One Night with the Texan

by Lauren Canan

  Thirteen

  Tallie woke sometime in the night. A night-light provided just enough glow that she could see and recognize the furniture and doorway leading into the huge en suite bathroom. Throwing back the covers, she walked toward the bathroom. She wanted to get into that huge tub and let the jets massage her from every direction. It would feel amazing.

  She turned on the water and heard a soft knock on the bedroom door. She went and opened it. It was Cole.

  “I saw the light under the door. Are you all right? Is there anything you need?”

  “Nope.” She turned toward the bathroom. “I’m good. Just woke up and wanted a bath.” She began to remove her T-shirt...and stopped. Cole was still standing in the room. When she stopped, it took him a second to realize he needed to leave.

  “Could I borrow another T-shirt? I need to do laundry.”

  “Sure.”

  She wouldn’t admit it out loud but she preferred staying here versus staying in the RV with four excited, talkative college students. While she was plenty thankful for their assistance, she preferred some peace and quiet.

  When she got in the tub, she quickly applied body wash and felt the silken suds roll down her body. She began to wash her hair in the same wonderful herbal solution as the body wash.

  When she was done, she grabbed a towel and quickly dried herself off. It was then she again heard a soft knock on the bedroom door. Encircling her body with the towel, she answered the knock. Cole stood there with a couple of navy blue T-shirts.

  “Oh, thank you.” She reached out to take them. As soon as she did, the towel slipped. Grabbing for it did no good. She looked up at Cole.

  He reminded her of a golden warrior with his tanned skin and sun-bleached hair. His shirt hung open, partially revealing a muscled chest and ripped abs. Slowly she lowered her hands, no longer caring that she was naked or that Cole was standing two feet in front of her. She felt his hot gaze roam over her breasts and her nipples hardened under his gaze.

  Cole stood in front of her, letting her see the smoldering desire in his eyes. His erection signified that she wasn’t alone in her need. He was a handsome man, a brilliant man. Forget about the money. That night in the French Quarter had been a turning point for Tallie. Cole had showed her how glorious sex with the right man could be.

  She went to step back but before she did Cole came forward. Not one word was spoken as he gently cupped the back of her neck and slowly pulled her to him. With a deep groan, he plunged his tongue inside her mouth. Cole enticed her to open her mouth wider as though he was willing to fill it with all she needed.

  With an almost savage moan, he cupped her face in his hands and he went deeper, searching the hidden depths of her mouth, taking his time as though this was a moment that had to last a lifetime. He tasted of wine and mint. But it was the scorching heat that told her exactly what he wanted. He changed his stance, moving still closer, and his big hands cupped her hips, pulling her hard against his obvious desire. He was grinding against her, making the fire pool in her lower regions.

  Suddenly he spun her around and pushed her up against a wall, his body holding her in place. He moaned as he kissed her even more deeply. His hard, muscular body pushed against her, hips moving, letting her feel his erection before taking it away. Tallie couldn’t suppress the frustrated groan. She grabbed hold of his shirt and tried to pull him to her. He huffed a laugh and tore the shirt off. Tallie began to unbuckle his belt.

  * * *

  Cole hadn’t meant to hover in the doorway while bringing the T-shirt to Tallie. He’d been so overwhelmed by her beauty he couldn’t have turned and left had his life depended on it. Again, he couldn’t help noticing how voluptuous she looked. It was like watching nature in its purest, most beautiful form. On her face was surprise. In her mesmerizing green eyes, honest desire. He had grabbed on to that need and refused to let go unless she said one word: no.

  There were at least a hundred reasons why he should have walked away and only one why he didn’t: he’d never wanted a woman so badly in his life.

  Her body was hot from the warmth of the water, her skin smooth as the finest silk. She tasted like the wild berries that grew deep in the vistas near the towering pine and oak trees. When he drew back to look at her lovely face, he swallowed hard. Unbridled passion surged through him, his erection straining against his jeans until it was painful. Her eyes were closed, her head was tilted back, her mouth open, lips pink and swollen from his kiss. She grasped his shoulders as he traced a line of heat down her throat to the junction of her shoulder with his tongue. He nipped at the velvety skin and thought he would die of pleasure.

  Her hands had stilled on his belt, the passion of their embrace apparently taking her mind down a different path. He quickly unbuckled the buckle and unzipped his jeans, pushing them down just enough. His hands roamed over her back and down past the waist to her hips. He didn’t pause before he lifted her and settled her body against him, entering her slowly, watching for any signs of discomfort. She moaned and lifted her legs to go around his hips; her head fell back against the wall and she moaned in ecstasy.

  “I can’t go slow,” he said as he felt his control slipping.

  “Then don’t,” she whispered.

  He entered her body fully, completely, with one hard thrust. Tallie whimpered and, gripping his shoulders, pulled his head to hers for another kiss. Cole did not disappoint. The feel of her holding him was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. So tight.

  His body began to move, pulling out, entering again. Over and over; again and again. Suddenly she threw her head back, her climax fully overtaking her. It almost took him with her, but he held on, wanting to give her more pleasure. He wasn’t nearly finished with this incredible woman who had come into his life so unexpectedly.

  With her legs still wrapped around his waist, he carried her to the bed, laying her down on the silken coverlet, never breaking the link between them.

  “Tallie,” he whispered softly.

  She was breathing hard, her body limp and fulfilled, but she managed to open her brilliant green eyes and smile. He threaded her fingers with his and brought them to his lips.

  “I want more of you.”

  She smiled her understanding and nodded with no thought of denying him. Lifting her head off the bed she found his mouth and kissed him, this time letting her tongue explore the depths of him. Her touch set off a ticking bomb in his chest, his gut and his mind. He broke away from her lips, letting his tongue discover her ear, neck and shoulder before coming to her breasts. His hand kneaded one while he suckled the other almost frantically. The dark, rosy-pink tips were swollen and rigid and he suckled first one then the other. Tallie moaned and arched her back, offering herself to him.

  When she raised her legs and arched her hips toward his, Cole knew he wasn’t going to hold out much longer. With his fingers threaded through her silky black hair and his lips on hers, he began to move.

  He pushed in farther, time after time. Her incredible silkiness was so amazing. He inhaled the rich scent of her body; she smelled like lavender, with a hint of wild Texas sage. She altered her position and he knew. He knew what she needed, what she wanted. He felt her still then cry out as the whirlwind carried them both to the heavens and kept them there.

  Finally, breathing hard, he fell to one side of her, pulling the edge of the comforter around her. She moved enough to place her head on his shoulder and, with his arms holding her close, he fell into the sweet oblivion he hadn’t known in forever, going to a place it seemed only Tallie could take him.

  The next morning, Cole slowly came awake with the memories of the night before vivid in his mind. Tallie was still asleep, her head still nestled on his shoulder. Her long hair fanned her shoulders and spread over his chest. She was as beautiful and incredible as ever. She had such passion. Such a wildnes
s that carried him into the realms of the untamed. Their actions were driven by something stronger than passion. It was fierce and uncontrollable, sex in its rawest form. He felt his body getting hard at the thought. He would stay in this bed with her all day and into the night if he could talk her into it. He had never once thought of staying with a woman so long, needing her to stay with no end in sight as they made love over and over again.

  Regretfully, business awaited, both hers and his. He pushed the covers back and got out of bed. With one last look at the woman still asleep on the bed, he turned and walked to his room.

  * * *

  Tallie woke in an empty bed. She knew Cole had held her through the night. It was the best sleep she’d had in a long time. Maybe since New Orleans. She smiled at the thought. The sun was just cresting over the horizon when she made her way into the bathroom. She hadn’t expected last night to happen but she wasn’t sorry. In fact, she felt just the opposite. Cole was an incredible lover. Smiling, she padded to the shower. The water was warm, streaming over her head and down her back as she grabbed for the exotic-smelling soap.

  She had just stepped out of the shower and finished dressing when the nausea hit. She couldn’t do much more of this, she thought to herself. It had to stop soon. Trembling, she reached out for a towel and wiped her mouth. Standing, she turned toward the sink for the toothbrush and ran straight into Cole.

  He was frowning, a look of concern covering his features.

  “Do I need to call the doctor?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, it’s just...”

  “Tallie, don’t tell me it’s just a bug. No one gets a virus that lasts this long. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

  She had to tell him. To continue to withhold the news was deceitful and just wrong. And if she kept the secret too long, he might think she was trying to set him up. If he hated her for it, so be it. She turned to face him.

  “Cole, I was afraid to tell you, but I can’t go on living a lie. What I have is morning sickness. I’m pregnant.”

  The silence in the room was deafening. Cole stared at her as if trying to find some sign she was joking. She saw his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallowed hard.

  His eyes narrowed while his jaw worked overtime. “You’re saying you’re pregnant and I’m the father?”

  “Yes. It...it happened in New Orleans.”

  She watched as he swallowed, his features turning dark. He turned away, as though he couldn’t look at her anymore.

  “That’s impossible.”

  “I assure you it isn’t.”

  Silence cut through the room like a knife. He rested his hands on his hips.

  “That was almost five months ago. And you are just telling me now?”

  “Until two months ago, I didn’t know who you were. Then I didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “What do you want, Tallie?”

  Her quick intake of breath filled the silence. “I don’t want anything.”

  Her heart beat wildly in her chest while alarms rang in her ears. This was it. What would he do?

  “When were you going to tell me?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What does that mean exactly?” The pure anger in his voice made her jump.

  “It means that as soon as I told you, I knew you would accuse me of...all sorts of terrible things. Getting pregnant on purpose at the very least. Of being a gold digger. A tramp.” She looked away. “I couldn’t deal with that.”

  “Did you, Tallie? Did you become pregnant on purpose?”

  She could only look at him as her eyes filled with tears. “No.” It was a whisper, but the best she could do as one tear slid down her face. That Cole had even asked the question was almost more than she could take. “No. I’d just earned my Ph.D. and was about to start on a career that had been a lifelong dream. The last thing I ever expected was to get pregnant.”

  He looked down at the floor as though the answer was there. “It won’t work, you know. Regardless of the planning, the backing, whatever determination you have, it will not work. You’re not the first and you probably won’t be the last to try this.”

  Tallie couldn’t pretend she didn’t know what he was saying. He thought she was using her pregnancy to scam money out of him. She didn’t know what to do now. She’d played this scene out in her mind a hundred times but it always stopped with him calling her on it. She’d never ventured to imagine what would happen next.

  “What did you hope to achieve by coming here?” He turned and looked at her again and she fought not to cringe at the rage in his eyes. “Does this...dig, this search for a lost civilization, have any basis in fact?”

  “What does it matter? You won’t believe anything I say.”

  She reached out to open the door and saw that her hands were shaking. Not surprising. In less than fifteen minutes Cole had gone from the sexy man she was falling in love with to the deadly, dangerous man she’d encountered when she first showed up on his land. A man that any sane person would stay well away from.

  “If it’s proven to be my child, I will take care of it, certainly. And likewise the mother of the child.”

  “I’m not asking for anything from you.” She opened the door as the first tear fell from her eyes. “I don’t want anything. I can take care of myself. I just wanted you to know that you’re going to be a father.”

  With that said, she marched down the hall, her heart broken into small pieces. Her mind was a jumble of twisted thoughts. She had to get her clothes...had to pack up her things... Cole hated her for something she hadn’t intentionally done...she had to talk to the girls...

  “I’m flying out this afternoon on business.” His voice carried down the hall. “Pick out a dress and some wedding rings if you wish. When I return in five days, we will be married.”

  That brought her to an immediate stop. Slowly she turned to face him, to face his anger.

  “I’m not marrying anyone.”

  “You will be here when I return and we will be married. In fact, there’s no time like the present to get the license.”

  “No.” She spun on her heel and continued toward the back door.

  Heavy hands gripped her shoulders and she was turned around. “Do not push me, Tallie.”

  “Why? What will you do? Threaten to destroy the dig? Sue the museum? You know, I feel sorry for you. The very first time I saw you it saddened me that you were so alone. But now, I realize that’s the way you want it. You are going to end up a lonely old man who will look back on your life with regrets. But I won’t be there to see it.”

  “I wish I could believe you because I almost bought the whole package. Wife, children, family, a permanent home. You, of all people, didn’t have to do a goddamned thing. I was falling for you. I thought...”

  “What? What did you think, Cole?” The tears she’d fought so hard to hide rolled down her face. Her heart felt as though it was breaking in two.

  “I thought you were the first honest person I’d ever met.”

  She couldn’t stop the small cry that left her throat. Her heart shattered. Into millions of tiny pieces. She had never felt such pain. She lost the battle to control herself as the tears ran in waves down her cheeks. She wanted to scream at him, I’m not lying to you!

  “I’m a realist, Cole. You are not the average person. I imagine that you and your advisors have to contend with schemers trying to get some of your money every day. I’m not one of them. But I have no way to prove it. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to see that look of betrayal in your eyes.”

  “There is no look of betrayal. We will marry as soon as I can arrange it.”

  “No, we won’t. I refuse to marry a man who doesn’t love me. And you just made it clear that you don’t believe me or want anything more to do w
ith me. That isn’t love.”

  “I’m just curious, Tallie. Was the entire New Orleans thing staged?”

  “What?”

  “Was it all part of some plan?”

  “There was no plan.” Her voice was dull, as though the soul inside her body had given up.

  He let out a sigh. “I would think by now you would be willing to come clean. But, no matter—we are getting married. No way is my son or daughter going to be born without my name whether the baby was conceived under false pretenses or not. It isn’t how I roll. It isn’t how this family operates.”

  “I’m not marrying anyone. I’ve been through a painful breakup once. I’m not about to go through that again by entering into a marriage I know won’t last.” She looked at Cole. “Based on what you just said, you must have doubts that you’re the father.”

  He thought about that question. “Should I?”

  “No. I’ll do the test. That’s only fair. But I don’t want to marry you, Cole.”

  “That, my dear, is too damn bad.”

  * * *

  Tallie tried to work but her heart wasn’t in it. The girls seemed to know something was wrong but didn’t approach her and she was grateful. Cole had left after he’d taken her to the doctor’s office for blood work then to city hall to apply for a marriage license.

  He had looked at her then, his usually golden eyes a flat brown, his mouth pulled into a straight line, his dark brows drawn into a frown. “I expect you to be here when I return.”

  His words were daggers straight to her heart. He had dropped her off at the mansion, picked up his briefcase and, without another word, walked out the door. She’d fallen onto the leather sofa and hadn’t stopped crying for hours. Or was it days? And she had not heard from him since that moment.

  She stayed for only one reason: she loved him. She could put herself in his place and doing so helped her understand the pain she’d brought to his doorstep. She felt duty-bound to try to do as he asked when all she really wanted was to run away and hide.