Kitabı oku: «The Texan Takes A Wife»

One

Some of her friends had bucket lists, things they wanted to do before they kicked it, but Erin Sinclair had a list of Never Do’s and riding a mechanical bull in an arena of highly capable-to-the-bone Texans was one of them. The legless, leather-clad metal bull scared her silly as it jerked around, keeping only the most proficient on its back.

Yet as she sipped her second Cadillac margarita in the Dark Horse Saloon outside the Royal city limits the thought of never doing it, never taking a risk, was messing with her head.

She’d broken from the pack of women she’d come here with, half a dozen welcoming ladies from the Texas Cattleman’s Club who’d befriended her and invited her to a birthday party at the Dark Horse. Now the party was over and all of those women had gone home to their boyfriends or husbands. Erin had neither. It was November and she’d be heading back to her hometown in Seattle the first of the year, without having done anything Texan, anything remotely wild.

“Ready for another, blondie?” the bartender asked, his gaze on the near-empty glass in her hand, yet it was the dubious look in his eyes that brought her five-foot-four frame to attention. “Or maybe you’ve had enough?”

“I haven’t had nearly enough,” she said. “One more.” She offered him a sweet smile. “Thank you.”

The bartender walked away shaking his head and she focused back on the bull that seemed to be calling to her. Was she being an idiot, or was that bull looking straight at her, tempting her to take a chance, teasing her with his grotesque fake horns to come get him?

With the last sip of her margarita at her lips, she spotted a tall, gorgeous beast of a man. He was six foot two if he was an inch, all packed nicely into cowboy duds, boots and hat, his shoulders wide enough to carry that longhorn over his shoulders without breaking a sweat.

Speaking of Never Do’s: in all her twenty-six years, she’d never done a Texan before. She burst into a fit of giggles. Good thing no one around her noticed or she’d really look like an idiot. But the sad fact was, there were also forty-eight other states’ worth of men she hadn’t been with. Her home state of Washington housed her ex, Rex Talbot. Now, he was a piece of work. And she was glad she was staying in Royal, Texas, at least for the holidays. Rex had nearly ruined her reputation in Seattle, but she wasn’t going to dwell. Not tonight.

Maybe exactly what she needed was to bring one of these hunky cowboys home tonight. Preferably, that chunk of handsome beast making direct eye contact with her. He had perfected the art of smolder, had it down to a science and she was loving all the attention and the fact that he’d picked her out of a sea of stunning women.

His incredible eyes never wavered. They stayed on her. And she returned his scrutiny, finding not a flaw on the sharp angle of his face, the set of his chiseled jaw or the deep ocean blue of his eyes.

He made her breath catch. He made her yearn. He made her hot. The silent communication between them was ready to combust.

Sheesh, maybe she shouldn’t have another margarita. She was really thinking outside the box tonight. She turned to the bartender to tell him to forget that last one. She didn’t need it.

And when she turned back around, ready for another round of eye contact with her handsome broad-shouldered Texan, he had disappeared. She searched for him, desperate to find him, scanning the entire saloon with eyes peeled, but it was no use. She’d lost him in the swarm of the crowd. He may have gotten bored and left the saloon.

Disappointed, her stomach clenched. Story of her life.

So much for taking a risk.

But then, there was always the mechanical bull.

Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do. She’d ride the darn thing. Why not? She needed one lasting memory to take back with her to Seattle. One thing she could say she’d conquered while in Texas. The ex-nanny, a woman who also knew her way around a music room filled with children, might just need this bit of excitement to cling to once she left the lone star state.

Ha!

And suddenly, that bull didn’t look so intimidating anymore. Suddenly, the challenge bolstered her courage. She could do this. She could ride that silly-looking contraption. And her bravado didn’t waver while she stood in line to take her turn. It didn’t waver when one rider after another eventually got tossed off. Just a few seconds, was all she was asking. Five. Five seconds on that bull, and she’d be satisfied, and thrilled and proud.

“You can do this,” she muttered under her breath.

And when it was her turn, the arena host whose booming voice rose above the patrons of the saloon announced, “This little lady is Erin from Seattle, and she’s gonna give Destroyer a go.”

She gulped and a crewman helped her up onto the leather back of the bull. “We’ll take it slow,” he said. “Use your thighs as a grip and try to keep yourself centered as the bull begins to move.”

Once he moved back, she took a big breath and nodded to the crewman to start up the robot.

And the bull began to jerk.

* * *

Erin looked up into the dazzling blue eyes of the beast. He was kneeling over her, staring at her face, a frown pulling his very kissable mouth down. Had she slept through her very best fantasy? What was going on? She moved and the cushioned padding at her back rebelled with a squeak. “What the...”

“You took a fall,” he said in a deep baritone voice. With a nod of his head, he gestured to the metal bull.

She realized where she was instantly. And that the crowd circling the arena was watching her. “How long did I ride?”

That brought a smile to his lips. Oh, and it was a killer. “About three seconds.”

She grimaced.

“Your head?” he asked.

When a crewman approached, the beast gave him a glare that would have sent the Hulk cowering away.

“I feel fine,” she answered. She did. She’d been tossed off the bull and landed hard on the padding, but nothing hurt, nothing seemed fuzzy. Anymore.

Except that her handsome beast was at her side, helping her to her feet. She was met with a round of applause and cheers. She chuckled out of sheer embarrassment and then her body tilted, swaying sideways and everybody else seemed to be leaning. “Uh-oh.”

“I’ve got ya,” he said, catching her before she lost her balance and lifting her into his arms. “You need air.”

She stared up at him again, amazed at his strength. From this angle, he was even more appealing. His size, the sexy base of his throat, the scruff on his face and those blue eyes, locked him into a category all his own. He carried her as if she was a handful of marshmallows, instead of a twenty-six-year-old woman. And before they got too far, she pointed toward the bar. “My purse.”

He nodded and changed directions, carrying her over to swoop up her purse off the bar stool with the grace of a panther. He glanced down for a second. “I’m Dan.”

She smiled. What an odd way to meet. But she was not complaining. “I’m Erin. Nice to meet you.”

He grunted a reply.

The contrast of the dimly lit smoke-filled noisy saloon to the cool crisp fall Texas air outside helped to wake her up out of this steamy sort of dream she was in. She didn’t want Dan to put her down, but it was awkward and she didn’t know where to put her arms, so she’d looped them around his neck. Now that they were outside, touched by moonlight and facing the parking lot where it was quieter, the reality of the situation was starting to dawn on her. “I, uh, I’m fine now,” she said. “You can put me down.”

He gave her another glance, nodded and then took great care to allow her to slide down his body. For safety’s sake, she assumed, but oh, the brush of his body with hers sent all the right signals and she shivered.

“Cold?” he asked.

“No,” she answered. “I’m, uh, this is silly. I hardly know you, but...”

She couldn’t finish her thought. Was she about to tell this gorgeous cowboy that just a brush of his body to hers made her tingle from head to toe? No, she couldn’t do that.

“Got it,” he said, and without any discussion at all, he seemed to know. Oh God. How embarrassing. Did women fall at his feet like this all the time?

“So why the bull?” he asked.

“Because it was there,” she answered immediately.

His brows furrowed. He didn’t get her little joke.

She tried to explain, “It’s just that, I’m from Seattle, staying in Texas for the holidays and I wanted to do something Texan. You know,” she added quickly, remembering her thought a while ago about doing him. “I mean we don’t have a lot of mechanical bulls in Washington.”

“I don’t suppose.” Still, the furrow.

“And I... Well, you see my nanny job brought me here. And then a few friends I’d made invited me to a birthday party tonight at the Dark Horse, so I tagged along with them, but they all went home, and I wanted...”

He was a good listener, but he wasn’t adding much to the conversation. And she wasn’t going to babble on anymore. “Never mind.”

Talk about the strong silent type. He was that and so much more.

“You sober enough to drive home?” he asked.

“Oh, uh, yes. I stopped drinking a while ago. I’m feeling fine now, aside from the humiliation.”

He stared at her for what seemed like a minute, his eyes flickering over her mouth and in that heated moment, she wanted nothing more but to lock lips with him, to taste his whisky breath and feel the absolute thrill of kissing him. Almost as if he heard her thoughts, his mouth cocked up and he drew a long breath.

And then he said, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Disappointment that the stranger who’d just rescued her didn’t want to kiss her into oblivion, she said, “Okay.”

In a few minutes she’d be headed back to her guest cabin at the Flying E, with no job, no prospects, and trying to find a productive way to spend the next month or so. Her job being little Faye’s nanny had ended when her employer Will Brady had found love here in Texas. And apparently, scandal-plagued grade school music teachers were not in hot demand, apparently in Seattle or anywhere else for that matter.

She pointed to her car. “It’s just over there.”

She could dream of a goodbye kiss from the stranger. Or she could give him one herself. It was risky, but she was warming to the idea. Executing it would be a different—

A car came to a screeching halt, right in front of them on the street. Then a loud yelp rang out and something hit the pavement with a thud. And a dog began to whimper. The sound of his pained cries curled her stomach and she glanced at Dan. He didn’t waste a second. He grabbed her hand and took off running toward the downed animal. The car sped off, the driver not even giving the poor animal a glance. Dan was at the dog’s side immediately, kneeling beside him, cradling his head. “You’ll be alright, boy,” he said, whispering confidently near the dog’s face as he began a thorough scan over his body. His big hands were gentle as he probed. He found a few gashes on the dog’s backside where blood was beginning to pool. “You need some patching up, is all.”

“Are you a vet?” she asked, noting the care he took with the animal.

“No, but he needs one. He’s scared, probably in shock. That A-hole just drove off after hitting him.”

Erin couldn’t believe it, either. It was heartless and cold. She wished she could’ve gotten a look at the license plate.

The dog looked to be a mix of collie and German shepherd with big round brown eyes. He watched Dan carefully, giving him blind trust. “Will you stay with him?” Dan asked, sparing her a brief glance. “I have a blanket in my car.”

“Sure, of course.”

Dan rose and Erin took over his position. “You’re gonna be just fine, pretty boy,” she said, carefully stroking the dog just above the eyes. She made massage circles and the dog’s whimpers stopped as his eyes drifted closed. He wore no collar and there was no way to contact his owner, if he even had one. Why had he been wandering out so late at night?

“That’s it, boy. Rest. We’re going to get you all fixed up.”

Dan was back in an instant, and immediately tucked the blanket under the dog, careful not to cause him injury. The blanket was thick enough to absorb the little bit of blood at the wound site. “Bleeding isn’t too bad.”

“That’s good, right?”

He nodded.

“What can I do to help?”

“You mind watching him in the backseat of my SUV? My vet is gonna meet me at my house. It’s closer than his office.”

“Sure,” she said, stroking the dog’s golden coat gently. “Of course I will.”

And once Dan got her situated in the backseat of his car, the big blanketed dog scooted next to her and planted his sweet mug on her lap. Thatta boy. She smiled and continued to massage the dog’s head, just over the eyes and occasionally stroking over his ears.

Dan didn’t say much as he drove, but he kept glancing in the rearview mirror to see how the dog was doing. She was touched by his concern, the kindness in his eyes.

“Pretty nice vet to come out in the middle of the night for this sweet guy,” she said.

Dan nodded, and she didn’t think he’d say anything but seconds later, he admitted, “I do business with him at my ranch. He’s a neighbor.”

So Dan really was a cowboy. “Is it far?”

“Five more minutes.”

And a short time later, Dan pulled into one of the garages of a beautifully appointed two-story estate. It was dark; she couldn’t see more than what the ground lights surrounding the property gave away, but her instincts told her this ranch was massive and successful.

“I’ll set up a bed in the kitchen and then come get him,” Dan said.

Lights flicked on in the garage as he entered his home and Erin waited patiently. The dog was breathing heavily, but other than that, his whimpers from earlier were all gone. Thank goodness. Erin had never owned a dog, but back in her college days she used to walk dogs to pick up extra spending cash, and she’d grown fond of the species, even as she was also picking up their poop. She was sure this big guy would’ve stolen her heart too. He had those kind of eyes that seemed to touch her deep inside.

Once Dan came back, he removed the dog from the backseat, lifting him with as much care as he’d lifted her from the mat after her mechanical bull fiasco. Erin followed him inside to a kitchen a chef would envy. Despite the ivory cabinets, black granite countertops trailing with gold vein, contemporary appliances and stone fireplace, the room looked cozy and lived-in.

Dan set the dog down and stroked him lovingly a few times. Then he grabbed a towel he’d soaked with warm water and began dabbing at the animal’s wounds.

“You came up with that bed really fast,” she said, kneeling beside Dan, curious about this man. “I’m impressed.”

He shrugged. “I sorta rescue animals.”

“You do?”

“Not deliberately.”

“How does that work?”

“If strays come by, they end up staying. One I found stranded by the side of the road, another was left behind after the family moved out of Texas. The cats are all freeloaders. They kept coming around searching for food and I fed them.”

“How many pets do you have?”

“Four dogs, three cats, a string of horses.”

“Is this a horse farm?”

He shook his head. “Cattle ranch.”

“Lots and lots of cattle, I assume.”

His lips quirked up a bit. “Something like that.”

Erin could easily imagine Dan surrounded by animals. He was one of those men that appeared tough on the outside, but she didn’t doubt he was a total softie on the inside. When the dog was hit, Dan went into action mode, seeing to the injured animal’s needs immediately.

Sort of like how he’d come to her rescue with the bull.

A few minutes later, Dan’s neighbor, a man he introduced as Doug Bristol, walked into the kitchen armed with his medical bag. He quickly went to work on the dog, giving him a thorough visual examination along with poking and prodding him gently in a few places. “He’s lucky,” he said after his exam. “He got pretty banged up, but nothing seems broken.”

They watched the vet administer pain meds to the dog and then bandage his wounds. When he’d done all he could for him, Dr. Bristol told Dan to bring him by his office in the morning. “I want to examine him again. What’s his name?”

Dan shrugged, then said, “How about we call him Lucky?”

Dan gave his neighbor a nod. “Lucky.”

“Okay, I’ll see Lucky, then, tomorrow. Nice to meet you, Erin.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Doc,” Dan said, and the two men shook hands.

After seeing his neighbor to the door, Dan walked back into the kitchen and there was stony silence. Now that the dog was sleeping and seemed fine, there was no reason for her stay any longer. Awkward moments passed as both of them stared at each other. “I should go,” she whispered. “You managed two rescues in one night. You must be tired.”

“Not tired, are you?”

She shook her head. She couldn’t believe how easily she’d done that, knowing full well if she’d said she was tired, Dan would’ve driven her back to the Dark Horse to pick up her car. “No, I’m not tired. Kinda keyed up after what happened tonight.”

Perhaps admitting that to Dan was the riskiest thing she’d done all night.

“Yeah, me too. Cup of coffee? Something stronger?”

No more alcohol for her tonight. She wasn’t quite sure if it was the mechanical bull or the two Cadillac margaritas she’d had earlier that landed her flat on her ass at the saloon. “Coffee sounds perfect.”

And the man of few words set about making coffee.

* * *

Erin sipped Dan’s coffee and nibbled on a warm giant chocolate-chip cookie oozing with melted chocolate. Warming the cookies before gobbling them down was her mother’s trick, and tonight Erin put it to the test. A few seconds in the microwave made even a stale cookie speak to the senses.

“Aren’t they good warm?” Erin asked Dan.

He nodded. “Good.”

Instead of Gorgeous Beast, maybe she should call him Caveman. The man seemed to have perfected the art of grunting, nodding and giving one-word answers. But his eyes spoke volumes and right now she was the object of his intense smolder. Not that she was complaining. He was almost as delicious as the cookie that was coating the interior of her mouth with chocolate goodness.

“So how long have you lived here?”

“In Texas? All my life,” he said.

“I’m from Seattle.”

He sipped coffee. “So you said.”

“I did? When?”

“After the bull tossed you off.”

“Oh yeah. That bull thing was a dumb idea.”

He nodded, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “Kinda courageous.”

“Really?” She perked up. Had he just complimented her?

“But not real smart.” He tossed the last of his cookie in his mouth.

She rolled her eyes and he laughed, a big hearty he-man sound that did things to her sanity. “I really should go. Would you mind calling me a cab?”

He stood. “I’ll drive you.”

“But you shouldn’t leave Lucky alone.”

Dan gave the sleeping dog a glance. “He’s getting the rest he needs. I doubt he’ll wake up before morning.”

But she suspected it was more than that. Dan was the kind of Texan bred with incredible manners and he wasn’t about to send her off alone in the dead of night. He’d see her safely back to her car. “Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m not sure I want you to leave,” he said quite candidly. “But I am sure about driving you.”

Wow. Not only did he surprise her by speaking in full sentences, but he admitted he wanted her to stay longer. “Thank you. I’ll take you up on that ride.”

Dan nodded, appearing neither relieved nor disappointed.

She really wanted to stay, but her risk-taking skills were momentarily disabled. “You know, I don’t think I ever thanked you for saving my pride and my hide this evening. It was really kind of you.” She reached up and planted a kiss to his scruffy, super sexy cheek.

Just as she was backing away, a strong arm wrapped about her waist, drawing her against the wall of his chest. He was massive, in a very good sort of way, and an image of him shirtless muscled its way into her head.

“I need to thank you too,” he said.

“For?” Trapped against him, her breath hitched. This was different from before when he’d carried her out of the Dark Horse Saloon. This was more intimate. They were alone in Dan’s big ranch house. Two consenting adults.

“Helping with Lucky.” Using his thumb, he tilted her chin up until she met his striking blue eyes. Oh boy. He was going to kiss her and she gave him a nonverbal okay. He took his time, inching closer to her mouth. And he was taking forever. The anticipation was killing her.

Then his mouth came down on hers and her lids lowered. She fell into the delicious, fiery, heaven-help-her, hot, hot kiss. The taste of chocolate and coffee mixed with sheer raw passion. Having his lips on hers blew her away. It was like a force of nature, something powerful and inspiring. She roped her arms around his neck and he circled her waist, connecting them, freeing them to continue whatever this was.

Dan’s mouth became more demanding and little throaty sounds pressed from her lips as she indulged. Their tongues mated and Dan let out a grunt of approval that made her smile inside. Her hands threaded through his dark blond hair, the strands curling up at the collar of his shirt. She stood incredibly close to his rock hard body and it was difficult not to notice the state of his arousal. She found herself in the same situation—wanting.

Wanting to stay.

Wanting more time with him.

Wanting to take a risk with this tall Texan.

And just as those thoughts were cementing in her head, Dan ended the kiss and backed away. “Sorry.” He shrugged. “I got carried away.”

She smiled, missing his lips on her, missing his warmth and heat. “That’s my line. I got carried away. By you, back at the saloon.”

“I didn’t plan on bringing you here.”

“I know. It was just Lucky, I guess.” She giggled at her own joke and even the big man smiled.

“You think so?” He pulled her back into his arms. “’Cause I was feelin’ lucky just a minute ago.”

She stared at his mouth. “It’s been a long time since I felt this lucky,” she said softly. He furrowed his brows again, something he did often. She found that trait incredibly appealing.

“Same here, Erin. Will you stay the night?”

She nodded, murmuring a soft, “Yes.”

Then without another word, Dan took her shaky hand and led her out of the kitchen.

* * *

He liked Erin. If he was being honest, probably too damn much, and it had been a long while since he met a woman who sparked his interest. He’d spotted her at the Dark Horse, and almost instantly there was a connection. And also almost instantly, he knew she didn’t belong in the saloon. When she’d climbed up on that mechanical bull, he figured she was in for the ride of her life. For a few seconds, that is. But as soon as the bull tossed her off, he’d come running to her rescue, shielding her embarrassment, making eye contact with the crowd, daring anyone to laugh as he carried her off.

What was it about him? He rescued animals and damsels in distress, or so it seemed. Bringing her to his cattle ranch at Hunt Acres had never been his plan, but then the dog was hit by a car and all of a sudden, they were here together in the middle of the night and now she was on his bed, reaching for him.

It was damn hard to think straight or at all.

He lowered onto the bed, taking her into his arms and kissed her again, careful not to crush her small frame. She was sweet and sexy and willing. Was he the risk she’d decided to take tonight too? He had to make certain this was what she wanted, had to give her a way out. “Are you sure, Erin?”

Her pretty blue-green eyes darkened. It was heady stuff seeing her nod and murmur, “Yes, I’m sure.” Then she chewed her lower lip and added, “Aren’t you?”

Her question caught him off guard. He nearly laughed, but held back. Didn’t she know how much he wanted this? He’d picked her out of a crowd at the Dark Horse, hadn’t been able to take his eyes off the sweet blonde in tight jeans and a gold blouse the exact shade of her pretty hair. A woman who’d appeared completely out of her element. She’d intrigued him from the get-go.

Now she was in his bed. “Absolutely.”

Relieved, her expression softened.

“You didn’t really doubt that, did you?”

She smiled, a stunner that made his body go completely rigid. He was through talking and ready to give Erin a much better ride than she’d had on that bull.

* * *

Erin was taking a risk, making a memory she’d bring back to Seattle when her time in Texas was up. She wasn’t going to dwell. She wasn’t going to admonish herself. She was all in. Dan’s size thrilled her. He towered over her, all brawn and muscle, solid and sure, yet his touch was tender. She placed incredible trust in this man already. She loved his hands on her, his fingertips caressing her face as he kissed her. She responded to him carnally, soft murmurs of approval and pleasure parting her lips.

Dan kissed a path down her throat, his hot breath searing the slope of her breasts. In just a second, he had her blouse unbuttoned and his mouth moved over her, teasing her nipples to rosy points. She moaned, relishing the laps of his tongue on her skin. Her bra disappeared magically, Dan’s talent making her head spin. She loved this feeling of being loose, unbridled and unaware of anything but the man spreading heat and excitement through her body.

Her zipper was down, her jeans pulled off and Dan was there, cupping her panties in his large palm. The warmth seared through her, the pressure unbelievably perfect. He lay beside her on the bed, making her dreams come true. And just then, she stopped, a coherent thought pressing through the pleasure. His shirt was still on. He was fully clothed and that just wasn’t fair. She needed to touch him, to make him lose all thought the way he was doing to her. She needed her hands on him and pulled at the snaps of his shirt. They opened easily, and with his help wrestled him out of his shirt.

Oh wow. His shoulders, squared and broad, were massive in size. There was just so much of him to touch and she didn’t hesitate. She laid her palms on him and his eyes shuttered closed. “Sweetness,” he rasped.

She explored eagerly, sinking her hands over his taut muscles, the ripped cords of his skin and lower still until she met with the fine hairs below his torso.