“We both have to do better than this tonight.”
“I intend to do a lot better,” he said, teasing and leering at her, causing her to laugh.
“You’re hopeless and headed for trouble, and you’re taking me with you.” She smoothed down her shirt and stood tall. “I’m ready to look at that pump now.”
“One thing—in case you think I might have one old pump for moments like this and the rest are new, I’ll let you select which one we go see,” he said. She went with him to his desk, a massive cherry table. He opened a drawer and pulled out a map, which he unfolded. “This is a map of the ranch with the water wells circled in yellow. You can select one. If you want to look at all of them, we can.”
She gave him a searching look. “I’m beginning to believe you and feel really foolish.”
“This is why you came. Pick the wells, Lindsay,” he instructed.
She looked again and pointed to one the shortest distance from the house.
“Is that all? I want you totally satisfied when you go home.” He said the last words in the tone of voice he used when he was flirting with her. He was back to sexy innuendos, which kept her thinking about his kisses and lovemaking.
“Tony, you’ve got to stop that,” she said, unable to suppress another laugh. He grinned and took her arm.
“I don’t think you really want me to. You say those words, but your body, your eyes, your voice are giving you away, darlin’.”
“Time to go, Tony,” she said, trying to resist him, the sensible thing to do.
They drove to the well and she could see the rust on the pump from yards away. She turned to place her hand on his arm. “Tony, I’m sorry. I’ve misjudged you and accused you of things you didn’t do.”
He turned to face her. “You don’t want to see another well?”
She shook her head, “No. I apologize.”
“Apology accepted.”
“I’ve already taken your advice and called to see about digging my wells deeper.”
“Good. C’mon, let’s go home and have some juicy steaks.”
She knew she should say no, but she couldn’t. She had been wrong about him—he had been telling her the truth all along.
She thought of all the times she had been told not to trust a Milan. Her grandmother had practically drummed it into her head. But her brother had married Tony’s sister and trusted her fully. Shouldn’t she have learned anything from Jake?
They rode back in silence, but when they stepped into his kitchen, she had to apologize again. She felt that bad.
“Tony, again, I’m so sorry. I—”
He turned to her and put his hands on her waist. “Don’t worry about it, it doesn’t matter now. This is all that matters.”
He tilted her chin up, and she saw the flicker in his eyes and knew when the moment changed. He drew her into his embrace and kissed her, holding her tightly and kissing her thoroughly until she was breathless. With a moan of pleasure, she slipped her arm around his neck and another around his waist to hold him tightly, wanting his kiss in spite of all her intentions of resisting him.
When he released her, he smiled. “That’s better,” he said. “Let’s have a drink and I’ll start the steaks.”
Though she knew she should go home for a quiet dinner alone, she nodded instead. She tingled from his kiss and wanted more. Each kiss was a threat to her heart and she promised herself she would stop seeing him after this evening. It was just one more night.
She drew a deep breath as her throat went dry. “We weren’t going to do this.”
“So we’re together three times instead of two. Seeing each other will end and we both know it, so what does tonight hurt?” he asked.
“You make it sound like something silly for me to protest.”
“You know I want you to stay. It won’t be a big deal, Lindsay.”
With her heart drumming, she watched him walk to a bar. Who would have thought it? A cowboy who could turn her world upside down, who had become the sexiest, most handsome man she had ever known. How could Tony have become important to her, able to set her heart pounding just by walking into a room where she was?