Only His (Fool's Gold #6)(67)

“Why are you here?” she repeated.

Cat stared at her, wide-eyed. Her full mouth trembled at the corners. “I knew it. You’re angry with me.”

“Not exactly.”

Tears filled Cat’s eyes. “I was so hurt by what you said. It was as if you stabbed me in the heart and then crushed my soul. The very essence of my being. What you asked me to do, how you want me to change… I thought you knew m-me.” Her voice trembled on the last word, as if she were holding in a sob.

Nevada swore under her breath. She moved away from the trailer, motioning for Cat to keep up with her.

“I wasn’t trying to crush your soul.”

“How could you have said those things to me?”

“Telling you Fool’s Gold doesn’t want a giant vagina in the center of town is the truth.”

“But it’s my gift. It’s who I am.”

“Transcendent?”

The corners of Cat’s mouth turned up. Nevada might not be into the girl thing, but she had to admit that Cat defined beauty.

“Yes,” Cat whispered. “I want to give this to them because it’s like giving it to you. Every time you see it, you’ll think of me.”

“You got that right.”

Crap and double crap, Nevada thought. Someone called out the one-minute warning. She grabbed Cat and moved her farther back.

“I already have a vagina,” Nevada said, unable to believe they were having this conversation. “Can you do something else?”

Cat shook her head.

Nevada sighed. “This isn’t about you. I understand that you’re giving us a gift, but don’t you care that we don’t want it?”

“You don’t understand. When you see it completely, you’ll be grateful. Everyone will be.”

“No, we won’t. We’ll be horrified. Can’t it be something else? A circle? The shape of a woman?”

Cat laughed. “Don’t be silly. Of course it can’t be something else. This is what I have to do. It’s out of my control.”

“Technically, it’s not. You’re the one building it. You’re the one who—”

Then she was flying through the air.

She’d been partially aware of some kind of countdown, but she hadn’t been paying attention. Who could notice anything else with Cat being her usual crazy self? That meant she wasn’t paying as close attention as she should have been and didn’t bother making sure they were back far enough.

One second she’d been talking, the next she was airborne, although not for long. The ground came up very quickly and turned out to be much harder than it looked. She slammed into it with a force that knocked the wind out of her.

For that heartbeat there was nothing, then she gasped for air, choking as she inhaled. Every part of her hurt. Her ears rang and her head seemed to be spinning.

“Someone has a lot of explaining to do,” she muttered, cautiously sitting up.

She moved her legs, pleased that nothing seemed injured. She drew in more breaths and found her head clearing.

Cat!

She saw her friend was also sitting, looking stunned. Thunder shook the earth. They both turned and watched part of the mountain fall away. A huge cloud of dust rose toward the sky.

“Are you all right?” Nevada asked.

Cat nodded.

“I should have been paying more attention,” Nevada said, thinking she should also be standing, but it seemed too difficult.

“I’m fine.” Cat crawled toward her. “Are you hurt?”

“No. Just shaken.” She laughed. “Like a James Bond martini.”

Cat grinned.

Nevada heard shouts from behind them. Great. Someone had noticed them flying by and was about to make a fuss.

“I’m not going to the hospital,” she muttered.

Cat moved closer and put her hands on Nevada’s shoulders. “You’ll be okay,” she said, then lowered her head and kissed her.

Nevada knew she might have some kind of post-explosion trauma thing going on, but she could still recognize a kiss when it happened. Warm, soft lips settled against hers. That’s what she noticed first. Soft, not firm. Gentle. Cat’s perfume surrounded her and those powerful artist’s hands gripped her shoulders.

Nevada sat frozen, not sure what to do. Pushing away seemed the best option, but she didn’t want to be mean about it. Nor could she figure out exactly where to push without giving Cat the wrong idea.

Before she’d worked out a plan, she heard someone yell.

“Gold!” a man’s voice cried. “Can you see the gold?”

Cat drew back. Nevada shifted away and told herself this would be an excellent time to stand up and run. Before she could, Tucker, Will and several of the guys surrounded them. She could hear someone yelling for the paramedics. Tucker knelt beside her and shook her slightly.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, sounding furious. “You could have been killed.”

He looked pissed and worried and somehow, in a twisted, girly kind of way, that made her feel ever so much better.

“I wasn’t,” she pointed out.

“Damned annoying woman,” he muttered, before leaning in and kissing her as well.

This time the contact was familiar and arousing. As he straightened and continued to glare at her, she couldn’t help smiling. Funny, after all these years, she’d suddenly become popular.