head snapped around, her jaw dropping. “Stop this truck.”
Instead of slowing, he asked, “Shall I take that as a no?” as a grin spread over his handsome features.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I mean no.”
Jace pursed his lips as though holding back another grin. “Your sense of humor isn’t quite as good as I remember.”
“No? Try saying something remotely funny.”
He made no further comment. Kelly glared at him for another few seconds before she sat back in the seat, expelled an angry breath and accepted her fate. It was surreal. To not see him for so long, then to suddenly be in the close confines of a pickup cab as they barreled into the darkness. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His big hands on the wheel, his sharp jawline and those full lips caused an unwelcome need to stir deep in her belly, a need she hadn’t felt for over a year.
She remembered everything: every touch, every erotic whisper, the teasing humor and the arguments over nothing that always ended with his lips on hers. Swallowing hard, Kelly inhaled deeply and turned away, fighting to clear her mind, hoping he couldn’t detect her body’s traitorous response.
“So,” she said, clearing her throat, looking straight ahead, “I can’t imagine this tiny spot on the map holding any interest for you. Big celebrity. Small town. Why are you here?”
For a few minutes, she thought he wasn’t going to answer her question.
“I needed some downtime,” he finally said. “I have a friend who lives in the area, as you know, and this seemed to be as good a place as any.”
“You buy an entire ranch to take a break?”
He shrugged.
“And you call me an idiot.”
Obviously, he didn’t care to share his true intentions with her, which suited her just fine. She should be used to his lies and secrets by now.
“What about you?” he asked.
“What about me?”
“Still in school?”
“No.”
So much had happened over the past year his question seemed strange. Her life had changed so radically it felt as though she was answering for someone else. The massive heart attack that had taken her grandfather had been sudden and devastating. Then the bank foreclosed on his farm, leaving Kelly and her younger brother to scramble for another place to live. And just when she thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, she’d discovered she was pregnant by a man who’d hidden his identity, then all but disappeared.
That sobering thought assisted in her return to reality.
“Why did you lie?” It came out a whisper. The question seemed to break free of her mouth, not waiting on her brain to give its permission. “Why did you think it necessary?” He’d wanted someone to share his bed while here visiting friends. She got that. But why lie about who he was? And why promise to call or come back if he’d known all along he wouldn’t?
“What does it matter now?”
“The truth always matters.”
“I gave you a name. That should have been enough. If you’d known my true identity it would have made a difference in our relationship.”
She stared at him in amazement. “Is it tough carrying around all that arrogance?” She shook her head.
“It’s not arrogance,” he shot back. “If you’d realized who I was you would have—” He inhaled deeply and blew it out.
“What? I would have what? Not thought of you as Jekyll and Hyde? Not known you would rather climb a tree and tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth? Not felt like I was being played? All of the above?”
“You would have treated me differently.” Almost under his breath, he muttered, “They all do. And you were not being played. Ever.”
“They all do? Who is they?”
She saw his hand grip the steering wheel in a tight fist. “What I do for a living had nothing to do with us.” He glanced at her through the dim glow on the dash lights. “People hear my name and suddenly they can’t see me. I should have told you the truth, but I wanted you to know me, Kelly. I’m just a man. And I enjoy being seen as one instead of all the damned hype. I intended to explain when I got back here. I intended to tell you the truth.”
“Really. Why? If, as you say, a name doesn’t matter, why bother?”
She heard him expel a deep sigh. “You’re purposely twisting this around.”
“I am?”
She heard his huff of frustration.
“We were two people who met and enjoyed being together. At least I enjoyed being with you. Why did it need to be more complicated than that? Or am I missing something?”
Her eyes shot toward him. Had he really said that with a straight face? She couldn’t hold back a snort. “You do realize you’re trying to justify your deception?” The man wouldn’t recognize truth if it smacked him in the face. “Unbelievable.” She’d gotten her answer. She should have saved herself the trouble of asking. “At least I provided you and your friends with a good laugh.”
Heat rolled up her neck at the thought of his wealthy friends laughing about his affair with a stupid country bumpkin. How easily she’d bought into his deception.
“I never laughed.” His tone indicated surprise she would think that. He glanced at her, the hard masculine mouth pulled to a taut line, his eyebrows drown into a frown. “Our relationship wasn’t a joke. At least not to me. And I had every intention of coming back and talking to you. I’d hoped you would understand.”
“I’m sure you did.” The anger rolled off her tongue. “But things happen, right?”
“Yeah. I guess they do. For instance, you never told me which correctional center you were in. Apparently I’m not the only one who can be accused of keeping secrets.”
Her head snapped around toward him. What did he just say? For several seconds she couldn’t speak. Had she heard him correctly? “What?”
“I said I—”
She raised her hand, palm side toward him. “Does someone write this stuff for you or do you make it up all by yourself?” He expected her to buy the excuse he hadn’t come back because he thought she was in jail? She shook her head in amazement. “You really need to seek help.”
The man she remembered had clearly changed. She couldn’t help but ask herself which one was the real Jace Compton. “Turn left at the light.”
“Left?”
“We live in town now.” Jace was remembering her grandfather’s small farm.
“Kelly, are you saying you don’t have a criminal record?”
“Duhhh. Are you saying you honestly thought I did?”
“But—”
“You know what, Jack... Jace—whatever your name is today—just don’t say anything else.” She’d heard more than enough. “Obviously, you’re incapable of being honest. I don’t care anymore, all right? I don’t care why you lied. I don’t care why you never came back. I don’t give a rat’s behind who you are and I don’t want to sit here and listen to your wild excuses. I’m sorry I even brought it up.”
Jace didn’t speak again, but Kelly felt the anger crackling in the air between them.
The route took them south, toward the low-rent side of town