From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,58

dark. He normally didn’t stay up too late, though she doubted he ever fell asleep before she got home from the Watering Hole. She wondered if he’d been listening for her tonight.

Trace surprised her by cutting the engine. She’d been ready to jump out and dash inside before the hands’ two Border collies started barking.

“I’m not making out with you in front of the house,” she said, barely able to keep a straight face.

“You don’t think I could get you to do that if I wanted?”

Her startled laugh came out much too loud and she covered her mouth. “You cocky bastard.”

“Come here.” He reached for her, catching an arm and pulling her toward him.

“Oh, no. You don’t even get a good-night kiss for that.”

He settled for holding her hand. “We should talk.”

Her heart nose-dived. “About?”

“How we should handle our relationship.”

Relationship. She turned the word over in her mind. They’d had sex, and yes, it was really great sex. The best she’d ever had, and she hoped for more of it. But that didn’t mean anything had changed between them.

“I’m not sure how open you want to be about us,” he said. “There are things to consider.”

“I’m not going to take out an ad in the Salina Gazette and announce I had sex with you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Nikki.” He looked shocked, his hand tightening around hers. “Did I really give you that impression?”

“No. I’m sorry.” She sighed. “I promise we aren’t pulling anything over on Matt. I doubt he thinks we’ve been playing checkers all night. Personally, I don’t care that he knows we’ve had sex.”

For a moment she thought Trace might’ve flinched slightly. He continued to study her, his expression troubled. The silence kept growing, and she didn’t know how to fill it. He hadn’t released her hand but whether he did or not, in a second she was getting out of the truck.

“I’ll talk to Matt later,” he said, finally. “Tell him it was my fault...that I kept you out late.”

“You will not. I can’t believe you—Matt is my brother, not my guardian. For God’s sake, Trace, I’m twenty-five.” She really wanted to throw something. “I can handle my own life. God,” she said through gritted teeth.

Trace just sat there as the furrow in his brow deepened. “That came out wrong. I only meant that I don’t want him thinking that anyone saw us, or— Look, this is a small town, people talk. He should know we were careful. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Careful about what? Are you worried about my reputation?”

“Well, yeah. You know how bad the gossip can be.”

She breathed in deeply. First, he talked about a relationship, and now he cared if anyone had seen them? That didn’t even make sense. She might be Matt’s sister, but everyone knew she wasn’t like him.

Though she would prefer not to be thought of as just another notch on Trace’s belt once he moved on, but if that happened... “If there’s gossip, I’ll deal with it.”

“Just you? On your own?”

She nodded. “Seriously. Don’t worry about it. I can take the heat.”

“Honey, do you regret what we did tonight?”

“No. Not at all.” Nikki sighed. “I really don’t. I just hope things don’t change between us.”

Trace stayed silent for a long time. He’d turned his head so that he could stare out the windshield and into the darkness.

“Hey,” she said, and he turned back. “If we hook up again, we hook up again. If we don’t, that’s okay.” She shrugged. “That’s all.”

If he’d seemed confused before, now he looked pissed.

“What?”

“Nothing. You seem to have figured it all out.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “Look, you’re strong and independent and I admire that about you. I have no doubt you can handle your life just fine. But that doesn’t mean I’ll sit on my thumbs and not want to have your back. If it makes it easier letting Matt know what’s what, then I want to be there.”

Again, she didn’t know what to say. With the exception of her mother and now Matt, no one had ever had her back. Not in the way Trace meant. It seemed hard to believe he was sincere, but everything from the way he looked at her to the care he took when he held her said he was.

That didn’t mean she thought he’d still be knocking on her door next week. “Fine.”

“Damn right it’s fine.” He cupped her chin and looked into her eyes. “Tell me you wouldn’t be there for