by Roxy Wilson
“Paige, it’s good to see you.” They strolled over. Handsome, tall men, they were both well known to her, as they were seniors when she was a sophomore in high school. “We heard you were back.”
“Oh, yes, I am,” Paige replied with a smile. “Guys, this is Lando. He’s from Spain.”
The men shook hands and exchanged polite greetings.
“See you around,” Paige said.
Paige and Lando walked inside the bar. She waved to a couple of people. “The advantage of working and living where you’re born is that I pretty much know everyone. A lot of these people went to the same school. See the waitress over there?” Paige pointed to a voluptuous redhead who was behind the counter talking with the bartender. “She was one of my classmates.” Paige rested her hands on the counter and leaned over slightly. “Hey, Mandy, can we get a table?”
“Sure.” Mandy pointed to a table in the far corner. “Take that one over there.”
Lando assisted Paige to her seat, before he took his.
It felt good to be back among people she knew well. This was home. Of course, for Lando everything and everyone was new. Yet, he seemed quite at ease.
As promised, Mandy came to take their order. “It’s good to see you, Paige. My brother is working on your ranch now.”
“Oh yes. I met John. He has toughened up. I still remembered him as that thin guy who used to follow you around in school.”
Mandy chuckled. “Yeah, well, we’ve all grown up.” She adjusted her apron. “I’ll come around to take your order in a minute.”
After they told her what they wanted, she wandered off but not before giving Lando a come-hither look.
Paige was amused. It seemed much hadn’t changed. Mandy still had a roving eye even though she flaunted an engagement ring on her finger.
Lando sent a dimpled smile Paige’s way, seemingly oblivious to the waitress’ admiration. “So tell me, what are your hobbies?”
“Apart from horse riding, it’s horse riding, and horse riding,” she admitted. “I’ve always been a farm girl. Given a chance, I would rather be outdoors doing one of the chores. I don’t like to watch TV and I don’t read much, a habit my mother tried her best to instill with me.”
“I don’t watch much TV, either,” he admitted. “But I do like to shoot.”
“Shoot?”
He held up his hands and mimicked shooting. “You know, with a gun. Back in Spain, I used to go to a shooting range. Do you have something like this over here?”
She thought hard about it. “I’ll have to check around. There wasn’t before, but a lot changed in the past four years, and I can see there are many new places.”
“You never wanted to live in the city?”
Paige shook her head. “Never even gave it a thought. My father used to say that Cullen and I were rooted in the soil. Our heart is here. Shayne was the one who wanted to try life in the city, and she did a fine job of it too. But now she’s back, and it’s good for all of us to be together.”
“I never had siblings, but there were plenty of kids I could play with, so it wasn’t a problem.”
Mandy came back with their beers. “Anything else?”
“Thanks, we’re good.” Paige turned towards Lando. “Mandy, this is Lando. He’s working on the ranch.”
Mandy beamed and shook hands with him. “Do you like it here?”
“Very much.”
It looked as if Mandy wanted to stick around, but she merely ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve got to go. It was nice to meet you, Lando.”
Lando smiled. “Same here.” As soon as Mandy walked away, he focused his attention back to Paige. “Do you have any old friends here?”
“Some,” she admitted. “But most of them went away to college and they didn’t come back. They got jobs in the city and settled down. I’m sure some of them will drift this way when holidays come around, and maybe some of them will even think about settling down here, but I’m not sure how many of them will actually manage to do so.”
“I grew up in many places,” he said. “When I was a baby, my parents moved from farm to farm, and they even skipped over to other countries. I’ve lived in Italy, France, and Austria but they eventually went back to Spain and started their own business.”
“And you want to start your own business some day?”
“I think about it from time to time, but there is plenty of time to decide. As long as I am having fun and enjoying my life, I don’t want to get bogged down by future plans.”
“I guess we’re opposites in that way because I have to plan things. I can’t just…be swept into the currents of fate. That would drive me insane.”
“Sometimes, it’s nice to let a higher power decide your future, but of course, one must be aware of what is going on.”
“Which country did you like the best, apart from Spain?” she asked.
“I liked something in every country. For instance, in Italy, the sense of family, culture, and religion is strong, and I liked it. I remember running around in a piazza and playing with other children whenever my parents went to a farmer’s market.”
It was a little odd for Paige to sit across the table and make small talk. She didn’t have much in common with Lando, except for their love of the farm and horses. She felt at ease with him. With most men, Paige often felt they found her lacking because she wasn’t willing to put in too much effort into a relationship but Lando appeared to find her desirable. She could see the passion blazing in his eyes, and somehow, it made her nervous.
A guy came over. She straightened her shoulders as she smiled at him. “Zack. It’s a pleasure to see you after all this time.”
“Yeah, me too.” He cast a gaze at Lando, and she introduced them. The men sized each other up for some strange reason, and then Zack smiled. “So, I heard you’re back for good.”
“Yep. News travels fast in this town.”
“You know how folks are. Someone sees someone, and tells another who tells another…it’s a vicious cycle. So how about going to dinner with me one of these days?”
Paige cleared her throat. He was her ex-boyfriend, but he didn’t have to make it so obvious, especially as Lando was here with her. They dated for a year in high school and broke up because they were going to attend different universities, and none of them were up for the stress of being in a long-distance relationship. Her memories regarding him were all good, but she was just not in that place now. “I’m a bit busy these days, Zack. It takes some time to settle, you know? And I have a job and everything.”
He didn’t seem to mind her rejection.
There was a time when she thought he was too good-looking but now in front of Lando, he only looked cute. Or perhaps, she’d just outgrown him.
“I’ve joined my father’s grocery store. Got big plans to expand it and make it into a supermarket chain.”
“That would be awesome. People need that around here. I’m sure you’ll do well,” she told him.
“I’ll do better if you gave me some time. Come on, can’t you spare one dinner for an old friend?” he urged.
They’d been more than that. She lost her virginity to him, and there were some underlying emotions simmering in there. But somehow, she never felt the need to be with him. When she looked at him, she saw a guy who belonged to her past. He didn’t have a place in her present. Although she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, Paige didn’t think it was fair to lead him on. “I’m really busy, Zack, but thanks for the offer.”
“Ah! Still a heartbreaker, aren’t you?” He waved a hand and disappeared in the crowd.
Strange that he should say that. She never thought of herself as someone who broke hearts. More often than not, her male friends told her about their girlfriends and cried on her shoulder. He was probably just being nice. When she looked at Lando, he was frowning.
“Your old boyfriend?” Lando asked.
“We dated way back in high school.” She expelled a deep breath. “God, that s
eems like it was eons ago.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “A man can tell these things. He’s carrying a torch for you.”
“No woman has ever carried a torch for you?”
He smiled at her as if she was a puzzle he would like to solve. “If I broke up with you, I would carry a torch for you…forever.”
Her heart skipped a beat at his words. His voice was low and throaty and had the potential to make her blood pressure rise. For the umpteenth time, she wondered what it was about that man that he could make her feel all sweaty and hot with just a look. Mandy chose that moment to bring their food, and Paige thanked her lucky stars. If he stared at her in that peculiar way for long, she might be in danger of throwing herself on him.
When Mandy left, Paige picked up her knife and fork. It was safer to hold something in her hands, rather than leaping across the table and grabbing him. “So do you like American food or do you miss Spanish cuisine?”
“I’ll pretty much eat anything,” he admitted with a smile.
“Don’t say that in front of my mother; she might die from the shock of that statement.” Since she felt the same way about food, she was a pleasantly surprised. “She cooks some of the most delicious cuisine I’ve ever tasted.” She smacked her lips together at the thought of her mother’s great cooking and much to her delight, Lando chuckled at her antics.
“I totally enjoy eating if it’s there and someone else is willing to make the effort,” he assured her. “But for the life of me, I can only get by with the basic stuff like mac and cheese and TV dinners. I heard Juston is also a great cook.”
“Oh, he is, and when he cooks with my mother…Oh. My. God.” Paige was practically salivating. “You have to experience it for yourself. They’re cooking the food for Cullen’s wedding themselves. I told them it was crazy, but my mom and Juston are actually excited about the idea. They love it.” Paige took a sip of her beer. “I hope all goes well. If there’s even a tiny mistake, they’ll go nuts.” She dug into her food and was happy to see that Lando seemed to enjoy his steak.
“When is the wedding?” he asked.
“Only a month away. Good for us that Cullen is pretty much fuss free. Her gown was picked without a problem, as were her shoes and everything else she needed.” Paige chuckled. It’s Shayne who is going nuts making lists and organizing stuff. I don’t think Cullen cares where she gets married. Even if you put her in a barn in her jeans, she’ll be happy as long Graeme is standing beside her.”
“That’s true love,” he said. “They look good together. And, of course, Juston and Shayne also seem…very good for each other. Don’t you sometimes wonder if it’s some kind of karmic force at work? Two of your sisters have gotten together with men who joined the ranch quite recently.”
The food got stuck in her throat. Picking up her bottle of beer, she washed it down. “No, I didn’t give it a thought.”
“Well, they have. Graeme was newly hired by Cullen, as was Juston. Two for two…and now maybe you. Then it would be three for three.”
No. she didn’t believe in fate or karmic stuff or anything like that. “Things like that work in movies and books. Not in real life.”
“So you’re not prepared to tie the knot with anyone?”
“Not at all. I’m—I’m way too young. Of course n-not,” she sputtered out the words.
He laughed. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to propose to you. We’re just hanging out, remember?”
Was he joking? No. She didn’t think he was. The guy was crazy. Did he really think there was some kind of voodoo stuff going on and her sisters were getting hitched because of that? The way Juston and Shayne were going, she didn’t think it would be long before they heard wedding bells. But of course, she wasn’t ready for something like that. Lando rattled her. What did he mean by that statement? He was really too bold, and the more time she spent with him the greater she feared he would be able to suck her into his sexy vortex. It was better to keep him at arms’ length now. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said with a smile. “After all, I really wouldn’t want to break your heart.”
He didn’t say anything. She’d meant it as a joke, but it felt to her that he took it rather seriously.
Before she could say anything, Mandy came back. “So anything else?”
“No, thanks,” Paige replied. “This was all good.”
“Do you want coffee or dessert?” Lando asked her.
She really didn’t want to prolong the evening. The sooner they left this joint, the better it was for her. She had a good time with him, but she really didn’t want to do or say something she might regret later. So far, it was friendly and that was just the way she liked it. “No, thanks.”
“Could we have the check, por favor?” he asked politely.
“Sure, coming right up,” Mandy said as she began to pick up their dishes and cutlery.
When Mandy left, Paige grabbed a quick, deep breath and expelled it slowly through her lips. She’d thoroughly enjoyed her meal. It’d been a long time since she’d been here, but her memories of it were as fresh as ever. “My sisters and I used to come here a lot whenever I came down for the holidays. And we always managed to have a great time.”
Mandy came back.
Paige slipped her hand into the pocket of her jeans and took out some cash, but Lando beat her to it.
When he settled the bill, they stood. “Shall we?” he said.
“Oh yes, we shall,” Paige said with a smile.
They bid Mandy farewell, and strolled out. The night outside was breezy and quiet. “Thanks for a lovely meal,” she said.
“Me querida, you can thank me with a kiss,” he suggested.
She turned to face him, unsure if she heard him right, but his arm snaked around her waist and he tugged her forward before she had a chance to think of anything. When his lips claimed hers, her breath caught in her throat. The sensations that ran through her body were hot and wild. It was impossible to rein them in. He devoured her mouth and she allowed him to do whatever he wanted. More than that, she matched him stroke for stroke when his tongue danced with hers. It was a long time since she felt this crash and burn in her heart. It was heady to feel like this. She swayed on the waves of passion that swelled and crested inside her. When he broke the contact, she couldn’t really focus. Her mind was a whirl of emotions.
As she tried to gather her thoughts, her gaze took in the shadowy figure that stood under a tree. As if sensing that he’d been spotted, he slipped into the alley. “Who was that?”
Lando turned to look. “Who?”
“Nothing. I just…” She waved a hand. It was probably one of the employees from the bar who was taking a break. Her mind was addled enough with that kiss, and she couldn’t really focus on anything else. “Forget it.”
“Come on, let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her forward.
Like an obedient slave, she followed him.
He opened the car and plucked the keys out of her hand. “Time for my first drive in these parts, right?”
“Sure,” she managed to say.
It was a dream; it had to be the only explanation. No man could make her melt inside with just one kiss. He shouldn’t have been able to reduce her to this state but he did with such ease she was still flabbergasted.
He started the car. “Here we go.” He took it out on the road. His driving was smooth and confident.
She could tell he wouldn’t have much trouble because he navigated the roads with ease. Many wild thoughts whirled in her mind but she didn’t say anything. When he parked the car in the garage, she couldn’t even muster the strength to open the door; but Lando, being the gentleman that he was, came around the passenger side and helped her out of the car.
“It was a lovely evening.” She fully expected him to ask her out again. The word ‘no’ sat on the tip of her tongue. If he could make her feel so crazy with one kiss what would happen if she made out with him? What would happen if he made love
to her?
“Me gustó mucho estar con tú, Paige.”
Her heart slammed like a sledgehammer against her chest. “What does that mean?”
He reached out and caressed her cheek. “It means, mi querida, that I enjoyed being with you.”
“I had a good time, too,” she managed to say. “Thanks.” She clasped her hands together so they wouldn’t tremble.
“De nada,” Lando replied with a smile. He walked her to the farmhouse. When they stood in front the door, he lifted her hand and deposited a kiss on it. “Sweet dreams, lovely Paige.”
After he released her hand, she shoved her hand into her pocket and grabbed her keys, even as she sent a silent prayer that she didn’t carry her favorite handbag tonight. She knew that in the nervous state she was in, there would be no way she would have been able to find her keys as quickly as she did just now. Not with all the odds and ends she typically carried in the black bag. Her hands trembled again, and she silently cursed herself for allowing Lando to unnerve her. She fumbled with the key as he looked on with a grin.
Finally, she was able to unlock the door. Quickly she opened it, stepped into the house, closed the door, and leaned against it. Sweet dreams indeed. The man knew exactly the effect the kiss had on her, and he was secretly laughing at her. Boom! When he kissed her, it was as if her body melted and transformed into something else. She craved him in a way that she couldn't quite explain. Damn him! No, she wouldn’t allow him to seduce her with such ease. Paige was determined to put up a good fight. She wouldn’t see him again. Not that he asked her, the sneaky, sexy bastard. He knew which buttons to push to leave her wanting a little more, but she wouldn't succumb to his smooth charm.
She would be strong and that was her grand plan. It was going to work.
It had to.
Chapter Four
Lando had kissed many women in his life, but the taste of Paige still lingered on his lips. As he took the bottle of wine up to the farmhouse, he recalled the moment when his lips landed on hers. That incident changed the way he thought of her. Earlier, he was intrigued and curious, but now he was bewitched and half in love already. It was a little humiliating to know that a woman could put a spell on him so quickly. He never felt this way with another woman. Sure, he enjoyed them, respected them, and had a good time with them. Lando was careful never to hurt anyone he was with, but he also didn’t give his heart away so easily.
