The Cowgirl's Secret (The Diamondback Ranch Series #)

by Novark, Anne Marie

  Joe lowered his glass and his expression sobered. "Look, man. It's been six months since you came back home to look after your mom. And she's finally in remission, thank God. Last night, you took her out to celebrate with an expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant, which must have set you back a pretty penny. But no worries. You can certainly afford it."

  "You got a point somewhere in there, Salinas?" Sam ignored the dig about the money. Yes, he was well off, set for life actually. He'd been extremely fortunate to make the big bucks while working in New York, and he'd saved quite a bit.

  But money wasn't everything.

  "What I'm trying to get at is this," Joe continued. "Tonight, when I picked you up, I distinctly heard your mom tell you to go have a nice time. You deserve a nice time, dude."

  Sam shrugged. "Maybe."

  "There's no maybe about it." Joe punched his shoulder. "Your mom's lucky to have a son like you. You quit your high-profile job in New York to come back to Dallas to be with her. But now my friend, it's time for you to have a little fun. Go ask that blonde chick to dance."

  Sam stared at the young woman on the dance floor. She moved to the music with a grace that had his body standing at alert. It had been a long time since he'd held a woman in his arms. In bed or on the dance floor. That had to be the reason he was having such a strong reaction to her. He picked up his drink and narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I don't see you asking anyone to dance."

  "I'm waiting for you to find a partner, pal. Then I'm going back after your lady's chatty friend."

  "She's not my lady."

  "Yeah, yeah. Sell it some place else. I've seen you. She's the only one who's caught your attention. She's the only one you want." Joe jerked Sam to his feet and shoved him in the direction of the dance floor. "Go!"

  "I'm going. Don't rush me." Sam stretched and rotated his neck, then resolutely marched over to the blonde and the cowboy, tapped the man on the shoulder and neatly cut in.

  ***

  Tori McCade couldn't believe it when the hot guy who had been eyeing her all evening came striding across the room and cut in to dance with her as though it was his God-given right.

  He hadn't given her a chance to say yes or no. He just cut in, cool as you please, whisked her away from her partner and twirled her around the crowded dance floor, guiding her right and left, deftly maneuvering them through the other dancers.

  He held her in a steely grip, and she could feel the iron-hard muscles through the crisp blue material of his button-down shirt. The pocket sported an embroidered SG monogram, and his jeans displayed his powerful thighs to advantage. The man smelled heavenly. She couldn't help taking another deep breath to inhale more of his intoxicating scent.

  When Tori exhaled, she looked up and encountered the darkest brown eyes she'd ever seen in her life. And they were lasered in on her with such intensity, she felt her cheeks heat up. She couldn't look away, but just gazed helplessly up at the handsome face.

  They stared at each other in silence as they danced, Sam's eyes delving down to her very soul. A strong sensual hunger coiled low in her stomach. Her mouth felt dry and her hands damp. This was ridiculous. She had to do something, say something.

  "So . . . what's the SG stand for?" she blurted out before she could help it. Oh crap! Why in the world had she said something so stupid?

  The man smiled, and his white teeth gleamed in his dark sculpted face. Tori's breath shuddered in her lungs. Oh my God. The man was lethal for sure.

  He dipped his head slightly, as if tipping a Stetson. "Sam Garza, at your service."

  "Don't I wish?" Tori's eyes widened when the question popped out of her mouth. "Oh damn. Did I actually say that? Forget it. All the margaritas tonight must be making me loopy." Or maybe it was the man who had her blubbering like an idiot.

  But damn, it was her birthday. Her twenty-first birthday. Hadn't she just blown out the candles on her cake a little while ago? Hadn't she made the wildest spur-of-the-moment wish of her life? And what do you know? Part of it had come true. Would the other part come true as well? She could only wait and see.

  The man's low chuckle rumbled deep in his powerfully broad chest. He pulled her closer until her body was plastered against his. "Oh, babe," he said in a low gravelly voice. "You have no idea how much I wish."

  Dear God in heaven. If he was feeling anything close to what she was feeling, then she had a very good idea. Her stomach somersaulted, and her lower body hummed.

  From the moment she'd spotted him across the room, she'd been hyper-aware of the man. Tori had tried not to gawk, and she'd valiantly attempted to ignore his blatant stares. But she'd felt like the proverbial moth drawn to a flame. Time and again, her attention had returned to the man sitting at the bar.

  On her way to the restrooms, she hadn't been able to resist walking past him for a closer look. When he'd lifted his glass to her on the way back to her table, she'd nearly melted in a puddle. He was sexy as sin in a dark exotic way. And he was older, more mature than the guys she usually hung around with.

  The song ended and the band took a break, but instead of leading Tori off the dance floor, he just stood there, still holding her in his arms, staring down at her with a bemused expression on his face.

  "And your name is?" he asked, studying her features closely.

  Tori swallowed a lump in her throat and quickly licked her dry lips. She wiggled out of his exhilarating embrace and stuck out her hand, trying to diffuse the hormone-laden situation, trying for a lighter touch. "Victoria McCade. Tori for short. Nice to meet you, Sam Garza."

  "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss on the underside of her delicate wrist. His lips were warm and damp on her sensitive flesh as he dragged them slowly across her skin.

  Tori's breath hissed in a quick inhale, and she jerked her hand away. The intimate gesture caught her by surprise. "Thank you for the dance," she said, rubbing her wrist with her thumb. "I really need to get back to my table." She turned on her heel to make her getaway.

  "Wait!" He clamped his hand around her arm, halting her abrupt departure. "What's the rush? Let me buy you a drink. It's your birthday, right?"

  "Well . . ." Tori looked toward the table in the corner where her friends waited. They were all staring and grinning and giving her the thumbs up.

  She groaned and Sam laughed. The sound reverberated inside and all around her. "See? Even your friends approve." He moved his large hand to the small of her back. "One drink, Miss Victoria. After that, I'll let you get back to your party."

  "Sure. Okay." She narrowed her eyes at her friends, then allowed him to guide her toward the bar. The touch of his fingers burned through the filmy material of her dress. "But please call me Tori. No one calls me Victoria." Well, her mother did on occasion when she said or did something stupid or out of line.

  And Tori had the feeling she was doing something stupid right now by letting this particular man buy her a birthday drink. He had to be close to thirty years old. She'd never been involved with an older man. Never been this instantly attracted to a man before. The feelings swirling around inside her were exhilarating, almost frightening in their intensity.

  "Okay, Tori," Sam said, gently urging her forward through the crowd. "So, what'll it be? Let's make it something special for the birthday girl."

  Tori stopped dead in her tracks, and Sam bumped into her. His hand slid down the curve of her butt and stayed there. Hot. Intimate. Oh my God. They were making their way through a sea of humanity, yet her whole being focused on the man standing directly behind her, wreaking havoc on her hormones. Her nipples tightened against the soft fabric of her dress.

  She swallowed hard and glanced over her shoulder. "Listen, Sam. I've already had too much to drink tonight; I don't need another one. I really should think about going home. It's getting late, and I have class tomorrow."

  "One drink, babe. I don't think I can let you go just yet. One drink, okay?" Sam sp
un her round, put both hands on her hips and literally picked her up. She automatically grabbed his shoulders to steady herself.

  "Hey, what are you doing?" She stared down at him, relishing the feel of his strong hands on her body and the sensation of her feet dangling in the air. Oh yeah. She'd definitely had too much to drink.

  "I'm going to get us through this crowd so we can sit at a table and talk." Sam turned and set her down behind him; the jostle of the crowd pushed them closer, and Tori blinked at the intimate contact.

  Sam held her against him for a moment before grabbing her hand and turning abruptly away. He pushed through the mob, and Tori had all she could do to keep up. He didn't stop until he found a table near the bar.

  "Here we go," he said, holding a chair out for her.

  "Thanks." Tori sat down. The man had a way about him that was impressing the hell out of her. Gentlemanly with the chair bit; dangerously hot and sexy with the whole picking her up on the dance floor routine. She still felt the imprint of his big hands on her hips and butt. The imprint of his very aroused body when she'd been shoved against him would be forever etched in her memory.

  "How about a coffee?" he asked, taking the seat opposite.

  "Coffee sounds good." Maybe the caffeine would sober her up a little. Obviously, she'd indulged in a little too much birthday celebration.

  "Coffee it is." He signaled a waiter and gave the order.

  Now that they were seated and away from the crowd, Tori decided to relax and enjoy this little birthday-wish interlude. It seemed surreal somehow, like a fantasy. Like Sam was a dark knight or something. She shook her head. She'd had too many margaritas all right. Where was that coffee? It couldn't get here soon enough, as far as she was concerned.

  Sam leaned forward. "Do you come here often?"

  Tori settled into her chair. "Yes. The Silver Spur is a regular UTD haunt. That's where I go to school. But I haven't seen you here before."

  Sam's brown eyes crinkled in amusement. "Is that a polite way of saying I'm older than the usual crowd?"

  "No, of course not." Feeling flustered, Tori resisted the urge to press her fingers to her warm cheeks. "I didn't mean that at all."

  "Good, I'm glad." Sam reached over and gently flicked her nose with a finger. Tori felt something perilously close to an electric shock from the brief contact. Damn! She had thought that only happened in the romance novels she loved to read. Had Sam felt the jolt, too?

  He pulled his hand slowly away and cleared his throat. "I used to come here all the time. I went to UTD myself. Of course, that was way back in the day." He grinned and Tori's stomach actually dipped.

  She took a deep breath to steady herself and leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her folded hands. She wanted to enjoy the intoxicating rush this man's mere presence engendered inside of her. "Really? That long ago, huh?"

  "Ouch." He made a face. "So, what's your major?"

  "Veterinary Medicine. Or it will be. I'm taking the prerequisite courses right now, and then I'll apply to A&M next year. I've wanted to be a vet since I was a little girl. I have one more year at UTD, then four years of vet school."

  Sam whistled under his breath. "Sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

  "I do, but it'll be worth it. I can't imagine being anything other than a vet. I enjoy working with animals. I volunteer at one of the animal shelters here in Dallas on weekends." She leaned back in her chair while the waiter set down two steaming mugs of coffee on the table. She added cream, four packets of sugar and stirred.

  Sam smiled. "Hey, you want a little coffee with your sugar?"

  Tori scrunched her nose at him. "It's what makes me so sweet. Shhh . . . it's a secret."

  "Your secret's safe with me." He picked up his mug and took a drink, watching her over the rim. "You're adorable, you know that?"

  Tori managed a shrug. Those brown eyes were doing a number on her, and she was trying like hell not to let it show. "Just what every woman wants to hear--that she's adorable."

  "You're cute, too."

  "Oh gee, thanks. That's so much better." She finished stirring her coffee, trying to still the flutters in her stomach.

  "And sexy as hell." His voice was low, intimate; his gaze hot, searing.

  Tori's spoon clattered to the table; she snatched it up and carefully laid it aside. Dear God. The man was moving fast.

  She knew she was blushing, and she felt all trembly inside. "That's more like it," she said, forcing herself to give as good as she got.

  He raised his mug in a silent toast and smiled. "I call 'em as I see 'em, babe."

  Tori sipped her coffee. It was good and hot, except it wasn't the coffee making her feel warm. It was the way Sam Garza looked at her and called her babe and sexy. His deep voice slid over her, making her want things she'd denied herself for so long. Well, not exactly denied; she just hadn't made time for much of a social life since she'd started college. Keeping a high enough GPA for vet school kept her super busy.

  Her friend Raenell walked up to the table. "Hey Tori. Just so you'll know, we'll be leaving in ten minutes. I'll gather your gifts and put them in the car." Her friend made no move to leave, but lingered, looking from Tori to Sam, then back again.

  Tori made the introductions, then scooted back her chair and stood. "I'll help you with the gifts."

  "Wait." Sam rose to his feet and towered above them. The man was tall, dark and dangerous. "You can't leave yet."

  Raenell looked like she was going to burst from excitement. "All righty then," she said. "I'll go wait for you by the table. Take your time; no hurry." She quickly turned away and headed across the room.

  "I really do need to get going." Tori took a deep breath and stuck out her hand. "Well, Sam Garza. It's been fun, but I'm going to call it a night. Thanks for the dance and the coffee."

  Sam took Tori's hand and held it in his strong clasp. "Why don't you let me take you home? You're in no condition to drive."

  Tori shook her head. "I'm not driving this time. Raenell's the designated driver." She tried to pull her hand from his, but he didn't let go.

  "I'd like to see you again." His deep voice oozed over her, spreading heat through her veins, making her insides go all bubbly.

  "I don't know about that." Should she go out with him or not? She felt like she was standing on the brink of a momentous decision that would affect her life forever. Don't be such a drama queen, Tori. Sheesh, she really needed to go home and sleep off those margaritas. "I don't have much free time. I'm pretty busy with my class load and the animal shelter and . . . stuff."

  "You have to eat, don't you? Let me buy you dinner one evening." He smiled and squeezed her hand tighter. "We'll go some place not quite so loud and crowded. We'll have a nice quiet dinner. I'd like to get to know you better." His brown eyes darkened as they raked over her from top to bottom before landing on her face again. His voice dropped an octave. "Say yes, babe. Just say yes."

  The butterflies in her stomach twirled in loop de loops. Her heart beat a rapid staccato in her chest. How could she resist that sexy smile? It was only dinner, for crying out loud. What could it hurt?

  She squeezed his hand back and smiled. "Dinner sounds great. How about Saturday? Seven-thirty? I'll give you my number."

  "Excellent." Sam fished his cell phone from his pocket and keyed in the number Tori recited. "Okay, got it." He pressed a few more buttons.

  Immediately, her phone jingled in her own pocket. She grabbed it and read the text message: Happy Birthday, babe. Her eyes shot to Sam, who stood staring at her with a heat so latent, so feral, her stomach dropped to her toes.

  He stepped closer, into her personal space. "I want to see the message."

  Tori's breath rasped in her lungs. Dear God, the man was potent. "Why?"

  "To verify that you gave me the correct number."

  Tori swallowed the big lump in her dry throat. "Of course, I gave you the right number. Why wouldn't I?"

  He leaned i
n and the heat of his body nearly singed her. "Show me."

  "Okay. Okay. See?" With a slightly trembling hand, she held her phone up so he could read the text he'd sent her. "There, are you satisfied?"

  "Far from it." He captured her wrist and tugged her even closer, effectively trapping her where she stood, plastered to him like when they'd danced. He glanced at the phone's screen, then at her. "Just had to make sure, babe. I wouldn't want you walking out that door and out of my life with no way to contact you. I want to see you again . . . soon."

  Tori inhaled a shaky breath, then let it out. "I want to see you again, too." The man was more than potent; he was dangerously intense and attractive. She tried to pull her hand free, but Sam kept hold for a moment longer before finally releasing her.

  She stepped back, needing to put some distance between them. She was having a hard time thinking straight when everything about Sam beckoned to her deep down inside. "'Bye, Sam. Call me to finalize the time and place. You have my number. My correct number."

  "Tori . . ."

  "I really have to go." She walked away, wondering why it was such a difficult thing to do, knowing without looking back that Sam's chocolate brown eyes were watching her every step of the way across the dance club. Knowing she was in deep trouble. Very deep trouble.

  ***

  "That man is dangerously hot," Raenell said to Tori, as she drove everyone back to their apartments in Richardson. "You have to see him again. If you don't, you're insane. Those were some serious sparks flashing between you two back there."

  All the girls in the back seat agreed.

  "He wants me to have dinner with him," Tori said, still feeling the aftershock from her encounter with the man. "I gave him my number."

  The inside of the car erupted with shrieks and squeals.

  "All right, Tori!"

  "Way to go!"

  "He asked you out for dinner? WooHoo!"

  "Yeah. Thanks for the support, y'all." The man hadn't asked; more like demanded. That was okay. Tori had four older brothers who were used to getting their way. She could handle Sam . . . she hoped.