things he’d expected her to say. “Is that a prerequisite for tonight?”
“I didn’t mean to make you angry.”
“I’m not angry,” he said, gripping the steering wheel. “But it’s old news.”
“I’d still like to know. Please...”
He shrugged, wishing he had loosened his bow tie. “I was young and stupid. Leslie worked for my dad. She saw me as a meal ticket, I guess. Dad tried to warn me...suggested a prenup. But I refused. We’d been married for six months when Leslie cleaned out two of my bank accounts and skipped the country.”
“I am so sorry. You must have been devastated.”
“She didn’t break my heart, if that’s what you’re thinking. But she sure as hell damaged my pride and my self-respect.”
“Because you couldn’t see through her?”
“Yeah. I guess I wanted to believe I was irresistible.”
“You are, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not in the habit of having sleepovers with men I’ve known all of about ten minutes.”
In her voice he heard an echo of the same reservations that plagued him. He pulled up in front of her house and put the car in Park. “This isn’t the norm for me, either, Mellie. And I might point out that I offered you fifty grand as an investment, but you turned it down. So I’m hoping it’s my charm and wit that won you over.”
As an attempt at humor, it fell flat.
Mellie’s small white teeth worried her lower lip. “Maybe that was a ploy on my part to get you to trust me.”
“Go get your toothbrush,” he urged, his voice hoarse. “I can’t wait much longer.”
She stared at him, her hands plucking restlessly at the tiny ruffles on her skirt. Despite their current locale, she reminded him of a mermaid, luring a man into the deep.
“Is this a one-night stand, Case?”
“It’s not anything yet.” He sighed. “I can’t imagine letting you go after only one night.”
“But you agree that the two of us are temporary.”
His temper boiled over, exacerbated by lust and uncertainty. “Damn it, Mellie. Do you want this or not?”
She swallowed, and he saw her chest rise and fall. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
Twelve minutes and thirty-seven seconds. That was how long it took. When he saw the door to her house open, he jumped out of the car and met her, taking the small overnight bag and tossing it in the trunk.
She was still wearing her mermaid gown, which was a good thing, because he had fantasies of all the ways he wanted to peel the silky fabric away from her creamy-skinned body. He helped her into the car, waited until she tucked her skirt inside and closed the door.
The drive out to the ranch was silent. The miles ticked by rapidly. His brain was a jumble of wants and needs and more angst than was warranted in advance of a simple sexual encounter.
When he pulled up in front of his house, he realized he’d forgotten to leave a single light on. Through the windshield, he saw the night sky punctuated with a million stars. One of the many things he loved about living in Texas was the immensity of the universe overhead.
Every male instinct he possessed urged him to drag Mellie up the stairs and into his bed ASAP. But he wanted to woo her, to win her trust, to make her comfortable with him.
“Can you walk in those shoes?” he asked.
She nodded. “As long as we’re not talking a marathon.”
“I want to show you something.”
Once they were out of the car, he took her hand in his and led her toward the small corral to the left of the house. Though it was often empty, tonight a single horse stood sentinel.
“This is Misty,” he said. “I bought her recently. I thought you and I might ride together sometime.”
The small mare whinnied and cantered toward them, her tale swishing in the cool night air.
Mellie leaned on the fence rail, her expression animated. “She’s beautiful. But I don’t know how to ride.”
Case raised an eyebrow. “A Texas woman who can’t handle a horse? Shame on you.” He lifted her by the waist and set her on the railing. Her skirt fluttered around his arms like a swarm of butterflies. “I’d love to teach you...if you’re willing.”
His guest’s smile was demure. “I’m sure you could teach me all sorts of things.”
And just like that, he reached his limit. Moving between her legs, he dragged her head down for a kiss. Hot and hard and deep. The mare lost interest and wandered away. Case lost his head and wandered into dangerous territory.
Mellie in the shimmer of the moonlight was just about the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Her hair was more pale gold than red in this moment. And her skin glowed like pearls.
“Inside,” he groaned. “Where there’s a bed.”
Her husky laugh inflamed him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
As he lifted her down from her perch, he couldn’t bear to let her go. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the stairs that led to the porch.
Mellie curled one arm around his neck. He smelled her, felt her, tasted her on his tongue. Everything about the night turned mystical and enchanting. And he’d never once seen himself as a whimsical man.
He caught his toe on the second step and nearly sent them both to disaster. But he managed to find his balance. “Sorry,” he muttered.
She put a hand on his cheek, her fingertips cool against his hot skin. “I’m not complaining. This is my very first experience with being swept off my feet. I think you’re doing just fine.”
Managing the final few stairs with only a little hitch in his breathing, he set her down long enough to fish the house key out of his pocket. “Fine is a sucky adjective.”
He pulled her into the house and flipped the lock, backing his lovely guest up against the barrier that separated them from the outside world. Taking one of her delicate wrists in each of his big hands, he raised her arms over her head and pinned her to the door. “I don’t know where to start,” he said, utterly serious. “I’ve dreamed about you every night for a week.”
“I hope the reality isn’t a disappointment. I haven’t done this in a very long time.”
His lips quirked. “I’m told it’s like riding a bike.”
“Or a big, strong cowboy?” The deliberately naughty challenge nearly broke him.
“It’s a long night,” he said. “I don’t want us to peak too early.”
“Peak?
