The Colton Bride

by Carla Cassidy

  Every time she looked at Gray he nearly stole her breath away. She loved him in his jeans and shirts, but the man was born to wear a black tux.

  It had been a somber day and, unfortunately, Gray had been unable to connect with Dylan to let him know what they’d found out. Dylan had left that morning to meet a rancher with a horse who was having behavioral issues.

  He hadn’t returned to the ranch by the time Gray and Cath had left for the evening festivities. On the drive to Cheyenne, they both had agreed to set the Dylan issue aside for the night and just enjoy themselves. Tomorrow they’d deal with breaking Dylan with their news that everything he knew about his mother, his father and himself was a lie.

  “Cath, it’s so nice to see you.” Mrs. Wellingford, the wealthy, matronly woman who was giving the event that evening, greeted them at the ballroom doorway. “Your sisters have already arrived and I understand congratulations are in order.” She smiled at Gray. “I hope the two of you will enjoy marital bliss for many years to come.”

  Cath was warmed by Gray’s arm pulling her close to his side. “That’s definitely our plan,” he replied, playing the game to perfection.

  “Please, enjoy the cocktails, and dinner will be served in about an hour. After that we have dancing, so don’t be in a big rush out of here.” With that Mrs. Wellingford moved to greet the next couple coming into the ballroom.

  “Let’s find your table and then I’ll get us something to drink,” Gray suggested. She assumed he’d be comfortable turning his back on her for a few minutes if she were surrounded by her sisters and Trevor.

  As they wound their way through the white-dressed tables with centerpieces of crystal and orchids, Cath greeted people she knew and paused to introduce Gray. Gray acted like he had attended events like this all his life, with a friendly smile and an aura of being at ease. But Cath knew his tux jacket hid his gun and she felt his tension as he held on to her elbow and they wove through the crowd. His gaze never stopped moving until he spied Gabby and Amanda waving from one of the tables.

  “There you are,” Gabby said.

  “Are Levi and Katie here?” Cath asked, taking the chair next to Gabby.

  “They aren’t going to make it,” Amanda replied. “To be honest I think they accepted just so that Darla wouldn’t think there would be room at our table, but they never intended to come.”

  “Is Darla here?” Cath asked. Gray sat in the chair next to her and groaned.

  “Please don’t tell me we have to share this meal with her,” he said.

  “Just shoot me now,” Trevor replied dryly.

  “Actually, I don’t believe Darla and her children were able to pony up the money to attend,” Amanda said with just a hint of smugness in her voice. “I’m sure we’ll all miss their company this evening.”

  Cath laughed. “Like I’d miss the flu.”

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Gray asked Cath. He pointed toward a long bar located across the room. “I’m sure they’ll have some soda or iced tea.”

  “Iced tea would be nice,” she replied and then watched him make his way across the room.

  “He is a hunk in that tux,” Gabby said as if reading Cath’s thoughts.

  “He’s a hunk when he’s not wearing a tux,” Cath replied with a sigh. It was becoming more and more difficult to be in bed with him each night and not touch him, not want him to touch her.

  “He’s a good man,” Trevor said.

  “I know.” Cath watched him at the bar get their drinks and then begin the winding route back to their table. “A peach tea for the lady and a light Scotch and soda for me.” He sat next to Cath.

  “I didn’t know I’d married a hard-drinking man,” she teased.

  “There’s not enough Scotch in this glass to make a hummingbird drunk. I like a drink now and then but I like to keep my wits about me, too.”

  Cath knew the last thing he would do was take her out for an evening in a crowd of people and then proceed to get drunk. She could tell by the way he moved his chair that he watched the crowd, always alert and ready to handle any danger that might come their way.

  “Cath, you look gorgeous tonight. I love the way you’ve got your hair, and that blue dress really pops the color of your eyes, and that necklace,” Gabby said.

  Cath reached up and touched the aquamarine that hadn’t left her neck since the night Gray had reclasped it around her after the attack on her.

  Her hair had been braided and then twisted into a crown on top of her head. There would be no hair twirling tonight. The strapless dress hugged her bodice and then had a sleek skirt that fell to the floor. It wouldn’t be long and she wouldn’t be able to wear such formfitting clothing.

  Although Gray hadn’t complimented her out loud, when she’d stepped out of the bathroom ready to go, his gaze had lavished her, beginning at the top of her head and trailing downward with fiery heat.

  She didn’t need his words to confirm what she knew.

  In his gaze she’d known she looked beautiful and sexy and that was enough for her.

  For the next hour, the conversation around the table remained pleasant. People stopped by to say hello and the three sisters shared thoughts about particular gowns, the décor and noted the shoes that women wore.

  Trevor exchanged a grin with Gray. “It’s what they do when they get together in places like this, they look at other women. It’s a girl thing.”

  “At least they aren’t looking at other men,” Gray replied.

  Cath and Gabby laughed. “Why would we do that when we have the best-looking men in the room right here at our table,” Gabby said.

  By the time dinner was served, the mood at the table was mellow and Cath was enjoying Gray’s company. He was funny and charming to her and her sisters and he and Trevor got along well.

  When dinner was over, a four-piece band began to play softly and several couples took to the polished dance floor next to where the tables had been set up.

  Trevor and Gabby hit the dance floor and Amanda left the table to visit with some friends, leaving Gray and Cath alone. “I never told you how positively stunning you look tonight,” he said.

  She smiled, warming with pleasure. “And I never told you what a dashing figure you cut in that tux.”

  “I feel like I’m trussed up in a monkey suit and can’t wait to rip this tie off and unfasten a couple of buttons on this shirt.”

  Her smile turned into a small burst of laughter. “You and every man in this room. Men just wear tuxes to please their women. It isn’t an outfit they would pick to wear on their own.”

  “You’ve got that right,” he agreed.

  Her eyes moved beyond Gray’s broad shoulder and a sick feeling swept through her. Dirk Sinclair was heading in their direction.

  “Uh-oh, Dirk is headed our way,” she said to Gray. “I doubt if he intends to have a pleasant conversation with me.”

  Gray reached across the top of the table and took her hand in his, then gifted her with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. We’re in a public place. How nasty could things get?”

  “You don’t know Dirk,” she said below her breath.

  Gray’s smile never wavered. “I guess I’m going to get to know him very quickly.”

  At that moment Dirk stepped up to the table, his upper lip twisted into a slight sneer. He ignored Gray and looked pointedly at the ring on Cath’s finger.

  “So, it’s true. You’re married,” he said. For the first time Cath noticed how small Dirk looked, even with his chest puffed out in macho outrage.

  Gray didn’t bother to stand, as if the man wasn’t worth the effort. “Gray Stark. I’m Cath’s husband.”

  Dirk looked at Gray as if he were a piece of manure that had suddenly formed in front of him. “You’re the ranch foreman,” he replied, the sneer on his face more pronounced.

  He looked back at Cath. “You were obviously seeing him while we were dating and I believe that makes you a two-timing whore.”

&nb
sp; Cath gasped and Gray rose to his feet, the pleasant smile never leaving his face as he not only stood toe-to-toe with Dirk, but towered over the man.

  “Gray,” Cath whispered, afraid of what he might do, afraid of the flat, dark danger she saw in his eyes despite the smile that curved his lips.

  “I won’t let anyone talk to my wife that way,” Gray said, his voice with a steely edge. “I know that underneath that expensive tux you’re nothing but a mama’s boy sucking off your father’s money and looking for a wealthy woman to keep you doing nothing for the rest of your life.

  “I just want you to understand that beneath my tux is a rough and tumble cowboy who will kick your ever-loving ass to hell and back if you ever talk about my wife in derogatory terms again.”

  Cath’s heart swelled, not just because Gray was defending her honor, but also because he was doing it in the middle of a crowd and drawing no attention from anyone in the room.

  The only indication that the conversation between the two men might not be pleasant was that Dirk’s features went white and he took two steps backward from Gray.

  “You’re a Neanderthal,” Dirk exclaimed.

  “And he’s my Neanderthal,” Cath said firmly.

  Dirk whirled on the heels of his Italian dress shoes and quickly disappeared into the crowd. Gray sat back down and smiled at Cath. “See, I told you it wouldn’t be unpleasant. The fact that he thinks you were two-timing him works in your favor. Now you can easily play off the baby as mine.”

  How she wished the baby was his. She knew Gray would make a wonderful father, that he’d had a wonderful role model in his own life.

  Gabby and Trevor returned to the table, faces flushed and smiles on their faces. “This is such fun,” Gabby said as she picked up her water glass. “We’re just here to rest and then we’re going to hit that dance floor again.”

  Trevor didn’t even try to hide his groan. “She’ll have me dancing so long tonight I won’t be able to put my shoes on tomorrow.”

  Gray laughed and then turned to Cath. “How about we do a little twirl around the dance floor?”

  She was shocked by the offer and immediately rose to her feet. She didn’t know if Gray could dance or not, but she knew when they hit the dance floor she would be in his arms, and right now she couldn’t think of any other place she’d rather be.

  * * *

  Dancing with Cath was like taking a dip into Heaven and yet held all the temptations of the devil. As the soft music began to play, he pulled her into his arms, her body melding against his and her bare shoulders begging for his lips to press against the sweet-smelling skin.

  She tucked her head into the hollow of his throat, as if she belonged there. Gray had never considered himself a particularly graceful man, but with her in his arms they glided smoothly around the floor. It felt like they had been dancing together forever.

  Gray was aroused and he wanted the dance to never end yet felt that each chord of the music and her curves in his arms were exquisite forms of torture. He wanted the torture to end yet he never wanted to let her go.

  However, he did release her when the music finished and he led her off the dance floor. He was grateful when she told him she was tired and ready to call it a night. He was more than ready to get back to the quiet of her suite and perhaps punish himself with yet another cold shower before crawling into bed next to her.

  As he drove them back to the ranch, his overwhelming desire to make love to her rode like a third passenger. After a few minutes of small talk they fell into silence.

  He wondered if in that room of wealthy, influential men Cath’s next husband had been present. He believed she would marry again. She was a woman who loved too easily, who needed to be loved, and he was certain that when he left she wouldn’t face a future alone with only her child.

  He gripped the steering wheel more tightly, suddenly depressed and wishing he’d never suggested this torturous marriage to Cath. He should have encouraged her to hire a full-time bodyguard, like Amanda had done for Cheyenne.

  But he’d wanted to be a hero. He’d wanted to be Cath’s hero, and at this moment in time he wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing or not. He only knew for certain that the idea of sleeping in the bed next to her tonight and not taking possession of her might just drive him completely out of his mind.

  By the time they reached the suite Gray had taken off his tie and unfastened three buttons on his shirt. As Cath disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed, he threw off his jacket, placed his gun on his nightstand and tried to walk off the simmering desire that had risen with the passing of every moment.

  He had to get hold of this hunger for her before she came out of the bathroom. He had to remember the deal they had struck, the job he was assigned to do, and nothing in his job description said anything about making wild, passionate love to Cath.

  She stepped out of the bathroom, face scrubbed clean, hair loose around her shoulders and clad in a short silk peach-colored nightgown. Gray stared at her, remembering the feel of her, the smell of her as they’d moved across the dance floor. Even though the nightgown was far less sexy than what she’d worn to the dinner, his desire spiraled even higher.

  She froze, like a deer in the headlights of his desire-darkened eyes. Her breasts rose and fell with quickened breaths and Gray’s knees threatened to buckle with his aching need for her.

  “Gray?” His name was a mere whisper falling from her lips.

  “I can’t crawl into that bed with you tonight, Cath,” he said, his voice husky with barely suppressed emotion. “I can’t smell your scent for another night and not want to take you into my arms. I can’t feel your body heat and not want to drown myself in it.”

  He expected her to back away from him in horror, to somehow express her utter disgust at his obvious lack of control. Instead she walked toward him and stopped when she was mere inches in front of him.

  She reached out and unfastened one of the buttons on his shirt, dampening her lips with the tip of her tongue. Gray froze, afraid to move, afraid that somehow this was all a dream and if he even drew a single breath he might awaken and she’d be gone.

  As the last button was unfastened and his shirt hung open, she leaned forward and pressed her warm lips against his chest. He grabbed her by the shoulders and she looked up at him, her eyes a blend of both innocence and desire. A small smile danced on her lips.

  “Cath, do you have any idea what you’re doing?” he asked breathlessly as she pulled his shirt off his shoulders and allowed it to fall to the floor behind him.

  “No,” she admitted. “I only know for sure that tonight I want to be in your arms. Tonight I want you to kiss me until I’m mindless and weak. I want to be seventeen again and tonight I want you to make love to me.”

  It’s all he’d been able to think about since the moment he’d moved in here with her. The idea of making love to her again had muddied his thoughts, kept him awake at nights and had kept his blood at a simmering boil for so long.

  Now an unexpected hesitation whirled through him. “Is this because I threatened to take Dirk outside and give him a thrashing?”

  She laughed, a low, throaty sound that only increased his need to throw her down on the bed and take possession of every inch of her body. “Of course not, although that was a memory that will warm my heart for a very long time.”

  Her smile faded and her eyes darkened. “I want you, Gray. It’s as simple as that. I don’t want to change our agreement, I don’t want to bind you to me, I just want you to make love to me tonight, no strings attached.”

  She raised up on her toes, obviously seeking his mouth with hers, and he couldn’t help himself. He could wrestle a steer to the ground, he could ride a bucking bull to win a trophy, but he had no strength at all when it came to denying his need for Cath.

  He captured her lips with his as his arms wound tightly around her. Her mouth opened to his, allowing a deep kiss with their tongues dancing against each other in
a prelude to something more.

  He tangled his hands in her silky hair, the tactile pleasure arousing him. She was all flames and he knew he was about to fall into her fire. Someplace in the back of his mind he knew this wasn’t a good idea, that it would only make it more difficult when it came time for him to tell her goodbye. But that didn’t matter now, what mattered was she wanted him...and oh, how he wanted her. Nothing was going to stop them both from getting what they wanted tonight.

  Chapter 14

  Cath had known the moment Gray had taken her into his arms to dance earlier in the evening that the night wouldn’t pass without her enjoying the pleasure of his lovemaking.

  She had known he was aroused as they’d danced together. She’d felt it when he’d pulled her close against him. The fact that he wanted her had made her embrace how desperately she wanted him, had wanted him for years.

  She now stepped back from him and got beneath the sheet on the bed. With only the glow of the dim lamp on the nightstand she watched breathlessly as he undressed, enjoying the symmetry of his wide shoulders and slim waist.

  The faint lamplight loved his sun-bronzed skin, and when he was clad only in his boxers he slid beneath the sheets and drew her back into his arms.

  As his mouth hungrily plundered hers she felt like a seventeen-year-old again. Gray was the sun, the moon and the entire universe to her. He tasted of fiery heat and a hint of Scotch.

  His hands slid down her back, warming her silk nightgown as if to memorize the curve of her spine, each delicate bone beneath her skin.

  The kiss continued with his hands moving slowly around her body to cup her full breasts through the slick material. Her nipples rose in response, aching with the pleasure of his touch. She’d thought she’d forgotten him. She’d believed she’d moved past him, but she now realized that for nine long years she’d secretly yearned for him, that her body had really never forgotten his sweet, familiar touch.