The man’s expression was so earnest and fierce that Trinity actually felt a thrill of fear. “I–I never met him before tonight.”
The man’s eyebrows lifted. “Is that so?”
“Are you a detective or something?” Trinity studied the man, searching for any clue that might help her get a grip.
“I’m a ranch foreman,” he said, and Trinity almost laughed, despite the fact his fingers seemed to be burning straight into her skin.
“Yeah. At this party?”
His expression looked tense again. Very near to rattled. Trinity felt proud of herself.
He cleared his throat. “I’m standing in for my boss. Now, back to Guerrero. You think about what I said, Sugar. And tell me your name.”
Trinity swallowed and mustered a defiant look. “Well, it’s not Sugar.” Her voice came out sounding small and hesitant, and she forced herself to put some muscle into her tone. “Let me go.”
“Name’s Luke Rider.” His firm mouth curved into a sensual smile that met his eyes, and she thought for sure her knees were going to just up and give out on her. “It’s most definitely my pleasure to meet you . . . Sugar,” he drawled, sounding every bit as lawless as he looked.
Oh. My. God. Trinity MacKenna had never come across a man that she wanted to jump, then slap—then jump all over again the moment she’d met him.
Uh . . . uh . . . uh . . . Take me now, I’m yours.
Okay, she’d set a new record. She’d become a complete and total idiot in less than two minutes.
The man—Luke—placed a possessive palm on her waist and took her other hand in his. Before she had gathered her thoughts—what few she had left—Luke drew her into the crowd of people dancing at the center of the room. “Do you two-step?” he asked, even as he led her.
“Uh, yeah.” Brilliant, Trinity. “It’s, ah, been a while.” She glanced down at their feet as they moved, and promptly embedded her three-inch spiked heel into the leather toe of his boot, bringing them to a halt. Her gaze shot to his and to his credit he didn’t even flinch. “A really long while.”
He grinned, a dimple appearing in one cheek, and she instantly became a dithering idiot. Again.
A-duh-duh-duh.
“Well, then,” he murmured, moving his mouth close to her ear, “we’ll just have to keep at it till it all comes back to you. All right?”
“O–” Trinity shivered and almost moaned at the feel of his warm breath along her cheek. “Okay.”
And can I have your babies, too?
What the heck was the matter with her, she wondered as Luke drew her smoothly into the throng of dancers. Sure, she’d gone ga-ga over guys before—when she was a teenager, for goodness’ sake. And those had been the ones in Teen People and Rolling Stone. The adorable and unobtainable.
But this was a man. And God, what a man. Certainly just as unobtainable as her childhood crushes, only now because she was spoken for. More or less.
Er, good ol’ whatshisname . . .
Her pulse rate zoomed past the legal speed limit as they two-stepped to a country-western tune that had been popular back when she’d lived on the Flying M. Funny how she could still remember all the words. Yet right now she had a hard time remembering what her almost-fiancé looked like. All she could picture in her mind was this sexy hunk of cowboy whose mere presence had fried all the circuits to her brain.
Cowboy. Jeez! She didn’t do cowboys. Well, not to mention she shouldn’t be doing anyone but the man she’d been with for the last couple of years.
“Are you going to tell me more about you?” Luke’s baritone rumbled as the tune came to an end and a much slower song started. “Or am I gonna just have to keep making things up in my imagination?”
Uh . . .
Trinity’s whole body went on high alert as he brought her into his embrace for the slow dance. She placed her hands lightly on his shoulders—like she was afraid to touch him. His jean-clad hips moved so close to hers that she felt the brush of denim through her silky skirt. She gulped, and her gaze shot up to his. That couldn’t be his . . . he couldn’t be . . . it had to be her imagination. He wasn’t aroused, was he?
Amusement glittered in Luke’s blue eyes as he guided her in a slow and easy turn to the music. “Did you drop your voice into that incredible cleavage?” he murmured.
Trinity blinked and then smiled. “Now that’s one I haven’t heard before.”
“Well, what do you know?” He gave her that sexy grin again. “The beautiful woman does remember how to speak.”
Beautiful. Sheeee-yeah.
“I–I’m Trinity.” Trinity gave her “new” name, her Europe name, wishing like hell she could find that newer, confident version of herself.
“Nice.” Luke rested one hand on her hip, but she didn’t know if he was referring to her name or her body. His palm felt so hot that it was like he had it pressed to her bare skin, rather than against her dress. “Where have I seen you before, Trinity? You’re not from ’round here, are you?”
She caught her breath as he twirled her to the song, and he somehow managed to bring her body even closer to his. “I used to live in this area, ages ago. I’m visiting.”
“Very sexy.” Luke brought one hand to her left ear and lightly ran his thumb down the row of earrings. His expression turned thoughtful. “Your eyes . . . I never forget a woman’s eyes. Hell, I’ve never forgotten a face. So why are you so familiar, yet I can’t place you?”
“We’ve definitely never met.” Trinity managed a smile. “I’d remember you.”
“Yeah?” He moved away from her and took her hand, his palm hard and callused against her softer skin. “And why’s that?”
With a start, Trinity realized Luke was drawing her through the open doors of the sun room. “I really should get back to Navaeh,” she said, her words rushed and her heart beating furiously as he led her toward the Christmas tree in the corner. “She’ll wonder where I am.”
Table of Contents
Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Author’s Note On Human Trafficking
For Cheyenne’s Readers
Cheyenne McCray - [Lexi Steele 02] Page 25