As his fingers closed around Madeline’s, the sensation of his calloused palms abrading her own soft hands and regularly manicured nails made her shiver in the best possible way. Hellooo, Mr. Cowboy. She bit her lip to hold back a giggle and allowed him to lead the way to the dance floor.
Talk about surreal. It was hard to believe any of this was actually happening. Willingly dancing to country music in a Texas honky-tonk was about as far outside her box as she could get. But maybe that was why it was so oddly thrilling? Probably. Or maybe it was the man whose hand was clasped around her own, pulling her along with a confidence that he seemed to be born with.
It was a very nice view, walking behind him like this.
She’d always preferred the kind of guy who wore well-tailored suits and handsome shoes, and who exercised on a treadmill in moisture-wicking athletic wear while watching CNN or listening to his iPod. At that moment, it was hard to remember why she’d thought the GQ look was more attractive than a pair of Levi’s that fit perfectly and a plaid shirt that was soft and faded from countless washings.
She allowed her gaze to steal over the cowboy’s broad shoulders and muscled back as he cut through the crowd. This was a man who wore boots for a reason. Someone whose muscles were formed from rolling up his sleeves and doing real labor. A man who took the bull by the horns—probably literally, she thought with a stifled grin.
Tipsy Madeline had much better taste in men, if she did say so herself.
When they reached the farthest, darkest corner of the place, he turned and pulled her into his arms, a lazy smile lifting the corner of his mouth. There was no awkward moment of trying to find the right position; they fit together as though they’d danced a dozen times before. She let out a blissful sigh, not even caring that the music could only be described as twangy and the clientele as less than urbane. She was having fun. This was so much better than how she’d pictured her night going.
As they began to sway in time with the rhythm, he ran a hand down the back of her bare arm, his touch feather-light. “You’re not from around here, are you,” he drawled, though it was more of an observation than a question.
She grinned wide. “What gave me away?” she asked teasingly. She couldn’t have been more obviously from out of town than if she had her New York license taped to her shirt.
He chuckled softly and pulled her in just a little bit closer. “Call it a hunch. I’ll do my best to make you feel welcome.”
That telltale spark of attraction ignited deep in her belly. Savoring the sensation, she tucked herself against the hard wall of his chest. “I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job so far.”
They moved together, their faces just a little too close, their dancing just shy of too familiar. God, she already wanted him. Really, really badly. It was more than those kissable lips she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off; it was the undeniable chemistry that had sizzled between them the moment their eyes first met. Even now, she could practically feel it.
When was the last time she’d felt like this? Light and happy, intoxicated by much more than just some beer. Part of her wanted to stand on tiptoe and kiss him right then and there, but the bigger part of her wanted to savor the delicious tension building between them.
And it definitely built. After only a handful of songs, she was breathless with it. Her hands had found their way to the back of his neck, and she kept imagining pulling his head down the scant inches it would take to press her lips to his. The way he was leaning in close to her, it seemed he was imagining the same thing.
“What brought you here tonight, all by your lonesome?” he murmured, as an old classic from the fifties slid into a song she remembered hearing from the late nineties. They kept dancing, their movements languid and unhurried.
“Curiosity, I guess. Lack of options,” she added with a hint of a wry grin.
“Curiosity is a good thing, and I suppose I should be grateful for the lack of options. It certainly worked in my favor tonight.”
She gave a soft laugh before resting her head against his shoulder. “Mine, too.” The words were almost to herself, but she knew that he had heard her when he slid his arms around her completely.
They danced that way through both slow and fast songs, tucked up against each other like lovers. When they spoke, it was with hushed voices and heads tilted together, but for the most part, they just danced.
She hadn’t realized how much she had needed this. After months of working like a crazy person, trying to prepare for both the merger and her unexpected move, she hardly remembered what it felt like to relax. But here in his arms, she felt the tension melting from her body, along with all of her worries for the coming days.
She had no idea how long they’d been on the dance floor when he leaned down so his lips nearly brushed her ear. “What would you say,” he asked, speaking low and slow, his warm breath caressing her neck, “if I said I wanted to kiss you, right here on the dance floor?”
A thrill raced through her as she tilted her head back to meet his warm gaze. It was heady, feeling both wanted and respected at the same time. He was giving her the chance to call the shots, while letting her know exactly what he hoped she’d say. With her heart pounding crazy hard in her ears, she lifted an eyebrow and said, “I’d say, what are you waiting for?”
His smile was sweet and devilish all at once. Still swaying to the music, he raised one hand to cup the side of her face and lowered his mouth to hers. When their lips met at last, she felt it all the way to her toes. It had definitely been worth the wait. His lips were soft but insistent, and he drew her body more firmly against his as he dipped his tongue into her mouth.
Heaven. She followed his lead, matching his every move with one of her own. He slanted his lips fully across hers, and a breathy little moan that escaped her made him deepen the kiss more.
All the people and bustle of the room around them faded away, and it was just the two of them, lost in the moment. In the dim recesses of her mind, she realized that none of this would have ever happened in her normal life. For the first time since receiving word of her relocation, she was damn glad she’d ended up right where she was.
Damn, the woman could kiss.
Tanner would have happily kept on kissing her through the whole song if someone hadn’t brushed by his back, reminding him of the audience they had all around them. Reluctantly, he drew back. Her little sound of protest went straight through him. He nearly threw caution to the wind and kissed her all over again, but he forced himself to resist.
Actually, he hadn’t intended to kiss her quite so thoroughly the first time, but, well, he couldn’t help himself. She was sexy as hell, and his body hummed with awareness the entire time they moved together. Some people just plain fit, and they were like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
But kissing like that was bound to catch notice sooner or later, and Tanner really didn’t want an audience. Instead, he tucked a lock of her silky blond hair behind her ear, letting his fingers trail down the side of her neck. “Care to move this dance somewhere a little more private?”
He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her since the moment she’d slipped her fingers in his, and the idea of having full access to her had his heart kicking against his chest like a riled bronco.
Those same fingers were now sliding their way down his back, sending all kinds of sensations through him. “Have somewhere specific in mind?”
A dozen very specific images came to mind, and none of them involved spectators. “Anywhere but here, darlin’.”
She was the outsider here. He wanted the decision to be in her hands. He wanted a lot of things to be in her hands.…
“In that case,” she said, her voice low and sultry as she hooked her fingers around his belt loops, “I think I know just the place.”
He couldn’t resist tipping her chin up and stealing one more quick kiss. It was hot and searing, and full of promise. A night with this girl was bound to be memorable. Pulling back, he offered up a slow, intimate smile. “By all means, lead the way.”
This was crazy.
She was crazy. Madeline had just invited a Grade-A cowboy back to her motel room, for heaven’s sake! And she couldn’t even blame it on the alcohol. Dancing half the night away did wonders for sobering a woman up, but in her defense, she was pretty sure it was possible to be drunk on a man’s charms.
His many, many charms. She stole a look over at his muscled, denim-clad thighs as she shifted gears. No wonder he’d stayed on the bull so long. And no wonder she wasn’t feeling even a hint of guilt for taking him home with her. She bit her lip. Doing Texas right was taking on a whole new meaning.
The motel was only half a mile away, though with her thundering pulse and fluttering nerves, it seemed much longer. Up until that moment, she’d hated the drive-up style of the place, where you could park right outside your door. Now, she was seeing the error of her ways.
It was only six steps from the car to her room. As she slipped the key into her door, he kissed the back of her neck, sending chills racing across her whole body. She shivered at the sensation even as she leaned back against him. He was warm and solid and smelled amazing. The subtle, masculine scent of his cologne was practically intoxicating.
At last the lock gave way, and they more or less tumbled inside. She quickly shut the door behind her, dropping her keys and purse on the ground without a second thought. When she turned around, he was there, and their lips crashed together as though neither one of them could wait another second. Two steps backward and she was pressed against the door, her hands buried in his hair as his tongue tangled with hers.
Crazy.
She’d never done anything like this in her life. She was a three-date-minimum kind of gal, and a serial monogamist at that. But maybe that was because she’d never kissed a ruggedly handsome, hard-bodied cowboy before. Because heaven help her, it was incredible.
His hands slipped over her sides and down to her hips. He squeezed gently, pulling her tightly against him even as his mouth burned a trail of kisses down the length of her neck. She sighed with pleasure, tilting her head to give him better access.
Why had she never done this before? It was the single most exhilarating, thrilling experience of her life. Every day should end with making out with a hot stranger.
He leaned down, grabbed her behind her legs, and lifted her from the ground. The motion was absolutely effortless, as though she weighed no more than an empty suitcase. Four steps and they were on the bed, his warm, muscled body covering hers. God, the man could kiss. She gave herself over to his capable lips, reveling in the sensation that washed over her with each and every flick of his tongue, loving the soft scratch of his beard against her skin.
He pulled back, and she almost groaned in disappointment until he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it off. Oh yes, much better.
“I saw you the moment you walked in tonight,” he said as his hands found the little mother-of-pearl buttons on the front of her shirt and got to work.
“You did?”
He nodded, pushing both sides of her shirt away and exposing her black lace bra. “I’ve had my eyes on you all night.”
She shivered, as much from his appreciative blue gaze as from the cool air against her newly bared skin. “I don’t know how I could have missed you.” She had to have been half blind not to have seen him.
He shrugged, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “An oversight, I imagine,” he said lightly, teasing her with his words as much as with his deliciously calloused fingertips. “I should be offended, but you did finally come to your senses.”
She almost laughed. This was not coming to her senses. This was losing her mind. She didn’t even know his name! And strangely enough, she didn’t want to. Tonight was for fun. A crazy, intense, delectable night that she’d remember long after she was promoted right back to New York City in a year or so.
Sliding a finger down the center of his six-pack abs, she offered up a wicked grin full of promise. “I’ll see what I can do to make it up to you.”
When he captured her mouth in another kiss, she let go of all thoughts of the town, the quiet, and even the less-than-ideal motel bed. It was just the two of them and the incredible connection that made her heart pound and her mind whirl. Lucky for her, he was prepared, and by the time that foil wrapper hit the floor, she was more than ready for him.
When he finally pressed into her, she couldn’t help but gasp against his lips. Absolute perfection. They seemed made for each other, moving with the same perfect rhythm they’d shared on the dance floor, their sweat-dampened bodies sliding against each other as the sound of their escalating breaths and her soft moans broke the quiet of the room. Had anything ever felt this good? She couldn’t remember ever being this turned on, this attracted to anyone.
He pushed her to the edge again and again, skillfully drawing out her pleasure until at long last she shattered, crying out only seconds before he shuddered above her and collapsed, as spent as she was.
As she lay there panting for breath, reveling in the feeling of their bodies twined together, only one thought floated to the surface of her satisfaction-dazed mind:
That was one hell of a welcome to Sunnybell.