Джанис Мейнард – Lies And Lullabies: Courting the Cowboy Boss (страница 22)
“You might want to rethink that comparison,” Mellie said drily.
The cowhand blushed. “You know what I mean. Is it true?”
Mellie mulled over her answer. “It may be true that my father has been talking big and throwing his weight around. But I’m part owner of the company, too, and as far as I know, there are no plans to sell. Who is your cousin, anyway?”
“Raina Patterson. She owns the antiques store Priceless.”
“Oh, yes... I know her. Please tell Raina I’ll be out to see her in the next couple of weeks to set things straight. And tell her she has a sweet cousin.”
Now the wrangler’s neck and ears were as red as the stripe in his Western shirt. “Thank you, ma’am. Nice dancing with you.”
Mellie had no sooner grabbed a glass of punch than Case appeared at her side again. For a big man, he surely was quiet and fast when he wanted to be. “Should I bow or salute?” she asked. “Now that you’re officially the president and all?”
He snagged her glass and took a sip, his lips landing exactly where hers had been. “I saw the young pup encroaching on my territory. Don’t you know you’re supposed to throw the small ones back in the water?”
“Very funny. He’s a sweetheart.”
“I’ll bet. He was one of the brave ones. Every unattached guy in this room is thinking about doing what he did.”
“You do know how to flatter a girl.” She smiled, her confidence buoyed by Case’s wry observations.
Case lifted an eyebrow when a tall man with shaggy brown hair and green eyes approached them. The man gave Mellie an appreciative glance. “I don’t know how you ended up dancing with Case,” the man said, “but I’d be love to take a turn on the dance floor with you, pretty lady.”
“Well, I—”
“This one’s taken,” Case said, glowering. He glanced at Mellie. “Meet my buddy Logan Wade. He likes fast horses and fast women, not necessarily in that order.”
Mellie laughed. “Nice to meet you, Logan.”
Logan shook her hand, his grip warm and firm. “Don’t listen to him. I’m harmless. Case is the ladies’ man in our group. At least I’m not opposed to marriage on principle.”
From the look on Case’s face, he wasn’t amused by his friend’s ribbing.
Case glanced at his watch. “I’ve done my time,” he muttered. “Mellie and I are going to get out of here. This crowd will party for several more hours.”
Logan kissed Mellie’s hand theatrically. “When you get tired of this guy, give me a call.”
Case’s mood soured. Was Mellie tempted by Logan Wade’s offer? Surely not. But the other man was definitely popular with women. They loved his easy-going personality.
Case shoved aside the unwelcome realization that Mellie might be looking for something more than Case wanted to offer. He had enjoyed the evening more than he’d thought he would. But right now he was focused on the after-party.
He hoped Mellie was on the same page, because he was wired and hungry. For a brief moment he thought about heading straight to the ranch. It was possible once they got to Mellie’s house, she would change her mind.
At a stop sign, in the glare of a streetlight, he studied her profile. “Penny for your thoughts,” he said lightly. Surely she wasn’t actually thinking about Logan’s smooth flirtation. The other rancher was only trying to needle Case.
When she gave Case her full attention, her luminous, deep eyes drew him in. For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Then she drew a visible breath. “Will you tell me about your wife?”
The question was way down on the list of things he’d expected her to say. “Is that a prerequisite for tonight?”
“I didn’t mean to make you angry.”
“I’m not angry,” he said, gripping the steering wheel. “But it’s old news.”
“I’d still like to know. Please...”
He shrugged, wishing he had loosened his bow tie. “I was young and stupid. Leslie worked for my dad. She saw me as a meal ticket, I guess. Dad tried to warn me...suggested a prenup. But I refused. We’d been married for six months when Leslie cleaned out two of my bank accounts and skipped the country.”
“I am so sorry. You must have been devastated.”
“She didn’t break my heart, if that’s what you’re thinking. But she sure as hell damaged my pride and my self-respect.”
“Because you couldn’t see through her?”
“Yeah. I guess I wanted to believe I was irresistible.”
“You are, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not in the habit of having
In her voice he heard an echo of the same reservations that plagued him. He pulled up in front of her house and put the car in Park. “This isn’t the norm for me, either, Mellie. And I might point out that I offered you fifty grand as an investment, but you turned it down. So I’m hoping it’s my charm and wit that won you over.”
As an attempt at humor, it fell flat.
Mellie’s small white teeth worried her lower lip. “Maybe that was a ploy on my part to get you to trust me.”
“Go get your toothbrush,” he urged, his voice hoarse. “I can’t wait much longer.”
She stared at him, her hands plucking restlessly at the tiny ruffles on her skirt. Despite their current locale, she reminded him of a mermaid, luring a man into the deep.
“Is this a one-night stand, Case?”
“It’s not anything yet.” He sighed. “I can’t imagine letting you go after only one night.”
“But you agree that the two of us are temporary.”
His temper boiled over, exacerbated by lust and uncertainty. “Damn it, Mellie. Do you want this or not?”
She swallowed, and he saw her chest rise and fall. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
Twelve minutes and thirty-seven seconds. That was how long it took. When he saw the door to her house open, he jumped out of the car and met her, taking the small overnight bag and tossing it in the trunk.
She was still wearing her mermaid gown, which was a good thing, because he had fantasies of all the ways he wanted to peel the silky fabric away from her creamy-skinned body. He helped her into the car, waited until she tucked her skirt inside and closed the door.
The drive out to the ranch was silent. The miles ticked by rapidly. His brain was a jumble of wants and needs and more angst than was warranted in advance of a simple sexual encounter.
When he pulled up in front of his house, he realized he’d forgotten to leave a single light on. Through the windshield, he saw the night sky punctuated with a million stars. One of the many things he loved about living in Texas was the immensity of the universe overhead.
Every male instinct he possessed urged him to drag Mellie up the stairs and into his bed ASAP. But he wanted to woo her, to win her trust, to make her comfortable with him.
“Can you walk in those shoes?” he asked.
She nodded. “As long as we’re not talking a marathon.”
“I want to show you something.”
Once they were out of the car, he took her hand in his and led her toward the small corral to the left of the house. Though it was often empty, tonight a single horse stood sentinel.
“This is Misty,” he said. “I bought her recently. I thought you and I might ride together sometime.”
The small mare whinnied and cantered toward them, her tale swishing in the cool night air.
Mellie leaned on the fence rail, her expression animated. “She’s beautiful. But I don’t know how to ride.”
Case raised an eyebrow. “A Texas woman who can’t handle a horse? Shame on you.” He lifted her by the waist and set her on the railing. Her skirt fluttered around his arms like a swarm of butterflies. “I’d love to teach you...if you’re willing.”
His guest’s smile was demure. “I’m sure you could teach me all sorts of things.”
And just like that, he reached his limit. Moving between her legs, he dragged her head down for a kiss. Hot and hard and deep. The mare lost interest and wandered away. Case lost his head and wandered into dangerous territory.
Mellie in the shimmer of the moonlight was just about the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Her hair was more pale gold than red in this moment. And her skin glowed like pearls.
“Inside,” he groaned. “Where there’s a bed.”
Her husky laugh inflamed him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
As he lifted her down from her perch, he couldn’t bear to let her go. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the stairs that led to the porch.
Mellie curled one arm around his neck. He smelled her, felt her, tasted her on his tongue. Everything about the night turned mystical and enchanting. And he’d never once seen himself as a whimsical man.