A Fair to Remember Read online

  “Seriously?” she asked. “After what just happened you’re going to make me sit all by myself in the dark?”

  Guilt. How effective even though he didn’t owe her a damn thing. He opened his mouth to argue that it wouldn’t be all that dark what with the fireflies and fireworks, and she’d hardly be by herself, but then he noticed her lips twitch.

  He narrowed his eyes and countered, “I thought you wanted the blanket all to yourself.”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s a big blanket, I don’t mind sharing.”

  “Just not with your brother.”

  She grinned when he reminded her of her earlier comment. “Right—he takes enough as it is. Besides, he would’ve had to bring Sugar.”

  “That’s right, the lactose intolerant, Harley riding, fireworks chasing, psychotic dog who can’t be left alone.”

  Tara’s eyes danced with unrestrained humor and she laughed, that natural sound that warmed him inside and made him feel like the only man on earth. God help him, but how could he not stay now?

  Chapter 5

  Tara sobered when she noticed a strange look on Wes’s face. Her stomach did a funny little flip, and she asked, “What?”

  His expression cleared and a half-cocked grin appeared. “Nothing. I just realized you look different without Sugar.”

  “I do?”

  “Yeah, less scary.”

  She laughed again. “So, if I promise not to throw-up on you, will you stay?”

  “Promise?” he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as his grin widened.

  She lifted her hand to draw an X over her hammering heart. It was crazy how much she wanted him to say yes. She barely knew this guy, and as she’d told Sugar, there was no such thing as love at first sight. Or second. Or third. He was just a nice guy with the added bonus of being hot enough to knock her socks off.

  He tilted his head a little, his expression turning thoughtful. “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?”

  He stepped closer, and Tara raised an eyebrow. “You don’t trust me?”

  Wes took hold of her arm, his grasp gentle as he turned her in the direction of the field. Another kid bumped into him, and Wes shifted behind her to give a group of rowdy teenagers room to pass by. The length of his hard body pressed against her back. Heat spread through her where ever he made contact with her body. Tara recalled that quick kiss he’d given her on the sidewalk, swallowed hard, and forced herself not to lean into his warmth.

  Then his breath stirred her hair as he murmured, “I never told you my name is Westin.”

  Oh, crap. She’d hoped her habit of using people’s full names when trying to make a point had gone unnoticed. But now that she was busted…

  She spun around and they almost collided, chest to chest. After a silent little gasp, she said, “I’m sorry, you’re right. I looked at your driver’s license to see how old you are and noticed your name. I shouldn’t have invaded your privacy.”

  He rocked back on his heels. “How old I am?”

  Tara cringed as she turned back toward the field. A family blocked her escape, keeping her right where she stood. Why did the truth have to sound so lame and idiotic? She should’ve lied.

  “You know,” Wes said behind her, “I would’ve bought that you wanted to make sure the stranger in your shower wasn’t really some crazy, lying sociopath.”

  A quick glance over her shoulder showed his expression remained serious, but his blue eyes shone with humor and crinkled the tiniest bit at the edges. That explanation sounded so much better than hers. Tara gave him an embarrassed smile.

  “Yeah, that, too. Though in my defense, your license would’ve only clued me in to the lying part of that, not the crazy sociopath.”

  “Very true.”

  She looked back to discover the path had cleared.

  “I’m not, by the way.”

  “A crazy sociopath?” she clarified with a grin.

  “Any of the above.”

  She nodded solemnly. “Good to know. I’ll sleep so much better tonight.”

  He chuckled, lifted her wrist for a glance at her watch, then nudged her forward with his shoulder. “It’s almost nine, what time do these fireworks start?”

  She managed to keep her smile from widening from one ear to the other as they crossed the last of the crowed thoroughfare side by side. “Nine thirty.”

  “Good. I only had two bites of my burger before Sugar introduced herself.”

  Guilt flooded though Tara again. “I’m sorry—”

  Wes held up a hand as he shook his head. “No more apologies. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such an…interesting…evening.”

  “Interesting is one word for it,” she said as they reached the baseball diamond. “Let’s stake out our spot in the outfield and then I’ll buy you dinner.”

  She led him through the maze of blankets already spread out, some with coolers or chairs, and settled on a more secluded spot toward the edge.

  As she spread out the blanket, Wes glanced around. “You’re just going to leave it here? There’s a half dozen others just like it.”

  Tara shrugged off her red sweater and dropped it onto the blanket. With just her white tank top, the mild evening temperature felt nice against her heated skin, but when she looked at Wes, she got goose bumps on her arms.

  “You’re going to get cold,” he said.

  She waved a hand, warmer already from his concern. “I’m fine, and we’ll be back in a little while anyway.”

  At the concession stands, he ordered another burger and a beer, while she asked for a blue raspberry slushie.

  “A slushie?” he asked.

  “I don’t drink,” she stated as she reached into her front pocket for her cash.

  “If I’d known that—” He broke off with a frown. “Un-uh. Put your money away.”

  When he took out his wallet, Tara shook her head in protest and stepped closer to the booth. “I’m buying, it’s the least I can do.”

  He covered her hand before she could set her money on the checkered-plastic covered counter. The warmth of his touch almost seared her skin. A little zing of electricity zipped up her bare arm and kick-started her heartbeat for what felt like the hundredth time since she’d met him. When she looked up into his eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

  “It’s just a slush,” he argued.

  “Okay, but I’m getting an elephant ear at the next stand,” she stated.

  “I don’t care.”

  “And some cotton candy.”

  “That’s fine.” After a little squeeze, he removed his hand from hers and pulled a couple bills from his wallet while the attendant set Wes’s burger and their drinks down. Wes leaned forward as he handed over his cash. “I’m sorry, but can I get a cola instead?”

  The lady left as Tara added, “Maybe even a deep fried Snickers bar.”

  In the middle of stuffing a tip into the jar on the counter, Wes’s gaze flicked up to hers. “Now you’re pushing it,” he warned with a grin. “If you eat all that you’ll be as hyper as the dog—and you’d probably break your promise about the puking thing, too.”

  Tara laughed. “I am getting the elephant ear.”

  Thinking about the warm, deep-fried dough, brushed with butter, then doused with cinnamon sugar, made her mouth water. Or was it the smile he’d flashed at her?

  Tara tried to convince herself it was the pastry while Wes collected his change, handed her the slush, and they moved to the twenty-deep line for her treat. But as she sipped her raspberry drink and snuck glances at him eating his burger, then looked at each person walk away with their elephant ear, she had to admit she’d rather taste Wes.

  Man, she barely kept from fanning herself. It wasn’t fair that she’d had no time to prepare for that kiss on the sidewalk. No time to enjoy it.

  “What?”

  Tara jerked her attention up from Wes’s mouth. Her heart pounded. Smooth move.

  “Uh, you have ketchup…” She pointed to the corner of her own mouth, and he reached to wipe his lips with a napkin. “You got it,” she said quickly, turning back to focus on the people working the booth. Whew. Nice save, idiot.

  He finished the burger and tossed his garbage into a can as they reached the front of the line. After she ordered, he leaned forward to look at the menu. “I thought you were joking about the Snickers bar.”

  “Do you like Snickers?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sure, but…not deep-fried,” he protested as she called to the lady to add one to her order. “That doesn’t even sound good,” he added in a low undertone while frowning at the menu again. “Twinkies, too?”

  Tara glanced over her shoulder. “You want that instead?”

  “God, no. What’s wrong with these people?”

  Tara laughed, felt the tiniest twinge of guilt, but didn’t cancel the Snickers. Wes argued about paying again, but this time she won by pointing out that they weren’t on a date. To her disappointment, that shut him up real quick…which made it a no-brainer to skip going past the tattoo booth. If he didn’t want her to think this was a date, he’d run faster than she could blink if she introduced him to her parents—especially her dad.

  She didn’t want Westin Carter running anywhere.

  “What’s the hurry?” he asked as she started back toward the field.

  She glanced at him, then straight ahead. “We’ve only got about five minutes before things kick off.”

  He seemed to accept that as he led the way back to the blanket. The bright lights from the fair reached far enough that they relocated their spot without problem, and after they’d settled down, he lifted her sweater. “You want this back on?”

  Having just taken a bite of warm pastry, Tara shook her head. “Nm-mm.
”

  Wes set it aside and held the Snickers on a stick in front of him, as if contemplating whether or not to try it. Finally, he pointed it at her, solemnly said, “Now this shows trust,” and lifted it to his lips. Tara felt yet another twinge of guilt as he bit into the treat, then relief when he “mmm’d” his appreciation.

  “Is it really good?” she asked.

  Wes took another bite before turning to her, suspicion evident in his expression. “You sound surprised.” She shrugged a shoulder, trying to appear indifferent. He shifted to face her directly, his gaze narrowed. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had one.”

  She half-grimaced, half-smiled and shook her head no.

  He inhaled with exaggerated outrage. “I feel so used…and I’m supposed to trust you?”

  She laughed. “What’s it taste like?”

  He held it out toward her but when she leaned in for a bite, he pulled his hand back. Her smile matched his as he slowly offered it again. Anticipating his next move, when he started to tease this time, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and pulled the candy to her mouth. Their eyes locked as she took a small bite of the warm, sweet concoction.

  Mmm. It was good. All of it—the treat and him right there in front of her. She licked her lips to dislodge a chocolaty string of melted caramel. His gaze dropped. Time slowed. He started to lean forward, and Tara caught her breath. Her lashes lowered in anticipation of his kiss.

  Color exploded in the sky above them, three deafening bangs at once. Tara’s eyes opened wide. Red, blue, and green illuminated Wes’s startled expression. She blinked and sat back at the same time he did, transferring her attention to the fireworks.

  “Wow.” Wes tilted his head up.

  “Yeah,” Tara agreed, only she wasn’t talking about the show. For the first time in her life she was not happy with the fireworks.

  Silence fell between them amidst the “oohs” and “ahs” of couples and families scattered on the field. She tore off a piece of her elephant ear and offered it to Wes, who accepted. When he held out the Snickers again without actually looking at her, Tara declined. The fireworks were amazing, but she couldn’t keep her mind off the man next to her, sitting with a forearm resting on his drawn-up knee, his other leg bent underneath.

  She wanted to run her hand along that forearm and up to his shoulder. Feel the muscles, let the hair on his arm tickle her fingers. When he licked chocolate off his thumb and set his napkin off to the side, she concentrated very hard on not staring at his lips.

  “Why didn’t you tell your brother about those guys?” he asked out of the blue.

  She’d just popped the last bite of her dessert into her mouth and took a moment to chew while dusting the cinnamon sugar from her hands into the grass on the side. “In case you hadn’t noticed, Charlie is a little overprotective.”

  “Oh, I noticed.” His gaze remained trained on the screaming streamers in the sky. “Good for Charlie.”

  Tara caught the quiet words and backhanded him lightly on the arm. “Bite your tongue—you haven’t lived with it for the past twenty-eight years.”

  Now he looked over. “You’d rather you didn’t have someone looking out for you?” he asked, surprise and a hint of reproach in his tone.

  It wasn’t that simple, but of course he didn’t know that. “Don’t try to make me feel bad.”

  He shrugged, and his chin dipped as he reached out to pluck a blade of grass from alongside the blanket. “All I’m saying is, I think it would be nice, knowing someone cares that much.”

  She got the sense that he spoke from being on the opposite side of the fence. She studied his profile, and when he finally glanced at her again, his half smile didn’t reach his eyes. She lifted one brow, letting him know she was listening, and he gave an uncomfortable laugh.

  “Oh, no. No true-confessions here.”

  Tara rolled her eyes with a smile, even as her heart tugged with sympathy for him. Whether he admitted it or not, there’d been definite wistfulness in his voice when he’d said it would be nice to know someone cared that much. For now, she’d let him off the hook.

  “Well, to answer your earlier question, I didn’t tell Charlie about those guys because, unfortunately, his self-control is worse than Sugar’s, and he’s gotten in trouble for it before.”

  Wes’s turn to regard her thoughtfully. “Protecting him by not letting him protect you?”

  “Umm…something like that.” She drew her legs up, wrapped her arms around them, then laid her cheek on her knees facing him. An overwhelming urge to explain about Annabel surfaced, but she’d end up crying and wouldn’t that be nice? Instead, she admitted, “I realize it was stupid, now—especially when Kenny pulled the knife.” She lifted her head with a sudden realization. “I never really thanked you.”

  “Please don’t make a big deal out of it.” He looked uncomfortable again.

  “What? I’m just saying thank you.” She leaned a little closer, bumping her shoulder against his, hoping he’d turn toward her and their eyes would meet again.

  “You’re welcome,” he said shortly. Then he reached for his soda and watched the sky.

  Chapter 6

  Wes was wound so tight by the time the fireworks began a crashing crescendo, he had to roll his shoulders and neck to relieve the tension. He could’ve turned his head at any time, leaned in, and kissed the mouth that’d been tempting him since the moment she’d told him a dog had fallen in love with him. The brief kiss on the sidewalk hadn’t been near enough.

  His heart picked up speed every time he thought about looking at her. Tasting her.

  He’d dated enough, mostly when he was younger though, and it was more hooking up than actual dating. Since he’d straightened his life out and focused on his future, he hadn’t had much time to do more than envision the right type of woman to fit into his very specific picture. She certainly didn’t have barbed wire and snake tattoos on her arms.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, but only saw long, flowing black hair, beautiful brown eyes and a bewitching smile. Risking a quick glance to find her enjoying the grand finale, he flicked his gaze down to her arm, then back to the explosion of light above them.

  Come to think of it, though, about the only thing that seemed wild and crazy about her were the tattoos. She didn’t drink, kept a neat house, and while she dressed sexy enough to raise his blood pressure to the boiling point, it wasn’t distasteful or trashy in any way. And he was enjoying her company tonight, especially her humor. So would it be so bad if…

  Wes sat up straighter, unable to finish that thought as he realized he was justifying his desire to kiss her. He had to stop. Single-minded determination to stick to the plan was the only reason he’d gotten where he was today. Distractions were dangerous—the bullet that’d embedded a half-inch from his spine served as a jolting reminder.

  A prolonged series of loud explosions signaled the end of the fireworks, along with a kaleidoscope of color that took over the entire sky. Families around them clapped and whistled as they stood and began packing up their belongings.

  Wes looked again at Tara, her face shadowed in the dim light now that the fireworks were over. The crowd was dissipating fast, and he knew he couldn’t sit too long with her in the dark or he’d start thinking in the wrong direction again.

  Rising to his feet, he scooped up her sweater and then held out a hand to assist her up. Her gaze rose as her palm connected with his. It took every ounce of willpower not to pull her against him when she stood. Releasing her hand, he held out her sweater for her to put it on. When he eased it up her arms onto her shoulders, his fingers brushed her soft skin, and of their own violation, gathered her silky hair to lift it free. So soft.

  He started to lean in for a stronger dose of her vanilla scent, caught himself just in time, then stepped back and bent for the blanket. After he’d folded it, he asked, “Are you going straight home, or staying for a little while?”

  “I’ve got early plans in the morning.”

  “Then I’ll walk you back,” he offered, even as he warned himself that’s all he’d better do.

  He kept his distance as much as was possible while they made their way with the crowd toward the exit, and still ended up brushing against her numerous times. His entire body hummed with awareness. He was going to have a hell of a time not kissing her if she looked at him like she had earlier.