“Well, we’re only supposed to be goin’ for breakfast, but I told her not to expect you back right away, that I’d planned a surprise. I didn’t want her to worry.”
“I knew it! I knew you were up to something. Is this about what I think it is?”
“What do you think it’s about?”
“Us having sex.” She quivered with anticipation.
He kept his attention on the road but his cheek dented as he grinned. “It might be about that.”
“You found a solution?” She tried to breathe normally. Impossible.
“Could be.” He braked the truck at the stop sign and turned to her. “But first we need to take care of something.”
“You need to buy condoms.”
“I bought those before I came over to your house. In fact, when your momma said I’ll bet you have a certain item in your pocket I thought she was talkin’ about that.”
“Oh, Badger.” She started to laugh. “No wonder your face was so red when I walked in.”
“But when she mentioned gettin’ down on one knee, that was my clue that she thought I had a ring and that’s why our breakfast would take so long.”
“Well, she’ll just have to be mistaken about that.”
“No, she won’t.” He put on the left blinker and turned onto Main Street. “I’m gettin’ you a ring.”
“Hey! No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. If I don’t, your momma won’t believe I’m serious about you. The whole plan could start fallin’ apart. I remember seein’ a jewelry store. Ah, there it is, and we even have a parkin’ spot.”
“Don’t park in front of it.”
“Why not? There’s a perfect spot!”
“Go a few spaces down. We don’t want anyone seeing us in front of the jewelry store.”
“Oh. Good point.” He parked in front of the hardware store and shut off the motor. “Your momma thinks I already have the ring.”
“Right.” She turned to him. “You don’t have to buy one. Let’s brainstorm.”
“Let’s not.” The clock was ticking. He didn’t want to waste time debating the ring purchase. “People don’t know me here. I can duck down to the jewelry store, get a ring and come back.”
“Even if you could, I can’t let you do this. That’s taking this charade too far.”
“Hayley, if you don’t show up with a ring, I guarantee your momma’s opinion of me will suffer.”
She met his gaze without saying anything. He was right, damn it. “Okay. Go find a ring. But I’m paying for it.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am, so! I’ll keep the receipt and when we break up, I can just get my money back. It’s the logical way to handle it. Surely you can see that.”
“No, ma’am, I can’t. There’s no way on God’s green earth that I’m lettin’ you pay for the engagement ring I put on your finger.”
“Badger! Be sensible!”
“I can’t be sensible about this. I’m Southern.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“No Southern gentleman would ever walk into a jewelry store to buy an engagement ring and let his lady pay. She might as well cut off his balls and hand them to him on a platter.”
“I see.” Her easy-going Badger had taken a stand. His display of stubborn masculinity was more of a turn-on than she would have expected. “But if you’re determined to do this, I don’t want a diamond.”
“You don’t?” He looked stunned. “Isn’t that supposed to be the—”
“I’ve never liked them that much. I’d rather have a sapphire.”
“Ah.” He smiled. “One to match your eyes.”
“That’s not the reason. I just think they’re prettier than diamonds.”
“So are your eyes. I’ll find a ring that matches.” He opened the driver’s side door.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Whoever waits on you, ask them to keep this quiet. It might work, at least for a while.”
“I’ll do that.” Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss before exiting the truck.
A half-hour later, he was back.
“Well?”
“Found the perfect ring.”
“Can I see it?”
“No. I’ll give it to you later. When I propose.”
“Badger! This is all make-believe. Show me the ring.”
“No, ma’am.” He started the truck. “When you tell your momma about the proposal, I want it to be as close to the truth as possible.”
“Are you going to propose over breakfast in a restaurant?”
He sent her a smile. “No, ma’am, I am not.”
Despite herself, she was intrigued. But she tried to keep the mood businesslike. “You have the receipt, I hope.”
“Oh, yeah.” He pulled it out of his coat pocket.
“Let me see it.” She plucked it out of his hand.
“Hey, I didn’t—“
“Badger Calhoun, you spent a fortune on this ring!”
“Did not.”
“You did! And I—“
“Never mind, darlin’.” He backed out of the parking space. “I didn’t mean for you to see how much I spent, but now that you have the receipt, you’d best keep it.”
“But you’ll be the one who has to return it since you put it on your card.”
“Just hang onto it for now, okay?”
“Okay.” How easily he’d spent the money to buy a sapphire ring. Judging from what her mom and dad had found out online, his parents were very well off. Quite likely he was, too.
It didn’t matter if he was or wasn’t, but it gave her an idea. “We still haven’t decided on an issue we can use to explain our breakup. How about money?”
“Now there’s a borin’ thing to fight about if I ever heard one.”
“But couples do. Like for example, I could assume after going through this ring-buying experience that you throw your money around. If that’s true, I would object to that behavior.”
“So would I. Do you throw your money around?”
“No, but my job isn’t a particularly high-paying one. I have to be careful.”
“I’m careful.”
“You call buying a ring on the spur of the moment careful?”
“I do. I checked out the framed certificates on the wall. That gentleman has owned that store goin’ on forty-two years. He’s a certified gemologist and past president of the Eagles Nest Rotary Club. He sponsors a Little League team.”
“So?”
“A man like that will carry quality merchandise. Today I invested in a sapphire ring. A few months ago, I invested in Cowboy’s Beechcraft and nobody’s more likely to make a success of his business than he is. I’m careful with money.”
“I’m glad to hear—”
“I can’t claim to be so careful when I’m dealin’ with people, though. Cowboy says I tend to leap into situations without thinkin’ about the consequences. He could have a point.”
“You may not always be careful, but you’re compassionate. You came to my rescue and saved this holiday for me. Maybe you jumped in, but I’m grateful you did. I’ll take good care of your investment.”
“Just take good care of you, darlin’. In the end, the ring is just a pretty rock.”
“It’s more than that! You just said you invested in a piece of quality jewelry.”
He smiled at her. “Only to show you that I don’t throw money around. When I spend it, I have a good reason. But you’re a million times more valuable than that ring.”
She blinked. That sounded an awful lot like what an actual fiancé would say. Yet the engagement was make-believe, right? Sure, they had chemistry through the roof, but what he’d just said wasn’t about sex. It was about caring. His comment wrapped her in cozy warmth from head to toe.
Distracted by their discussion, she’d lost track of where they were. A quick check out the window told her they’d left the main road and were tooling along a dirt on
e. “Where are we?”
“On our way to the Nestin’ Place B and B.”
“Say what?”
“I asked Cody about a hotel or B and B and he suggested this place. He gave me the phone number last night after dinner. I called and got us the last room she had available, the one at the top.”
She couldn’t make sense of it. “Badger, we can’t move out of where we are and stay here. I can’t leave my folks’ house to…” Spend the holiday in bed with him? It was tempting.
“We’re not doin’ that. I figure we’ll only be here an hour or so this mornin’. But maybe tomorrow mornin’ we can—”
“You rented it again for tomorrow, too?”
“Darlin’, I rented it through New Year’s.”
“I’m speechless.”
“See, when Cody caught us makin’ out in the tack room, that started a discussion between Cody and me. He remembered this cute little B and B that’s only been open for a couple of years. Locals don’t stay here. Just folks passin’ through. We can pop in and out without stirrin’ up gossip in town.”
She stared at him. This was so out of her experience. “You rented it for more than a week?”
“Maybe that was overly optimistic. You might decide after today that you’re not fond of gettin’ naked with me.”
“Badger, this is a very rude question but I’ll ask it anyway. How much money do you have?”
“Enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“The rest of my life.”
“Good Lord.” She flopped back against the seat. “I had no idea.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“No, I suppose it doesn’t, except that it allows you to buy sapphires and rent a room in what is likely a pricey B and B when you’ll only be using it an hour here and an hour there.”
“Like I said, I’m hopin’ for two hours tomorrow. But you might decide against the plan. You have veto power.”
“I can’t imagine vetoing anything after what’s happened so far.”
“I’m countin’ on that. You heat up fast, Hayley. We’ll make good use of that hour.” He pulled up in front of a three-story blue Victorian with yellow trim.
Stately pines rose like protective sentinels behind the house. In a paved area to the side, several cars with out-of-state plates were parked. A hanging wooden sign in the snowy front yard was artistically lettered with The Nesting Place B&B, Maureen Stanislowski, proprietor. A spectacular evergreen wreath hung on the front door and large potted poinsettias stood guard at either side of it.
He shut off the engine. “This is it. We get a bed and we get breakfast.”
“It’s an inspired idea, Badger. The house is lovely.” She shivered in delicious anticipation at the prospect of sharing a bedroom with him, even for an hour.
“I asked her to put the food in our room. We don’t have time to fraternize at the breakfast table with the other guests.”
“That’s a good plan, but is she okay with this unusual arrangement?”
“I explained the situation and she was extremely understandin’. She wants us to have private time together and is very happy that she can help.” He looked over at her and reached for her hand. “She told me she’d be in the back servin’ breakfast, but she’ll come out to meet us and give us a key.”
She nodded. No man had ever swept her off her feet and she liked it. A lot.
He gazed into her eyes. “I want you, darlin’. If you’ll come inside with me, you’ll make me a very happy man.”
Her heart thudded against her ribs. “Then let’s go in.”
“Thank you.” After helping her out of the truck, he took her hand as they walked up to the house and climbed the steps.
She couldn’t shake the image of a bride arriving at her honeymoon suite. Silly, but nothing about this was familiar.
In her experience, love affairs began late at night after a steamy date that had ended at her apartment or his. Sex had just happened. Or maybe the guy had planned for it to happen, but not to the point where he’d booked a romantic setting to seal the deal.
Badger had pulled out all the stops. Breakfast and a bed awaited them on the top floor of this stately Victorian. The fantasy would only last a few days, but for now, it was more real than she’d expected.
When Badger opened the front door, a bell tinkled. She stepped into a fairyland of twinkling lights, several miniature trees in various coordinated color schemes, and the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg in the air. Down the hallway, conversation and laughter blended with the clank of plates and silverware.
A petite woman dressed in jeans and a red Christmas sweatshirt hurried toward them from that direction. “Badger Calhoun?”
He swept off his hat. “Yes, ma’am. This is my fiancée, Hayley Bennett.”
Her brow furrowed. “Bennett? Isn’t Reverend Bennett the minister who’s such a cutup?”
“That’s my father. As Badger probably explained, I’m staying at the parsonage and Badger is out at Wild Creek Ranch. We didn’t realize that we’d miss each other so much when we planned this trip, but it’s been more difficult than we anticipated.”
“I’m so glad you came to me, and that I had the top floor room.” She handed them two keys. “The one with the blue key fob is for the front door. The green one is for your room. That will allow you to access your room at any hour.”
Badger took both keys. “Thank you, ma’am. We appreciate this more than we can say.”
“You’re welcome. When’s the happy day?”
“We’re still debatin’ that topic.” Badger took off his jacket and helped Hayley with her parka. He put both coats over his arm. “Thank you for providin’ us with a safe harbor. We’ll let you get back to your guests, now.” He swept his hat toward the stairs. “After you, darlin’.”
Chapter Fifteen
Maybe it was the ring. Badger had never bought a woman a ring before. When he’d slipped this one in his jacket pocket, their caper had shifted from a lark to something more significant.
But they weren’t engaged. The ring was an empty symbol of something that didn’t exist. And yet…something had changed.
He followed her up two flights of stairs to their hideaway. Naturally the prospect of having sex up there jump-started his libido. Besides, she had a great-looking ass and her jeans fit real nice.
Except he didn’t focus on that. Instead he kept looking at her bare ring finger each time she rested her left hand on the polished wooden bannister.
Once he gave her the sapphire, she might plan to return it, but he had no such plans. She could wear it, sell it or throw it off the cliff they’d ridden out to yesterday. He wasn’t taking it back.
By the time he was halfway up the second flight, he had a view of the third-floor landing and the open bedroom door beyond it. Good. He wouldn’t have to remember which key was which. Down in the lobby, Hayley had been standing in a shaft of sunlight that had made her hair gleam like the gold hood ornament on his father’s Bentley. He’d been mesmerized by that during the instruction about keys.
Through the open bedroom door, he got a glimpse of a four poster and snowy bed linens. Then she reached the landing and blocked the view of the doorway.
Pausing, she turned back to him. He wasn’t sure what to expect until she clutched the front of his shirt, stood on tiptoe and gave him an open-mouthed kiss.
There was nothing tentative about it, either. She went all in. With a groan, he wrapped her in his arms, crushing both coats but keeping a protective grip on his hat. That hot kiss of hers was having a predictable effect on his package.
He started backing them through the open door. Once they cleared it, he nudged it shut and continued the maneuver until she came up against the side of the bed. He tossed the coats aside, not caring where they landed. But he broke the kiss long enough to hang his hat on the bedpost.
She glanced at it and laughed. “I like that.”
“I like this better.” Recapturing her mou
th, he slid his hands under her hips and lifted her until she sat on the bed with her legs dangled off the side. Perfect height for kissing.
Settling his hips between her thighs, he feasted on her mouth while he searched for the hem of her sweater. Then he paused and lifted his head. “I should’ve asked.” He took a quick breath. “Breakfast first, or—”
“You. I want you first.” Reaching down, she took hold of her sweater and whipped it over her head.
“I was hopin’ you’d say that.”
“Priorities.” Gulping for air, she tugged on his shirt and a few snaps came undone. “I want this off, too.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He stepped away from the bed, unsnapped his cuffs and pulled the shirt over his head. When he looked at her, she’d taken off her bra. He let out a breath. “Oh, Hayley…”
She motioned with both hands. “Come back over here.”
Crossing to the bed, he took her by the shoulders and guided her down. “I have an idea.” Bracing himself on his forearms, he tucked his aching package between her thighs as he surveyed the tempting territory beneath him. “I’m goin’ to start with your sweet mouth and work my way down.”
“I have an idea, too.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “Lift up a little. Last night I barely got to touch you.”
“Glad to oblige. Long as I get my turn.” He straightened his arms.
Slowly she explored his chest with her soft hands. She rubbed and stroked and squeezed until his pulse rate hovered in the red zone. Usually he didn’t care whether a woman loved on his pecs, but with Hayley, all bets were off.
“I like doing this.” Her voice was breathy, seductive. “You have such hard muscles, such springy hair.” She raked her nails lightly over his skin. “Yummy.”
He shivered.
“Does that feel good?” She scratched gently, moving her hands in circles, pausing to pinch his nipples.
He swallowed. “Mm.” Her breasts rose and fell rapidly as her breathing picked up. Lowering himself again, he brushed his mouth over hers. “My turn.”
Beneath his kiss, her mouth curved into a smile and she let her arms fall to her sides.
Taking that as permission, he kissed his way down the curve of her throat and slowly made his way to one plump breast. She gasped as he began to lick and nibble.
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