His Marriage Pact: The Rancher's Marriage Pact / The Rancher's One-Week Wife / Terms of a Texas Marriage

He brought the hamburger fixings and put them on the wooden picnic table, then handed Paris the wine. “Sorry about the plastic cup. I don’t have any fancy barware here. Hell, I don’t have any fancy dinnerware, either. That’s why we’re eating on disposable plates.”

She took a drink of the chardonnay and rested the cup in her lap. “Not exactly environmentally friendly, but I suppose they’ll do if we don’t have a choice.”

He didn’t want her to believe he was a total Neanderthal. “They’re plastic, too. I throw them in the recycle bin before I leave so George can properly dispose of them.”

“That’s good to know. How is dinner coming along?”

He checked the burgers, all the while considering giving her a kiss. Only one kiss. But like the potato chips resting on the red checkerboard tablecloth, he wouldn’t be able to stop with just one. “Looks like they’re about ready. Do you want cheese on yours?”

“Sure. I’m in the mood to splurge a little.”

Dallas hadn’t realized she was standing behind him until that moment. After laying the cheese slices on the burgers, he put the spatula down and turned around, only to run headlong into some fairly fantastic green eyes and a mouth that looked like it wanted to be kissed. Maybe that was just wishful thinking. “What else are you in the mood for?”

She slid her arms around his neck and pressed her great body against his, indicating she might be willing to make his wish come true. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a little slap and tickle after we eat. Maybe a little of that before we eat.”

Man, she was killing him. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yes, but not only for food.” She rubbed against him and it hadn’t been an accident. “Just humor me, okay?”

With the last scrap of his control in shambles, Dallas gave her a full-throttle, no-holds-barred kiss. A tongue-dueling, fire-starting kiss that gave the barbecue grill behind him a run for its money.

But damn, he wanted more. He wanted to use his mouth somewhere else, and that meant disregarding his original plan of ignoring her. To hell with it.

He pushed the straps off her shoulders and then lowered the dress’s bodice to do what he’d wanted to do earlier that day. He bent his head and took one breast into his mouth while Paris threaded her hands through his hair to hang on. When he circled her nipple with his tongue, she released a purely sexual sound that made him so hard he wanted to strip out of his jeans then and there. Instead, he slid his palms down her back, clasped her butt and pulled her against the erection that wouldn’t die unless he did something about it. But if he acted in haste, he could make a mistake of monumental proportions. As bad as he wanted to be inside her, he thought of all the reasons why he couldn’t.

Dallas let her go and took a step back. He had to look her straight in the eye when he made the revelation. “We need to have a serious talk before this goes any further.”

Paris’s lips looked swollen and her eyes hazy, but she didn’t seem to be too mad over the interruption. Yet. “Talk about what?”

“A change in the marriage terms.”

“I’m sorry, Dallas, but I’m confused.”

She wouldn’t be confused much longer, but she sure as hell might be ready to slug him. He saw no choice but to blurt out the sorry truth.

“Darlin’, we’re going to have to get divorced.”

* * *

Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Paris pulled the dress back into place as her mind reeled from Dallas’s proclamation. “Now? We’ve barely been married a day.”

“No, not now. When the year ends.”

She could not believe he would go back on his word. So much for trusting another man. “We both agreed we would get an annulment. In fact, you promised your attorney would find some way to accomplish that goal.”

Dallas took her by the hand and showed her to the table where they sat on opposing benches. “I spoke to him today,” he began, “to ask him why it was taking so long to get the final agreement drawn up. He informed me that if we annul the marriage, that would be like it never existed in the first place, and that would go against the terms of the will.”

Darn the family feud. She struggled to remain calm and sensible when she wanted to shout from frustration. “Then Worth could take control of the ranch and this charade would have been for naught.”

“That about sums it up.”

And she didn’t like it one iota. “Great. We’ll be forced to get a divorce and I’ll be marked as a woman who just can’t make any marriage work.”

“Not if the divorce is my fault and I take the fall.”

She supposed at this point they didn’t have any choice. “How would you do that?”

“You could tell everyone I cheated on you.”

Impossible. “That would be two cheating husbands. People could interpret that as I’m a total fool, or a cold fish in bed. What else do you have?”

“Maybe I drink too much.”

She’d never seen him have more than one beer. “Anyone who knows you could disprove that. Any other brilliant ideas?”

“Yeah, I could tell the truth. I don’t want any kids and that’s a deal breaker for you.”

Shock rendered her momentarily silent. Under the circumstances, that shouldn’t matter to her, but it did. His disclosure did put the kibosh on any future with him, as if she’d really believed that would happen. “You don’t want a child to continue your legacy?”

“Nope. I have five brothers who can take care of the procreating.”

For a man who appeared to be all about family, he certainly seemed opposed to having one of his own. “Why exactly do you feel this way?”

He stared at some unknown focal point behind her. “When you have the misfortune of being born to a man like my dad, it makes you doubt yourself and your ability to be a good husband and father.”

She reached over and touched his hand to garner his attention. “As far as I know, infidelity isn’t genetic, and I sense you’d be a great father.”

“You don’t know me that well.”

True, but she believed she was getting there. And she still had twelve months to learn even more, although she realized that was all she would ever have with him. “I know you love animals and you’re willing to set a baby bass free. That speaks to your patience and compassion and some paternal instinct.”

“I’m basically married to someone for the sake of a parcel of land. Some might say that speaks to my selfishness.”

Obviously both of them put a lot of stock in other people’s opinions. “I don’t see you as selfish, just desperate. Besides, I’m basically in the same situation since I married for financial stability. Mr. and Mrs. Desperation. It has a nice ring to it.”

He rubbed his chin then grinned. “Yeah, it does. So you’re not too mad at me over the annulment issue?”

She wanted to be angry, but in essence she could only blame faulty research and jumping in feet first before they knew all the facts. “Let’s just say I’m disappointed we rushed into this before I fully investigated our options”

“Would you have changed your mind if you’d known?”

She had to think about that a few seconds. “Possibly, but it doesn’t matter since we can’t do anything about it now. Besides, we still have twelve months to figure out how we’re going to end it.”

“Yeah, you’re right, unless you can’t tolerate me that long.”

She gave him a mock stern look. “That’s a strong possibility if you don’t finish those burgers. I’m suddenly so hungry I could eat the tablecloth.”

“No more slap and tickle?” he asked, clear disappointment in his tone.

She wanted to say definitely, but she hadn’t quite digested the divorce issue. “Let’s worry about dinner right now, okay?”

He stood and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Sure thing, sweetheart.”

Something suddenly occurred to her. “Since it is your birthday, I should have cooked for you.”

He studied her a long moment before speaking again. “You know what I’d really like from you to make this day special?”

“Does it start with an ‘s’ and rhyme with vex?”

He shook his head. “No. I want you to tell me you believe that I didn’t know the annulment wasn’t going to work.”

“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt.” And she hoped her faith wasn’t misplaced again. “I only wish we’d had more time to think things through before we rushed into this arrangement.”

“Unfortunately time wasn’t on our side. But I’ll try to make it up to you after dinner.”

That could create more problems from an emotional standpoint if she succumbed to her strong desire for him. “How are you going to do that?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

* * *

The sound of a sultry country ballad drew Paris from the kitchen back onto the deck. As the music filtered through the outdoor speakers, the sun had disappeared from the horizon, washing the sky in an orange glow, providing the perfect backdrop to the man leaning back against the railing. A cowboy knight wearing a crisp light blue shirt rolled up at the sleeves, slightly faded jeans and the usual boots, one substantial hand wrapped around a beer.

“Did you shower?” she asked as she approached Dallas, immediately catching a whiff of his clean-scented cologne.

“I wanted to get rid of the barbecue smells.”

“I really don’t mind that at all.” And she didn’t, though she still worried she’d made a mistake with their fake marriage. She worried she might make another if she didn’t keep her wits about her.

“Thanks for cleaning up the mess,” he said.

“After those great veggie burgers, it was the least I could do.”

A few moments of silence ticked off as they stood there steeped in palpable tension. Dallas shifted his weight from one leg to the other before setting the bottle atop the nearby table. “Let’s dance,” he said as he offered his hand to her.

Paris was plagued with a serious case of nerves. “I’m not very good. Not when it comes to country dancing.”

He pulled her gently into his arms. “You just have to hold on to me.”

And she did as they swayed in time to the tune, moving easily through the last of the song and onto the next, his palms roving softly over her back, her cheek resting against his shoulder.

She briefly wondered how many women had fallen under his spell. How many would have given anything to be in her shoes right now. That shouldn’t matter. After all, they were married, at least for a year until it all came to an end.

Maybe they could take the time to learn more about each other. Perhaps she should spend the months finding herself, without getting lost in him. But she felt lost right then as they moved closer, held each other tighter.

When Dallas paused, Paris lifted her head and met his mesmerizing blue eyes. “Mind if I kiss you?” he asked.

She found that odd. “You’ve never needed my permission before.”

“Yeah, but I do now since I didn’t keep my promise to you about the annulment.”

“It’s done, Dallas. We can’t go back and undo it. We can only move forward.”

“True. You didn’t answer my question.”

She did, but not with words, despite the lack of wisdom. Instead, she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. A soft, almost quiet kiss that seemed strangely emotional. The way newlyweds who had entered a real union would kiss. A kiss that took a drastic turn toward mutual need in a matter of moments.

Dallas broke the contact first and sighed. “I wish I didn’t want you so damn bad.”

In some ways she wished the same for herself. But life was short, and their time limited. She could reject his advances, or take another risk that would most definitely come with rewards. Foolish as it might be, she wanted to experience all that he had to offer, and suffer the possible consequences later. “Maybe we shouldn’t overthink this too much.”

He frowned. “I’m not following you.”

“Do you know what this divorce requirement means?”

“Yeah. I’m going to be padding my lawyer’s pockets even more.”

Evidently he was having a lapse in comprehension. “No. What it means for us.”

He grinned. “We don’t have to stop with only slappin’ and ticklin’?”

She did a little smiling, too. “Correct.”

His smile faded into a serious expression. “That’s a big step, Paris.”

A step she hadn’t planned to take, but... “As you’ve said, we’re both consenting adults and we’ll be spending a lot of time together. Since the consummation issue no longer exists, we have no reason not to let nature take its course.” And during the journey, she vowed to keep a good grip on her heart.

Taking her by the hand, he led her back to the table, claimed the bench across from her, folded his hands and gave her a somber look. “Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t want you to feel like you’re being pressured into something that makes you uncomfortable.”

Evidently he didn’t get it. “Let me put it to you this way. For the first thirty years of my life, I walked a straight line. I ignorantly thought if I followed all the rules, did what was expected, didn’t make waves, everything would be rosy. I learned a painful lesson when I realized that wasn’t always the case two years ago.”

“After your divorce?”

She wanted so badly to tell him the whole truth, but only one person could verify that, and Peter wasn’t talking. “The divorce turned out to be only the beginning. Once I lost my job, I recognized that no matter how well you walk the line, situations arise that steer you off your path. I determined then and there I would make my own decisions and guide my own future. As ridiculous as it seems, this agreement we made happened to be a step in the right direction. Otherwise, I would not have entered into it.”

He frowned. “You still haven’t answered my concerns.”

“Actually, yes I have. If I want to be carefree and enjoy intimacy with my pseudohusband, then I’m going to do it. More importantly, I trust you, Dallas. I know you’re going to treat me well and make me feel respected. So there.”

He finally sent her that wonderful smile again. “Okay then. You’ve convinced me you’re ready.”

She wondered if maybe he was experiencing a little hesitation. “Are you ready?”

“Darlin’ that is not a question you should have to ask.”

Paris felt a disclaimer coming on. “We can do this as long as we go inside and turn off the lights since I assume I’m going to be completely naked.”

He stood, rounded the table and held out his hand to help her up. “Inside is okay and we’re both going to be naked. Besides, I’ve already seen a lot of your body, and I want to see it all, so I won’t promise I’ll turn off lights.”

“Dallas—”

He cut off her protest with a quick kiss. “If you really trust me, then let me show you the benefits of seeing all the details.”

Exactly what she wanted to avoid. But maybe the time had come to shed her self-consciousness in earnest. Maybe she could actually take charge of the situation and finally relax.

Mulling that over, Paris followed Dallas inside, expecting to be led into the bedroom. Instead, he went to the opposite end of the house and past the kitchen to an all-glass sun porch with rustic, wide, cushioned chaises and plush, rug-covered slate floors. Through the wall of windows, she glimpsed a small creek and two deer foraging in the grassy area in the last remnants of daylight. “Why have I never seen this place?”

“Because you haven’t been here long enough to explore,” he said. “During the day, you get sun. At night, you can see all the stars. If you notice, there aren’t any light fixtures.”

She looked around to confirm that fact. She also noted the room was illuminated enough to view all those details she preferred he not see. “Is this where you bring all your dates?”

He didn’t appear too pleased over the question. “This is where I come to wind down.”

“It’s a good place to do it. Unwind, I mean.”

He cupped her cheek with his palm. “It’s a good place for us to get to know each other in every way.”

They stood there face-to-face, as if neither knew what to do next. Dallas broke the standoff by taking her back into his arms and holding her for a long moment. He pulled away and searched her eyes. “If you change your mind at any point, let me know. I want you to be totally comfortable.”

She very much appreciated his consideration. She also felt confident he would show her great care, and probably a very good time. “I’m not going to change my mind.”

He sent her a soft smile. “Good. I’ve been waiting all night to see you undress for me.”

Oh, mercy. “Are you going to watch?”

He flashed a grin and a dimple. “Do politicians lie?”

“All right. I suppose I can do that. As you pointed out, you’ve seen almost all of me anyway.” And now he would see it all—from head to toe and too-wide hips in between.

You’re too uptight, Paris.

The ghost of that chunky, awkward girl came back to haunt her, along with the voice of her ex criticizing her butt and in his opinion, inadequate breasts. She lowered her eyes to avoid Dallas’s scrutiny. “I’m not sure I can do this while you’re staring at me.”

He came to her then, tipped up her chin with his fingertips and kissed her softly. “Yeah, you can. Don’t forget the boat.”

“That was different. I had on a bikini until you took the top off me. And that was only the top.”

She could tell by his expression that his patience was waning. “You’re a beautiful woman, Paris. All of you. Now we can talk about this all night, or we can act on this all-fire need between us.”

“Okay, I admit there is a tad bit of chemistry.”

“You know we’ve both been hot for each other since we met. You can keep denying it, but you know I’m right. I figured that out in the kitchen this morning when you dropped the robe. If that wasn’t a hint, then I don’t know what is.”

She couldn’t be shocked when she’d intentionally been transparent. She’d also allowed him a peek of her backside, and he hadn’t run away yet. “Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. Since you’ve already seen more of me than I care to admit, it’s only fair you go first.”

Without hesitating, he stepped back and lowered his fly. “Just so you know, something’s come up. It’s been up for days.”

She managed a smile. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

After stripping out of his clothes and underwear, he looked no less proud. Every inch of him. And frankly, her very limited sexual experience had not included such an absolutely impressive...man.

“It’s your turn, sweetheart.”

Okay, she could do this. She’d been pretty gutsy this morning. Why not carry that over to this moment?

Following a deep breath, Paris shimmied out of the dress and let it fall to her feet, then shoved her panties down and kicked them aside. And there she stood, totally nude in the middle of a dimly-lit, glass-walled room with a fantasy man raking his gaze over her, clear approval in his eyes.

He inclined his head and pointed at her. “Lady, if I had my choice, you’d never wear a thing again when you’re with me.”

She released an anxious laugh. “Something tells me that could be awkward with both the mothers darting in and out all the time.”

“True. Now come here and let me give you the time of your life.”

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