* * *
Dani approached the cabin, telling herself that it wasn't a walk of shame. She'd done nothing, and yet she felt defensive. Not only had she been subjected to an uncomfortable evening of the reprehensible dean's not-so-subtle and thankfully thwarted seduction, but now she had to deal with Caleb's censure too. She hoped the confrontation with the ranger would be short, and that her honest explanations would be accepted.
Dani didn't know why it was so important that she not seem like an easy woman. A slut. Even if she knew that was what the situation looked like.
He probably won't even care. You were just a lay to him, so why should he care if you've moved on. Shit, he probably moved on the second he slid the condom off.
She stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at the attractive ranger. His face was quite striking, high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and lips that could have been sculpted by the gods. A flash of memory -- the softness of those lips pressed hungrily against hers -- sent blood flowing rapidly to all of her most intimate places.
But the most stunning aspect of his appearance was his gorgeous blue eyes, blue eyes that were currently meeting hers with the intensity of a winter snowstorm. She shivered, a sudden chill racing across her skin.
"Hi," she almost whispered, anxious that her estimate of their confrontation was entirely inaccurate.
He didn't respond, just nodded, and she could no longer meet those ice-blue eyes. Instead, she focused on the shallow dimple on his chin. "I can explain." She risked another glance into his eyes, but they had moved off to the horizon, focusing somewhere off in the middle distance. "You see--"
"You ready?" he interrupted, standing but still not meeting her gaze.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," she said as he walked down the steps and headed toward the ATV. She followed, dry washing her hands as they went. He climbed in and started the motor, seemingly impatient to be gone. Dani slid in beside him and braced herself as he pulled out onto the trail.
She decided to try again. This was just a misunderstanding, and he'd soon realize that fact. "Look, Caleb--"
"Not really in the mood to talk today," he said, his voice flat. He seemed to be purposefully avoiding her gaze.
Dani was confused. Although she'd only known Caleb for about a week, he'd seemed like a reasonable man, if a bit of a cocky prick. His attitude had softened when he'd had her in his arms, and when they'd parted that night, she'd thought that they at least had the beginnings of a decent working relationship, maybe even a friendship.
And now the cold-shoulder. He refused to let her explain, and so was refusing to learn the truth. She felt the familiar rise of anger and held it back, not wanting to resort to rage in order to plead her case. It probably wouldn't help matters any, if she knew him at all. They'd just end up fighting.
Dani sighed, realizing that even though she probably didn't matter to him, even though he was no doubt trying to avoid an awkward situation, she couldn't just let things rest. Not with him holding a negative opinion of her, although it was her own actions that had led to that conclusion.
Dammit, she wasn't a slut!
"You don't understand--" she began again, but he interrupted her once more.
"What is there to understand?" he asked, and this time she caught a hint of cruelty in his tone. He continued to try and shut down the conversation, but she wasn't going to allow it.
"Dean Fischer--"
"Look," he said, finally meeting her eyes. "What does it matter to me who you fuck? I've told you I'm not in the mood for conversation, and I meant it. Or perhaps you'd prefer to walk the remaining miles back to camp?"
Dani felt like she'd been physically assaulted -- a slap across the face wouldn't have been more alarming. "What does it matter who I fuck?" she shouted suddenly, no longer able to hold back the tidal wave of fury that roared to life inside her. "How dare you!"
She sputtered, unable to put two thoughts together because of her rage. He stared at her, his eyes displaying an icy calm that drove Danielle's anger to even greater heights. "Stop this thing," she screeched, and when he did, she immediately hopped out.
Dani stormed toward the path that led to her camp, utterly furious, in shock that Caleb could be such a cold-hearted bastard. But that last comment had pushed her overboard and into a sea of her own rage. And the waves were big enough to capsize a cargo ship.
The nerve of him, assuming that she would have sex with him one night just to go off and screw her boss the next. She wasn't some loose woman whose legs spread for whoever happened to be walking by at the moment.
And even if she did have a more open sexuality, the ranger certainly shouldn't hold it against her. Talk about a double standard! He probably laid everything with a pulse, but he had the nerve to hold it against her when he thought she did the same thing!
Dani frowned. She didn't have one-night stands, and she certainly would never sleep with someone to advance her career.
But you're willing to let the dean think that you did.
Shut up, she shot back at it. She had tried to make the best out of a bad situation.
And look what it got you. Or more precisely, look what it lost you.
Dani huffed. She was disappointed in herself, which just served to ratchet her rage up even higher.
He wasn't mine to lose.