she knew he was purposely distracting her from the conversation he didn’t want to have, she let him. If he didn’t want to tell her about his relationship with his father, what right did she have to pry? After all, she was only the date he had bartered with her father for.
Plus, she really did feel exhausted and so nauseated that she really might throw up again. She hoped not. How embarrassing would that be?
“Honestly, I felt better until we walked into the kitchen. When I smelled the food I just...” She paused, realizing what she’d said and feeling horrible. “I didn’t mean that there was anything wrong with your mother’s cooking, just that—”
He grinned. “Relax, Ellie. I know what you meant and it’s okay.” He winked, then opened a door and stepped back for her to enter first.
Immediately on stepping into the room, she was overwhelmed with Ty. With his past and his present. There were all sorts of paraphernalia from his life scattered throughout the darkly masculine room. Obviously at some point his mother had thought the room needed updating to her grown son’s tastes, but she hadn’t been willing to let go of her little boy either.
“You used to compete in the rodeo?” she asked, walking up to a shelf that was filled with various trophies, plaques and photos of Ty on horses, of Ty roping a calf, of a teenage Ty sliding onto the back of a monstrous-looking cow. “I thought you said you were too tall.”
Although he’d paused on stepping into the room, his room, which he hadn’t been in for years, that crooked grin of his slid into place. “I’m a true, full-blooded Texan, darlin’. Of course I competed in the rodeo. Besides, I wasn’t always this tall.”
She gestured to the vast display of awards. “Looks like you were pretty good.”
His grin widened and mischief twinkled in his eyes. “Was there ever any doubt?”
She gave him a small smile. “Never. I bet you always won the cow-riding events.”
He burst out laughing, slid his hand around her waist and turned her toward the bed. “It’s bull riding, darlin’,” he corrected her. “Come on. You can check out all this stuff Mom keeps out later. Right now, I want you resting.”
He led her to the king-size bed that suddenly dominated the room. They both stopped, stood staring at it.
“You grew up sleeping in this giant bed?” Had her voice just broken?
He shook his head. “Early on Harry and I shared bunk beds. Later, when we went into rooms of our own, I got this furniture. Guess Mom expected us to keep growing.”
“She’s tiny, so your dad must be a giant of a man.”
“He is.”
Ty’s soft words twisted her heart, made her want to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly to her.
“You look exhausted, Ellie.”
She did feel worn out, which was unlike her. It was probably that she hadn’t slept well due to nerves the night before and the travel sickness on the plane had also taken its toll. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to climb into Ty’s bed so she stood, staring at the big bed.
“Here, let me.” He yanked the deep brown comforter back, then gently pushed her down onto the bed in a sitting position.
What he did next surprised her. More like stunned her.
He dropped to his knees, slipped her shoes off her feet and set them aside. His hands slid up her calves, massaged along the way, paused at her knees, leaning forward and kissing each one, then, over her skirt, up her thighs, her hips, to her waist.
He placed his palms against her upper arms and gently guided her backward. “Lie back, Ellie, and take a load off.”
She did, letting him pull the covers around her and tuck her in as if she were a small child, then he straightened, stood staring at her with an odd look in his eyes.
Suddenly she felt terribly alone in the big bed.
“Ty, hold me.”
His brows went together in a surprised V, but he kicked off his shoes and slid into the bed next to her.
He wrapped his arms around her, held her close to him in spoon fashion and dropped a kiss on her hair. “Now, close your eyes and be very still, Ellie, or else we’re going to have a problem.”
It only took her a second to realize what he meant. Giddiness bubbled up inside her. She twisted around to face him, stared into his beautiful eyes and couldn’t keep from smiling.
“You really find me attractive, don’t you?”
He gave her a quizzical look. “Why wouldn’t I find you attractive? You are a beautiful, amazing, sexy woman, Ellie. Any man would have to be blind not to find you attractive.” He slid his palm over the curve of her hip. “Of course a blind man would have to feel his way. Then he’d know how hot you were firsthand, too.”
Eleanor’s insides melted. Unable to stop herself, she stretched forward and closed the distance between their lips. Just a soft brushing of her lips against his. It was the first time they’d kissed since the night of the fund-raiser. Instantly, longing shot through her. Longing for the way she’d felt that night. Longing for the way she felt at this very moment, touching him.
“Now you’re just tempting fate,” he warned in a low voice. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
She blinked at him, not so innocently. “What if I don’t feel so very tired anymore?”
Amazingly, she didn’t. That was crazy, as moments before just holding her head up had almost required too much effort, but lying in Ty’s arms, kissing him, energized her, cured her finicky stomach.
His brow arched, a boyish grin on his face, his eyes twinkling with delight. “Darlin’, were you playing possum to get me into bed and take advantage of me?”
Her gaze not wavering from his, she shook her head and with great clarity knew exactly what she wanted. “No, but kiss me, Ty. Kiss me as if you mean it.”
His expression growing serious, his eyes darkened. “I do mean it, Ellie. When I kiss you, I mean every touch.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by his words or even what she’d meant by her request. Not until his lips touched hers.
Then she knew.
He kissed her softly and slowly, yet with an undercurrent of urgency that let her know he wanted more, that he struggled to keep from deepening the kiss. His hands ran over her body just as softly and slowly, as if she were a prize to be treasured.
That was how he made her feel, how he’d made her feel that night. Like she was the most important woman in the whole world to him. Like she was the only woman.
For now that was enough.
That was everything.
