She stopped near the rain barrel. “I have to get my dress.”
He looked at the barrel, wondering if a good dowsing would help him. It wasn’t regret filling his system, but he wasn’t too proud of how he’d lost control.
She flashed a grin and pushed him toward the house. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Understanding her wish to be alone for a moment, since she probably regretted what had just happened, he moved to the back steps. The brightness of the kitchen lamps almost blinded him, but he blinked and strode to the table, where he promptly threw back two glasses of punch.
It was the third glass he actually tasted. Sugary-sweet, it hit the back of throat and all but made him gag. It certainly had been spiked. He set the glass down and paced the floor. What the hell was he going to do now? He’d compromised her. The one thing he’d sworn he would never do.
Chapter Seven
Angel grabbed the sopping dress. The material, heavy with water, resisted her attemps to lift it out of the rain barrel, and still teetering from Rowdy’s glorious caresses, she released it, letting it sink again.. If it was just up to her, she’d leave the dress, but Tanna never would, and Angel wanted the guests gone as soon as possible.
Her gaze went to the house. Through the open doorway, she saw Rowdy standing near the punch bowl. A smile pulled on her lips and unfathomable joy pump through her veins with every beat of her heart.
Someone hollered her name.
She flipped around, instant ire racing up her spine. Why couldn’t they all just leave?
“Where have you been?” Timothy Milner demanded.
Turning back to the rain barrel, Angel snatched the dress out with one swift movement and went to drape it over the porch rail.
“You were with him, weren’t you?”
Her backbone went stiff. “Don’t say another word, Timothy. Trust me, you’ll regret it.”
“I’m the only one who can provide you with the lifestyle you’re used to.” He grabbed her arm. “He’s a drifter, Angel, a nobody.”
Fury fueled her reaction. The smack of her hand hitting his cheek echoed through the night. People rushed toward them from all directions.
Timothy pressed a palm to his cheek. “Half the territory has asked to court you, and you’re gonna settle for him?”
“Settle for him?” She shoved Timothy backward with both hands. “Rowdy McGuire is ten times the man you’ll ever be. He’s not focused on how large my father’s bank account is. He cares about this land. He cares about the cattle.” Irritated to no end, she stepped forward and poked a finger in Timothy’s chest. “He cares about me.”
A great force overtook her, made her turn and look over her shoulder. Rowdy stood in front of the crowd. His silver eyes transfixed her. She couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to. The air sizzled as if a lightning storm brewed around them. Rowdy didn’t move, not even a blink of an eyelid. Neither did she. “And I love him,” she declared.
Rowdy’s expression changed. He didn’t look stunned, but he didn’t look exactly thrilled, either.
The crowd dispersed, whispering as they went. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Angel wrung her trembling fingers together as she stepped forward. “Rowdy—”
He held up a hand, stopping her from moving any closer.
“I—” she started again.
“Go in the house, Angel.” He turned and walked toward the barn.
She wanted to scream, beg him to come back, but a glimmer of sense made her stop. Now she’d done it. Liza had said Rowdy needed some nudging, but Angel had just pushed him over the edge—and watched him tumble into a deep ravine.
She clenched her jaw, forcing the tears behind her eyes to stay where they were, and twirled around. Grabbing the dress from the railing, she climbed the stairs into the house.
After she’d said goodbye to the last guest, she leaned heavily against the door, wishing there was a way to turn back time. Rowdy hadn’t returned to the house, and she didn’t expect him to. The man had pride.
Pushing away from the door, she dowsed the lamps, except for one to light the way as she trudged up the stairs to her solitary room. The wherewithal to straighten the place couldn’t be found and she plopped onto the bed.
She loved Rowdy, of that she had no doubt, and wasn’t ashamed of it, but she’d lived around men her entire life. If there was one thing they didn’t like, it was being embarrassed by a woman. A deep sigh of despair forced its way out of her lungs.
It could have been minutes or hours later when a sense of being watched made Angel turn her head toward the open doorway. Rowdy stood there, arms folded across his chest and leaning a shoulder against the door frame.
Her heart went from hanging in her chest to pounding in her throat.
“We need to talk, Angel girl.”
She leaped to her feet, plucking discarded garments off the floor. A glance over her shoulder found him standing near her dressing table, running a finger over the small container of rouge powder.
His gaze met hers. “Liza and I have never—”
“I know.” That had become the least of her worries even before Liza mentioned it. Angel tossed her armload onto the chair in the corner. “If you’ve come for an apology, you might as well leave right now.”
He frowned. “Apology?”
She let out a long sigh. It was time to lay all her cards on the table. If it was meant to be, it would be. If it wasn’t… She squared her shoulders. “I’ve hunted you. I’ve ignored you. I’ve tried to make you jealous. I’ve all but thrown myself at your feet.” Exasperated, she tossed her arms in the air. “I don’t know what else to do, Rowdy. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you tonight, but I won’t apologize for loving you.”
His silver eyes searched her face, and it happened again, the communication between their bodies. She understood it better now. Knew why her insides grew warm and excited, and her skin tingled. Her body lived for his touch as surely as her heart beat for his love.
“You could never embarrass me.” He gave his head a little shake. “You’re so beautiful, Angel girl. There’s not a man around who isn’t smitten with you.” He stepped closer and ran a knuckle across her cheek. “Are you sure you want the cowpoke under this hat?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“You’re Angel Clayton, you des—”
“I deserve you. The man I love. I’ve watched you for months, and you’re much, much more than a cowpoke. You’re a good, hardworking, honest man. You care, and you respect how treacherous life can be out here. How it all could be gone in a heartbeat.” She reached up and tugged on the brim of his hat. “Under this hat is the most handsome, amazing man I’ve ever met.” The love flowing from her heart made her throat tighten. “A man who doesn’t let anyone rule him, but he’s gentle and kind, and lets a girl have her way once in a while.”
He grinned. “Once in a while?”
She stretched up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. “Yes,” she whispered, “once in a while.”
The kiss was a precious give-and-take that had her toes curling and her heart singing. When she lifted her face, she met his gaze boldly. “I love you, Rowdy McGuire, and I want the world to know it.”
Chapter Eight
Every single reason why he couldn’t marry Angel Clayton was gone. Rowdy couldn’t have remembered one if his life depended on it—which in a way it did. He couldn’t live without her. “I’ve tried,” he admitted, “but I can’t fight it anymore, Angel girl.”
“Fight what?” She cupped his cheek.
He twirled a curl of her hair around his finger. “You. Me. I don’t even remember why I was fighting. It was useless. A minute doesn’t go by without me thinking about you. Without me wanting you.”
An adorable, somewhat smug smile grew on her lips. “You want me?”
“You know I do.”
“I want you, too.” Her fingertips walked down the front of his shirt.
“Haven’t I told
you that I always get what I want?”
He chuckled, and pulled her against him, running his hands along the delicate curve of her lower back. “Yes, more than once.”
She laid her head on his chest. “I’ll go anywhere. I’ll live anywhere you want.”
His chest swelled, yet he questioned her statement. “You’d leave Heaven on Earth?”
“The ranch, yes.” She lifted her head. “Rowdy, heaven on earth isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.”
He knew. It was what he felt for Angel. He’d rather spend one day married to her than a lifetime not, but he felt inclined to explain, “I don’t have much to offer you right now, Angel. Not what you deserve, but—”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “I deserve happiness. You deserve happiness.” Her expression grew unsure. “I found heaven on earth in your arms, Rowdy. But I don’t want it if it’s not what you want, too.”
A gush of emotions washed over him like a spring flood. He gazed directly into those big brown eyes so she wouldn’t have any doubt. “I want it. You’re my heaven on earth, Angel. I love you.” He framed her face with his hands. “I’ve loved you for some time. I was just too stubborn to admit it.”
She giggled. “That, I’ll agree with. The man under this hat is a bit stubborn. But that’s all right. I can be a bit stubborn, too.”
“A bit?”
“That’s what I’ve been told.” She stretched onto her toes once more, bringing her lips close to his. “Kiss me, Rowdy.”
He touched the tip of her nose with his. “You sure are demanding, aren’t you?”
“Yep, and you like it.”
“Yes, I do. I like every little bossy bone in your body.” While desire, and love, threatened to strangle him, he kissed her with all the deep-down emotions erupting in his soul.
Her breasts bore into his chest, igniting months of craving into a burning inferno. Holding her tight and kissing her deeply weren’t enough. Moments before his willpower gave out Rowdy broke the kiss. Chest heaving, he set her a few inches away, so he could say his piece. “Angel Clayton, will you marry me?”
She squealed and jumped, landing in his arms. Her hands wound around his neck while her legs wrapped around his waist. “Yes!” she shouted. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.”
He caught her lips, kissing her thoroughly.
She wiggled in his arms, rubbing her feminine body deeply against him. Planting little kisses on his jaw, she asked, “When?”
The fire in his loins increased tenfold from her enthusiasm. Yet he had other responsibilities to uphold. “I need to ask your father’s permission first.”
She kissed Rowdy’s lips and then leaned back, gazing at him with serious eyes. “You have it. Years ago, when my father married Constance, he asked for my permission. I told him he didn’t need my permission any more than I’d need his when the day came for me to wed. He agreed. He trusts me and my judgments. Besides, he’d never have left you alone with me if you didn’t already have his permission.”
Rowdy grinned. He’d accepted that while pacing the path between the house and bunkhouse for an hour. Ellis Clayton was nobody’s fool. The man knew exactly what he was doing when he took his little trip across the ocean. The knowledge that the rancher thought so highly of him touched Rowdy deeply. Pride that Ellis felt he was good enough for Angel was part of it, but disappointment was there, too. He couldn’t fully show Angel how much he loved her until after her father returned.
She looked at him with a perplexed expression. He kissed her nose. “We’ll get married as soon as your folks get home.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
She was so adorable. After a quick kiss, he set her on her feet. As hard as it was, he let her loose and turned for the door.
She caught his arm. “Where are you going?”
The answer was in the back of his mind, but he had a hard time pulling it forward. “It’s late.”
Flying around to stand between him and the door, she planted her hands on her hips. “I know it’s late, but if you think you’re leaving this room, you better think again.”
He cracked a smile. She did deserve him. Only someone as hardheaded as he was would be able to keep her in line.
She ran a finger down the row of buttons on his shirt. “You just told me you love me, and asked me to marry you.”
He covered her hand with his. “And that’s why I’m leaving.”
Her other hand slipped around his neck and pulled his head down. “Rowdy,” she said huskily. “I always get what I want.” Her lips teased his, never stopping long enough for him to catch them. “And right now, I want you.”
Fire exploded inside him. His lips found hers, and the passion heating his blood drove the kiss to an incredible summit. Her body cried out for his, and denying her got harder every second.
Gasping for air, he lifted his head and realized he’d pressed her against the wall.
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. “Take me to bed, Rowdy.”
He dug deep into his conscience. Slowly, thoughtfully, he lowered his face to hers. This was one battle he’d choose to lose. Just this once.
One kiss led to another, and another, and then Rowdy fully gave in to his decision. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of each other, couldn’t move fast enough. The mess she’d made while dressing for the party was nothing compared to what the two of them created. He wasn’t sure if they were his underdrawers or hers hanging from the curtain rod; all he got was a quick glimpse of white as he and Angel tumbled onto the bed, laughing and kissing, and touching one another.
The taste of her naked skin was intoxicating. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, kissing her shoulder and arm.
Her hand fluttered across his chest. The touch left an intoxicating trail of heat. “I love you, Rowdy, more than you can imagine.”
Her words, earnest and soft, made his heart double in size. “I can imagine, darling, for it’s the same for me.” As his gaze wandered over the beautiful curves of her naked form, every last doubt and insecurity disappeared. She was his Angel, always would be.
Chapter Nine
The room was a blur. All Angel could see was Rowdy’s handsome face and the silver-toned eyes showering her with pure, unabated love. He lifted her arm, kissing it from wrist to shoulder. Her heart sang with joy and her body tingled with excitement.
He nuzzled her neck, and her vision returned slowly. She couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped her lips. Her bloomers hung from the curtain rod. Other articles of clothing, both his and hers, were strewn about. A stampede of steers couldn’t have created more of a mess. Between his shirt and her dress, there were at least a dozen buttons that would need to be replaced.
Their hurried undressing hadn’t provided her the time to appreciate the sight being unveiled, so she did so now. Stretched out next to her, lying on his side, with one of his sleek, lean legs draped across her knees, was the most stunning man alive. The warmth pooling in her core boiled over with anticipation.
She brought her gaze up to meet his. His kiss was deep and long, and left her drowning in the growing, intense desire consuming her. She needed the fulfillment only he could provide. “Rowdy,” she whispered.
Nibbling on her earlobe, a spot she’d never known was so sensitive, he mumbled, “Hmmm?”
She’d waited for this moment for so long, had dreamed about it so often, but a touch of apprehension wouldn’t leave her mind. “I’m not sure what to do.”
He propped himself on an elbow and looked at her tenderly.
“I don’t want to disappoint you,” she admitted.
“Darling, you could never disappoint me.” His fingertip trailed down the side of her face and along her shoulder. “Just be yourself, Angel girl,” he whispered. “And if something frightens you, or makes you uncomfortable, tell me.”
She nodded, still apprehensive. It was odd. She’d never been overly shy in her life, especially not a short time ago, while ripping off his clothes, s
o why now?
Rowdy’s lips caressed the side of her face, and she shut her eyes in pleasure. “Do you trust me, Angel?” he asked against her cheek.
“Of course I do, Rowdy.”
“Then trust me now, darling. Neither of us is going to be disappointed.”
She turned and her lips met his. The enthusiasm and thrill that had enticed her to tear off his clothes returned twofold. She stroked his hot, supple skin as he feasted on her mouth. His tongue parted her lips, and willing, ready, for whatever was to come, she met his kiss wholeheartedly. The intense stimulation she felt left her breathless and energetic at the same time.
Rowdy’s lips slipped from hers, finding her breasts. She hugged his head as he licked and teased. The rapture was indescribable, and she wanted it to go on forever.
Once he started, it seemed Rowdy wouldn’t stop until he’d tasted every inch of her body, and she loved it. His lips teased and his hands fondled everything from her breasts and stomach to the inside of her elbows and the backs of her knees. She moaned and twisted, welcoming every new touch. Whenever his face came close to hers, an overwhelming desire made her devour his lips until she was unable to catch her breath. It was after one of those profound kisses, while she was gasping for air, that his mouth left a teasing trail down her torso and settled between her legs.
Fire shot up her body. “Rowdy!” she gasped.
He lifted her bottom, cupping her hips in his hands. Her last ounce of anxiety dissolved. Wanting to experience every touch, she spread her legs wider. The intense heat of his mouth sent her skyward. The powerful energy building within her had her reeling. Her hips bucked, keeping in rhythm with the storm he created.
She was on the brink of explosion when he rose to position himself over her. Radiant, glowing inside and out with uninhabited enthusiasm, she met his gaze. “Now, Rowdy?” she asked, anxious for more.
“Yes, Angel, now.”
It was as if he’d promised her the world. The smile on her face reached all the way to her toes, and she bit her lip, anticipating the moment.
Her Midnight Cowboy Page 5