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“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 (#ulink_ad2fbd56-cd02-5b7a-8239-a3c4e7690d0b)
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.
As they flew back to Dallas, Tony reached for her hand, holding it in his. “The evening will still be young when we get home. We can go dancing or just go have a drink and talk. Better yet, I have a condo in Dallas. Come back with me. I’ll take you to your hotel whenever you want. We can have the place to ourselves.”
Eagerness to draw out the evening made it easy to answer. “Let’s go to your place,” she said. “I don’t want tonight to end yet. It’s been fun, Tony. I know things will go back somewhat to the way they were because that’s reality, but this has been a special night.”
“You have no idea how special it has been. Things may go back to sort of like they were, but they won’t ever again be the same as before. You’ll no longer have an antagonistic neighbor. I promise.”
“Dare I hope,” she gasped, clutching her heart, making him laugh. Shaking her head, she smiled. “There’s no way this truce is going to last.”
“I’ll try if you will,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief, and she had to laugh in return.
“I promise I’ll try, too,” she said, looking into his eyes and again feeling an electrifying current spark between them.
“I keep waiting for a pitch from you to get me to agree to something. You all but admitted that’s the purpose of your bidding for me tonight.”
“Maybe I’ve delayed that original agenda,” she said in a sultry voice. “I’m having fun, Tony. Fun that I don’t want to spoil. The night is magical, a trip into a world that doesn’t really exist. But for a few hours, we can pretend it does and enjoy it.”
He raised her hand and brushed a light kiss on her knuckles, his breath warm on her hand.
“I’m glad,” he said. “I’m not ready to tell you good- night and watch you walk away.” He placed his hands on the arms of her seat, facing her and leaning close, his voice dropping to a whisper as he said, “I want to hold you and kiss you again.”
Her heart thudded and for the first time she realized she might be in trouble. Was Tony the one who would get what he wanted out of tonight instead of her? She’d planned to wring concessions from him, but now it seemed he was once again in control and she was under his spell. Not once had it crossed her mind that she could be so beguiled by him.
And she was powerless to stop it.
His gaze lowered to her mouth and suddenly she couldn’t get her breath. She tingled, feeling as if she strained to lean closer to him while she actually didn’t move at all. He moved closer, until his mouth settled on hers. He kissed her, another kiss that set her heart racing and made her want to move into his lap, wrap her arms around him and kiss for the rest of the flight.
Instead, in seconds—or was it minutes?—she shifted away. “This plane isn’t the place,” she whispered reluctantly. She had to keep her wits about her. Had to mind her goal of working out her water problem, at least partially. Still, her breath came quick and shallow, matching his own.
Looking at her mouth, he didn’t move for a moment and her heart continued to drum a frantic rhythm. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “I want to kiss you for hours.” His words caused a tremor to rock her. Another shock added to the continual shocks of the night. She had no choice but to admit the truth—she wanted him to kiss her for hours.
As his gaze met hers, he scooted back into his seat and buckled his seat belt again.
When her breathing returned to normal, she tried for conversation.
“Why do you have a condo in Dallas? I thought you were as much into ranching as my brother Mike, that both of you had devoted your lives solely to ranching.”
“I’m on two boards that meet in Dallas—for my brothers. Wyatt has recently acquired a bank and I’m on that board. Nick recently became owner of a trucking company with two close friends and I’m on that board, too. In Dallas, I have a small condo and I like having a place of my own I can go relax when I’m in the city. It’s convenient even though I don’t spend a lot of time there. I don’t have a regular staff in Dallas unless I plan to stay a long time, which rarely happens. Then I hire from a local agency to cook and clean.”
“That makes sense.”
“I spend most of my time on my ranch. When we’re back in our regular routines, I’d like for you to come over to the MH Ranch sometime. I have a new horse and I’m boarding a new quarter horse that Josh bought. You’re welcome to come see them, ride them and tell me what you think.”
“Sure,” she said. “I suspect you better let all the guys who work for you know that you invited me or they’ll tell me I’m trespassing and toss me off your ranch.”
He laughed. “I’ll tell them. Now if you’ll come wearing a dress with your hair down, they’ll be so dazzled, there’s no way they’ll mention trespassing. Far from it. We’ll all welcome you with open arms.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Nice try, but I don’t wear a dress to ride a horse.” She shrugged. “In fact, I don’t wear a dress anywhere around home. But you can tell them I’m coming.”
“Sure. Better yet, let me know beforehand and I’ll pick you up. I probably should do that anyway, so they all know we have a truce of sorts.” He turned more so that he faced her in his seat. “And it is a truce, Lindsay. Definite and permanent. I’ll never again be able to fight with you.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean, Tony. Your intentions might be good, but there is no way this side of hell that you’ll be able to stick by that statement.”
Once again he leaned in closer and her heartbeat quickened as it had before. “Yes, there is definitely a way that I can be influenced to stick by that statement. You can wind me around your little finger if you really want to.”
“I don’t believe that one.”
“You should,” he said, settling back in his seat again. “Before tonight, did you ever think we would get along as well as we have?”
“Of course not.” She tilted her head to study him. “In some ways, we’re strangers. There’s a lot I don’t know about you.”
“That’s true and a lot I don’t know about you. But strangers? No way, Lindsay. There is much I want to explore and discover about you and I intend to do that tonight,” he said in a husky voice that made her heartbeat jump again.
Cutting into their conversation, their pilot announced descent into Dallas, and in a short time Lindsay looked out at the twinkling city lights spread far into the distance.
“Do you have your car at the club?” Tony asked.
“No. I left it at the hotel and took a cab.”
“Good thinking,” he said.
Once they arrived back at the country club, a valet brought Tony’s car around and in minutes they drove through the iron gates to his condo complex.
As soon as Lindsay entered his unit, she walked through his entry hall to cross the spacious living room and look out over the sparkling lights of downtown Dallas.
“You have a gorgeous view.”
“Do I ever,” he said, and she smiled when she turned to see him looking at her.
“I meant the city lights,” she explained, knowing he understood exactly what she had referred to.
“Want a drink?” he asked.
“Yes. White wine, please.”
He removed his jacket and tie, dropping them on a chair, and walked to a bar in a corner of the room.
“This is a large living area. It’s very nice,” she said, looking at comfortable brown leather chairs and a long leather sofa.
“It’s convenient when I’m here, which is not too often. A few days here and I’m ready for the ranch.”
“That I understand,” she said, crossing to the bar to perch on a stool and watch him pour her wine.
“I have a full bar if you prefer something else.”
“The wine is good.”
He handed her the glass and picked up a cold beer. “I figured you for a cold brew,” he said, smiling at her. He set his bottle on the counter, his gaze skimming over her legs when her skirt fell open just above her knees. “Lindsay, it’s a crime to hide legs like yours all the time.”
“You have no idea what I do all the time. We see each other about once every four or five months at best.”
“That I intend to change.”
