The Texan Takes a Wife

by Charlene Sands

  “You’re a pretty one,” she said, giving the dog a pat on the head. Then she made her way down the stairs with her entourage following behind.

  She entered the kitchen and found Lucky sound asleep on his cozy bed. He was just as they’d left him, dozing calmly, and it did her heart good to see him resting. Then her gaze drifted to the other end of the room, where she noticed Dan by the counter, filling a bowl of fresh water for the dog. His concern for Lucky was touching and incredibly sweet, but nothing, and she meant nothing, compared to how her breath caught at the sight of him.

  The dim kitchen light illuminated his very tanned, very bare chest, the dip of his low-slung black jeans and the sharp, almost too rugged planes on his face. Handsome to a fault, she thought. She wrapped her arms around her middle, suddenly a bit shy. “Hi.”

  He strode over to her, his eyes narrowed on the shirt she wore that touched her midthigh. His brows lifted in an approving way. “Hi.”

  Then his hands came to her waist and he gave a little tug, drawing her closer, and kissed her softly on the lips. Her shyness disappeared and she smiled. “Checking on Lucky?”

  “Yep.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Seems fine,” he answered, never taking his eyes off her. “I like you in my shirt.”

  “Oh, um, I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Hell no, I don’t mind.” He dipped his head to meet her eyes and gave her waist a squeeze. “Everything okay?”

  “Mmm, everything’s fine,” she assured him. “I met some of your friends.” She pointed to the two dogs sniffing around Lucky’s bed. The cat began rubbing her cheek up against the edge of the bed tentatively, wary of the sleeping animal she had yet to meet.

  “That small cocker spaniel lapping around is Buggy. This big guy is Rio,” and just as he offered that, the black Labrador sat down beside him and nuzzled Dan’s leg.

  “What about the cat?” she asked.

  “That’d be Juliet.”

  “Juliet?”

  “Yep, Romeo is probably sawing logs right now with the others.”

  “You have quite a family here.”

  “I suppose I’m the Pied Piper of stray animals.”

  “And of stray women?”

  Dan blinked. “No, never have gathered stray women, Erin. I don’t think of you that way.”

  She set her palms flat on his chest and his gasp filled the silent room. “I’m very glad about that.”

  “Are you?” His eyes flickered and moved over her body lazily, as if physically touching her again, as if thinking of new ways to please her.

  Goodness, she was asking for trouble.

  He bunched the material of her shirt in his hand and slowly tugged her closer. “I like you touching me,” he rasped, his voice deep and low.

  She gulped down a big noisy breath. Her body immediately transformed from sated and relaxed to crazy tingling bouts of tremors. She moved her hands on him, her fingertips grazing over his pecs, and her breathing sped up.

  He let her shirt drop and reached up to cup her face in his hands, his eyes two dark pools of deep blue. “You want this?”

  He didn’t have to say it, again. She knew what he was asking. “Yes. I want you. Do y—”

  “Just for the record, sweetness,” he interrupted. “The answer is hell yes.”

  She barely had time to smile before his mouth came down on hers and she was being lifted off her feet, his big hands holding her cheeks from behind. Automatically her legs came around his waist and she clung on to him. Her core pressed against the rigid length of his erection. The impact had her moaning and Dan too was affected. A guttural groan coming from somewhere deep in his gut, sounded in her ears. They were lost in each other, mouths wet and hot and devouring.

  He strode forward until her back was against the wall. “Like this?” he asked.

  “I’ve never... Yes.”

  He crushed another kiss to her mouth and as soon as she opened to take a much-needed breath, he dipped his tongue inside and a hot spiraling fire erupted, melting her bones. Sensation after sensation ripped through her body. She was so ready for him, she could hardly stand it. It was amazing how much she craved being with Dan. He couldn’t have done anything more, said anything better to her, than he wanted her again and again and again.

  An awkward second passed as Dan maneuvered his jeans down and sheathed himself and then, he was nudging her entrance, his large hands driving her body closer, into him, until he was there again. Thrusting into her, silky hot tension grew stronger and stronger. He fit her and she fit him and it was the very best. She matched his pace, absorbing the bulk and feel of him as he gave her his heat.

  She opened her eyes to see the gritty determination on his face, the carnal lust that belied his tender lovemaking from before. She relished each move, each explosive thrust of their joining. His hair was slicked back, curling at his nape, his eyes nearly closed, his mouth grinding out curse words she could barely hear, words that normally would shock her, but now only served to heighten her pleasure.

  Her body seized tight, sensitized by each potent thrust. Each calculated move shot her closer and closer to the brink. “Dan,” she called out.

  “I’m right here, sweetness.” He gritted out the words. “Don’t hold back.”

  And it was the pleasured pain in his voice and not the words themselves that caused her to shatter, pulsing out a release so strong her body began to tremble. Dan held her tight and joined her, squeezing out every last ounce of power he possessed.

  They stayed joined for a long moment, clinging to each other, holding on to something that would never be equaled. At least it was the case for her.

  And finally, once their breathing slowed and their bodies cooled, Dan whispered, “Let’s go to bed.” He kissed her lightly on the mouth and carried her up the stairs.

  * * *

  Erin woke up before dawn. She’d gotten very little sleep during the night and as the big man beside her rolled over to spoon her, she smiled at his light snoring. She could stay in his arms all day, naked as she was, and drift peacefully in and out of sleep. But she wouldn’t be the woman he couldn’t get rid of in the morning. She knew how these things worked. She’d stay through morning coffee and then take off. Dan obviously had a ranch to run, and she had...well, she didn’t have her job as nanny anymore, since Will Brady had fallen deeply in love and little Faye soon would have a loving stepmother in Amberley Holbrook. She couldn’t fault them their new future.

  She’d been hired in Seattle and when Will was summoned to Royal to find Maverick—the creep who’d been harming good upstanding members of the Texas Cattleman’s Club by spreading their secrets and blackmailing them via the internet—Erin had taken the trip with him to help out with Faye. Caring for the baby had been a blessing and being her nanny had helped Erin heal, or at the very least distracted her from the pain of Rex’s betrayal. Sweet, busy little Faye had kept Erin on her toes. In the very best way.

  Erin didn’t know too much regarding the facts in the case Will was working on, but this Maverick guy seemed to be wrecking people’s lives. Will’s help here in Texas had been essential.

  Her boss had been generous in paying her salary until the end of the year so she could stay on at the guest quarters of the Flying E Ranch until the time she’d have to return to her studio apartment in Seattle. And recently, her thoughtful employer had had a keyboard delivered to the cabin too, so Erin could continue playing music when she felt like it. Up until this point, she hadn’t the heart to play again.

  She was hoping the scandal with Rex Talbot that nearly ruined her reputation would’ve blown over by now and she had vowed to never put herself in such a vulnerable position again.

  And if that meant saying goodbye this morning to Dan she-didn’t-even-know-his-last-name, she’d do
it. If he was interested in her, he’d have to make the first move.

  Erin gently unclamped Dan’s arm from about her waist and slowly sat up in bed. Last night, Dan had been adept in popping each of the snaps on the shirt she wore, insisting they both sleep in the buff, promising her he’d keep her warm. She had no doubt he would and sure enough all during the night he’d kept her cradled in the heat of his big beautiful body.

  Giving the sleeping man another glance, she sighed and plucked up her clothes from the floor and then tiptoed into the master bathroom to shower.

  She was sore in all the right places and the warm spray eased some of the aches. She hadn’t had such a vigorous night of sex in forever. Once she was cleaned up and dressed in her street clothes, she ambled down the hallway with Buggy and another little runt of a dog—this one looked more like a poodle mix than anything else—following behind. She entered the kitchen, finding Lucky awake. She went to him and crouched down. “Hey, boy. How’re you doing this morning?”

  The dog’s tail began to wag. Relieved he was looking much better, she stroked his coat a few times and the dog’s wet tongue came out to lap at her hand. Sweet. Lucky was truly lucky he’d been rescued and taken care of by Dan.

  After petting the dog, she set about making coffee. She’d watched Dan last night and was pretty sure where to find things in the massive kitchen. Seemed everything about Dan was large. She grinned, thinking oh, how much that really was true.

  The dogs huddled around her feet as she measured out the coffee. And when she turned to grab two mugs, she jumped and gasped. A middle-aged woman, dressed in black and wearing a white apron, entered the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” the woman said, giving Erin a pleasant smile.

  She was obviously Dan’s housekeeper. Oh Lord. Had she been in the house last night? Had she heard them going at it in the kitchen in the middle of the night? Heat rose up Erin’s neck and her cheeks burned. “Hello. I’m, uh, Erin.”

  “Erin, glad to meet you. I’m Darla White. What would you like for breakfast? Dan always eats eggs, bacon and toast. If you’d like anything else, I’m happy to make it for you.”

  “Oh, no, thanks. Coffee is just fine. I, uh, got it started.”

  Mortified, Erin wanted to fall into a sinkhole.

  The woman didn’t take exception to her. She went about her business, pulling out frying pans, getting eggs out of the fridge. Was she used to having strange women show up in Dan’s kitchen? Or was she just unusually tactful?

  Dan walked into the kitchen then, his hair wet and combed back and the scent of freshly showered man and musky shampoo wafted in the air. He hadn’t bothered to shave and the facial scruff today was darker, more pirate-like, sending chills up and down Erin’s body. “Mornin’,” he said.

  Despite the effect he had on her, she wanted to bop him over the head for not warning her that aside from his menagerie, they hadn’t been alone last night.

  Dan scoped out the scene and arched a brow at Erin’s state of embarrassment. “Darla, I’d like you to meet, Erin. Erin, this is Darla. She lives in the guesthouse on the property with her husband, Ted. Ted is foreman on the ranch.”

  Darla did her best to hide a smile, yet the silent communication going on between the two didn’t fool her. And Dan’s expression was bordering a grin. The rat. He’d known all along what she’d been thinking, but he’d also been quick to relieve her embarrassment.

  Erin’s cheeks began to cool as she sat quietly at the kitchen table while the housekeeper served the coffee. Dan walked over to the dog’s bed in the corner of the room, crouched down and gave the animal a once-over. Lucky was already terribly in love. As Dan gave his head a pat, the dog scooted closer, licking Dan’s hand, arm and face. Dan ate it up, displaying a killer smile. “Hey, boy, looks like you filled your belly a bit.”

  The water in his bowl was almost gone too. And when Dan straightened his body and stood, Lucky was right there, curling his body around his legs. He shot Erin a quick look. “Excuse me. I’ve got to take him out to deal with nature.”

  “Of course.”

  Dan walked out the back door leading to a beautifully sculptured garden. Lucky had limped behind him to relieve himself in the tall grass and then follow Dan back inside the house. As he took his seat facing her, Lucky camped out beside Dan at the table. Maybe they should’ve named him Shadow.

  Dan seemed totally at ease, while Erin was at a loss, wondering if they should discuss what had happened between them. She didn’t know what to make of a one-night stand. She’d never done anything like this before. The few men she’d been with sexually she’d dated and had a relationship with. She’d never gone home with a guy she’d picked up in a bar.

  Well, that wasn’t exactly how it had happened with Dan. There were extenuating circumstances that had brought her to Dan’s ranch. But that didn’t diminish the fact they barely knew anything about each other. They’d had carnal sex last night, and emotions shouldn’t get in the way. But Erin truly liked Dan. Sheesh, after last night, how could she not?

  Darla served the food and then disappeared into another room of the house.

  “Have some breakfast, Erin,” Dan said. “You should eat.”

  “I’m not much of a breakfast person. Coffee and toast is fine.”

  She made a production of lathering butter on her toast and then stared at it on her plate. Dan was so not a talker, so where did that leave her? She didn’t want to be the cliché woman clinging to a man. She didn’t want to ask, where did they go from here?

  Dan sipped coffee and then cleared his throat. “I’ll drive you to your car after breakfast.”

  “That’s not necessary. I called a cab.”

  “Already?” He seemed truly surprised.

  “Yes, a bit earlier this morning. The ranch is quite a ways out. I figured it might take a while for a taxi to get here.”

  Dan pursed his lips and leaned in, bracing his folded arms on the table. “I like you, Erin.”

  “I like you too, Dan.”

  “I, uh, don’t want to be a jerk about this because last night was incredible, but I don’t do long-term commitments and I don’t think you’re the kind of woman—”

  “I get it. You don’t have to say anything more.” Oh man. He was about to hit her with the I’m-not-good-with-relationships speech. She didn’t want to hear it. She knew the drill. But somehow she was gravely hurt and disappointed because, for her, last night had been about more than sex. It had been about relating to another human being. It had been about opening up and, yes, taking a risk. But Dan had laid down the rules. And she wasn’t going to break a one of them. “Last night was amazing but that’s where we’ll leave it. Okay, Dan?”

  He blinked a few times. For a second, he seemed uncertain and that was a small triumph.

  “Yep,” he said finally.

  She took a bite of her toast and prayed the taxi wouldn’t take too long to arrive.

  * * *

  Dan hated putting Erin in a cab. It seemed so impersonal. So doggone harsh. But she’d insisted and in the end, he’d thought maybe it was better that way. He gave her an awkward kiss and stood on the porch at Hunt Acres, surrounded by Rio, Buggy, Juliet and the rest, watching the yellow car drive off his property.

  Once she was gone, he was struck by a deep sense of loss. Had he made a colossal mistake letting her go? Not even asking for her phone number.

  “Fool,” he said. She must think him an entitled rich bastard for sending her off that way. Hell, he would agree. Thirty-one years old and he was still pushing people away. Or rather, he pushed women away. He wasn’t one to get caught up in a relationship that would eventually go awry. He liked his life the way it was. Risk-free. With no chance of getting injured. With no chance of being abandoned. Again.

  Erin seemed different. Special. She was the firs
t woman in a long time that he’d truly liked. It wasn’t wise liking her so much. Dan was a loner and he wanted to keep his life simple. It was the standard he lived by these days. Don’t get too close, don’t allow anyone in. He kept his scars hidden, where they belonged. His dogs and cats filled the void that could otherwise consume him. And so he’d made up his mind after an incredible night together, that’s where it had to end. He wasn’t going to get involved with her. They’d met by chance, not by design.

  Yet the look in her aquamarine eyes as she’d climbed into the back of that taxi popped into his head and hinted at disappointment and regret, hidden by a healthy dose of pride.

  Dan strode into his study and sat at his desk. His computer counted some thirty-odd emails for him to go through. Hunt and Company, the family business that supplied beef to restaurants nationwide and ran its own chain of steak houses, chunked out a big portion of his life and he had a heavy workload to get through today. He opened the first email, narrowing his eyes, trying to make heads or tails of the message on the screen. The words didn’t make a lick of sense because his mind was elsewhere.

  “Is she gone?” Darla’s voice broke into his scattered thoughts.

  Grateful for the intrusion, he mentally thanked her for saving him from twenty-nine more daunting emails. Swiveling around in his chair, he faced his housekeeper. These days, she tended to keep more than his house, and some part of him appreciated that. “Yes. Erin is gone.”

  “You didn’t drive her?”

  Dan shook his head. “She was stubborn about it.”

  “She out-stubborned you?” Her voice reached a pitch of incredibility. It was not a compliment.

  A chuckle rose from his throat, but with a hefty dose of guilt too. He hadn’t fought Erin hard enough on that battle. “Yeah, guess so.”

  “Too bad. I liked her.”