Rancher in Her Bed

by Joanne Rock

  “Francesca,” she answered coolly, giving him her full name, a pretty, feminine moniker she’d never believed suited her.

  But if there had ever been a time when she felt like a Francesca, it was right now, wrapped in a handsome man’s strong arms as he whisked her around the dance floor in this fairy-tale setting full of flowers. She wouldn’t have guessed a big, muscular cowboy like him would be so effortless on his feet, but he was such a sure, commanding partner, she didn’t even have to think about following him. Her feet moved with his, her body in tantalizing proximity to him at all times, as she was swept away by the music, the moment...the man.

  The custom-fitted tux couldn’t hide the lean muscle of his shoulders, arms and chest. She felt his strength as they swayed together. Her body hummed with awareness.

  “And what do you think of the gala so far, Francesca?” Her name was a seductive sound on his lips, his head inclined toward her ear so she could hear the softly spoken words over the orchestra’s lilting strings.

  “It’s beautiful,” she admitted, grateful to be here even if her date didn’t recognize her. “I’ve never seen anything so lovely.”

  Bright fuchsia flowers spilled from centerpieces and twined around the tall columns framing the orchestra box. Tiny white lights threaded through greenery-laden tables. Added candlelight from tall sconces gave everything a warm, dreamy glow. The fragrance of roses, hyacinths and orchids was a heady aroma.

  “I have.” He slowed his steps as the music came to an end. The rest of the dancers applauded the musicians while Xander tipped her chin up to see her better. “You are the loveliest woman here, Frankie.”

  Her breath caught and she couldn’t deny the delight. “You did recognize me.”

  “Of course.” A smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “I asked your name as a way to start the night fresh. I thought if we were strangers meeting for the first time, we could enjoy our evening together without worrying about what it means for our working relationship.”

  She took his hand as he led her from the dance floor, a bolt of pleasure tickling its way up her arm. “It would definitely be easier for me if I wasn’t your employee for a few hours.”

  “And yet I know you wanted to be here in order to network.” He paused near the massive ice sculpture of the TCC Houston building, a historic former luxury boutique hotel that fell into disrepair and was now being renovated for the clubhouse.

  Frankie had been following all the news about it, intrigued by the power struggle between Ryder Currin and Sterling Perry, two of the wealthiest men in town.

  “It will be a while before I have my veterinary degree since I haven’t even started a program yet,” she said wryly, plucking a strawberry from a nearby table of desserts. “So I don’t necessarily need to network. I just wanted to see the Houston branch of the Texas Cattleman’s Club come together since I hope to serve these people with my practice one day.”

  “Nevertheless, I will introduce you to some of the club’s key members. Would you like to eat first?” Xander gestured to the buffet full of desserts. “Our table is over there, where I left your purse before the dance. If you want to have a seat, I can bring us both plates.”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  Moments later, they were seated at their reserved table with Ryder Currin and—Frankie couldn’t believe her eyes—Angela Perry. Together. They barely had time for introductions, however, when Ryder asked his date for a dance.

  Excusing themselves, the surprise couple moved toward the dance floor. Heads turned as they went, which told Frankie she wasn’t the only one shocked to see them together.

  She turned back to ask Xander about it, but she caught him staring at her in a way that scrambled her thoughts. Self-consciously, she patted her hair.

  “I’m not falling apart, am I?” She hated to reveal her nervousness, but she didn’t want to mess up all Annabel’s hard work. “I’m having visions of my makeup smearing or my hair rebelling and standing on end—”

  “No. I’m sorry.” Xander shook his head. “I didn’t mean to stare.” His hand came up to her hair, pushing a few waves behind her shoulder. “I thought for a moment it was a tattoo on your neck.”

  She felt her cheeks heat. “It’s a birthmark.”

  She wasn’t embarrassed about it or anything. It was visible all the time at work when she had her hair up. But Xander’s close regard made her far too aware of herself. Of him.

  Of the heat that simmered between them.

  “It’s such a perfect crescent moon.” He skimmed a knuckle along the spot below her right ear, his fingers brushing her dangling earrings. “But I will confess, it wasn’t just the birthmark. I was also trying to reconcile the elegant woman I’m seeing with the hard-nosed wrangler who was ready to bronc ride her way to a ticket last night.”

  “I thought I was going to be Francesca tonight and not Frankie?” she teased, stirring her spoon through a crème brûlée in a tiny ceramic dish.

  “I’m intrigued by both of you.” His blue eyes held hers, and she felt desire smoke through her.

  Her mouth felt too dry to answer.

  She’d had a crush on Xander Currin for as long as she’d worked at his ranch. So no matter how much she told herself that romance was dead and that he wasn’t the kind of man who wanted romance anyhow, she still hungered for his touch. His attention.

  And yes, his kiss.

  Surely she wasn’t alone in feeling that attraction now? His touches lingered, as did his stare. She might work for him, and she might be just a ranch hand in his big, wealthy world, but she could read the signs of male interest well enough.

  “That’s good,” she told him, gathering up her courage. Or her foolishness. She didn’t know exactly which it was that made her say, “Because we’re both fascinated by you, too, Xander.”

  Something stirred in his gaze. Interest. Arousal. Whatever it was made an answering flame leap inside her. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel like the only woman in the room. A unique experience for her. Was it only because of the magic that Annabel had wrought?

  He leaned close to her as the number of partygoers grew. He slid his arm along the back of her chair at their private table, now empty except for them. His fingertips rested lightly along her shoulder, a touch that made a pleasurable shiver tremble along her nerve endings.

  “I’ve avoided you around the ranch because of this.” He pointed vaguely back and forth between them. “This awareness. I noticed you long ago and have tried to make sure that our paths didn’t cross more than necessary.”

  “You noticed me?” She sounded too eager. Too breathless. But she was genuinely surprised. Her appetite for the rich desserts vanished as a new hunger took its place. “I had no idea.”

  “I try to put forward my professional best at work. So having my attention linger on a beautiful woman on my team would be a bad idea.” His voice rumbled, low and gravelly, the admission sending a thrill through her. “But I don’t think there’s any sidestepping it tonight.”

  He looked into her eyes, a current of understanding passing between them. Her gaze dipped to his mouth and she found herself thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. A flush crept up her face, heat flaring over her skin.

  Startled by the vividness of the things she imagined, she sucked in a breath while Xander traced one thin strap of her gown. The pads of his fingertips glided up the silk, leaving chill bumps in their wake.

  “Definitely no sidestepping it tonight,” he mused, seeming to answer his own unspoken question. “Why don’t I introduce you around the room so we can take care of business before we continue this far more interesting line of discussion?”

  “Thank you.” She nodded, pushing aside the china plate of decadent desserts he’d brought her. “I’d like that.”

  It would buy her time to think about what to do next.
With her pulse racing and her thoughts full of Xander Currin, she needed a mental time-out to be sure of her next move.

  As she took his hand and let him lead her toward an elegant-looking older couple taking a breather from the dance floor, Frankie went on social autopilot for the introductions. While she smiled and asked questions about their animals, Frankie was thinking about Xander all the while. Should she take the leap and give herself over to the attraction? Or keep fighting it for the sake of...what? Her job?

  She wasn’t worried about that. Xander was too honorable a man to make things awkward for her at work in the aftermath of whatever happened tonight. He’d avoided her before; he could avoid her again.

  Her heart? She couldn’t pretend she didn’t have feelings for Xander. But she knew all too well from her close observation of him over the last year that he wasn’t the kind to get attached. Surely she was smart enough to recognize that a love-’em-and-leave-’em guy wouldn’t suddenly become a one-woman man after one night.

  But as Xander slid an arm around her waist and introduced her to a rancher from the original TCC in Royal, Texas, who’d made the trip to Houston to support the new branch, Frankie knew she’d be hard-pressed to walk away from the temptation of even just one night with her sexy boss.

  The attraction was so intense it was distracting when she needed to be focused on making enough money to afford veterinary school. On remembering the people here tonight so she could foster those connections down the road. She really did hope to have a mixed animal practice in the area. Or maybe a large-animal specialty. Yet she found it impossible to stay focused with Xander’s touch making her so aware of him. Maybe indulging one fantasy evening in Xander’s bed would finally excise him from her thoughts, freeing her to focus on her dreams?

  Possibly she was simply rationalizing what she really wanted to do. But tonight, with the charismatic rancher beside her and the magic of her Cinderella transformation at work, Frankie couldn’t deny herself the chance to follow the attraction wherever it might lead.

  * * *

  Xander knew he couldn’t just tuck her under his arm and flee the gala with Frankie Walsh. But two hours after her revealing admission that she was “fascinated” by him, he still couldn’t will away the desire for her that plagued his every move.

  Now he pulled her onto the dance floor once more, wanting to be sure she enjoyed herself. She’d been willing to risk her beautiful neck for a ticket to this party, so he wasn’t going to deprive her of the full gala experience just to indulge his personal desires. He’d introduced her to all the most prominent ranchers, giving her time to voice her goals of opening a veterinary practice in town once she completed her schooling. She’d received two offers to spend time in the barns if she needed more hours of animal time for her admission—something he hadn’t known was required for her program.

  He’d also learned that she volunteered most of her free time to shadow a local vet or to work at an animal shelter.

  “Frankie, I hope you know you can ask for more hours in the barns at Currin Ranch.” He hadn’t meant to talk business with her when they were alone, but he didn’t like the idea of other ranchers trying to lure her away with better positions. “I hate thinking you spent the day on that irrigation system when you need hours with animals in order to be admitted to veterinary school.”

  She was already shaking her head, a few dark tendrils of hair twining around her dangling earrings as she moved.

  “I’m not the kind of worker who requests special treatment,” she insisted. “I have low seniority right now, so I’m willing to take the work that comes with that.”

  He wanted to know more about her. Where she got her work ethic, what inspired her to be a vet and why she would take foolish chances bronc riding when she had a bright future ahead of her. His gut knotted at the memory of how it had made him feel when he was trying to talk her out of it. His fiancée had been wearing a riding helmet when she fell during a jump, but that hadn’t prevented her from hitting a fence post awkwardly.

  “But you’ve been with us for nearly a year. It’s not special treatment to share your work goals with your direct supervisor.” He would make sure she was more involved in the barns. “We want you to remember us well when you’ve got your degree.”

  “I will.” Her feet followed his, the hem of her gown sliding against his pant leg as he twirled her. A seductive whisper of touch. “I’ll never forget what you did for me tonight, Xander. Meeting so many successful ranchers, getting to see the new Texas Cattleman’s Club forming, I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

  One of her hands rested on his shoulder; the other was folded inside his. She wasn’t nearly close enough to him. It was all he could do to keep his own palm steady on her back when what he really wanted was to skim a touch down the curve of her hips and pull her to him.

  “Does that mean you’ve enjoyed your evening?” He liked seeing the way the candlelight brought a warm, burnished glow to her dark hair.

  As for the pink in her cheeks, he’d like to think he put that there.

  “It’s even more beautiful than I imagined a fancy gala would be.” She peered around the ballroom still packed with men in tuxes and women in gowns of every shade. “Seeing the world of the Texas Cattleman’s Club is going to motivate me even more.”

  “What made you want to be a vet?”

  “I think I first fell in love with animals when I saved a baby bird from a neighbor’s cat.” She smiled at the memory. “My parents homeschooled me and wouldn’t allow me to join any local sports teams or—” she shook her head, the smile vanishing “—or any kind of club, really. I didn’t have a lot of human companionship, but they were good about letting me keep strays. I survived some lonely years because of my animal friends.”

  “Like what?” he pressed, wanting to see her talk about happy memories. “I assume you kept the bird, for starters?”

  “Not for long.” Her smile returned. “I only kept the bird until he was strong enough to fly again.”

  “So what other strays did you take in?”

  “Cats were a constant.” Her voice was more enticing than the music, and he found himself wanting to listen to her talk at length about most anything. “I always fed at least ten cats every day, and considering the price of cat food, that necessitated a paper route.”

  “Industrious of you.”

  “Thank you. Over the years there were a handful of snakes and lizards, a very big iguana, assorted squirrels and chipmunks, two deer—”

  “You had deer?” He’d underestimated her passion for the local wildlife.

  “One was a doe that had a near miss with a hunter. The other was an abandoned fawn that I only kept until I was sure how to release her successfully back into a herd.”

  He was enjoying her story of rehabilitating a bat when the music came to an end, shifting to a more up-tempo song. Xander drew her to a quieter corner of the room.

  Or it was until a woman’s voice rose in volume at the table behind them. He turned in time to see Angela Perry glaring at her twin sister, Melinda. With blond hair and blue eyes like Angela, the two definitely resembled each other even though they weren’t identical. Right now, however, they appeared unhappy with each other.

  Angry, even.

  “Seriously?” Angela clenched her fists, not even bothering to lower her voice. “How dare you question my romantic choices when you’re dating a mobster!”

  Melinda paled.

  Xander searched the crowd for his father and didn’t see him. He guessed Angela’s first public appearance with Ryder Currin wasn’t making her family happy.

  “He’s not a mobster!” Melinda shot back, her eyes blazing. “For your information, he just has mob ties.” She snatched up her beaded handbag from the table and stormed off, leaving Angela alone.

  Looking devastated.

  Xander hated t
o pretend he hadn’t overheard them, but wouldn’t that be the most polite thing to do?

  Frankie appeared ready to offer some words of comfort to Angela, taking a step in that direction. But at the same time, Ryder came striding through the crowd toward his date, two champagne glasses in hand and a concerned expression on his face.

  No doubt his father would remedy the situation. Or try to.

  “Let’s go,” Xander urged Frankie, wrapping his arm more securely around her waist. He noticed several people turning to stare at Angela as Melinda left the event in a huff.

  Or were they turning to look at someone else? There was a lot of movement in the crowd suddenly.

  “Out of my way,” a man shouted right before Xander spotted Sterling Perry hurtling through the partygoers in the direction of Ryder and Angela.

  “Damn,” Xander muttered under his breath, regretting the turn of events on a night that he wanted to make special for Frankie. He’d been enjoying his time with her. “As much as I’d like to whisk you away from here right now, I need to make sure there’s no bloodshed. Or arrests.”

  He didn’t trust Sterling one bit, and the man looked ready to spit nails despite his polished boots and the heavy silver bolo tie he wore with his flashy tux. He stopped a few feet from his daughter, where she stood beside Ryder.

  For his part, Ryder looked unflustered, his expression patient. Xander guessed his father had faced down Sterling this way plenty of times over the years.

  “I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes,” Sterling shouted at them while half of the party turned to see what was going on. “Bad enough this rat bastard undermines me by throwing a gala on behalf of a club he isn’t even in charge of, but now my own daughter betrays me by—”

  He halted midsentence, as if he was too angry to think of what he wanted to say. A hush fell over the gala guests nearby, everyone waiting to hear and making no secret of it.

  “I’ve done nothing of the sort,” Angela told her father in a more subdued voice. She sounded composed, but Xander noticed the white-knuckled hold she had on her champagne glass.