EXCERPT
Chapter One
As [Meg] made her way to the green meadow behind the cottages and main house, the dry grass whispered against the denim of her jeans while colorful wildflowers caught her eye. Silence surrounded her. Silence of the nicest kind. If she strained her ears, she could hear indistinct voices coming from the ranch proper, but they were nothing compared to the din of the city. She would remember to thank Geraldine, not only for the chance to make a name for herself, but for the opportunity to experience this beautiful part of the country.
Feeling better than she had in a long time, and with her determination to succeed at an all-time high, Meg turned back for the ranch. The sight of a cowboy strolling toward her brought her to a halt. There was no mistaking that easy lope. Her heartbeat immediately picked up, and she took several deep breaths to try to slow it before he reached her. She had to get control of herself.
"Havin' trouble findin' somethin' to do?" Trey asked.
She shook her head. "Just enjoying the great outdoors."
His eyes narrowed against the glow of the setting sun lighting his face. "You aren't gettin' bored at the Triple B, are you?"
"No," she said after a slight hesitation. Was this a good time to ask more questions? Would this cowboy know anything? It was worth a try to find out. "How long have you lived here?"
His slow grin sent her heart rate up another ten beats. With Trey around, she didn't need aerobics. Just his sexy smile. Tipping his hat farther down and shading his eyes, he chuckled. "Just about forever. And that's about how long it'll be before I leave. What do you think of the place?"
"It's beautiful," she answered truthfully.
"Ever been to Texas before?"
She shook her head. Even with his eyes hidden, she could feel him looking at her. She didn't dare glance at him for more than a minute. His strong but finely chiseled features were enough to make most women she knew swoon. But she wasn't most women. She'd had enough disappointing encounters with men and decided she could live without them. A career was more lucrative and satisfying. Most men left her feeling cold. To her surprise, Trey didn't. It was startling to be near a man who made the air around her warmer but far from uncomfortable.
But she shouldn't be thinking about him or any man, she reminded herself. "Didn't I hear the ranch is family-owned?"
Trey barely heard her. He couldn't stop looking at her. Nodding, he lifted his hand to skim a finger down her cheek. Her peaches-and-cream skin was even softer than he'd imagined. And he'd imagined plenty on the drive back from visiting his injured ranch hands in San Antonio that afternoon. "You don't get out in the sun much, do you?" he asked in a voice so husky, it surprised even him.
She cleared her throat before answering, but she didn't move. "N-no," she said, her voice a soft whisper.
He couldn't stop his smile. He was definitely getting to her. But it was his heart that skipped a beat. He noticed her quickened breathing and stepped closer, her wide, green eyes drawing him in. A voice in the back of his mind told him this was no way to act with a guest, but he couldn't make himself back off. In spite of the long, loose top she wore, hiding who knew what, the lady had a magnetism. Her delicate features blew his mind. He was accustomed to beatutiful women, but she took his breath away. Her eyes shimmered with apprehension, but he could see a flame of something flickering there, too.
His gaze dropped to her lips. Full and ripe like fresh strawberries, they begged to be tasted. His body responded to the sight of them. Unable to stop himself, he moved his hand to the slender column of her neck, his fingers curving around it while his thumb rested at the base of her throat, where her pulse throbbed beneath his touch.
Lowering his head to answer the silent plea of her lips, he was brought to a halt mere inches from his goal by the sound of a honking horn. She jerked away at the intrusion, and he lost the moment. Silenty swearing at himself for his damned fool libido, he dropped his hand and looked down the long drive to see the Triple B pickup and trailer spewing dust as it neared the barn.
"Chace is back," he muttered.
© 2004 Roxann Delaney |
