by Eve Gaddy
He took another chip but kept his attention on her. There was something heady about being the focus of a man’s attention, especially when she wasn’t delivering a workshop or class, or talking antiquities. She bet he knew it, too. She gave him a sideways glance and barely kept from sighing. Enjoy it but don’t believe it, she reminded herself. Everyone has an agenda.
“So, do you like it? Traveling?”
Did she like it? Funny, she’d never thought of it that way. Her work took her different places. That was her life. She hadn’t thought about whether she liked moving around since she was twelve. “I—I guess so.” She shrugged. “Traveling is necessary if you’re going to be an archaeologist.”
“Is it? How do the colleges keep teachers, then?”
“Oh, some archaeologists teach. A lot of people retire from the field and teach. But to make a name in archaeology you have to move around a lot.”
His hand curved around his beer bottle. Nice, strong hands, she’d noticed before. And she bet he was good with them, too. “Is that what you want to do? Make a name for yourself’?”
She blinked away her unruly thoughts. “It’s what I’m trained to do.”
He smiled. “You didn’t answer my question. Is that what you want? What you enjoy doing?”
Thankfully, their food arrived. Will let the subject drop, but it continued to bother Tessa. Rather, her own reaction bothered her. Why hadn’t she answered him? Why hadn’t she simply said of course she wanted to travel? Of course she enjoyed her work?
“Will? Will McClain? Oh, my God, I heard you were back in town.” Platinum blond, beautiful and dripping jewelry, Amanda Jennings stood beside their table, her gaze fixed on Will as if he was the ice cream topping her cake. Her tight red knit dress ended well above her knees and fit like she’d put it on with super-glue, showcasing opulent breasts. Tessa breathed an envious sigh, wishing she had the guts—and the body—to wear something like that. Amanda spared Tessa a quick glance, then ignored her.
“How could you come to town and not look me up?” Amanda asked, slick red lips moving into a pout.
Though he rose to his feet, Will didn’t look particularly interested, Tessa thought, pleased. “Amanda?”
Another pout. “Well, of course it’s me. Now you’ve hurt my feelings. I can’t believe you’ve forgotten me.”
He didn’t deny it, he simply smiled. “Amanda, have you met Tessa Lang?”
Glancing impatiently at Tessa, Amanda gestured vaguely. “Yes, I’m sure we’ve met. Nice to see you.” Her tone implied Get lost.
“Likewise,” Tessa said dryly. Her lips twitched and she caught Will watching her. Their gazes met and they both smiled.
She felt a shiver of pleasure—and surprise—at their silent communication.
Amanda talked for several more minutes before finally saying, “Well, I won’t keep you.” She put a hand on his tanned forearm, bare beneath his rolled-up shirt sleeve. Her long red nails glinted dangerously as she gazed into his eyes. “Call me, Will. We’ll talk about old times.” Her voice had dropped on the last two words, holding a husky promise. She trailed her fingers down his arm, smiling provocatively. “I took back my maiden name after my last divorce. I’m in the phone book.” She waved a hand sporting a large diamond and walked off, hips swaying seductively.
“Should I call a cab?” Tessa asked sweetly.
Will laughed and took his seat. “Very funny. No, I don’t think so.”
“That sounded like an open invitation to me. Are you sure you’re not . . . interested?”
“Oh, I’m interested.” He picked up her hand and turned it over, his gaze holding hers. “In you.”
Her stomach fluttered, her arm tingled all the way to her shoulder. “Um,” was the best she could manage.
His mouth lifted at the corners and he released her hand. “Now where were we?”
She could breathe again now that he wasn’t touching her. “If the looks Amanda is sending my way are any sign, I’m about to be roasted over a slow fire.”
“Forget Amanda.”
“She obviously hasn’t forgotten you.”
“That’s just her personality. It doesn’t mean anything.” He smiled cynically. “We went out a few times in high school.” His shoulder lifted, then fell. “Amanda always had a thing for the forbidden. Guys her daddy wouldn’t let in the front door.”
“And that would be you.” She could imagine him as a teenager. Those looks of his would have been irresistible. Just like they were now.
“That would be me,” he agreed.
“Her father didn’t like you?”
His mouth curved upward, into that half smile she found so intriguing. “Honey, Raymond Jennings hated the air I breathed. He wouldn’t have crossed the street to spit on me.”
She sensed a hurt behind the careless words and said the first thing she could think of to soothe him. “I’ve met the man. Ray Jennings is a pompous bore.”
He smiled at her, quick and blinding. “What do you say we move on to another topic?”
Happy to let the subject drop, she nodded agreement. “Okay. Tell me, do you like being a Texas Ranger?”
“It has its moments. Most of the time I enjoy it.”
“Like when you catch the bad guys,” she said.
A shadow darkened his eyes. “Yeah. But that isn’t always the way it plays out.”
He told her some stories then, sticking with the more humorous ones and cleaning them up, she suspected, especially when relaying conversations with suspects. They finished eating and he lounged back in his chair, long legs stretched before him. She leaned forward, arms on the table, and never noticed how fast the time slipped away.
A clatter of dishes made her look up. The place was empty of customers but for them. Shocked, she checked her watch. “I had no idea it was so late. I bet they’re ready to get rid of us.”
“I’ll get the check,” he said, and motioned a waiter over.
Carlita emerged from the kitchen, highly insulted that Will wanted to pay. After a prolonged argument, which neither seemed to be winning, he stuffed the money into her pocket, grabbed Tessa’s hand and walked out.
“You come back soon,” Carlita called. “And you, too, Tessa. Next time you don’t pay.”
“Not likely,” Will muttered.
“Why not? If she wants to—”
“They fed me enough times when I was a kid. It’s my turn now.”
“You always pay your debts, don’t you?” she said, struck by his adamancy.
He stopped and looked at her. His eyes were dark, edgy, a little frightening. “Yeah. Always.”
She had the distinct feeling he wasn’t referring to the Santiagos.
They drove home in companionable silence, sated by both the food and the company. She didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with useless chatter, and he didn’t speak, either. He walked her to her door, waiting while she unlocked it. Suddenly nervous, she turned and held out her hand. “I had a wonderful time. Thank you.”
He took her hand and held it in his, smiling down at her. “Is this a hint that you don’t want to kiss me good-night?”
Damn it, she was twenty-nine years old. Too old to be flustered at the prospect of a simple goodnight kiss. But then, she’d never kissed anyone like Will McClain before. She’d never known a man like him before. “No.”
“No, you don’t want to kiss me, or no, it’s not a hint?”
She frowned and tugged her hand loose from his to put one hand on his shoulder and the other on the back of his neck and pull his head down to hers. Empowered, she caught a glimpse of wickedly smiling eyes before their lips met.
Chapter Six
SHE TASTED SWEET. Sexy. And somehow, innocent, all rolled into one tidy little package. Though he wanted to deep
en the kiss, he let her set the pace. And was rewarded when her tongue shyly sought his, slipping into his mouth and withdrawing before coming back to meet his. His hand moved from her waist to stroke her back gently, edging her closer. The throaty little moan she gave notched the heat up even more, as did her arms tightening around his neck.
Regretfully he eased back, knowing if he didn’t, she was going to get a real good idea of exactly how much she affected him. And she didn’t seem the type to jump into bed with a man she’d known only a few days. Unfortunately.
Her soft sound of distress when he broke the kiss only made him want more. He pressed his lips to the pulse fluttering beneath her jaw and drank in her scent. Magnolias, he thought, like her voice. He raised his head and looked at her.
Her eyes opened slowly, her expression dazed.
Something wound around his ankles, brushing against his leg. It didn’t feel like a woman’s foot, not any he’d ever felt. He looked down to see a big blackand-white scarred cat insinuating its rangy body between them.
“Your cat wants your attention,” he said, smiling at her still unfocused gaze.
“I don’t—” Still dazed, she blinked again. “I don’t have a cat.”
Will released her and stepped back. The cat ignored him in favor of purring loudly and rubbing up against Tessa’s calves and ankles. “Tell that to him.”
“Oh, poor thing,” she said, bending down to rub between the feline’s scroungy ears. “He must be lost.”
“Yeah, permanently.” Now that Will got a better look at him, he pegged him for a stray. Battle scarred, his coat was dull obsidian and a white stripe ran down his back.
Her fingers stroking the white fur, Tessa frowned. “What’s this? It feels hard.”
No wonder the stripe looked odd. “Somebody decided to do a Pepe le Pew on him.”
“A what?”
“You know, the skunk in the cartoon. Somebody painted a stripe down his back.”
“That’s . . . that’ s horrible!”
Compared to some of the things Will had seen people do to each other, it seemed fairly mild. Still, he hated abuse, whether against humans or animals.
Tessa had crouched down and was running her hands over the critter, crooning to him.
“Watch out. If he’s hurt, he might scratch or bite. And something tells me he’s not up on his shots.”
She ignored him, which didn’t surprise Will a bit. Given the way she’d ripped into him at the ruined site, he’d already figured out she tended to charge ahead when she felt strongly about something. Finishing her inspection, she said, “Nothing seems to be broken. He’s awfully thin, though.”
“Life on the streets is tough.” He felt an unwelcome affinity with the animal. “The shelter won’t be open until Monday.”
“The shelter?” Her expression worried, she glanced up at him, then back to the cat. “I suppose that would be the logical thing to do with him.” She stroked his head gently as she spoke. His inner motor revved higher as he arched his back into her hand, begging her to continue her attention.
Will nearly smiled. He didn’t think the animal shelter would be getting a new resident come Monday. At least not this mangy feline. “Yeah. Logical.” He glanced at the cat, then back to Tessa. His lips twitched. “What are you going to call him?”
Her dimples appeared. “How did you know? Pepe, naturally.”
Now he did grin. “You’re a sucker.”
“I can’t help it.” Still petting the animal, she glanced up at Will. “Look at him. Who else would adopt him? If I take him to the shelter it’s the same as killing him myself.”
“No, it’s not,” Will stated positively. She had a good heart. He liked that about her. In fact, he liked a lot of things about her. Watching her comfort the animal, he felt a tug of envy. What would it be like to have someone care about him, be there for him when he was down? Like family. Will had lost the only family he’d ever had a long time ago. And the way things were going, it didn’t look like they’d be able to put that family back together anytime soon.
Tessa rose. “I’m keeping him.” She said it defiantly, as if expecting an attempt to talk her out of it.
He spread his hands. “No arguments from me. It’s your business. What about your landlady?”
“I’ll fix it with her. Somehow,” she muttered. “I guess I’d better take my new friend inside and see what I can find to feed him.” She scooped up the cat, glancing at Will again. “Thank you.”
The cat stared at him from the safety of her arms, his expression gloating. Eat your heart out, buddy, he seemed to be saying.
“Spend the day with me tomorrow,” Will said, not willing to be outdone by this pint-sized Romeo. “I thought I’d rent a boat and check out the lake. We could swim or just ride around if you’d rather.”
Tilting her head to one side, she considered him. “You move fast, don’t you?”
He smiled disarmingly. “You might not be in town that long.”
“You might not, either,” she countered.
He nodded agreement. “Right. So why waste time?”
She fixed him with a skeptical gaze. “I’m trying to figure out your angle here, but I can’t.”
“Why should I have an angle? I’d like to get to know you better.” A whole lot better, if he had his way. He asked himself why—what about her appealed to him so strongly? She was pretty, but that wasn’t it—or not all of it. Maybe it wasn’t so much Tessa as his own state of mind. He was tired of work being the only thing in his life. Not that he expected anything serious with Tessa, but he wouldn’t mind the distraction of being with a beautiful woman for however long he’d be in town.
“I intended to go to the site in the morning and plan how to proceed. The sooner I do that the sooner I can get started.”
“Good idea. No problem. We’ll go boating in the afternoon.”
“Does anyone ever tell you no?”
He smiled and stepped closer. “Sure.” But women rarely did. “So, how about it? Can I show you the lake?” She took her time, thinking his invitation over. Will wondered why she seemed so wary. Was it him? Or men in general?
“All right.” She gave him a reluctant smile. “But I’ll pass on the swimming. I’m not a very strong swimmer anyway, and the idea of actually getting in a lake . . .” She paused and shuddered. “Let’s just say that’s not an experience I’m anxious to have.”
“If you’d rather not go—”
“No, I’d like to. I’m not phobic or anything, I just don’t like to swim.”
“If you’re sure,” he said, trying to gauge how much of the truth she was telling him. “Then we’ll just ride around.”
She nodded. “After lunch, then?”
“Sounds good to me,” Will said. “Bubba’s dock, around one. You know it?”
“The convenience store on the lake. Yes, I know it.” She inserted her key and opened the door.
He stroked a finger down her cheek, lingering at her jawline. “Don’t forget the sunscreen.” He might have kissed her again, but the cat chose that moment to meow loudly and squirm in her arms, breaking the contact.
“See you tomorrow,” she said, and closed the door quickly behind her.
Will left, well satisfied with all but the last few minutes of the evening, when he’d found himself upstaged by a battered feline with shifty green eyes. His investigation might not be going as well as he’d like, but his personal life had definitely taken an upswing.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Will met Tessa at the dock while he gassed up the boat. Like him, she’d dressed for the hot, sultry day. She wore shorts and a long-sleeved white shirt, unbuttoned, layered over a pink tank top that should have clashed with her hair but didn’t. A wide-brimmed straw hat covered her head, a concession to the brutal Texas sun,
he knew. Again he thought of mint juleps on the veranda, rather than fossils in the dirt. She looked cool, beautiful and unapproachable. Until she smiled. Man, she had a dynamite smile. Warm, inviting . . . tempting. Especially nice, after the chill he’d gotten from Jed.
He’d run into Jed a little earlier, leaving Bubba’s store just as Will had entered. They’d spoken, but neither had made any effort to prolong the encounter. Guiltily Will recalled turning down Emmy’s invitation to dinner with Jed and Gwyn, Riley and herself. He’d wanted to go, but with Frannie’s investigation like a sword between them, he’d thought it better to keep his distance. It looked like Jed felt the same.
“I brought food,” Tessa said, holding out a plastic container. “Sandwiches. I never managed to eat.”
“Great. I’ll put it in with the water and soft drinks I brought.” He stretched out a hand to help her into the boat. “Have you been out on Caddo Lake before?”
“No, never. I’ve wanted to, but haven’t had the opportunity. This is a nice boat,” she said as she sat on the vinyl bench seat. “I had visions of one of those army-green, flat-bottomed things with a hand-guided motor.”
“I lucked into this,” Will said, patting the dashboard. The boat was a beauty, all right. An eighteen-foot Fiberglas, cranberry metal flake bass boat with a two-hundred-horsepower engine. He suspected it would really hum. “I’m staying at the Kit and Caboodle Cottages. I knew the owners when I was a kid, hung out there sometimes trying to score cookies. Mrs. Whitney made great chocolate chip cookies,” he added with a reminiscent grin. “Still does. Anyway, when they heard I wanted to rent a boat, they lent me theirs. They’re big bass fishermen.” Will started the engine.
“I remember when I first saw Caddo Lake,” Tessa said as they puttered into the channel. “With all these huge cypress trees and the Spanish moss, I thought I was in Louisiana.”
“Yeah, this part of Texas, particularly the lake, is a lot more like Louisiana than what people traditionally think of as Texas. And half the lake is in Louisiana.” Will enjoyed watching Tessa. She seemed fascinated with the scenery, turning her head from side to side as if afraid she’d miss something.
