By the time breakfast was done the next morning and they were back walking down East Sixth Street, it was close to 11:00 a.m. Robin had always enjoyed exploring the city, and having Amersen for company made the experience richer than she dared think about.
The night before, she’d been so close to asking him to stay and make love to her. Somehow, she’d come to her senses. Just. Making him leave was like slicing open her heart and denying her body what it craved most. She’d never experienced such rampant, overwhelming desire for anyone before. Not her high school boyfriend. And certainly not Trey. By comparison, her feelings for both other men had been lukewarm at best. But Amersen evoked passion she hadn’t known she possessed. It was like he had tapped into a part of her and awakened sexual desire and longing.
“What are you thinking about?”
Amersen’s voice jerked her back into the present. She certainly wasn’t going to admit she’d been thinking about how good it would be to have sex with him!
“Shopping,” she said and smiled, feeling a shot of electricity strike up her arm as their fingers accidentally touched. “We have to get that key ring, remember? I need to get something for Kate and Sterling for Christmas. And Otis, my right-hand man at the ranch. You can help me choose.”
He nodded. “Lead the way.”
In worn jeans that she suspected cost a fortune, a blue sweater and his leather jacket, he looked effortlessly masculine. He had a long black scarf around his neck that looked like it cost more than she earned in a week and did nothing to lessen the purely alpha male picture he evoked. His hair was mussed in its usual sexy style, his jaw had a sexy stubble that was too damned arousing for words and he smelled so good she could barely stand being more than six inches from his side. Just being around him was an aphrodisiac. And the more time they spent together, the more she wanted to share his company.
Which meant she was in for one hell of a ride.
And then a major fall.
They found their way to Second Street and browsed through several boutiques, where she found a lovely silk scarf for Kate. It was a modest purchase, but she still refused his offer to buy it for her. Money had never impressed Robin in the past, and she wasn’t going to change her view on that score. At a secondhand bookstore an hour later, she found a leather-bound edition of Gulliver’s Travels that Amersen suggested would be a thoughtful gift for Sterling. In a tourist shop he bought a few mementos for his family, including a baseball cap for his father. Then they spent a couple of hours comparing the Christmas windows at some of the more enthusiastic shops and boutiques in the neighborhood. By two o’clock they’d had lunch at a bistro, then by four thirty had moved on to drinks at a hip place on Ninth Street and later listened to a grunge band playing ’70s rock covers.
And not once did either of them mention their aborted make-out session the night before.
But Robin wasn’t fooled. They might not have ended up in bed together, but the sex was there between them, waving like a great red flag. She couldn’t believe that not having sex had become as complicated as if they’d dived between the sheets for a few hours.
Instead, they talked. About anything and everything. She discovered that they liked much of the same music and had a proclivity for old movies. They talked politics and religion, economics and social media, and fashion and food. He told her about his wine brand and his ambitious plans to have it served at all the finest restaurants around the world. She told him of her dream of using her degree in plant biology as a stepping-stone for further research into natural remedies for some chronic ailments. He listened as she spoke, offering the occasional word of advice and counsel, but mostly he was interested and attentive, and as the day progressed, Robin felt as though they had more in common than not.
He was, she realized, perfect boyfriend material.
Even if, she suspected, he’d never considered himself right for the role with any woman. He was clearly a serial monogamist. He never cheated. Never dated more than one woman at a time. But he never made a commitment longer than a month, either. He opened up about his family and she learned he had a close relationship with his mother; when he showed her a picture, Robin was taken aback by the still young and still beautiful woman who had given birth to him twenty-five years earlier. Suzette Beaudin was forty-five but looked a decade younger, and her handsome husband was eight years her senior. A big contrast to Robin’s own parents, since Veronica had her first child at twenty-eight and her last ten years later.
“My dad was forty when I was born,” Robin said, sipping the wine she’d ordered at the obscure little bar a few doors down from the bistro. “So my parents have always seemed, you know, oldish.”
“Your father was there,” Amersen said quietly. “That’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
“Of course,” she replied, realizing how ungrateful she must have sounded. “I didn’t mean I wasn’t... I’m sorry if that made you think about...you know...your...”
“Sperm donor?”
Her expression narrowed. “Why do you call him that?”
“It’s what he is,” Amersen replied, watching her over the rim of his glass. “Just a moment of failed contraception.”
She wanted to reach out and grasp his hand but didn’t. “It hurts you, though.”
He shrugged. “No. That would mean I cared. And I don’t.”
Robin wasn’t sure she believed him. “What if he tried to find you? Would you be—”
“Let’s go dancing,” he said and pushed his chair back, cutting off the rest of her words.
She looked toward the street. It was nearly dark and the streets were busy with pedestrians and a steady flow of traffic. Robin looked down at her jeans, crumpled blouse and jacket, and purple boots. She really wasn’t dressed for a nightclub. And foolishly, she didn’t want to share Amersen with a whole room full of onlookers, particularly any interested women who might circle around him.
Maybe they were just friends who happen to make out every now and then, but that didn’t mean she wanted him on the open market while they were out together.
“I have a better idea,” she said and got to her feet.
“Where are we going?” Amersen asked.
“You’ll see.”
* * *
It was an old theatre, he discovered some time later as he pulled up in the parking area and parked the rental car.
And it was busy with people. Old people, young people, families...all filing in through the wide doors.
They got out of the car and she waited until he was by her side, then grasped his hand and smiled. “You ready for this?”
He smiled and allowed her to lead him toward the entrance. “So, we’re at the movies?”
“It’s A Wonderful Life,” she explained, grinning. “They play it here every Saturday and Sunday night in the lead-up to Christmas. It’s my favorite Christmas movie.”
He wasn’t surprised. She looked delighted by the idea, and seeing her so happy did something to him inside. All day he’d had a strange feeling in the center of his chest. Sure, there was an undercurrent of attraction and desire between them—but this was something else. Something that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with the fact that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such a calm, enjoyable day.
Never.
Because he’d never spent a day with anyone as intoxicating and lovely as Robin.
“Is this okay?” she asked, clearly sensing his surprise.
Amersen nodded. “Sure. Great.”
They waited in line for a few minutes to purchase tickets and were quickly ushered up to the theater. The place was old but had obviously gone through a recent renovation.
“It was going to be demolished,” she said, as though reading his thoughts. “But the local historical society fought the plans and took the developers to court, and thankfully the place was listed on the historical buildings register. They had a good lawyer,” she said and grinned. “My brother Reece does a lot of pro bono work. And he’s something of a tree hugger and wasn’t going to allow this beautiful building to be pulled down.”
The pride and admiration in her voice couldn’t be denied. He liked how close she was to her family and it made him miss his own more than he’d believed possible. But he was also torn, knowing that he would miss Robin once he returned home.
They found seats at the rear of the theater, up high and with a great view of the screen. When she shivered, he pulled off his scarf and draped it around her neck, shushing her as she protested.
“Be back in a minute,” he said with a grin.
He headed back out to the foyer, and when he returned with a hot chocolate for her and a small bag of warm doughnuts, she groaned her approval. He sat down and passed her the drink.
“I know I shouldn’t be hungry, since we’ve pretty much been grazing all day, but this was a great idea,” she said and waved a sugared doughnut. “Want a bite?”
There was innuendo and flirtation in her words, and Amersen met her seductive gaze, saying nothing.
“No?” she queried.
He chuckled. “I don’t eat sweets.”
Her eyes widened, and then she frowned. “But last night you—”
“An aberration,” he said and drank his black coffee.
She looked indignant for a moment and then laughed. “Good...more for me. Although if I keep eating at this rate, I’ll put on ten pounds before the weekend is over.”
Amersen looked straight ahead at the blank movie screen. “You have a very sexy body, Robin. Ten pounds wouldn’t change that.”
She sighed, then grabbed his hand and laid it on her thigh. “You know, you could probably read a phone book to me, and with your accent, it would be the most erotic thing I’ve ever heard.” She nibbled on the doughnut. “My friend Francesca reckons that her English husband has the sexy-accent thing going, but I don’t know. I think the French accent is more...seductive. Next time I see Francesca and Keaton, I’ll have to compare.”
Caution rose up his spine and Amersen stilled instantly. “You mean Keaton Whitfield?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I think he uses both Whitfield and Fortune now. He’s one of those illegitimate Fortunes. Seems like one pops up every now and then.”
Amersen swallowed the rising panic in his throat. His breath felt heavy in his chest, but thankfully he had an inhaler in his pocket if the need arose.
“You said you knew his wife?” he asked, his chest tight, remembering how her parents had spoken about knowing several of Gerald Robinson’s illegitimate children.
“We went to college together. We don’t hang out much now or anything because we’re both so busy, but we catch up for coffee every couple of months.” She sipped her hot chocolate. “Do you know Keaton?”
“We’ve never met,” Amersen replied, thinking it wasn’t exactly a lie. He had never met his half sibling in person. Every communication from the other man or Ben Fortune Robinson had been via email—until the note he’d left at the hotel the other night. Perhaps Robin had mentioned to Whitfield’s wife that Amersen was in town... Whatever the circumstance, it was all seeming a little too close for comfort.
The movie credits started, and Amersen heaved a relieved sigh. He didn’t want to think about anything other than enjoying the remainder of the evening. Robin’s attention was immediately taken up with the movie, and over the course of the following couple of hours, he watched as she sighed, laughed and cried as she absorbed the movie and its whole sappy nonsense. She edged closer to him as the film progressed, and by the time the end came, her head was tucked neatly against his shoulder, their thighs pressed intimately together. As people started moving to leave the theater, Amersen heard her stifle a yawn.
“Come on, tu dors debout,” he said, getting to his feet as he translated. “Sleepyhead. Time for me to get you home.”
She nodded, and they quickly packed up their belongings and headed back to the car.
The drive back to her ranch was quiet, with a tinge of regret in the air, as though they both knew their day together was coming to an end. If she invited him in, he knew they would make love. It was inevitable.
But she didn’t.
He walked her to her door, noticed that a light flicked on in the main house, and then he waited while she unlocked the screen. “So, good night,” he said and passed her the shopping bags.
“Good night, Amersen. Thank you for a lovely day.”
He wanted to kiss her so much that his mouth tingled and his gut burned. “I had a nice time today.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “So, kiss me good-night and go back to your hotel.”
“Good night,” he said, drawing on every ounce of his self-control to press his lips to her cheek and not ravage her mouth with his own.
“I’ll see you Monday,” she said quietly, stepping back.
He’d already explained that his flight left Monday afternoon and that he would be stopping by Sterling’s Fortune to see Kate before he flew out of Austin. “If you would like to have dinner tomorrow night, I will be at the hotel. Say, around six?”
“No.”
He frowned. “No?”
“Every time I say good-night to you, it’s harder, if you get my meaning.”
Amersen understood. Even if he didn’t like the idea. “So, this is it? Our last time together as friends?”
She nodded. “Yes. Absolutely.”
He kissed her cheek again, stepped back and dropped his arms. “Then bonne nuit, Robin.”
And by the time he got back to his car, she was already inside her house and the door was closed.
* * *
On Sunday morning, Robin took Butterfly out for a long ride. It was chilly and overcast, and by the time she returned to the stables, it was spitting rain. She spotted her brother’s Jeep in the driveway and smiled. Both her brothers knew their parents would be at church this morning, so he’d obviously come to visit her. Reece was always good to talk to, a little more serious than Evan, but less disapproving. And she needed someone to talk to about Amersen. She wished she had a girlfriend close at hand to spill her woes to, but her best friend, Amy, was traveling through South America with her boyfriend and wouldn’t be back in Austin for several weeks. Other than Amy, she had a few other female friends she could call, but she didn’t feel like explaining how she felt when she could barely explain her feelings to herself. But Reece would have an understanding ear.
Only, when she dismounted, grabbed Butterfly’s reins and walked into the stables, it wasn’t Reece sitting on a hay bale waiting for her. It was Evan.
“Where’s the Bimmer?” she asked and tied Butterfly to a hitch.
He grimaced. “Fender bender last night. And Reece is in Dallas on business, so I borrowed his car until I pick up a rental this afternoon.”
She nodded and loosened the cinch. “The folks won’t be back for another couple of hours. Mom’s got that quilting class after church.”
“I know,” he said and wandered toward her. “How was your date yesterday?”
Her fingers fumbled. “My date?”
“I saw you in town,” he replied. “With Beaudin.”
“Spying on me now?”
“Coincidence,” he said, pulling the saddle off Butterfly. “I was out and saw you from across the street. You looked...happy.”
“Something wrong with that?” she asked.
Evan scowled. “Don’t get all loco on me. I’m just concerned.”
“We had this conversation the other day,” she reminded him and grabbed a currycomb from the bucket by the stall.
“And yet you didn’t take my advice.”
“Oh,” she said with emphasis. “That was advice? I thought it was you being a bossy older brother and telling me how to live my life.”
“I’m not gonna apologize for being concerned about you.”
Irritated, Robin turned and glared at him. “What exactly do you think Amersen is going to do, Evan?”
“Break your heart,” he said flatly.
“My heart is fine,” she assured him. “We’re friends, that’s all. And he’s leaving tomorrow, so you have nothing more to worry about.”
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad. I don’t like him.”
She made an exasperated sound. “You’re such an idiot. You don’t know him.”
“And you do?”
“Yes,” she said hotly. “I do. He’s not what you think. And this conversation is over. Again.”
“Why are you being so stubborn about this, Rob?” he asked, using the shortened version of her name as he’d done since she was a child. “The guy is bad news, and it looks like you’re the only one who can’t see it.”
Robin’s temper kindled. “How about you sort out your own love life before you start interfering in mine.”
Her brother threw his hands up in the air. “What? You’re in love with him now?”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not what I said. I like him, okay. That’s all. We’re the same age, we like a lot of the same things, he’s interesting and smart and easy on the eyes. Not that I have to explain myself to you or anyone else. I like Amersen Beaudin!” she exclaimed and ran the brush over Butterfly’s neck. “There...I said it. I like him and he likes me. We’re adults, so it’s allowed. I don’t need to ask your permission to like him, to see him or to even have crazy wild sex with him if I want to. So, just mind your own damn business already!”
Evan look predictably uncomfortable at the idea of his baby sister doing any such thing. But she was tired of the interference, tired of being told what to do. It wasn’t as though Amersen was some kind of ogre taking advantage of her. In fact, he’d been nothing but respectful and considerate. Her family, and Evan in particular, were out of line.
“I’m only trying to—”
“You’re trying to control me,” she cut him off. “And I won’t stand for it, Evan. I didn’t see all this concern when Trey was cheating on me with—”
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said quickly and then clammed up when he realized what he’d said.
Robin’s gaze narrowed tightly. “You knew?”
He shrugged. “I...I...”
“You knew he was cheating and you didn’t tell me?” she demanded as betrayal seeped through her blood and into her bones. “How could you?”
“I was trying to protect you,” he said quickly. “We both were.”
Her suspicions soared. “Reece knew, too?”
Evan nodded. “We were out one night at that new honky-tonk place off the highway,” he explained and let out a long breath. “We saw him there, with this girl, and it looked...well, I guess you know how it looked. Afterward, we thought it best not to say anything. We talked to Trey...he said it was a onetime thing. Reece threatened to knock his teeth out if he did it again, and we really thought he would come to his senses and stop behaving like such an ass.”
“He didn’t.”
He shrugged again. “I know, I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” she said, feeling so hurt she could barely breathe. “It would have been easier hearing it from you than seeing it with my own eyes. Go home, Evan. I’ll tell the folks you dropped by.”
Long after her brother left, Robin was still in the stables, brushing Butterfly and thinking about how she was so coddled by her family that her brothers thought it was okay to lie to her about the man she’d believed she would marry one day. But it wasn’t okay. It was brutal. It was gut-wrenching.
Since she’d caught Trey cheating in such a humiliating way, Robin had become a hermit, staying home, refusing invitations to go out, saying no to anything that would make her seem available. Because she was hurt and betrayed and had lost faith in people. In men. And now even her brothers had proved her right. She used to enjoy parties and company and socializing...now her weekly highlight was having dinner with her parents.
Until Amersen.
Somehow, he’d helped heal the bridge between her humiliation and despair.
I like him and he likes me.
The words she’d said to her brother earlier stayed with her. Because it was that simple. She liked him. She wanted him.
It was chemistry, pure and simple.
And suddenly, it was enough.
She didn’t want to waste another moment thinking about how he was leaving the next day. So...he’d come back. Or he wouldn’t. It would work out, or it wouldn’t. They didn’t have to make grand statements or demand commitment. They were both young and single. And the shackles of the past few months, the ones that had been holding her back from enjoying herself and actually having a life, suddenly fell to her feet. Because she knew what she wanted. And she’d go and get it. Right now. Because if she didn’t, she sensed she would regret it for the rest of her life.
Fueled by bravado, later that afternoon Robin showered, applied makeup and dressed in her favorite purple crushed-velvet dress that showed off a good portion of her neckline and hugged under her bust, emphasizing her waist and curvy hips. She wore heels, the kind that were good for only short distances, grabbed her bag and by six o’clock was heading into Austin.
The hotel where Amersen was staying was the best in town. A valet greeted her as she pulled up outside, and she ignored the tremble in her knees as she headed toward the lobby. The place was busy, bustling with guests and staff, and Robin took a few long breaths. She had never done this before—she’d never actively pursued a man in her life. And now here she was, standing in a hotel lobby, dressed for sex, and suddenly she realized that she might have overplayed her hand. She didn’t even know if he was at the hotel. What if he was out? Perhaps he had a date? A man who looked like Amersen wouldn’t have to try hard to find company. She might have walked right into another humiliating scene, and it would be like catching Trey with his pants around his ankles all over again. A sensible woman would have called first.
A sensible woman wouldn’t have sent him away night after night.
Robin pulled her cell from her bag, found his number and quickly sent a text before she lost her nerve.
I’m downstairs.
And she waited. Two minutes later her cell pinged.
Don’t move.
She couldn’t have moved if she tried. Her legs were wobbling so much she thought she’d fall if she dared take a step. And then, minutes later, she saw him, striding toward her from the elevator. Dressed in black, he looked handsome and exotic and exactly what she craved to quell the desire thrumming through her body. He stopped a few feet away, his gaze traveling over her slowly, until finally he reached her eyes.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hello,” he said, his voice raspy. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
Robin shrugged one shoulder. “I know. I’m sorry, I should have called first. I was... I was...”
“You look so beautiful,” he said, the rawness in his tone speaking volumes.
Robin fiddled with the edge of her dress. “It’s...purple.”
“It’s...jolie,” he said. “Lovely.”
She swallowed hard. “I was wondering if you still wanted to—”
“Yes,” he said quickly, cutting her off. “Of course.”
She smiled. He was nervous. She liked that. It relaxed her edgy nerves. “I thought we could have dinner if you still wanted to...unless you have other plans.”
“I have no other plans,” he said and reached out to grasp her hand and then gently pull her close. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Mon Dieu,” he muttered against her neck. “You take my breath away.”
Robin’s weakened knees trembled. “Amersen.” She said his name on a sigh and then gently touched his jaw with her fingertips. “Would you do something for me?”
He grabbed her hand, looked directly into her eyes and pressed her knuckles to his mouth. “Anything.”
“Would you make love to me tonight?”
He groaned out her name, gently squeezing her fingers. “I’ll give you a night you will never forget.”