The Cowboy's Surrender

by Anne Marie Novark

  Dallas hugged her close. "What are you talking about? You were wonderful. We won."

  "What? But how? That man beat me by a mile. How could we have won?"

  "We were already one man ahead, sweetheart. Tyler's strategy is almost foolproof. Works every time, or it has so far."

  "Strategy? Oh, thank goodness. I thought I had lost the race for all of you."

  Tyler and everyone gathered around to congratulate Gillian.

  "Lost? No way," Kelsey said, helping her out of the sack. "Uncle Tyler knows what he's doing. And you were great. We're having fun and winning. Okay, let's get ready for the next event." She led the way, as usual.

  Gillian groaned when she saw an obstacle course laid out on the other side of the field. Dallas looked down at her with a grin. "What's wrong? Seems like this would be right up your alley. After climbing that ravine to take pictures of those skunks, this should be a piece of cake."

  "Nothing was at stake then." She walked fast to keep up. "I was doing that for pleasure. This is serious. I don't care what you say, you guys are in this to win."

  Dallas stopped and caught her arm. "Where's that spunk, that grit, you've been hurling my way ever since I laid eyes on you? Come on. I know you can do this. Relax."

  Tyler put them in position and Sarah Sue blew the whistle.

  Gillian didn't have time to worry; she was second in line. She watched Dallas easily climb a rope and jump over a low wall, then expertly jog through a row of tires. She couldn't see the details of the course after that. The least they could have done was review the course beforehand.

  A touch on her shoulder made her turn around. "Don't look so glum," Tyler said with a smile. "If you think you can't do something, just go through the motions. Don't skip anything. You can do this."

  Dallas ran up and tagged her hand. Gillian tried to smile as she raced toward the rope. These McCades were something else. She just hadn't figured out what exactly.

  The low wall wasn't as difficult as she thought. When she came to the tires, she stepped carefully to avoid tripping over the rims. Next was a neon orange tube made of nylon that snaked across the grass. Okay, no problem. She could crawl with the best of them. At the end of the long tube, Gillian climbed out and rubbed her knees. Her body wasn't used to this kind of abuse.

  Running toward the next obstacle, she groaned inwardly. It was a high rope bridge that didn't look very stable. She started across and it lurched with every step. She made it to the end after only two near tumbles.

  With a sigh of relief, she raced to the last obstacle. Her heart nearly cratered as she stared at the monkey bars. What were her chances of crossing the muddy pit without falling? She took a deep breath and climbed the ladder, placed her hand on the first rung and swung out over the mud. With each grip on the steel bars, her hands burned and her body swayed.

  By the time she reached the middle, her palms were sweaty and she felt herself slip. Thank goodness, it wasn't far to the ground. Miraculously, she landed on her feet and not her bottom. Her tennis shoes stuck in the mud. Oh yuck.

  Looking up at the bar, she jumped twice and tried to catch hold, but it was out of reach. The clock was ticking. Gillian remembered Tyler's words: Go through the motions. Pretend. With arms extended above her head and feeling extremely foolish, she walked in the mud to the end of the monkey bars, her shoes squishing with every step. Slip-sliding over the ladder, she ran back to the group and tagged Tyler. He took off like a rocket

  Out of breath, Gillian plopped to the ground beside Dallas. Her tennis shoes were stained from the mud, but most of the caked dirt had fallen off.

  "It wasn't so bad, was it?" he said with a smile.

  "Not if you like army boot camp." She rubbed her hands together. They burned like the devil.

  "Here, let me see." He turned her palms upward, holding them in a gentle clasp. They were red with blisters forming on the pads below her fingers.

  The barriers Dallas hid behind, the brusque manners he showed the world fell away. He raised one hand, then the other to his lips. Gillian felt a tingling warmth travel from her palms, through her arms, straight to her heart.

  Without a word, he pulled her to her feet and gave her a quick hug. Gillian stared at him as he yelled at Austin to get a move on, then cheered with the rest of the team.

  He was completely at ease with these silly games. Such a stark contrast with the other times she had been with him. He always acted angry with her, or else looked at her with such passion she felt scorched by his gaze. She remembered the dance they had shared--a heady mixture of yearning and anger that had left her confused as well as aroused.

  Gillian shook away the disturbing thoughts as Austin ran the last length of the obstacle course. The McCades were way ahead of the other teams. Their pleasure and enthusiasm was contagious.

  "Okay team, we're doing good," Tyler said, rallying his troops. "Lead the way, Kelsey. We're on a roll."

  Dallas took Gillian's arm in a firm grasp and followed his brother. "This is going to be my favorite event," he whispered in her ear. "It's the three-legged race. We'll be joined thigh to thigh."

  Gillian gulped. Again, she wondered what she'd gotten herself into. Not only the races, but with Dallas. His abrupt turn around was disarming. He was fun to be with and gentle with her, too. They hadn't made love yet, but they would. She knew they would.

  Sarah Sue called everyone to the next course. Volunteers stood ready to help bind the participant's legs together with short bungee-looking cords.

  Dallas held Gillian close as a woman strapped their legs together. She quickly buckled the cords together, then checked for a good fit. "There you go. Snug as a bug in a rug. Good luck."

  "Thanks, Peggy," Dallas said. She gave a thumbs-up and moved on to help another couple.

  With Dallas's arm around her and their bodies joined, Gillian fought the threatening feelings of panic. For so long, she had avoided men. Especially big men. Yet she hadn't been able to avoid Dallas. She had tried unsuccessfully to ignore the attraction between them. With a sigh, Gillian gave in to the delicious warmth of his touch--his hard muscled thigh against her own, his biceps pressed across her shoulders. Her body melded against his. It felt good.

  "I'm glad we called a truce," he said, his breath hot against the shell of her ear. Chill-bumps coursed down her spine. He brushed his lips to her hair. "I like the way our bodies fit together, don't you?"

  Speech was beyond her, so she nodded.

  "Look over there," Dallas said, pointing across the way.

  It took a moment, before Gillian emerged from the deep well of pleasurable sensations. She tried to assure herself her capitulation was partly due to the change in Dallas's attitude. Not only the powerful sexual pull he had on her. For weeks, the man had frowned and grumbled at her. He was positively charming today. She was in shock, she told herself.

  Gillian looked at Kelsey and Tyler. The little girl was laughing as Tyler held her halfway off the ground so their legs would join evenly. Once the bindings were secured, he grasped his niece under her arms and walked over.

  "Here's the lineup," he said, still holding a giggling Kelsey. "We'll go first, followed by Austin and Miss Rogers, then you and Gillian can bring up the lead." He looked over his shoulder. "Austin, you hear that?"

  Austin and Miss Rogers hobbled toward them. "Yeah, I heard," he said with a growl. Gillian wished she knew what was going on between those two. Miss Rogers was biting her lip. To keep from grinning or crying, Gillian couldn't tell.

  The whistle blew for everyone to take their places. The McCade group lined up according to Tyler's instructions.

  When Sarah Sue signaled for the race to begin, Tyler picked up his niece and trotted across the field with Kelsey laughing all the way.

  Gillian looked at Dallas. "Isn't that sort of . . . cheating?"

  Dallas shook his head. "No, technically they're bound together and going down the course."

  Gillian grinned. "You have all the angles figur
ed out."

  "Tyler has them all figured out," he said, watching his brother's progress.

  "You're not going to pick me up and carry me away, are you?" Gillian felt a rush of heat as the image flickered in her brain.

  Dallas turned his head and gazed down at her. "Is that an invitation?"

  "Maybe." She felt Dallas's hard muscles tighten. She had her arm stretched across his back, holding on to a belt loop for support. Her heart hammered in her chest and a titillating warmth fluttered in her tummy. She had it bad for the cowboy all right.

  "I'm ready to take you up on that invitation--any time, any place," he growled in her ear.

  "Any time? Any place? We'll just have to wait and see about that, won't we?" She lifted her chin and holding her breath. Had she actually thrown out a challenge to Dallas?

  His eyes darkened with passion and his nostrils flared with sensual alertness. "We're not going to wait long," he said, his voice low and seductive.

  A liquid core of shimmering desire pooled in Gillian's lower body. She forced herself to look away before he kissed her in front of God and everybody.

  Tyler, with Kelsey in tow, returned triumphant. He was only a little out of breath. It couldn't be easy carrying a seventy-five pound girl fifty yards and back, Gillian thought with a smile.

  Austin, with Miss Rogers bound to his side, set off down the course. To Gillian, Austin McCade looked positively savage. He was one McCade who was definitely not having fun.

  He and his partner were struggling to keep upright. They staggered and stumbled across the field. Gillian held her breath when they fell down completely. It took several minutes before they got to their feet and resumed the race.

  "Damn." Tyler glanced at his watch, then at his brother. "Why can't Austin relax and run the course?"

  "You know why," Dallas grumbled. He adjusted his grip on Gillian.

  It was painful to watch the couple's progress. Gillian sent up a silent prayer that she and Dallas would have better luck.

  Waiting for their turn was both stressful and pleasurable. Part of Gillian found being glued to Dallas's side exhilarating. Another part was anxious about starting a relationship with him. Only they weren't going to have a relationship. They were just going to sleep together.

  Gillian knew it was time to put her past behind her and move on with her life. She only hoped she could survive the aftermath, because Dallas McCade was one man who didn't want a long-term commitment. And Gillian had never been one for short-term flings. Until now.

  Her thoughts returned to the race when Austin and Miss Rogers stumbled back to the group. It was all Gillian could do to keep up with Dallas's long stride as they set off down the track. With his strong arm around her and his hard-muscled leg strapped to her own, Gillian felt a rush of heat and desire like she'd never experienced before. Every time their legs hit the ground, they rubbed together causing exquisite friction. The soft denim of Dallas's jeans caressed Gillian's bare leg.

  Knowing she needed to concentrate on their movements, she gave in to temptation and dared to glance up at Dallas. Quickly, she averted her eyes, her body shuddering in response to the hungry expression on his face.

  They turned and headed back to the group. Dallas squeezed her waist. "We're almost there, sweetheart. Then we're out of here."

  Gillian felt dizzy as the low sexy tone of his voice washed over her. There would be no courtship, no getting to know you better. She knew that now. Their bodies were screaming for each other. And Gillian had to admit, she wanted Dallas to hold her in his arms and kiss her. She wanted him to make love to her, feel his powerful body hover over her and claim her in the most primitive way.

  They were almost to the finish line, when Gillian tripped and stumbled. Dallas tried to hold her steady, but lost his balance and went down, quickly adjusting his body to take the brunt of the fall with Gillian on top.

  Gillian's eyes locked with crystal blue ones. Her body was plastered along the length of Dallas's hard frame. Flickering heat scorched every nerve ending. She could feel his arousal nestled against her. His arms tightened around her, making her feel safe and loved. But that was nonsense. Love didn't fit into the equation. This was lust, plain and simple.

  Suddenly, Gillian became aware of shouting. She heard Tyler's voice calling for them to get up.

  "Damn," Dallas said, regret showing in his eyes. "As much as I like the position we're in, we need to finish the race. Get ready to be carried away."

  He jumped up in one fluid motion, lifted Gillian and hauled her to the finish line. Dallas kept his arm firmly around her as they accepted congratulations from the group.

  "Did we win?" she asked, trying to regain her composure, hoping she didn't look as flustered as she felt.

  Tyler slapped her on the back. "If we didn't, we'll come in a close second for sure. Here, let me help you get those bindings off your legs."

  Gillian stood still while he unfastened the cords. Her body still tingled from the intimate contact with Dallas.

  "There you are. Free at last," Tyler said. "I'm guessing Dallas isn't in too much of a hurry to let you go. But you can't be tied to him all day, now can you?" He winked and ducked away from Dallas's mock punch.

  Ruth and Jessie hurried to join them.

  "I lost track of the points," Ruth said. "But y'all did very well. Gillian and Miss Rogers were real troopers."

  "How about me, Grams? How about me?" Kelsey said, hopping up and down.

  "Well, of course you did great. You're a McCade," she said, hugging Kelsey.

  "I'm going to go get the results," Tyler said.

  "I'll go with you." Kelsey ran ahead of her uncle toward the judges.

  Gillian looked around for Harold. He was on the sidelines talking on the cell phone and frowning heavily. Gillian's heart sank. Something was up; she could tell by his expression.

  Harold pocketed the phone and strode across the field until he stopped in front of Gillian. "There's trouble at the site. "What kind of trouble?" Dallas asked.

  "The generators are down." Harold narrowed his eyes at him. "Although, I'm sure that comes as no surprise to you."

  Dallas stepped forward. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

  "Don't play innocent with me. I know what you're up to." Harold looked at Gillian. "Let's go."

  Dallas's face froze into hard lines. Gone was the charming man who'd flirted with Gillian all afternoon. The angry, belligerent cowboy was back. "Dallas, I . . ."

  He didn't let her finish. "Go on. Get out of here. Go back to the drilling site. That's where you belong."

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Dallas watched Gillian leave with Harold. His insides burned like hell. He hadn't thought about the drilling site and Gillian's involvement all afternoon. He'd been too busy enjoying her company, showing her the sights, holding her in his arms and kissing her, running the races. Gillian's willingness to participate in the games pleased him. She fit right in with his family. Something Marilyn had never accomplished in the four years of their marriage.

  "We won! We won!" Kelsey shouted, running back to the group holding the piece of paper with the results.

  Dragging his thoughts away from Gillian, he focused on his niece. "That's great, hotshot."

  Kelsey looked around. "Where's Gillian?"

  "She had to leave."

  "She can't go. We have to celebrate." She spotted Gillian walking across the field and chased after her. "Gillian! Oh Gillian!"

  Gillian stopped when she heard her name called. Dallas saw her hug Kelsey, shake her head, hug her again, then continue on with Harold. Kelsey walked slowly back, the scrap of paper fluttering in the wind. "She can't stay. She said she had a lot of fun. Oh well, we can still celebrate!"

  "I can't. I need to get back to the ranch," Dallas said. Gillian was gone, and so was his enthusiasm for the afternoon and the carnival.

  "Do you mind if I ride with you?" Jessie asked. She was holding one hand over her large pregnant belly and frowning.
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  "Are you okay?" Dallas didn't like the paleness in his sister-in-law's cheeks.

  "I'm a little tired, that's all."

  Tyler walked up. "Leaving already? What a coincidence. Gillian leaves. Then Dallas is ready to call it quits, too. Hmm . . . sounds mighty peculiar to me."

  "Leave him alone," Jessie said, gathering her purse and stuff.

  "Whoa!" Tyler staggered backwards in exaggeration. "I never thought you'd be Dallas's champion. Not in a million years."

  "Can it, Ty," Dallas growled.

  "Boys, boys!" Ruth stepped between her two giant sons. "Dallas, you go ahead and take Jessie home. She's not looking at all well. Maybe I should go along with you."