

“Yes, I did, but now I wish I'd never gone to his ranch. I gained nothing.”
Except memories and a broken heart,
she added silently.

“You would have had regrets if you hadn't tried,” Ginny said.

“You're right. I would have. If it hadn't been for the oil, I might have had a chance. On the other hand, he's a Benton and he's bitter about Will and his sister.”