Chapter Eight

Smoking hot cowboy alert.

Reese’s body temperature was on a steady climb toward feverish, and she was aching for a cure. The whole drive from town, James hummed along with the radio and stroked the center of her palm in a way that sent tingles lower. If she had to guess, he knew exactly what he was doing. And he knew how to do it.

He pushed a button on his rearview mirror and the iron gate to his ranch swung open. “Before I take you to the cottage, can I show you one of my favorite spots?”

“Sure. I’m game.” The man had a way of cutting through her protective shields. Where her heart was concerned, James MacLachlan was a dangerous man of the first order, but she was prepared to take the risk. “Sounds good.”

After passing his house, he parked behind the horse barn. “Stay there.” He jumped out and jogged around the front of the truck to her door.

His chivalry tugged on her romance-loving heart. She could tell he’d been raised by grandfathers who’d taught him how to treat a lady. Apparently, it just hadn’t quite kicked in when they’d dated in high school. With his hands circling her waist, he slowly lowered her to the ground, sliding her body against his and triggering more warm shivers. “You’re such a gentleman.”

His broad shoulders bunched and relaxed in an alluring ripple of movement. “I try.”

She leaned back to study his face. “Where are you taking me?”

“Grandpa spent years clearing a walking trail for Grams. It leads to their favorite spot. They sometimes go there to watch the sun rise or set.”

Butterflies danced on the shivery waves in her belly. He was really pulling out all the first-date bells and whistles. “Your grandfather must be a romantic guy.”

“Grams claims he is.” Always prepared, he pulled the small flashlight from his pocket.

“Wow, that’s a really bright light for such a tiny thing. Do you always have it in your pocket?”

“Yep. And a knife and lighter. First rule. Be prepared to disappear into the woods at any time. Stick with me, and I’ll teach you skills you’ll need for the adventures you have planned.”

A shiver zipped along her spine. “I’ll take you up on that, but I do have some skills of my own.”

“I have no doubt about that.” He tucked her under his arm as they walked under a night sky sparkling with stars so much brighter than in the city and a moon on the verge of full.

Her imagination spun fanciful tales of traveling the world with James. She knew it was only daydreaming because he was a tied-to-the-land cowboy, but a girl had to give her imagination a workout every once in a while. She slid her hand all the way around his waist and hooked her fingers in his belt loop. “It’s so peaceful out here. So much beauty in the night.”

“Want me to tell you a story about my favorite memory of you?” he asked.

“Absolutely. Can I be a princess in this version?”

“You’re better than any princess. You’re real and free-spirited. The kind of woman any man would be lucky to have in his life.”

She glanced at him to see if he wore a teasing expression, but what she found was so much better. He was the most relaxed she’d seen him, an easygoing smile making him appear youthful and carefree.

“It was the first day you started going to school at Cypress High. You were walking down the hallway with all those blue lockers and had stopped to help someone who was being picked on. So beautiful and brave.”

She’d been shy and super self-conscious and couldn’t believe he’d seen her that way.

“When you smiled at me”—he chuckled—“I got so nervous I walked into someone.”

She remembered giving him that smile and how excited she’d been to see him again, and hoping he’d want to hang out with her. “But you still asked me to dance at the Spring Fling. How very brave of you.”

“You gave me a shot…and I blew it. I got spooked by my feelings back then.”

“Hmmm.” She rested her head against his shoulder. Looking back, his behavior might be explained by a teenager who was not yet mature enough to know how to react to feelings, but it could also be attributed to the kind of guy who simply changes his mind when the wind blows a new direction, or when a pretty girl smiles. “Teenagers are complicated beings.”

“Some of us more than others. I was a bonehead.”

She would neither confirm nor deny his observation. The naturally flowing path wound through native trees, and a layer of fine gravel crunched softly under their feet. The muscles of his lower back shifted with each step, and she flexed her fingers, enjoying the sensation. There was so much more to this cocky cowboy than one would think. He was an old soul and more sensitive than anyone gave him credit for. “I’ve never been to this area of your ranch. Dad always told me to stay within the boundaries of my grandparents’ property. I hated it. I always wanted to explore everything.”

“You have my permission to explore all four thousand acres.” His arm swept through the air in a grand gesture of pride.

“Are you sure you want to make that offer?” Her train of thought derailed as they came around an outcropping of limestone. Before her stood the most magnificent oak tree, moonlight shining through its branches. She reached for her camera before she remembered she didn’t have it.

“Are you speechless?”

She nodded, then laughed. “For a minute there, I was. It looks like it’s half in and half out of this world.” Chills raced along her spine.

“What does that mean?” he asked.

Tilting her head back and forth, she studied the tree. “I have no idea. It just came to me.”

He pulled them along until they stood under the tree’s canopy. The cascading water of Cypress Creek and night sounds of crickets and frogs were their music. He turned her into his arms, held her close, and rocked slowly.

She found the perfect spot to rest her cheek, and the rise and fall of his chest with each breath and beat of his heart added to the harmony of the moment. A perfect moonlit dance. His hands flexed against her back, and she got the sense he fought to hang on and let go at the same time. “The way you described me in your story, is that really how you saw me?”

“Yes.” His hands relaxed, and he stroked a finger down the side of her neck, tracking it with his eyes. “Still is.” James brushed her hair aside and pressed his lips to the pulse at the base of her throat.

His hot mouth seared a line of heat directly to her core. Searching for the last scrap of air in her lungs, she sighed.

“Sweet Reese, I had a dream about kissing you here.”

Is that why he wanted to come here? “I think I can manage to make your dream come true.”

“Are you sure you want to make that offer?” He echoed her earlier words.

She wasn’t anywhere close to sure about anything when it came to James MacLachlan. This man rattled her and was no doubt leading her toward another epically bad decision, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Nerve endings sparked, and she wanted him with a ferocity that swept caution aside. She opened her mouth to say she’d take him up on his offer to spend the summer with him, but her chest tightened, and she lost her nerve. Cupping one side of his face, and loving the way he leaned into her touch, she brushed her lips across his. “Kiss me.”

An owl hooted from above, adding a dreamy quality to the night. James took his sweet time, drawing out the seduction. Long fingers sliding into her hair, tangling, tugging, tempting. Rubbing his mouth back and forth across hers before nipping at her lips, sending liquid heat rushing through her veins. He whispered her name, then dipped his tongue in to dance with hers.

Dizzy from his kiss, she clung to him for balance.

He groaned and ran the tip of his tongue between her lips, his thumb brushing over the thin fabric covering her nipple, and she gasped. Past hurt and bad decisions floated away and only this moment seemed real or important.

A soft growl rumbled from deep in his chest, and he kissed her again.

Her entire body reacted to his touch. Pulsing warmth, tingling aches, and intense urges left her impatient for what came next. The moon, the stars, the man. The night pleasures combined into a sweet, drugging mix. His kisses swept through her in a way that left her breathless and needy. So needy.

Her timid nature? Gone.

A large rock beside her seemed the perfect place for a higher angle of attack. She had one foot on when it began to roll. Reese yelped as the runaway rock banged against her other foot, leaving pain in its wake.

He caught her against the length of his body before she fell. “Are you okay?”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch. My foot.”

After easing her down to sit on the ground, he examined her like she imagined he would do with one of his prized horses. Since she wasn’t seriously hurt, the whole scene became comical. Lila would crack up for days when she told her about this.

Leave it to me to injure myself trying to make out with my total hottie first love.

He raised her foot and kissed her ankle. “What’s so funny? I can hear you giggling.”

Moonlight shimmered on one side of his face, the other left in shadows, and it was as if for a second, he was two people. The confident bad boy she’d known and the complicated man she wanted to figure out. He intrigued her in so many ways. “You sure know how to knock a girl off her feet, cowboy.”

He tried on his best injured expression, but then laughed along with her. “I’ve been accused of a lot, but never the power to knock a girl down with my charm.”

Side by side, they sat looking up through the tangle of branches to the starry sky. “In and out, in, out,” she mumbled.

“What?”

She snapped her fingers, and the chill she always got along with a lightbulb moment rushed through her body. “In and out. I have another idea for my photo assignment. There are caves around here, right?”

Lines formed across his forehead. “Several of them.”

When she stood and put weight on her foot she winced. “Do you know where one is?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go explore it.”

He motioned for her to sit back down. “Let me get this straight. You want me to find a cave for you to explore. Right now. In the dark. At night.”

She shrugged. “I told you that you might regret giving me permission to explore all of your property.”

“First, tell me about this idea.”

“Remember my reaction to seeing Celts Oak was saying half in and half out? I want photos of in and out, or maybe, above and below.” Her hands animatedly flew as she spoke, and she knew how she must look but was too excited to care. “A cave is below ground, and a tree is above, except for the roots. Too bad I can’t photograph the roots under the ground.”

He chuckled. “When you have an idea and get rolling with it, you’re so sexy. How about we come back in the daylight, with proper equipment. And your camera.”

“You have caving equipment?” She clapped her hands, unable to hide her excitement.

His forehead crinkled again. “No, but I have headlamps to light the way.” He glanced at her feet and shook his head. “And different shoes. It was stupid of me to take you on a walk in those shoes. I’ve already allowed you to be hurt once tonight.”

“That wasn’t your fault. But you’re right about the cave at night. It’s too dangerous. Oh, man.” Her shoulders dropped on a sigh. “I’m leaving for Austin in the morning. I need to develop film at Lila’s, and I have a doctor’s appointment.”

He rubbed her back in big, slow circles. “Guess you better stop being a chicken and come back.”

“Chicken? Is that another dare?”

“No. I just like teasing you because you make the cutest faces.” He kissed the crinkled spot between her brows. “If you’ll let me, I’ll try to make things up to you this summer.”

In high school, she’d been looking for a boyfriend, but now, she was not. And after continual arguing between the angel and devil on her shoulders, she still hadn’t decided if she could spend time with him and keep her heart out of it. And she couldn’t give him an answer until she was sure. “I’m considering it.”

“Reese Turner, why are you so reluctant to stay in a house you want to buy? Will Petunia the camper van be jealous?”

She laughed. “Petunia will be fine. I just like to take my time with big decisions.” She tipped her head to the stars, not wanting to tell him it wasn’t the house that made her reluctant. It was the feelings she’d had for him going all the way back to when he’d first pulled her hair and called her Goldilocks.

“I’ll stop teasing you. Just know the offer stands for as little or as long as you like. No pressure.”

She wanted to go in a cave and take pictures of Celts Oak. And solve the mystery clues. Her pulse jumped, and her belly clenched. Is this excitement…or panic? When she envisioned spending more time with this tempting man, she decided it was both.

“Let’s head back to the cottage.” He lifted her as he stood, set her on her feet, and kept her hand in his while they walked. “You’re limping. Come here.” He scooped her into his arms, pulled her close, and kissed her cheek.

Reese stiffened. “You can’t carry me all the way back.”

His hold tightened, and he kept walking. “Oh, yes I can. Then I’m cleaning those scratches and putting ice on your foot.”

“James?”

“Let me take care of you.”

His tone and smile held more meaning than the words. It was his tender smile. The one that made her feel safe and gave her a glimpse of something she wanted more of. She inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. Might as well enjoy his company while she could. She stopped fighting and relaxed into his strength, enjoying the shifting of his muscles.

This had become more than a one-night, fantasy-fulfilling fling, but it was still only temporary. She’d be off photographing the world as soon as she could. With time and distance, she’d learn to control her feelings on those occasions she did come back to Cypress Creek.

After returning to his truck and driving to the cottage, Reese sat on the couch and took off her silver leather flats. James returned with first-aid supplies and spread them out on the coffee table. His face was a picture of concentration as he tended to her injury.

“The scrapes are minor, but you might have a bruise tomorrow.” His thumb massaged her instep, making her toes flex.

“Whatever you’re doing to my foot feels so good,” she moaned, his expert touch reaching places far beyond the toes he was stroking. Much to her disappointment, he stopped and crossed the room to a dry bar he’d set up in an old cupboard.

James returned with two glasses and a bottle of amber liquid. “Do you drink whiskey?”

“Sometimes.” Maybe it would help calm both of their nerves.

He sat close and poured shots.

When she reached for a glass, her breath caught as his thumb stroked the inside of her wrist. He treated her to his slow, panty-melting smile. The same smile from her high school memories. Interesting how many different smiles he had. Like his own language. And she had the urge to learn it.

I’m a hopeless romantic.

She had plenty of drive and determination, but her willpower where this man was concerned… Well, it was lacking. She reminded herself—yet again—that she had goals to accomplish. And he wasn’t interested in marriage. So even when she was ready to get serious and settle down, he couldn’t be on the list.

He held up his glass. “To getting to know one another again.”

“I’ll drink to that.” The warmth of smooth whiskey coated her insides. “That’s good. I’ll take one more small shot and sip it slow this time. Why doesn’t the bottle have a label?”

“We make the whiskey here on the ranch. In the big metal building we saw on our ride.” He poured two more shots. “It’s the same recipe Benjamin brought over from Scotland. One family story I know is true is the whiskey. It’s one of the ways he made money to add to the ranch and build the hotel.”

“Let me get this straight. You raise organic beef, train horses, and want to start an equine therapy program for special needs children. You have real estate, including half of Cypress Creek’s town square. And on top of all that, you make whiskey? Oh, and we can’t forget being a D&D master.”

He chuckled and absently played with the hair trailing over her shoulder. “When you put it that way, it sounds like a lot.”

“I love the way your family has kept their traditions and land in the family.” Her head fell back against the couch.

“I know this land and cottage mean a lot to you, and I know I’ve been teasing you about coming back, but I’m serious. I just want a chance to make things up to you.”

She raised her head to face him. “My dream is to get the world-traveling photojournalist job and have the cottage as a permanent home base. But I guess ‘dream’ is the key word in that statement.”

His kiss was soft and sweet. “Nothing wrong with dreaming. When you get your job, the cottage can still be your home base. Use it. Explore the land. Come when you can and stay as long as you like. I’ll take care of the upkeep.”

But the land won’t be mine. “Again, I’ll ask. Are you sure you want to make that offer? I might hang around too much and cramp your style.” I might hang around too much and break my promise to focus on my career!

“Yes, I’m sure I want to make the offer.” He said it, but his muscles tensed, and his eyes widened. He stood. “Be right back.” His voice was clipped and tight, and he disappeared into the kitchen.

A shimmer of confusion tickled her chest. They were both sending each other a heap of mixed signals. Had he just offered more than the summer, or was he suddenly changing his mind about all of it?

As Lila would most definitely point out, Reese had been known to fall for guys hard and fast, but just because she was having a “reunion” with James didn’t mean it had to turn into something beyond a brief bit of fun. She was a grown woman and could control herself.

James returned with an ice pack. “Stretch out your leg.” He gently settled the ice on her injured foot before sitting beside her.

His reactions, much like hers, seemed to be bouncing all over the map like a game of ping-pong. But pleasantly buzzed from wine and whiskey, she didn’t want to waste this lovely feeling worrying about what she shouldn’t be doing or trying to guess what might be going on in his head. Reese wanted to take a break from planning and thinking and simply enjoy this unexpected bit of pleasure. She could worry about the rest at sunrise.

“Whatcha thinking about so hard, cowboy?”

“I don’t mean to sound pushy. I’m not looking for a commitment.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Just a fun summer enjoying one another’s company before you go off on your world tour with National Geographic.”

They were on the same page about what kind of relationship they were looking for, and he was right about questioning her reluctance to stay. She needed to show both of them that they could figure out how to be neighbors once she convinced him to let her buy the cottage. They could agree to have their fun and keep it from getting too serious. Until she started a full-time job, she could handle a casual dating scenario.

I can do it. I know I can.

“We have a deal, Mr. MacLachlan. I’m going to take you up on your proposal for the summer you promised years ago. Here’s to a fun summer.” She clinked her glass against his and sipped more whiskey.

After setting their glasses on the coffee table, he palmed the back of her head and gently tugged at the roots of her hair, making her gasp and open for a deep kiss. She was rapidly overheating, his kisses making her feel as if she floated above the ground. Easing her back onto the couch, he covered her body with his. The ice pack fell from her foot and lay forgotten on the floor. They were alone, his warm hands caressing, eager mouth encouraging, the press of his hips against hers shooting electric pulses.

Tension coiled tighter and tighter in her core.

His phone buzzed, but he ignored it. It buzzed again, and again, and again. He took it out and started to toss it on the coffee table but pulled it back to glance at the screen.

“Damn. Give me a second.” He raised himself from her and started dialing on his way to the front door.

She propped on her elbows, kiss-swollen lips molding into a frown, and stared at his back as he walked out the door. Was there some conspiracy to interrupt them every single time? Dogs, cell phones, runaway rocks. What next? A girlfriend he forgot to mention?

“What’s up, Ana?” His voice drifted in through the screen door then became muffled as he moved away.

His words hit like a slap.

Oh my God. It actually is another woman.

Guess he’s really serious about the casual and no-strings-attached part of the agreement. A heavy, burning knot landed in her gut.

He stuck his head inside. “Sorry, I gotta go.” The screen thumped closed, and James was gone.