Dane rolled his eyes and took another swig of his beer.
"Mrs. Lawson, you shouldn't be sharing all my secrets. Ren might think I'm a scoundrel."
Ren shrugged innocently. "No comment."
—ELEVEN—
Ren had been passed around the dance floor a dozen times. The first dance with Dane had been upbeat and was a distant memory since it felt like she'd had a new partner for every song, including every neighboring rancher, and the remainder of the Baylor boys. Right now, the patriarch of the Baylor family had made an appearance and Caine was swinging her around the room like it was nothing.
She couldn't say she wasn't relieved when she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Dane with what was her third or fourth drink from the bar in hand, along with a bottle of water.
"I'm just gonna cut in here, dad."
"I suppose I ought to head home to your mother. She kicked me out for some quality one on one with the kids." Caine laughed.
He thanked Ren for the dance and headed for the door, leaving her with Dane. They were surrounded by people but she felt like they were the only two in the room, the way he seemed to narrow her in his sights. He guided her toward one of the vacant tables.
"You having a good time?"
Ren nodded eagerly, the drink lowered many of her inhibitions and she'd given herself up to having a good time. The joyous mood in the dance hall was infectious, and everyone was friendly and warm.
"I am. Your dad is tireless."
"He makes me feel like an old man, sometimes." Dane laughed.
Toying with the straw in her drink, Ren looked up at Dane. She'd barely seen him since the first neighbor had cut in to ask for a dance. She didn't have any right to wonder what he'd been doing or who he'd been passing the time with, but she felt a hot stab of jealousy at the idea of him spinning another woman around the dance floor. She wanted to ask but he perked as the pretty strains of a slow acoustic country song came over the speakers.
He tipped his head, one corner of his lips slanted up in a devilish smile that brought out a dimple.
"I think it's my turn for another dance."
She feigned reluctance for just a moment but finished off the last sip of her drink and took his hand as he guided her toward the dance floor.
Dane took her into his arms with the same comfort and ease that pulled her to his side the first night she'd spent in his home. She put her arms around his neck as he folded her up into his embrace, holding her closer than might have been appropriate for their relationship but it felt just right to her. The alcohol had warmed her insides and the closeness tipped her over the boiling edge as he began to lead their bodies in a gentle sway.
Ren knew she could give herself up to this, let go and stop resisting, and hope the chips fell in her favor. It might have been the alcohol talking but for a few moments in his arms, she could imagine the four of them as a family with one on the way. Smart girls didn't fall for the far-fetched happily ever after. They didn't fall for the white knight in the form of a tall, handsome cowboy, and they certainly didn't fall for their boss. Ren didn't feel like a very smart girl tonight.
One of Dane's hands had settled on the small of her back, the other slid easily up her spine, under her thick fall of hair, his fingertips landing lightly on the nape of her neck, and drawing goosebumps from her flesh. She met his eyes, shaken out of her moment of imagination and took in a shuddering breath as she realized how focused, how hot his gaze on her was. With a tiny bit of pressure, he tipped her head back and covered her mouth with his.
The kiss felt like falling. It felt like relief. She made the softest noise of surrender. At that, Dane pulled back, his eyes conveying the question, asking for forgiveness for what had transpired and forgiveness for what would happen next. Her response was to pull him closer, joining their mouths once again. The first taste was addictive.
He teased his tongue across the seam of her lips and she opened to him willingly. Maybe it was the alcohol or the heat in the crowded dance hall, the lazily seductive thrum of the baseline in the music, or maybe it was because she allowed herself to want him. He stroked the inside of her mouth, probing lightly, tasting her tentatively.
If people were watching, she didn't notice. She was completely wrapped up in the moment and feel of him so close to her. Their swaying slowed and eventually stopped as he used the hand on the small of her back to press her body tightly to his. The way he clutched her tight to his chest drove any doubts she had about his desires out of her mind. She was not accustomed to being wanted and the feel of his hard body against hers turned her insides to pure molten.
She was breathless when Dane finally pulled away, his slate eyes fiery. It was a demanding, devouring side of him she hadn't yet seen. Without a word, he put a hand on her waist and guided them out of the dance hall. Her heart racing with anticipation, she paid no attention to the handful of people sober enough to take notice of the show they had been putting on in the middle of the dance floor.
They barely made it back to the truck before the kiss picked up where it had left off, making good on the promises Dane's eyes had made. Ren had no time to object before his mouth came sweeping down, hot over hers. It took away her breath and her reason. In this close proximity, with his mouth claiming hers, she couldn't remember or imagine why she would have ever wanted to say no to this man.
He didn't break the kiss as he reached out to lower the tail gate of the truck and turned their bodies. His hands on her waist lifted her effortlessly to perch her up on it. He nudged her knees apart to make a perfect v to cradle his body close to hers. Instinctively, Ren tightened her knees around his hips, drawing him in. The noise he made into her mouth when their bodies came flush nearly undid her. A hot stone of desire built in the pit of her stomach as she shamelessly pressed herself to him, feeling his arousal, hard muscle under her fingers, the manliness of him; all of the things she had been thinking of for days.
Finally breaking the kiss, he let his mouth wander liberally across her jaw, to the sensitive skin of her throat where he paused, sucking briefly. While one hand loosely cradled her jaw, the other slid down her back and pressed her tighter to him, the skirt of her sun dress sliding up her thighs slowly. Her nerves were so awake even the slide of fabric against her skin made her ache to imagine how his hands might feel doing the same thing.
The truck had been backed into a parking space against the wall, which provided them little privacy in the darkness, but Ren didn't care. It felt good, so good, to feel desire for someone, to feel them react with desire. She shuddered as his hand moved from the small of her back to her bare knee, his calloused fingers providing just the right amount of friction as they slid upwards, upwards, until he was cupping her hip under the skirt of her dress. If she hadn't been so lost to the feel of his mouth, his breath, his hands on her, she might have thought of the indecency of it, but she was bobbing out of control on the rough waters of desire.
He slid his hand down, his thumb hitching under the leg band of her panties as his mouth found hers again, tugging lightly at her lower lip as he finally made contact with her core. Ren gasped as his fingers found purchase, gripping his shoulders tightly as he moved in a lazy, light circle around the most sensitive part of her.
"Oh God!" She rasped out. Shamelessly, she pushed her hips forward, further, closer to him. His light touch made her blood sing but it wasn't enough. He let out a tight breath against the sensitive flesh of her neck, and followed it with a light nip.
"Easy, sugar. Make it last."
His words nearly undid her, his achingly slow pace whipping her into frenzy. It was like he was guiding her up a mountain and she knew when she reached the precipice, she would fly. She gripped his shoulders tighter with one hand, panting in his ear as her other hand tightened in his hair.
She whimpered as she neared the first good orgasm she'd had in ages.
"Shhh." He held her against his chest, his lips against her temple, his pace steady but unyielding as he drove her bo
dy toward ecstasy. "I've got you, Ren, don't worry."
He tipped her over the edge with the lightest of touches and she shuddered in his grip. Biting back a feral cry, she pressed her face to his shoulder, sobbing with pleasure. He soothed her, one hand tracing a gentle path from her bare shoulders down to her bottom and up again.
When she'd had a moment to pull herself together, she straightened, reaching for him. Tipping her chin up, Dane pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and smiled.
"It's getting late, I ought to get you home."
"Wait..."
He leaned in close, his hot breath tickling her ear.
"Trust me, there isn't much I want to do more than lay you out in the bed of this truck and make love to you until the sun comes up. But this isn't the place, and you need time." He backed up, sliding her off of the tailgate until she was on her feet but didn't let go of her.
She meant to be indignant about his words but he had a point. She straightened her dress, smoothing it down in much the same way she had earlier that evening. They moved around the side of the truck and he helped her into the passenger seat, leaning in to press a heated kiss to her lips before he shut the door carefully and passed in front of the hood to get in the driver's seat.
The drive back to the Baylor ranch passed in silence. Ren was hard pressed to keep her eyes open as the alcohol and late hour caught up to her but Dane kept a steady undercurrent of pleasure thrumming through her body with his hand on her bare knee, his thumb stroking lightly as he guided the truck through the deserted streets of Three Rivers.
Most of the lights in the big house were out when they pulled in the driveway. Ella's car was parked in front of the porch and she met them in the kitchen, nursing a mug of coffee and reading a hardback novel.
Ren was self-conscious as they appeared in the doorway, tugging the hem of her dress down as far as she could get it. She felt like a teenager caught after a heavy make out session. Would Ella know what they had been up to? She twisted her fingers together nervously. No, ma'am, I haven't been letting your son do sinful things to me in the dark.
She peeked up over her reading glasses. "You kids have fun?"
"Of course. Thanks for keeping the kids, mama." Dane rounded the table and leaned over to give Ella a kiss on the cheek.
"Anytime, sweetheart. You know I never say no to spending time with Gage, and Kerri…" Ella shook her head. "You've done a fine job with that girl, Ren. She's as sweet as the day is long."
Ren smiled, grateful the conversation had steered away from the evening's events and to the kids.
"Thank you, Ella. I try my best. Teenagers aren't always easy."
Ella laughed as she closed her book and rose from the table, looked pointedly at Dane.
"No, they aren't. At least you can reason with a girl. Boys give you heart palpitations every second day." She slid her arm around Dane's shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "I'll be taking off now, Caine is waiting up. He's a nervous Nellie, that one."
They bid Ella farewell and Ren went to pour herself a glass of water. She could feel Dane's presence behind her at the sink. Apparently, her self-consciousness hadn't worn off and she turned quickly, swallowing hard. The dance hall had been a different world altogether, but this was the house—their regular territory, where she was reminded that he was her boss and she had to protect the fragile life she was carving out here with Kerri.
"I think I'll head up to bed now." She put forth a delicate smile and edged away from him.
"Ren?"
She turned.
"I had a great time tonight."
Her smile was stronger this time. "Me too."
—TWELVE—
Ren awoke with a start, her head pounding and her mouth dry. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had overslept by at least an hour and she leaped out of bed before her body and her mind could get their act together. She could hear voices from downstairs. Stumbling into the bathroom, she hurriedly brushed her teeth, and tugged her tangled hair into a ponytail high atop her head.
Taking the stairs two at a time, she hit the kitchen just in time to see Dane scooping scrambled eggs and bacon onto four plates. A bolt of desire shot through her a second before a wave of regret for the horrifying mistake she'd made the night before washed it well out to sea. She felt terrible—emotionally and physically, and she realized she was proving what a terrible choice she had been for this job.
She had wanted him to touch her, she had enjoyed every second of it. The alcohol she'd consumed had only made it easier to cast caution into the wind and accept what she had desired since she'd first laid eyes on Dane Baylor. A man had never touched her in such a masterful, easy way, clearly intent on her pleasure above anything else and asking nothing in return. Yes, she had wanted every second of what happened last night—still did—but she wasn't sure she could now live with the aftermath of it, the awkwardness...her own guilt.
Though she'd rushed away from him when they'd gotten home, Ren would have been lying if she said she hadn't tossed and turned for an hour trying to get to sleep with the feel of him a memory on her skin.
Dane looked up, smirked a bit at her appearance and gestured to an empty seat next to Gage. She blushed, remembering the wicked things those lips had done to her resolve the night before.
"Sit."
She started to protest but he shook his head resolutely and put a cup of coffee down at the place setting along with a couple of pain killers. Offering him a gracious smile, she sat and washed the pills down with a swig of coffee.
"I'm so sorry I overslept…"
"Don't be silly." Dane cast a look at the kids sitting opposite them. "Like I told the kids, the last week or so has been busy for you, you need to catch up on your rest."
"But the ranch… This is a job, not a vacation." He had better things to do than play Mr. Mom to Gage and especially Kerri, for whom she felt she should be the only one responsible.
"Noah has been staying at Finn's since you guys arrived, helping out with the stock. They figured I might want to help you get settled, learn the ropes… find your way around town."
His voice dipped imperceptibly with his last few words, tightening Ren's insides as she thought of what that had encompassed the night before. She let out a long breath. He had carried on as if it didn't mean a thing, but she knew it had been intentional.
How was she supposed to continue to work here while the thought of his rough hands on her skin shot through her mind at the mere sight of him? How was she supposed to focus on caring for his nephew when she couldn't stop thinking of the heat-laden tone of his voice when he'd called her sugar?
"Eat."
She took a deep breath and picked up her fork, working at the breakfast as her skeptical stomach allowed, trying to figure out just what she was going to do about the trouble she found herself in now.
The kids devoured their food in record time while Ren was still pushing the remains of her eggs around on the plate. Dane glanced at the wall clock and got up from the table.
"I do have to get out there now, though, the farrier is coming for the horses." He moved around the table and ruffled Gage's hair lightly. "Be good?"
The remaining trio busied themselves tidying up the kitchen after breakfast. Dane's food had been excellent, but he wasn't exactly efficient when it came to minimizing the amount of dishes he dirtied. With the dishwasher loaded and everything put away, they headed to the yard for a game of hide and seek with Rex in tow.
After what had to have been the tenth round, with Ren doing most of the seeking, the girls had both run out of energy long before the boy and his dog. Kerri cornered her, looping her arm in Ren's and leaning conspiratorially close while they sat on the porch watching Gage and Rex running over the lawn.
"So. Was it dreamy?"
"What do you mean, was it dreamy?" Ren narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"I mean, did he kiss you? Was it romantic?" Kerri's earnest expression almost made Ren laugh out loud. If she had any i
dea… dreamy wasn't the word to describe it, and Ren was glad Kerri had no idea what the other options were.
"One: Dane is my boss. Two: I don't think that's any of your business, thankyouverymuch."
"Well, you always make me tell you what happened after I spend time with my friends. You just never went out with friends before so I never had a chance to make you tell me until now. So now you need to tell me." Kerri's tone was matter-of-fact.
"I danced with my friend, Dane. And I danced with Finn and Noah and Caine, too. And about half of the rest of the town, I couldn't keep track of their names."
The younger girl's face screwed up, frustrated.
"But did he kiss you?"
Ren shot her sister down with a pointed look that invited no further conversation. Kerri was quieted for a moment, still leaning against her sister's shoulder as she watched Gage throw a stick for Rex. After a moment, she broke the silence.
"I'm not stupid, you know. You didn't say yes, but you didn't say no so you wouldn't have to lie to me."
"Kerri Ann Maddock, we are not having this conversation anymore." Her tone was not unkind as Ren released herself from her sister's hold and rose to her feet. "Time to wash up for a snack, guys."
Out of breath, Gage flopped down on the steps before her. "Help, I'm tired!"
Kerri rolled her eyes good-naturedly but helped the boy to his feet. "You're being silly."
Ushering everyone inside, Ren cursed silently. Her sister was perceptive and her burgeoning interest in men only magnified it. Kerri would never just let this drop. Ren had to figure out a way to put this to bed.
—THIRTEEN—
"So life is a bit easier?" Finn Baylor rode alongside his brother, checking fences. The pair spent a lot of time on horseback, contemplating life. It was how they'd grown up and Dane imagined them this way until they were old and gray and not able to ride anymore. He'd come to understand his brother better than he understood just about anybody else through these rides, so he knew his brother's question was a bit more than loaded.
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