Was I wrong?
Dean reaches into his back pocket and pulls out the envelope I handed him. When he slaps it onto the table, my heart sinks. Of course he isn’t here forme. It was ridiculous to think that. Dean is in my motel room because of the information I gave him.
“It’s a list of all the investors your brother is talking to,” I say, masking the hurt. “I figured it was self-explanatory.”
“I know what the fuck this list is, Willa. I want to know why you brought it tome.”
“Because you might be able to actually do something with it?”
He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “So that’s it? You expect me to believe that you and my brother broke up, and you’re here for revenge? You think I’ll be the bad guy for you, like I always was, and will want to help you solve your problems? You think I give a shit about helping you anymore?”
Each word stings more than the last, but I don’t blame him.
“No. I already know you don’t give a shit about me anymore, Dean. But I figured if you wanted a shot at saving your grandfather’s land, the least I could do was help.”
“The least you could do…” He trails off, tipping his head back and laughing with more anger than amusement. When his eyes meet mine again, they’re on fire. “I haven’t seen you for twelve fucking years, Willa.”
“I know.” It comes out quieter than I expect, my resolve faltering.
I know exactly how long it’s been. Twelve painfully long years. And even if Dean looks a lot like he did back then, he’s so much colder now. Angrier. There are walls that didn’t exist all those years ago, shutting me out.
“Why do you care who wins the ranch?” he asks, shoving the envelope farther across the table before crossing his arms over his chest. “What does it matter to you which one of us gets it? Did my brother really piss you off that bad?”
“Piss me off?” Rage coils inside me as I take a step forward. “Something like that.”
“What did he do?”
“Besides screwing every female who smiled at him over the course of our relationship?”
“He what?” Dean’s jaw tenses.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter.” I wave my hands and shake my head.
Because it really doesn’t. Kincaid has always been an arrogant playboy with a wandering eye. I knew what I was getting into with him. Love was never the catalyst in our relationship; we were just good at playing our parts. The good girl and the golden boy, bringing our families together.
Still, part of me thought we’d give it a shot. Obligation or not. Only, we weren’t on the same page.
I just wish it hadn’t surprised me the first time he cheated. That it didn’t sting a little. After that, I grew a thicker skin. After all, I deserved it. I built the cage I was trapped in.
“He cheated on you?” Dean says, like his brain is still trying to catch up with what I said.
“Don’t worry, it didn’t offend me.” I roll my shoulders back. “And stop acting like you care. You know how he is.Iknew how he was. That’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
How do I answer that question when I promised myself I wasn’t here for that? “You know what, never mind. I don’t need your help.”
I step forward and reach for the envelope, but Dean snags my wrist, stopping me. In one swift move, he starts to pull me toward him, and self-preservation kicks in. I twist my arm to slip my wrist from his grip, grabbing his next. With a quick turn, I have his arm pinned behind his back.
“You forget I wrangle cattle, Dean Graham. It’s not that much harder to wrangle you.”
“Is that so?” The promise in his voice is intoxicating.
Before I can think, he rotates his wrist and pops it free. One hand snags mine, spinning me so swiftly we could be dancing. Until he’s rotated me in a full circle, pinning my chest to the wall with my arms behind my back. We’re both breathing hard, and this close, I smell leather and oak and tobacco.
I smell Dean.
“I’m the one who wrangles feisty things around here, Willa. I’m happy to remind you if you’d like.” His voice is low in my ear, and with how hard he presses against me, my mind swims.
