A Lone Star Romance: Book 2 in The Only Love Series

by Violet Sparks

  "Hey," he said, placing his hand on her head. "Come back over here. I'll behave. I promise."

  She looked him straight in the eye. Some fire still burned there, giving off dark sparks, but he'd calmed down, and so had she. Kiki inched towards him, and he draped his arm over her shoulders like before. She leaned against his hard frame and tried to calm down and relax.

  "Did he hurt you?" he said in a low tone.

  His deep speech rumbled through her. If he had any idea what affect that masculine voice had on her, she'd be a goner.

  "I guess so. I thought he might be the one. In the end, he chose his career over me. Didn't seem like a hard decision for him either," she confessed, a quiver in her voice.

  "The man's a fool, Beatrice," he said, giving her a squeeze.

  "You can call me Kiki, and he's not a fool. Quite the opposite, in fact. He's my best friend's brother, Naval Academy graduate and officer in the U.S. Navy."

  "Well, if you think you’re the only one who's had their heart broken, guess again," he said, his tone acrid.

  "You? Someone broke your heart, Noble?"

  "Yeah. The girl I planned to marry, the one promised to me, up and chose my brother when I inherited the Bar H. Didn't want to live Home On the Range, if you get my drift."

  "You have a brother?"

  "I've got two brothers. I'm the middle kid."

  "I'm sorry, Noble. That's not right. I mean, what your brother did." Kiki finished her sentence with a yawn.

  "No, it wasn't. You're an only child, I'd bet," he said, changing the subject.

  "Yes, I am."

  "A real daddy's girl, aren't you?"

  She couldn't interpret his tone and didn't want to look at him for fear of a repetition of the kissing. She was getting sleepy and didn’t know if she could pull away from him again.

  "Proud of it. How'd you guess?"

  "That luggage of yours. Just seemed like something your daddy bought for you."

  "That, and lots of other things." She felt defensive, so she decided to go on the offensive. "There's the condo on the beach in Santa Monica. Of course, it's got a mountain view and not an ocean view, but still it's a great place to live. Then there's my car. My wardrobe. Oh, and a nice diamond ring, flawless, four carats, that I keep in a safety deposit box."

  He didn't say a word, so she continued, "By the way, you weren't very nice at the airport. How was I to know you were injured? You shouldn't have lifted those bags with your bad ribs. I'm sure there must have been a porter around or someone who could have helped." Kiki yawned again.

  "Little Lady, that may be how men do things in Los An-gel-ees, but it's not what we do in Texas! Besides, it was worth it to see your bottom swinging from the back of my truck."

  "Hmmm," she replied, too tired to comment on his statement.

  Chapter 7

  -The Morning and Days After-

  Kiki awoke on the sofa, the last of the logs still smoldering in the fireplace. She opened her eyes, not knowing where she was at first. She tucked a warm blanket under her chin and turned her face into a soft pillow.

  Huh?

  She sat bolt upright, looking around the room. Harden was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn't help feeling disappointed. She didn't remember him leaving, but he must have left her with the blanket and pillow. They weren't here last night.

  Last night. She put a hand to her lips, remembering how he'd kissed her, how he'd held her most of the evening, and how he'd rescued her from the shed. She might have frozen to death out there. Her stomach rumbled just as Peg let herself in the front door.

  "Thank the good Lord ya was all right, Miss Kiki!" the girl exclaimed. "We was so worried up at the big house. We never got the signal that ya was okay, so we stayed up all night waiting and fussing."

  Peggy rushed into the great room, setting her tray on the kitchen counter. Kiki noticed her heavy coat and snow boots.

  "I'm sorry, Peg. I never got the message from No . . . I mean, Mr. Harden, that I needed to quit early and come to the house."

  "He insisted he be the one to come after ya. Said something about never forgiving himself should anything happen to ya. We found out this morning that his rope got knotted up and wouldn't reach the house."

  "What rope?"

  "Oh, ya see, in a blizzard, ranchers attach a rope to the house and tie the other end to themselves. In case they get lost in the snow, they can find their way back to the house. Once they reach their destination, they tie the other end of the line up there. That way, they can use the cord to travel back and forth during the storm. The boss had a rope tied to the porch that should have reached this house. He was to tug twice when he got here, then go on to the shed and get ya, if necessary. At that point, he was gonna tug three times to let us know everything was all right. But the rope got tangled and he never reached this house. He tugged on it twice, so the boys would think he was safe and not risk themselves trying to help. He removed the cable and went on without it. It was brave of him. Stupid too. When we heard the story this morning . . . well, all I can say is, talk says the boss is pretty sweet on ya, Miss Kiki." Peg poured the information out in one long, frantic stream.

  "Where's the boss now?" she asked.

  "He went out with the hands after breakfast. The storm's over, but water's froze and the cattle need to drink."

  Kiki caught a whiff of bacon.

  "Say, is that breakfast over there on that tray?"

  "Yes, let me get it."

  The housekeeper jumped up and was back in a flash with a plate heaped high with pancakes, sausage, bacon, and fresh orange slices. A thermos filled with piping hot coffee completed the meal.

  She tucked in while noticing the snowy vista out the large windows. The countryside had certainly been transformed into a land of powdery white crystals, snow drifts, and ice. The latter, coating plants, rocks, and anything visible above the snow level, intensified the natural colors of the landscape. Deep purples, greens, and even shades of orange and blue enhanced the dramatic view.

  "Boss says you're not to work today. Says ya gotta stay put and recuperate from your ordeal."

  "Hey, no arguments here. Besides, I misplaced my coat in the storm."

  * * * * *

  Two days of sunshine and a steady rise in temperature meant that most of the snow had melted and things returned to normal. Mud caused some problems, but other than that, cowhands scurried about their duties, Nash looked in on Kiki, and the art expert went back to the shed. Harden made himself scarce, hurting her feelings. Obviously, he was only trying to take advantage of their situation the other night. Almost a week had passed, and she had not laid eyes on the handsome cowboy except in her dreams.

  She knew it was foolish to waste her time thinking about Noble Harden. She did take a fancy to his name, though, and repeated it often to herself. She wasn't suited to ranch life or a rough cowboy. Her parents hoped she'd marry a doctor, attorney, or successful Asian businessman. They'd never approve of a hardscrabble rancher from Texas. Besides, she was a real fish out of water there. The way she'd ignored the blizzard proved that.

  At least she had something to look forward to. In two weeks, she'd fly back to LA for Katrina's bridal shower. Her mother planned on attending, so they'd get to spend some time together. A month later, she'd be there again for the wedding. She was the maid of honor, after all. Would James be there? A twitch of pain hit her stomach every time she thought of him. The good news was that both her parents were flying in from Hawaii for the big day. She hadn't seen her dad in six months and couldn't wait to catch up.

  Kiki had a close relationship with both her parents. Years ago, her father secured a petrol license in the islands. That meant all the gasoline and motor oil went through his company on the way to a large portion of the service stations in Hawaii. It was a lucrative business, so money had never been a worry. Harden had correctly labeled her a Daddy's Girl, but what was wrong with that? She guessed his Promised One must have had a similar relationship wi
th her father. The cowboy had some serious baggage, and no matter how attractive he was, she didn't plan on being his bounce back fling.

  She'd sent pictures of the four newly cleaned bowls to Mr. Jen. Most evenings, she'd been up at the business office, scouring the internet for clues as to their composition, age, and use. She thought she'd hit on something and wanted to get her boss's opinion. Still in Hong Kong, he had not answered her yet. Also, there'd been no word on a replacement for Alfred Shen.

  By the time Saturday rolled around, she had moved on to focusing on the jade pieces in the collection. By working on the weekends, she could justify taking off for the shower. She'd cleared the vacation days before assigned to this job, but she didn't want her client complaining to Jen that she wasn't cutting the mustard.

  She spent the day working on a large vase, carved from a single piece of white jade. The creator had mimicked an earlier bronze design, which made the item most intriguing. The design mimicked Lei Wen designs found on ancient vessels. Carved near the top, a menacing mask, called a tal te, stared at her as she employed her toothbrush, cleaning its surface. Her textbooks called these type of pieces Archaistic Jade Vases. So, that's what she tagged the item and recorded in the catalogue. It had a Hu shape—a small, rectangular base with a body curving out near the top and tapering to an opening the same size and shape as its bottom. A handle flanked each side of the container, and rings, carved from the same solid piece of gemstone as the rest, hung from these rectangular knobs. A highly skilled artisan made this heavy urn. She imagined it filled with flowers, placed on a credenza in some New York City apartment. What a shame this collection, amassed over so many years, would be split up and sold.

  Kiki's stomach rumbled, reminding her she'd skipped lunch. Ever since the blizzard, Peg delivered breakfast to her lodgings and she'd been spared the early morning trip to the big house. The boss man didn't want her around, she guessed. The housekeeper managed to keep her up to date on any ranch gossip. This morning, the young girl revealed that she had an impending date with Billy Young. The cowhand had asked her to the movies in Amarillo. The consultant relived their conversation as she climbed the stairs to the ranch's business office. She planned to check her emails and then grab some food.

  "What should I wear?" Peg had asked in a panic.

  Rummaging through her closet, Kiki pulled out a floral blouse with a scooped, ruffled neckline. Meant to accompany one of the consultant's suits, the top would look alluring tucked into the girl's new jeans. Peg's eyes brightened.

  "Are ya sure ya want to lend me that? It looks expansive," she said, gingerly fingering the garment's long, wispy sleeve.

  "You mean expensive, and I'm positive. You'll look lovely. Just be sure you're not wearing your coat when he picks you up. Give him an eyeful right off the bat, Peg. Then, when you get inside the theater, take your outer winter garb off again. Got it?"

  The girl nodded. They both set to giggling and didn't quit for several minutes. The young housekeeper left Kiki's bungalow glowing.

  She wondered if the couple had left for Amarillo yet when she turned the knob on the business shed's door. The glow of a small fire greeted her inside. She flipped on a light and admired the flames burning in the corner fireplace. Then, she got the computer humming and settled in at a desk.

  Several emails from Mr. Jen waited in her inbox. The first contained a one word message: Rhino. She wondered what that could mean and figured it was a typo. The next lengthy missive informed her of his upcoming itinerary. Buried within the text were cryptic messages regarding the bowls and an instruction to refer to his other note.

  Did he mean Rhino?

  A short memo congratulated her on her good work, stating that since she seemed to be handling the situation so well, no other consultant would be joining her. The client seemed particularly pleased with her capabilities, Jen claimed, adding a bright yellow happy face emoji at the end of his message, along with an animated pink good luck cat, waving a tiny paw. Kiki shook her head in disbelief at the cartoons and Jen's idea that Harden admired her skills. Another language barrier issue, she thought. At least this one was in her favor.

  "What are you doing up here at this hour?"

  The voice just behind her ear gave her a jump, and she hit her head hard on the cowboy's jaw on her way up.

  "Don't do that!" she yelled. "You scared me to death," she added in a calmer tone, now standing and facing the man.

  Harden pulled up to his full height and rubbed his mandible, jutting it from side to side.

  "That's some hard skull you've got there, Little Lady," he complained, then flashed her a wicked grin.

  His imposing presence, so close to her in the small space, set every nerve ending in her body tingling.

  "I . . . I didn’t hear you come in," she explained, fumbling over her words.

  "That's because I was here when you arrived." He jerked his thumb towards the back of a large wing chair.

  The seat faced away from the desk she used, towards another at the rear of the shed. If he had his feet up or had slouched, she wouldn't have been able to see the man when she entered the office.

  "Well, you should have announced yourself. That would have been the polite thing to do. You know, like, Hey, Kiki, good to see you."

  As she spoke, Harden allowed his eyes a slow roam up and down before settling his gaze on her lips. She felt hot all over as a blush crept up her neck.

  "Good to see you, all right," he rumbled in the low tone that nearly drove her mad.

  Her thoughts instantly returned to the evening they spent together on the sofa, and for a moment, she wished he'd kiss her again. It seemed the most natural thing in the world. He dipped his head, but before her wish could come true, she remembered how he'd ignored her all week.

  Oh, no. Not playing those junior high games.

  Kiki turned back to the computer and plopped in the chair facing the machine. She could feel his eyes burning holes through her from behind.

  "I see you've heard from your boss. What's he got to say?"

  "Not much. He's just under the mistaken idea that you're pleased with my work," she said, clicking open the next email from Mr. Jen.

  "He's not confused. I told him how happy I am with you," the cowboy whispered in a low, husky tone, again next to her ear.

  A hair closer, and his lips would graze her lobe. Kiki began to melt. The way he said happy with you made her want to swoon.

  Did he mean something by that?

  When she felt his breath on her neck, it sent electricity from her head to her toes. She dug her nails into the leather arm rests on her office chair, holding on for dear life. The man was dangerous. Even James didn't cause this kind of reaction in her. The scent of hay, spices, and animal hide swirled around her while she inhaled a deep breath, enjoying his masculine scent.

  No harm in that, surely.

  She concentrated on the note from Tsang's top dog. It read, Keep quiet about bowls until we verify.

  "What bowls?" he asked, his breath tingling up and down her neck, shooting tiny arrows of pleasure through her body. She could imagine his lips on her nape.

  "Noble, it's not very noble to read a private message over someone's shoulder," she chided.

  She felt his hands on the back of her chair before he spun the seat around. In a flash, she'd come face to face with the cowboy.

  "Got any dinner plans?" he asked, holding her gaze, bent at the waist.

  Close enough to get a good look at the blue and gold flecks in his eyes, Kiki bit her lower lip.

  "Uh, I'm just going to grab something from the refrigerator," she said, casting a glance towards the fireplace. She couldn't sustain eye contact with him at this tight range.

  "Finish up and I'll cook for you. The work day was over long ago," he announced, settling into a chair near the fire and stretching his long legs out towards the art consultant.

  She spun her seat back to the computer but could still see him with her peripheral vision. Whi
le she answered her messages and sent new ones, he never took his eyes off her. The man unnerved her, for sure, as a nervous knot began to form in her stomach. She could clearly make out biceps and hard muscles stretching taut across his chest under his tightly woven shirt. Even reclining, his legs appeared powerful . . . and those forearms! Sleeves pushed to the elbow revealed his muscles there too. She had a thing for strong forearms, but there's no way he could know that. Years of ranching had sculpted one attractive, solid body. Did he have any idea how attractive he was? She guessed he did. She'd been staring at the same email from Katrina for several minutes.

  Snap out of it, Girl!

  She typed a quick reply to her friend and signed off, shutting the computer down.

  "Ready?" she asked, swiveling her chair a quarter-turn towards the cowboy.

  "I am," he said with a look that seemed quite suggestive.

  "For dinner," she clarified.

  He shot her a wicked grin before rising and guiding her from the rustic office, his hand on her lower back. He managed to maintain physical contact all the way to the big house, where he planned to cook dinner for her.

  Once in the kitchen, he turned on some music and poured her a glass of red wine.

  "Feel free to freshen up in the powder room across from my study while I get some chopping out of the way. But hurry back. You'll want to see me in action," he said with a wink.

  Kiki flipped the light on in the bathroom and was shocked to find a leopard print wallpaper from floor to ceiling on all four walls. An ornate oval mirror, framed in heavily carved rococo gilt, hung above a black marble sink with matte gold fixtures. The hot and cold taps looked like antique knobs from a French chateau. A few framed pictures, tastefully arranged, hung to the right of the sink, while a purple orchid in a fancy pot perched near the monogrammed guest towels stacked on the counter.

  She examined the black and white photos. An attractive woman with big, blonde, Texas hair posed next to what looked like a politician. Another picture showed the same woman with a man Kiki recognized as a prominent American clothing designer. In a third, the lady laughed with a man who resembled Noble Harden. These must be his parents.