CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tony groaned, closed his eyes and moved to rest his forehead on my shoulder.
“Oh my God,” I whispered. Tony lifted his head, opened his eyes and stared straight into mine.
He looked furious.
“This is so embarrassing,” I whispered.
“You might wanna get outta there now, Tony. We got riders showin’ up.” Larry called out again.
“Shit,” Tony hissed.
He lifted to his knees, stood, pulled up his jeans and buttoned them while I moved to sit up and hold my shirt closed. I watched with curiosity as Tony ripped his t-shirt off and held it out to me, but I lost focus. My sights were now set on Tony’s broad chest, the light sprinkling of hair between his pecs, his six-pack and the love line started at his belly button and lead into his jeans.
He was all man and my body screamed “Jump him!”
I let my eyes travel back up to his. He was grinning.
“Put that on,” he said through a chuckle and I snatched the shirt out of his hand. I wiggled my ripped one free and put his on; all while he watched. It smelled so good that I let it linger for a moment too long. It smelled like detergent and I wondered if he washed his own clothes because it didn’t seem like something he would do. I wondered if he didn’t do it, then who did? Then, I wondered if BJ did it for him.
I dropped the shirt like a bad habit and it fell against my skin. I felt sick to my stomach.
“Don’t start,” he demanded, obviously catching the look of disgust on my face. He held his hand out for me. I took it and spoke the whole way up.
“I’m not going to start because we started the minute you pushed me up against the wall, but whatever we started has just ended,” I stated before I looked down to straighten out my clothes while I thought about how good my little speech sounded. So, I was completely caught off guard when Tony laughed. And not just any laugh, but the kind of laugh that makes your eyes water.
“What the hell is so funny?”
“You. You’re outta your mind if you think this is finished. Now, turn around and let me get the hay out of your hair before someone sees you like this.” My hand immediately flew to the tangled mess behind my head and Tony walked a few steps closer to help me.
“Are you just going to walk out there without a shirt,” I asked.
“Don’t have much of a choice; it’s either me or you and if any one of those pretty boys see you naked I’ll be fuckin’ pissed.”
I closed my eyes and my posture slouched. His possessive remarks were really starting to get to me because I liked hearing them too much. I wanted to be his and he knew it too; especially after out little romp in the hay, but he didn’t have to rub it in.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice quiet, my tone tired. When his eyes locked on mine, I continued, “Are you doing this to hurt me back because I hurt you? I already hurt, Tony. For two years I hurt and I don’t want to feel like this anymore. Not a day has passed that I haven’t regretted what I did to you… to us. But I want to be happy again. I want to move on with my life. I want someone to love me, I want marriage and I want a family… I’m not talking about with you, so stop panicking,” I added when his face paled.
“You have someone else. I know you’ve had plenty someone else’s since me, but Bobbie Jo is obviously important to you. I’m not even going to think about what you two did together last night, but letting you get between my legs the very next morning, doesn’t say much about me. It’s not right and I won’t be that person,” I finished softly, but with a little more determination.
“You regret what we just did?” he asked.
“No. I enjoyed what we just did, but it was wrong. I’m sorry,” I whispered. I couldn’t quite read the expression on Tony’s face as he stared back at me, but as soon as Larry shouted for us to hurry up again, his body snapped out of the daze it was in.
He sighed long and hard, and his eyes were pained. “I’ll walk you back to the house. We’ll finish this later.”
I responded with a tight nod. It was for the best. I refused to let myself be the other woman.
I started through the stall, turned to walk out and looked up at Tony when I felt his hand rest on my lower back. I decided to pay no attention to him and I focused the people I assumed were the riders… or jockeys. They stared at us too.
I only imagined how odd we looked, a woman wearing a man’s baggy shirt, and a man with no shirt on at all, walking out of the stable.
“Can I use your house phone to make three long distance calls since you so kindly tossed my cell?” I asked as soon as we walked in the house. He raised one brow questioningly and I rolled my eyes.
“I need to call the phone company to cancel my cell, I need to check in with Lex and then I need to call my parents.”
“There’s a phone in the kitchen. I’ll write down my cell phone number and leave it on the counter. I have things I need to take care of outside and I’m not sure when I’ll be back, so make yourself at home and call me if you need me for anything. And keep the doors locked,” he ordered.
He left to get another shirt and then for work. I spent the next two hours making calls and giving explanations. I canceled my cell first. Then, I called my parents. Dad was work, so I got Gayle, which was for the best.
“I’m so happy he came to his senses,” Gayle gushed and I had to put a stop to that.
“Gayle, I’m not here because Tony wants me here… or he does want me here, but only because he’s trying to do the right thing so he’ll have a clear conscience when this thing with Zacharias is all over.” I’d explained the situation to her, but her main concern seemed to be Tony.
“Honey,” she started softly, “You can’t make a man do anything he doesn’t want to do. I have a feeling he wants you there for more than just a clear conscience. I think you should try to work things out with him.”
“I would love to, but you don’t understand. He’ll never trust me.”
“You have to make him, honey. And don’t worry, he will,” she said. God I loved her.
After that, it was Lex and she was on a rampage. “Why the hell am I just now hearing from you?” was her greeting.
“Because Tony and I got into a fight on the way here last night. He kind of threw my phone in a field off the freeway so I haven’t been able to call.”
There was a long pause, and then, “Why would he do that?”
“Because he said some hurtful things to me and I called Adam.”
Silence.
“So, he tossed your phone because you called Adam. Is that it?”
“For the most part, yes. Tony called me a whore. I called Adam and then jumped out of his truck before he could snatch my phone away. He caught me, he was pissed and he tossed my phone. Now, if you want to talk to me, you have to call this number until my babysitter can take me into town to get another one.”
“Is that all that’s happened so far?” she asked suspiciously.
Silence.
“Trish, tell me what happened.”
I sighed.
“Nothing, really. After the phone incident, we talked a little. I thought things were going okay until we arrived here and Bobbie Jo showed up. Apparently they’re dating. Tony told me so. She spent the night while I slept in the other room. I had a nightmare and they both heard it. I met another Veterinarian outside this morning, his name is Shane and he has the sexiest freaking accent I’ve ever heard; he’s Australian. Then, I saw Tony kiss BJ goodbye. After that, Shane was going to show me a sick horse, but Tony walked up and started acting like an asshole. He dragged me to the stable, into a stall and we fooled around. Larry caught us and that was it. I told Tony that it was never going to happen again. He said he’d never be able to keep his hands off me. That’s it.”
Silence.
“Hello,” I said.
“Okay, I didn’t catch all that, but just give in to him now, Trish. Don’t fight it. It’s going to happen anyway,” Lex said and I was completely taken aback.
“Did you not just hear me say that he had another woman spend the night last night?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Lex, you really think I should let him do what he wants with me after he had some other woman in his bed? Just last night? Really?” She was out of her mind if she thought that.
“Do you know if she actually slept with him?”
Silence.
“Trish, do yourself a favor and don’t make assumptions like I did with Landyn. You’ll only hurt yourself and probably Tony in the end.”
On that note, I hung up and jumped when the phone rang not a second later.
“I’m coming to get you,” I heard barked in my ear. There was no mistaking that baritone, gravelly voice.
“Adam? How’d you get this number?”
“Trish, I’m a cop,” he growled like that was supposed to answer everything.
Ugh!
“What’s do you want, Adam?” I said through a sigh.
“Pack your shit. I’m so fuckin’ mad at you right now. I can’t believe nobody told me what a fuckin’ mess you were in… and I’m a cop!” he shouted, “How the hell does your dumbass ex think he’s keeping you safe… and what the fuck does he think he can do to fix things with Zacharias? I know who this guy is, Trish, and he is not good,” his voice trailed off before he started again.
“I made a few calls to the Sherriff’s department there--” I cut him off because he had no right to interfere!
“It has nothing to do with you, Adam, so stay out of it!” I shouted back. No telling who that sheriff was. He could be in cahoots Zaharias for all anyone knew.
“Trish, you’re my business and I’m not taking any chances. I get off in an hour and I’m coming to get you. I already put in for vacation so I can stay with you.”
“Why is everyone trying to run my life? I’m not leaving! I’ll stay until this is taken care of, however it’s taken care of and you need to mind your own damn business!” The thought of actually leaving Tony was making me anxious.
“Trish, I know I jack around with you, hit on you, but if something happens to you I’ll never forgive myself for letting you stay there. Please.”
Seriously?
“I’ll think about it, Adam. Just give it some time. I’m fine here. I’m out in the country. There are people around all the time and Tony refuses to let me leave the house. I’m fine.”
“Yeah, well you damn well better be. Put him on the phone,” he ordered. I inhaled deeply to find my inner calm.
“I’m not letting you talk to him.”
“If that fucker touches you, Trish, you have no idea what I’ll do to him. Your ass better come back a virgin.”
“How dare you?” I breathed.
“I dare say whatever the fuck I want, and what I want is for you to come back untouched. I’ll wait for your call.”
Click. He hung up on me.
I slammed the phone in its base.
I was shaking with fury. I was going to punch Adam in the face the next time I saw him.