Thirty minutes later, dressed and ready to go, Lindsay joined Tony in the living room. He came to his feet when she entered, his gaze sweeping over her, making her tingle. To her surprise, reluctance to see the weekend end filled her. After all, she and Tony had always known it wouldn’t—couldn’t—last.
Even in jeans, boots and a navy Western shirt, Tony looked sexy and handsome. A short while ago, as they’d talked about ranching, she’d felt the old annoyance with him for telling her what she should do. Now, simply looking at him made her heart beat faster.
She looked down at the red dress she’d worn last night and wore again now. “I have to go back to my hotel in this. It’s four in the afternoon, so I may turn heads,” she said, forcing a grin that never made it fully to her lips.
He crossed the room to place his hands on her shoulders. “Lindsay, in that dress, you’ll turn heads any hour of the day or night. You’re gorgeous.” He reached out to play with her hair, which fell about her shoulders. “I like your hair down.”
For some reason she hadn’t put it up when she got ready. She couldn’t say why.
“Thank you. I’m ready to go. You know what the drive is like back to the ranch. Are you going home today?” She knew he was driving her to her hotel, but wasn’t sure where he was headed after that.
“No, I have an appointment in Dallas in the morning. Otherwise, I would have pushed harder to go home together.”
“I see.” She gave one nod. “Well, now we go back to our real lives and the real world. But it was a wonderful, magical weekend that I never, ever expected.”
“My sentiments exactly,” he said. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want this to end, but I know it has to and it won’t be the same.”
“Afraid not,” she agreed with him. “I’m ready. Shall we go?”
“Yes. But how about one last kiss?” He took her in his arms and he kissed her, hard, as if his kiss was sealing a bond that had been established between them this weekend. His lips were making sure that she would never forget his lovemaking, even though she knew it wouldn’t happen again.
She kissed him in kind, wanting just as much to make certain he couldn’t forget her, either.
He raised his head. “How about a picture of the two of us to commemorate the occasion?” he asked, pulling out his phone. “Do you know how few selfies I’ve taken? I think one—with a friend and my horse at a rodeo.”
She laughed. “I rank right up there with your horse. Wow.”
He grinned as he held out the phone and took the shot, then he showed it to her. “You’re gorgeous, Lindsay.”
“Look at that picture the next time you think about dumping trash on the entrance to my ranch.”
He shook his head. “I’m still telling you that I did not do any such thing. You might have annoyed someone else, you know.”
Startled, she studied him. “You really mean that?”
“I really mean it.”
“If you didn’t do it, then I owe you an apology,” she said, still staring at him. But, even if she had accused him of something he didn’t do, there was bound to have been things he did do. And he still had those take-charge ways that drove her nuts. Besides, he liked to play the field and never get serious. No, Tony was not for her.
“One picture, Lindsay, just of you, so I can look and remember. Okay?” he asked, stepping away and taking her picture as she placed her hand on her hip and smiled.
“We have to go. I need to get home,” she said, shouldering a delicate, jeweled purse that matched the straps on her dress.
“Sure thing,” he said, taking her arm to walk her out to the car. As she slid onto the passenger seat, her skirt fell open and she glanced up to see him looking at her legs. She tucked her skirt around her while he closed the door and walked around to his side of the car.
He was quiet on the ride to the hotel, and so was she. As he drew up to the front entrance a short while later, he stepped out and talked to a valet, then came around to escort her into the lobby. “I’m glad you were the high bidder. But I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“We both know the weekend is over. Really over. Reality sets in now, Tony. As we’ve already agreed, it might be a little better than it was.”
He nodded. “You take care.”
“You, too. Thanks for a weekend that was worth my bid.”
“That’ll go to my head. I didn’t dream I could bring such a price.” He smiled as he stepped away. “Goodbye,” he said, turning and walking out of the hotel.
She stood watching him, unable to understand the feelings of sadness and loss as he walked away.
Four