Teasing Annie: The Temptation Saga: Book Two

by Hardt, Helen;

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for…last night.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Really. It meant a lot to me. I’m not usually so pathetically needy.”

  “It meant something to me, too, Doc.” He grinned. “And not just because of the fantastic time you showed me in the hallway.”

  “That’s kind of you to say.”

  “I’m not being kind. I’m being truthful. I like you. And you were right. If we’re both coming out of divorces we shouldn’t rush this.”

  “Mmm hmm.” Annie dipped her head and pressed her lips to Dallas’s neck. Musky, spicy man. “God, you smell good, Cowboy.”

  “On the other hand,” Dallas said, as Annie felt him harden under her bottom, “maybe rushing is okay.”

  “Maybe,” Annie agreed, running her tongue along a vein in his neck and nuzzling his pulse point. She shuddered when he cupped her breasts and thumbed her nipples.

  “I can’t get enough of these,” he said. “You’re so beautiful.” He pulled her tank top up and captured a tender bud between his teeth. “Honey nipples,” he whispered against her flesh. “So sweet.”

  The now familiar blazing tingle crept along Annie’s skin as Dallas sucked her nipple. She pulled her tank top over her head, threw it to the floor, and went to work on his shirt, unbuttoning frantically and parting the fabric. She smoothed her fingers over the hard expanse of his chest as he continued to tease her nipples. She hated to stop him, but she needed that sensational mouth on hers. She grasped his head in her hands and pulled him upward, pressing their lips together. Dallas stood up, and Annie locked her legs around his hips. He walked toward the bedroom.

  The phone rang.

  Annie tore herself from the lip lock. “Damn.”

  “Ignore it,” Dallas said, nibbling her neck.

  “I can’t. It might a sick animal.”

  “Doc…”

  “I’m sorry, Cowboy.” She unhooked her legs and picked up the phone. “This is Annie,” she said.

  “Hi. You’re the vet, right?”

  “Yeah. What can I do for you?”

  “It’s my horse. She’s real sick.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right there. What’s your name and where are you?”

  “I’m sorry. It’s Catie. Caitlyn Bay. We’re at the ranch adjacent to the McCrays.”

  “All right. Give me half an hour.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “Not a problem.” She hung up, turning to Dallas. “Sick horse at the Bay ranch.”

  Dallas was in the process of buttoning his shirt. Annie looked guiltily at the ridge still swollen below his belt.

  “I’ll drive you,” he said.

  She smiled at him and tried to convey her sorrow at not being able to continue their tryst. “You don’t have to.”

  “Oh? Is your car ready?”

  “Crap. I forgot about that.”

  Dallas smiled. “It’s okay, Doc. I don’t mind.”

  Annie reached for her purse on the couch and looked around the room for her vet bag. “You’re the best, Cowboy.”

  “Yeah. Remember that.” He eyed her provocatively and her nipples tightened once again. “Doc?”

  “Huh?”

  “You may want to put a shirt on before we go.”

  * * *

  The chestnut Morgan mare whinnied as Annie palpated her abdomen. Beside her stood Catie Bay, a pretty teenage girl with brown braids hanging below a creamy white Stetson. Her older brother Harper soothed the horse while Annie performed her exam. Dusty was also there, and a tall brown-haired young man with the signature McCray good looks—Dallas and Zach’s younger brother, Chad.

  “I called Dusty first,” Catie was explaining, “and Chad was over there for breakfast so he brought her over. They both know a lot about animals, and I didn’t want to bother you if I didn’t have to.”

  “It’s no bother,” Annie said, running her hands over the horse’s soft flanks. “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “But it’s so early. And on a Saturday.”

  “Not a problem. Really.”

  “What’re you doing here, anyway?” Annie heard Chad ask Dallas.

  “I brought Annie. Her car’s in the shop.”

  “And you just happened to come across her this early on a Saturday morning?”

  Annie heard the glint of sarcasm in Chad’s voice. No doubt he was smirking.

  “Zip it, will you?” Dallas said, his voice barely audible. But Annie had heard. She smiled to herself.

  “Definitely colic,” she said to Catie. “Her abdomen is distended but her temperature is normal and so are her heart sounds.”

  “But she’s had colic before, and it’s usually gone within a few hours.” Catie’s face twisted in anguish.

  “You’re describing basic spasmodic colic,” Annie explained. “If she’s been in distress for several days, it’s a different type of colic.” Annie gently patted the horse’s soft coat. “She’s very bloated, but I don’t think it’s obstructive colic. I think she may have an ulcer.”

  “An ulcer?” Catie’s eyes widened.

  “They’re more common in racehorses, but ranch horses are susceptible. Unfortunately, because of the colic, she hasn’t been eating, so her stomach acid has built up which has made the ulcer worse. It’s a vicious circle.”

  “That doesn’t sound too good.” Catie’s voice caught in her throat.

  “Well, it’s not the best news,” Annie said, “but it is treatable, and I think we’ve caught it early. With the symptoms you’ve described, I think it’s definitely an ulcer.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Annie,” Dusty said. “I was sure it was just simple colic.”

  “You were right.” Annie smiled. “But colic isn’t a disease in itself. It’s more often a symptom.” She turned to Catie. “I’ll give her a dose of medication now and leave a few more doses with you. It’s all I have with me. Stop by my office anytime to pick up more.”

  “Yes, I sure will,” Catie said.

  “It’s extremely important that you give her the medication on schedule, three times daily.”

  “Oh, I will. Don’t worry.”

  “I’ll keep my eye on her, Doc,” Harper said.

  “Harper, I’m a grown woman!” Catie’s pretty face turned a bright crimson. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my animals.”

  The teenager glanced toward Chad McCray. The tall cowboy, deep in a discussion with Dallas, didn’t appear to notice. Annie smiled to herself. Schoolgirl crush. Cute.

  “Actually, I’d like to check on her tomorrow,” Annie said, “so I’ll bring her medication with me. There’s no need for you to come by my office.”

  “That’s kind of you,” Catie said, her face still adorably red.

  “Glad to.”

  “I’ll take you home, Doc,” Dallas said. “Come on.”

  “Okay. It was nice meeting you all.”

  “Come by the ranch anytime, Annie,” Dusty said. “Zach and I would love to see you.”

  “Thank you. I will.” She was growing fond of Dallas’s sister-in-law.

  In the car, Annie mentioned Catie’s crush. “I think she has it bad for your brother.”

  “You’re mistaken, Doc. Catie’s seventeen at most, and Chad’s a grown man.”

  “So? An older man is very sexy to a young girl. How old is he?”

  “He’s twenty-eight, the youngest of our brood.”

  “Yeah? How old are you, Cowboy?”

  “Thirty-six, and Zach’s thirty-one.”

  “Thirty-six, huh?”

  “Yep. Am I too old for you? You don’t look a day over thirty.”

  “I am thirty, you dumb cowpoke!”

  “Dumb cowpoke? For guessing your age?”

  “No woman wants to look her age. We all want to look younger.”

  “Oh.” Dallas’s eyes gleamed. “Did I say thirty? I meant twenty. Not a day over twenty. No wait. Eighteen. I mean twelve.”r />
  She punched him in the arm. “Stop that.”

  “You’re gorgeous, Doc. If you were fifty, you’d still be gorgeous.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “So you’re thirty. Divorced. From Jersey. Italian. A vet.”

  “That about sums me up. Just Bruno and Sylvia DeSimone’s little girl.”

  Dallas let out a guffaw. “Bruno? There are actually men named Bruno in the world?”

  Annie scoffed. “This from a guy named Dallas?”

  “Hey, it’s my ma’s maiden name. It’s a popular name in these parts, though more so in Texas, for obvious reasons. Where’d Annie come from? Hardly a good Italian name for the daughter of a Bruno.”

  “It’s a nickname. My real name is Annalisa.”

  “Annalisa.” His husky voice caressed her name like a veil of creamy silk. “That’s real pretty, Doc.”

  Suddenly shy, she nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Your skin is light for Italian ancestry.”

  “Not necessarily. My father’s got the Mediterranean olive complexion, but my mother’s fair like me.”

  “Your skin is the color of moonlight, and your cheeks like the palest pink rose.”

  For a moment, Annie thought she might melt into a puddle right in the passenger seat of Dallas’s Benz. He pulled into the alley behind the clinic and came around to open her door.

  “You don’t have to—” she began.

  “We’ve been through this. I’ll see you to the door.”

  She nodded and let him take her hand as they walked into the clinic and up the back stairwell to her apartment. He took her key from her and opened the door.

  “I’ve got to get back to the ranch, Doc. It doesn’t run itself.”

  “I understand. It was nice meeting you.” Geez, that sounded stupid. “I mean it was nice to… Well, it was nice.”

  “Ditto.” He brushed his lips lightly over hers. “I’ll call you later.”

  “You don’t have to.” Geez, shut up Annie.

  “Don’t you want me to?”

  “Yeah. Sure I do.”

  He stared at her, his dark eyes burning two holes into her flesh. Several curly strands had escaped her ponytail and he tucked one behind her ear. “I changed my mind. I won’t call you.”

  “You won’t?”

  “No. I’ll pick you up. Around four. For dinner.”

  “That’s awful early for dinner. Where do you want to go?”

  His scalding gaze seared her from head to toe. “My place.” He kissed her again, and then jaunted down the stairs, whistling a lively tune.

  Chapter Five

  Dallas’s ranch house was even bigger and more ornately decorated than Dusty and Zach’s. The giant living room was decorated almost completely in shades of white. Creamy plush carpeting covered the floor. Satin eggshell furniture surrounded a smooth white lacquer grand piano. Draperies fell to the floor in a milky cascade. The dark mahogany coffee and end tables provided a stark contrast.

  “This is amazing, Cowboy.”

  “You like it?”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “But do you like it?”

  “Well, I suppose there are a few things I might’ve done differently, but it’s truly a work of art.”

  “I hate it.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. All this white stuff hurts my eyes. This isn’t a room where kids and dogs can play.”

  “Kids and dogs?”

  “Yeah. I plan to rip it all out of here as soon as I can find the time to hire someone to get in here and do it right.”

  “If you hate it, why did you do it in the first place?”

  “I didn’t. Chelsea—she’s my ex-wife—decorated it. Or should I say, she had it decorated. Paid some effeminate stick of a man an obscene amount of money to do this to my house.” He shook his head. “I hated it then, and I hate it now.”

  “I suppose you’re not really the New York penthouse type,” Annie said.

  “You got that right.”

  Annie opened her mouth to ask what had gone wrong between him and his ex-wife, but then thought better. He would no doubt ask her the same question, and she wasn’t ready to answer it.

  “What’s on the menu, Cowboy? Are you cooking for me?”

  “’Fraid not. I’m not really a cook. My housekeeper prepared us a gourmet feast though. It’s in the fridge waiting for us to heat it up. I sent her home early.”

  “You mean we’re alone.”

  “Just you and me, Doc.”

  “Well, then…do you think your housekeeper’s feast will wait until tomorrow night?”

  “Sure.”

  “Good. Tonight I’m cooking for you, Cowboy.”

  “Annie, I didn’t invite you over here for that.”

  “Why’d you invite me then? To get me in the sack?”

  His lazy grin lit up his face. “Well, if I told you the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, you’d know I was lying.”

  “True.”

  “But that’s not the only reason I invited you. I like you. We don’t have to go to bed.”

  “Oh, we don’t?”

  “Not if you don’t want to.”

  “I’m thinking that I do, but first I want to cook you dinner.”

  “Cooking is work, Doc. I don’t want you to work tonight.”

  “Cooking isn’t work, Cowboy. It’s art.”

  “You just cooked me breakfast this morning.”

  “So?”

  Dallas chuckled. “Hard to argue with that logic.”

  She gave him a friendly punch.

  “I have no idea what kind of food is in the house, though,” he said.

  “I can work with just about anything. Lead me to the kitchen and we’ll have a look.”

  “Oh!” Annie couldn’t help squealing. Dallas’s kitchen was the size of a small ballroom. Silvery granite countertops surrounded sharp stainless steel appliances. Oak hardwood graced the floor. “You brought me to this house and had no intention of letting me use this incredible kitchen? You’ll pay for that one.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “You’ll have to.” Annie ran her hands over the smooth silver finish of the Viking cooktop. “I’m busy having an orgasm over this stove.”

  She turned to the stainless steel refrigerator and opened the freezer door. “Hmm. Beef, beef, and more beef. I’m seeing a pattern here.”

  “I’m a beef rancher, Doc.”

  “I suppose you have a larger freezer full of beef in the basement?”

  “And in the garage.”

  “Okay. No problem. I can definitely work with beef.” She opened the door to the refrigerator. “Eggs, good. Lettuce, good. Butter. Do you have any olive oil?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

  “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.” Annie moved to the walk-in pantry. “Eureka,” she said and handed him a bottle.

  “This is olive oil?”

  “Yeah, Cowboy. See the label? Olive. Oil. Extra virgin, no less. It’s a monounsaturated fat, good for the heart. Very popular in Italy, where, by the way, they have a much lower incidence of heart disease.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “You should. Beef is great, Cowboy, but it’s extremely high in saturated fat. Although”—she eyed him up and down—“you don’t seem to have any issues with fat.”

  She walked back into the pantry and squealed again. “Bittersweet chocolate. Excellent. I can make you a delicious dessert.”

  “Uh, Annie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Get your pretty little bottom out here please.”

  “Just a minute.” She couldn’t tear herself away from the pantry. She grabbed the sugar and several cans of plum tomatoes.

  “Now, Doc.” He had sneaked up behind her and his breath was a hot whisper against her neck.

  She shuddered, turning to face him. “What is it?”

  He took the sugar from her and set it back
on the shelf. “I refuse to play second fiddle to my kitchen.” He clamped his lips onto hers.

  Annie’s body ignited as he pillaged her mouth. If there were an award for the world’s best kisser, Dallas McCray would win it, hands down.

  He walked backwards out of the pantry, dragging her with him, lifted her, and set her on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Even through her jeans, the sparkling granite was cool on her behind. He spread her legs and inched between them, pressing his hardness into her clothed sex. “Feel that, Doc?” he said against her mouth. “That’s me wanting you. Hungering for you.”

  “Oh yeah, Cowboy,” she whispered, running her tongue along his stubbled jawline. “God, you feel good.”

  “Better than my Viking stove?”

  She laughed softly in his ear. “I don’t know. What kind of heat can you generate?”

  “I’ll be happy to show you.” He deftly unbuttoned her blouse, unhooked her bra, and threw them onto the kitchen floor. “I’ve been thinking about you all day,” he rasped.

  He tongued one nipple and then the other, the flicks sending chills rippling over Annie’s skin.

  “Oh,” she moaned. “I’ve been thinking about you too, Cowboy. But…”

  “But what?” He trailed kisses across the plump white skin of her breasts.

  “Could you… Could you grab two pounds of round steak out of the freezer and stick them in the microwave to defrost?”

  Dallas lifted his head and stared straight into her eyes. “Can you stop drooling over my kitchen for two minutes?”

  Annie erupted in giggles. “I’m sorry. It’s just so…amazing.”

  “Okay.” He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. He removed her shoes, hoisted her bottom off the island and slid her jeans and panties over her ankles.

  “Cold!” she exclaimed when he sat her naked rump back on the granite countertop.

  “Serves you right. If you’re going to cream over my kitchen I at least want you naked.” He sank to his knees and spread her legs. “I want to make you come.” He flicked his tongue into her folds. “You’re already wet.” He raised his head and grinned. “Is that for me or for my stove?”

  “Can it be for both?” Annie giggled.

  “Oh, you’re going to pay for that one, Doc.” He buried his face between her legs.