Propositioning Mr. Raine Read online

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  Navarro watched Trina drive away and swore he saw tears sliding down her face. His suffering? What the hell did that even mean? His girlfriend? Shit. He wanted to hit something. He turned his head and saw what he wanted to hit the most so he stormed toward his brother. Ryder never saw him coming until he’d grabbed his baby brother and shoved him against the side of the diner. He gripped Ryder by his arms as he turned his head to glare at Adam.

  “Take asshole there for a walk. I want privacy.”

  Adam nodded and pointed to Paul. “Let’s go have a drink inside for a few minutes and then I’ll give you that ride.”

  Navarro waited until they were alone outside and then glared at Ryder. “What the hell did you tell Trina about me?”

  Ryder frowned. “Want to let me go?”

  “No. Trina said you talked to her and you set her straight about me. She mentioned something about my suffering. What the hell did you say to her?”

  Sighing, Ryder studied his brother. “I just told her the truth, man. She isn’t your type and she’ll never be your type. The only damn reason you were doing her was to save the ranch. You always look after your family and you’ll do anything to make sure we have a home. I told her I’d give her what was left on the contract but she freaked out and locked herself in the bathroom.”

  Navarro tensed. “What bathroom? You said she wasn’t there the day you went to her house. You said her husband was there.”

  Ryder flushed, knowing he was caught. “Shit.”

  “What did you do?” Fury hit Navarro so hard he shook with it.

  Ryder stared into his brother’s eyes. “I went there the night I found the contract. I broke into her house and was waiting in her bedroom when she got home late. I told her I’d do her and she told me to get out. I explained to her that I was better than you in bed and thought I’d show her. Instead she freaked out so I left. I met the asshole over there with Adam the next day when I went back to talk to her once she calmed down.”

  “I am trying really hard to not knock out your teeth.” Navarro fought the urge. “Did you say I didn’t want her? Is that it? Did you make it sound like it was a hardship on me to touch her? Is that what she meant about my suffering?”

  Ryder hesitated and that was all the answer he needed. Pure rage poured through Navarro. He released his brother and reeled away before he really did beat the shit out of him. He walked a good five feet away and spun around to glare at Ryder, his hands fisted at his sides.

  “I was trying to protect you,” Ryder said softly. “She was going to hurt you.”

  “She was going to hurt me?” Navarro yelled. “Her? You hurt me. You, man. I was happy with Trina but look at everything now. I told you to stay the hell away from her and to leave it alone but you didn’t. You fucked up everything. You told me she was married and lying to me.” He lowered his voice. “I was happy and now she won’t even talk to me. I lost her.”

  Ryder sighed. “I didn’t fuck it all up, Nav. You have Tammy back.”

  Navarro closed his eyes as his shoulders sagged. “Get in your car and go back to your damn band before I beat the shit out of you, Ryder.” He took a deep breath. “Run before I kill your ass.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Trina glanced at the clock and frowned because it was nine-thirty at night, long after anyone should come to her front door. The doorbell rang again and seconds later someone pounded on it repeatedly. She tied her robe tighter around her body as she walked down the stairs and turned on lights as she went. If that’s Paul I’m going to grab an umbrella from the stand and beat him with it. She walked to the front door and flipped on the porch light.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s Navarro. Please open the door, Trina.”

  Surprised, she hesitated, trying to think, but her mind was blank on reasons he’d be there that wouldn’t make the situation worse. “Go away.”

  “Damn it, open up the door so we can talk.”

  “We have nothing to say to each other.”

  “Please, Trina? I’m not leaving. Don’t make me stand out here all damn night because it looks like it’s going to rain and I won’t leave until you talk to me. I swear to God, I’ll sleep on your porch.”

  She looked at the door and found herself reaching for the locks, knowing it was a really bad idea. She unlocked the door and opened it a few inches to stare up at Navarro. He’d obviously changed clothes from when she’d seen him a few hours earlier at the diner because now he was wearing a black sweater with jeans. She wasn’t sure why he was there but as she stared up at him, she really wished he weren’t. His hair was down and he looked angry as she met his eyes.

  “Can I come in?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “What did you want to talk about? Shouldn’t you be sleeping? It’s late. I was in bed.”

  “I went to bed at eight and laid there because I can’t sleep. Please let me in. We really need to talk and I don’t want to do it on the damn porch.”

  She stepped back and released the door, moving away a few feet as Navarro pushed it slowly open. He stepped into the house and curiously glanced around the living room as he closed the door behind him. He took the room in with a quick sweep and then his gaze locked with hers.

  “I don’t even know where to start.”

  She hugged herself around her waist. “There’s nothing left to say. We should just go on with our lives like nothing ever happened. I think that’s the best way to handle this.”

  He frowned. “Bullshit. There’s plenty to say. Ryder left town because I was going to kill him and he damn well knew it. He fucked us up. I am so torn up right now.”

  She was trying to make sense of his words but he just wasn’t making any. “What does that mean?”

  His hand lifted toward her but it dropped before he touched her. “Ryder said you were married and that he met your husband. He saw a photo of you…” His gaze left hers as he went to the fireplace.

  Trina turned to watch as Navarro lifted the picture of her and Ted from the mantle. He held it up, studying it, and softly cursed. He turned, showing her the picture. “Is this Ted?”

  “Yes. That was a few years ago.”

  “Ted and his asshole brother sure look a hell of a lot alike. Ryder saw this and saw your brother-in-law, thinking you’d lied to me about being a widow. He told me that you’d lied to me just to have an affair on your rich husband who had just come to town and then handed me the statement you wrote out that ended our contract as the proof. He met your brother-in-law who reamed his ass about giving the ranch a loan and threatened to have Ryder arrested.” Navarro put the picture back. He faced it toward the wall so the photo of her and Ted no longer showed. “I believed the worst and I’m so damn sorry, Trina. I was so pissed I headed right to town to get shitfaced. I was feeling ten times the idiot for being fooled by another woman I trusted.”

  It hit her then. “That’s why you were so angry with me at the bar?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Angry doesn’t cover it. You know what my ex-wife did to me. I was the last damn one to know that she screwed half the guys in town before I was clued in. I was working my ass off trying to recover from my injury from the bull and trying to put the ranch back in order after my dad had let it go. I was busting my ass and my wife was doing any guy who said yes to her.” He paused. “I have trust issues. I think guys who screw married women are scum and I was so damn angry thinking you’d used me like that and made me the kind of man I hate worst.”

  “I never lied to you, Navarro. Ted died last year. Paul and Ted look a lot alike. I wish you’d just picked up the phone and called me to ask me to explain.”

  “I should have.”

  They stared at each other until she looked away first. “Well, thank you for explaining why you were so angry with me. I thought you were upset about me forcing you into sleeping with me.”

  “What?” He nearly snarled.

  “Ryder came here and he told me how I’m not y