by Lynn Cooper
She had just taken a bite of the delectable treat when she heard a deep, masculine, honey-coated voice close to her ear. “Now, this is a nice surprise. I sure didn’t expect to find a little cupcake cutie in my barn tonight.”
Even without the familiar woodsy warmth of cologne emanating from his skin, she would have known Decker’s voice anywhere. Slowly, she turned to face him, praying she wouldn’t faint. She was going to kill Adaira! After all, her friend had crossed her heart and hoped to die. Well, she would get her wish soon enough.
When she looked into his deep blue eyes, her legs buckled. Immediately, he reached out to steady her and gave her a heart-stopping smile. She regained her balance and voice at the same time. “I didn’t think you would be here. Adaira said you stopped coming to the barn dances after—”
“After my wife left me,” he finished for her.
“What?”
He frowned. “Wasn’t that what you were going to say? Adaira filled you in on all the sordid details, didn’t she?”
“No, I was going to say after you got married. Based on an earlier conversation with her, I got the impression you were still married.”
“I am. But, not for long.”
“Oh, my God! Are you kidding me? You’re one of those men. The kind whose wife doesn’t understand him. The kind who makes empty promises to unsuspecting, smitten women, saying you’re going to ask your wife for a divorce any day now.”
His sexy smile turned into a crooked, boyish grin that was obviously intended to diffuse her anger. “Not even close, darlin.’ I’m nothin’ like that. I tried to explain it to you before I was called away yesterday. I’d still like to try and help you understand how things are for me. How they’re about to change. How much I’d like to kiss that little dab of cream cheese icing off your bottom lip. Can we please just go for a ride and talk in private? My truck’s parked up at the main house.”
Self-consciously, Ella licked the sugary concoction from her lip. “Icings all gone now. I don’t need you to kiss me. Plus, I’m here with Adaira, and it wouldn’t be polite for me to ditch her.”
His grin faded fast. “If that’s how you feel, I’ll respect that. But need I remind you that I saved your pretty little ass yesterday? The least you can do is give me five minutes of your time. We can stay right here in the barn. There’s a nice quiet tack room right past that first stall where we can talk privately.”
Little ass. This man really needed to get himself a pair of glasses. She nodded. “Fine. I’ll give you five minutes,” she said, blowing out an impatient breath.
He nodded and turned in the direction of the tack room.
Ella’s eyes quickly searched the barn’s interior until she spotted Adaira. When she got her attention, Ella gave her friend the evil eye. Adaira shrugged her shoulders and mouthed, I’m sorry.
Not nearly as sorry as she was going to be.
Following Decker down a lengthy corridor past stacks of pungent hay bales, Ella couldn’t help but admire his backside. Yesterday, when he had carried her down the ladder, she had been overwhelmed by his frontal beauty. But it was quickly becoming obvious to her that the man didn’t have a bad side. She swallowed hard at the sight of his back muscles bulging and dancing beneath his denim shirt. His every movement teased her senses. Snug-fitting Wranglers showcased his hot, taut derriere. Each stride stretched the dark blue material across his powerful, muscular thighs.
By the time they stepped into the tack room, she was breathless. Without speaking, he pulled a long chain hanging from the ceiling. Instantly, the room was cascaded in a soft yellow glow that illuminated the walls around them. His expression held an intensity that she hadn’t seen in him before. Holding her gaze, he shut the door behind them. Never breaking eye contact with her, he slid the bolted lock in place.
This room was much warmer than the area of the barn they had just been in. Here, there was no night air stirring from an open door. The upbeat tempo of the country music had been muted to a nonintrusive, distant background noise.
Ella tried to slow her heart. With great effort, she drew in a long, deep breath. Having spent a summer on her grandparents’ ranch as a teenager, she recognized the strong scent of leather, saddle soap and horse hair. Smells that were familiar and soothing—something she could use right now as Decker Wyman was purposely closing all space between them. With each step he took, Ella took a backward one. He continued slowly advancing until he had her back pressed against a huge stack of sacks filled with grain.
He leaned in close, placing his hands against the wall on either side of her head.
She trembled when his chest brushed her breasts. Gasped when he pressed his hips into hers. She nearly swooned when he whispered in her ear, “My five minutes starts now.”
Steeling her resolve, she raised her chin. “I’m listening, Decker.”
“Oh, hell, what I have to say can wait a minute. I need to taste my little cupcake cutie.”
Like lightning he dipped his head. There was no time for Ella to dodge him. No chance for her to protest before his mouth captured hers. His lips were warm and firm and insistent. One hand tangled in the long curls of her thick, chestnut brown hair, drawing a moan of pleasure from deep within her. The other roamed over the dip at her waist and around her low back, urging her even closer.
Ella could literally feel the years of sexual repression melting away. In this man’s strong, masculine arms she didn’t feel like the lonely, self-conscious, overweight girl. Those feelings had all but vanished, being replaced by a much stronger feeling—one awakened by a masculine touch that she couldn’t get enough of.
She knew she should push him away. He still hadn’t explained himself, and he was still married. She really should tell him to stop. Instead, she wantonly parted her lips, silently inviting him to deepen the kiss. It was an invitation he eagerly accepted. His tongue thrust into her mouth as he pushed his thigh between hers. She spread her legs willingly, then squeezed them around his hard, muscled limb. He rubbed his thigh against her hot, pulsating core. She moaned helplessly and ground her pelvis into him.
Any thoughts of protest dissipated as the electricity crackled between them. His will was too strong for her to fight, his advances too intoxicating for her to resist. His kisses ignited a fire in the inner recesses of her being. Her unabashed desire for him washed over her skin and simmered in her veins. She never wanted this moment to end.
He pulled back, revealing eyes glazed with passion. A sheen of sweat shone across his forehead. His voice, deep and husky, made her go even weaker in the knees. “Oh God, Ella, you’re so pretty. So sweet and sexy.”
“And you’re so married.”
She hated herself for ruining their magical moment, but it was true. He belonged to another, and it was wrong for them to be making out like a couple of horny teenagers.
He blew out a breath and rested his forehead against hers. “I know darlin.’ And, I owe you an explanation. I can’t have you thinkin’ I’m a no-good, two-timin’ asshole, now, can I?”
Ella gently stepped out of his embrace and turned her back to him. “I don’t know what I think. I do know it’s wrong to carry on with a married man, no matter how badly I want to. And, I know that the more I’m around you, the harder it’ll be on me when you walk away.”
Decker stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Walkin’ away from you isn’t an option, darlin.’ Not after that kiss. Not ever.” Turning her to face him, he continued. “I was twenty-five when I met and married Sheridan.”
“You’ve been married for ten years?”
“Technically, yes. The actual marriage only lasted two weeks.”
Ella furrowed her brow in disbelief. “That doesn’t make any sense. What you’re saying isn’t even possible. A person is either married or not.”
Decker cupped her face and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. “The world isn’t a black and white place, Ella. There’s lots of grey areas, and my marriage falls int
o one. Sheridan blew into town like a tornado, charmin’ everyone in her wake. She was exotic and sophisticated. I had never met anyone like her. I knew by the way she dressed and acted and talked that she was a city girl all the way. And she literally blew this country boy’s mind. So much so that it clouded my judgment.”
“I guess it’s true then; opposites do attract.”
“Unfortunately, it was too true in my case. I fell for her hard and fast. Sheridan made me believe that she wanted to be a part of my world, this ranch, the laid-back lifestyle of country livin.’ I didn’t waste a minute proposin’ to her. Since she didn’t have any family to speak of, and neither of us cared about havin’ a big, fancy weddin,’ we drove to the courthouse one afternoon and tied the knot.”
“I don’t think I’d like that kind of wedding, but I do think the idea of a whirlwind courtship is terribly romantic.”
Letting his hand drop from Ella’s face, he smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “It was romantic. Things were perfect for about two weeks. She seemed to enjoy our long walks down by creek, horseback ridin’ at sunset and quiet evenin’s talkin’ and drinkin’ lemonade on the porch.”
“Oh, Decker, those things sound like heaven to me.”
“They are heaven to me, darlin.’ But apparently, they were hell for Sheridan. One day she came back from shoppin’ in town. Before supper she went upstairs to our bedroom and packed all her belongin’s. When I went to fetch her, she told me she was leavin.’ Very matter-of-factly, with no emotion whatsoever, she said she had met another man online.”
Ella gasped. “You mean to tell me she was going to leave you and this beautiful place for a man she hadn’t even met in person?”
“That’s pretty much the size of it. She had brought her laptop with her from Chicago or New York or some big city. I never really knew exactly where she hailed from. Once, she told me she was from all over, from nowhere and everywhere. Anyway, she spent most of her time on the computer while I was workin’ the ranch. It was durin’ those hours that she had the online affair with the suit—an independently wealthy entrepreneur—who promised her world travels and nonstop excitement.”
“How horrible! Not the travels and excitement, but that she would take up with this man after marrying you.”
“Yep. She really worked a number on me. She had no sooner broken the news of her departure when a stretch limo pulled into the driveway. She grabbed her suitcase and ran down the stairs without sayin’ goodbye. Stunned, I stood at the window with my mouth gapin.’ I watched her jump into the back of that fancy automobile with the suit. She drove out of my life that day, and I’ve not heard from her since.”
“Decker, I’m truly sorry. I can’t imagine how heartbroken you were. But, I also can’t imagine how you could stay married to this woman for ten years. Why in the world wouldn’t you immediately file for a divorce?”
Raking his hands through his thick black hair, he said, “I did, darlin.’ My lawyer drew up the papers, and I signed them.”
“Then how can you still be married? I don’t understand.”
“Like I said before, it’s complicated. A lot of things transpired to make the perfect storm. For a divorce to be final, both parties have to sign the papers. Despite my lawyer’s best efforts, he couldn’t track Sheridan down to any specific locale. She and the suit were travelin’ the world together. Each time my lawyer found her and sent the papers, she’d already moved on to another location. After a year of futile chasin,’ he just stopped tryin’ and left it up to me to get it done.”
“And you couldn’t find her either?”
“Honestly, I didn’t try. Around that time Mom got sick and was diagnosed with breast cancer. I spent all my time helpin’ Dad run the ranch and take care of her. After five long years of fightin,’ she lost the battle. When she died, we were crushed. She had been the center of our world. The only way I could deal with my grief was to stay busy. The more I worked, the better off I was. When workin’ the ranch wasn’t enough to numb the pain, I became a volunteer fireman. That was four years ago. Time’s a funny thing, Ella. One day a man’s wife leaves him, the next thing he knows a decade has passed, and he’s standin’ in the middle of a tack room kissin’ a young, beautiful woman.”
Ella’s eyes were full of sympathy as she gazed at the sweetest, sexiest man she had ever known. Her heart hurt for all he had been through. She reached up and caressed his cheek. “Earlier, you said you wouldn’t be married for much longer. What’s changed?”
He smiled broadly. “My dad, God bless him, hired a private detective to find Sheridan. He located her residence in New York yesterday. Edwin, our family lawyer, flew out to serve her the divorce papers this mornin.’” Looking at his watch, he said, “Edwin should be back any minute with her John Hancock, and I’ll be a free man.”
“Oh, Decker! That’s wonderful news. I’m so happy for you.”
Sliding his hands around her waist, he pulled her close. “I’m so happy for us. I want to court you proper, Ella Skye. Out in the open. I want everyone to know that you’re my woman.”
Her eyes grew wide as saucers. “I’m your woman?”
He leaned his head back and laughed heartily. “I swear I’m startin’ to think an echo follows you wherever you go. And, yes, you’ve been my woman since I carried you down out of that big oak tree in your front yard. Your beauty and humor and sass hit me like a bolt of lightnin.’ In that moment, I knew I wanted you in my life.”
Ella threw her arms around his neck. She could feel the sure, steady beat of his heart. Her own heart pounded out a happy rhythm that mirrored his. For three months, she had been calling Pleasant View home, but home was being wrapped in Decker’s arms. She leaned back to look into his eyes. “So, tell me, what can a girl expect when being courted by Decker Wyman?”
Grinning mischievously, he rubbed his chin. “Let me see. She can expect—”
Before he could finish his thought, they heard the music grind to a halt and Rowling’s voice boom out in anger. “What the hell is she doing here?”
Ella tensed in Decker’s arms.
He slowly released her and cursed. “Shit! This can’t be good.”
Ella clasped her hands together nervously. “Should I stay in here?”
“No,” he said, unlocking the tack room door. “My woman goes where I go, and I need to go see what the hell is going on.”
She could barely match his stride as they rushed down the corridor toward the commotion. When they rounded the corner, Ella couldn’t believe her eyes. In the middle of the room stood a tall, slender, beautiful blonde. She looked as though she had just stepped off the cover of Vogue. Only she wasn’t striking a model’s pose. She had a scowl on her face, and her hands were planted on her hips. In a shrill voice she was yelling at Rowling. “I have every right to be here, old man! This is my husband’s home and therefore mine.”
Decker dropped Ella’s hand and balled his into fists. Given the rage reflected in his eyes and the predatory stance of his body, she wouldn’t want to be in Sheridan’s high heels right now.
When the blonde saw him, she plastered a sultry smile on her face and cooed, “There’s my handsome husband. Can you please call off your father and your attorney? They seem to be having some difficulty respecting our marriage.”
Decker bit out the words. “Don’t ever speak to Dad in that tone again. I haven’t been your husband for ten years, and we have no marriage, Sheridan.”
The townspeople were dead silent, and all eyes were trained on the leggy blonde bombshell and the Wyman family.
Rowling cleared his throat loudly. “Son, I think we best take our personal business to the main house. These good people came here to enjoy some dancin,’ not a family drama.”
“She’s not part of our family,” Decker said, grabbing Sheridan by the elbow. He roughly ushered her to the door with his lawyer and Rowling close on his heels. Before they cleared the exit, Sheridan turned around, looked straight at Ella and called out, �
��Forget about Decker, chubby girl. He’ll never be yours. He belongs to me.”
Rylan quickly spoke up. “The dance floor’s open! It’s time for a little two steppin.’” He signaled the band and, once again, the place was full of lively country music. The people of Pleasant View didn’t miss a beat. All the tension and drama was instantly replaced with cheerful chatter and laughter.
Everyone except Ella seemed to be having a good time.
Adaira worked her way through the crowd and stood next to her. “Hey, girl. You all right? I really am sorry about all this. I swear I didn’t know Decker would be here tonight. And I sure as hell didn’t know Sheridan was going to show up. Nostradamus couldn’t have predicted that one.”
“I know. I’m not mad.”
Smiling, Adaira gave Ella’s shoulder a little nudge and asked, “You want to try some of Rowling’s BBQ? He makes the best I ever tasted.”
“No thanks. Actually, I’d like to go home now.”
“You can’t be serious! After what just went down here? Girl, are you telling me that you want to go home without finding out what happens between Sheridan and Decker?”
Ella hung her head. “You heard what she said to me. Decker belongs to her.”
“When you and Decker came out that tack room, he was holding your hand. It looked to me like he just might belong to you. Besides, that skank was trying to get your goat. Those meaningless words were a last ditch effort to hold onto something she gave up a long time ago.”
“Maybe. But did you take a good look at the woman? She’s supermodel thin, gorgeous and flawless. She’s every man’s fantasy. Once she has Decker alone, I’m not so sure he’ll be able to resist her.”
