My Fair Fortune

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  All the negativity drained away when he turned and saw Cait with her wrap and handbag, making her way toward him in the crowd. She was still here, and suddenly nothing else mattered.

  He handed her the rose.

  “This is beautiful,” she said, bringing the flower to her nose. “How romantic, sir.”

  Her eyes glinted and at that moment, Brodie was sure she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever had the privilege to set eyes on.

  “And what else do you have there?”

  “A spot of champagne. What do you say we get out of here? There’s something I’d like to show you.”

  He started to offer her his arm, but his hands were full with the two glasses and the bottle.

  “I’m intrigued.” She laughed. “May I carry something?”

  “I’ve got this.” He set down the bottle and tucked each of the champagne flutes into his suit coat pockets.

  “Let’s try that again.” He offered her his arm.

  She accepted, and he led her out of the noisy reception.

  Once they were outside, it was quiet, except for the faint sound of the party going on in the barn behind them. A few people milled about. A line of golf carts, which were there to drive the guests back to their vehicles after the festivities ended, waited at the ready several feet in front of the barn. The cart attendants sat at tables, playing cards as they waited.

  Brodie and Caitlyn walked from the barn toward the pond on the east side of the property. The night was unseasonably warm for February, but despite the midfifty-degree temperatures, he thought he felt Cait shiver. She’d put her coat on over that fabulous red dress.

  Still, priding himself on being a gentleman, he said, “Is it too cold out here? We can go back inside...or I’m happy to give you my jacket. You could drape it about your shoulders.”

  She shook her head. “Thanks, but no. Actually, the cool air feels great after being inside. With everyone dancing and all that romantic energy in there, it was a little bit warm. Besides, I wouldn’t want to take a chance on breaking one of those glasses that you worked so hard to steal for us.”

  “I didn’t steal them. The bartender graciously gifted them to us. He thought we looked like such a lovely couple.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “That’s what he said.” Brodie winked and took a great deal of pleasure watching the color spike in her ivory cheeks.

  “So you’re an honest guy?” she said. “Does that mean I can trust you to lead me out into the darkness? You’re not some deranged serial killer, are you?”

  Brodie stopped, unsure for a moment if she was serious. “Well...no. Of course not.”

  But really, could he blame her? They didn’t know each other.

  She assessed him for what felt like an eternity.

  “Where are we going?” she asked. “What is it that you wanted to show me?”

  “There’s a meteor shower tonight. Out here, away from the city lights, the waning crescent moon coupled with the clear sky provides excellent viewing conditions.”

  Her brows knit together, and she cocked her head to the side as if she didn’t understand.

  “A meteor shower,” he repeated. “You know, shooting stars? I thought it would be...romantic.” He rocked back on his heels.

  “I know what a meteor shower is.” She smiled. “What I didn’t realize was that you’re an astronomy nerd.”

  The light from the tiki torches that lined the path caught the teasing sparkle in her green eyes, turning them an alluring shade of jade, and it took everything Brodie had to keep from leaning in and kissing her again.

  “I’ve been accused of being a lot of things in my life, but I must say tonight is the first time anyone has called me a nerd...or a serial killer. However, if you like nerds, that’s exactly what I’ll be tonight. Just for you.”

  “Just for me? What about serial killer?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Sorry, that’s not in my repertoire.”

  “Good to know,” she said. “Call me crazy, but for some reason, I believe you.”

  Suddenly, she looked away and pointed toward the sky. “I think I just saw one. Was that a meteor?”

  “Indeed.”

  “What are we waiting for?” she said. “Let’s go where we can see better.”

  She grabbed his hand, and he led her toward the open field by the pond.

  When they stopped, they turned their attention up to the sky.

  “This is a rather slow shower,” he said. “There may only be four or five meteors per hour.”

  “What should we do to entertain ourselves in the meantime?” Her voice was low and raspy. There was something in her tone that made him want to suggest all kinds of inappropriate things. She seemed to read his thoughts because she reached out and ran her thumb over his bottom lip. He was still holding the champagne bottle and the glasses when she leaned in and brushed a kiss over his lips.

  “If you want to do something like this,” she said, “I wouldn’t object.”

  Before he could stop himself, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and teased it with his tongue.

  “How about something like that?” he asked, his mouth a breath away from hers.

  “That? Oh, yes, definitely that. And more, I hope. But first I’ll need a glass of champagne.”

  He spread his jacket on the ground, and they sat down on it. He popped the cork and poured them each a glass of bubbly. They clinked glasses and settled into the silence of the first sip. He reached out and brushed a strand of long, dark hair off her shoulder.

  She inhaled a quick breath and seemed suddenly shy. Even though he was dying to kiss her again...and again and again, he knew he’d be smart to slow things down until he was sure she was comfortable.

  He gazed up at the sky for a moment, searching, until he found what he was looking for.

  “See those three stars in a row that are close together?”

  He leaned in so that she could follow where he was pointing.

  She didn’t pull away.

  “That’s Orion’s belt. Do you know the legend of Orion and Merope?”

  She shook her head.

  “Orion, the great hunter, fell in love with Merope. He made a business deal with her father. In exchange for clearing the land of all the savage beasts, Orion would have Merope’s hand in marriage, but Merope’s dad reneged and wouldn’t let Orion marry his daughter.”

  “Poor Orion,” she said.

  “Yes, the poor guy was stricken with such sadness. He couldn’t get the girl off his mind. He wasn’t watching where he was going and stepped on a scorpion and died.”

  She slanted him a dubious glance. “It that really how the story goes? I thought there was more to it.”

  “I thought you didn’t know the story,” he said.

  “I wanted to hear your version,” she said, leaning into him. “I was hoping you’d make it a love story.”

  “Oh, it is.” He clamped his mouth shut before he could add something stupid like this is a real-life love story, sweetheart. Love hurts.

  Instead, he continued. “The gods took pity, and they immortalized him and his dogs up in the sky as constellations.”

  He outlined the stars with his finger.

  “They put all of the animals he hunted up there near him—like the rabbit and the bull. But they put the scorpion all the way on the opposite side of the sky so Orion would never be hurt again.”

  “What about Merope? What happened to her?”

  “She’s still there. She’s a star that rides the shoulders of the bull. So he can always see her.”

  “You have a romantic heart,” she said.

  “Funny, others have claimed I don’t have a heart.”

  “Well, they were mistaken, my romantic astronomy nerd.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair smelled so good he breathed in trying to identify the fragrance...it was something floral...and sweet. The combination was intoxicating. He thought he could live
happily here. Just the two of them sitting close, sipping champagne under the inky starlit sky.

  He slid his arm around her shoulder, ran his hand down the length of her arm. She tilted her head up and leaned in closer, tempting him. His lips found hers, and this time the kiss wasn’t quite so gentle. She responded, her body pressing against his. The way they fit together might have brought to mind tired clichés like puzzle pieces or bugs in a rug, but he was too caught up in her to give it much thought.

  All he could focus on was the feel of her...the taste of her...the all-consuming thought of what it would be like to make love to her...their bodies even closer than they were right now. Him buried deep inside her. Them moving to their own private rhythm.

  He heard a sound—a low, guttural rumble—and realized he was the one making the noise. As if the force was driving him, he deepened the kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her. She tasted like the champagne they’d shared. But there was something else...something uniquely her. And it was threatening to drive him crazy.

  His hands slid from her hair down her shoulders, and he closed his arms around her, pulling her closer. He memorized the feel of her as he lowered her back, onto the ground.

  “Are you okay?” he asked in a brief moment of clarity. He would never force her to do anything that made her uncomfortable. “Is this...okay?”

  “I’ve never been better.” She smiled up at him. “I have a feeling I’m going to be even better very soon. So please don’t stop now.”

  He held her gaze for a moment, until little pinpricks of longing injected him with a need so powerful it had him seeing stars. When he reclaimed her lips, it lifted him off the ground and into the heavens of lusty bliss. When was the last time he’d wanted a woman so badly that it bordered on greed?

  On need...

  He unbuttoned her coat and slipped his hands inside, savoring every inch of her—her tiny waist, her sexy hips. That red dress was all that stood between him and that glorious body. He slid his hands back up her torso, around her rib cage and paused underneath her breasts, giving her one more chance to slow things down, if she wanted.

  God, he hoped she wouldn’t.

  When she deepened the kiss and pulled him closer, stretching one long leg out, crossing it over his, he knew she wasn’t going anywhere without him tonight.

  That’s when what little control he had left shattered.

  He eased her down onto his jacket, taking care that his touch wasn’t as rough and desperate as he felt. When he covered her with his body, the only thing he was aware of was how her lips and tongue were doing amazing things to his mouth. When his hand slipped under the neckline of her dress and his fingers found their way to her breast beneath her bra, she moaned, a muffled sound under his lips.

  “You okay?” he said, resting his forehead on hers. “If you want, we can stop.”

  * * *

  She appreciated his concern. He was a gentleman, but she didn’t want to talk.

  She didn’t want to stop, and she didn’t want to talk about it.

  Because if they started talking, she might try to explain herself.

  She was so tired of explaining herself.

  It was her body. Her choice to have him... Just because she chose to make love to a virtual stranger, it didn’t make her any less of a human being. Men did it all the time...had one-night stands...even when they were engaged...with the church booked and the catering ordered...the white dress hanging in the bride-to-be’s closet and the wedding two weeks away.

  But she wasn’t going to think about men like that tonight. She was going to prove to herself exactly how liberated she was. She was going to take back her power by enjoying this fine, hot guy. Her wedding favor. Actually, he was more like a gift...but not a wedding gift. She’d sent all those back after she’d thrown the ring in Eric’s face.

  She needed to stop thinking about Eric. He’d already ruined her life once.

  There was no room for him—especially not tonight.

  To drown out the incessant chatter in her head, Caitlyn deepened their kiss. Brodie groaned and nudged her thighs apart with his knee, nesting his lower body into hers. When she felt his arousal, thick and hard against her, she grabbed his backside and pulled him even closer, just to make sure there was no doubt about exactly how okay she was with their closeness.

  His murmured answer was muddled and unintelligible against her lips; he seemed to understand. His intention was clear in the way he smoothed his hand up her bare leg. When his fingers reached her upper thigh and he deftly eased her out of her panties, his actions told her everything she needed to know.

  When they were naked and ready, she held on tight as he unleashed himself up on her body.

  Later, when they lay spent and sated in each other’s arms, she wasn’t sure if hours or days had passed. It was as if they’d been lifted out of space and time into a world where only the two of them existed.

  But no... It couldn’t have been days because it was still dark outside, and she had to go home before the sun came up. She was staying with her parents while she was here. They’d send out the National Guard if she didn’t come home. She snuggled into the warmth of him for one more luxurious moment, breathing in the scent of him...of them...before she gently wriggled out from under his protective arm.

  He stirred. “Where are you going?”

  “I have to go home.”

  “Chicago? Tonight? Don’t do that. Stay with me. Some of the best meteors happen just before dawn.”

  It was already late, but she could see her mother’s face if she came in doing the walk of shame, with the sun on her back. Caitlyn may have been twenty-nine years old and living on her own since she’d gone off to college, but when she came home to visit the folks, she was twelve years old again.

  “No, I’m sorry. I really do have to go.”

  As she straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair into place, she watched Brodie lying there, propped up on one elbow, watching her. He really was a beautiful man. That face...and that body. Oh, what he could do with that body. It was one of the best experiences she’d ever had. Not that she’d had that many. She’d certainly never done this before. Brodie the Brit had been nothing short of amazing. It was a shame that she’d never see him again. What had started out to be an evening of obligation had turned into a night she would never forget.

  Never forget and definitely not regret.

  “Will you walk me to my car?” she asked.

  “Of course.” Once he’d righted himself and brushed off the dirt from his jacket, they were walking arm in arm back to the parking lot.

  “I’m sorry about your coat,” she said.

  “Don’t give it a second thought. In fact, I might just have it framed and hang it on my wall to remember tonight.”

  The temperature had dropped a good ten degrees, and by the time they made it back around to the lot, most of the cars were gone. The courtesy golf carts and their drivers were nowhere to be found. It was that late.

  As she fumbled in her purse for her keys, she checked her phone for the time.

  Three forty-five in the morning.

  Irrational panic ceased her. She should’ve been home hours ago.

  She didn’t want to ruin everything with awkward goodbyes, but she had to get out of there.

  “Brodie the Brit,” she said. They were standing maybe five inches apart. “This has been such a wonderful evening. Look, if you’re ever in Chicago...”

  She realized how that sounded, a shot of needy with a chaser of desperate.

  “Goodbye, Brodie.”

  She kissed him one last time before she drove off.

  When she did, she forced herself to not watch his fading image in her rearview mirror. Or to think about how tonight was not only her first one-night stand, it was also probably the best sex she’d ever had in her life.

  The faster she drove, the louder doubt rattled behind her like a string of tin cans tied to a wedding car.

  She was ne
ver going to see him again. She didn’t even know his last name.

  It was best that way.

  Wasn’t it?

  Chapter Two

  May

  Couldn’t anything be simple? Caitlyn Moore silently lamented.

  Just once?

  Apparently not, she affirmed as she listened to Jason Hallowell, head electrical engineer for Moore Entertainment, drone on about the problem.

  “If Clark Ball leaves early, we will not get the work done in time to pass the electrical inspection. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, ma’am, that this will be the second time we’ve failed it.”

  No. He didn’t need to remind her. The reality was an albatross, constantly following her. They were racing against the clock, and if they failed the inspection again, it would probably mean that they’d have to delay the Memorial Day soft opening of Moore Entertainment’s newest theme park, Cowboy Country USA.

  Caitlyn would rather eat dirt than delay the opening. She had to prove to her father that she was capable. She could pull this off despite his doubts and worries.

  Even more important than proving herself, this was the one thing she could do to help her father get well. He’d suffered a massive heart attack earlier in the week, and he was under strict doctors’ orders to avoid stress so that his body could heal. Caitlyn had dropped everything and flown into Lubbock from Chicago the moment she’d gotten word that he was ill. But she soon realized that sitting at his bedside wringing her hands wasn’t helping anyone. That’s when she decided the proactive approach would be to take a hold of the reins at Cowboy Country and make sure that the park opened as planned.