The Cowgirl's Secret (The Diamondback Ranch Series #)

by Novark, Anne Marie

Tori swallowed and grabbed her drink to wash the fishy taste out of her mouth. "I think I'll stick with the shrimp."

  Sam nodded and returned his attention to his own plate. "Fair enough. At least you tried."

  "I'm on an adventure, remember?" She picked up her fork and speared another delectable shrimp.

  Sam smiled that lethal smile of his. "I'm glad you're sharing it with me."

  "I'm glad too," she managed to say. Sam's smile shot a burst of adrenalin through Tori's system. She felt as if she were indeed on an adventure, exploring new territory, going to a place she'd never gone before.

  ***

  Sam took a sip of his favorite after-dinner drink. The orange-flavored liqueur slid smooth and warm down his throat. He looked across the table at Tori McCade who was staring at him all wide-eyed, focusing all of her attention on him. The neckline of the red dress was cut low and every now and then, a glimpse of satiny cleavage played havoc with his libido.

  He adjusted his butt on the hard restaurant chair, wishing he could adjust another part of his anatomy that had been in a painful state of arousal ever since she'd walked into the restaurant.

  "So tell me more." Tori dipped her spoon into the chocolate brownie concoction she'd ordered for dessert and lifted it to her lips. Lips that Sam was dying to taste.

  He set his brandy snifter down, keeping a tight grip on it. "There's not that much to tell really. After grad school, I packed up my stuff and headed to New York."

  Tori sighed. "I've never been to the East Coast. The biggest cities I've seen are Dallas obviously, and Houston where I used to enter calves in the Junior Live Stock Show when I was a kid. That's how I decided on veterinary medicine. The vets at the show were amazing. The clinic back home is owned by Doc Pritchard, and he's actually become my mentor. He's my greatest supporter and wants me to take over his practice after I get my degree."

  Tori held his eyes as she smiled at him. Sam loved the way she talked. The energy radiating from her was intoxicating, addictive. Her voice came alive when she spoke about the things she loved . . . and he decided he wanted to be one of the things she was so impassioned about.

  "Tell me about New York," she said, taking a bite of her dessert. "How did you like it?"

  "It was great at first." Sam tapped his glass with an index finger. "You know, the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple and all that. So many people jam-packed in such a small area. You can almost feel all the hearts beating and the churning mass of humanity. I can't describe it. It's very different from the wide-open spaces of Texas. I was in culture shock for the first two or three months I was there."

  Tori smiled. "I'll bet. I can't even imagine. The hustle and bustle of Dallas sometimes weighs me down. I get so homesick for the Double Mountains and the Diamondback Ranch. That's my family's land where I grew up. It's midway between Abilene and Lubbock. When I'm here in Dallas, I miss being able to see for miles and miles all the way to the horizon with nothing but cotton fields and pastures as far as the eye can see." She ate another spoonful of her chocolate brownie, leaving a few small crumbs at the corner of her mouth. Her tongue shot out to lick it away, but she didn't get it all.

  Sam watched her mouth and couldn't resist. "Here, let me help." He reached over and took her chin in his hand and wiped the smudge clean with his napkin. Tori stared at him out of those big baby-blues, and he felt it like a sucker-punch to the groin. He rubbed his thumb on the smooth skin of that firm little chin, not wanting to let go.

  "Sam?" Her voice sounded breathless. He could certainly understand; he felt like he couldn't breathe at all.

  "Yes?" he asked slowly, intent on the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers. Wondering if the rest of her body would feel as smooth and creamy.

  "Did you get it all?"

  "All of what?"

  "The crumbs." Tori pulled back and patted her lips with her own napkin to finish Sam's handiwork. "Thanks."

  "No problem." Only it was. He was too attracted to her. He couldn't start something with a girl as young as Tori McCade . . . She was too innocent when it came to men. There were too many blushes and no feminine wiles. Maybe Joe was right. Maybe he was too used to the more sophisticated women in New York.

  Except how the hell was he supposed to resist?

  "So you miss the ranch and the wide-open spaces." Sam sat back quickly and took hold of the brandy snifter again, anchoring himself on his side of the table. "You're a real cowgirl at heart, aren't you?"

  Tori nodded and picked up her spoon again. "Pretty much. I can't see myself living anywhere but Salt Fork. It's home, you know? There's just something about Texas."

  "I sure missed it while I was living up north. You can take the man out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the man."

  "That's what they say." Tori smiled and pointed her spoon at Sam. "Anyway, I have another year at UTD, then four more at Texas A&M. If I get accepted into their vet school."

  "Why wouldn't you?"

  "It's pretty competitive. Tell me more about New York. You said you suffered culture shock?"

  "Yeah, but it didn't take long to acclimate myself. There's a magnetism, a charm to New York that draws you in. I was lucky enough to land a challenging job that kept me on my toes. I found a nice little apartment at a reasonable price, although it was still expensive by Texas standards."

  "What exactly did you do?"

  "I worked on the computer end for one of the big financial companies. I wrote code and helped revamp some of their systems."

  "And the money?" Tori slapped her hand across her mouth and groaned. "I can't believe I said that. I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

  Sam chuckled. "No problem. The money was great. It was even better when I moved to a trading desk. I made good money and managed to save quite a bit, despite the high cost of living."

  "Didn't you miss your folks?"

  "Yes, but I've always been independent. I flew home for the holidays just like I did during grad school. That didn't change when I moved to the East Coast. A couple of times, I flew my parents to New York for a visit. They really enjoyed the trips. For five years, life was good. Life was very good."

  Sam swirled the liqueur in the brandy snifter, watching the light play on the orange liquid. He didn't like to think about the clunker life had thrown him back then. He really didn't like to think about the latest clunker, either. It was better not to think at all. Safer. Easier. That's why he kept so busy. So he wouldn't have to think.

  Tori reached out and touched his hand. Her dainty white fingers looked incongruous against his darker skin. "What happened?" she asked softly.

  Sam kept his gaze on her fingers. "Two years ago, my dad died of a sudden heart-attack. I was twenty-nine years old."

  Tori's fingers closed over his, and she gave him a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry, Sam. That must have been very tough. I never knew my dad. He died when I was a baby. My mom says all of my brothers are the spitting image of him, so she has a constant reminder of the love she shared with him." She laughed a little self-consciously. "I'm sorry. We were talking about you, and I hijacked the conversation. Please, go on."

  "That's okay. You're allowed. I want to know more about you, too."

  "Yes, well . . . " She tried to pull her hand away, but Sam grabbed hold, not wanting to break contact. Something about Tori was stirring strange feelings in him. Desire of course, that was a given. But he felt a connection with her that he'd never felt for another woman.

  Which was ridiculous. They were barely acquainted. This was their first date. He couldn't feel anything for her this fast. Could he?

  "Is that why you moved back to Texas? To be near your mom?" Her voice held sincere interest and concern; her eyes glimmered with sympathy and understanding.

  "Yes and no." He finally let go of her hand and took a sip of his drink. "After Dad's funeral, I thought about moving back to Dallas. But Mom insisted she would be okay, that I had my own life to live. That my father would have wanted me to continue as bef
ore."

  Even now, it hurt too much to think about.

  "I felt guilty returning to New York. I felt like I was abandoning my mom. I threw myself into my work. That's when I moved to the trading desk. Working a trading desk on Wall Street is extremely profitable, like I said. But the stress level is exceptionally high. Burnout is definitely a job hazard. And I was burning the candle at both ends. Working twelve-hour days. Work, work, work."

  Tori pushed her empty dessert dish away. "So, you decided to call it quits and move back home?"

  "Yeah. My mom called me one night, crying. She'd been feeling tired and run down for weeks. She'd thought it was because she was still grieving for my dad. They loved one another deeply. Then she told me she had gone to the doctor for a check up. She'd undergone a battery of tests. The news was the worst. She had . . . has pancreatic cancer."

  "Oh, Sam. I'm so sorry. How's she doing? Is she better now?"

  "She's recovering from surgery and seems to be in remission, but there's no telling how long it will last or if the cancer will come back. She's still weak and fragile. But every cloud has a silver lining as my mom always says. Everything usually works out for the best. She's really glad I was able to come home to be with her."

  Tori smiled. "Your mom sounds like an amazing woman."

  Sam nodded. "Yeah. I really lucked out in the parent department. Anyway, I had been thinking about a career change even before my dad passed away. I'd become a stressed-out workaholic. Work was my whole life. When my dad died, it made me rethink everything. I wanted to go home to Texas. I wanted to find a less stressful job, something that didn't require a lot of brain-drain. A job that would allow me more time for living a life outside the office."

  "Wow, Sam. Is that what happens when people approach thirty? They re-evaluate their life choices?"

  "I don't know," he said. "It certainly happened to me. Anyway, my mom's illness was the wake-up call I needed. Lucky for me, I wasn't hurting for money, so I quit my job, packed up everything and returned to Texas, where I knew I really belonged."

  He shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I loved New York, but it wasn't home. And here I am. Six months later, eating dinner with you. Life doesn't get much better than this."

  Tori lowered her eyes and blushed. Sam loved it when her cheeks grew pink. She fiddled with the dessert spoon. "You've been through a lot," she said, raising her eyes again. "Are you working now? Did you find that ideal job?"

  Sam took another sip of his drink. "I took a couple of months off to help my mom get through chemo. Truth is . . . I can't stay away from programming for very long. I get antsy and go stir-crazy. Fortunately, a couple of friends asked me to help out with their start-up. They create and develop digital games, and I do the programming. It's the perfect set-up. I can work from anywhere."

  "That sounds like another silver lining to me." Tori placed her napkin on the table beside her empty dessert bowl. "You get to do something you enjoy, and you can work from home and be close to your mother."

  "Yeah, it's worked out well." He became silent for a moment as he studied her across the table. "Let's get out of here," he said, tossing down his own napkin. "We can go for a walk. There's a park a couple of blocks away. Are you finished? Do you want anything more?"

  "No, I'm good. Thanks for dinner. I really enjoyed it."

  "The pleasure was all mine."

  Tori smiled a secret sort of smile. "No, not all of it."

  "No?" He signaled the waiter for the check.

  She shook her head and her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. Sam felt the familiar tug of desire once again. The woman had his libido stirred up to a frenzied heat. If he didn't kiss her soon, he was going to go crazy for sure.

  ***

  Tori walked beside Sam in the late August evening, the slight breeze warm on her face. Eight-thirty and the sun had almost finished its descent below the western horizon. The temperature had fallen to a pleasant eighty degrees. Still warm, yet perfect for an after-dinner stroll. The park was nearly deserted, and the trees and bushes and flowers were awash with the golden glow from the setting sun.

  Tori followed Sam's lead to the gravel pathway that passed through sculpted hedges and formal flowerbeds toward a children's playground, his hand on the small of her back. His touch sent sparks of awareness sizzling through her system.

  The feelings churning inside her were strange and wonderful and frightening. She'd never felt this way about a man before. She wondered what it would be like when he kissed her. She knew without a doubt he wanted to kiss her. And she wanted to kiss him, too, but she was afraid.

  As they neared the empty playground with night falling around them, Tori felt compelled to put some distance between them. She broke free and moved toward the swings, where she sat on one, careful to keep her knees together. Her dress wasn't meant for swinging.

  Sam leaned against one of the thick wooden posts supporting the swing set and fort and watched her. Like he'd been watching her all through dinner. As if he wanted to consume her very soul.

  "You going to swing in that dress?" he asked, his voice low and hushed in the summer twilight.

  Tori swallowed and lifted her chin. "I was thinking about it."

  He raised one dark eyebrow. "You might want to reconsider."

  "Should I?" For some reason, Tori felt the prickles of defiance rise up against that lightly veiled challenge. She gripped the chains and backed herself up, standing with the swing in position ready to launch.

  "Yes, you should." Sam's mocha-colored eyes moved from her face down the path of the low-cut neckline of the silky red dress, over her breasts, where his gaze lingered a moment, making Tori's nipples bead in response to the thoroughly masculine appraisal. Sam's eyes shot to her face again, holding her captive, before continuing his thorough perusal of her body, all the way down to her strappy sandals, then slowly back up again.

  Good lord, the man was lethal. Tori struggled to draw in a breath. She had more than a sneaking suspicion she was playing with fire when it came to Sam Garza.

  He flashed that special smile, the one that played havoc with her nerve endings. "On second thought," he said, "how about a push?"

  "Sure. I'd like that." Why had he suddenly changed his mind? She searched his rugged face, looking for what . . . she didn't quite know.

  Anticipation made her throat go dry. Would he take hold of the chains of the swing or put his hands on her body to give her a push? She really needed to get a grip on her hormones. They'd never run this rampant before. Somewhere deep inside, Tori felt a wild, untamed passion clawing its way toward the surface to break free.

  Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Sam leisurely pushed off the post of the swing set with one booted foot and walked until he stood directly behind her. Her heart revved up a notch when his big strong hands settled on her hips. His fingers burned through the thin silky fabric of her dress. For a minute, he just stood there with his hands on her, his thumbs smoothing over her hips in slow, unhurried circles. He kissed the top of her head and slivers of desire flooded her body, making her want something more.

  "Ready?" Sam's hot breath scorched her ear. Everything about Sam Garza made her hyper-aware of his powerful masculinity and accentuated her own femininity.

  Not trusting her voice, Tori nodded and felt herself being lifted upwards and back. The pull of gravity vied with the strength of Sam's muscles. He'd wedged his hands between her bottom and the plastic seat in order to get a good hold of the swing.

  Tori held onto the chains with tight fists trying to grapple with the overwhelming sensations generated by the feel of his hands so close to her core. Time stood still for a moment, as Sam held her suspended above the ground as if demonstrating that he was the one in control. She'd never thought something as simple and ordinary as swinging could turn into such a sensual experience.

  When he finally let go, she was propelled forward--not too high, not too fast--in a gentle swoosh of a wide sweeping arc. On the return trip, Sam p
ushed both the swing and her butt, propelling her forward again.

  She crossed her legs at the ankles to maintain her modesty, especially since every touch of Sam's hands on her butt generated far-from-modest feelings inside her body. Pretty soon, Tori gave herself up to the pleasure of swinging. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a swing. Holding on to the chains, she leaned back, pointing her toes toward the darkening sky. This time on the return swoop, Sam pushed her on the shoulders, and Tori laughed as she swung higher still.

  She leaned way back and right before she began the downward descent, she could see Sam waiting for her, his smile flashing again in the twilight. Before she knew what he was about, he rushed in and grabbed hold of the chains directly above her fists to slow her down, cushioning the abrupt halt of the swing's arc with his hard body aligning itself with her backside.

  Tori's breath stalled in her lungs as her bare back lay nestled against Sam's solid-muscled chest. She felt his lips on her hair, his kiss burning her scalp. Hot prickles of desire infused her blood, and she couldn't help tilting her head forward, wanting to feel his lips on her skin. He was quick to oblige, trailing kisses across the nape of her neck and collarbone. She held the chains in a death-grip, and Sam slid his hands over hers, covering them in a none-too-gentle grasp.

  Suddenly, he twirled her around to face him, the chains crossing above her head. She felt like a captive animal, tangled in a trap. Tori looked up at him. He really was a brutally handsome man, his features hard as granite. She fleetingly wondered how a man who looked so fierce, so feral, could scatter such gentle kisses across her sensitive skin. How a man who had uprooted his whole life so he could help his sick mother--how could such a man look at her with such intense yearning? Such hot passion?

  Sam's eyes dilated beneath heavy lids. He bent toward her, stopping only millimeters from her mouth. His breath was hot on her lips. Tori's stomach dipped in an alarming manner.

  "I'm going to kiss you." His voice was rough with desire. "I've been wanting to kiss you from the first moment I saw you at the bar."

  He grabbed her wrists and pulled her from the swing. Tori's knees threatened to buckle, but Sam steadied her while dragging her beneath the wooden play-fort and slide. They were shielded from view, standing together in the small enclosed area where escaping him would be impossible. Not that she wanted to be anywhere but here.