Gina let Ben pull her into the bedroom and kiss her like a man just released from ten years in solitary confinement. Once his lips slid down to her neck, she took a breath. "I thought you wanted to clean and go shopping. You're getting me all worked up here when there's not much we can do until you hit the nearest drugstore, cowboy."

"You just don't have as good of an imagination as I do."

Gina tightened her legs around his waist; his hands grabbed her a.s.s as she wiggled against his erection. d.a.m.n him. "I have a great imagination, but I don't have s.e.x without protection. Ever."

"But you're on the pill."

Gina dropped her legs from around his waist. "How do you know that?"

"You threw them on top of your makeup case. They're pretty hard to miss."

He still hadn't put her down. "Just because I'm on the pill doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you without protection."

Ben shrugged. "s.h.i.t, Gina, we're married. I'm clean, I a.s.sume you are too."

"Of course I'm clean. But our marriage is temporary, remember? That hasn't changed just because you're not gay. As far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed."

Ben finally put her down and stepped back. "How can you say that after last night?"

Gina shook her head. "Do you actually think our having s.e.x changes anything?" When he just stared at her, she knew she had to be honest. "Ben, s.e.x with you is great, but it doesn't change anything about our deal, except that we're having more fun than we expected. That's all it is, meaningless fun."

"As long as we have protection."

The look on Ben's face made her want to take a step back. She couldn't tell if he was angry because she'd refused to sleep with him or because she'd made a point. Still, it wasn't her problem.

"Fine, then. I'm going to take another cold shower. I cleaned out the drawers on the left hand side of the dresser if you feel like putting your clothes away, go for it." He went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

c.r.a.p. She picked up her phone and dialed Rosalie. When she answered, Gina took a deep breath. "Thanks a lot for selling me down the river. Some best friend you turned out to be."

"Ah, I a.s.sume you're calling me from Idaho. How's the honeymoon going?"

Gina threw herself on the bed. "You were right, Ben's not gay."

"And it took you a month and a half of marriage to figure that out? I guess you're not as bright as I thought you were."

"He lied to me."

"He did?"

"Well, not technically. But he didn't tell me I was wrong when I said he was gay."

"That's a lie, but it sounds like you forgave him. So, was it fun?"

"What?"

"The s.e.x?"

"I'm not going to talk to you about s.e.x."

"Why not? You always have before. Even when it was with my own brother, remember? I had to stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly."

Gina laughed. "Yeah, but that was just because I wanted to watch you make an a.s.s out of yourself."

"You would. So, if everything is so rosy, why are you calling me?"

Gina rolled over on her stomach and pulled her feet up over her b.u.t.t so she didn't get her boots on the covers. "We kinda had a fight."

"What did you say now? Didn't I tell you to be nice?"

"He knows I'm on the pill."

"So?"

"So, he found my pills and just a.s.sumed I'd sleep with him without protection."

"Sheesh, Gina. You are married to the man. As long as you're both disease free-"

"Don't you think that's just too... I don't know... intimate?"

"Gina! You're having s.e.x with him. h.e.l.l, I know you've examined his tonsils not to mention his... well, I'm a.s.suming you've inspected the other interesting parts of him too. But having s.e.x without a condom is too intimate? Are you serious?"

"You think I'm being-"

"Ridiculous? Yeah. I do."

"Come on, Rosalie. Don't hold back. Tell me what you really think."

"Look, why don't you get off the phone with your best friend and go apologize to your very cute but temporary husband. You might as well enjoy him while you have him. Oh, and be nice. You need to practice being nice."

"I'm always nice."

"Except when you're not, which is usually. Look, I'm not lounging around on my honeymoon; I actually have work to do. It sounds as if you might too. Now go try to be nice, please."

Gina rolled her eyes. "I guess we're going to his ranch, so if I have cell reception, I'll call you."

"You're on your honeymoon. Tell me, did I call you during my honeymoon?"

"No. What's your point?"

"My point is, oh Slow One, when you're on your honeymoon, you're not supposed to call your friends. You're supposed to have copious amounts of s.e.x and spend time with your husband."

"Maybe in a real marriage, but ours is not real. Besides, I'm not even sure I like him."

"Gina, use your head. Ben is funny, gorgeous, rich, and probably great in bed. What's not to like? Oh, and in the eyes of the law, your marriage is as real as mine. Try to enjoy yourself and for G.o.d's sake be nice. I have to go back to work. Bye, I love you."

Rosalie disconnected the call. Gina hit end and tossed her phone on the bed. She really had to re-think the whole best friend thing. Weren't best friends supposed to tell you what you wanted to hear and make you feel better? Then she thought back to what she'd said to Rosalie about Nick when they were dating. Gina figured she hadn't told Rosalie what she wanted to hear either-not that Gina would ever admit it. Still, no matter what Rosalie said, this was different. She and Ben may have had s.e.x, and they may be married, but that didn't change the fact that they were just bed buddies. Nothing more.

Gina nodded to herself and threw her suitcase on the bed to unpack. She yanked open the top drawer a little too hard and pulled it right off the rails. Okay, she was angry. She couldn't believe Ben had the nerve to be p.i.s.sed at her because she insisted on using protection. The boy was just going to have to get over his bad self. She slid the drawer back on its tracks and threw her socks and underwear in before slamming it shut. It would serve him right if last night was the first and last s.e.xual experience they ever shared. It would be a real shame though, because he rang her bells like St. Patrick's Cathedral on Christmas morning. Madre de Dios Madre de Dios, if the first and second time they had s.e.x were that astounding, she could just imagine what it'd be like after the break-in period. She sat back on the bed and swore her nipples perked up at the thought. What was wrong with her? She liked s.e.x as much as the next person, but she never sat around thinking about it, no less getting herself all hot and bothered. Gina threw her nightgowns in the next drawer, turned around, and found Ben walking toward her wearing nothing but a towel. She had to hand it to him. He sure looked good wet.

Ben opened his top drawer, took out a pair of boxer-briefs, and dropped the towel.

He looked really, really good.

"Are you almost ready to go? Or should I just write down your sizes and buy what you need?" He bent over and pulled on his boxer-briefs, giving her a great view of his a.s.s. Gina was never an a.s.s girl; she was more of the broad-shouldered, thin-waist lover. Unfortunately for her, Ben had it all.

She blinked her eyes and reminded herself she was p.i.s.sed at him and he was p.i.s.sed at her. "I'm not the one standing around in his underwear. I'll go but only because there is no way in h.e.l.l that I'm going to trust you to buy me clothes when you're in such a lovely mood."

Ben pulled on a pair well-worn Wranglers leaving the fly unzipped as he pushed his head through the collar of a white T-shirt, b.u.t.toned, tucked, and zipped. "Suit yourself. I'd rather have you with me anyway. G.o.d only knows what would happen if you and my grandfather are left to your own devices."

Gina grabbed her jeans and went to the closet to hang them. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ben joined her in the walk-in closet and cornered her against the wall. "Just what I said. I wake up to find that you've slipped out of my bed and the next thing I know, you're conspiring with my grandfather."

"Paranoid much?" Gina pushed her pants into his arms and gave him a shove back before she took a hanger off the rack and hung them. She took the next pair out of his arms, and holding them by the waistband, gave them a snap before folding them over another hanger. "Do you honestly think I have any interest in your grandfather's companies?" When Ben didn't say anything, she gave him a hard look. "He asked me to take a look at the spreadsheet because his eyes weren't as sharp as they used to be. Not that I believed a word of it. There's nothing wrong with that man's vision or brain, which is more than I can say for yours."

Ben straightened the two pair of jeans she'd hung and hung the last pair himself. "Okay, I admit I overreacted."

Gina watched him separate each hanger by one inch on each side; the man was too neat for words. Shirts hung equidistant from each other, all the blue oxfords together, blue striped, whites, yellows, pinks, reds, and red pinstripes. She hadn't even started on his suits and blazers. His shoe racks were full of everything from shined loafers and oxfords to dress boots, cowboy boots, and what she heard someone at Shorty's refer to as s.h.i.t-kickers. She shook her head. Ben's closet looked as if it belonged to someone with multiple personalities. She just didn't get him.

He pulled a light sweater off the shelf, tossed it over his head, and slid his arms through the holes, making sure he straightened the suits his hand had hit. When he finished brushing invisible dust off the shoulder of one of his suit jackets, she faced him. "Look, Ben, what goes on between you and your grandfather is none of my business. I just don't want to be pulled into the middle of it."

"Okay." Ben held her waist and tugged her closer but she put her hands on his chest and stood firm.

"And just a warning, cowboy. You had better think twice before you ever accuse me of something again. I don't like it."

Ben tugged her closer still; she left her forearms resting on his chest, separating them. "I didn't accuse you."

Gina gave him a little shove; he didn't move a millimeter. "Yeah, right. When you use the word conspire, no matter how you slice it, it's an accusation. I'm giving you a pa.s.s this time, but this is no baseball game. You're not gonna get three strikes with me. If you want to put an end to all this marriage bulls.h.i.t, fine. I'll hop the first bus home and have my lawyer call yours. If not, then you live up to your end of the deal and let me live up to mine." Gina stepped away and went to finish unpacking.

Ben followed her out. "I said I overreacted. I'm sorry."

She didn't know what to do with him. No matter where she went, he was in her way. He either had his body crowded close to hers, or he was touching her as if he did it unconsciously. The whole touchy-feely thing was a little disconcerting, not to mention arousing.

"Your threat is unnecessary."

That threw a wet blanket over the warm and fuzzy feeling she'd been fighting. She poked him in the chest to get his attention. "Make no mistake, Ben. That wasn't a threat."

Ben glanced at Gina who was doing a good job of pretending to ignore him as he drove down Castle Rock Road to the sporting goods store. Normally he'd have walked down the hill, but with Gina wearing those boots, he wasn't sure she'd make it. Besides, Ben planned to buy too much to carry. He checked his watch, pulled his cell off his belt, and dialed Delbert in Three Wh.o.r.es Bend.

"Yeah?"

"Del, it's Ben. How's it going up there?"

"Good, are you coming up?"

"I'm thinkin' about it." The tricky thing about Delbert was ascertaining his state of sobriety. He could be three sheets to the wind and sound as if he were sober as a judge-well, a judge that wasn't Trapper. Ben wiped the thought of Trapper out of his head. That was just one more headache Ben didn't want to think about or see anywhere near Gina. "Is the bridge pa.s.sable?"

"It was about a month ago when I made my last trip to town for liquor."

"Are you sober enough to make a run to the bridge in the next hour or so?"

"Have you ever known me not to be sober enough?"

"Del, do you really want me to answer that?"

"No. Okay. I'll take a run down to the bridge. I was at the bar all night and no one said nothin' about the bridge being out. Of course, no one was there who actually uses the bridge that often. You should have seen Twyla doing shots. She took her teeth out and left them on the bar. I tell ya, if that woman was twenty years younger-"

G.o.d, the last thing Ben wanted to think about was Twyla with no teeth. It was bad enough thinking about her at all. "Call me in the next hour and I'll stop at the liquor store on the way."

"You got it, Benji."

Ben disconnected the call and pulled into a parking spot. "Are you ready to shop?"

"I don't know why you insist on buying me clothes when mine are just fine. I've walked all over New York in these boots. If they can make it there, they'll make it anywhere. I'm sure they can handle a mountain or two."

"Yeah, Sinatra probably said that before he ever saw any real mountains. If you don't want to break an ankle, you'll get a good pair of hiking boots with decent support."

"Do they have any with at least a four-inch heel?"

Ben took the key out of the ignition and couldn't help but smile. No matter how irritated he was with Gina, she could always make him laugh and make him hot, even when she threatened him. "I don't think so."

"Then I can't wear them. I've been wearing high heels since I was old enough to swipe them from the Salvation Army. If I don't wear heels, I'm going to rip my calf muscles."

"You can't be serious."

"My calf muscles are shortened. Think about it. It makes sense."

Ben got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her. "Let's buy a pair and you can try wearing them. That's all I'm asking."

Gina raised an eyebrow. She was right-that's not all he'd ask of her. If she was trying to make him feel guilty, it wasn't working. She looked him up and down before she shrugged. "Fine, if you want to waste your money, that's your prerogative."

"You're right, it is." It always came down to dollars and cents with Gina. It didn't matter whose, she hated to see anyone's money wasted. She walked ahead of him to the door and he couldn't keep his eyes off her a.s.s. It would be a real shame to cover that with baggy pants, unfortunately, that's probably what he was about to do. They entered the store and Ben felt as if he had to literally push Gina ahead of him.

She pointed at the rack in front of her. "If you think I'm going to wear any of that stuff, you're sadly mistaken."

He put his arm around her and led her to a rack of convertible cargo pants. "What size are you?"

"Depending on the cut, between a one and a four; but I'm not wearing those."

Ben pulled out three pairs in her sizes. "Just try them on." He picked out a few shirts off the rack, gauging her size and added them to the pile.

"G.o.d, I've died and gone to wardrobe h.e.l.l."

Ben shook his head and handed her the pile of clothes. "The dressing rooms are over there. Why don't you get started and I'll grab a couple pairs of hiking boots. What size shoe do you wear?"

Gina blew her bangs out of her eyes and looked over at the shoe wall. "A seven. What is it? Do they have some strange law in this state that makes it illegal to use any color but brown and tan?"