“Until the fights break out.”
“That doesn’t happen often and if it does, we’ll get out of there. I have no intention of spending any part of my night in a brawl.”
“So it’s two-stepping and eating.”
He caught her braid in his hand again as he gazed into her eyes. “Plus some kissing.”
She drew a deep breath, wanting him to lean closer and kiss her now yet knowing at the same time that she shouldn’t want any such thing.
His phone rang and he looked at it. “I have to go, so let’s look at the pumps another time. I have an appointment, but I thought as long as I was close, I’d come say hello. Tomorrow night can’t come soon enough.” He looked at her as if he still had something he wanted to say. Silence settled between them and she wondered what it was and what was keeping him from saying it.
“I’ve missed being with you,” he finally said. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and an odd expression came over his face. “You seem shorter.”
She laughed. “I am. I’m not in my high heels like last weekend.”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, still staring at her. “But you weren’t always wearing heels last weekend,” he added in a low voice. “Oh, dang,” he said, on a ragged exhale. “I shouldn’t, but I’m going to anyway.” Pulling her closer, he kissed her.
Her heart thudded and she couldn’t catch her breath. His kiss was thorough and sexy, making her heart race. And she responded to it instantly.
When he released her, he was breathing hard. “I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow night at six. Leave your hair down so I can seeif it looks as good as I think it did last weekend.” As she laughed, he grinned while he placed his hands on her waist to pick her up and set her on the other side of the fence. She remembered how easily he’d carried her in his arms Saturday night. He went back to his pickup in long strides, climbed in, waved and drove away.
Her lips still tingled as she stood there staring after him in a daze. “I should have said no,” she whispered to herself. “I should not be going out with him. He’s still Tony, all alpha male, a man I’ve always fought with.”
Each hour she spent with him only meant more trouble. She knew that as well as she knew her own name. But she’d already accepted, and besides, it was just dinner and dancing, in a place with lots of people. And talking about water. Far from romantic. She wasn’t going back to his ranch afterward. Their evening together would be meaningless.
So why couldn’t she wait for tomorrow night?
Lindsay studied herself in the mirror while her two Australian shepherd dogs lay nearby on the floor. It was ten to six; Tony would be here any minute. Time for a last check in the mirror. She’d brushed her hair, curled it slightly in long, spiral curls and finally tied it behind her head with a blue silk scarf. She wore a black Resistol, a denim blouse with bling, washed jeans with bling on the hip pockets and her fancy black hand-tooled boots.
She turned to her dogs and each raised his head.
“I promise you, Tony Milan will not be invited inside tonight. When he comes to the door, don’t bark at him and don’t bite him.”
Both animals thumped their tails as she patted their heads and left the room. The dogs followed her to the front room, where she could watch the drive.
In minutes she heard Tony’s pickup approach the house. Hurrying to the door, she turned to tell the dogs to sit. As soon as they did, she opened the door. The sight of Tony took her breath away, just as it had when she had seen him yesterday. His black hat, long-sleeved black Western shirt, tight jeans and black boots made him look 100 percent gorgeous cowboy.
She kept a smile on her face as he approached, even as she silently reassured herself there was no way an attraction between them could possibly develop into anything meaningful. With Tony that was impossible and she was certain he felt the same way. As the dogs barked, she gave them commands that caused them to stop, and they came forward quietly to meet Tony, who patted their heads.
“Hi, cowboy,” she said.
“Oh, yeah, you don’t go out with cowboys. Well, consider this a business dinner,” he said, his eyes twinkling.
“Of course. And business kisses.”
“Who said one word about kisses?” he asked, his voice lowering a notch as he placed his hand on the jamb over her head. While she looked up at him, her pulse raced.
“I thought there might be a few kisses as well as dinner.”
“We could just skip dinner and go inside and you can show me your bedroom.”
She smiled and tapped his chest. “What finesse. I think not. You promised dancing and barbecue.”
“Whatever the beautiful lady wants,” he said, sounding serious, as if he had stopped joking and flirting. She wanted to step into his arms and kiss him. Then she remembered Tony had broken more than a couple of hearts with his “love ’em and leave ’em” ways.
“Let me turn on the alarm, lock up and we can go,” she said in a breathless voice that she hoped he wouldn’t notice.
“Sure thing.” As she moved back, his eyes raked her body. “Each time I see you, you look fantastic.”