that the unmarried female guests at their dude ranch provided a perfect short-term, no-strings-attached type of relationship. They arrived in groups of two or three and quickly made their availability known. As ranch guests they were there to have a good time and forget about the problems of everyday life. No one was looking for anything serious. It lasted for two or three weeks, everyone enjoyed themselves, then the guests returned to their homes and new guests arrived.
Danny flirted outrageously while Nick was more selective and usually more discreet, but each had no problem attracting feminine companionship. Danny called it the best of all possible worlds.
It always made Nick uncomfortable when his mother started talking about grandchildren, which meant she was really talking about his getting married. That was one responsibility he was definitely not ready to accept. And then, as if on cue, an image of Lexi Parker’s face popped into his mind...again. It was a situation that had repeated itself at least ten times in the past couple of hours.
There was no denying the fact that she had assaulted his senses in a way no other woman ever had. Everything about her . . . the shapely tanned legs, the way the soft fabric of her blouse caressed the curve of her breasts, the tilt of her head, the intelligence in her beautiful hazel eyes, her flawless skin, a throaty voice that sent tremors of longing through his body, a perfect mouth that absolutely begged to be kissed—
His mother’s voice intruded into his errant thoughts. “Isn’t it at about this point in the conversation when you decide you have some very urgent business that slipped your mind and then you hurry out of here?” There may have been teasing in her voice, but there was seriousness in her eyes.
The interruption was a welcome one, especially considering where those tempting images were taking him. He began to edge toward the door as he flashed his best “trust me” smile. “I don’t know where you get these crazy ideas.” He glanced at his watch. “Uh-oh. I didn’t realize it was so late. I have some paperwork to take care of.”
Nick headed down the hall, Lexi Parker continuing to invade his thoughts and linger in his mind. He had even gone so far as to check her reservation information. He knew she had arrived alone, but she had also requested a single cabin, which told him she was not expecting anyone to join her. He thought back to her mention of her sister, someone who had been a previous guest at the ranch. Why would she come alone rather than with a friend or even her sister? It piqued his curiosity, but then everything about Lexi Parker piqued his curiosity as well as heated his desires.
It had been quite a while since a woman made his blood race that hard and fast at first glance. He closed his eyes for a moment as he recalled the surge of electricity from her touch when they shook hands. This was definitely a woman he wanted to know—intimately know—as quickly as possible. Thoughts of Lexi Parker did more than just pique Nick’s curiosity. He could picture her long blond hair spread out across his pillow and that incredibly tempting mouth beckoning him to partake.
As he passed the door leading into the lobby he spotted Lexi entenng from the front of the building. She crossed the lobby toward the registration desk. He quickly stepped through the door to intercept her.
“Hello, Lexi.” He felt his breath quicken and his pulse begin to race. He flashed a sexy grin as he leaned against the counter, trying to appear casual even though it was far removed from the unsettled feeling that had a grip on him. “Are you getting situated okay? Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I was just turning in my activities sign-up sheet.”
“I’ll be happy to take care of that for you.” He took the sheet of paper from her and glanced over her selections. He managed to maintain an outer calm despite the way her nearness pulled on his senses and desires. She exerted a very disconcerting effect on him. He wanted to pull her into his arms, claim her delicious-looking mouth as his and whisk her away to his cabin for an afternoon of totally uninhibited passion.
He looked up, locking eye contact with her for a second before allowing his gaze to momentarily drop to the temptation of her slightly parted lips. “This is quite an energetic schedule you’ve set for yourself. Most of our guests like to kick back and relax for the first couple of days before throwing themselves into the more rigorous activities.”
He glanced at her list again. “I see you’re starting out first thing in the morning with our sunrise breakfast ride. In fact, you’ve signed up for it twice this week.” He arched one eyebrow in surprise. “And you’re going to try our calf-roping lessons in preparation for the guest rodeo?” He looked up at her, catching a fleeting glimpse of uncertainty in her eyes that quickly changed to something more standoffish. “We don’t have too many women who try their hand at calf roping. You must be quite the outdoors enthusiast.”
“Uh . . . well, yes. I do enjoy being outdoors.” Every activity led by Nick Clayton had gone on her sign-up sheet. She had to know more about him to determine the best way to confront him about his son—well, at least determine if Jimmy was his son. If Jimmy was his son? How had she allowed that doubt to become part of her thinking? She stiffened her resolve and tried to shove the uncertainties aside. She had to see this through to the conclusion.
But calf roping? A hint of trepidation shivered up her back. Did she really need to go that far? The last time she was on a horse had been during her freshman year of college. Things seemed to be turning into an endurance test and she wasn’t sure she had the stamina to last the entire three weeks. A groan tried to claw its way out of her throat. She hoped she would be able to physically survive the implementation of her plan.
The worst part was the nagging feeling that she had not signed up for all of Nick’s activities strictly to fulfill the task she had set for herself—that perhaps there was a more personal motive behind it. She was incredibly attracted to Nick Clayton and didn’t seem to have any control over it. It was more than just his sexy smile and handsome features. There was a strength about him, a confidence that reached out and touched her on a deeply emotional level.
A bit of a smile turned the corners of Lexi’s mouth as she slowly regained her composure and rallied a new determination. “I thought I’d go swimming this afternoon, soak up some sunshine and enjoy this beautiful scenery while breathing your nice, clean air.” She would show him that he could not work his charm on her that easily. It would take more than a handsome cowboy in a pair of tight jeans to turn her head and make her abandon her plans.
Was it false confidence on her part? Again, she was not sure exactly which part of her was in charge—the woman who was ready to fight tooth and nail to get little Jimmy what he rightly deserved or the woman who had never met anyone like Nick Clayton and hadn’t a clue how to break the spell he seemed to be casting over her.
She clenched her jaw in resolve. It had better be the first woman who was in charge because that other one didn’t stand a chance against this charming scoundrel.
Nick leaned slightly forward and lowered his voice to a sensual tone conveying the feeling that his words were meant for her ears only even though no one else was within earshot. “It appears that we’ll be spending a lot of time together since I’m in charge of the activities you’ve listed on your sheet.”
He extended a warm smile, very pleased at this interesting turn of events. It was as if fate had literally dropped her into his lap. It couldn’t have worked out better if she had purposely intended to spend as much time with him as possible—a prospect that sent a ripple of hope through his body and heightened his already heated desires. He reached out and brushed a wayward tendril of hair away from her cheek, allowing his fingertips to linger against her skin for a couple of seconds.
Then, as if his hand had a will of its own, he cupped her chin in his palm. He hesitated
