Page 92 of Wicked Player
He laughs. “Such a girl.”
“I know,” I agree. “I should be ashamed of myself.”
He grabs a worm, and twists it around the hook of my lure. I cringe watching him, just like I do when Christian does it. “Well, I’ll gladly help a damsel in distress.”
Not long after, we’re all casting, hoping for a big catch. The sun has risen not too long ago, and it’s perfect outside. No one is around, and it’s very peaceful. “This is a nice spot.”
“It’s my little secret,” he says, “but I’m willing to share it with you.”
Christian is at the bow of the boat, and we find ourselves together at the stern. We’ve had a few nibbles, but no catches yet.
“Thank you for agreeing to do this,” he says. “After the way you left last time, I never thought you’d agree to spend another minute with me.”
“Yes… about that…” I want to say something, but it’s just all too complicated.
“I know what happened,” he says. “You saw the room, and it all came back to you… the fact that I’ve slept with a lot of other women before you. I won’t lie, and tell you that isn’t true.”
I throw another cast, half-hoping I catch something, if for no other reason than to end this conversation. “I know… it’s none of my business.”
“It’s just sex,” he tells me. “But with you… it’s more.”
I smirk. “Nice line… I bet that’s what you say to all the ladies to get them into bed.”
He laughs softly. “I don’t need to use any lines to get women into bed,” he gloats, and I suddenly want to throw my lure at his head. The man deserves a good hook in the ear.
“It wasn’t a line,” he says simply, and casts again.
We’re both quiet, and the only sound is the call of a loon off in the distance. “You’re the only one who’s slept in my bed,” he says. “The only one,” he repeats. “I haven’t had a woman in my bedroom since Samantha. You and her are the only ones who’ve been in there.”
“Who’s Samantha?” I can’t help asking. “Your ex?”
“Yes, my one and only serious girlfriend. We were together for three years. We broke up four years ago.”
“Oh,” I say, not sure I want to hear more, but apparently, he’s feeling talkative.
“We broke up when I caught her sleeping with my best friend in our bed. So I trashed the bed, and dumped her ass.”
I glance over at Christian who is completely in his element. “Good for you.”
“Nothing makes you get over a person quicker than infidelity. I hated her for years, but lately… I’m kind of numb where she’s concerned.”
“Do you ever see her?” I ask, wanting to know more about this woman.
“Actually, I ran into her at the gas station not long ago. She was with a guy, and we said hello. I was really surprised that the whole thing didn’t get to me.”
“You must really be over her.”
He smiles. “I am.”
We fall back into silence, and I consider his words. It could be another line, but my instincts tell me he’s telling me the truth. And if that’s the case, maybe I do mean something to him. But could a man like him really settle down with one woman? Could he be tamed, when there is so much temptation around him?
“What about you?” he asks, his voice low. “You and Christian’s dad…”
The last person I want to talk about is Keith Beaudoin, but Colton’s just spilled his heart out. Giving him a little back is the least I can do.
“His name is Keith,” I tell him. “And he’s not part of our lives. He moved out west to work on his uncle’s ranch. I think I’ve told you that before.” I reel in. “Crap. I’ve lost my worm.”
Colton smiles. “Yes, those buggers are clever. Someone just got a free snack. Give her to me. I’ll set you up.” He busies himself hooking a new worm to my lure. “So you don’t see him at all?” he asks, and I’m wondering where he’s going with these questions. Is he asking just out of curiosity, or does he want to confirm that he doesn’t have any competition?
