Rebecca opened the box and gasped in stunned surprise. “Oh...oh Mommy, look.” She held up a pair of miniature red cowboy boots, the image of horses tooled into the polished leather.
“I didn’t know for sure what size,” Cameron said, looking ill-at-ease. “I told Gus they were for a six-year-old and so he guessed at the size.”
“They fit. I know they do,” Rebecca said as she sat down and tugged off her tennis shoes. As Rebecca pulled on the new boots, a wave of desire struck Alicia. She looked at Cameron, speechless for a moment. With his passion he could seduce her body, but with this sort of kindness, he could own her very soul.
“I told you they fit,” Rebecca exclaimed as she stood. “Now I’m a real real cowgirl.” Without warning she launched herself at Cameron. He caught her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Mr. Lallagher,” Rebecca said as she kissed him soundly on the cheek.
“Tennis shoes aren’t appropriate for Montana,” Cameron said, his gruff tone letting Alicia know he was embarrassed by Rebecca’s effusive show of affection.
“Come on, sweetheart. It’s time to get to the party,” Alicia said.
“I’ll drive you,” Cameron said. Alicia looked at him in surprise. “I figured I might as well go, if for nothing else than to please my sister who doesn’t think I socialize enough.”
Moments later the three of them were in Cameron’s pickup heading into town. Rebecca sat between Cameron and Alicia, alternating her attention from one to the other.
“Jessica said we’ll play games and the grown-ups dance at the party. I like to dance. Sometimes me and Jessica dance at recess. Jessica said I’d get lots of candy tonight at the party,” she said to Cameron. “I could share my candy with you, Mr. Lallagher.”
“That’s very nice of you,” Cameron returned. “Who is this Jessica?”
“Jessica is my bestest friend,” Rebecca replied.
“Jessica Hopkins,” Alicia explained.
Cameron nodded. “That must be Roger Hopkins’s youngest.”
“I’ve spoken to Mrs. Hopkins several times on the phone. She seems quite nice,” Alicia said.
“They’re a good, solid family.”
Rebecca looked at Cameron curiously. “How come you don’t have a family?”
Alicia saw Cameron’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Little Miss Big Nose, you shouldn’t ask personal questions,” she admonished Rebecca gently.
“No, it’s all right,” Cameron replied. “I guess I just got used to being alone.”
Rebecca touched his hand lightly. “You don’t got to be alone anymore. Now me and Mommy will be your pretend family.”
Cameron gave a curt nod. Thankfully at that moment he turned into the parking lot of the community center and Rebecca’s attention shifted to the little ghosts and goblins who approached the building in the company of their parents.
The interior of the community center had been decorated for the holiday. Orange and black crepe paper hung from the ceiling and bales of hay were stacked to provide casual seating. Rebecca immediately spied a group of her friends from school and with a nod from Alicia ran to join them.
“Please don’t feel obligated to stay with me just because we rode together,” Alicia said to Cameron as he guided her toward a row of folding chairs against one wall.
“I never feel obligated to anyone,” he answered as she sat. “Perhaps you’d rather I leave you alone?”
“No, not at all.” She felt a blush warm her cheeks. “I really don’t know anyone else here. I...I would enjoy your company.” Her blush intensified.
He sat next to her and folded his arms across his chest. If body language meant anything, Alicia recognized he was closed off, isolating himself despite the crowd around them.
“That was very kind...buying the boots for Rebecca,” she said.
He shrugged. “She needed a pair of boots if she’s going to muck around in the stables.”
“Don’t worry, Cameron. I won’t tell anyone you did something nice for my daughter,” Alicia said dryly. “I wouldn’t want to mess up your reputation as a tough man.”
Before Cameron had a chance to reply, Millicent Creighton appeared. “Alice...I’m so glad you decided to come to our little gathering.” Clad in a black dress and wearing a traditional witch’s hat, Millicent smiled broadly at Alicia. “Come with me, dear, and let me introduce you to some of Mustang’s finest.”
Alicia looked helplessly at Cameron as Millicent took her hand and pulled her up from her chair.
“Oh, don’t worry about Cameron,” Millicent exclaimed. “He’s used to being alone at these parties.”
For the next hour, Millicent dragged Alicia from group to group, introducing her to all the townspeople Alicia hadn’t yet met.
As Alicia visited with the various people Millicent introduced her to, she was aware of Cameron’s gaze following her, lingering on her.
She remembered the night when he’d come home from the Roundup, those moments when his hand had touched her hair, caressed the side of her face and a renewed burst of heat filled her.
Again she had the feeling that sooner or later an eruption would occur between them, an explosion of physical desire and aching need. Sooner or later she was going to have to decide what she intended to do when the explosion occurred.
Cameron shifted position on the hard chair, wondering what madness had prompted him to come. And yet, deep inside he knew the madness, and it had a name. Alice.
He watched her as she talked with a group of people, noticed several of the single men in the room also watching her with interest. And that’s why he’d come.
He wasn’t sure when it had happened, when he’d begun to think of her as his. Maybe it had begun that day he’d talked to Jesse Wilder and staked his claim. He suspected it had begun even before then, as early as the moment he had first seen her standing on his porch.
He’d had no intention of coming until he’d seen Alicia dressed for the night. Wearing a short, dark blue dress that emphasized the length of her shapely legs and intensified the blue of her eyes, she looked prettier than he’d ever seen her.
There was no way he’d sit at home and let all the other single men of Mustang pursue her. Mustang never had enough eligible women, and he wanted to make certain that the bachelors of the town knew Alice wasn’t available.
Cameron was aware of the dichotomy of his feelings where Alice was concerned. He didn’t want her in his life, but he definitely wanted her in his bed. He didn’t want a commitment for more than a night or two.
He wasn’t fit for any woman for a long-term investment. As long as Alice understood that, there would be no problems and no false hopes, no disappointment and no expectations.
He tensed as he saw Sam Davidson, the bartender from the Roundup move in Alice’s direction. Sam was a good-looking man, a smooth operator who had a weakness for pretty women and an aversion to fidelity.
Cameron stood and stalked toward Alice, intent on impeding whatever carnal thoughts Sam might have about the woman. The band had begun and he had a feeling Sam intended to ask Alice to dance.
Cameron reached her side mere seconds after Sam. “Evening, Sam.” He cupped Alice’s elbow with his hand, a distinctly proprietorial gesture. “I thought maybe you might be ready for some cider,” he said to Alice.
She nodded, her eyes registering surprise. “That sounds wonderful,” she agreed. She smiled at Sam, who had backed away beneath Cameron’s unflinching stare. “Perhaps a later dance,” she said, confirming Cameron’s suspicion that Sam had asked her to dance.
Cameron led her to the table in the corner that held a variety of drinks. He ladled her a cup of the hot spiced cider, then got himself one.
As they sipped the spicy hot drink they stood at the edge of the dance area, watching it fill with couples. “I’m glad we came,” Alice said. She smiled at him, the smile creating a familiar heat inside Cameron. “Everyone has been so nice and I’m having a wonderful time.
”
It showed. Her eyes sparkled and an attractive flush colored her cheeks. The heat inside Cameron intensified as he imagined the way her eyes would glow as he made love to her. He took another drink of the cider, telling himself it was the drink that heated his insides and had nothing to do with the woman standing next to him.
He followed her gaze as it swept around the room, apparently seeking her daughter. Rebecca stood on the opposite side of the room with a bunch of her friends, giggling as they watched the grown-ups dancing. His heart softened as Rebecca’s gaze connected with his and she gave him a wide smile and waved a hand.
He returned the wave, felt a blush warm his face as Alice caught his gesture. She frowned thoughtfully. “I’m a little worried about how close Rebecca is getting to you.”
He looked at her in surprise. “Why?”
She shrugged and looked into her half-empty cup. “She’s had so many losses recently. I don’t want her to come to depend on you being a part of her life and later be hurt.”
“Hurt is a part of life. It’s what makes you strong,” he countered.
Her gaze held his for a long moment. “I disagree,” she replied softly. “Hurt makes you scared, makes you reluctant to put your heart on the line again.”
Cameron didn’t like the turn of topic. It hit too close to home and he refused to believe himself scared of anything or anyone. Besides, she was wrong. Hurt didn’t make you scared, it made you smart.
“Cameron...Ms. Burwell.” Jesse Wilder approached them. Clad in his sheriff’s uniform he looked ready to arrest the first partier who got out of line. “Nice to see you both here,” he said.
“You on duty?” Cameron asked.
Jesse grinned, unpinned his badge and tucked it into his pocket. “Officially I got off duty ten minutes ago. Thought I’d stop by and join in the fun.” He smiled at Alice. “How about giving the local sheriff a twirl around the dance floor?”
For a moment Cameron thought she would decline, then she threw her empty cup in a nearby trash container and nodded her assent to Jesse.
Cameron watched darkly as the two moved to the dance floor. Once again he sought his chair and sank down, his gaze following the movement of Alice’s hips as she danced to the beat of the music.
For the next hour he watched as Alice danced with first one, then another of the men of Mustang. Her graceful movements and seemingly natural rhythm made her a joy to watch, although Cameron suspected he would have found her easy on the eyes even if she’d been clumsy and suffered a lack of rhythm.
Still, watching her was torture, sweet torture. The sway of her hips hypnotized him and the length of her legs taunted him. He wanted everything from her...and nothing. She angered him by stirring forgotten emotions, awakening suppressed desire.
When she finally rejoined him, she sank into the chair next to him with an exhausted sigh. “Whew. I can’t remember when I’ve danced so much.” She raised her hair from her neck, exposing damp tendrils that clung to her skin.
Cameron frowned irritably. At that moment Rebecca ran over to where they sat. “Mommy, Jessica asked me to spend the night with her, and her mommy said it would be okay. Please, please? I got my fingers crossed that you’ll say yes.” She paused to draw a deep breath.
“Oh, honey. I don’t think...” Alice began, then paused as Jessica’s mother, Marianne Hopkins and Jessica approached them.
“We’d love to have Rebecca spend the night,” Marianne said. “I promise we’d have her back home first thing in the morning.”
“Please, Mrs. Burwell.” Jessica pleaded.
“Please, Mommy,” Rebecca added. “I got my fingers double, double crossed!”
Alice laughed and held out her hands in defeat. “How can I say no to double, double crossed?”
Rebecca and Jessica whooped and hollered their excitement as Alice and Marianne made the final arrangements.
As Marianne and the two girls went back across the room where her husband awaited them, Alice turned and stared at Cameron.
He knew the moment she realized what he had already discerned...that this night would be the first night they were in the house together...alone.
Chapter 7
They rode home in silence. The clouds had blown away, leaving a perfect half-moon to shine down to earth. Although Alicia’s gaze was directed out the window, she was intensely aware of Cameron. His scent drifted around her, his vibrating energy filled the cab of the pickup.
Without Rebecca to serve as a buffer between them, Alicia’s senses seemed heightened where Cameron was concerned. She’d felt his gaze on her all night long. Dark and brooding, so intense she felt as if he were able to peer beneath her clothing, peek beneath her flesh to the heart and soul within.
And if he saw her heart, then he knew her desire. She could no longer fool herself. She wanted Cameron Gallagher. She wanted his arms around her, his warm skin against her own. She wanted his lips on hers as he moved intimately against her, inside her.
She shifted uncomfortably, changing positions as if to do so would change her thoughts.
“Tired?” His deep voice broke the silence as he pulled up before the ranch.
She started to say yes, but knew it would be a lie. “Not really. To tell the truth, I’m kind of wired.” Wired wasn’t the word. She was tense, nervous and expectant.
“Yeah, me too,” he said as they got out of the truck.
Again silence prevailed as they walked from the truck to the house. She knew she should go directly to her room, close the door and get a good night’s sleep. And yet she didn’t want to go to her room. “You want me to make some coffee?” she asked.
“No.” He stood before her, his eyes glowing with an almost predatory light that stole her breath. He moved closer to her, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. “Coffee isn’t what I want.”
Her own breath ached in her chest, momentarily trapped there by the hunger that sparked in his eyes. “What do you want?” The words tumbled softly from her lips.
“You.”
The single word, combined with the heat of his gaze shot shivers up her spine. A little voice warned her not to be a fool, that a night with Cameron would only be just that...a single night. And yet isn’t that what makes it so perfect, a louder inner voice exclaimed. After all, she couldn’t offer him a future even if he wanted one.
Just one night. A night to remember. A night of being nothing more than a woman to this man.
He seemed to sense her silent acquiescence. His arms wound around her as he lowered his head to claim her lips with his own.
Fire leapt in her veins as his mouth moved ravenously against hers. His kiss stole her capacity to think, transported her to a place where only physical sensation was possible.
She felt his kiss throughout her body, the heat suffusing her from head to toe. She tasted the subtle flavors of apples and cinnamon, but didn’t know if it was from the spiced apple cider she had drank or the cup he’d enjoyed. In any case, it didn’t matter.
As the kiss deepened and his tongue swirled around hers, she lost all thought of the dance they had attended. The four walls of the living room faded into nothingness. There was only this moment and this man.
His hands splayed across her back and caressed up across her shoulder blades, then down to her lower back. Electricity followed in their wake, heating the skin beneath her dress with evocative warmth.
His lips left hers and traveled toward her ear. “I want you to be sure,” he whispered.
“I am,” she whispered, then shivered again as he nuzzled her earlobe.
His hands slid down to cup her buttocks and she gasped as he pulled her into him, against his hardness. His obvious desire for her heightened her passion.
Robert had never looked at her with greedy eyes, he’d never kissed her as if he were starving and she was the last morsel of food left on earth. But Cameron... sweet Cameron made her want ache deep inside her. He made her want to be everything to
him.
His lips found hers again, burning with intensity, drawing breath from her and giving it back. As they kissed, his hands once again clutched her buttocks and his fingers moved, working her dress up around her hips. He moaned as the fabric gave way and he touched the slick silk of her panty hose.
Alicia moved her hands across the width of his back, felt the play of his muscles as they bunched beneath her touch. Strong...so very strong. In his embrace she felt safe, as if nothing could ever harm her again. She reveled in the feeling, wanted to lose herself completely in him.
“I want you in my bed.” Without waiting for her reply, he swept her up into his arms as if she weighed no more than Rebecca.
As he carried her up the stairs, she thought of his room, his bed, how many times over the past few weeks she’d neatly arranged his sheets and blankets, and imagined herself tangled with him in them.
She buried her face in the hollow of his neck, breathing in the scent of him, the tantalizing mixture of earthy cologne, the late autumn wind and utter maleness. She spied a pulse beating at the base of his throat and pressed her lips against it.
He gasped and nearly stumbled. His arms tightened around her. “Damn, woman. You have no idea what you do to me,” he growled.
“Show me,” she said, surprising herself with her own brazenness.
He paused midstep and looked down at her, his eyes twin infernos. “Let me get you upstairs and I’ll show you...unless you prefer to finish this right here on the stairs?” One of his dark eyebrows quirked upward, making him look both teasing and sexy at the same time. “So what will it be? My bed or the stairs?”
“Your bed,” she replied. “And hurry.”
Her heart pounded with wild anticipation as he took the last of the stairs two at a time. She felt as if every moment of every day since she’d met him had simply been foreplay in preparation of this night. At the top of the stairs he flipped on the hall light.
She didn’t think it possible, but the beating of her heart increased when he entered his bedroom. Her throat felt dry and scratchy and she knew it was the first stir of nervousness.
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