Page 25 of Infatuated
Mom and Dad help me stand, and when I put weight on it, I wince. I try again, and although I can bear weight on it, I won’t be able to continue our hike. Mom offers to come with me, but I wave her on, telling her I’ll make it back myself and apologizing to Mr. and Mrs. Morrell.
An hour later, I finally make it back to the cabin, and I’m so tired from having to keep most of my weight off it. At this point, I just want to crash. I struggle to get my boot off, and when I do, my ankle swells.
“Fucking great,” I say, peeling the sock off my foot. “Happy birthday to me.” I hobble to the bathroom and turn the cold water on. I need to get the swelling to go down, but I’m in no condition to walk to the house for ice. I’m sure my hike back down is why it’s as swollen as it is.
My eyes light up. I can call and have someone bring me ice. I scramble to the phone and dial the main line. Mrs. Ellis picks up on the second ring.
“Black Stallion Ranch, this is Liz. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Mrs. Ellis. It’s Lana Robinson in cabin seven. I twisted my ankle bad on a hike today, and it’s swollen. Mom and Dad are still out. Are you able to bring me some ice so I can get the swelling to go down?”
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” She covers the receiver and says something to someone. “Tristan just got back from a ride. I’ll send him over with some ice and ibuprofen. He should be there in about five minutes.”
Tristan?“Th-Thanks.”
When I hang up, my hands fly to my hair and body. I don’t want him seeing me like this—with my legs dirty and my ankle swollen. I look like an idiot for not being able to keep my footing on the trail.
Five minutes is up too fast when I hear a knock on my door. I managed to get into my pajamas, which consist of a tank top and some loose short shorts. I wiped the dirt off my knees and pulled my frizzy hair up into a messy bun.
He knocks again, this time a little louder. “Lana, are you there?”
“Hang on, coming,” I call as I hobble through the cabin. As I reach the front door, he drags his eyes down my half-naked body and back up to my hazel eyes. His gray eyes look like the clouds when a storm rolls in, and he licks his lips like a man dying of thirst and I’m a tall glass of water. My nipples pebble under his attentive gaze, and I fight back the moan that wants to escape.
“Damn,” he mumbles. I’m not sure if he’s talking about my swollen ankle or my pajamas. He shakes his head, and his gray eyes return to normal. “Mom said you twisted your ankle. What happened?”
He grabs my arm and wraps it around his neck, putting his other arm around my waist, and helps me back to the couch. I sit on one end while he sits on the other, pulling my feet into his lap. When he holds the ice to my ankle, he gives an apologetic look as I hiss at the cold.
“We were hiking, and I wasn’t paying attention. I zoned out and was attacked by a rock.”
He laughs and rubs the bottom of my good foot. “Yes. The elusive Wyoming rocks. You have to be careful of those. When they choose their victim, there’s no way to escape. You’re lucky to have made it out alive.” He snickers, and I can’t help but smile in return. He presses against the ball of my foot, and I feel like I could melt into a puddle of goo. “Happy birthday. What a crummy way to spend it.”
“Thank you. Seeing you has made it better already.” I tilt my head back. No one has ever rubbed my feet, not unless you count the times I’ve gotten a pedicure. This seems so intimate. “I was too busy thinking about something I read.”
His smile stays firmly in place as I let small moans of pleasure pass my lips. “Oh yeah? What’d you read?” His voice is low and seductive, trying to coax the words from my lips.
“N-nothing important.” I must be about ten shades of red right now. I lower my eyes to his hands, and when he still his movements, I look up.
Is this the look Molly was talking about? How he wants to eat me? His eyes are glued to mine, and it’s like there’s some magnetic pull between us. He licks his lips, and I mirror his action. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life, and I could have the chance if I’d just say the damn words.
I open my mouth as I hear the door handle jiggle. Tristan jumps up from his spot on the couch as the door swings wide and my parents walk in.
“Tristan, what are you doing here?” Dad asks, looking between the two of us. He crosses his arms over his chest and raises his eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
“Lana called for some ice for her ankle, and Mom sent me over with it and some ibuprofen.” He turns to me. “Hope your ankle feels better.”
He passes my parents on the way out, and I watch as Dad keeps his eyes firmly planted on him.
Chapter 14
Tristan
Shit. Her dad really doesn’t seem to like me. I haven’t even done anything to his daughter, but he looks at me like I’ve defiled her or something. I’ve been nothing but nice to that man and his family since he arrived.
“Tristan, can I speak to you for a second?” Henry jogs after me.
I turn and look at him. “How can I help you, Mr. Robinson?”
“Listen, son. I’m not sure what’s going on between you and Lana, but she’s my only child. You seem like a nice kid with a good head on your shoulders, but I don’t want to see her get hurt.” He pauses and searches my eyes. “You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?” he asks.