He blew out a breath. The light turned green and he honked his horn to get the car in front of him moving. Eight dates and not even a kiss on the lips? That was ridiculous. And he wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened, either.

There was something so perfect about Alicia, so pure and sweet and gentle, that he never quite felt right about asking her back to his place. She was the kind of girl you’d send flowers to, the kind whose parents you’d chat with when you picked her up at her house. The kind you’d buy a corsage for on prom night.

Except that they were both adults and her parents had been dead for years. Why did Alicia Montoya turn him from a hardened ladies’ man back into an eager and apprehensive schoolboy?

He wove through traffic on the beltway and took the exit for Somerset. Alicia Montoya was something else, and he didn’t mind waiting for the chance to weave his fingers into her soft hair.

“I’m not Rick Jones.” How hard was it to just say it?

One snag was that Alex knew him. He’d used the alias partly so he could ask Alicia about Alex and maybe dig up some useful information about him for Mitch and Lance Brody. If he actually did go to El Diablo, Alex would recognize him from the club.

And then there was Alicia herself.

Usually once he told a girl he was actually Justin Dupree, she laughed off the deception and fawned all over him, thrilled to be dating the notorious shipping heir instead of some regular guy.

Alicia though…

He let out a low whistle. He suspected she wouldn’t take the deception lightly. She’d gone to a convent school, for crying out loud. She carried white linen handkerchiefs in her purse. Her French-tipped fingernails did not look like they’d ever been anywhere Mother Superior wouldn’t approve of.

Did he really want to blow his chance of feeling those luscious, manicured nails rake down his back?

No. He didn’t. Which was why he wasn’t going to mention the little name issue just yet. He’d wait until the drama of the fire blew over. Until he’d held her in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Until he’d made hot, wild love to her all night long.

Then he’d tell her.

Chapter Two

Alicia paced under the elegant awning outside the Texas Cattleman’s Club.

Bees buzzed around flowers blooming in the carved-stone planters. Sunlight glistened on the polished-marble walkway and flashed off the brass accents on the door as members came and went, waving hello and stopping to commiserate about the fire.

Alicia tried to act normal, as though she wasn’t about to embark on possibly the biggest “first” in her life.

She’d never spent the night at a man’s house before.

She’d never…

She’d never done a lot of things, and she hoped to rectify that, starting tonight.

The hushed sound of a powerful engine made her glance up. Rick pulled up in front of the awning and leaned out of the driver’s seat of his silver Porsche.

The sun shone in his tousled dark hair. “How do you manage to look more gorgeous every time I see you?” He cocked his head and fixed his bold blue eyes on hers.

Alicia blushed. She had gone to a little extra effort with her appearance today. She wanted everything to be perfect.

She gestured to her luggage. “I tried not to pack too much stuff. Just some clothes for work and a few casual things.”

Like the pretty lingerie she’d bought last week.

He stowed her bags in the trunk. Black tailored slacks clung to his powerful thighs and a well-cut polo shirt emphasized the width of his shoulders. Was it fair for a man to be so dangerously handsome?

She could hardly believe he was interested in her.

“Do you want to go in?” She gestured to the front door. Cara was inside and she’d love to see the look on her friend’s face when she got an eyeful of Rick.

Although she’d met him at the club, she wasn’t sure if he was a member. The couple of times she’d mentioned his name to friends, she’d drawn blank stares.

He hesitated and glanced at the double doors that led into the wood-paneled sanctuary. “I’d actually rather get back to the hotel. I have a business call coming. Nothing major, it won’t take long.”

“Oh, no problem. Let’s go then.” She tried not to let her disappointment show.

Of course he had business to conduct. She wasn’t exactly sure what he did, but judging from the car he drove and the fact that he had a four-bedroom suite at the Houston Omni, it must be pretty darn important. She couldn’t expect him to put his whole life on hold because she needed a place to stay.

At the Omni, the bellhop removed Alicia’s bags from the trunk and she felt strangely weightless as she watched them disappear across the glistening marble floor of the lobby.

No turning back now.

Not that she wanted to. Rick was so thoughtful and sweet. He squeezed her hand as they walked to the bank of elevators.

She squeezed back, trying not to let her nerves show. He had no idea this was new for her. That she’d never spent the night with a man before.

Or, in fact, ever had sex.

At age twenty-six.

How shocked would he be if he knew? At this point, it was such a humiliating secret, she even kept it from her girlfriends. Only Maria—who she’d stayed close to since high school—knew the terrible truth.

When Alicia had asked permission to use her as an alibi for her stay at Rick’s, Maria had been so excited she could barely get words out. “Who is he?” she asked. “Is he cute? I’ll only lie for you if you promise to go all the way!”

Alicia had laughed off Maria’s exhortations, but being a virgin at twenty-six was no laughing matter.

She flashed Rick a smile as he pressed the elevator button.

She wasn’t even quite sure how it had happened. One minute she was a teenager telling boys she wasn’t that kind of girl, the next she was looking in the mirror wondering where her so-called youth went.

Now she’d found the right man to finally initiate her into womanhood. Rick was perfect. Almost too perfect, in fact. She knew Alex would be suspicious of him.

But then Alex was suspicious of everyone.

“Be it ever so humble…” Rick winked as he slid the keycard into the lock.

“Oh, my.” Alicia’s jaw dropped as the door opened to an elegant interior, lush with fine fabrics and gleaming antiques. “This is a hotel room?”

“Not really. It’s more of a furnished apartment with all the amenities. Not too many apartment buildings come with room service, and with all the traveling I do, it’s nice to have everything taken care of.”

“I guess if you don’t have a wife to take care of you, a hotel staff is the next best thing.” She smiled, looking around the luxurious environment.

Rick’s silence made her turn.

Alicia bit her lip. A wife? What on earth was she thinking? Now he’d suspect her of auditioning for the role.

“And I guess you don’t have to worry about mowing your lawn.” She tried to push the conversation forward, to distract from her gaffe. “But you probably wouldn’t anyway.”

Duh! Rick Jones had probably never mowed a lawn in his life. Men who hung out at the Texas Cattleman’s Club had “people” for that.

She and Alex were probably the only members who weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths. Another reminder that she was out of her element here in Rick’s luxurious penthouse.

“Which bedroom would you like? We’re on the corner so each one gives you a different view of the city.”

He ushered her into a large room with gold draperies, an elegant sleigh bed and a panoramic view west over the Galleria area.

“Gee, I don’t know if this is fancy enough for me.” Alicia grinned.

“I see what you mean. And really, the morning light is better from the east.”

He guided her out the door. Pleasure shivered through her at the feel of his hand at the base of her spine.

They entered a room with a large four-poster bed laden with embroidered pillows. Elegant white draperies fluttered slightly in the air-conditioner breeze. The view across the treetops of Memorial Park—all the way to the shimmering skyscrapers of downtown Houston—was breathtaking.

“Then again, sometimes it’s annoying being woken up too early.”

Gentle pressure from his palm sent heat snaking through her belly. She allowed him to ease her out the door.

The third bedroom had a Japanese flavor with willow-green draperies and images of cranes and lilies on the wall.

The bedpost and furniture were crafted from elegant bamboo. A bubbling fountain ornamented one corner of the bright space.

The view looked down on a wooded bend in the river—a strangely wild vista for this part of the world—and added to the impression of a lush retreat.

Alicia smiled. “Pretty! I like this one.”

“Make yourself at home. You can stay as long as you want. And I mean that quite literally. I have the suite reserved for the next two years.”

She laughed. How much money did this guy have? This suite probably cost ten thousand dollars a night. “Hopefully, my brother will let me come back home before then, but I appreciate the offer.”

Rick’s striking blue eyes fixed on hers. “Now, dinner. I usually have it sent up from the hotel restaurant, but we could go out if you prefer.”

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“If you insisted on me cooking it myself, I think we’d both be in trouble, but as long as professionals are involved, it’s no trouble at all.” A naughty dimple appeared in his left cheek. “Let me get you a menu.”

He slipped out of the room, leaving Alicia to catch her breath.

Her heart pounded under her pale-blue blouse and her high heels sank into the soft carpet.

Houston lay at her feet like a rug unfurled, the sun setting over the trees and rooftops casting a soft glow over the delicate furnishings of the lovely bedroom.

Tonight was the night. By tomorrow morning she’d be a woman in every sense of the word.

Rick appeared in the door with the menu, startling her out of her thoughts. “If you don’t like anything on the menu, we can talk to the chef. He’s a pretty cool guy. He knows I’m wild about lobster so he saves the best ones for me.”

“I love lobster.” Alicia looked up. “I always feel guilty eating something that can live so long, but they’re too delicious.”

“Done.” Rick snatched the menu from her fingertips, which tingled as his hand brushed against them. “And your visit here definitely calls for champagne.”

They ate in the suite’s formal dining room. Champagne sparkled in crystal flutes as candlelight illuminated the details in the wood-paneled walls, and cast shadows across the white, linen tablecloth.

The chef had prepared them an array of different sauces for the lobster and some creative and colorful salads.

The champagne tickled her nose and she was careful to take only the tiniest of sips so she wouldn’t get tipsy. She didn’t want to miss a single minute of tonight.

Rick leaned forward. “Does Alex have any suspects for the fire?”

Guilt speared Alicia as she realized she’d totally forgotten about Alex and the fire. “I don’t think so, but there was a suspicious fire at the Brody headquarters a while back and they had the nerve to blame Alex, so being a guy, he’s decided the Brodys might be responsible.”

For a moment, she thought she saw a shadow flit across Rick’s face. He picked up his glass and took a sip. “I’d think you’d be friends with the Brodys. They’re members of the Cattleman’s Club.”

“Yes, but Alex and Lance have this dumb rivalry dating back to high school. I’m glad it’s not medieval times or they’d be challenging each other to jousts. Typical macho silliness.”

“So, you don’t believe Lance Brody set the fire?” His expression was strangely serious.

“Of course not. Why would a successful businessman want to burn down our barn? That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

She hesitated. “Alex does have some enemies, though. No one who’d really want to hurt him, but he’s trodden on a few toes over the years.”

“Haven’t we all? It’s part of being successful.”

She sighed and nodded. “And he rose so far so fast, it put some people’s noses out of joint. Did you know Alex used to be the groundskeeper at the club?”

“You’re kidding me.” His look of genuine shock made her wonder if she shouldn’t have told him.

Did Alex want people reminded of his humble beginnings?

“Not for long. Just during part of high school and college. He used to mow the lawns after class. Once his import-export business took off, he quit and he’s never looked back.”

“I had no idea.” Rick raised a brow. “Alex sounds like quite a character.”

“He’s an amazing man.”

“And I guess he doesn’t think any guy is good enough for his baby sister.” A smile lifted one side of his mouth. “Is that why you won’t let me near the house?”

Alicia laughed. “He’s overprotective. It drives me nuts. I know he’s only like that because he cares about me, but come on—I’m twenty-six!”

He leveled a serious blue gaze at her. “Maybe you should get your own place.”

“Oh, I’ve thought about it, but as far as Alex is concerned, a girl doesn’t leave home until she goes to live with her husband.”

She blanched. Once again she’d managed to raise the specter of marriage. That spooked most guys right out of the room. “It’s a Mexican thing. We’re very traditional. You learn to work around it.”

At least some people did. Maria had lived on her own for three years.

Maybe I’m just the lamest wimp on earth.

She fished inside her lobster claw, hoping he’d change the subject.

Was he crazy to want an affair with Alicia? Alex Montoya was not someone to tangle with.

Lord knew he put enough distance between himself and his own interfering relatives. Did he really want to get involved with a woman whose brother hovered over her like a shadow?

Justin watched her probe into the red depths of her lobster claw like a surgeon with a scalpel.

She looked up. “What?”

“I’ve never seen someone eat a lobster with such meticulous precision.”

“I like to enjoy every delicious morsel.” She smiled and popped a tender piece into her mouth. Like everything else in Alicia’s world, her plate was perfectly ordered, not a lettuce leaf out of place.

“You’re very detail-oriented.”

“I’m a museum curator. We’re probably the most detail-oriented people on earth. Except maybe for mail-service workers. But at least we don’t have to worry about going postal.”

She shot him an infectious grin, then returned to surgery on her lobster.

“I didn’t know you were a curator. You must be very accomplished to hold that position at your age.”

He’d been impressed and intrigued when she told him she worked at the museum, but for some reason he’d assumed she gave tours or taught classes there. It didn’t occur to him she was running the show.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” A delicate blush darkened her cheeks. “I’m just passionate about my work. The Somerset Museum of Natural History was just getting started when I joined as an archivist. The original curator left for a job at the Smithsonian, and I kind of stepped into the role.”

“I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never been to the museum. What kinds of artifacts do you have?”

“It’s an interesting mix. Most of it came from a huge private collection started almost a century ago. Dinosaur bones, fossils, meteorites, that kind of thing. We have some Native American artifacts from a different private collection. My focus has been on objects unique to the Houston area, and in particular to Somerset. This region has some interesting history. People seem to forget that when they talk about knocking down old buildings to put up a strip mall.”

Justin’s ears pricked up. “You mean the redevelopment of downtown Somerset?”

“Exactly.” Alicia tossed her head, which made her thick dark hair swing over her shoulders, golden highlights sparkling in the candlelight. “That would be a travesty.”

Interesting. He’d heard rumors that Alex had blocked the redevelopment of a key area that could have meant a big windfall to a couple of club members, including Kevin Novak. “Wouldn’t redevelopment be good for the local economy?”

“That’s what some people say, but our downtown area is one of the most well-preserved main streets in Texas. The architectural style is unique. Come on, have you ever seen corbelling like the fascia of the old town hall?”

Justin laughed, impressed by her command of architecture. “I can honestly say I haven’t.” Longhorn cattle with brass horns jutted out beneath the metal roof of the grand old building—Texas-style gargoyles. “I admit the aspirations of the town’s founders were writ large in those buildings. It does have its own charm.”

Alicia nodded, passion shining in her dark eyes. “And that would all be lost if they were bulldozed to make way for more generic big-box stores. It’s like the stuff I see in my job. Once upon a time, that fossil was just another boring insect or fish or leaf. Now it’s the only one of its kind that’s survived to the present day. A unique glimpse into another time that enriches our understanding of the world around us and its history.”

“I’ve never heard that perspective before.” He frowned. “I suspect most people would rather have a dry cleaner closer to home or a Mega Mart where they can get cheap groceries.”

“I’m not saying those things aren’t important, but downtown Somerset is too special to let it be lost forever. There are plenty of bland, ugly buildings that can be torn down instead.” She flashed a wicked grin. “I’d be happy to give them some suggestions.”

“Maybe you should.”

Justin frowned. He was getting a very different impression of the Montoya family than the one he’d formed based on idle gossip.

He’d assumed her brother stood up to block the redevelopment because he had his own profit-making agenda for the area. Now it almost seemed like he’d stalled the new development to make his history-buff sister happy.

This was not the fearsome and dangerous Alex Montoya of local legend.

Justin sipped his wine and peered at Alicia through narrowed eyes. “What would you do with the downtown?”

“I’d love to see it become a tourist attraction. Some of the buildings are ideal for upscale retail, or for quaint bed-and-breakfast accommodation. I don’t think many people in the Houston area have any idea how beautiful Somerset is. It could become popular as a weekend getaway, and that would bring business and tax revenue to the town without destroying its unique charm.”

“I’d hire you to do that in a heartbeat.”

“Shame you can’t.” Her luscious lips turned into a smile that heated his blood. “Or can you?” Her brows lifted. “You haven’t told me what you do.”

Oh, I’m just heir to the largest shipping operation in the western hemisphere.

He wasn’t at all sure how she’d react. But if he told her, he’d also have to confess that he was Justin Dupree, not Rick Jones.

“Nothing very interesting. Pushing papers around.”

She cocked her head, which made her earrings sparkle in the candlelight. “Didn’t you have an important phone call to make?”

“A phone call?”

“At the club, you said you couldn’t stay because you had a phone call?”

“Oh, yes.”

His little white lie to explain why he couldn’t go inside. Once you started with this stuff it was hard to stop.

Still, he didn’t want anyone to greet him with a hearty “Hey, Justin” until he’d had a chance to dig himself out of this hole he’d gotten into.

“I forgot about that call. But no matter. The world will continue to turn on its axis.”

“I’m sorry to be a distraction. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

Her look of concern touched something inside him.

“You are the best distraction I’ve ever encountered and I’d face all kinds of trouble to spend an evening with you. Tell me more about the natural history of Somerset. Were there dinosaurs around here?”

The sparkle in her eyes made him lean forward so he could enjoy their glow. “Absolutely.”

Alicia was sure Rick’s eyes would glaze over when she told him about the dig she’d helped out on last summer. Instead, his interest seemed to deepen with each detail she revealed.

Those intense blue irises stayed fixed on hers as she described each bone they unearthed, and how they had preserved and stored them for reassembly at the museum.

If she wasn’t mistaken he seemed…fascinated.

The candlelight flickered over the hard planes of his handsome face while he asked intriguing questions and actually listened to her answers.

Which only increased the turmoil of excitement in her stomach. How could anyone be this wonderful?

He’d said he pushed papers for a living, but his tan suggested time spent outdoors and the athletic cut of his body belonged to a man of action. There was clearly more to discover about Rick Jones.

But everything she’d learned so far had her dangerously close to falling in love with the man.

Her dessert fork clinked against her glass as she set it down too hard.

They’d known each other less than three weeks. She had no intention of actually falling in love with him or anyone else. But you didn’t have to be in love to kiss.

Her mouth twitched at the prospect of pressing her lips to his. His mouth was wide, mobile, with a way of lifting slightly higher on one side than the other like he had a naughty secret.

“I have a secret.” His words took her by surprise, as if he’d spoken her thoughts aloud.

“You do?” Her pulse quickened.

“I had something made for you.” His blue eyes twinkled.

Alicia stared at him. “What?” She hoped it wasn’t freaky lingerie with slits in strange places. Maybe now she’d discover the dark side of Rick Jones. There had to be something horribly wrong with him, didn’t there?

Rick reached into his pocket, which really set her heart pounding.

Of course it’s not a ring, you idiot. He barely knows you. Stop watching so many old movies.

He pulled out a jewelry box.

He laughed at her expression. “Don’t panic. It doesn’t bite.” That wicked dimple deepened as he handed her the box over the remains of their pecan pie.

Alicia took it with shaking fingers and tried not to look like he’d just given her a stick of dynamite. She flipped the lid.

A single blue gem attached to a fine silver chain sparkled against white velvet. A bold five-pointed star shone through the glittering facets.

“Texas topaz! Oh, my goodness, it’s lovely.”

The sparkly stone was almost the same haunting blue as Rick’s eyes.

“I found the stone years ago on a trip into the Texas Hill country. The rock-hound friend I was with couldn’t believe I found a gem like this on my first try. I never knew what to do with it.”

He glanced down at the box in her hand. “When you told me you worked at the natural history museum, I knew I’d been saving it for you. I had it cut at a place downtown.”

“Julie’s Gems? Julie’s been my biggest supporter in saving the historic buildings.”

“That’s the place.” He grinned. “And I noticed you wear blue a lot. It kind of matches the dress you have on.”

Alicia tried not to melt into a puddle on the floor. “You are without a doubt the most thoughtful and generous man I’ve ever met.” She couldn’t keep emotion out of her voice. “It’s beautiful. Let me try it on.”

“I’ll help you.” He rose and rounded the table.

Alicia stood, smoothing out the skirt of the simple silk dress she’d changed into for dinner.

She did wear blue almost every day. It had always been her favorite color.

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