admit I’m glad.”
“This isn’t going to work.”
How rigid his words sounded, as though he was holding himself in check, but finding it more and more difficult. “What isn’t?”
“You … being here.”
“Here? You didn’t have to come with me! I’ve already explained that I’m perfectly capable of finding my way—”
“CHIPS stock went up two dollars a share last week.”
Colby was leaping from one subject to the next. “That’s great,” she said cautiously. “I’m sure Rowdy’s thrilled.”
“You should be, too.”
“As a stockholder myself I am, but what’s that got to do with anything?”
“Houston is where you belong, with Rowdy Cassidy and all his millions.”
Rowdy had been telling her the same thing. Not in quite the same words, but he wanted her in Texas. With him. Not a day passed that he didn’t let her know how much he missed her. Rowdy wasn’t romantic; fancy words weren’t his forte. He was as straightforward as Valerie herself. He missed her, he said, missed the time they spent together and the discussions they’d shared. He hadn’t realized how much until she’d left.
“When are you going back?” Colby demanded.
Valerie understood that this was the whole purpose of their being alone together. This was the reason he’d fallen in with her father’s schemes and had walked in the orchard with her. He wanted her out of Orchard Valley and out of his life.
“Soon,” she promised, and her voice cracked with pain. The intensity of it took her by surprise; embarrassed, she increased her pace to a half trot, wanting to escape.
“Valerie.” His voice came from behind her.
“No, please … You’re right. I’ll—” She wasn’t allowed to finish her thought. Colby caught her by the upper arm and turned her to face him, bringing her into his warm embrace.
He took her wrists and placed them around his neck as though she were a rag doll, then circled her waist with his arms and brought her tight against him. Before she had a chance to catch her breath, his mouth was on hers.
Valerie felt as though she’d drown in the sheer ecstasy of being in his arms again. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It wasn’t supposed to feel so right, so good. His mouth was eager and she opened to him as naturally as a flower to the sun.
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