The Cowboy and the Angel

by Lietha Wards

  She nodded, feeling heat rise to her cheeks under his intense scrutiny.

  “For me?”

  She nodded again.

  He sighed heavily. “They sure smelled good, even mushed all over my stable floor.”

  Her eyes brightened a little. “I have more in the house.”

  “Is that an invitation?” His dark brows rose.

  “It is only if you don’t call me any more names,” she said stiffly.

  “I think I can abstain,” he said with light humor in his tone.

  Angel couldn’t believe that one human being could eat so much. The buns were huge, and he managed to put away three of them along with two cups of coffee. Then again, he was a big man who worked hard, and his appetite attested to both of those things. She had to admit that she was pleased he’d enjoyed her baking. When Alex was done, he sat back in the chair and licked his fingers. Her eyes automatically went to his mouth.

  “Delicious,” he said, settling his eyes on hers.

  “Really?” She perked up at the compliment, knowing he didn’t give them lightly.

  He nodded. “So tell me, Angel,” he said, slinging his arm over the back of the chair as he leaned back, which caused his shirt to stretch across his thick, muscular chest. “Do you usually cry when someone insults you?”

  It took her a moment to figure out what he said because her eyes were riveted on his chest. Finally, she brought her gaze back to his, and then narrowed her eyes. “An insult? That was blatant humiliation,” she told him.

  He stared at her for a moment. “I suppose that was my goal.”

  “Why did you say those things?”

  “Red’s a playboy. I don’t want you near him,” he said derisively. He’d made up his mind that very day to speak to the man about Angel and who she belonged to, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.

  “And you aren’t?” she shot back at him.

  “I don’t want you going out to lunch with him, either,” he said, ignoring her question.

  “Why not? It’s only lunch.” She stood up and took his plate to the sink—it was the only way she could drag her eyes away from his body. “It’s just as friends.” Anyone would think Alex was sitting there naked from the way she was ogling him, but he didn’t indicate that he noticed her attention. If he could have grown more sinfully appealing than he already was, he’d done it with that pose.

  “Because, for one, he sleeps with anything. Ask your sister,” came the terse response.

  She spun around and pointed her finger at him angrily. “I told you to quit making remarks about Priscilla!”

  “And I told you I call them like I see them,” he said, unmoved.

  “You don’t know her,” she defended. “Priscilla has a lot of male friends. How would you like it if I made remarks about Seth?”

  “I know enough,” he said contemptuously. “She’s been running after Seth since she was out of diapers. And,” he added with an edge to his tone, “Seth’s sinless compared to me.”

  “That’s a horrible accusation about Prissy!” She glared at him, trying to ignore the smoldering look in his eyes.

  “But true.” He stood up and started towards her, causing her to back up against the sink. She braced her hands on the counter. “That’s why he won’t have anything to do with her.” Her position made her chest arch towards him, and he had to refrain from groaning at her provocative stance. The hem of her camisole lifted and showed a glimpse of her belly button and flat abdomen. It was downright sexy. She honestly didn’t seem to know how she presented herself.

  “Can we just not talk about Priscilla?” she asked, aware of his closeness. God, he was so tall. She had to crane her neck to look up at him.

  “Sure,” he drawled, stepping closer and gazing down at her.

  “Alex, you’re making me nervous,” she admitted as she looked up at him.

  “Yeah, and you’re not stuttering about it,” he said softly, dropping his gaze to her mouth.

  He was right—she wasn’t.

  “Cancel your lunch date with Soames.”

  “I can’t, that’s rude.”

  “So?”

  “Unlike you, I can’t behave that way.”

  “Yes, that’s very true,” he said softly, bringing his hand up to brush her hair back over her shoulder. His eyes followed the movement. “I’d have to admit, your friend Marty did an incredible job.”

  “M-Matthew,” she corrected.

  He grinned, knowing exactly what the man’s name was. His hand circled around to the back of her head.

  “W-what are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Staking my claim,” he answered, bending his head to hers.

  “Your claim?” she breathed, unable to ignore the heat of his body so close to hers.

  “Yeah, honey. You’re a smart gal. Haven’t you figured it out yet?” He didn’t give her a chance to respond and took possession of her mouth with his.

  All she heard was something about a claim, but the thought vaporized when his hot mouth covered hers. She opened her mouth in a gasp at the intimate contact, and he took advantage of it, delving his tongue inside her mouth. God, it felt incredible! He was more aggressive now than he’d been the last few times he kissed her, and she had to admit it was driving her wild. His hard body pushed her against the counter, and she could feel his hands circling around her back. One diverted to the back of her head, tangling in her hair to guide her response to his kiss. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard an erotic feminine moan, and it took her a few moments to register that it came from her.

  “That’s right, baby,” he murmured against her mouth. “Let go.”

  He took her mouth again, with a little more force this time, and she instinctively splayed her hands over his thick chest. She’d dreamed about touching him again after that night in his study. There was no mistaking the strength of his hard body under her hands, and every time he moved, she could feel the muscles ripple through his shirt. He seemed to read her mind.

  “Do you want to touch me?” he asked, lifting his mouth from hers.

  “I do,” she murmured, wondering how he always seemed to know what she was thinking. Obviously, he was experienced enough to know how women reacted to him—at least that was what she told herself. With a flash of triumph in his eyes, he reached up and flicked the buttons of his shirt open.

  She watched each movement as if hypnotized. Slowly, she raised her eyes to his with evident shyness, unable to take that brave step to feel his warm skin under her hands. He still looked as magnificent as he had four years ago. Tan, with a dark spray of hair over his expansive thick chest. Sensing her hesitation, he took her hand and placed it on his chest.

  Her eyes filled with fascination as her fingers explored the warm contours under the thick matt of ebony curls. “You’re perfect,” she whispered.

  “Thank you.” He grinned and kissed her again.

  Now both of her hands were exploring his upper body, and she nearly missed feeling him touch the bare skin of her waist. It was odd that she didn’t realize it right away, because her soft skin was sensitive to his calloused hands. He’d lifted the hem of her camisole and run his rough hands over her bare skin.

  “Alex—” she said, placing her hands on his to still them.

  “Shush, Angel. I just want to touch you.” He coaxed her again with his mouth. He felt a wash of arrogance as her hands relaxed, and then, after a moan of surrender, she released him.

  Her skin felt like warm satin to his rough hands. As his fingers roamed up her ribcage to the sides of her breasts, he knew he wasn’t wrong in what he’d said about her body the day before. She was perfectly shaped, even though she didn’t know it or show it. What mattered is that he knew it.

  He also knew he could easily coax her into bed from the way she reacted to him, but although he was eager to do so, he wasn’t a selfish bastard to that degree. It hadn’t escaped him that she was innocent. He wanted her badly, but he didn’t w
ant to break her. He wanted her to accept him willingly. She was fragile in many ways, and the plans he had made with regard to her in no way involved breaking her spirit. He’d just started pulling her out of her shell, and he certainly didn’t want her to go back into it—he might never get her out again.

  Angel could barely breathe. The sensations flowing through her possessed every cell in her body. She could feel his fingers easily flick her bra open, and soon one of his hands covered her bare breast. She should have protested, but she didn’t want to. His tongue was doing erotic things to hers, and she instinctively arched towards him. When he groaned deeply against her mouth, a wave of heat flushed through her lower pelvis, making her legs so weak that they wouldn’t have held her up if he didn’t have her pinned against the counter with his body. He pushed her legs apart with one of his and pressed closer to her. She could feel his need for her against her belly, through his jeans, and it suddenly snapped her back to reality. “Oh God, Alex—I can’t.”

  He stopped and lifted his head, but his hand remained on her breast. “All right, honey.” He didn’t realize he was so completely consumed by desire for her until he heard it in his rough tone.

  “Y-your hand—” She swallowed and tilted her head back as his thumb grazed over her nipple, making her release a moan that made his skin tingle.

  “Is in heaven,” he interrupted, lowering his head and running his mouth along her arched neck. “You have the most beautiful breasts, Angel,” he whispered against her skin. “I knew you were beautiful that day I saw you in the bikini at our house.”

  She lifted her head and brought her eyes to his. “You did?”

  He smiled. “Hell, yes, I did. I’ve never seen a woman as perfect as you.”

  Despite the intimate position they were in, she couldn’t help but smile. “I didn’t think you’d ever noticed me.”

  “Noticed, dreamed, and obsessed,” he said, taking her mouth again.

  Angel knew she shouldn’t let him touch her in such a way, but God help her, she wanted him to—especially after that deeply voiced confession. She was crazy about him, and even though she felt a little overweight, he made her feel so beautiful that she nearly wept. It was no wonder that women chased him. The hand on her breast teased her into oblivion, the other pressed against her lower back, and he had her bent backward over the counter while his mouth did amazing things to hers.

  Finally, and with a tremendous amount of difficulty, he lifted his head from hers. “I’ve got to stop,” he muttered, almost to himself. “I need to go, Angel.” He pulled her upright and removed his hand from her chest. For a moment, they just stood staring at one another. He could see the newly discovered desire in her large sapphire gaze, and it drove him insane with want for her. He shook his head and gave her one of his rare smiles, showing straight, even teeth. “I’ll see you later. Thanks for the treat,” he said in a tone that had nothing to do with cinnamon buns.

  She blushed and nodded, unable to speak. Alex slowly and deliberately bent and brushed his mouth across hers, and then he gave her a final heated stare before he turned and left the house.

  Angel stood there with her clothes and hair in disarray, her bra undone, and her emotions in a cloud. Her hand covered the breast he’d touched. It felt cold from the absence of his large hand, and she shut her eyes against the feeling the memory brought back. She’d had no idea that a man could raise that kind of desire in a woman.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The next day at work, Angel couldn’t concentrate at all. Margo had asked her how her date was, and she didn’t even hear her.

  “That good, huh?” The older woman smiled.

  “Actually—” Her intercom went off, interrupting her explanation.

  “Angel, can you come in here, please,” came her boss’s voice.

  “Saved by the boss,” Angel laughed. “Later,” she said to Margo as she grabbed her notebook and pen. She knew he needed her for dictation.

  “I won’t let it go,” Margo teased.

  The rest of the morning went by in a blur, and with it went her nervousness at what Red expected. Sure enough, he came out of his office at noon with a smile.

  “Are you ready?”

  She knew she couldn’t say no, but she wasn’t sure what Alex’s reaction would be when he found out. If he was cruel to her over a friendly chat at the banquet, God alone knew how he would handle this—especially since they’d been so intimate. “I guess,” she said nervously.

  Not seeming to notice her apprehension, Red waited for her to grab her purse. He opened the door for her, smiling at her appreciatively.

  “Have fun,” Margo said slyly.

  Angel wanted to kick her. Why did she feel so guilty? She certainly hadn’t done anything wrong, and it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. Besides, many people who worked together ate lunch together. However, not many people who worked together had to deal with Alex Harrison. She felt as though she was walking towards a firing squad as Red led her down the street to a popular bistro, happily talking along beside her. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Alex’s Jaguar sitting out in front of the same bistro.

  “What is it?” Red looked down the street and back at her frightened expression. “Is something wrong?”

  “It’s nothing,” she stammered, forcing herself to start walking again. She hadn’t heard from him since the previous day. She hadn’t expected to, but it still hurt to see his car downtown with no word to her after sharing such intimacy. All she could hear despite the busy traffic was the hammering of her heart. Would he be angry? He’d told her to cancel the lunch with Red, but she had refused to do so.

  As if her thoughts triggered his presence, Alex walked out of the bistro and set his gaze directly on her. He didn’t look angry at all. In fact, he looked quite relaxed. Maybe it had something with the gorgeous blonde hanging off his arm. They were carrying what looked like iced cappuccinos.

  “Hi, Red,” he said, walking past them and not acknowledging her except for that one look.

  Angel felt her heart tear open. It meant nothing to him—absolutely nothing! Something in her snapped. She snatched the drink out of the woman’s hand, and without a second thought, threw it in his smug face. The blonde screeched and jumped back, trying to keep the coffee from staining her designer suit.

  Alex cursed and veered, his ferocious expression fixed on her. “What the hell is the matter with you?” he shouted.

  “What’s the matter with me?” she repeated incredulously, then pointed at the other woman, who was wearing a stunned expression. “Who is she?”

  “God dammit, woman,” he seethed, taking a step towards her. Iced coffee dripped off his thick ebony bangs, down his face, and onto his tan chambray shirt. It did nothing to filter the icy glare in his eyes.

  Red recovered from his initial shock and stepped between them. He wasn’t as big as Alex, but he could hold his own for a bit. “Hold on, Alex. She’s half your size,” he said, holding up his hand.

  “That’ll make it easier to kill her,” he gritted out, pinning her with his angry gaze.

  “Alex who the hell is that?” asked the other woman, “and why is she throwing drinks at you?”

  “Absolutely no one,” he snapped, glaring at Angel one last time before spinning around and taking the other woman’s arm.

  After Alex helped the blonde into the car and drove off, Red turned to her with a look of surprise. “Are you crazy?”

  “Probably,” she admitted, finally letting the scope of her actions hit her. “I was just so angry.”

  “Alex isn’t going to let that go,” he said, shooting a thumb over his shoulder in the direction his car had gone. “He’ll come see you after he regains his sanity. I don’t know him as well as Jason does, but I know he doesn’t let things slide.”

  “Probably so,” she agreed, not able to meet his eyes, and not wanting to think about the future just then.

  “Angel, I thought you two were just friends. Is there someth
ing going on between you?” he asked with an edge of disappointment.

  This time, she lifted her chin and looked at him. “Not anymore.”

  Red looked over his shoulder to see Alex’s Jag disappear around a corner, the tires letting out a screech, then he turned his attention back to her. “Good for me, then.” He held out his hand.

  Angel only took it because she was worried her knees might give out. She was out of her mind.

  ***

  The next few days seemed as long as years to Angel, because she neither heard from nor saw Alex. She knew she should have talked to him and not overreacted in such a way, especially after Priscilla asked her why she’d thrown a drink all over Alex in front of his cousin. Her sister was spending even more of her spare time over at the Harrisons’ now, trying to catch Seth’s eye since he’d come home. So far, she hadn’t been successful.

  “Cousin?”

  “She’s visiting her sister, Sherri. I guess she’s a model or something in New York. Who knows? Anyway, I was helping Bea select swatches because she wants to redo the dining room. He came in, swearing like I have never seen before, covered in…what was that, anyway?”

  “An iced cappuccino,” Angel groaned, feeling more and more like she should move out of the country.

  She laughed. “Then when Bea asked him what happened, he started telling her that you’d flipped out and went crazy.”

  “I didn’t!” she said in wide-eyed protest.

  “Angel, why else would you throw a drink on Alex? The devil himself wouldn’t dare to do such a thing,” her sister stated. “You are crazy.”

  “He made me mad,” she muttered, feeling more and more like a heel. She’d thought he wanted to get back at her for going out to lunch with Red, and that he’d gone and found himself a beautiful woman to taunt her with at the bistro.