That Night With The Rich Rancher

The plane ride seemed to take mere minutes. Before he knew it, they touched down in Houston and were ushered to another waiting limo. A short while later, they pulled into a circular drive lined by manicured shrubs strung with tiny white lights and stopped in front of a sprawling stone building he recognized as an exclusive club.

When they stepped out of the limo, Tony took her arm to walk through the canopied entrance. Inside, when he told the maître d’ they were from the Dallas auction, they were welcomed and led to a linen-covered table by a window overlooking the wide patio that held hundreds more twinkling lights and a splashing water fountain.

A piano player sang as he played a familiar old ballad and several couples danced on a small dance floor.

In minutes they were presented a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne. As soon as they were alone with drinks poured, Tony raised his glass in a toast. “Here’s to the most beautiful woman in Texas.”

She smiled. “A very nice exaggeration, Tony,” she said, touching his glass lightly with hers and taking a sip. “Actually, you look rather handsome yourself.”

He smiled and wondered if she felt any real attraction. “Lindsay, I can’t imagine why you’ve been hiding that beauty all these years.”

She laughed. “Not so many years, Tony. And thank you. I’m far from the most beautiful woman in Texas, but it’s nice to hear.”

“You could have had most of the single guys in the county asking you out if you’d wanted,” he said.

“Actually, that’s not my aim in life,” she remarked. “And I do get asked out.”

“To talk about someone’s horses. If they could see you tonight, though, horses wouldn’t come up in the conversation.” He waited a second and then asked the question that flitted into his mind. “Speaking of which, Lindsay, will you go to dinner with me next Friday night?”

She grinned at him. “Aren’t you jumping the gun? You don’t know if we can make it through tonight and get along the entire time.”

He leaned across the table to take her hand again. “I promise you, we’re going to get along tonight,” he said, his tone lowering as it did when he was aroused. “A lot of people saw you at the auction tonight. I think you’ll be inundated with invitations from guys when you get home. I want you to myself,” he added softly, and something flickered in the depths of her eyes as her smile vanished and she gazed at him solemnly. Electricity flashed between them, and he wanted to be alone with her and kiss her more than ever.

As their waiter appeared, Tony released her hand and leaned back in his chair, listening to a menu recited by the waiter. When they were alone again, Tony raised his flute of champagne. “Here’s to a fabulous evening that we’ll both remember and want to repeat.”

With a seductive smile, she touched his glass with hers lightly, causing a faint clink, and sipped again, watching him the whole time with a look that made him want to forget dinner and find somewhere to be alone with her.

“I’m beginning to see that you have a sensual side you’ve kept well hidden.”

“Well, yes, Tony. I’ve kept it hidden from you,” she said with good humor, and he laughed.

“I suppose I brought that on,” he said, wondering whom she had allowed to see this aspect of herself. He sat back to study her. “As well as I know your family, I really don’t know much about you. You went to Texas Tech, didn’t you? And you were an agriculture major?”

“Yes, with a minor in business. I knew I’d come home to run a ranch.”

“Good background. Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the ranch?”

“Sometimes the problems seem a little overwhelming, but I love the ranch too much to feel at odds with it. It’s my life.”

“I agree, but it’s different for you. Don’t you want a family someday?”

“Owning the ranch doesn’t mean I can’t have a family,” she retorted.

“I suppose.” He nodded as he considered her remark. “Everyone in the county knows you work as hard as the guys who work for you. It’s difficult to look at you now and remember how tough and resilient you are.”

“Did you know my big brother came out to the ranch, sat me down and lectured me to try to get me to be nicer to you?”

“The hell you say. Is that why you’re here tonight?” he asked. Still, he couldn’t believe that the gorgeous creature flirting with him now was only here to make nice.

She leaned over the table, reaching out to take his hand in hers, and his heart jumped again. Every touch, her flirting, the looks she was giving him, all stirred responses that shocked him. No other woman had ever had the same instant effect on him from the slightest contact.

“No,” she replied, her voice lowering. “Before the night is over, you’ll know this was all my idea and not one of my brothers had anything to do with my plans for tonight.”

Her plans? His mind began to race with the possibilities and they were all X-rated. His blood pulsed hot through his veins. “I’m beginning to wish we were alone right now.”

With a satisfied expression, she sat back. “Mike and Josh weren’t at the auction and I haven’t talked to them lately. They have no idea what I’m doing tonight. Jake was in the audience, with Madison, but across the room from me. Otherwise, I’m sure he would have tried to stop my bidding because he would have suspected my motives. But he more than any of my brothers should know you can take care of yourself.”

Tony nodded. “I’ll bet it was Jake who tried to talk you into being nicer. Mike has had his own problems with losing his first wife, caring for four-year-old Scotty and getting married to Savannah. And Josh is too busy making money with his hotels.”

“You’re right about all three.” She glanced down to their joined hands. “Although I don’t think this was exactly what Jake had in mind when he told me to be civil to you.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure it wasn’t.” He turned his hand so that his was holding hers and rubbed his thumb across her smooth skin. “You know, I’ve heard little Scotty adores his aunt Lindsay. I’m beginning to see how that’s possible.”

“I don’t think Scotty sees me the way you do.”

He laughed. “No, I’m sure he doesn’t. But you have a whole different side to you that I’m seeing tonight.” And he was still having quite a time wrapping his mind around this Lindsay. If this auction night had happened when she first moved to her ranch, would they have avoided their big clashes? Or would that same stubborn Lindsay still have been lurking beneath this beauty?

“I’ve gotten the same lecture from my brother Wyatt about cooling our fights,” he told her. “As county sheriff, he just wants peace and quiet in his life and he doesn’t want to have to continually deal with our battles—which will be less in the future, I promise you.”

“I hope we can end the clashes altogether.”

“If you’re like this, you’ll have my complete cooperation. You know, I have to tell you. Over the years, some things you’ve wanted or accused me of destroying, I had nothing to do with. Hopefully, after this, you’ll listen to my side a little more. But enough about our past. It doesn’t exist tonight, Lindsay.”

“That suits me fine,” she said softly as she licked her lower lip.

“That does it.” He pushed back his chair and went around to her. “If you do one more sexy thing, I may go up in spontaneous combustion.” He held out his hand to her. “Let’s dance. I don’t want the table between us anymore.” He also needed to move around and cool down.

Her blue eyes sparkled. “Ah, so I have your attention.”

“You’ve had my full attention since that spotlight revealed you.”

He led her to the dance floor, where he turned to take her into his arms. He was intensely aware of her enticing perfume, of her soft hand in his, of her other hand skimming the back of his neck. She was soft, lithe and a good dancer, one more surprise for the evening.

“You have really hidden yourself away from a lot of fun and a lot of attention.”

“I have a life. Around the ranch and in Verity, I don’t think I’ve missed a thing. You don’t know what I do when I go to Dallas, Houston or New York.”

“No, I don’t, but I’m curious now.”

“I have a lovely time. I have friends in other places besides Verity and the ranch, you know.”

“I’ll bet you do,” he said, smiling at her.

He had seen Lindsay in one of the bars in Verity, playing poker and downing whiskey like one of the men. Now he had a hard time reconciling that image with the woman in his arms. He stared at her, amazed it was her and wondering how long this facade would last.

Even when she returned to her normal self—and she eventually would—he knew he’d never look at her in the same way again. Discovering there was an enticing side to her changed his entire view of the woman who took life too seriously.

For once, she wasn’t so serious and earnest. He knew that was her nature, though, and he warned himself not to have high expectations of partying or lovemaking. She was not the type of woman he wanted to get entangled with, but for tonight he was going to break one of his basic rules of life.

Tonight he was going to stop thinking about the past and their problems. Tonight he was simply going to enjoy being with a stunning woman whose intention was to please him. And he wanted to return the favor.

When the dance ended, he took her hand. “I think our salads have been served. Shall we go back?”

As they ate, he listened attentively while she talked about growing up a Calhoun. She avoided mentioning the family feud or any touchy subject. Instead, she related childhood memories, college incidents and ranch success stories. The whole time she spoke, he couldn’t stop picturing her blond hair long and soft over her shoulders. He wondered if she would let him take it down later. He wanted to run his fingers through the long strands, hold her close and kiss her. He wanted seduction.

Again, he wondered about her plans for the night. She had surprised him constantly since the bidding began back at the auction. In a way she was being her most devious self, but he hoped she never stopped. So far, he had loved every minute of this night since the spotlight first picked her out of the crowd.

Over their dinners, which were a thick, juicy steak cooked to perfection for him and a lobster for her, she asked about his life, and he shared some stories.

Finally, their desserts were brought out, fancy, beautifully crafted dishes that they both ignored because they were more interested in each other.

“Would you like to dance again?” he asked when she sat back.

“Of course.”

The piano player had been joined by four more musicians, and the group played a ballad that allowed him to hold Lindsay close in his arms.

“Remember,” he whispered in her ear, “for tonight, we’ll forget our battles.”

“I already have,” she said, squeezing his hand lightly and making his breath catch.

The band changed to a fast number and he released Lindsay reluctantly. Instead of returning to her seat, she began to dance in front of him, and he followed suit. As he watched her, he could feel his body heat rising. She was like a flame, her hips gyrating sensuously, her blue eyes languid and heated as if thoughts of making love were inspiring her every movement. She was sexy—another shocking discovery. She had to know the effect she was having on him. While her eyes glittered, a faint, satisfied smile hovered on her face. He wanted to yank her into his arms, lean over her until she held him tightly and plunder her soft mouth.

He danced near the wide glass doors overlooking the veranda. He opened the doors and whirled her through them onto the patio, where warm night air enveloped them.

“We can dance out here?”

“The night has cooled enough and we have this to ourselves,” he said, moving to the music that was only slightly muted. He danced out of the light spilling through the glass doors, into the shadows and stopped, looking down at her as she tilted her face up.

She was taller than most women he had gone out with, but still shorter than he was. His eyes adjusted to the August night and he could see her looking up at him as he tightened his arm around her, feeling her softness press against him.

“Ever since you walked across the stage at the country club, I’ve been wanting to do this.” Slowly, inch by inch, he leaned in closer, taking his time to steal the kiss he craved.

He wondered if it would be worth the wait.

Two

As Lindsay gazed into Tony’s eyes, her heart thudded—and not just from desire. Wanting his kiss disturbed her because it was not part of her plans for enticing him. Still, there was no denying it. Some crazy chemistry burned between them. Actually being attracted to Tony Milan had not even occurred to her as a remote possibility when she’d initially come up with her plan to get him to be friendly and to influence him to stop overpumping his groundwater, which was taking water from her wells. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a question formed in the sultry haze. Could he have been truthful when he said he wasn’t using bigger water pumps?

From the first encounter they were at odds. The initial confrontation was over the boundary between their neighboring ranches. Each had come armed with over a century’s worth of documents to prove their property lines. Tony had been the condescending Mr. Know-It-All, telling her she was wrong and how to run her ranch. He’d changed little since that first meeting. He was still a classic alpha male who had to control everything and when it came to ranching, that attitude was annoying. Tonight, though, was a whole different matter.

She was in control.

Or so she planned.

Right now she had to admit she was nearly speechless, because she had never planned or considered an attraction to Tony. She thought she could have a fun, pleasant evening and get on better footing with him. He had lots of friends, so she figured he had to have a nice side and that’s what she hoped to get to know tonight with her bachelor-auction ploy.

She had hoped to entice him, make him see her as a desirable woman, have fun and maybe even share some kisses with him so their battles would not be so bitter and he would stop doing annoying things. Instead, she was breathless around him. An attraction between them that she had not expected had flared to life.

How could he be so attractive to her? She knew already that it was because of his charm, his seductive ways, his same alpha male that annoyed her with his know-it-all, take-charge attitude, but now it thrilled her. It was aimed at her, like a missile locked on its target, and, incredibly, she found it appealing...and sexy. She was definitely seeing him in a whole new way tonight.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling her carefully laid-out plan was going off the rails a bit. Now wasn’t the time to analyze her feelings, though. Not while she was in his arms. She knew this could never continue past tonight. Feelings for Tony Milan could complicate her life big-time. But for one night only, she would go where her heart and body led her. She could only tilt her head back and go with them. And right now they were taking her closer and closer to Tony. She wanted his kiss.

Her heartbeat raced as her gaze lowered to Tony’s mouth, and she closed her eyes when his lips finally touched hers.

All thoughts fled and her heart slammed against her ribs as Tony’s warm mouth moved on hers. His lips brushed hers lightly, a tantalizing touch that heightened her need for his kiss. Every inch of her tingled as desire electrified her nerves, hot and intense.

Another warm brush of his lips and she tightened her arm around his waist, sliding her hand behind his neck to wind her fingers in his thick, short hair. Every contact was unique, special, something she’d never expected and would never forget.

His mouth settled on hers, parting her lips as his tongue thrust deep and stroked hers, slowly. It was a kiss to make her moan and cling to him, to make her want him more than was sensible and beyond what she had set as limits for tonight’s “date.” His kiss set her ablaze with desire, making her quiver for his touch and dare to touch him in kind. How could Tony’s kisses do this to her? How could he cause responses that no other man ever had?

Her knees felt weak while desire was too strong. Her heart pounded and she moaned softly against his lips. She felt as if she could kiss him for hours and still want so much more from him. As her hand slipped down over his arm, she felt the hard bulge of solid muscle even through the sleeves of his tux and shirt. The feel of that strength, that powerful maleness, rocked her. She felt as if she was hanging on to her senses by a thread.

What she was doing? Somewhere in her mind the question formed, but her thoughts were too scrambled and hungry with need to articulate an answer.

Nearby voices dimly reached her ears, barely registering in her thought processes. Tony released her slightly and for a few seconds they stared at each other. He looked as dazed as she felt, his half-lidded eyes smoky and dark, his lips wet and smeared with her lip gloss.

His voice was thick and deep when he finally spoke. “Damn, Lindsay, there’s another side to you I never knew. You’re a stranger that I’ve never met before tonight.”

“I think I can say the same thing about you,” she whispered. “All I hoped was to get you to talk to me.”

He dragged his eyes away from hers and cast a glance to the side of the veranda. He frowned slightly as voices grew louder.

“We’re not alone out here anymore,” he whispered, still studying her solemnly as if she were the first woman he had ever kissed. But she knew better than that.

“Logic says we should go inside,” she replied without moving. For seconds they continued to stare at each other until Tony took her arm and led her silently back inside. The small band was playing another fast number and they moved to the dance floor, stepping out in time to the throbbing beat. Still stunned by his kiss, she watched him dance, his black tux jacket swinging open as he moved with a masculine grace that was sensual, sexy, his hips gyrating and making her think of being in bed with him.

She felt her cheeks flame and looked up to meet his gaze. It was as if he read her mind. Desire was blatant in his eyes.

The band slipped into a slow ballad and Tony took her hand, drawing her into his arms to dance close. Their bodies were pressed together, his hardness against her curves, and she didn’t know how long she’d be able to stay in his arms like this before she would combust. He pulled back ever so slightly to look down at her, and she was caught in his solemn gaze. For the first time, she realized his eyes were blue, with green flecks in their depths. He had thick dark brown eyelashes, straight brown hair that was neatly cut and short.

Tony Milan was handsome.

Down deep she had always thought that, in spite of how annoyed she had usually been with him. But up close like this now, she could no longer view him in any such detached manner. Not after that kiss. Tony Milan wasn’t dime a dozen “handsome.” No. He was drop-dead gorgeous.

And she wanted him to kiss her again.

The realization surprised her on top of the other jolting shocks of this night. Was she going to regret her decision to see if she could win him over with enticement and sweetness? It wasn’t sweetness Tony was bringing out in her tonight. It was desire. She wanted to be alone with him and she wanted him to kiss her again. She wanted to kiss and hold him, to run her hands over him. There was no way she was going to bed with him—she’d established that boundary from the start—but she wanted more than she’d originally planned.

The night had lost its sense of reality and become a moment out of time. Everything had changed. Desire was hot, constant. Tony was sexy, virile, charming, appealing, and tonight he was the most desirable man she had ever known.

She had never expected or planned on a night like this one. Since she had decided to own a ranch, she had never wanted to date other ranchers or cowboys. She knew them too well and she didn’t want them telling her how to conduct her business on the Rocking L Ranch. She loved her ranch—it was her whole life. No one had the right to come along and tell her how to run it. How many times had Tony done exactly that?

Tonight was different, though. Tony was different. How much would tonight change their relationship as neighboring ranchers? Or would they go back home with the same attitudes they had always had?

She knew she wouldn’t and she didn’t think he would, either.

And then she couldn’t think anymore. Tony moved her hand against his chest and covered it with his own, pulling her even closer, as if wrapping their joined hands in the heat from their bodies. She inhaled the scent of his woodsy aftershave, a musky scent that was all male. She gave herself over to him and let him lead her with his sure steps. They were totally in sync as they moved, their long legs pressed against each other’s. The contact was electrifying. She wanted to keep dancing with him for hours, almost as much as she wanted to be alone with him, in his arms and kissing him. Was that where the evening would lead, or would he follow the auction itinerary and go back to the Dallas country club, kiss her good-night and each of them drive away? To her surprise, that wasn’t the way she wanted to end the evening.

For the next hour they danced and she realized Tony was fun to be with when he wanted to be. He had her laughing over things he had done with her brothers over the years. She knew he was friends with them even though they were older. She was the only Calhoun who actively fought with him, but she had always blamed Tony for being such a know-it-all and so uncooperative as a neighbor. For tonight, though, she saw none of that. Far from it. He looked as if he was having a wonderful time and he helped her to have a wonderful time.

There was one rational part of her that cried out a warning: she needed to remember why she bid on him. She couldn’t let her plan backfire on her. When this night was over, she’d still need what she came here for—and that wasn’t a relationship with Tony Milan. A relationship was the one thing she needed to avoid at all costs, because it would vastly complicate her life. She was here only to win his friendship so he would discuss their problems with her. If possible, even talk about their water situation.

From her earliest memories she had been taught by her grandparents not to trust Milans. Now her brother had married one and he was blissfully happy. She had to admit that she liked and trusted her sister-in-law Madison. And a distant Calhoun cousin—Destiny—had married a Milan—Wyatt, who was sheriff of Verity. Wyatt had been a shock because he proved untrue everything Lindsay had been taught by her grandparents and mother about Milans. In all her dealings with Wyatt, she had found him to be honest, friendly, fair and definitely trustworthy.

She gazed at Tony’s handsome features and wondered if he could be trusted, as well. As they danced, he constantly touched her, looked intently at her. He paid her compliments, got her whatever refreshment she wanted. All his attention, his casual touches, increased her awareness of him, as well as her desire for him. She fought the temptation to tell him that she wanted to go someplace where they could be alone. She had a hotel room in Dallas for the night provided by the auction board. She could invite him back for a drink.

As much as she told herself she wanted to kiss him again, she knew where the kissing might lead. And she couldn’t make love with Tony. Difficult as it was to curb her desire, she had no other choice.

Finally, as the band took a break, Tony turned to her. “It’s time for us to meet our chauffeur so we can take the plane back to Dallas. It’s all arranged to get us back by midnight, so we should go now.”

“Let me pick up my purse,” she said.

On their flight home, Tony embodied the perfect gentleman, continuing to surprise her. She’d known he had to have a good side to him, but she’d never expected to be charmed by him or even find him such enjoyable company. Certainly not once had she thought she would be attracted to him or see him as a sexy, exciting man whose kiss set her heart pounding.