A Cowboy's Temptation

“It’s hard to imagine,” said Darby, swirling the tip of her index finger in a figure-eight pattern through the surface of the water.

Seth tried not to let the action turn him on. Trouble was, when she breathed it turned him on.

“Mom,” she continued, “dad, siblings. You probably have a white picket fence and a dog.”

“Lots of white picket fences and quite a few dogs.”

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“About your family. About a typical day with them, or even a typical dinner. What was dinner like?”

“My mom loved to cook,” said Seth, realizing he was content to sit here talking with Darby. They weren’t arguing, and that had to be progress. “She baked amazing pies and cakes and cookies.”

“You’re making me hungry.”

“We had, well, still have, this huge, rectangular table in the dining room. Mom would empty the oven, clear off the stove, then pass all the dishes across the counter to the table. And then, look out.”

“Look out?”

“We were usually all starving from working on the ranch all day long. Food disappeared pretty quickly.”

“What did she cook?”

“Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, beans, ham, apple pie. All the staples. We had a barbecue out back for burgers and hot dogs, but I don’t recall her grilling steaks when Travis and I were teenagers. I think she went for volume. Now we go for flavor.”

“My mom was a fan of the microwave. Preformed, prepackaged, precooked.”

“Are you trying to make me pity you?”

“I am.” She grinned into her wineglass before taking another drink. “Of course, I was well prepared for army food. I couldn’t figure out what all the complaints were about.”

“I’m going to have to bring you home for a proper dinner.”

As soon as the words were out, he realized what he’d said. Was he suggesting he bring Darby home to his family? He couldn’t bring Darby home to his family. Could he?

“You look like you just swallowed a spider,” she observed. “Don’t worry, Seth. I’m not going to hold you to that invitation.”

That wasn’t what he was thinking. Not at all. In fact, he was surprised to realize he did want to bring her home to his family. How had that happened? He’d gone from fighting with her to sleeping with her, and now he wanted to show her off to his sisters and brother?

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Darby broke in, “you should stop.”

“I was thinking I’d like more wine,” he said, draining his glass.

She glanced to the empty bottle. “Wine rack’s in the kitchen.”

“Corkscrew?”

“On the counter.”

“Anybody else home?”

“Just you and me. But there are robes in the white cupboard.”

“As long as it’s just you and me.” He rose out of the water, stepping onto the cedar deck.

While opening the wine, he decided to give his worries a rest. There were a million unsettling things occupying space in his brain, a million reasons to leave right now, a million reasons to stay the hell away from Darby. There was only one reason to climb back into the whirlpool tub.

He wanted to. It was as simple as that. He wanted to be here with her right now, and everything else could damn well wait until tomorrow.

He returned to the deck, topped up her glass, refilled his own and settled back into the water.

“Did you date in the military?” he asked.

There was a lingering suspicion in her green eyes, but she answered him, anyway. “Sometimes, depending on where I was stationed.”

“Anything serious?”

“As it turned out, no.”

He was intrigued. “But you thought it might be serious?”

“More like, he hoped I wouldn’t notice he had a wife back in the States. But his buddies gave him up.” She took a drink. “And he was a nice guy, too. You know, other than the little problem with fidelity.”

“I’m in favor of fidelity,” said Seth.

“Everyone says they’re in favor of fidelity.”

“My mama beat a few principles into me. I’d never cheat. I don’t have a girlfriend now. In case you’re wondering.”

Darby gave a little laugh. “Are you defending not cheating on her?”

“There is no her.” He covered his expression with a sip of his wine. “What about you?”

“Unattached.”

A wave of relief loosened muscles Seth didn’t even know he’d clenched.

“That’s good,” he told her.

“Would you have been disappointed in me if I’d cheated?” she asked in a teasing tone.

He would have been. It was a little frightening to realize how upset he would have been to discover there was another man in her life. He had a sudden, overwhelming urge to hold her in his arms, maybe trap her there, keep her away from anyone else.

He set down his wineglass. “Come here.”

Her green eyes widened.

“Over here.” He crooked his finger.

“You want to flirt some more, don’t you?”

“I sure don’t want to fight.”

She hesitated. “You know what’s going to happen if I come over there.”

He wasn’t about to deny it. “I need to touch you,” he told her gruffly. “I need to hold you.”

He waited, letting her make up her mind.

After a long moment, she squared her shoulders, rising, glass in hand. Droplets of water rolled down her shoulders, across her breasts. Steam clung to her upswept hair, giving her face a dewy glow.

Halfway, she stumbled, and he reached for her, grasping her hand and guiding her into his lap. She felt incredibly good against him, her warm, slippery skin, soft curves, the way her bottom fit across his thighs.

“Exactly how much have you had to drink?” he whispered into her ear.

“A couple of glasses,” she sighed. “A few, I guess.”

“Intoxicated?”

“A little.”

Seth swallowed his disappointment. If her judgment was impaired, there was no way he could make love with her right now. But, unable to resist, he set aside their glasses and captured her moist mouth in a deep, lingering kiss.

He let it go on as long as he dared, but then forced himself to pull back. His point of no return was a hair trigger when it came to Darby. He settled her head against his shoulder, loosening his hold around her.

“Seriously?” she asked him in obvious surprise.

“You’ve been drinking,” he told her.

“And you’re going to be a gentleman about it?”

“I am.”

“Wow.”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” He shifted beneath her, settling them more comfortably, willing his body to back off its arousal. “It makes me worry about what you think of me.”

“I think I don’t know you very well. This old-fashioned sense of chivalry is a surprise.”

“I guess that makes us even. Because you surprise me over and over again.”

* * *

Darby awoke in Seth’s arms. He’d put off making love to her last night, but they’d ended up in her bed, anyway, cuddled together in white Sierra Hotel bathrobes, where she’d fallen asleep feeling warm and protected.

It was still full dark, probably somewhere around three. The wind had come up in the night. The flag was snapping on its pole, while the waves echoed on the lakeshore. Something fell outside, crashing hard on what she guessed was the back patio.

“What’s that?” Seth came awake, stiffening beside her.

“The wind,” she replied, curling against his warm body. It had been close to paradise, merely being held in his arms earlier. And there was no reason for them to stop now.

She liked the sound of the wind. It reminded her that she was at Berlynn Lake instead of in a basement suite in the inner city.

Something clattered across the deck, banging into the kitchen wall.

Seth sat up. “Is someone out there?”

“It’s the wind blowing things around.”

He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “We don’t know that for sure.”

“Listen to the waves.”

He paused to listen.

The waves were clear to hear, but so were other sounds, creaking and scraping, and something made of glass shattered.

“An empty wine bottle,” Darby guessed.

“I’m going to check it out.”

“We’ll get it in the morning.” She didn’t want him to leave right now. She wasn’t sure she ever wanted him to leave.

But he came to his feet. “If somebody’s out there—”

“There’s nobody out there.” Darby came up on the backs of her elbows. “And if there is, you want them to see you? Here? In the middle of the night? Fraternizing with the enemy?”

“Better than having them light your inn on fire.”