swallowed the strawberry and licked his lips. Her eyes darted to his mouth and he wondered if seduction really could be this easy. No wonder Ethan always had a new woman. Still, this wasn’t Dane’s typical behavior. There was no going back now, though.
Not with the chemistry crackling between them even though he hadn’t even laid a finger on her. Damn...he wanted to get her into bed. Even though it wasn’t in the plan—even though it might ruin everything—the temptation was growing stronger with every passing moment. Something shifted, something he couldn’t quite place a finger on.
Lust. He hadn’t expected this strong of a pull. He hadn’t wanted a woman in so long. Well, he had natural urges, but to actually feel the desire and the ache...he couldn’t recall the last time. Granted, avoiding people in general probably contributed to his lack of sex life. But sex or getting close to anyone would open the door to questions he wasn’t ready to answer.
In the last several hours, Dane found he actually wanted to get closer to Stella. That could be the lack of sex in his life talking, though.
“I’m happy that the marriage didn’t happen,” he stated. “When I marry, I plan for it to be a one-time thing.”
He nearly laughed at that statement because he rarely left his ranch, let alone dated anyone. Dodging people and any social activity had been his new normal since leaving the army, deepening the seclusion that had started with the untimely death of his mother, when he’d opted to keep to himself instead of talk to anyone—even Ethan.
So, no. Marrying was certainly off the table because he’d never let anyone get that close to him. Besides the fear of abandonment again, he wouldn’t subject anyone to his nightmares.
“So you do want marriage?” she asked.
“Maybe. Eventually. I’m not in a hurry.”
He leaned his hip against the edge of the stainless steel and reached out to push her long inky hair over her slender shoulder. There was no reason for him to try to avoid touching her.
He also needed to get away from this topic because the last thing he wanted her to believe was that he was ready for some fictitious happily-ever-after. The attraction clearly had a place here and that’s what he’d hone in on. Any sort of romance had to be left behind.
“You’re staying for a week.” She smiled and every nerve ending sizzled at that tiny dimple nestled against the corner of her mouth. “Consider every upgrade and meal on the house.”
“I can’t do that.” He shook his head and laughed. “You’ve already settled the bill for my room. That’s more than enough for just helping out over a few hours, though no thanks were necessary.”
“Thanks was very necessary,” she countered. “Considering I’m riding a thin line and I have someone waiting for me to fail... Well, that’s a story for another time.”
“So there will be another time?” he asked, not pressuring her on the topic of her father.
Her eyes held his and her smile remained. “As much as I’d like to, I work what seems like thirty hours a day.”
“All the more reason to take a break.”
“Breaks could cost me everything,” she murmured as she glanced away. Then she adjusted her shoulders and returned her focus to him. “It’s late and I’m sure you’d like to get to your room and relax.”
Only if she came with him.
“I’d relax more if I had some bourbon. Pappy Van Winkle would do the trick, but that’s not an option right now,” he half joked. “What do you do to relax, Stella?”
Her lids fluttered just a second when he said her name. Good. He wanted her thrown off. He wanted her to be flustered and aroused, thrown off guard enough to let things slip.
“I don’t even know what relaxing is,” she stated, but he knew she wasn’t joking.
“Have a glass of wine with me.”
Stella raised a brow. “And what about breakfast prep?”
“I’ll finish up afterward,” he told her. “I’ve seen the list and once I get this in the fridge, the rest has to be done in the morning.”
“I can’t leave a stranger in my kitchen.”
Fair enough. “Then help me and we’ll get out of here and have that wine.”
When she started to shake her head, Dane reached out and gripped her chin with his thumb and forefinger, pulling her gaze directly to his. Those dark eyes held so much emotion. He wondered if she even knew that the pain and the worry inside them was projected to anyone who looked closely.
Had anyone ever looked? Was there someone who took the time to care how much she ran herself ragged? Sure as hell not her father...and Dane wasn’t volunteering for that position, either. But she deserved someone. People like Stella worked hard and had great aspirations, but they could get run over.
“Breaks can cost me everything, too,” he told her, needing her to know they really weren’t all that different, also silently warning himself that he needed to tread lightly for his own sanity. “But I’m willing to take the chance. Are you?”
What was she doing here? Stella had more pressing things to do than to stare at the seam of the closed private elevator doors leading to Dane Michaels’s penthouse suite...with a chilled bottle of prosecco in hand, no less.
Maybe she should’ve brought a nice cab instead? Or bourbon. Hadn’t he mentioned a bourbon earlier?
“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done,” she muttered.
What was she thinking? Just because one mysterious, sexy rancher sauntered in to rescue her, she got all excited and aroused and suddenly couldn’t control her desires.
She didn’t have time for desires or sexy attractions. Yet here she was heading straight toward both.
The faux wooden doors slid open with a soft whoosh. Stella immediately took in the fitted tee stretching across broad shoulders and well-worn jeans over narrow hips. Dane’s hair was wet, making it seem even darker than before. He’d shed the plaid shirt and, mercy’s sake, this rancher certainly did the whole hands-on thing. That body made it very clear that he didn’t just stay in some office writing checks for his employees.
Clearly Dane had freshened up while she still looked like the haggard mess she’d been since this morning. She should’ve at least changed, but she hadn’t even considered removing her dress and knee boots.
She’d been too busy arguing with herself over why she’d let this virtual stranger affect her so. Maybe she’d been smitten by his white knight routine, but she couldn’t just dismiss how ridiculously handsome he was, nor could she ignore how her entire body seemed to tingle with a rush of arousal whenever he got close.
There was something rough and rugged about him. When he’d mentioned a ranch...well, toss
