Lone Star Reunion

Tessa walked toward him and laid a hand on his arm. “You know why I feel like a fish out of water. But are you okay? You look out of sorts.”

He really had to try to look like he was enjoying this evening, like he was looking forward to meeting his date. He wasn’t, but as a Clayton he had a duty to his community and to the event. He wanted Alex to succeed, he wanted this evening to be a resounding success. He just didn’t want to stand there, wanting one woman while being auctioned off to another...

Damn you, Gran.

Normally Daniel would deflect the question, change the subject, so he was surprised to find himself giving Tessa an honest answer. He sighed heavily, the frown returning to his face. “For one thing, I’d rather not be in the lineup. I’m doing this at my grandmother’s insistence.”

“She seems like a perfectly reasonable woman to me.” Ha! When his grandmother wanted something, she was as subtle as a combine harvester, or as an F5 tornado. “And she loves you like crazy. I’m pretty sure if you’d turned her down, she would’ve got over it pretty quickly.”

She really didn’t know Rose Clayton. His grandmother would make her displeasure known. Quietly but consistently. He shrugged, feeling the need to explain. Damn, Tessa Noble was easy to talk to. Strange that he could talk to her and not want to rip her clothes off, but with Alex, he wanted to do the exact opposite. “I owe my grandmother so much. I don’t know where I would’ve ended up if it wasn’t for her. Makes it hard to say no.”

As difficult and demanding as she could be, Daniel would do whatever he could to make his grandmother happy. She’d taken a lost boy of mixed heritage and made him the man he was today. He owed her, well, a hell of a lot. Everything.

Daniel thought the subject was closed, but then Tessa spoke again. “You said ‘for one thing.’ What’s the other reason you didn’t want to do this?”

Oh damn. The last thing he wanted to do was to get all touchy-feely here. But, God’s honest truth, the thought of making small talk with another woman, listening to her flirt, feigning interest in her life while the woman he really wanted to be with wanted nothing to do with him, made him want to put his fist through a door. Or a wall.

As easy to talk to as Tessa was, there were some things he’d never discuss. With anybody. He’d especially never admit to his ongoing, long-term obsession with the girl next door.

“Okay, bachelors and bachelorette.”

Daniel heard Alex’s command and forced himself to turn around. When he did, he noticed that not only had she entered the room but so had the rest of the bachelors who were up for auction. But his attention was completely captured by Alex. He started at her face, looking for signs of tears, and yep, her eyes were red. But her face was composed, and she had her emotions under control. Daniel released the breath he’d been holding and allowed his eyes to rove. Her hair was pinned up into a sexy knot, and her makeup was expertly yet subtly applied. His eyes widened as he took in the plunging high-slit silver dress she wore like a second skin. It was obvious that she wasn’t wearing a bra and he had to wonder whether she’d forgone panties, as well.

Daniel licked his lips.

She looked magnificent, sexy, ravishing, so damn doable. He wanted to go caveman on her by tossing her over his shoulder and taking her straight to bed. Or following her down to the nearest flat surface. Hell, even a door or a wall—he wasn’t picky.

Dammit. He’d seen lots of beautiful woman before, and had bedded several of them. But Alex was beyond beautiful. She was... God, what was that word? Alluring? Captivating? Entrancing? All three and more?

He wanted her. The thought that he always would terrified him.

“The proceedings will begin in about ten minutes, out in the gardens—which, you have to admit, look amazing. It looks like a real winter wonderland!” Alex said with a wide smile. “So, finish eating, take a quick bathroom break, whatever you need to do so you’ll be ready to go on when your number is called.”

Alex was in tough-girl mode, and damn, that prissy, bossy voice coming from that sexy mouth sent all his blood rushing south. Daniel resisted the impulse to bang his forehead against the nearest wall and settled for biting the inside of his lip until he tasted blood.