“I Want You, Erin.

And I want you to stay with me this morning if you will.” All amusement vanished from his expression, replaced by so much desire that it took her breath.

Her heart thudded because she knew if she said no now and walked out, he would let her go. She had to make a choice here. All her life she had known what she wanted and didn’t want. She knew now what she really wanted.

She didn’t want to walk away from this man who had turned her world topsy-turvy, the first man in her life to set her heart pounding. The best-looking man she had ever known, as well as the most exciting. He was silent, waiting, letting her make her choice.

On tiptoe, she pulled his head down. With their lips almost touching, she whispered, “Someday, I may regret this moment, but right now it seems perfect.”

Dear Reader,

Yes, we have what you’re looking for at Silhouette Desire. This month, we bring you some of the most anticipated stories…and some of the most exciting new tales we have ever offered.

Yes, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson is back with Randi McCafferty’s story. You’ve been waiting to discover who fathered Randi’s baby and who was out to kill her, and the incomparable Lisa Jackson answers all your questions and more in Best-Kept Lies. Yes, we have the next installment of DYNASTIES: THE DANFORTHS with Cathleen Galitz’s Cowboy Crescendo. And you can be sure that wild Wyoming rancher Toby Danforth is just as hot as can be. Yes, there is finally another SECRETS! book from Barbara McCauley. She’s back with Miss Pruitt’s Private Life, a scandalous tale of passionate encounters and returning characters you’ve come to know and love.

Yes, Sara Orwig continues her compelling series STALLION PASS: TEXAS KNIGHTS with an outstanding tale of stranded strangers turned secret lovers, in Standing Outside the Fire. Yes, the fabulous Kathie DeNosky is back this month with a scintillating story about a woman desperate to have a Baby at His Convenience. And yes, Bronwyn Jameson is taking us down under as two passionate individuals square off in a battle that soon sweeps them Beyond Control.

Here’s hoping you’ll be saying “Yes, yes, yes” to Silhouette Desire all month…all summer…all year long!

Melissa Jeglinski

Senior Editor

Silhouette Desire

Standing Outside The Fire
Sara Orwig

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SARA ORWIG

lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

One

“How did this happen to me?” Boone Devlin wondered for the hundredth time as he climbed out of his rental car.

It was an hour from midnight, the seventh of July, and the glistening asphalt parking lot of the swank San Antonio hotel was deserted. Boone strode across it, dodging puddles from the night’s rain.

Summer lightning streaked through the sky and was gone, plunging the Texas night back into darkness. He walked briskly, still in shock over his inheritance of a nationally famous quarter horse ranch and over a million dollars. He was in town to meet the manager of the ranch and to break the news that he intended to sell it. He was interested only in funding his new air charter service. With the money from the sale of the ranch, he could foresee endless possibilities for his business.

The staccato click of heels caught Boone’s attention, and he caught sight of a shapely female a few yards ahead who hurried toward the hotel. As his gaze ran appreciatively over her form, a man stepped out of the shadows and accosted her.

Boone couldn’t hear the man’s words, but she shook her head and snapped an emphatic no as she strode past him. The intruder fell into step beside her and continued speaking in a low voice. Abruptly, the woman veered away from him. When she did, the man reached out and grabbed her arm.

Clenching his fists, Boone sprinted toward them.

Already the woman had reacted, stomping her heel on the man’s instep. Then, she slapped him hard over the ear and shoved him away.

“No!” she exclaimed again loudly, and while the man staggered, she rushed into the hotel.

Boone chuckled, and the man spun around. “What’s so damn funny?” he snarled, starting toward Boone. The guy was ready to take out his anger on someone.

Boone clenched his fists and spread his feet. “You want some more?” he asked softly. He stood close enough now that he could face the man squarely.

Lightning flashed, and they stared at each other, eye to eye.

The man’s chest expanded while he inhaled. Turning, he hurried away, disappearing into the shadows.

Boone sauntered into the hotel’s elegant, deserted lobby that had leather chairs grouped around polished mahogany tables centered with vases of flowers. He strolled to the desk and checked in. When he went to the elevators, the woman from the parking lot was still there, and they entered the same elevator.

Boone had only seen her in the dark parking lot. Now, in the bright lights of the elevator, she stole his breath. His gaze skimmed over a figure that was usually found only in men’s dreams. Her emerald-green sleeveless dress revealed lush curves and a tiny waist. Her slender arms had well-toned muscles, and he guessed that she worked out regularly. Especially since that display in the parking lot.

Her full red lips conjured up his curiosity about how they would taste and feel beneath his own. He glanced at her long, slender fingers and noted she wore no wedding ring. She was looking down, adjusting her purse strap. The thick curtain of silky shoulder-length red hair fell forward, hiding her face. She raised her head and he gazed into the greenest eyes he had ever seen.

Thickly lashed, her cat eyes mesmerized and enticed. They were cool, icy green, full of mystery and mischief and hints of sensual pleasure. She met his gaze with her own direct, self-assured stare.

“I was going to come to your rescue out there in the parking lot,” Boone told her, “until I saw I wasn’t needed.”

“Thanks, anyway,” she replied in a throaty voice.

“Would you like to go downstairs and have a drink?” he asked, hoping to prolong their time together.

She smiled briefly at him. “Thank you. Actually, I was going back downstairs. I haven’t had dinner tonight so I’m going to eat not drink.”

“Fine. I just got into town. Let me take you to dinner to celebrate.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Celebrate what? Your getting into town?”

He grinned. “No, you fending off that guy. You were cool, collected and efficient. It was impressive.”

“Thanks.” The elevator doors opened. “Maybe I’ll see you in the restaurant,” she offered, and the doors closed behind her.

“Yes, you will,” Boone replied quietly. He rode to his floor, hurried to his room to deposit his flight bag, wash up and comb his wavy brown hair.

Downstairs in the restaurant, he got a table beside a window that overlooked the deserted swimming pool. In the red-carpeted restaurant the lights were low and, because of the late hour, the room was almost deserted. While he sat and waited, he could hear live music from the lounge.

Less than five minutes later, she walked through the door, and his pulse skipped a beat. When he stood and waved to her, she hesitated, but then she smiled and crossed the room toward him, moving past the tables draped with white linen cloths.

He watched the easy sway of her hips, and his temperature rose another notch.

“You don’t give up easily, either, do you?” she demanded.

“No, but I’m not going to coerce you into eating with me. You’ll have to admit, it’ll be far more entertaining than if we eat alone.”

“And you don’t lack in confidence,” she added, sounding amused.

“That was fact not confidence. I know I’ll have a better time eating with you instead of alone.” He pulled out a chair.

“I don’t usually let guys pick me up,” she told him, “and I don’t usually have dinner with strangers. For all I know, you’re married.”

“I’m not picking you up—this isn’t a date,” he said as she sat down. “And I’ve never been married, not married now, not going to be.”

“A free spirit?”

“Exactly.” He walked around to his chair to sit and face her. “Besides, we’re not strangers now. We’ve known each other almost a whole half hour.” He held out his hand. “I’m B—”

She shook her head. “No names. Let’s keep this impersonal.”

“You don’t want to know my name?”

“No, because we won’t see each other again after this night. When dinner is over we’ll go our separate ways. I’ll feel much better about it.”

He cocked his head. “Want to make a bet? I’ll bet you that before we part, you’ll tell me your name. In the meantime, I’ll just call you Red.”

Smiling, she nodded while her green eyes twinkled. “All right, I’ll take that bet. Winner gets what?”

“What would you like if you win?” he challenged, knowing what he would like to claim as his prize, but also knowing he couldn’t tell her that now. Another loud clap of thunder boomed and crackled through the hotel. “What would you like if you win? Name something,” he urged her.

She gazed past him and pursed her lips in thought. Boone had to fight the temptation to lean across the table and touch his lips to hers. Finally her gaze returned to him. “I’m a chocoholic. If I win, you get me a chocolate dessert, or if they don’t have one, a candy bar. I know the gift shop will have them.”

“Fine with me,” he replied.

“Now, if you win, what do you want? You better keep the prize simple and impersonal,” she warned in a no-nonsense tone.

“That you tell me four facts about yourself—in addition to the ones I figure out on my own.”

He received another smile. “If you’re trying to figure me out, I can save you the trouble. I’m an ordinary person who leads an ordinary life.”

“I don’t think so. Four new facts, right?”

“That’s an easy one. All right. I’ll take that bet and enjoy my chocolate.”

“Tonight we can have a double celebration.”

“This ought to be a good one—what else will we celebrate?” Outside, lightning flashed, and then was gone.

“My having dinner with one of the prettiest women in Texas, and that’s saying a lot. Since Texas women are usually gorgeous.”

She laughed and shook her head. “That’s a little thick!”

“There! Your smile is absolute proof. You have a dimple, even, white teeth, a smile that would set any man’s pulse racing, plus those big green eyes…” He paused when a waiter arrived to pour glasses of water for each of them.

Boone ordered white wine, yet all the time he was ordering, he was watching the woman and thinking about her. He had meant every word he’d said to her. Besides being capable and keeping a cool head in a scary situation, she was stunning and sexy—a combination to heat his blood to boiling. And he had the feeling that she was merely tolerating him. He could get some response from her, but it was slight and guarded, a rarity in his dealings with women.

As soon as the waiter left, Boone leaned forward. “Where was I? Big, green eyes, luscious red lips, fiery red hair,” he said, catching a lock of her hair in his fingers. It was silky soft.

“Who were you telling all this to last night?” she asked, tugging her hair away from him. Though she was being flippant, there was no mistaking a chemistry sparking between them.

“I could deny telling anyone, but I don’t think you’d believe me. The way you decked that guy in the parking lot says a lot about your personality.”

“Am I supposed to ask you what you think my personality is like?” she asked with amusement in her eyes.

“I think you’re practical. No frills. Intelligent and cool and confident. You’re laughing at my compliments, which means you are self-assured and don’t need to hear compliments. You can laugh at yourself and don’t believe you are one of the most gorgeous women in Texas, though you should.”

“Hardly! That’s a real stretch.” She laughed, and he wondered how many men had succumbed to that irresistible smile. “I’ve never won a beauty contest in my life.”

“How many have you entered?” he countered.

“None,” she admitted.

“And I’m right in my assessment otherwise—will you agree with that?”

Her lips firmed as she seemed to give his question thought before she nodded. “I’d say that I am practical and no frills. Intelligent—I hope reasonably so, but maybe I’m not showing a whole lot of sense eating dinner with a stranger. To my credit, when we finish dinner, I will go to my room and you will go to yours. And you won’t accompany me to mine. You won’t know which room it is. You won’t even know who I am. Let’s keep the evening impersonal. I’ll feel safer that way. I carry a cell phone and can call for help at any time. As for cool and confident—most of the time. Not always. It’s a fairly accurate assessment.”

“So is the part about you being gorgeous.” He leaned back as the waiter brought a bottle of wine, opened it and let Boone approve before pouring. The pale liquid half filled the glasses and then the white-coated waiter set the bottle in a bucket of ice and placed ornate red menus in front of each of them before he left.

As soon as they were alone, Boone lifted his glass. “Here’s to you for handling a bad situation with great aplomb.” He touched his glass to hers with a faint clink, and then gazing into her eyes, took a sip of his wine. The pale, dry wine went down smoothly while excitement hummed in him like an idling engine.

As she sipped and lowered her glass, thunder boomed.

“We may have just beaten the rain here,” he observed.

“They’ve had two inches today already,” she replied, looking outside and sounding as if she had forgotten him.

“How do you know that?” He was curious about her, wanting to know everything possible and wanting a date.

“The desk clerk told me.”

While she talked, Boone caught her hand in his and felt a current zing over his nerves when he touched her. Her skin was soft and smooth. “I don’t see an engagement or wedding ring.”

“No, you don’t,” she replied with a faint smile. She looked outside again as if the matter held her attention more than Boone.

“And the way you said that, I suspect there is no steady boyfriend.”

“You’re right again. Maybe you should earn a living as a clairvoyant.”

“I’m a good—guesser,” he said, giving another innuendo to the last word, and she arched her eyebrows. “And another toast to a gorgeous redhead I’ll always remember.”

She moved her hand away as he touched her glass again. “Always being until the next pretty woman crosses your path.”

“Not so. I’m not going to forget you and—” he leaned forward again and lowered his voice “—I hope before the night is over, I can see to it that you will always remember me.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but you can tell yourself that I will. When we go our separate ways, dinner tonight will be a brief and soon forgotten interlude.”

“I intend to see that it isn’t,” he said, intrigued more by her each minute. “So, I’ve given you a personality appraisal. Now, you give me one. I’m curious what you think about me and what you think I’m like.”

“Self-centered,” she answered lightly.

“Ouch! All I’ve talked about is you—where do you get this self-centered stuff?”

Her eyes twinkled. “You’re aware of yourself. You’re totally confident, determined, not a little arrogant, and in some ways, charming.”

“I’m glad you threw in the last or I’d think I’d better get up and move to another table and stop imposing on you. ‘In some ways, charming?’ How so?”

“You know you’re charming to females,” she replied firmly. “You do not need compliments. You didn’t get so self-confident by being turned down.”

While she looked at the menu, Boone studied his. “How about the steaks?” he asked her, and she nodded.

“A steak sounds delicious. Actually, I missed lunch and had only a tiny breakfast this morning, so a steak would be wonderful.”

In minutes the waiter returned and took their orders, leaving and coming back with a thick loaf of fresh bread on a wooden plank.

“You slice the bread,” Boone suggested. “I’d mangle it.”

He watched her slender fingers deftly cut two slices and offer him one.

He put a slice on his bread plate, but he was far more interested in talking to her than he was in eating. She had taken only a few sips of wine when he started to refill her glass.

“Thanks, I don’t need more. Actually, I think this is the first wine—or any alcoholic drink I’ve had—since Christmas.”

“Christmas! Do you ever get out of the house?”

She laughed. “Yes, I get out of the house.”

“Since Christmas, I think you can have a tiny refill,” he said, looking at her questioningly.

She took a deep breath as she appeared to reconsider, and then she nodded. “I suppose. This has been a horrendous day.”

“Uh-oh. I hope it took a definite turn for the better about half an hour ago.” He refilled her glass and put the bottle in the ice bucket. “What happened that was so terrible?”

“I was at a business meeting,” she said, and her voice became brisk as she stared past him. “Someone on the way to the meeting was in a terrible car crash and is in intensive care now and that put a damper on the day.”

“That’s tough. Sorry. Was it someone you knew?”

“Yes, but not well. And then my flight home today was delayed by storms, and we sat on the runway for three hours.”

“You have had a bad day. Plus the guy in the parking lot. Well, the bad part is over, and I’ll do my damnedest to cheer you up.”

“You’re doing a pretty super job of cheering me so far.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Now I’m staying at this hotel since I couldn’t go home tonight because of the storms,” she said, sipping her wine.

“You don’t have a northern accent. Hmm—where does the pretty lady live?”

“You’re on a need-to-know basis tonight and that’s another one of those things you don’t need to know,” she said, her dimple showing.

“Maybe,” he said. She wore a delicate golden bracelet that was a chain on her right wrist. He touched it. “A gift from a boyfriend?”

“No. A gift from a friend.”

He arched his eyebrow and looked at the necklace around her slender neck. An intricate emerald cross hung on a thick golden chain. “And the necklace?” he asked, leaning forward to pick it up, his knuckles lightly brushing her throat, but he felt the contact to his toes, and from the flicker in the depths of her green eyes, he suspected that she felt something, too.

“Is your necklace from the same friend?”

“No, it isn’t. The cross is a family heirloom. Have you ever heard of Stallion Pass, Texas?”

“Yes, I have,” Boone said in a noncommittal voice, keeping his expression bland, but inwardly he was startled because she was linked to Stallion Pass, Texas, so she must live somewhere in the area. The ranch he had inherited was near Stallion Pass. Maybe he could get this mystery woman to reveal her address.

“It’s a small Texas town near here.” He continued to turn the necklace in his hand, lightly brushing her throat with his knuckles. Each contact was electric, and he noticed that her voice had grown more breathless. He looked into her eyes and could feel the tension between them increase as the air sparked around them.

In a primitive, sexual way, she was responding to his light touches and his outrageous flirting.

“Do you know the legend of Stallion Pass?” she persisted.

“Something about a horse—I don’t know the specifics,” Boone said, remembering that his friend Jonah Whitewolf had received a white stallion when he got married. There was talk about the legend, but Boone hadn’t paid close attention at the time because he had little interest in horses or legends.

“The name comes from an old legend,” she explained, “where it was said that an Apache warrior fell in love with a U.S. cavalryman’s daughter and persuaded her to run off and marry him. On the night the warrior was to come get her, he was killed by cavalrymen. His ghost was said to be a white stallion that forever roams these parts searching for his lost love. And according to legend, if anyone catches the stallion and tames him, that person will find true love.”

“So that’s where the town gets its name?” Boone asked, gazing steadily into her eyes while she talked. Once again, they were mere inches apart across the narrow table. He was only partially listening to her because the rest of his attention was heating in a fiery attraction that all but made the air crackle between them. As she talked, her words became more breathless and her voice lower. Her gaze never wavered from his. His only contact with her was his fist holding her necklace, yet the longing to kiss her was multiplying exponentially.

“Right,” she replied, her words slowing. “There have been wild white stallions in these parts off and on through the years, so their presence has always fueled the legend.”

He ran his fingers over the cross. “So where does this cross come in?”

“The maiden was brokenhearted to learn of her warrior’s death. Instead of marrying a man selected by her father, she entered a convent. According to our family history, this was her necklace and it has been passed down through the years. We are supposed to be descended from her family. She had a brother who married and had children and the necklace was passed down in that manner.”

“Giving credence—somewhat—to the old legend.”

As she talked, he ran his fingers over the cross and felt an inscription on the back. He turned it over in his hand. And read, “Bryony.” He looked up in question, rubbing her jaw lightly with his knuckles while he continued to hold the cross in his hand.

“So your name isn’t Bryony?” he asked.

“No, it’s not. Bryony was her name.”

The waiter approached bearing their salads, and Boone leaned back, dropping her necklace and brushing his knuckles across her collarbone when he did so.

Over tossed green salads, Boone said, “You’re a Texan and maybe you live in Austin.”

When she gave him a mysterious smile, he knew he wasn’t going to get affirmation or denial. “You know this area if you’re familiar with Stallion Pass and you couldn’t get home because of storms. It’s clear to the north because I flew in from there, but they’ve had storms moving through from west to east, so I’m guessing you must live in Austin and have to spend tonight here.”

“And you’re from…?” she asked.

“Near Kansas City,” he replied, amused that she was trying to keep the conversation off herself. “I’ll guess you work in television, in front of the cameras in some manner,” he continued.

“You think so? This salad is delicious.”

“Yes. If you were a singer or movie star or famous model, I’d recognize you. It must be television. You’re far too pretty to be stuck back behind stacks of ledgers figuring out payrolls.”

“That’s ridiculous! You think I can’t do that? You think there aren’t some pretty bookkeepers out there?” she asked, her eyebrows arching while she sounded mildly indignant.

“There may be gorgeous bookkeepers out there, and I’m sure you could do whatever you set your mind to—I’ve already glimpsed you taking charge—I just don’t think that’s what you do. I think you’re in television. An anchorwoman, weatherperson. You do some kind of show.”

“You’re not ever going to know,” she said softly, leaning toward him with a twinkle in her eyes. “I will win our bet.”

His pulse jumped again because she was giving him another challenge.

“We’ll see. In the meantime, let’s see what you will tell me about yourself. Brothers or sisters?”

“One sister who is divorced and lives in California and is a bookkeeper and is very pretty.”

He grinned. “Okay, I walked into that one, but I said that there could be pretty bookkeepers, I just don’t think you’re one. Will you tell me her name?”

“Mary. Plain and simple. She’s an older sister. You’re probably an only child or the only male with sisters.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You look like a man accustomed to getting his way from early childhood. And especially getting his way with females.”

“Why would you think I’d get my way with females in particular?” he persisted, enjoying flirting with her.

“You know full well the effect you have most of the time on females.”

“Most of the time—that means this isn’t one of them.”

She shrugged, but the sparkle was still in her eyes, and he suspected she was enjoying the flirting more than she was willing to admit. “It’s interesting to eat with you tonight, and I’ve had a long, tedious day,” she said.

“Interesting. On a score of one to ten, I’d say ‘interesting’ is a five.”

“Interesting is fun. And a five is good,” she replied.

“Dang!” he exclaimed, mildly annoyed. “‘Fun’ and ‘good’ are not how I want to be known. Those are two bland descriptions if I ever heard any! I’ll have to remedy the way the evening is going.” A roll of thunder gave them both pause, and she looked out the window.

“Look at the rain!” she exclaimed. For the first time she sounded sincerely upset, and a slight frown creased her forehead. As rain drummed against the windows and water streamed down the glass in rivulets, Boone glanced at the swimming pool. Glittering bubbles popped up where raindrops hit.

“Sorry,” he said. “You’ll get home tomorrow morning, I’m sure. This will clear off and move on.”

She bit her lower lip, and he stared, wanting to feel her full lips against his, wanting to kiss her. Her attention swung back to him and she blinked, and he guessed that briefly, she had forgotten him. Few times in his life had he had women forget, ignore or rebuff him, and the unique experience was both a challenge and exasperating.

The waiter brought their steaks and hot, baked potatoes sprinkled with chives. Then he uncorked a bottle of red wine that Boone had ordered to go with the steaks and filled new glasses.

As they cut into the juicy meat, thunder rattled the windows and another flash of lightning tore across the sky.

“We’re getting a deluge,” she said, sounding concerned.

“It’ll pass and we’re warm and cozy, enjoying delicious steaks and an unforgettable evening.”

“It’s going to be unforgettable, all right.”

He reached over to take her hand, and her eyes flew wide as she looked at him.

“You can’t do anything about the rain, and it will go away. No Noah’s Ark needed here. Enjoy your dinner and let go of the worries. Let’s have another toast.” He released her hand and picked up his wineglass. “Here’s to sunshine in the morning and excitement tonight.”

She picked up her wine to sip. “I think I’m getting woozy from the wine.”

“The steak dinner will take away the effects of the wine. Enjoy yourself and forget the cares of the day.”

“I will.” She took a bite of steak, closing her eyes as she chewed and he stared. She was one of the sexiest women he had ever known. He barely knew her—not even knowing her name, much less her phone number—and as far as she was concerned, she was going to walk out of his life and never see him again. He had no intention of letting that happen.

“This is the best steak I’ve had in a long time,” she said. “I was famished. We had peanuts on the plane, but that doesn’t do it when you’ve missed lunch, and breakfast was orange juice and coffee.”

Another clap of thunder shook the panes and lightning flashed, giving a silvery brightness to the world outside. In seconds another brilliant flash crackled and then a loud bang came from outside. Inside the restaurant, the lights flickered and went off.

“Oh, my!” she said.

“It may be temporary,” Boone stated, digging in his pocket and pulling out a small flashlight. At the same time, she removed a small flashlight from her purse and switched it on. They looked at each other and laughed as they placed the flashlights on the table.

“So we think alike on some things,” Boone said. “We each carry flashlights for emergencies.”

“Even if it’s as dark as a cave, I’m eating this steak,” she declared.

“So am I. Here comes our waiter.”

The waiter approached with a candle in a hurricane glass and Boone noticed that other waiters were bringing out candles.

“This is just a temporary power outage,” the waiter said as he moved glasses and set the candle in the center of the table. “A transformer has blown, and they hope to restore power soon. Can I get you anything else?”

“We’re fine,” Boone said, watching the white-coated man refill their wineglasses. If she was getting any kind of buzz from drinking her wine, it wasn’t apparent to him. She was as guarded about her personal life as she had been when they sat down.

He touched the flashlights. “You’re a practical person.”

“Where were we when the storm interrupted the conversation?” she asked, once again moving the conversation away from herself.

“You said you thought I was an only child or had sisters. You’re half-right,” he replied. “I have sisters and brothers. There were nine of us.”

“Wow! I’ll bet you’re the oldest.”

“That’s right and now I know better than to pursue why you think that,” he replied. “If I guess your first name, would you tell me if I’m right?”

“Of course not! We have a bet that I would tell you, not that you’d guess. Remember? I want my chocolate bar. I’ll take it up to my room and curl up in bed with it and read and listen to the rain,” she said, sipping her red wine.

“I can think of some other things that would be more exciting to curl up in bed with than a chocolate bar and a book.”

“I’m sure you can. You’re not a big reader, then.”

“I like to read. I just like other things to curl up in bed with.”

“So what do you like to read?”

He named his favorite authors, and she nodded about some. As conversation shifted to books, he discovered how she spent a chunk of her time.

“Here comes our waiter again,” she said.

“We expect to have electricity soon,” the white-coated man said when he paused at their table. He had a sack in his hand and produced a bottle of white wine. “Compliments of the house. We’re sorry for any inconvenience tonight because of the lights.”

“Thanks,” Boone said when the waiter returned the bottle into the sack and set it on the table.

When they finished eating, Boone had the dinners put on his room bill in spite of her protests. They talked about books a few more minutes until he took her hand. “Let’s go to the lounge. I can hear music, and we can dance.”

She inhaled and he saw a flicker of eagerness in her eyes and he knew she was debating whether or not to accept his offer. Still holding her hand, he stood and pushed away his chair. “C’mon, mystery lady. A few dances will be a pleasure. You’re safe with me.”

“I think you’re the biggest danger I’ve encountered in a long, long time,” she said softly.

Two

“That’s progress,” her handsome escort replied. “Knowing I’m dangerous to you just moved me out of ‘fun’ and ‘good’ for the evening.”

Knowing she should say no yet unable to resist, Erin picked up her flashlight and purse and handed him his flashlight. When her fingers brushed his, she drew a sharp breath. The slightest contact with him tonight had been electric. He was irresistible and he knew it and she was certain he had left an abundance of broken hearts strewn in his past. With all her being she was trying to keep a wall between them because there was a volatile chemistry that had sparked to life the first moment she had looked into his blue eyes in the hotel elevator.

He was so incredibly handsome! All evening it had been an effort to keep from staring at him.

In the dark lounge, he led her to a corner table. The place was half filled and a few couples circled the dance floor. Two walls were dark paneling with hunting pictures, mirrors backed the bar and the fourth wall was French doors opening to a terrace. Each table had a candle, and the entire bar was in semidarkness, yet with the candlelight, the room held a cozy atmosphere.

She watched while her new acquaintance ordered glasses of white wine. Golden candlelight flickered over his well-shaped hands. Her gaze drifted up. The yellow candlelight highlighted his prominent cheekbones and threw the hollows of his cheeks into shadows. His sexy, thickly lashed bedroom eyes guaranteed easy conquests and his full lower lip hinted at sensuality.

When she looked at his thick, wavy brown hair that was neatly trimmed above the strong column of his neck, she knew she was openly staring, but he was the handsomest man she had ever known. Only she didn’t really know him and she was wary of his flirting. All her life the only men she had dated were men she had known as friends. She never had blind dates, had never had a flash encounter that resulted in something more.

A short-sleeved navy sport shirt revealed this man’s impressive muscles that indicated he either worked out daily or was into a job that took a lot of physical labor.

She already knew his broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist and trim hips. The sexy, charismatic man was dangerously appealing.

Unaccustomed to alcohol in any degree, she knew she should stop drinking wine, because she needed her wits to deal with such a heady combination of male sexuality and charm. And she suspected he was intent on seduction.

Her day had been dreadful. When she had flown into town, she had been exhausted and hungry only to be accosted in the hotel parking lot, adding to the miserable day. Encountering her dinner companion in the elevator with his cocky charm had made her smile and relax. All his talk about how gorgeous she was—she was certain he heaped the same compliments on any woman he dated. Still it was nice to be the object of those compliments.

She had wanted to get off the elevator and forget about him, but the man was too handsome to easily erase from memory. And in the elevator there had been sparks of attraction between them. She had felt it and she knew he did, but then, he probably experienced sparks with most of the females he encountered.

The moment she had stepped into the restaurant and spotted him across the room, her pulse had leaped.

Maybe it was the wine, but she felt exhilarated. All her tiredness and worries of the day had evaporated, and she had appeased hunger with a delicious steak dinner.

He stood and held out his hand. “Let’s dance.”

Taking his hand, tingles sizzling from that impersonal contact, she went with him to the dance floor, stepping into his arms and onto dangerous ground. Now she was in his arms, and every nerve in her body quivered. She could detect a tangy aftershave. Her thighs brushed his thighs. She was held lightly against him and she could feel the warmth of his body.

Giddy and breathless, she told herself it was the effects of the wine, but she knew it wasn’t. It was the man.

Dancing was paradise, and her partner was fascinating. How long since she had danced? She couldn’t remember. Probably last Christmas’s barn dance at the Kellogg ranch.

His arm tightened slightly, pulling her closer. They danced together with an ease that surprised her. At five-eight, she usually didn’t have to look up to men she was with, but she did now. He was well over six feet tall.

The next song was a fast number, and he swung into it without asking her. She danced around him, caught in the intensity of his blue-eyed gaze, knowing she enticed him just as he excited her. He caught her and spun her around, leaning over her, and for an instant they were frozen as she clung to him and gazed up into his eyes and saw the longing in their depths.

He swung her up, and they finished the dance and then began a slow dance.

“My head is spinning.”

“It’ll stop spinning with this music. Now it’s slow, deliberate, languid,” he drawled softly, his breath fanning her hair as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

She should push against him and step back to keep the dancing as impersonal as possible, but it was heaven to be held in his arms. She closed her eyes to enjoy herself without reservation. She was dancing with the most handsome, appealing man she had ever known. And the sexiest. She didn’t even know his name and they would soon part and never see each other again, but right now she was going to dance and enjoy another hour with him.

How long since she had been on a date and had experienced as much excitement? She knew the answer had to be calculated in years, not days or months. Which made her all the more vulnerable to the man’s magnetism.

He wanted to know her name, and instinctively she realized for her own well-being, she should keep a barrier between them. The wine had been a mistake because she knew her judgment had slipped or she wouldn’t be here, wrapped in his arms, slow dancing with him.

His arms tightened just a fraction, and they were barely moving now.

Why couldn’t one of the locals who wanted to date her have been like this? Excitement bubbled in her, and she kept telling herself to be careful, to resist this charmer whose name she didn’t know.

“I’ve thought of a list of names that might fit you—Laura, Emily, Katherine, Kate, Patricia,” he whispered, his warm breath tickling her ear.

“None of the above,” she answered, leaning away to look up at him. The moment their gazes locked, her heart thudded. He wanted her and he wasn’t hiding it.

“I’ll tell you my name,” he said quietly, and she put her fingers against his mouth to stop him.

“Don’t tell me,” she whispered, intending to be emphatic, but her voice wavered as he kissed her fingers. Her stomach clutched and desire became a low flame inside her.

She sucked in her breath. “No names—remember?”

“I remember and I intend to win our bet.” He took her hand in his again and pulled her close and they danced. She moved with him, her fingers on his shoulder.

“I intend to figure out your name and to take you out again,” he declared.

While her pulse skittered, she leaned away to look up at him. “You don’t know where I live.”

“The world is a small place, and I get around a lot.”

“I’ll bet you do.”

“And for you, a man would be willing to go to the ends of the earth.”

“For a date? I don’t think so.”

He danced to the French doors and opened a door. Outside on the terrace, water ran from downspouts and dripped from the eaves, but the rain had stopped.

“Where are you going?” she asked as cool, damp air enveloped her. When they danced through the door onto the terrace, she felt a light mist.

“Out here where we can be alone,” he said, still dancing with her and closing the door behind them. He waltzed into the shadows.

“I think we’re getting rained on,” she remarked.

“Have you ever been kissed in the rain?”

Her heart pounded as she shook her head. “No, I haven’t.” She met his gaze squarely. She should look away, move away, do a thousand other things besides stand in his arms, but his compelling eyes held her. When his gaze lowered to her mouth, she couldn’t get her breath.

His hand tangled in her hair while his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer against him. When he lowered his head, she closed her eyes, wrapping her arm around his neck and turning her mouth up to his.

His tongue touched hers, and then he kissed her deeply. She was hopelessly lost as he leaned over her. Standing on tiptoe and kissing him in return, she wrapped both arms around his neck.

Her heart thudded, drowning out all other sounds. Her world narrowed to his kiss, sensations streaking in her and building a heat low in her body. Stunned by passion and the stormy longing that swamped her, she moved her hips against him and felt his arousal press against her.

A fiery hunger raged, and she ran her fingers over his strong shoulders and slid her hands up to tangle her fingers in his thick hair. Never once in her life had she been swept beyond reason into passion as she was this night.

Lights exploded behind her closed eyelids while she was consumed by longing. What was probably nothing unusual to him was a once-in-a-lifetime happening with her.

His tongue stroked hers, fanning the flames already blazing. Suddenly he leaned away a fraction. With an effort she opened her eyes, and her heart missed beats. His blue eyes blazed with desire until she felt as if she could be devoured merely by a look.

“Who are you, darlin’? I want to know you. What’s your name?”

“Erin,” she replied breathlessly, knowing she was crossing a line. “What’s yours?”

“Boone Devlin,” he answered, leaning down to kiss her again.

As shocked as if ice water had been poured over her, Erin pushed against his chest and stared at him. “Boone Devlin!” she exclaimed.

“You act like you know me,” Boone said, not caring at the moment and tightening his arm around her waist while she pushed harder against his chest.

“You’re Boone Devlin!” she exclaimed again, her eyes widening while she stared at him as if he had just sprouted purple hair.

This time her amazement got through to him and Boone leaned away, frowning. “Yes, I am. Do we know each other? I don’t think we do,” he replied as fast as he asked the question. “I couldn’t have possibly forgotten meeting you.”

“No, we don’t know each other, but we’re going to. I’m Erin Frye.”

“Damn!” he breathed, in turn shocked to learn her identity. “Erin Frye, the manager of the Double T Ranch?” he asked as he stared at her.

She nodded. “You know, we’re getting wet out here, and the mist is thickening. Let’s talk inside.”

Stunned, Boone could only gape at her while all his preconceived notions and imaginings of a tough, older ranch woman shattered into oblivion. “You run the ranch?”

She nodded and held her hand palm upward to feel the rain. “It’s wet out here, Boone.”

He was totally stunned because she was absolutely nothing like he had imagined the manager of his ranch to be. The words the attorney had used to describe her spun through his memory: competent, tough, capable, experienced at ranching, knows horses, reliable, trustworthy. There hadn’t been one word about beauty, or being alluring or exciting.

“If you want to stand in the rain, you go ahead,” Erin said briskly. “I’m getting wet and I’m going in.” Turning, she headed into the hotel, and he came to his senses and caught up with her, taking her arm.

“Let’s adjourn to my suite and have coffee sent up and talk about this,” he said.

As she turned to look at him, he was certain that she was going to say no. “C’mon, Erin. We’re going to have to work together at the Double T, after all,” he urged.

She blinked as if she had never thought of such a possibility and then she nodded.

“Great,” he said, and motioned to a waiter. In minutes they were in the elevator, and Boone had the corked, complimentary bottle of wine in hand.

“I thought you were going to get coffee,” she said, eyeing the wine bottle. “I’ve had more wine tonight than I’ve had in the past two years.”

“We need to celebrate again,” he said, moving close, sliding his arm around her waist. He wanted her more than he could remember ever wanting a woman before. “Erin Frye,” he said in a low voice, and she took a deep breath as her eyelids fluttered.

“I still can’t believe that you’re Boone Devlin,” she whispered. She sounded breathless, and he could see desire in the depths of her green eyes. He leaned down to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

Erin turned her face up to his. Now he wasn’t a stranger. She knew some of his history. And it was impressive. His years in Special Forces and his daring rescue of John Frates. John Frates had spent hours telling her about the men who’d saved him and how special and capable and brave and intelligent they were. For over the past four years she had been hearing about Boone Devlin, so the man was no stranger. And her caution and resistance crumbled into nothing.

Oblivious of her surroundings, Erin returned his embrace, kissing him while her heart pounded and passion possessed her. Wanting his kisses with an urgency that shook her, she poured her desire into her kisses. She was dimly aware when he walked her backward out of the elevator while he continued to kiss her. She pushed away and looked around the empty hall. “Where are we?”

“Almost to my room,” he said. He took her arm and led her down the hall. Her head was spinning, she was breathless, hot, and wanting to be back in his arms.

He unlocked a door, pushed it open and led her inside, kicking the door shut behind him and pulling her into his arms while he set the wine on a nearby table.

As they kissed, he leaned back against the door. His hand slid over her, stroking her back, sliding down over her bottom and her hips.

She trembled with desire. Holding him, she wanted him desperately. She kissed him, pouring pent-up needs and brand-new longings into her kisses. Unfastening the buttons of his shirt, she caressed his bare chest, tangling her fingers in a thick mat of hair.

He made a growling sound deep in his throat, and she could feel his heart pounding. When he shrugged off his shirt and dropped it, her desire ratcheted another notch. His sculpted chest was muscled, tapering down to a washboard stomach, and the word awesome came into her mind.

While she was consumed by passion, she could see the effect she was having on him. From the first moment, knowing him had been magical. Now to discover he was someone she had been hearing about for years was like being with someone she had known a long time.

As she ran her fingers across his chest, she was only dimly aware of his fingers at the zipper of her dress. In seconds it was gone, falling to the floor with a swish around her ankles. Pushing away her lacy bra, his fingers caressed her breasts, and she moaned, shaking and overcome by his seductive caresses.

“Ah, Erin, you’re beautiful!” he whispered, bending down to take her nipple in his mouth. His tongue circled the taut bud while she tangled her fingers in his hair with one hand and tugged at his belt with the other.

His hands brushed hers and then his trousers fell around his ankles. He kicked off his shoes, peeled away his socks and stepped out of his trousers. He leaned away, discarding his shoes and socks while she ran her hands over his magnificent body.

The man was all hard muscle. She leaned forward to shower kisses over his chest and heard him inhale deeply.

Her head spun and she was on fire. While he kissed her, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. He put her on the mattress and moved over her to trail kisses on her breasts, to stroke and kiss her nipples, first one and then the other, and then he traced kisses lower. His hands caressed her legs, sliding between her thighs and touching her intimately.

Erin was drowning in his lovemaking, her pulse drumming out all other sounds, her closed eyelids shutting out awareness of anything except his hands and mouth on her. She tangled her fingers in his hair and wanted him with a need she had never known in her life.

His slightest caress and kiss drove her wild. While her head thrashed back and forth, she moaned softly, stroking him, wanting to give herself to him completely. He was incredibly special and what had happened between them was unique, something she never thought would happen.

Was she starry-eyed? In a dreamworld of fantasies? she asked herself. She didn’t care as she ran her hands over his strong shoulders. She glanced at him to see him leaning over her, his taut muscles taking her breath, and she closed her eyes again.

She clung to him as if he were the only solid thing in a world spinning crazily away. And even though they had just met for the first time tonight, he was no stranger. She knew myriad details about his past life. Knew what foods he liked and didn’t like, where he lived. She had seen pictures of him, but she hadn’t connected the pictures with the man because they had been photos taken at a distance, blurred, worn with time. They were pictures of a shaggy-haired man with a cap on. The cap was gone and the long shaggy hair was gone and he didn’t look as thin as he had in the pictures.

Boone wanted her with a hunger that was amazing, and she wanted him with a need that was staggering.

He touched her intimately, stroking her, driving her to oblivion, and then his tongue was on her, heightening all the need he had already built in her.

“Boone, please…” She whispered his name, her words fading away. She gasped, sitting up and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down while she kissed him. Then she took his shaft and slowly kissed him, feeling him tremble until he came up off the bed to wrap his arms around her so tightly it took her breath. He cradled her against his shoulder, kissing her and making her tremble.

“Love me. Love me now. This will be a night to remember.”

He leaned over her, laying her down on the bed again while he knelt between her legs.

“Are you protected, Erin?”

She shook her head and he stepped off the bed. When he did, she sat up and caught his arm. “Boone—”

“Just a minute,” he said, crossing the room to retrieve a packet from his flight bag. He returned and leaned over her to take her in his arms and kiss her.

When he moved between her legs, she stared at him, memorizing each detail about him while her heart pounded with eagerness. When she looked into his eyes, her breath caught.

Blatant desire burned in blue flames. She held out her arms and he came down into her embrace and then so slowly entered her.

“Boone! I want you!” she cried out, wrapping her long legs around him tightly.

“Ah, Erin, darlin’.” He moved slowly and withdrew and she gasped, arching against him and pulling him to her as he entered her again slowly and then he halted. “Erin!”

“Love me,” she whispered, pulling at his shoulders. He raised up slightly, startling her. She opened her eyes to look up at him and see a frown creasing his forehead.

“You’re a virgin!” When he started to scoot away, she held him, her arms tightening.

“Make love to me, now, Boone. I want you,” she cried fiercely, tugging him to her. She leaned up to kiss him, catching his lower lip gently in her teeth and then stroking his lips with her tongue before her tongue went into his mouth.

“Erin, you don’t know—”

“Yes, I do know!” she exclaimed. “I want you!” She pulled him down, kissing him as she held him tightly with her arms around his neck.

He entered her again and she felt the tightness, some pain, and she knew he was about to pull away again, but she clung to him. He entered her fully, filling her slowly, and in seconds urgency drove her to a wild rhythm with him.

“Boone!” she cried in a frenzy.

“Erin, darlin’.” He kissed her while they moved together, and then they crashed over a brink and stars exploded behind her closed eyelids as ecstasy enveloped her.

They gradually slowed, their pounding hearts returning to normal, their ragged breathing leveling out.

He kissed her and stroked her and finally rolled onto his side, keeping her with him. She opened her eyes to find him watching her.

“Boone, I think I’m in heaven.”

He tightened his arms around her and smiled at her before he pulled her close and kissed her gently. “You’re beautiful and wonderful and I can’t believe my fortune,” he whispered. He framed her face with his hand. “You were a virgin. I know I must have hurt you.”

“Not really,” she told him, caressing his cheek, feeling the short stubble.

Erin was still euphoric from their lovemaking.

He stroked her back while he showered her with light kisses, kissing her temple, her cheek, her throat. He brushed her tangled hair away from her face. “I want to hold you forever,” he whispered.

“I still can’t believe it’s you. I’ve heard about you for over four years now and I knew you were coming to the ranch sometime soon, but I didn’t know exactly when.”

“I called and left messages.”

“I haven’t been there to get them.”

She stroked his shoulder and his marvelous chest, leaning away slightly to look at him while she ran her fingers over his jaw, then down again across his chest.

“So you flew into town tonight?” she asked.

“This afternoon. I was with my friends the Remingtons and Whitewolfs.”

“I’ve heard about them. And I’ve met Mike Remington. They were in the military with you and were included in John’s will.”

“That’s right.”

“If you were with them in the afternoon—you already had dinner when you ate again with me.”

He grinned. “I wanted to eat with you.”

She rubbed his flat stomach. “Can’t tell you’ve had two dinners.”

“I’ve worked it off,” he said, and she smiled. “The Remingtons wanted me to stay with them tonight, but I came back to the hotel.”

“I’m glad. This never would have happened if you had stayed at their house. Or if it hadn’t rained, because I would have flown into town and gotten my car and driven home, but that’s why I’m in the hotel. Earlier tonight they had a gully washer and a bridge to the ranch is out.”

“I would have come to Texas sooner if I had known about you.”

She smiled at him as she stroked her hand over his hip and down his thigh. Something flickered in the depths of his eyes and he rolled away to stand, picking her up in his arms.

He carried her to the shower where he set her on her feet and turned on the water, watching her all the time. They soaped each other off, slowly, their gazes locked, and desire flared again in Erin and she knew he wanted her. He was hard, his shaft thick, ready for loving. She wound her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

He turned off the water and grabbed towels and they toweled each other dry and in minutes were kissing again. He carried her back to bed to pull her into his arms.

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore tonight. We’ll wait, darlin’. We can kiss and cuddle for now.”

“I didn’t know it could be like that,” she said as she snuggled into his embrace. He ran his fingers up and down her back.

“It can get better than this for you. Long, slow, loving, and it’ll be the best ever.”

As he held her with his fingers lightly tangled in her hair, he asked, “How did you get to be manager of the ranch? You’re young for that job.”

“Not so young. I’ve grown up around ranch work all my life.” She lay wrapped against him, her legs entangled with his, the sheet under her arms, and she gazed into his blue eyes. Bubbly, excited, she wanted to talk to him, to touch him, to kiss him. It was an effort to pay attention to his conversation, and she fought the temptation to pull him close and kiss him again. His fingers moved over her shoulder and down her arm, tingles dancing in their wake.

“I inherited my job,” she replied breathlessly. His light strokes that were casual were stirring desire. “My father was the manager, but he had poor health. My mother died when I was young.”

“I lost my dad when I was young—I was eleven,” Boone said. “How old were you when your mom died?”

“Fourteen and my sister, Mary, was sixteen.”

“It’s rough, but you survive because you have to.”

“Through the years my dad taught me how to do the things he did, so when I had to take over, it was gradual and I knew what I was doing.”

“And you like your work?”

“I love it. That ranch is my whole life. My family has worked for the Frates through generations—since the first Frates settled on the land.” She touched Boone’s chin lightly, gazing up at him. “Are you coming down here to try to make a lot of changes?”

“Right now, I want to see the place and how it works. You can help me with that.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed up at him.

He kissed her lightly on the temple. “You’re not at all what I imagined. I’m still amazed.”

“John thought the world of you and the other guys who rescued him,” she said.

“I’m still in shock over my inheritance. All three of us were stunned to learn we inherited fortunes from John Frates.”

“You saved his life when he was held hostage,” she said while Boone toyed with locks of her hair. She felt the faint tugs against her scalp.

“That was our job in Special Forces. We were just doing what we were supposed to do,” he said. “That’s the way all of us feel about it.”

“There were four of you, weren’t there?”

“Yes,” Boone said, his eyes getting a faraway look. “Colin Garrick. He was killed in another operation later. An exceptional man.”

“I’m sure all of you were exceptional men. Exceptional, delicious, sexy, confident,” she whispered, showering light kisses on his throat and shoulder and down on his chest.

His arms tightened around her, and he turned her face up to his, and she saw the desire that had rekindled in his eyes. He pulled her closer in his arms and kissed her, pushing her down on the bed and leaning over her.

She wound her arm around his neck and her other hand ran down his smooth, muscled back, down to his firm buttocks. She was still astounded she was in bed with him, being loved by him.

“Darlin’, I think you’ve demolished me,” he drawled in a sleepy voice.

She laughed softly. “I hope I have burned you to cinders.”

Smiling at her, he rolled onto his back, pulling her against him with one arm around her waist while he toyed with her hair with his other hand.

“Erin, darlin’, you’re wonderful,” he whispered.

She kissed his shoulder, and his arm tightened while his hand combed through her hair and then danced over her back to her buttocks, then down along her thigh.

“I guess you’re not too demolished,” she whispered when his arousal pressed against her.

“Yes, I am, but you’re fanning fires back to life,” he said in a husky voice, “but we’ll wait.”

He fell asleep in her arms and Erin’s lids soon closed and she was asleep.

Some time later, she woke and stirred, momentarily disoriented as she started to stretch and felt a warm body against her. The arm around her waist tightened, pulling her close. Her eyes flew wide as memory crashed over her.

Three

She shifted away to look down at the man beside her. Boone Devlin. Her face flushed, and she felt hot all over to remember the night and how she had willingly fallen into his arms and into his bed.

Why had she been so easy? As quickly as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. The man was sexy, seductive, irresistible.

She had never before been tempted like last night. Through high school, college and the years afterward—she was twenty-six years old and a virgin until Boone. What had been so magical and seductive about him? She knew the answers to that question. Each facet of the man bewitched her.

And she had had wine, something she was unaccustomed to, and at the time, something she didn’t think she was feeling. But looking back now, she knew the glasses of wine had had an effect on her.

If she hadn’t had a drop of wine, would she still have let him seduce her? She wriggled away enough to turn on her side, prop her head up and look down at him.

She had lost her virginity to Boone after being so careful for so many years. Why did he seem so special, his lovemaking so right? Was she sorry? She knew she wasn’t.

His thick lashes were feathered against his cheeks. He was definitely the most handsome man she had ever known. And from the first moment there had been a chemistry between them. She had not imagined the attraction. It had been mutual and no wine had been involved early in the evening.

His wavy brown hair was tangled, locks falling over his forehead, and she wanted to run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to kiss him, to wake him and make love again. At the same time, she was appalled that she had gone to bed with him the first night she had met him.

Then she remembered his remarks about marriage: never been married, not married, never will be. He had told her up front his feelings on commitment. She felt a little sick, yet at the same time, half of her wanted to lean down and kiss him awake and love him again.

When had she turned into this wanton sex-starved woman? But it wasn’t sex-starved per se. It involved totally the man beside her. Was there such a thing as love at first sight? She didn’t believe it and never had. That was the stuff of fairy tales, not real life and ordinary people.

Clamping her lips closed, she started to slip out of bed. His arm snaked out and wrapped around her, pulling her close against him, and he leaned over to kiss her.

She pushed against him. “Boone, wait—”

“Shh, darlin’,” he whispered in return. “C’mere. I need you,” he said softly, nuzzling her neck, and then he kissed her while she started to protest.

“Boone, let go,” she said, and scrambled out of bed, looking frantically for something to cover her nakedness. She yanked up a pillow and discovered he was on his side, his head propped on his hand, enjoying watching her. With lithe ease, he slid out of bed and reached for her.

She backed away. “You stay away from me, you devilish charmer.”

She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and she was struggling to control her own inclination to walk back into his arms. “Where are my clothes?” she snapped, telling herself that she should show some restraint. Her head was throbbing, and he was ignoring her, moving closer as she backed up.

He was naked, aroused, incredible. Male, virile, he was all hard muscles and she was having a difficult time with her protests.

“Come here, Erin,” he coaxed in a seductively low voice. “Come here, darlin’ and let’s kiss again.”

“You seduced me last night!”

“Might have, but as I recall, we both had a pretty great time.”

Trying to back up and at the same time keep him at arm’s length, she glanced over her shoulder to look for her discarded clothing.

“I’m a devilish charmer? You’ll turn my head, darlin’. I didn’t dream I had that effect on you.”

“You know darn good and well you had that effect on me and you’re laughing at me right now. I’m trying to do what I should and you’re not making it easier.” She glanced frantically over her shoulder and saw her clothes in a heap right beside the door. She looked back at him and he was even closer, reaching out to put his hand on her waist. She put one hand against his chest and held the pillow tightly against her with the other.

“I didn’t have my wits about me last night!” she exclaimed, wondering how long she could keep them now. Her pulse was racing, and he was impossibly enticing.

“And I took advantage of you? Is that what you’re accusing me of?”

“No! I know you didn’t take advantage of me,” she said, trying to back up and bumping a table, edging around it. “But I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I should have been.”

“And this means you’re filled with regrets today. Do you regret last night, darlin’?”

His blue eyes nailed her and even while she could see amusement dancing in his eyes, she knew he was halfway earnest with his question. “You know I can’t regret it, but I’m not doing it again!”

“Doing what again? Making hot, sexy love? Eating with me? Sleeping in my arms? Showering with me? What?”

“You think this whole thing is funny—”

“No, no!” he protested, suddenly looking solemn. “I’m as earnest about you and me as that sunshine outside. I know exactly what I want this morning, and there’s nothing comical about it.”

“You’re pursuing me,” she leveled at him.

“Damn straight there, sweetie. I am pursuing you and intend to continue to pursue you whatever you decide to do.”

Her pulse jumped with his answer even though she didn’t want it to.

She waved her hand at him. “Now, you stay right there and let me get my clothes and you just turn around. You don’t need to watch and embarrass me.”

“I would never dream of embarrassing you, not ever. But now to watch, darlin’, I’ll be drooling if I do that.”

“You’re going to stay there and nothing more!” she snapped, and reached down to scoop up her dress.

He moved closer, putting his fists against the door on either side of her and hemming her in. He stood only inches from her, and her heart was thudding loudly enough for him to hear. His hair was tangled over his forehead, he was totally naked and aroused, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him more than anything on earth, but common sense said not to do it.

She was clinging to her resistance the way she was clinging to the pillow in her arms, but she was doing better with the pillow. He was too close, his eyes too blue, his body too sexy.

“The most beautiful, feistiest redhead in the whole world is in my room and has spent the night in my arms,” he drawled in a lazy, husky voice that took her breath. Every nerve in her body tingled and she ached for him, heat making her feel she was standing in the middle of an inferno.

“You just step away and don’t start that seduction stuff,” she ordered in a breathless voice that sounded as firm as soup.

“Seduction stuff? Surely I have more finesse than that,” he replied in a low voice and brushed a kiss on her neck.

“You’re not doing what I asked.”

“That’s because I don’t think your whole heart is in that request to ask me to step away.”

“I know you’re laughing at me and I’ve been easy—”

“Darlin’, there is nothing about you that is easy, I promise you that one.” He was dusting kisses all along her throat and on her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear while one hand caressed her nape.

“Everything about me has been easy,” she whispered, knowing she was losing the battle.

“Believe me, it hasn’t. I want you to stay with me. C’mon, darlin’, stay with me now.” His hand slipped beneath the pillow to caress her breast, his thumb drawing circles on her nipple while he kissed her protests away.

Dimly she knew he pulled the pillow out of her arms and then he was holding her naked body pressed against his. He was warm, hard, ready.

She slipped one arm around his neck and capitulated totally, wanting him with all her being.

His kiss was devastating. She shouldn’t fall right into his arms and his bed, but, oh, what kisses!

She kissed him, clinging to him, pressed against his warm, nude body and held tightly in his arms. How long they kissed, she didn’t know, but finally she pushed slightly against his chest. “Boone, this is crazy. Last night I had wine and didn’t—”

“Shh,” he whispered, kissing her briefly and stopping her conversation. “The wine doesn’t matter. It didn’t have a thing to do with what’s between us. I’ll show you, darlin’.” He tightened his arm and kissed her while his other hand caressed her breast. She moaned, the sound caught in her throat, muffled by their kisses.

He leaned away. “I want you, Erin. And I want you to stay with me this morning if you will,” he said earnestly, and all amusement vanished from his expression, replaced by so much desire in his eyes that it took her breath.

Her heart thudded because she knew if she said no now and walked out, he would step back and let her go. She had to make a choice here. All her life she had known what she wanted and didn’t want. She knew now what she really wanted.

She didn’t want to walk away from this man who had turned her world topsy-turvy, the first man in her life to set her heart pounding. The best-looking man she had ever known, as well as the most exciting. He was silent, waiting, letting her make her choice.

She stood on tiptoe, tightened her arm around his neck and drew his head down to kiss him.

With their lips almost touching, she paused to whisper, “Someday I may regret this moment, but right now it seems perfect.”

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