Читать книгу Unbiddable Attraction - Robyn Grady - Страница 12

Five

Standing at the ice-cream counter in Buckaroo Billy’s General Store on the outskirts of Cheyenne, Chance glanced through the window at Fee and his niece seated under a big yellow umbrella at one of the picnic tables outside. Cassie was talking a mile a minute and it seemed that Fee was somehow keeping up. That in itself was pretty darned amazing. The kid usually had him confused as hell by the speed she changed subjects. He loved her dearly, but sometimes Cassie had the attention span of a flea and hopped from one topic to another faster than a drop of water on a hot griddle.

Paying for their ice cream, he juggled the three cones and a handful of paper napkins as he shouldered open the door. “A scoop of chocolate fudge brownie for you, princess,” he said, handing Cassie the frozen treat. Turning to Fee, he grinned. “And mint chocolate chip for you.”

“Uncle Chance!” Cassie exclaimed, pointing to his vanilla ice cream. “You were supposed to try something new this time.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure, Mr. Lassiter?” Fee asked, laughing.

“I like vanilla,” he said, shrugging as he dropped the napkins onto the table and sat down. He should have known Cassie would remember he was supposed to try a new flavor. The kid had a mind like a steel trap. Grinning, he added, “But next week, I promise I’ll leave what I get up to you two. How does that sound?”

Cassie’s red curls bobbed when she nodded her approval. “I like that. I’ll ask Momma what you should have when she gets home.” True to form, she looked at Fee and took the conversation in another direction. “My mommy and daddy are on their moneyhoon. That’s why I’m staying with Grandma Marlene.”

“You mean honeymoon?” Chance asked, winking at Fee. He could tell she was trying hard not to laugh at Cassie’s mix-up, the same as he was.

“Yeah. They went on a boat.” Cassie shook her head. “But I don’t know where.”

“After much debate, Hannah and Logan went on a Caribbean cruise,” Chance explained to Fee.

She smiled at his niece. “That sounds like a nice honeymoon.”

“They’re going to bring me back a present,” Cassie added as she licked some of the chocolate dripping onto her fingers. When she started to touch her tongue to the ice cream in her usual exuberant fashion, the scoop dislodged from the cone and landed on the top of her tennis shoe. Tears immediately filled her big green eyes and her little chin began to wobble. “I’m sorry. It...fell...Uncle Chance.”

“Don’t cry, princess,” he said gently as he reached over and gave her a hug. “It’s all right. I’ll get you another one.”

While Fee used the napkins to clean off Cassie’s shoe, he went back into the store to replace her ice-cream cone. By the time he returned a couple of minutes later, Cassie was all smiles and chattering like a magpie once again.

His mind wandered as his niece and Fee discussed the newest version of a popular fashion doll—and he couldn’t help but notice every time Fee licked her ice cream.

“Chance, did you hear me?” Fee asked, sounding concerned.

“Oh, sorry.” He grinned. “I was still thinking about doll accessories.”

She gave him one of those looks that women were so fond of when they thought a man was full of bull roar. “I said I’m going to take Cassie to the ladies’ room to wash her hands.”

He nodded. “Good idea.”

As he watched Fee and his niece walk into the store, he shook his head at his own foolishness and rose to his feet to walk over to his truck to wait for them to return. If he and Fee didn’t make love soon, he was going to be a raving lunatic.

But as he stood there thinking about the danger to his mental health, he realized that making love with Fee wasn’t all he wanted. The thought caused his heart to pound hard against his ribs. He wasn’t thinking about an actual relationship, was he?

He shook his head to dispel the ridiculous thought. Aside from the fact that neither of them was looking for anything beyond some no-strings fun, he was hesitant to start anything long-term with any woman. His father had been the most honorable man he had ever known and from what he remembered and everything everyone said, Charles Lassiter had loved his wife with all his heart. If his father couldn’t remain faithful, what made Chance think that he could do any better?

“Uncle Chance, Fee said we could play fashion show with my dolls the next time she’s at Grandma Marlene’s house,” Cassie said, tugging on his shirtsleeve. “When will that be?”

He’d been so preoccupied with his unsettling thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed Fee and Cassie had returned. “I’ll talk to Grandma Marlene and see what we can work out,” he said, smiling as he picked Cassie up to sit on his forearm. “How does that sound, princess?”

Yawning, Cassie nodded. “Good.”

“I think someone is getting sleepy,” Fee said when Chance opened the rear passenger door and buckled Cassie into her safety seat.

“She’ll be asleep before we get out of the parking lot,” he said, closing the door and turning to help Fee into the truck.

When he got in behind the steering wheel and started the engine, Fee smiled. “After she goes to sleep, we’ll have some time to talk.”

“About the campaign?” he guessed, steering the truck out onto the road.

“I’d like to hear what your main objections are to being the spokesman,” she said, settling back in the bucket seat.

“Being the center of attention isn’t something I’m comfortable with and never have been,” he said honestly.

“But it would only be some still photos and a few videos,” she insisted. “We could even cut out the few personal appearances unless you decided you wanted to do them.”

“Yeah, those are out of the question,” he said firmly. As far as he was concerned those appearances she mentioned had been off the table from the get-go. “Like I told you the other day at lunch, I don’t intend to be a monkey in a sideshow. What you see with me is what you get, sweetheart. I wouldn’t know how to be an actor if I tried.”

“What if we filmed the video spots on the ranch?” she asked, sounding as if she was thinking out loud. “I could have a cameraman take some footage of you riding up on your horse and then all you would have to do is read from a cue card.” She paused for a moment. “We could probably even lift still shots from that.”

He could tell she wasn’t going to give up. “I’m by no means making any promises,” he said, wondering what he could say that would discourage her. “But I’ll have to think a little more about it.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. He could tell she wasn’t happy that she hadn’t wrangled an agreement from him.

Reaching over, he covered her hand with his. “I’m not saying no, Fee. I’m just saying I need more time to think it over.”

When she looked at him, her expression hopeful, he almost caved in and told her he would be her spokesman. Fortunately, she didn’t give him the opportunity.

“That’s fair,” she said, suddenly grinning. “But just keep in mind, I’m not giving up.”

“It never occurred to me that you would,” he said, laughing.

* * *

Fee sat in the middle of the bed with her laptop and an array of papers spread out around her on the colorful quilt. She was supposed to be working on the Lassiter PR campaign. But in the past hour, she had found herself daydreaming about a tall, handsome, green-eyed cowboy more than she had been thinking about ways to restore the public’s faith in his family.

Watching him interact with his niece that afternoon had been almost as eye-opening as witnessing his skill at helping a cow give birth to her calf. Both times she had seen him interact with his niece, he had listened patiently when the child spoke and always made Cassie feel as if everything she said was of the utmost importance to him. Someday Chance was going to be a wonderful father and Fee couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy for the woman who would bear his child.

Her heart skipped a beat and she shook her head to dispel the unwarranted thought. What was wrong with her? Why was she even thinking about Chance having a child with some unknown woman?

It shouldn’t matter to her. By the end of her month’s stay, she would be back in Los Angeles scheduling commercial spots for the family campaign and working toward her goal of becoming Lassiter Media’s first female public relations vice president under the age of thirty. And unlike being in Wyoming, she would enjoy the convenience of not having to drive forty miles just to reach a town where she could shop or dine out.

But as she sat there thinking about her life back in L.A., she couldn’t seem to remember what the appeal of living there had been. Her condo building was filled with people she didn’t know and didn’t care to know. And for reasons she couldn’t put her finger on, the job promotion didn’t seem nearly as enticing as it had a week ago.

As she sat there trying to figure out why she was feeling less than enthusiastic about her life in California, there was a knock on her closed door. Gathering the papers around her to put back in the file folder, she turned off her laptop and walked over to find Chance standing on the other side of the door.

“It’s a clear night and the moon is almost full,” Chance said, leaning one shoulder against the door frame. “How would you like to go for a ride?”

“On a horse? Surely you can’t be serious.” She laughed as she shook her head. “I’m not that experienced at riding during the day. What makes you think I would be any better at night? Besides, don’t wild animals prowl around more in the dark? There’s probably something out there with sharp teeth and long claws just waiting for me to come riding along.”

“Slow down, sweetheart. You’re sounding a lot like Cassie,” he said, laughing. “We won’t be going far and other than a raccoon or a coyote, I doubt that we’ll see any wildlife. Besides, you won’t be riding Rosy. You’ll be on the back of Dakota with me.”

She gave him a doubtful look. “And you think that’s an even better idea than me riding Rosy?”

He grinned as he rocked back on his heels. “Yup.”

“I’ll bet you even have a cozy little saddle made for two stashed in the tack room,” she quipped.

“You’re so cute.” Laughing, he straightened to his full height and took her by the hand to lead her downstairs. “No, they don’t make saddles for two people. We’re going to ride bareback.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s even safer than me riding Rosy at night,” she muttered as they left the house and started toward the barn.

“It is if you’re a skilled horseman and you know your horse.”

“Just remember, I’m counting on you to be right about that,” she said, unable to believe she was going along with his scheme.

When they reached the barn, he led Dakota out of his stall and put a bridle on the gelding. Then turning, he loosely put his arms around her. “Thanks for going with me and Cassie today,” he said, kissing her temple. “I know she enjoyed talking to you about her dolls.”

“She’s a delightful little girl. Very bright and outgoing,” Fee said. “I had a wonderful time talking to her.” Grinning, she added, “But I’m really surprised that you didn’t join in the conversation when we were discussing the latest doll accessories.”

“I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know diddly-squat about dolls.” He chuckled. “But if you want to talk toy trucks or action figures, I’m you’re guy.”

“I’ll take your word for that, too,” she said, staring up into his eyes. “But all joking aside, I really did have fun chatting with your niece.”

“What about me?” he whispered, leaning forward. “Did you have a good time talking with me?”

A quivering excitement ran through her body at the feel of his warm breath feathering over her ear and she had to brace her hands on his biceps to keep her balance. The feel of rock-hard muscle beneath his chambray shirt caused heat to flow through her veins.

“Yes, I always enjoy talking to you,” she answered truthfully.

“I like spending my time with you, too.” Lowering his head, he gave her a kiss so tender her knees threatened to buckle before he stepped back, took hold of the reins and a handful of Dakota’s mane, then swung up onto the horse. “Turn your back to me, Fee.”

When she did as he instructed, he reached down and effortlessly lifted her to sit in front of him on the gelding. Straddling the horse, she was glad Chance was holding on to her. “Whoa! This is a lot higher than sitting on Rosy.”

Chance’s deep chuckle vibrated against her back as he tightened his arm around her midsection and nudged the gelding into a slow walk. “I promise you’re safe, sweetheart. I won’t let you fall.”

She knew he was talking about a fall from the horse, but what was going to keep her from falling for the man holding her so securely against him?

Fee quickly relegated the thought to the back of her mind as Dakota carried them from the barn out into the night and she gazed up at the sky. Billions of stars created a twinkling canopy above and the moon cast an ethereal glow over the rugged landscape.

“This is gorgeous, Chance.” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen so many stars in the night sky before.”

“That’s because of smog and too many lights in the city to see them all,” he answered, his voice low and intimate. He tightened his arms around her. “Are you chilly?”

She could lie and tell him that she was, but she suspected that he already knew her tiny shiver was caused by their close proximity. “Not really,” she admitted, leaning her head back against his shoulder. “It’s just that something this vast and beautiful is humbling.”

They rode along in silence for some time before she felt the evidence of his reaction to being this close to her against her backside. So overwhelmed by the splendor of the night, she hadn’t paid attention to the fact that her bottom was nestled tightly between his thighs. But it wasn’t his arousal that surprised her as much as her reaction to it. Knowing that he desired her caused an answering warmth to spread throughout her body and an empty ache to settle in the most feminine part of her.

“Chance?”

“Don’t freak out,” he whispered, stopping Dakota. “I’m not going to deny that I want you. You’re a desirable woman and I’m like any other man—I have needs. But nothing is going to happen unless it’s what you want, too, sweetheart.”

Before she could find her voice, Chance released his hold on her and slid off the horse to his feet. He immediately reached up to help her down, then wrapping his arms around her, gave her a kiss that caused her toes to curl inside her boots before he set her away from him.

Disappointed that the kiss had been so brief, she tried to distract herself by looking around. Something shiny caught her attention and taking a few steps closer, she realized it was the moon reflecting off of a small pool of water. Surrounded on three sides by cottonwood trees, she could see wisps of mist rising from its surface and the faint sound of running water.

“Is that a natural spring?” she asked.

“It’s actually considered a thermal spring even though the temperature never gets over about seventy-five degrees,” Chance said, walking over to stand beside her. “I used to go swimming in it when I was a kid.”

“It’s that deep?” she asked, intrigued. Even with just the light from the moon, she could see a shadowy image of the bottom of the pool.

“It’s only about four feet deep over by the outlet where it runs down to the river.” He laughed. “But to a ten-year-old kid that’s deep enough to get in and splash around.”

Fee smiled as she thought of Chance playing in the water as a child. “I’m sure you had a lot of fun. I used to love going to the beach when I was young, and my grandmother’s house had a swimming pool.”

“We always had a pool up at the main house,” he said, nodding. “But it’s not as much fun as this. Have you ever been skinny-dipping?” he asked.

“No.” She laughed. “Besides not really having the nerve to do it, I would have hated causing Mr. Harris next door to have a coronary, or scandalizing his wife to the point where she refused to go to the senior center with my grandmother to play bingo.”

He gave her a wicked grin and reached down to pull off his boots and socks. “I will if you will.”

“Skinny-dip? Here? Now?” She shook her head. “Have you lost your mind? Aren’t you worried someone will see you?”

He tugged his shirt from his jeans and with one smooth motion released all of the snap closures. “Sweetheart, it’s just you, me and Dakota out here. And since he’s a gelding, all he’s interested in is grass.”

She glanced over at the horse. “What if he runs away and leaves us stranded out here?”

“He’s trained to ground tie.” He reached to unbuckle his belt and release the button at the top of his jeans. “As long as the ends of the reins are dragging the ground, he’ll stay close.” His grin widened. “Are you going to join me?”

“I don’t think so.” She wasn’t a prude, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to abandon years of her grandmother’s lectures on modesty, either.

“Now who isn’t being adventurous?” he teased.

“Trying a different flavor of ice cream is completely different than taking off all of your...” Her voice trailed off when Chance shrugged out of his shirt.

The man had the physique of a male model and she had firsthand knowledge of how hard and strong all those muscles were. She thought about how every time he helped her into his truck or lifted her onto one of the horses, he picked her up as if she weighed nothing.

Unable to look away when he unzipped his fly and shoved his jeans down his long muscular legs, Fee felt a lazy heat begin to flow through her veins. “I can’t believe you’re really going to do this.”

“Yup, I’m really going to do this,” he repeated as he stepped out of his jeans and tossed them on top of his shirt. When she continued to stare at him, he grinned as he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxer briefs. “I’m not the least bit shy and don’t mind you watching one little bit, but unless you want to see me in my birthday suit, you might want to close your eyes now.”

“Oh!” She spun around. “Let me know when you’re in the water.”

“All clear,” he announced. When she turned back, Chance was standing up in the pool. The water barely covered his navel. “You really should join me. The water is the perfect temperature.”

“I can’t,” she said, shaking her head as she avoided looking below his bare chest. “It isn’t deep enough.”

“You know you want to,” he said, grinning.

She didn’t believe for a minute that he would keep his eyes averted as she was doing, but he was right about one thing. She was tempted to throw caution to the wind and go skinny-dipping for the first time in her life.

“I don’t have a towel to dry off with.” Her statement sounded lame even to her.

“We can dry off with my shirt,” he offered.

“And you promise not to look?” she asked, knowing that his answer and what he would actually do were probably two different things.

“Scout’s honor I won’t look while you undress and get into the water,” he said, raising his hand in a three-finger oath.

“Then close your eyes,” she said decisively as she reached to pull the tail of her T-shirt from her jeans.

When he did, she quickly removed her boots and socks, then stripped out of her clothing before she had a chance to change her mind. Stepping into the water, she immediately covered her breasts with her arms and bent her knees until the water came up to her neck.

“I can’t believe I’m actually doing this,” she said between nervous giggles.

“Look at it this way,” he said, opening his eyes. His low, intimate tone and the look on his handsome face as he moved through the water toward her made Fee feel as if he had cast a spell over her. “It’s something you can check off your bucket list.”

“I don’t have a list,” she said slowly.

“I’ll help you make one.” His gaze held hers as he reached beneath the water and lifted her to her feet. Taking her into his arms, he smiled. “Then I’ll help you check off all of the new things you’re doing.”

Her arms automatically rose to encircle his neck and the moment her wet breasts pressed against his wide, bare chest a jolt of excitement rocked her. “You said you wouldn’t look.”

“I haven’t...yet.” His slow smile caused a nervous energy in the deepest part of her. “But I never said I wouldn’t touch you.”

As he lowered his head, Fee welcomed the feel of his firm mouth covering hers. Chance’s kisses were drugging and quickly becoming an addiction that she wasn’t certain she could ever overcome.

The thought should have sent her running as fast as she could to the Cheyenne airport and the earliest flight back to L.A. But as his lips moved over hers with such tenderness, she forgot all the reasons she shouldn’t become involved with him or any other man. All she could think about was the way he made her feel.

When he coaxed her to open for him, she couldn’t have denied him if her life depended on it. At the first touch of his tongue to hers, it felt as if an electric current danced over every one of her nerve endings and a tiny moan escaped her parted lips. She wanted him, wanted to feel his arms around her and the strength of his lovemaking in every fiber of her being.

The feel of his hard arousal against her lower belly was proof he wanted her just as badly. The realization created a restlessness within her and she was so lost in the myriad sensations Chance had created, it took her a moment to realize he was ending the kiss.

“As bad as I hate to say this, I think we’d better head back to the house.” His voice sounded a lot like a rusty hinge. “I have a good idea where this is headed and I don’t have protection for us.”

Covering her breasts with her arms, she nodded reluctantly. There was no way she could deny that the passion between them was heading in that direction. Thank goodness he had the presence of mind to call a halt to it.

“Turn around.”

He laughed. “Really? Our nude bodies were just pressed together from head to toe and you’re worried about me seeing you?”

Her cheeks heated. “Feeling is one thing, seeing is entirely different.”

“If you say so,” he said, doing as she requested.

Hurriedly getting out of the water, Fee turned her back to him, used his shirt to quickly dry herself and then pulled on her panties and jeans. But when she searched for her bra, she couldn’t seem to find it anywhere.

“Looking for this?” Chance asked.

Glancing over her shoulder, he was standing right behind her with her bra hanging from his index finger like a limp flag. “I thought you were supposed to stay in the water with your back turned until I got dressed,” she scolded, taking her lacy brassiere from him to put the garment on.

“I stayed in the water right up until you started searching for your bra.” She heard him pulling on his clothes. “After you dried off, you dropped my shirt on it when you reached for your panties.”

“You watched me get dressed? You swore you wouldn’t peek.”

“Yeah, about that.” He turned her to face him and the slow smile curving his mouth caused her to catch her breath. “I was never a Scout so that oath earlier didn’t really count. But just for the record, I told you before I kissed you that I hadn’t looked yet. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to.” He gave her a quick kiss, then bent to pull on his socks and boots.

While he walked over to where Dakota stood munching on a patch of grass, Fee picked up his damp shirt and waited for him to help her onto the gelding’s back. She should probably call her boss at Lassiter Media and arrange for someone else to take over the PR campaign, then head back to L.A. to get her priorities straight before she committed career suicide. But she rejected that idea immediately. No matter how difficult the assignment, she had never bowed out of a project and she wasn’t going to back down now.

She was just going to have to be stronger and resist the temptation of Chance Lassiter. But heaven help her, she had a feeling it was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever have to do.

* * *

Chance lay in bed and damned his sense of responsibility for at least the hundredth time since he and Fee had returned to the house. He hadn’t taken her on the moonlight ride with the intention of seducing her. On the contrary, it had simply been something he thought she might enjoy and he’d been right. She’d loved seeing all the billions of stars twinkling in the night sky.

At least, that’s the way things had started out. What he hadn’t allowed himself to consider was the effect her body would have on his when they rode double. Her delightful little bottom rubbing against the most vulnerable part of him had quickly proven to be the greatest test of his fortitude he’d ever faced. Then, if he hadn’t been insane enough, she’d noticed the spring and he’d had the brilliant idea of going skinny-dipping.

“Yeah, like that didn’t have disaster written all over it,” he muttered as he stared up at the ceiling.

If he’d just stayed on his side of the pool and hadn’t touched her or kissed her, he wouldn’t be lying there feeling as if he was ready to climb the walls. But the allure of her being so close had been more than he could fight and once he’d touched her, he couldn’t have stopped himself from kissing her any more than he could get Gus to give up baseball.

But what had really sent him into orbit had been her response. The minute their lips met, Fee had melted against him and his body had hardened so fast it had left him feeling as if he might pass out. The feel of her breasts against his chest and his arousal pressing into her soft lower belly had damn near driven him over the edge and he’d come dangerously close to forgetting about their protection.

Fortunately, he’d had enough strength left to be responsible. But that hadn’t been easy.

He punched his pillow and turned to his side. No two ways around it, he should have known better. But he’d been fool enough to think that he could control the situation and ended up being the victim of his own damned arrogance.

He’d known full well the moment he’d laid eyes on her at Hannah and Logan’s wedding, a spark ignited within him and with each day since the fire had increased to the point it was about to burn him up from the inside out. He wanted her, wanted to sink himself so deeply within her velvet depths that neither of them could remember where he ended and she began. And unless he was reading her wrong, it was what she wanted, too. So why was he in bed on one side of the hall and she in bed on the other now?

With a guttural curse that his mother would have had a fit over, Chance threw back the sheet and sat up on the side of the bed. Two hours of tossing and turning had gotten him nowhere. Maybe a drink would help him calm down enough to get a few hours of sleep.

Pulling on a pair of jeans, he didn’t bother with a shirt as he left the master suite and stared at the closed door across the hall. He’d like nothing better than to go into that room, pick Fee up and carry her back to his bed. Instead, he forced himself to turn and walk barefoot down the hall to the stairs.

When he reached the kitchen, he went straight to the refrigerator for a beer, and then walked out onto the back porch. Hopefully, the beer and the cool night air would work their magic and help him relax.

Chance took a long draw from the bottle in his hand and stared out into the night as he tried to forget about the desirable woman upstairs. He needed to make a trip into town tomorrow for some supplies, as well as to stop by Lassiter Media’s Cheyenne office to pick up his tickets for Frontier Days at the end of the month. Because Lassiter donated the use of some of their audio and video equipment for the annual event, the rodeo organizers always gave the company complimentary tickets. He attended the finals of the event every year and he thought Fee might enjoy going with him, even if she was back at the rental house by then.

Lightning streaked across the western sky, followed by the distant sound of thunder. It appeared the weather was as unsettled as he was, he thought as he downed the rest of his beer and headed back inside.

As he climbed the stairs a flash of lightning briefly illuminated his way and by the time he started down the upstairs hall, a trailing clap of thunder loud enough to wake the dead rattled the windows and reverberated throughout the house. He had just reached the master suite when the door to Fee’s room flew open. When she came rushing out, she ran headlong into him.

“Whoa there, sweetheart.” He placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her from falling backward. “What’s wrong?”

“What was that noise?” she asked breathlessly.

“It’s getting ready to storm,” he said, trying his best not to notice how her sweet scent seemed to swirl around him and the fact that she had on a silky red nightgown that barely covered her panties.

“It sounded like an explosion,” she said, seeming as if she might be a little disoriented.

“It’s just a little thunder.” He should probably be ashamed of himself, but he had never been more thankful for a thunderstorm in his life. “You have storms in L.A., don’t you?”

Nodding, she jumped when another clap of thunder resounded around them. “Not that many. And I never liked them when we did.”

Chance put his arms around her and tried to remind himself that he was offering her comfort. “I guess I’m more used to them because at this time of year we have one almost every day.”

“Really? That many?” She was beginning to sound more awake.

He nodded. “Occasionally we’ll have severe storms, but most of the them are a lot like Gus—more noise than anything else.”

“I think I’m glad I live in L.A. The city noise masks some of the thunder,” she said, snuggling against his bare chest. “I’d be a nervous wreck if I lived here.”

Chance felt a little let down. He wanted her to love the Big Blue ranch as much as he did even if she was only in Wyoming for a short time. But it wasn’t as if he had been hoping she would relocate to the area. All he wanted was a summer fling.

Right now, he didn’t have the presence of mind to give his unwarranted disappointment a lot of thought. Fee was clinging to him as if he was her lifeline and her scantily clad body pressed to his wasn’t helping his earlier restlessness one damn bit. In fact, it was playing hell with his good intentions, causing his body to react in a way that she probably wouldn’t appreciate, considering the situation.

“I’m going to drive into Cheyenne tomorrow to pick up some supplies and rodeo tickets,” he said in an effort to distract both of them. “I thought we could have lunch at Lassiter Grill. Dylan and Jenna are back from their honeymoon and I figured you might like to see them.”

“I’d like that very much.” Her long blond hair brushed against his chest when she nodded. “Jenna and I became pretty good friends when I worked on the ads for the grand opening,” she added, oblivious to his turmoil. “I also helped her out when one of the reporters became obsessed with her at the opening of Lassiter Grill and started asking questions about her and her father.”

Sage had told him about Jenna’s father being a con artist and that the man had made it look as if she’d been in on one of his schemes. He’d also mentioned the incident with the reporter at the restaurant’s opening and how effectively Fee had handled the situation.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said, finding it harder with each passing second to ignore the heat building in his groin.

Another crash of thunder caused Fee to burrow even closer and Chance gave up trying to be noble. He had reached his limit and he was man enough to admit it.

“Fee?”

When she raised her head, he lowered his and gave in to temptation, consequences be damned. It wasn’t as if he’d been able to sleep anyway. He was going to give her a kiss that was guaranteed to keep them both up for the rest of the night.