The sound of footsteps behind her had her spinning. Wes stood in the open stall doorway, watching her.
“Are you all right?”
She barely contained a bitter laugh. “All right? Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
From the corner of her eye, she saw him drift a step closer, and she heard the soft shuffle of his boots on the hay-strewn floor. Wes was too intense for the quiet life on a ranch.
“Here, let me.” Suddenly he was right behind her, the heat of his body searing her skin through the thin layer of her jeans and shirt. His right hand settled over hers gently, grasping the brush and sliding it off her palm. Her hands settled on Volt’s coat as Wes kept her caged while he continued to brush the horse. She watched the way his hand moved the brush swiftly over the horse’s flanks. Did he know much about horses?
Funny, she hadn’t thought to ask. When she’d last been around him, he’d seemed more a dark shadow, a presence just out of sight while she’d been focused on Fenn and the threat on his life. Now, though, she had to admit she was curious, even if he scared her a little. He patted the horse’s back and then turned to her, handing her the brush.
“You seem to know what you’re doing,” she finally said, peering over her shoulder at his face.
Observing his profile, she noticed the twist of his sensual lips in a bare hint of a smile.
“I own six of them. I should hope I know what I’m doing.” His words lit a strange fire deep within her belly, and she knew she’d bump into him if she leaned back even an inch.
Callie took the brush from him and set it in the grooming kit outside Volt’s stall. She dusted her hands off on her jeans as she waited for Wes to leave the stall.
“You really have horses? Why didn’t you say anything before?” She could have made him muck out the stalls…the image of him, hay fork in his hands, shoveling manure made her bite back a little smile.
He actually laughed. The rich sound of it did funny things to her stomach. It quivered and a slow wave of heat moved across her face.
“You seem surprised,” he noted as he closed the stall door and then latched it.
Callie retreated a few steps, the barn suddenly feeling much warmer than it had a minute ago.
“Well, you never said anything before about horses. And you don’t look like you do a lot of riding.” She swept her gaze down his black t-shirt, which did nothing to disguise the lean cut muscles of the abs beneath it. You’re not checking him out, Callie. Stop it, she warned herself. She dragged her eyes upward and noticed his powerful forearms and she couldn’t forget that the feel of his hands on her skin always seemed to burn her in those brief times he’d touched her. Oh yes, Wes Thorne unsettled her, and she didn’t like it. If she kept getting swept away by how attractive his abs and arms were there was no way she was going to be able to keep her vow. She had to get out of there and fast. She grabbed the saddle and headed for the tack room, hoping he would take the hint and not follow her.
That silent prayer went unheard because he filled the space of the tack room doorway, as though to stop her from escaping him again. She focused on putting her saddle away.
“You and I haven’t talked much, and certainly not about horses. I’d be happy to talk now…about horses. I play polo. A man has to be very good on a horse.” He paused and that caught her attention. When her eyes met his, he continued. “I enjoy riding, and not just the horses.”
For a second, she had no clue what he meant. Riding…Then it hit her and she flushed with mortification. He was implying that—oh!
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Thorne, but I’m not up to being ridden today, or ever. I’m not interested, period.”
Rather than anger him enough to send him away, he sidled closer.
“No, you’re not up to it, not yet.”
Turning to face him, she shot him the fiercest look she could manage. “I don’t think you get it. I want to be left alone. No more men, no more romance, no more anything…” Suddenly her words came out a little choked, as though she couldn’t breathe. Here she was confessing her heartache to him, the last man on earth who’d understand what she was going through. His sister had told Callie all about Wes. The women he dated, how he never fell for anyone. He was nothing like Fenn. Wes wasn’t a man for loving, but for lusting, and she didn’t want to be around that either.
Wes tilted his left wrist to study the face of his expensive watch, checking the time.
“That sounds a bit like a challenge to me. Do you want to challenge me?” It wasn’t a threat, no, but something about the way he said the word “challenge” made her insides squirm.
“Challenge? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Wes’s lips twitched. “So you’ve decided you won’t fall in love? Is that it? No more men for you because one man broke your heart?”
Rather than answer him, she just swallowed hard and drew in a much needed breath.
“A friendly little wager wouldn’t put you at any risk then, would it? What if I said that in thirty days I could change your mind? Make you want a man again, not just any man, but me.”
Callie focused on the doorway, debating if she could escape him, but it didn’t seem likely. What if she just let him play his little game? It wouldn’t hurt her; he couldn’t get to her.
I’m safe. He won’t get to my heart. She was sure of that. Sure enough that she finally met his gaze and nodded.
“You think you can seduce me in thirty days? Fine. You’re on. Good luck with that, Mr. Thorne.”
“Thank you, but I’ve never needed luck.” When she started to dart around him, he stayed her with an outstretched arm. “Now, just a minute, we’ve terms to discuss. If I lose I’ll have one of my connections at art school on Long Island write you a recommendation for entry to their program.”
“Art school?” How could he offer that? She wouldn’t ever be able to afford that.
“Yes, they have a scholarship program you’d qualify for and my friend’s recommendation would seal your acceptance.”
Callie let all of that sink in. If she resisted the temptation to sleep with him, he’d help her get into art school? The one thing she wanted more than anything? There had to be a catch.
“And if you win?” She couldn’t quite say the words “if I lost.”
“If I win you’ll get passion beyond your wildest dreams. I know how to please a woman, Callie. Every trick, every toy, every little fantasy you’ve ever had, they can all be yours. I can promise that while we’re together your life will never be the same. Anything you want, I can give it to you. Anything.” He was so confident, so bold, she almost believed him.
But there was one thing he couldn’t give her and thankfully it was the one thing she never wanted to experience again. Love.
“That doesn’t sound like a hard bet to win,” she replied. Why she felt the need to taunt him, she wasn’t sure.
He chuckled, not at all upset. “If you think this will be so easy a challenge to win, you won’t refuse anything I suggest?”
Suggest? Just what did he think he could suggest? “What do you mean?”
“I’ve got to make a trip to Paris in the next week and I think it’s only fair to take you with me. I’ve seen your artwork. I know you’d enjoy taking in the museums and the sights. It’s the perfect place for an artist to visit.”
Paris…What he offered her, the world she’d always dreamed of, as though it were an easy thing to give her…it was impossible. She could never afford that trip.