by Ruth Langan
“I noticed. Of course, I wasn’t exactly trying to be invisible. The truth is, I spotted you the minute you walked into Clancy’s.”
“Then you’re one hell of an actress. You never once looked my way. All I could see was you smiling at all those other cowboys. And I hated every one of them.”
“Part of my plan. Never let your mark see you watching him. And never let him know you’re interested.”
“Next you’re going to tell me you planned to get nearly run over by that waitress with a tray of drinks.”
She laughed, that wonderful rich sound that whispered over his senses.
His eyes widened. “You didn’t! You saw it coming?”
“Well, everything except the way you grabbed me. I figured you’d pull me out of her way. But I hadn’t been counting on…” She traced a finger along his upper arm. “…All these rock-hard muscles. That caught me by surprise.”
“You’re full of surprises yourself, Red.” He reached out and drew her into the circle of his arms. “Warm enough?”
“Any hotter and I’d think we left the oven on.” She suddenly looked alarmed and started to sit up. “We did remember to turn it off, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. Relax.” He drew her close and pressed his lips to a tangle of hair at her temple. “All the bad luck of this night is behind us.”
“You think so?”
“Mmm-hmm. Trust me. We broke the jinx.” He sniffed the air. “What’s that smell?”
“What smell?”
“Like a funeral parlor. Or a flower shop.”
“Oh. That.” She snuggled closer, loving the feel of his arms around her. “I had scented candles burning upstairs in the bedroom and bath. Part of my planned seduction.”
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?” He grinned. “Pretty dangerous, considering your luck tonight. You could have burned the house down.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I blew them out. Besides.” She began playing with the hair on his chest. “My luck did get better.”
“Yeah.” He could feel the need for her rising again. “So did mine. And if you don’t stop that, we both might get lucky right this minute.”
“That’s impossible. We couldn’t again. You’re just bragging.”
“You ought to know by now that I never brag unless I can back it up.” He caught a strand of her hair and watched as it sifted between his fingers. Then he looked into her eyes. “Want to call my bluff?”
She absorbed the quick sexual tug deep inside. Would he always have this effect on her? One look, one touch, and she was lost. “Okay, Superman. You’re on. I don’t believe you.”
He looked at her with that devastating smile that never failed to go straight to her heart. Without warning he dragged her close and kissed her until she was breathless. Against her mouth he whispered, “I’m going to love proving you wrong, Red.”
And then, without words, he took her on a long slow journey that had her bones melting and her mind swept clean of all thought except him.
“Ace?” Ally rolled over and was dismayed to find the bed empty.
The sky was still dark outside the bedroom windows. Some time during the night he had carried her up the stairs to her bed. But, though they’d managed a few hours’ sleep, most of the night had been spent in lovemaking.
They couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. It was as if a dam had burst, and all their feelings were finally free to spill over. At times their loving had burned with all the intensity of a summer storm. At other times they were as easy, as comfortable with each other as if they’d been together for a lifetime.
But now she found herself alone. She touched a hand to his pillow. It still bore the warmth of his head.
“Looking for me?”
He switched on a bedside lamp, filling the room with light, then turned on the ceiling fan overhead.
At her arched brow he explained, “You’ve been generating too much heat, Red. And I’ve exerted so much energy, I needed to replenish it.”
He was barefoot and shirtless, wearing only his jeans, leaving the snaps undone. Over his arm was an array of clothing. “I found these downstairs and thought I’d haul them along.”
She studied the tray in his hands. “I’m not interested in the clothes right now. Just show me the food.”
“There’s champagne.” He lifted the half-filled bottle and poured two flutes. “No sense letting this go flat.” He handed one to her and sipped the other. Then he climbed into bed and set a napkin-covered plate between them.
Ally sat up, unmindful of her nakedness, and sipped her champagne while staring at the plate. “What did you fix?”
“My specialty.” He whipped the napkin off and lifted half a sandwich to her mouth. “Taste.”
She bit into it, chewed, swallowed. Then looked over at him. “Peanut butter?”
He grinned. “It was all I could find. Those cupboards leave something to be desired.”
“Yeah, I haven’t really taken time to shop yet. We’re not exactly located near convenient shopping centers.”
“Hey. I’m not complaining. The truth is, I love peanut butter sandwiches. They kept me alive for a lot of years.” He took a bite, then offered it to her.
“How did you and your brothers decide who would do the cooking?”
“The rule was, whoever caved in to hunger first had to cook for all. You can imagine that my brothers and I managed to go hungry a lot, rather than have to do the cooking for each other. But Thelma Banks, the owner of the E.Z. Diner in Prosperous used to send along care packages whenever one of us went to town.”
Ally arched a brow. “I remember Thelma. We used to stop by her diner all the time when I was a kid.”
“Everybody knows Thelma. She’s a fixture in Prosperous. A real character. But she has a heart of gold.” He topped off their glasses and plumped up his pillow before leaning back. “And then Agnes Tallfeather decided to adopt us. Her husband Louis used to do odd jobs around the ranch. He and Agnes never had any kids of their own, and I think we filled a void in her life. Anyway, she’s probably the world’s worst cook. But we didn’t care, as long as we didn’t have to go near the kitchen.”
“Did Agnes raise you?”
He laughed. “We were pretty much raised by the time we lost our dad. Hazard was fifteen and Chance was seventeen.” He shook his head. “Looking back, I realize I must have given them plenty of bad moments. Even at twelve, I was pretty wild. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t try at least once.”
“Such as?”
He offered her half of the remaining half sandwich, then polished off the rest and washed it down with champagne. “I crashed my first airplane when I was still in high school.”
“You…crashed? Were you hurt?”
He chuckled, remembering. “Just a lot of cuts and bruises. I remember limping away. But the plane was demolished, and we still had two years to pay for it. And there was the truck I flipped over in a snowstorm.”
“How old were you when that happened?”
“Thirteen. I figured if I was old enough to drive a tractor, I was old enough to take the truck into town.”
“Oh, Ace, your poor brothers.”
“Yeah.” He reached over and linked his fingers with hers. “I’d hate to have a kid like me. He’d give me heart failure.”
“I don’t know.” She glanced at their linked hands, feeling a curl of pleasure along her spine and wondering at the warm tremors his simple touch caused. “Considering the way you’ve turned out, I’d say you’d be lucky.”
“Know something, Red?” He set aside his glass and drew her close to brush his lips over hers. “Right now, I’m feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.” He took her glass from her hands and placed it next to his. Then he slid his hands down her arms and watched her eyes warm and soften. “Now that I’m fortified, why don’t I show you a few more of my smooth moves?”
She laughed. “You mean there are a few we’ve
missed?”
“Yeah. There’s this.” He pulled her down amid the sheets and plunged his hands into her hair, causing her to giggle. “And this.” He ran nibbling kisses along the column of her throat, eliciting more laughter. “And this.” He brought his mouth lower, nibbling and suckling until her laughter turned to a gasp of pleasure.
And then there were no more words as they lost themselves in the wonder of love.
Ally lay perfectly still, loving the feel of Ace’s body beside hers. She lay with her back to him, snuggled close against him. His arms were around her, his lips buried against her neck. He had one leg thrown possessively across hers.
The first rays of morning sunlight threaded their way across the sky. A chorus of birds had begun to greet the day.
“You awake?” His voice, rough with sleep, sent shivers of pleasure along her spine.
“Mmm-hmm.” It seemed too much effort to speak. She stifled a yawn. “I suppose we should think about getting up.”
“Not yet.” His hand found her breast and he felt the nipple harden instantly at his touch. He nibbled a trail of kisses across her shoulder, while his other hand began a lazy exploration of her hip and thigh.
She sighed from the pure pleasure of his touch. But as the pressure increased, and her need for him grew, her sighs turned to moans. She tried to turn toward him but his leg pinned her, holding her still.
She was aware of his arousal, but he moved with deliberate slowness, drawing out the moment until her excitement matched his.
“Ace.” Her voice was breathless with need.
“Shh.” He ran kisses across her shoulder, down her spine, and all the while his hands continued weaving their magic until her body was on fire.
He eased her thigh forward to allow smooth entry. And while he filled her, his fingers continued their exquisite manipulation, until she shuddered and cried out his name.
He turned her into his arms and their mouths mated in a long slow kiss. Still locked in an embrace, they drifted back to sleep.
“What were we thinking?” Ally glanced at the bedside clock and sat up, shoving the tangles from her eyes. “Ace, it’s Monday. We have to get to work.”
“Not yet.” He lay wrapped in the sheets, one arm beneath his head. “Come back to bed.”
She swung her legs to the floor. “You’re insatiable.”
“Yeah. Another vice I’ve only discovered since meeting you, Red.”
She gathered up her kimono. “You can be as lazy as you please. I’m going to shower.”
In the bathroom she hurried through her morning routine, pinning up her hair, brushing her teeth, before turning on the shower. Just as she stepped under the spray, she felt strong arms around her.
“Ace.”
He drew her back against him and nibbled her shoulder. “I got lonely in that big bed.”
“So you came in here to scrub my back.”
“Such a beautiful back.”
She laughed and handed him a ball of netting filled with soap. “Here. Make yourself useful.”
“What a waste of my talents, Red.” He made several passes with the pouf. “What’s this? Freckles.” He lowered his mouth to her back. “How did I miss these all night? I love freckles.” He pressed kisses to each of them, then slowly turned her until she was facing him. “Think I can find a few more of those?”
“When I was little, Gramps called them beauty spots.”
“A smart man, your grandfather.”
The spray plastered his hair to his neck as he trailed soapy kisses across her breasts, down her torso.
“Ace. You’re going to make us both late for work.”
“I can bend the rules. I’m the boss. Remember?”
She clutched his head. “Listen, boss, you’ve got to stop before we…”
Her words ended on a sudden moan of pleasure. And then, while the warm water played over them, they came together in a slow, delicious dance of love.
Chapter 10
“Well, Ace.” Harlan rolled his scooter into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway to watch as Ace and Ally stood together by the stove, laughing over some shared secret. Seeing him they stepped apart. “I thought I’d heard your truck starting up early last evening.”
“Yeah. I started to leave. But…” Ace cast a quick glance at Ally, then back to her grandfather. “I decided to spend the night. I hope you don’t object?”
A smile played at the edges of Harlan’s lips. “I may be old, but I can still remember what it felt like to be your age. As I recall, your head is ruled by your heart.” He gave Ace a long, steady look. “So how’s your heart feeling this morning?”
“Ready to burst. And strong as a bull. Right now I could lick the whole world. With one arm tied behind my back.”
Harlan grinned, remembering perfectly the way that felt. “Is the coffee ready?”
“Yeah.” Ace lifted the pot and filled three cups, then crossed the room and set one on the table.
“Ace.” Ally spooned up something from the skillet. “Taste this and see if it’s as good as yours.”
He crossed to her, tasted, then smiled. “Perfect. My sister-in-law Maggie had better watch out, or you’ll soon give her a run for her money.”
“Not a chance.” She filled three plates and carried them to the table. “Good morning, Gramps. Ready for some bacon and eggs?”
“Sounds great.” The old man lifted his cheek for her morning kiss, then watched as Ace popped up the toast and carried it to the table.
Buster and Billy, who had danced in beside Harlan, stood watching Ally with soulful eyes.
“These two old fellas have been awfully jumpy all night, Allycat. I think they’d like to know they’re forgiven for that mess they made.”
Ally knelt down and caught Buster’s big head between both her hands. “Yeah. I’ll just bet you’re sorry. Not because of the mess you made, but because of the tummyache you had to suffer afterward.”
The dog peered at her so intently she had to laugh. “You know exactly what I’m saying, don’t you?”
In reply he licked her hand.
“Okay. All is forgiven. I still love you.” She ruffled his fur and offered her face for his quick kiss.
Billy danced around them, happy to see that he and his pal were back in her good graces. After several more loving licks, the two dogs settled down on either side of her.
Ace took his seat beside her and covered her hand with his. “I knew you couldn’t stay mad at these two old boys.” With a laugh he leaned over to scratch their ears.
“You’re as bad as they are.” Ally squeezed his hand. “You’ve all got me figured for a soft touch.”
“You are. And Buster and Billy and I are all glad of it.”
It occurred to Harlan that these two looked as easy and comfortable as old lovers. He ought to feel uneasy about such a thing. But the truth was, they looked right together. This was a young man with a good heart. And his granddaughter deserved someone who would not only be good for her, but good to her as well.
“I’ve been thinking, Harlan.” Ace took a helping of eggs. “Next time I’m in Prosperous, I’ll pick up some materials to build a more permanent ramp for the front door.”
“What’s wrong with those timbers you already set in place? They do the job.” Harlan slathered his toast with grape jelly.
“There’s nothing wrong with them. But I intended them to be just a temporary fix, until I could come up with something better. I’ll take some measurements and have the lumber company cut something to the exact size.”
“You don’t need to do that, Ace.” Harlan sipped his coffee.
“I want to. And I’ve been thinking that you need a strip of asphalt from the house to the barn. That way, when it rains, your wheels won’t sink in the mud.”
“Asphalt.” The old man shook his head. “Now you’re talking hard work. I don’t think that’s something you could do by yourself.”
Ace shrugged. “Maybe I could get my br
others to come over and give me a hand.”
Harlan grinned across the table at his granddaughter, feeling oddly mellow. It was comforting to know that someone besides Ally might be here to lend a hand. The ranch and its problems had long ago gotten out of his control. And though he’d hated to admit it, they were certainly more than one woman, even one as single-minded as Ally, could handle alone.
There was just something about this young man that spoke of strength of character and depth of determination. Harlan had no doubt Ace would do whatever he said he would. In fact, the more he got to know Ace, the more he liked and trusted him.
He polished off the last of his eggs and sat back. “You know, Ace, you remind me a lot of myself when I was young.”
“How so?” Ace sipped his coffee, enjoying the fact that Ally had her hand on his knee.
“I really believed I could do anything I set my mind to. I remember exploring the hills around here and thinking I ought to find a use for this land.” He laughed. “It surely wasn’t any good for raising cattle.”
Ace smiled. “Pretty barren, all right. Not what you’d call good grazing land.”
Harlan nodded. “I used to think maybe I’d hire a rig and take some soil samples.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Harlan sipped. Shrugged. “I just never followed through. I guess I was more of a dreamer than a doer. I dreamed of finding a fortune, so I could give up ranching. Then I dreamed of having my own studio, so I could just get away from my problems and be left alone to design my saddles.” He shook his head. “But dreaming doesn’t pay the bills.”
“No.” Ally topped off their cups. “But your saddles have paid plenty of bills in the past, Gramps.” She turned to Ace. “He once had a Saudi prince offer him fifty thousand dollars for a saddle.”
“A Saudi prince?” Ace looked impressed. “How did he hear about you?”
“He saw a saddle Gramps made for a movie star.”
“Wait a minute.” Ace held up his hand. “Back up here. Your grandfather made a saddle for a movie star?”