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“I don’t want to stop.”

“And I don’t want to be an itch you scratch.”

“That’s not what this is about.”

“Isn’t it?”

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “No, and it’s insulting to both of us.”

Insulting? Maybe so, but true. “The other day you said being friends with benefits would be a mistake. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”

“That’s very noble of you but who are you to say I’ll regret it? For God’s sake, you’re the one who suggested it in the first place. I’m perfectly capable of deciding who I do or don’t want to have sex with.”

There it was. Damaris wanted to have sex. Nate wanted to make love. God, he was a fool. Part of him was chanting, take what you can get. But the other part of him knew he shouldn’t. “I’m going out of town tomorrow for a few days. Work-related. I’ll call you when I get back.” Then he left before he lost his resolve and had mind-blowing sex with her after all.

Chapter Nine

Three days later Damaris was still trying to figure out what had happened with Nate. He didn’t want her to regret having sex with him. Bullshit. When she knew for a fact he’d nailed at least half the women in Whiskey River and the surrounding county, why not her?

Then she remembered her conversation with Hazel and according to her friend, it had been months since she’d heard about Nate being intimate with anyone. After her date with Nate, Hazel had talked to their friend Siobhan Murphy, one of the bartenders at Booze’s, who knew all the gossip. Siobhan had reassured her that her date with Nate had been par for the course. Her friend hadn’t heard anyone admit to being with Nate for more than one date in months. Not only that, but they’d all been evenings that didn’t end with sex. And Siobhan heard everything.

So what was up with Nate? Had he really been celibate that long? And why was that her business if he had been? Or hadn’t for that matter?

She needed to go to the feed store and decided to stop by Booze’s for a quick lunch while she was out. No, it wasn’t on the way to the feed store, but so what? She could spend time getting lunch. She even offered to bring Ella something back, but Ella had plans for lunch with Chase.

Damaris went to Booze’s after her other errand, so the lunch crowd had mostly dispersed. Since she was alone, Damaris sat at the bar. Siobhan saw her and waved, then came over as soon as she finished with her customer. “Hey, stranger. I haven’t seen you at girls’ night out lately. Busy with someone I know?”

“Stop smirking. If you’re talking about Nate, no. I was there time before last but you weren’t. Last week I was covering for my brother.”

“That sucks. Don’t they know girls’ night out is not to be messed with?”

“You’d think, but they don’t.”

Siobhan slid a coaster in front of her. “What’ll you have?”

“A burger, fries, and a Diet Dr Pepper.”

Siobhan left to put in her order and a few minutes later brought her drink to her. “I’m really glad you and Nate have gotten together. He used to be such a big flirt.”

“He still is.”

“True, but it’s only been flirting for the past several months. Believe me, I’ve heard the complaints. I always thought he had the hots for you. I’m glad you two are giving it a shot.”

“What made you think Nate had the hots for me?”

Siobhan shrugged. “I guess it was the way he looked at you sometimes. At first, I thought I might be imagining it. I mean, everyone knows you two have been friends for a long time. But after I saw that same expression several times, I knew it was for real.”

“What kind of expression?” If that was true, why hadn’t she ever noticed it? Siobhan must have been reading more into it than was there.

“Wistful, maybe. It’s hard to explain. But you know how sometimes you see a person looking at someone and you think ‘he’s got it bad’? That’s what I’m talking about.”

“Huh. He never seemed that way to me.” When Siobhan looked at her strangely, she realized her goof. “I mean, before we decided to date.”

Siobhan laughed. “For a minute there I wondered.” She left to get Damaris’s food.

Idiot, she chided herself. You almost blew that one.

As she was leaving to go back to the ranch, her phone rang. Nate’s ringtone. “Hi.”