by Paige Warren
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I want you,” he said. “Every time I kiss you, I feel like I’m gonna go up in flames.”
“I feel the same way,” she admitted.
“If I didn’t want more than a fling with you, I’d carry you upstairs right now and make love to you all night long.”
Her pussy throbbed at his words. She felt his erection pressing against her and knew he wasn’t just saying that. He really did want her as much as she wanted him. Did she dare take him up on his offer so soon? They might have been getting to know each other today, but there was still a lot she didn’t know about him.
“You better get up, beautiful, before I forget myself.”
“What if I said I wanted you to act on what you’re feeling right now?”
He groaned and buried his face in her neck. “Don’t say things like that. You don’t know what you’re askin’.”
“I want to feel your skin against mine, want to feel your lips on my body. I’ve never wanted anything more than I want you right now, Knox. We could spend more time getting to know each other, and that would probably be the smart thing to do, but I’m tired of being cautious. For once, I want to jump right in. There’s something about you that calls to me, makes me want to be reckless.”
“Darlin’, I want to do right by you. We shouldn’t do this.”
“If you want to wait, we’ll wait. But we both know where this thing between us is going. You can’t deny the attraction you’ve felt since the moment we met. I’ve felt it too. It’s stronger than anything I’ve experienced before.”
“In your vast amount of years on this earth?”
“I may not be as old as you, but I’m not a virgin either. Is that the problem? The age difference between us?”
“Darlin’, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the difference. You’re one fine, sexy woman.”
“Then it’s just the timing?”
“Why don’t we go dancin’ tomorrow, maybe plan another outing, and see how things go? I don’t want you to wake up the next mornin’ and regret bein’ with me. I meant what I said, Dixie. I want you in my life, as more than a ranch hand.”
“I want that too.”
“Just be patient. It will happen when it’s supposed to. For now, maybe you should head home. You’re far too temptin’.”
“Just let me clear the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher.”
“Leave it. You cooked, I’ll clean up.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiled. “Positive.”
She got up and pulled her keys out of her pocket. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Be careful driving home.”
“I will.”
He walked her out to her SUV and waved as she backed up and headed down the driveway. When she arrived home, Drew was sitting on the front steps waiting for her, a thunderous look on his face.
“Where the hell have you been?” he demanded.
“I told you where I was going before you locked me in my room.”
“Fat lot of good that did me. Climbing out the window? Seriously?”
“Oh please. As if locking me in my room like a teenager wasn’t going overboard.”
“Obviously I should have nailed the window shut, too.”
“Drew, so help me God, if you lock me up again and nail the window shut, I not only won’t speak to you again, I’ll call the police and file an abuse report against you.”
He snorted. “Like Carson wouldn’t agree with me.”
“You’re not locking me up. I’m a grown woman and I know what I want.”
“And let me guess, it’s that cowboy who’s far too old for you.”
“Knox is a good, decent man. You should be thrilled I want to date him.”
“You and I both know where this relationship is going. Do you want to end up knocked up?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Like Lexie, you mean?”
He scowled. “Leave Lexie out of this. She’s right where she’s supposed to be.”
“And who said I wasn’t supposed to be with Knox? Drew, he’s good for me. We both want the same things. He works hard on his ranch and doesn’t mind me working alongside him. I’d think you’d be happy for me.”
“I won’t lock you up anymore, but if you get your heart broken, don’t come crying to me.”
“Fine.”
She stormed past him and into the house, wishing he could be more understanding. Was it really too much to ask for his support?
Chapter Four
Two weeks passed, two glorious weeks of working side by side with Knox. He’d started exercising the horses with her and they’d talked quite a bit. There had been many shared kisses, but it never went further than that. He’d taken her dancing, out to dinner, to the movies. And she’d cooked for him many times. She felt closer to him than she’d ever felt with a guy before. She supposed they were officially dating, but she didn’t know how to get him to take the next step. He seemed determined to do things “the right way,” which seemed to mean no sex. After being sexually frustrated the past few weeks, she was determined to change things.
She’d made pot roast for dinner with lemon meringue pie for dessert. Now that one appetite had been sated, it was time to haul him off to the bedroom and have her wicked way with him. Or better yet, let him have his way with her. She had no doubt that he had enough experience to make her toes curl.
“Why are you lookin’ at me that way?” Knox asked.
“What way?”
“Like a starvin’ man who just got a look at a four-course meal.”
She laughed. “Maybe because I’m thinking about a second dessert.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Why do I get the feelin’ you don’t mean food?”
“Smart man.”
“I’m startin’ to think you just want me for my body.” He grinned. “In which case, bein’ a man, I’m okay with that. As long as it makes you stick around for a while.”
“Just for a while?”
“Well, until I can convince you I’m working stickin’ around for on a more permanent basis. The more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I realize you’re a keeper. You’re the kind of woman you bring home to meet the parents.”
“Speaking of parents, you never talk about yours.”
“They died about ten years ago. Dad went out to shoot at some coyotes that were after the herd, and Mom followed him. There was a stampede after he fired the first shot. Cows ran right over both of them.”
“I’m so sorry! That must have been awful to go through. But you still keep cows. I’d think you wouldn’t want anything to do with them.”
“I just have a small herd now. Mostly sell them for beef.”
“Remind me not to get too close to your cows. I have a tendency to make pets out of animals, whether they’re supposed to be pets or not. There’s a pig on my daddy’s farm that has a forever home because I decided he was a pet when he was a baby.”
Knox just shook his head.
“When are you going to stop ignoring the sexual tension between us?” Dixie asked.
“You mean when am I goin’ to give into you?”
“Something like that.”
“Aren’t you afraid we’re movin’ too fast? I don’t want to ruin what we have right now.”
“What if it doesn’t ruin it but makes it even better? I’m ready to take things to the next level, Knox. I promise I’m not going to run away if you cave in to my desire to be with you. What are you really worried about?”
“That our relationship will end up being based on sex. I want more than that with you.”
“I’d like to think we’ve already become friends. Maybe more than friends. I care about you, Knox, and I’m not going to stop caring about you just because we become intimate. I want more than kisses and cuddling.” She gave him a long, hard stare. “I’m not going to change my mind about us. I fought with my brother to be able to spend time with you. Do you hones
tly think I would have put forth the effort if I didn’t want more than a fling with you?”
“Give it just a little more time. Just think. The anticipation will make the moment even better when it does happen.”
“If you get me any more worked up, I’ll have to invest in a vibrator.”
He grinned. “No cheatin’.”
“Oh please.” She rolled her eyes. “Like you haven’t been jacking off. You’d have a case of blue balls by now if you weren’t.”
“At least I’m thinkin’ of you when I do.”
“I guess I should just be thankful you aren’t old-fashioned and want to wait until we’re married.”
He arched a brow. “Already see us walkin’ down the aisle, huh?”
She felt her cheeks warm. “You know what I mean.”
“I can easily see you in a white dress.” His gaze skimmed her from head to toe. “I bet you’d make a beautiful bride.”
“My brothers are already in interracial relationships. Do you think the town could handle one more?”
“What are you talkin’ about?” He frowned. “Does it bother you that I’m white?”
“No! Of course not!”
“So why would it bother me that you’re only half-white?”
“I didn’t say it bothered you. I’m saying…well, haven’t you noticed the looks we get when we go out? People stare, some murmur to each other. I feel like I’m on display every time we have a date.”
“Maybe they’re talkin’ about how good we look together. Ever think of that?”
“I guess,” she admitted grudgingly. “I just know how people think. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been talked about for being in an interracial relationship.”
He got up and knelt at her feet, taking her hand in his. “Darlin’, I think you’re worrying about nothin’. Besides, does it really matter what other people think?”
“I don’t want it to hurt your business.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “If people don’t want to give me their business because of who I’m datin’, then that’s their problem. I have a group of loyal customers, so don’t worry about my finances. I’ll be just fine if some stuck up people decide to take their business elsewhere.”
She nodded. “As long as you’re sure you want to be with me.”
“Darlin’, I burn for you. If you walked away right now, I’d just have to rope you and tie you to the chair until I convinced you to stick around.”
“I don’t think I’d take much convincing.” She smiled. “If anything, you’ll probably get tired of me and wish you could get rid of me.”
“Not likely to happen. I’ve been on plenty of dates in the past, but few women make it past date three. With you, every date feels like the first one. Every kiss is more magical than the last. Just spending time with you warms my heart.”
“I like spending time with you, too.”
“Now, you’d best head home while you still can. Otherwise, I may forget I’m a gentleman and haul you off to the bedroom.”
She started to say something, but he cut her off.
“And I’m determined to do this the right way. Until we know one another better, you’re not seeing the inside of my bedroom.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Tomorrow’s your day off.”
“Oh.”
“But we could meet for lunch at the diner. Say noon?”
She nodded. “Noon it is.”
He kissed her softly before rising and helping her to her feet. “Now scoot.”
She gave him one last longing look before letting herself out. He was determined to kill her with his refusal to take the next step in their relationship, but she supposed he had a good point. The better they knew one another, the greater the chance that things would last a while between them. It was too soon to think of forever, but she knew she didn’t want to let him go anytime soon.
Chapter Five
Several weeks passed, and with each day, Dixie and Knox grew closer. They’d gone on picnics, long trail rides, swimming at the nearby lake. The more she got to know him, the deeper her feelings became. She knew without a doubt that she didn’t want to let him go. People had begun greeting them warmly when they went out, and she supposed they’d finally gotten used to seeing them together. Or maybe they’d just been worried that she would hurt Knox. She’d noticed that he was rather popular around town, despite the fact that her brothers still didn’t like him.
He had a smile for everyone he met, helped old ladies cross the street, adopted an ancient dog just so it wouldn’t be put to sleep. Knox was almost too good to be true. She kept looking for a fault, but other than him refusing to take her to bed, she couldn’t find one. And really, that wasn’t a fault. She understood his reasoning, even if she didn’t like it.
Dixie had decided to surprise him when he came in from the fields and working the horses. It being her day off, she had plenty of time to do something nice for him. She’d arrived at his house about two hours ago and had let herself in with the hidden key. She’d spent that time cooking and baking his favorite cake, even straightened up his living room for him and mopped his kitchen floor.
“What do you think, Buster?” she asked the old lab. “Think he’ll like it?”
Buster huffed out a sigh and closed his eyes.
“Well, you’re no help.”
She adjusted her fitted tank top, tugged on her low-rise jean shorts, and hoped she looked presentable. Sexy had been her goal. She’d been to the salon earlier that day to have her hair relaxed after noticing it was getting its natural curl back again. She’d even had her nails done. While her toenail polish had come through surprisingly unscathed, the polish on one of her fingernails had chipped. She doubted Knox would even notice, or if he did, he wouldn’t say anything.
She arranged a vase of flowers she’d picked from the garden out back, then stood back to admire her work. The table was set, the flowers were beautiful, and the meal was done. Now she just needed her hunky cowboy. A glance at the clock told her he should be arriving any moment.
“Buster, I hope he likes what I’ve done. I didn’t exactly tell him I was coming over, and I invaded his house without him knowing it. I guess this will be a test as to how much he cares about me. He introduced me as his girlfriend the other day, and I have to admit it made my heart flutter, but I may have crossed a line tonight.”
She heard footsteps on the porch, then the doorknob turned. Knox entered the house, removing his cowboy hat. When he realized he wasn’t alone, he froze and turned her way.
“Dixie? What are you doing here?” He looked around the room. “You made dinner?”
“Yeah. I wanted to surprise you. So…surprise!” She smiled, feeling uncertain. He didn’t look thrilled to see her.
He looked around again and then he slowly smiled. “It’s a nice surprise. I wasn’t looking forward to a frozen dinner.”
“Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll dish up the meatloaf and mashed potatoes. There’s rolls, too.”
“Just let me take a quick shower. I’ve been mucking stalls and smell like it.”
“Hurry up. I don’t want dinner to get cold.”
He nodded. “Go ahead and fix the plates. I’ll just be a minute.”
She watched him stride out of the room, admiring the way his ass filled out his Wranglers. With a sigh, she turned to face the stove. She’d already pulled out the meatloaf, and the mashed potatoes were ready to go. The rolls sat on the cooling rack nearby. All she had to do was pull out the butter and everything would be ready. She picked up Knox’s plate and began filling it, giving him three slices of meatloaf and a huge helping of potatoes along with two rolls. If it wasn’t enough, he could always go back for seconds. She just hoped he saved room for cake.
After fixing her plate, she snuck a slice of meatloaf to Buster, even knowing it probably wasn’t good for him. He just looked so forlorn, watching her fix their plates. He�
��d even licked his lips, as if he could taste the meatloaf just by scenting the air. Sitting down, she didn’t have long to wait.
“Hope I didn’t take too long,” Knox said as he claimed his seat. He’d put on another pair of tight Wranglers and a faded, rust-colored tee. It stretched lovingly across his broad chest and hugged his impressive biceps.
“No, you didn’t take too long.”
He dug in, acting like he hadn’t eaten all day. With his eyes closed, he hummed his appreciation. “Damn, woman. You’re trying to fatten me up. At this rate, I’ll have to start exercising.”
“Knox, you couldn’t get fat if you tried.”
He grinned at her. “Why did you decide to surprise me? Not that I mind. I told you before you could cook for me anytime. Just wasn’t sure if this was a special occasion.”
“No special occasion. I just wanted to take care of you. You work so hard, it seemed like the least I could do.”
“I love you,” he said with a smile.
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“I said, I love you. I couldn’t have a found a more perfect woman for me if I’d tried. You’re smart, funny, you’re always thinking of others.”
“Thinking of others?”
“You think I don’t know about the treats you donated to the animal shelter? Or the pie you made for the high school bake sale so the cheerleaders could buy new uniforms? Better yet, what about the soup you delivered to old man Withers when you heard he was sick? You’ve become an integral part of this community and everyone who meets you loves you.”
“And that’s why you love me?”
“That’s part of it. What I don’t know is whether or not you love me.”
“How could I not?” she asked softly. “You’re a remarkable man, Knox McCoy.”
He grinned. “So I guess I should go ring shopping.”
She choked on the sweet tea she’d just swallowed. “Ring?”
“You are going to marry me, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. Is this you asking?”
“Want me to get down on one knee?”