Since coming to the ranch, she hadn’t been applying as much makeup, but today she went all the way. She was about to leave the bathroom when she decided to pull her hair up.
Daylight met her outside, soft and innocent as she walked through the thin mist. Promising. A fuzzy yellow spot indicated where the sun was above the tree line. Maybe the mist would burn off to a nice day.
Had Brent meant what she’d read in his eyes? Did she trust him? She couldn’t imagine him using her feelings against her, but she couldn’t let go of that fear, either.
She wore new leather boots and Levis. It didn't compare to how she'd dressed for her old job, but this fit in with Brent and his friends.
She knocked and wrapped her arms around herself while she waited. The door swung open and Brent’s cologne kicked her in the stomach with a sensation she . . . might like.
“What are you knocking for?” he asked, his blue eyes full of teasing and desire at the same time. The look put her mind into sex mode before she could stop it.
“Right. I still need to catch you in the shower.” Or climbing out, skin damp with a towel around his waist. His pupils widened. Then, leaning close, he kissed her cheek. Rather, he kissed her right next to her mouth. And that was worse than kissing her lips, because now she itched all over to touch him.
“You look nice.” He held the door open.
“Nice?” she teased with a small smile.
“You always look nice. I was being polite, but I could have said you look good enough to eat. Or lick, whichever.”
She blushed at that one, and could tell that’s what he wanted. Their eyes met, and his were full of playfulness. He looked pretty yummy himself, but she lost her nerve and didn’t say so. His snug jeans and fitted black T-shirt were driving her crazy, but she didn’t plan on telling him what she wanted to do.
When she followed him into the kitchen, she saw brown grocery bags all over his counter. “I got everything on your list and then some,” he said.
“I can see that.” She had to look away from the sexy grin he flashed her. He started to pull things from the freezer and refrigerator. Looking inside the bags, she saw they contained all the nonperishable items she could ever want for a fest.
She looked at him again and her heart beat wildly in her chest. That black shirt of his did something to her. So did the view as she stood behind him, checking out his butt in the jeans.
“Here you go.” She brought over chopped celery and onion. When she turned her back to chop mushrooms, she felt his lips touch her neck. Moist and warm, his kiss sent pleasure rocketing through her body.
“I’m trying to work here,” she murmured
“And I’m trying to seduce you.” His soft voice tickled her ear, so she laughed instead of responding. When he stepped back, she was glad she had a minute to get her bearings. He wanted to seduce her?
Did that mean, seduce her and have a relationship?
They both heard loud, feminine laughter from outside, and Brent smiled. “That’d be Alice, Dale’s girlfriend.”
When she took a shaky breath, he turned and went to the door.
She followed hesitantly, realizing something was happening. Maybe it had been happening for a while, but she wasn’t fighting as fiercely as she usually did. Being on the ranch at first had been one thing, but to feel welcome was another thing.
“Dale, Alice.” Brent greeted them as he opened the door. “Alice, this is Missy.”
“Well, well. Now I see why Brent let that horse kick him.”
Missy shot Brent a confused look. Did she have something to do with that? Dale and Alice both hooted while she narrowed her eyes at Brent.
“We saw Ivan coming down the road,” Dale said, most likely to change the subject for Brent’s sake, then went to the door to open it.
* * * *
Brent left the living room where everyone chatted but returned a moment later with his violin. “I promised the lady a song or two, for taking care of me while my side healed up.”
He held her gaze while he warmed up. Next he eased into a soulful piece, with beautiful soaring passages. His hands moved expertly, showing years of practice, and his love of the instrument came through in his playing.
With his intense gaze on her, she couldn’t look away from him. Even while she knew everyone looked between her and him.
She no longer knew what to expect from his man - except that she had a lot more to learn.
Chapter Seven
Music had been a hobby, one he’d always enjoyed, but tonight his music became a love song for Missy. He put his feelings for her into his music, hoping she understood his longing, his need to touch her, his need to take her breath away.
The others clapped along with her when he finished the last song, but he looked into her wondrous brown eyes only, gauging her response.
Romance, anyone?
To everyone he said, “Smells like dinner’s done.” He didn’t want to make a big show of it, and he’d seen what he wanted from Missy. She’d listened with more than her ears, leaning forward, her face enraptured.
After he carried the turkey to the table, he carved while everyone filled their plates.
“Did you cook for the rest of the year?” Alice asked Brent with a laugh, “You don’t think we eat this much, do you?”
He shrugged and glanced at Missy. She returned his smile with a secretive one, a shared look. With her hair pulled up, she looked different. Sophisticated, but not aloof like when he’d first met her. It helped that she wore a soft green sweater and not a silk suit.
Funny thing was, he itched to pull her hair free and watch it tumble down around her shoulders -- after kissing her neck like crazy. He hadn’t thought of that. Maybe he liked it up . . . for a while.
“Gonna daydream all day, or are you hungry?” Dale intruded into his fantasy. One look at Dale grinning at him told Brent his thoughts were pretty apparent.
“Don’t wait for me, dig in,” he joked right back. He didn’t care if everyone could tell what was on his mind. As long as Missy got the hint.
She glanced at him, but looked away quickly.
“I guess there is something you can cook.” Brent spoke in Missy’s ear, so the others wouldn’t hear him tease her.
She narrowed her eyes at him, while trying not to smile. Her lips quivered before she gave in and shrugged.
“Pie anyone?” Dale asked, adding to Missy, “You have to try my apple pie.”
“I’ll try to fit in a piece.”
Brent could see her surprise when she bit into the first bite. “Can all the men around here cook and bake better than me?”
Brent liked Dale’s pies, but what he really wanted for dessert was the woman sampling a bite. He watched her savor it, her eyes fluttering shut, and then opening to look right at him.
A blush crept up her neck and onto her cheeks. Brent’s manners insisted he didn’t rush everyone out the door after dinner, but his body couldn’t wait to get Missy alone.
On that thought, he cleared the table and let his company talk. Glancing back at them, he saw Missy’s gaze on him. His legs. She worked her way up and seemed to stop right below his belt. He let out his breath when she moved on to his stomach. She lingered there, too. Then his chest.
She was chewing her lips. Someone help him.
Finally she looked up at his face and went flaming red. Oh, yeah, baby, I’m watching you, too. He smiled.
Rubbing her neck, she turned back to Alice, who wore a sly smile.
“Well, I think we need to be getting home.” Alice spoke loud enough for Dale to hear her as she stood. Ivan sat with his wife on the couch, about climbing in her lap, so he looked equally pleased with the idea.
Missy’s face had gone from red to pale. He’d let her leave if she gave the slightest indication she wasn’t ready to be close to him. Maybe he scared her. He’d gobbled her up with his gaze all night. Where had his self-control had gone? Right in the gutter, along with his thoughts.
After Ivan and Tina drove away, Missy turned to him with questioning eyes, her mouth parted.
“I didn’t mean to make you uneasy tonight,” he started. She looked down and he felt like kicking himself.
“Maybe it wasn’t you.” She looked up again. He felt a leap of excitement when he read the feelings there. “I’m not used to feeling like this.”
Let me touch you. He felt like a boy on a cliff, staring at the deep water below. Jump, and it’ll be over. But he didn’t move yet.
“Want help cleaning up this mess?” She glanced around, a hand on her neck again.
“I didn’t get you alone to clean.” He pulled her into an embrace without thinking or questioning it. “I’ve wanted to kiss your neck all night.”
His mouth made her moan, and she leaned her head back. Brent trailed his mouth up to her ear and his hands slid into her hair. The clip holding her hair up popped.
She didn’t care. Kiss me!
With one hand, he brushed her hair over her shoulder and slid his hand down the silky length of it. Since their bodies were pressed together, he felt her body heat through her clothing. It made him want to feel that heat skin to skin.
They mirrored smiles at each other when her head tilted back to look at him. Heaven help him, he couldn’t hold back with her.
“Missy . . . if you don’t want to kiss me, you’d better run now.”
“No way. I’m staying.” Her brown eyes held desire, not fear. He saw the cloudy look in her eyes, and brought his mouth down on hers. Soft, warm, and ready. To gain her trust, he kept the contact light at first. But she parted her lips in an invitation.
He felt like he took flight as she melted into him, molded every inch of her to his body. Clinging to him, she welcomed his advance, meeting his tongue. Urgency to devour her overwhelmed him.
Her sweet kiss turned passionate. She tilted her head, wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, and kissed him with the same wildness he felt.
He deepened the kiss when she moaned, but then she hesitated. Pulling back, he saw her open her eyes to meet his gaze. She looked both amazed and puzzled.
Murmuring, he asked, “Friends can kiss once in a while, can’t they?”
“I’ll allow it today.” She looked at his lips and leaned forward. Without looking away from his mouth, she ran a finger across his top lip, then bottom.
He imagined pushing her back on the couch and kissing her breathless. But he needed her trust.
“I love your mouth.” His words came out a whisper.
Suddenly her mouth landed on his, her body against him. She shocked the socks off him by slipping her hands under his shirt and spreading her fingers across his stomach.
She chewed on his bottom lip to drive him crazy. The kiss deepened.
She pulled him with her and fell back on the couch. “Touch me.”
Had she somehow seen his fantasy in his eyes?
“Are you sure?” He didn’t plan on pushing things. She didn’t answer, just grabbed his hand and pulled it against her. So she wasn’t an uptight city girl, but an adventurous siren.
Had she ever seemed like a city girl? A loud knock sounded at the door, causing him to pause.
She clung to him, shaking her head. “Don’t answer it.”
What could be so important? He hadn’t felt an earthquake. He didn’t smell smoke.
For the life of him, he couldn’t pull away from her. The knock got louder, then Dale called his name.
“Damn it all!” Brent jumped up to answer the door, saying over his shoulder, “He’ll walk right in here if we don’t answer.”
He threw open the door to scowl at Dale. “Is something on fire?”
Dale looked baffled. “You better get out here, the stable roof’s leaking. We’ve got a muddy mess in there and some unhappy horses.”
Dale left before Brent could grab his coat. Missy rushed to come with him.
“Listen, you don’t need to be out in the cold and wet.” He didn’t think she’d know how to help anyway.
Her dark gaze held his, looking determined as heck to go with him.
“Fine, I don’t have time to argue.” He turned toward the door, and she followed him into the dark night. The rain fell slow enough to look like snow, but it wasn’t cold enough for that.
After several steps, he thought about how he’d spoken to her. Looking over, however, she didn’t look angry. “Listen, getting interrupted like that . . . it, uh, it doesn’t feel so great. Sorry I snapped at you.”
The corners of her mouth rounded in a smile. “Forgiven. I’m not too thrilled, either. That’s why I didn’t want to sit there by myself.”
Really? He wanted to tease her, but they were close to the stables.
Dale placed a ladder against the side, with the tools close by.
“I’ll hold, you go up first,” Brent directed Dale. Missy stepped back as Dale climbed. Brent turned to her when Dale reached the roof. Her head went back to look up, and she looked scared.
He chucked the rolled-up tarp up and made sure Dale caught it, then he picked up the toolbox to take up with him.
“Hold the ladder for me?” Judging from the look on her face, she didn’t like heights. He wasn’t about to ask her to come up.
“Okay, go.”
He didn’t rush since the ladder was wet, and he had to perch the box on a rung, take a step, and then move the toolbox. He reached the roof and looked down through the darkness.
“I’ll go take care of the horses,” she called and disappeared in two seconds flat. He’d have to laugh about it later, when the horses were dry.
The lone flashlight he’d thought to bring didn’t do much in the way of lighting. Dale used his own flashlight to light his workspace. With the rain and tilted roof, it wasn’t a fun job, but they got it done.
“Missy!” He had to bellow her name out since she was still inside. She ran out and understood he wanted her to hold the ladder. Once they were both on the ground again, he said, “Let’s survey the damage.”
With only five boarder horses, their total came to fifteen, and Missy had moved them so every horse was in a dry stall.
“I wonder why a little water set them off.” Dale rubbed his beard.
Brent shrugged since there wasn’t any way to tell, but he noticed Missy had gotten the horses into dry blankets for the night.
“We’ll take care of this,” Brent told Dale. “You can head on home.”
Dale nodded to them on his way out. Missy had been quiet and he turned to her now. “You have a way with them, you know. They’re settled down like nothing bothered them.”
She didn’t answer, and he knew she was thinking over what had happened between them in his house. The woman sure did like to think things over.
“Warm enough?” His coat had gotten soaked through while he hammered the tarp down.
“I’m good. We’ll be done soon anyway.” She started back to the wet stalls. “This isn’t so bad. It’ll dry now that new water isn’t dripping in.”
“Let’s head out, then.” He waited for her to turn around and look at him, but she didn’t. She started for the door.
Curious reaction. “Would you like to come back to my place?”
Now she turned. “I . . . I’m not sure.”
He didn’t plan to push things, not when she looked worried about something. “Okay, I’ll walk you home.”
At his words, her shoulders relaxed and she tried to smile. His instinct had been on, but what scared her? He put an arm around her on the way, and was grateful she leaned into him, accepting his comfort.
They hurried through the rain. Not that they could get any wetter.
At her door, he asked, “How about you and I go out tomorrow night?”
Maybe she just needed to take it slow. Now under her porch roof, he rubbed her wet hair. He pulled her chin up and sank his mouth onto hers, finding her lips as cold as his own. He kept the kiss light and added another to her forehead before sending her inside.
Once her door was shut, he headed home, not caring about the cold drizzle coming down or the stable roof.
* * * *
Missy stood facing her bathroom mirror when she heard Brent’s truck. No time to change her clothes again. Still nervous about taking this step, she didn’t wait for him to knock, but grabbed her jacket and purse and walked outside to meet him on the porch.
Memory flashes from the night before hit her, once again sending desire through her. She’d kissed him until she couldn’t think.
He stepped out of the truck, looking dangerous in his tan cowboy hat, a crisp dress shirt, and his long legs in new jeans. Dangerous to her hormones, that was. He looked so good she ignored the flowers.
He checked her out, up and down. Then again. “Guess you’re ready.”
He looked dumbfounded, but she didn’t find it as funny. Another time, maybe, but now she just liked knowing she did that to him.
She met his gaze. “I heard you coming and didn’t want to wait inside.” She took the flowers he handed her, brought the red roses to her nose, but she wasn’t expecting them to smell so rich, deep, and somehow of love. “Come in and I’ll put them in water.”
She turned and took them with her, letting him follow. Like the view from back there? He seemed so entranced by her. She was aware she had some curves, but his adoring eyes, and hands, took her unprepared.
She arranged them without making a fuss so they could go. He’d stayed by the counter while she poured water and set the vase down. But she smelled his cologne, felt his presence.
She looked up. He watched her, too, his lips parted and his eyes aglow with something like sentiment or reverence. Whatever it was, it stopped her from moving or breathing for a full minute.
A Cowboy For Christmas Page 8
