“Oh. My. God.” She was stunned at what had just happened and shocked that she’d allowed it to. “I can’t believe I just—I just climaxed like that.”
He gave a low laugh. “Darlin’, you have the most gorgeous and sensitive breasts. I could just eat you up.”
She sighed and relaxed fully against Kade, her bare nipples pressing against the roughness of his shirt. “You make me feel fireworks. I can even hear them.”
Kade gave a low laugh. “I’d like to take credit for that, honey, but it looks like it’s the Fourth of July fireworks you’re hearing.” Kelsey opened her eyes as sparkling red, white, and blue fireworks exploded above them, filling the dark sky with twinkling lights. They winked out one by one, like hundreds of fireflies blinking through leaves of the oak. Several more fireworks burst above them all at once in an even more brilliant display.
She shook her head and looked back at Kade. “Those aren’t the fireworks I’m talking about.”
He drew her closer. “Just say when, and I’ll give you all the fireworks you need.”
Kelsey’s nipples tingled as he hooked her bra, and it was hard to keep her voice from trembling with desire. “This is too fast for me. I can’t even believe I went this far with you.” She searched his features as he buttoned her blouse, but it was too hard to read his expression the way his Stetson shadowed his face. “You gave me an orgasm by just touching my breasts, for goodness sake.”
When her blouse was buttoned, he raised his head and she could clearly see his sexy smile illuminated by the brilliant fireworks. “And I loved every minute of it.” His expression grew serious as he continued, “Don’t be afraid of what’s happening between us, Kelsey.”
She stepped back and smoothed down her blouse, just for something to do with her hands. “I need to slow down, okay?”
Kade gave a nod. “All right. We’ll just take this one day at a time.” Kelsey sighed with relief mingled with regret that she couldn’t just let herself go. “Thanks, Kade.”
“Don’t thank me.” He moved so that his arm rested around her shoulders. He hugged her close as they started back across the park. “It’s going to be hell keeping my hands off you, sweetheart.”
Chapter 12
“Have lunch with me,” Kade said to Kelsey at breakfast. “After your interview with Dee Carter, we could meet at the Monroe Cafe.”
“Sounds like a wonderful idea.” Sadie spooned scrambled eggs onto her plate. “If I didn’t have to run errands in Tucson with Chuck and Trent, I’d drive to Dee’s with Kelsey and join you.”
Kelsey tried to hide the leap of excitement at the thought of spending time alone with Kade. “I probably won’t get back to Douglas until one.”
“Perfect.” Kade stood and grabbed his empty plate. “Need directions?”
“I’ll draw a map.” Sadie poured a glass of orange juice. “You get on to work.”
Kelsey couldn’t help watching Kade as he headed to the kitchen to slip his plate into the dishwasher and then leave for work. Had she made a mistake with what had happened last night?
For crying out loud, she actually came from a man suckling her breasts.
And not just any man. Kade Owen, the sexiest cowboy on earth, the man who had already lassoed her libido.
She must be out of her mind. Kelsey rubbed her forehead with her fingertips and tried to shove away memories of Kade’s kisses and the way he’d brought her to orgasm.
It was hopeless. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d held her, his earthy smell, his gentle touch, his sensual mouth.
After buttoning up her blouse last night, Kade had kept her close as they strolled back toward his family. Before they crossed the street Kelsey had pulled away, not ready for his family to see them together.
He’d simply given an earth-shattering, sexy smile that made her knees quiver, and she almost grabbed his hand to steady herself. She wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or glad that he hadn’t pressured her for more.
Who was she kidding? She could do nothing but think about the man and how somehow he’d managed to get so completely under her skin.
As Kelsey drove Sadie’s SUV to the Carter ranch, the twenty-five miles to Douglas scrolled by, the sky overcast with the threat of a monsoon storm. She glanced at the hand-drawn map on the seat beside her and checked to make sure she’d taken the right exit.
Every few miles she passed a white-and-green Border Patrol vehicle. When she drove through Douglas, it seemed like it increased to about once every minute. Her heart beat a little faster as she thought about Kade, knowing that he was somewhere in that town.
“Get your head back to business, Kelsey,” she muttered.
Another fifteen miles east of Douglas, Kelsey turned off on a dirt road leading to the ranch. She drove past the well-kept barbwire fence, over a cattle guard, and down the primitive dirt road that caused the SUV to rattle and shimmy every inch of the way.
Chuck had taught her some ranch terms the day before, so she actually knew what a cattle guard was. She even recognized the breed of cattle grazing on the northern pasture of the Carters’ ranch as Black Angus, the same breed as the few head Chuck still kept on the JL Star.
Unlike at the JL Star, only a few mesquite bushes dotted the Flying C’s expansive rangelands. Tawny mountains rose like earth- bound sentinels behind the sprawling ranch house, a stark contrast, to the endless yellow fields of grass at its feet.
After Kelsey parked, she jogged up the steps to a porch with four large rocking chairs. Before she could knock, a willowy brunette opened the front door, a golden retriever at her side. “You must be Kelsey, Trace’s friend.” She held out her hand. “I’m Dee Carter-Reynolds.”
“It’s great to meet you.” Kelsey smiled and shook Dee’s hand, noticing her strong grip. “Trace shared a lot with me about growing up here on your ranch.”
The woman gave a brilliant smile, and with her classic beauty, Kelsey could see that Dee must turn more than her fair share of heads. “Trace is in Texas with her husband, Jess, but she hopes to make it out to San Francisco to visit you.”
“That’s what she said.” Kelsey smiled as the dog nuzzled her hand. “I hope she can. It would be great to see her and to meet her husband.”
“Well, Apple certainly approves of you,” Dee said with a laugh as she looked at the dog.
“You’re beautiful, Apple.” Kelsey allowed the golden to sniff her hand, then she rubbed his head. She smiled at the unusual name for the dog and the fact that the name reminded her of the scent of Kade’s shampoo.
A man stepped through the front door, and Kelsey almost stumbled over Apple in surprise.
“Pardon,” John Stevens said around the toothpick in his mouth, touching the brim of his cowboy hat as he paused in front of her.
“No problem.” Kelsey smiled. “Are we still on for our interview?”
“Uh, yeah.” He turned to Dee. “Gotta be on my way, Dee. Thanks for letting me use the john.”
Dee smiled. “We’ll talk later, Bull,” she said as he headed down the steps, and he turned back just long enough to give a quick nod in acknowledgment.
“Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything,” Kelsey said as John Stevens climbed into his truck.
“Nah.” Dee winked at Kelsey. “Bull only stopped by for a minute. He’s off to the cattle auction, trying to rebuild his herd. Wanted to know if I’d like him to buy a few more cattle for our herd. Rustlers made away with a good number of them last fall.”
Kelsey raised her eyebrows. “Rustlers?”
“We weren’t hit nearly as hard as others.” Dee gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “The bastards are in jail now, so it’s old news.” Apple followed at Kelsey’s heels as Dee led her into the sunny in¬terior of the home and offered Kelsey a glass of ice water. She gladly accepted, taking a long draught to quench her thirst. She opened her laptop and booted it up at the kitchen table. After she adjusted the setting on her phone to record, she placed it on the table.
“So.” Dee folded her arms on the table and leaned toward Kelsey as if sharing a secret, her ivy-green eyes sparkling. “Tell me how you’re enjoying your stay with one of the most gorgeous eligible bachelors in these parts. In any parts, for that matter.”
The question came just as Kelsey took another drink of water. She choked and came close to spraying a mouthful of water all over her laptop and the lovely Mrs. Carter-Reynolds. For at least the millionth time, Kelsey cursed the flood of red rushing to her face.
“Ah. Kade has charmed you, too.” Dee grinned and sighed like a schoolgirl. “I had a crush on him from the time I was fourteen until I met Jake twelve years ago. No one would ever do for me again once I met Jake.”
Kelsey managed to keep her tone casual. “So, Kade turns on the charm for all women?”
“Nah.” Dee shook her head. “He was born with it. He doesn’t have to do anything but walk into a room and you can just see the women drool. Part of his charm is that he doesn’t even realize the effect he has on females.”
A perverse desire to know more about him rose up in Kelsey, even if it shattered her illusions. “A lot of guys would take advantage of that.”
With a little snort, Dee said, “Not Kade. I don’t think he’s dated more than a couple of women in the five years since his wife died.” Dee twirled a diamond wedding ring around her finger. “Sadie keeps thinking Kade will eventually find his soul mate.” She smiled. “He may be a grown man, but his mama can’t help but worry about him. She’s hoping Kade might be more than a little interested in you.”
“Yes. Well.” Kelsey’s face burned as she turned to her laptop and brought up the list of questions she’d prepared for the interview. “We’d better get started so that I don’t swallow up too much of your day.”
“Take your time.” Dee leaned over and scratched her dog behind his ears. “It’s another hour or so before Apple and I have to head off to feed the horses and check the stock tanks.”
“Thanks.” Kelsey glanced at the first question on her list. “Can you tell me how the traffic of illegal aliens affects ranchers?”
Dee ran her fingers through her dark hair and settled back in her chair. “In more ways than you might realize. Take Bull Stevens, for example. Illegals cut his fence and he lost thousands of dollars when his herd strayed through the fence and got into some bad feed and died.”
Frowning, Kelsey said, “No wonder he hasn’t looked pleased when I’ve mentioned talking to him about illegal immigrants.”
The rancher gave Kelsey a wry smile. “That’s putting it mildly.” Dee jerked her thumb toward the window. “Then there’s Alex Grand, who lives across the way from us. His loss has also been in the thousands.”
Kelsey cocked her head as she remembered the name. “It’s been some time, but I read an article in The New York Times that Mr. Grand is one of the vigilantes who took matters into his own hands.”
Dee nodded. “You might say that, though he’s really not the vigilante the papers have made him out to be. He just got tired of all the destruction to his property, as well as the drug traffic. So he set up sensors, started patrolling his own property, taking illegals into custody and calling the Border Patrol to escort them off his land.”
“You mentioned destruction,” Kelsey said. “What kind?”
“Like most ranchers around these parts, including the Flying C, Alex has had a lot of damage, with fences being cut in places the illegals passed through.” Dee sighed. “This is a bigger problem than you’d think. Not only will cattle cross from one rancher’s property to another, they could also end up in Mexico.”
Kelsey’s fingers flew over the laptop’s keyboard as she took notes, questions flying even faster through her mind. “What other damage has been done?”
“Alex and other ranchers have had problems with coyotes shooting holes in fifty-thousand-dollar water tanks, as well as cutting water lines, just for the sake of getting drinking water.” Dee clenched her jaw and shook her head. “What makes this even more frustrating is that they could find open stock tanks anywhere around here, every mile or so, where these people can drink without the coyotes destroying property.”
Kelsey checked the next question on her list. “Do you have illegals cross your property or come up to your home?”
“Dozens of them cross our rangeland every night, and we’ve had groups of thirty to forty camp out in the pasture.”
“Do you ever feel like you’re in danger?”
Dee tilted her head. “Well, for the most part, no. These tend to be people coming to the U.S. to make a better life, and earning more money than they could in Mexico. But I’ve heard a few stories that have made me uncomfortable.”
The rancher drummed her slender fingers on the table. “Now those coyotes are nasty. Real bad news. There’s one in particular whose name keeps coming up. His name is Gordo, and from what little I’ve heard, he’s a real SOB.”
“Gordo? That means ‘fat’ in Spanish, correct?”
“Yes.”
After Kelsey had interviewed Dee for a while longer, Apple bounded to the front door and back. He gave a low woof, nuzzled Dee’s hand, then trotted back to the door with an expectant look on his expressive face.
Dee laughed. “Time to feed the horses. Any more questions?”
“I’m set.” Kelsey shut down her laptop. “You’ve been terrific.”
“No problem. Call me if you have more questions, or send me an e-mail.” Dee gave Kelsey a business card, then walked her to the front door with Apple dancing at their heels.
As Kelsey turned to leave, Dee placed her hand on her arm. “I know it’s none of my business, but if Kade is interested in you, don’t let him slip through your fingers. He’s a good man. One in a million.”
Kelsey swallowed and attempted a smile. “Ah. Thanks.”
Chapter 13
Butterflies invaded Kelsey’s stomach while she drove down G Avenue, Douglas’s main street, to the Monroe Cafe. She parked the SUV in front of the row of buildings crammed side by side along the street. Gold letters announced the cafe’s name, along with the proclamation that it was the oldest restaurant in Douglas.
Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, Kelsey took a deep breath. It was only lunch with Kade, for goodness sake. Not a date.
Sheesh. She’d let the man give her an orgasm last night by sucking her nipples.
Then she saw him walking toward her on the sidewalk. His sexy smile. His walk, so fluid and powerful... No man should be allowed to be that gorgeous.
Lust. Pure and simple. She lusted after the man.
Another deep breath and then she grabbed her purse, got out of the SUV, and joined Kade where he waited in front of the cafe.
“Hello, darlin’.” Kade smiled down at her, his azure eyes caressing her with a glance. He didn’t even have to touch her, and she felt like she’d been kissed.
“Hi.” Her voice was breathless and she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
He opened the door to the cafe and motioned her in, his hand at her elbow. Delicious smells of barbeque and hot biscuits enveloped Kelsey as soon as she entered. It was a narrow room, one wall lined with floor-to-ceiling photos, posters, and playbills of Marilyn Monroe. The other wall was complete with a bar and glass-fronted display cases filled with pies and cakes.
They were silent as they waited for the host to seat them, but Kade’s nearness drove Kelsey wild. All she could think about was last night, his kisses, his body pressed against hers, the way his mouth felt on her, and his promise of fireworks. No doubt in her mind that he could give her that and more.
She was so deep in thought about him that she almost jumped out of her skin when the host spoke, asking where they would like to sit. Warmth crept up her neck as she realized Kade was watching her, and she wondered how obvious her expression had been.
When they were seated in a booth, they took a few moments to examine the menu. Kelsey chose grilled chicken, and Kade ordered barbequed
spareribs.
“How was your interview with Dee?” Kade asked when the waiter left.
Kelsey turned away from the picture of Marilyn that she’d been studying. “Dee’s terrific.”
“I’ve known her since I was a kid. We saw each other off and on at events around the county. She was into barrel racing and I was into calf roping.”
“You were into rodeo?”
He smiled. “I owe a lot to the junior rodeo circuit for helping me get through my shyness when I was a boy.”
“You? Shy?” Kelsey raised her eyebrows. “Never.”
With a shrug, Kade said, “Let’s just say that I could hardly look a person in the eye, but that club helped me to gain some confidence and believe in myself.”
Kelsey rested her elbow on the table, her chin on her palm. “You surprise me.”
“I’m full of ‘em.” He folded his arms and leaned forward. “Just try me.”
The waiter arrived with their drinks, saving Kelsey from yet another blush. She squeezed lemon into her iced tea and added a packet of artificial sweetener.
“That stuff’ll—”
“Kill me. I know.” Kelsey smiled and met his gaze. “You told me the same thing on the plane about my diet soda.”
By the look in his eyes, she was sure he was thinking about that first night they’d kissed. She still couldn’t believe she’d kissed a man the same night she met him. But, well, it had been Kade. In her heart, she knew that dinner and kiss would never have happened with any other man.
Kelsey rested her chin on her hand again, studying Kade’s handsome face and his brilliant blue eyes. “What was your childhood like?”
He shrugged. “Not much to tell. I grew up around here and had a pretty good time. My biological father took off when I was younger than Trent, so there were some tough years.”
Kelsey’s soul twisted at the thought of Kade, young and fatherless. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Kade smiled and squeezed her free hand. “He wasn’t much of a father. Mom met Chuck a couple of years later, and when I saw how happy he made her, I was all right with it. As far as I’m concerned, Chuck is my dad.”
Kade: Armed and Dangerous Page 11
