Alexis sucked in a breath as her heart started to pound. She clasped his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. “Thanks, Dane. I do feel pretty this evening, and it’s thanks to you.”

  His hand tightened. “Honey, God made you gorgeous, not me.”

  His low voice was husky with emotion, and the sound of it sent tingles rippling up her belly. Just being around the man was making her aroused now. Damn. She had a concert to get through.

  She looked up and caught him watching her. His mouth quirked. “Care to share?”

  Oh, hell no. Change the subject. “I was wondering about something. Have you ever been serious about a woman, Dane?”

  He took a long swallow of his drink and looked out over the crowd. “I was engaged once, but in the end, she broke it off with me. She didn’t like that I was gone so much. She said that she’d decided that she just didn’t want to live her life like that.”

  He met her gaze, and the pain in his eyes broke her heart. He sighed and looked away again. “It took me years to get over it.”

  She squeezed his hand. She knew what heartbreak was; how hard it was to get over. She hated to think that Dane had gone through that too.

  Bells chimed overhead, and he took her hand. “The show’s starting. Let’s head into the hall.”

  At the top of their section, an usher helped them find their seats. The musicians were warming up, and the hall resonated with the cacophony of sound. Dane smiled at her and clasped her fingers.

  As she watched the individuals on stage, her mind wandered to earlier in the day. Their couple’s massage had been so much more enjoyable this time. And she knew that Dane was too involved in enjoying his own massage to glance her way.

  They had visited some and had gotten to know each other a bit better. Something about the intimacy of the situation had allowed her to talk about losing her parents, which she seldom did.

  Afterwards they’d enjoyed an amazing dinner at The Meridian Restaurant, a Brazilian place that one of Dane’s Brazilian bull-rider friends had told him about. The relaxed atmosphere had been just what she’d needed before the excitement of going to the symphony.

  A woman with a violin came out on stage and took her seat in the front. Everyone else had been seated for at least five minutes.

  Dane said, “It shouldn’t be long now.”

  Alexis felt a movement of air, and Dane’s aftershave wafted past her. She loved the scent he wore; a little sweet, yet dense with a woodsy edge to it. It was very sexy and masculine, and it begged her to kiss him.

  It wasn’t long before everything quieted, the lights dimmed completely, and the conductor was introduced.

  The music started, and she was instantly transported into another world. It was amazing and lovely and sometimes overwhelming. At one point it was so beautiful that she felt tears well up in her eyes.

  When the lights came up for the final time, Dane helped her to her feet. Her knees felt weak, and she clung to him.

  “You all right, honey?” His eyes widened in concern.

  She smiled ruefully. “I’m fine. It’s just— Oh, Dane, that was wonderful, wasn’t it?”

  He slipped his arm around her waist as they got to the aisle. “It was, yes. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed coming here. I’ve been several times with my sponsor.”

  The limo was waiting in the line of cars out front when they got there. She shivered in the cold wind, and Dane put his arm around her shoulders, snuggling her close to his big body. “Come on, let’s run. You’re freezing in that dress.”

  The driver saw them approaching, breathless and laughing, and opened their door.

  She slid inside, and a warm blast of heat welcomed her. “Oh, that feels heavenly.”

  Dane slid in beside her and put his arm around her shoulders again.

  She leaned her head against his broad chest. “I feel fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.”

  He chuckled. “Well, just relax and bask in the glow. We’ll be back at the hotel in a little while.” He paused. “Drinks in my room again?”

  Her pulse began to race. “Sounds great.”

  His arm tightened around her. “Good.”

  Dane waited for Alexis to return from her room. She’d said that she needed to freshen up a moment. He’d already poured her scotch and his bourbon. She’d looked exquisite tonight. No other woman had even come close to being as beautiful as she was. The woman with the fur? Nothing compared to Alexis. He didn’t understand why she didn’t know how absolutely stunning she was. The woman was a knockout—like, out of the park—and she thought she was “pretty”?

  She walked back in, and he was struck again by how sexy she looked in that dress. “Do you know how beautiful you are, Alexis? Men’s heads turned everywhere you went tonight.”

  She bit her lip, and a pale-pink flush rose up her chest to her neck. “Thanks, Dane.”

  How he loved the deep V of her neckline. Her bust was absolutely perfect.

  He handed her the scotch he’d poured for her and raised his glass. “To the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  She grinned. “Oh Lord, I’m not toasting to that.”

  He laughed.

  She tapped her glass to his. “To my first symphony. May there be many more in my future.”

  “I’ll make sure of it,” he said over the rim of his glass.

  She met his gaze, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. “That’s going to be kind of hard when you only have me for seven days, Rodeo.”

  “Like I said...”

  She rolled her eyes. “Hope springs eternal.”

  He grinned. “Right!”

  They sat down, and after he took another sip of his drink, he said, “We can sleep in again tomorrow. I hope you enjoy what I have planned for the afternoon. My bull-rider friend has a ranch north of town, and we’re going up there for a barbeque.”

  Her face got still. “Professional bull rider, as in the PBR?”

  What was going on? “Yeah, he’s home for a few days before he heads out to the next rodeo. Why?”

  She sighed. “Just wondering.” She took two long swallows of her Lagavulin and seemed to relax again. “What time do we leave?”

  Still not convinced that there wasn’t a problem, he said, “We’ll have a leisurely breakfast and then head on out. You’ll want to wear jeans and boots, of course.”

  He went on to talk to her about the bulls Rusty raised, but he couldn’t let go of the feeling that something was wrong.

  “Alexis, haven’t we become good friends in the past few days? I feel like I can tell you anything. I hope you know that what you tell me goes no further.”

  She looked into the dark amber liquid in her glass as if weighing something in her mind. After a long pause, during which he’d begun to think that she wasn’t going to say anything, she began to speak. “I always thought that I’d marry a cowboy and we’d settle down on my family’s ranch where I could still help my daddy. I’ve always been like the son he never had. I figured that the cowboy I married would be happy to be a part of my family, to know that when my parents were gone, we’d have our own ranch. It was a dream that’s always been with me. I never saw my future any other way.”

  When she met his gaze, the pain in her eyes was so deep that he wanted to take her in his arms and make it go away. But she needed to do this on her own.

  “I met a cowboy all right. And I fell in love, hard. I just knew that he loved me too. And he liked my dream—only he wanted that dream to happen on his ranch, with his parents, not mine.” Her eyes grew red, and she bit her trembling lip.

  “Even though I was my parents’ only child, I loved that bull-riding rodeo cowboy so much I agreed to his dream. I agreed to leave my daddy to run our ranch all by himself when money was so scarce he couldn’t pay for a full-time hand. I did that because I loved my bull rider more than my parents—hell, more than anything and everything in my life.

  “So I planned our wedding, a big one with all my parents’ friends, while he was on the road. I was happy; I mean, so full of joy I could have shit rainbows.” She grimaced as if she were in real pain.

  “And then I found out the truth. While I was home, my bull rider was out at the bars after every rodeo, picking up women, taking them to bed, and calling me the next morning to tell me how much he loved me.” Her mouth was a grim line, but a single tear rolled down her cheek.

  Dane went to her then and knelt in front of her, saying softly, “Who was this guy?”

  She shook her head. “You don’t need to know that. He’s in my rearview mirror, and that’s where I want him to stay.”

  He looked into her eyes. “Alexis, I would never, never do that to you. That’s not who I am. I’m a one-woman man, and I always have been.” Drawing her to her feet, he said, “There will always be horse’s asses out there, but every man isn’t like that, honey. Give me a chance to prove to you that I’m different.”

  He pulled her into his chest for a gentle hug, feeling her emotional fragility more than ever before.

  She pressed her cheek against him, holding tightly. He hoped that she believed him, believed in his sincerity, that he was an honest man.

  After the longest time, she said quietly, “Dane, will you come to my bed?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Of course I will, sweetheart.” He tilted her chin so that she looked into his eyes. “I’ll do whatever you want, you understand?”

  She gave him a small smile. “Give me fifteen minutes, and then I’ll knock on the connecting door.”

  Chapter Seven

  Alexis left the bathroom light on and the door partway ajar before knocking on the adjoining door. She met Dane in a short robe belted over her black teddy. She hadn’t considered that she really might be sleeping with Dane when packing her sleepwear, and it was only luck that she had something decent with her. He wore a pair of shorts and was bare-chested. She’d known that he was muscular, but without a shirt he took her breath away.

  He stepped toward her, his eyes warm and sparkling with mischief. “Hi, there.”

  “Hey, Rodeo, just how strong are you?” She smiled, and her eyes went to his chest again, roaming to his shoulders and biceps and then down to his large, muscular thighs. No wonder he could stop a 750-pound steer in its tracks. The man was built like the broad side of a barn, as her daddy would say—sturdy as hell, and yet his smaller waist and hips in comparison to his broad shoulders gave him the perfect masculine build.

  The devil was in his smile when he replied, “I’ve always found myself strong enough to get the job done.” He drew her to him and brushed a lock of her hair back from her cheek. “Thanks for inviting me over, Cowgirl.”

  She led him to the bed. His gaze never leaving hers, he took hold of the bow at her waist and slowly untied it. Brushing the robe from her shoulders, he let it fall to the floor. Although the room was warm, she felt goose bumps on her bare skin, a reaction to his gaze as it traveled slowly over her.

  “My God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered as his eyes continued their journey across her body.

  She ran her fingers over his pectoral muscles. They were hard and thick, and much larger than her hand. He clasped her fingers and drew her close. “Careful, Cowgirl.” He grinned. “I might just eat you up.”

  “I guess you know how gorgeous you are, Rodeo.”

  His brows rose. “You’re kidding. I’m not exactly your male-model type.”

  “The runways don’t know what they’re missing.” She slid her fingers through his dark hair, letting her arms rest on his shoulders. “You’re exquisite, perfect.” She met his gaze. “Take me to bed, Cowboy. Show me what this magnificent body can do.”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” He lifted her as if she weighed nothing and rested her in the center of the king-sized bed.

  His thigh slid between hers, and he leaned next to her. “Shall I turn off the lamp?”

  She nodded and he reached over, plunging them into darkness except for the light coming through the partially open bathroom door. He looked into her eyes, and his voice was so tender and earnest when he said, “Alexis, you’re an amazing person, and I admire you. I didn’t think I’d end up here when I wagered our bet. I just wanted to help. To do something nice for you, since I’d heard how tough your life was.”

  She frowned. “You did? What did you hear?” Her heart beat faster.

  He slowly lowered his lips to hers in a soft kiss. “I heard that you’d lost your momma and daddy and that your Granddaddy couldn’t help you anymore and that you were running your place all alone. I know what kind of work that entails, honey.”

  She sighed. He’d heard it all. All except the worst. “Did you hear anything else?”

  He kissed her again, tracing her lips with the tip of his tongue. “Uh-hmm.” He met her gaze again in the dim light. “I heard there was some kind of trouble with the bank, and that broke my heart.”

  She grimaced. “I hate it that I’ve become the source of gossip around town.” Someone at the bank had to have talked, damn them.

  “I don’t think people are gossiping about you, sweetheart. People care about you, that’s all.” He kissed her again, slowly and with such gentle sweeps of his lips that butterflies fluttered in her belly. “I care about you, too, honey.”

  Her chest ached suddenly as if her heart was being squeezed. God, how did she deserve this man?

  As if realizing that she desperately needed a change of subject, he said, “Cowgirl, this is the last thing you need to be thinking about right now—and luckily, I’m full of distractions. Come here!” He rolled her on top of him and pulled her close, kissing her with an abandon that made her laugh.

  “Okay, okay, already. I’m distracted.” Her breasts were pressed against his chest, and she felt the heat and power radiating from his muscles. The feeling was exquisite.

  “That’s better.” His eyes suddenly filled with more than humor. His mouth widened in a sensual curve, and his eyes were warm and sexy when he said, “Kiss me like you mean it, Cowgirl.”

  She chuckled. “Careful what you ask for.”

  “Lay it on me. I can stop a big ol’ steer, remember?”

  “Oh hell, yeah. Come here.” She could feel the roughness of his hands and the calluses from hard work just slightly abrading her skin, and it sent shivers along her spine. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him hard, covering every inch of his mouth, then delving deep inside it, stroking his tongue. She was reminded of the taste of expensive whiskey and summer rain, a very masculine combination that made her body soften and her pulses throb.

  His chest heaved, and he claimed her mouth in a deep, sensual kiss that lasted forever, making her toes curl with a lust that she hadn’t felt in years. She was wet and hot and ready to burst with need.

  He clasped her hips and raised her up, sliding her tiny thong panties from her hips. She realized that his arm didn’t seem to bother him at all.

  She felt the head of him probing at her, smooth and hard and hot, and then he let her weight sink down on it. Everything began to tighten as sensation roared through her. She took his hands and began to move, sliding forward and then back. Sheer, glorious physical sensation took over as Dane groaned his pleasure. She felt the rolled edge of the condom he wore, and the ridge stimulated her even more. Her every nerve ending was on fire, sensitive and throbbing with pleasure.

  He lifted her again and thrust inside her. She moaned, the feeling exquisite as he hit her pleasure spot perfectly. He held her gaze as he kept the rhythm slow with long, deep strokes that stirred her soul. She’d never known that a man could be this patient, this gentle. She leaned down and feathered kisses across his lips. He closed his eyes, as if he wanted to savor the sensation. She whispered, “You’re amazing.”

  He opened them, his rhythm never faltering. “Alexis...” His voice was low and deep, a sound that rumbled through her as he spoke her name like a caress. “I’m making love to you. How could I be anything else?”

  She smiled at his chivalry and kissed him again. He rolled her onto her back and stared down at her as his thumb quietly tortured her nipple. She sucked in a breath at the intensity of pleasure it brought. He looked like a dark warrior towering over her with his thick head of black hair, his fierce blue eyes, his broad back, and his sculpted muscles. When he lowered his lips to her breast, she said, “Oh God, that feels so good.”

  He slipped his hand to her hip and drew her closer, tugging on her nipple and increasing the suction. Pleasure shot through her in waves, and she arched helplessly, needing more. The world spun away.

  “Now, Dane.” She reached for him, and he said soothingly, “Yes, honey. Now.”

  He entered her again smoothly as he kissed her mouth slowly and deeply, using his tongue. She whimpered her desire and his hips moved, thrusting harder, in and out, answering her need. She gasped, her pelvis rising convulsively against him. She grabbed his butt and pulled him hard into her. He thrust deep and pounded into her, his muscles hard as rock under her palms.

  Moaning her pleasure unconsciously, she rode the waves of wild, reckless energy bursting inside her. Her body suddenly reached the point of no return. “Dane,” she cried, and she clung to him as wave after wave of intense pleasure poured over her.

  He came a second later, driving into her, going deeper, so deep that she stiffened convulsively and began to climax again.

  Moments later, she held him, her big, strong cowboy, and whispered, “Dane... Oh, Dane.”

  His smile was filled with tenderness when he whispered, “I’m here, honey.”

  He settled beside her and drew her against his broad chest. She’d never felt so cherished in her life. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I told you that you were amazing.”

  She laughed softly. “Do you always have to have the last word?”

  He chuckled. “Usually.”

  His fingers caressed her arm so softly she could barely feel it. How could a man so big be so gentle?

  “Do you want me to go, Alexis?” he asked quietly.

 

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