A Very Tempting Texan (Texas Cattleman’s Club: The Missing Mogul) (5 page)

Someone had turned down the lights, and now the only illumination emanated from banks of candles in tiered holders that were decorated with spring flowers. A wave of melancholy washed over her. She nestled close to him, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her breast. “You said we had things to discuss.” She didn’t really want to spoil the mood, but if he was planning to pressure her about selling, she’d rather know sooner than later. The disappointment might shore up her pride and keep her from tumbling into his bed.

Rory slid a hand down her back, his fingers warm against her bare skin. His body tensed, whether from the topic or from arousal, she didn’t know. Clearing his throat, he waited until the next song began. She steeled herself to be strong. She had too much pride to be his on-again, off-again girlfriend or to sell the Morrison birthright for a moment’s pleasure.. No matter what he was about to suggest, she had to be strong and say no.

Though she hadn’t really noticed, he had been steering them toward the outer edge of the dance floor. The shadows were darker here. Rory pulled back, his hands moving to her upper arms to put a bit of distance between them. “I’ve mucked up things. I know that. And you don’t trust me. But this one thing is true. I’ve fallen in love with you, Shannon.”

Three

H
e could feel the shock that ricocheted
through her slender frame. Her lips parted and her eyes widened. Was she really
so surprised? Surely she didn’t think he roamed around the state having insanely
wild sex with hordes of women. Shannon was one of a kind.

Her silence began to bother him. “Any kind of response would be
appreciated,” he said drily.

She licked her lips. “We’ve haven’t known each other very
long.”

“Not true.” He’d been expecting this argument, and he was
prepared. “I realize that my visits to Royal have been sporadic, but when we’ve
been together, especially the last time, it’s been intense. We’ve had months to
test the truth of what’s happening between us. I have no doubts about how I
feel.”

“Have you ever been in love before?’

Now that was one he
hadn’t
expected. “No. Never. Which is why I recognize it now.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist, her blond hair glowing
in the candlelight. “Can we please get out of here?”

He had a nasty feeling he was about to get shot down. Shannon
was no dummy. She knew his life was not in Royal. If elected, he’d be spending a
lot of time in Austin, despite establishing a legal residence in Royal. It never
would be, at least not as long as he was active in Texas politics. Yet he had
fallen for a woman who was so grounded in this town that they’d broken with
tradition and made her a member of the TCC. “You don’t want to dance
anymore?”

“No.”

Suddenly they were interrupted by a loud booming voice. The
enormous older man bearing down on them was Jerome, one of his campaign backers
who had met with Rory only hours before.

He slung a beefy arm around Rory’s shoulders. “Well, boy...is
this the little filly who’s going to put the final stamp on your campaign?
Nothing makes a candidate more believable than an adoring wife at his side.”

Rory saw the color drain from Shannon’s face. “Wife?” She
sounded sick.

Jerome gave her a sly grin. “Rory told us he was thinking about
getting hitched. Now that I realize he’s got his eye on you, Shannon, it makes
perfect sense. The Morrison lineage is impeccable in Texas ranching. And I think
your dad even had a great-uncle who was a state representative way back when.
It’s a match made in heaven.”

Rory felt a lick of desperation. “I appreciate your support,
Jerome. But you’ll understand if Shannon and I want to spend some time
alone.”

“Of course, of course.” Jerome patted Shannon’s shoulder.
“You’re a good gal. I’m glad we let you into the membership.” He shook Rory’s
hand and waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

In the dead void of silence after Jerome departed, Rory found
it hard to swallow the lump of dread in his throat.

Shannon backed away from him, her face paper white even in the
dim lighting. “I’m going home,” she said.

He reached for her but let his hand drop when she flinched.
“Not yet. Not like this. At least hear me out. Please.” He squeezed the last
word from a tight throat.

Silence expanded exponentially. Finally, she spoke, the words
barely a whisper. “Half an hour.” Her face was expressionless.

Neither of them spoke as they slipped out a side door and
headed down the street. Shannon seemed as distant as the moon. Now that it was
dark, the breeze was chilly. When she drew a thin shawl around her shoulders, he
stopped, took off his tux jacket and wrapped it around her.

“Thank you.” The words were barely audible.

Not touching her was no longer an option. He was making himself
nuts wondering what ideas were swirling in that beautiful head. Going with his
instincts, he pulled her into his left arm and tucked her against his side.
Again, he experienced it...an inexplicable mélange of sexual need and bone-deep
contentment.

He didn’t know if Shannon was too upset to shove him away, or
simply too dispirited. Even worse, perhaps she merely tolerated his touch
because it was easier than fighting him.

The hotel lobby was deserted. It was early in the year for
tourists, and any business types in town had probably been invited to the club
for the evening. He and Shannon entered the elevator and rode up to the third
floor. She stood silently as he inserted his key card and stepped back to let
her precede him.

He had booked a suite, hoping that the two of them would have
plenty of time to spend here. She looked around, her gaze noncommittal. “This is
nice.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He loosened his tie and poured himself
a drink from the crystal decanter. Tonight was the first time he had ever said
the L word to a woman, and so far, it wasn’t going well.

Shannon positioned his tux jacket carefully on the back of a
chair. She ran both hands through her hair, ruffling the short, golden strands.
Standing in the middle of the room, she grimaced. “I’d kill for a beer.”

“What’s making you so nervous?”

“I never said I was nervous.” The reply was quick but proved
his point. Her voice quavered, and her throat flushed with hot color.

“If you plan to say
no
, just come
out with it.”

“No.” Her reply was instant.

He reeled inwardly, shocked by the certainty in her voice.
“That’s it then? Just no? Surely you didn’t let Jerome upset you.”

She frowned. “Jerome only confirmed what I suspected. Did I
ever tell you I was engaged once upon a time?”

Something dark raked his chest. “No, you did not.” The thought
of Shannon with another man was more than he could deal with at the moment.
“What happened?”

“I found out, thankfully before it was too late, that he was
more interested in acquiring a share of my dad’s ranch as a wedding gift than he
was in actually being married to me.”

“You know I’m not after your money.”

Her smile held little humor. “I’m land-rich at the moment. But
yeah, I’m pretty clear as to why you’re interested in me. I’m convenient.
Adoring political wife and Royal ranch all in one package. I fit your
requirements.”

“That’s unfair to both of us. I love you, Shannon.”

“And yet somehow, the
good
ol’
boys’
club
knew about your plans to propose before I
did.”

“That’s not how it happened. We were discussing general
logistics about the campaign and I mentioned that I might be getting
engaged.”

“Because you knew I wouldn’t say no. That I was infatuated with
you and that I drop everything whenever you come to town. Lord, I’ve been a
gullible fool.”

His hands fisted at his sides as he counted to ten. “You’re
putting words in my mouth. I never made any assumptions at all. I was hoping you
wanted me as much as I wanted you.”

“For sex.” She glared at him.

“Among other things. You can’t deny that we’re combustible
between the sheets.”

“I won’t deny it. But there’s more to marriage than sex. I want
a man who puts me at the top of the list. A man who would walk on water for me.
A man who would give up everything in the world to make me happy.”

“How do you know I can’t make you happy?”

“What makes you think you can?”

Her eyes were dark pools of misery. She wasn’t angry or
yelling. If anything, she seemed resigned.

He shrugged, gambling his entire future on one roll of the
dice. “I’ll give up the campaign,” he said. “If that’s what it takes to make you
believe I love you.” His stomach clenched with disappointment and regret, but
the fleeting emotions were nothing compared to the thought of losing her.

She sank into a chair, her eyes huge. “Don’t be
ridiculous.”

“I’m deadly serious. I need you, Shannon. Not to be a political
spouse, but to be the other half of my heart. I’ve never had much of a family.
But I’d like to build one with you. We can do that on the Bar None. Politics
doesn’t interest me at all if it means losing you.”

He took her wrist and reeled her in. “I’m sorry Jerome spoiled
our moment.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small velvet box and
flipped the lid. “I love you. That’s the simple truth. Nothing else
matters.”

Taking her hand in his, he slipped the platinum band with the
huge flawless stone onto the third finger of her left hand.

Kissing her fingers one by one, he let her feel his need,
silently begging her to understand all the things he was unable to
articulate.

The seconds that elapsed as she ran her thumb around the ring,
staring silently at it, might as well have been an eternity. When she finally
lifted her head and smiled mistily, he was light-headed with relief. He didn’t
know if the battle was won, but at least she hadn’t tossed his offering across
the room.

Shannon stared at him, her eyes damp with tears. “Kiss me,
Rory.”

Slowly, he lowered his head. Her lashes fluttered and settled
at half-mast, shielding her emotions. When their lips touched, they both
groaned. His erection swelled instantaneously, painfully so. Shannon strained on
her tiptoes, her hands clenching his shoulders as they kissed with all the
desperation of lovers on the Titanic.

“I’d like an answer,” he said gruffly.

He could feel every curve of her body beneath the thin fabric
of her dress. Recklessly, he picked her up and strode toward the bed. To hell
with talking. Sometimes actions spoke louder than words.

Shannon smiled up at him, utterly feminine, deliciously warm
and appealing. “I never knew I could feel this way about anyone. I do love you,
Rory.”

The relief he felt was astounding.

When he sat her carefully on the edge of the bed, she scrambled
to her knees facing him. With grace and a naughty grin, she reached for the hem
of her dress and peeled it over her head. “You’re wasting time.”

He shook his head, bemused by the passion he felt for this
woman, this enchanting woman. Underneath her party dress she wore a pair of very
tiny black bikini panties. The matching lace bra barely contained her lush, full
breasts. “A thousand pardons, my sweet. Allow me to catch up.” He shed his
clothes with less than his usual coordination. When he made it down to the last
item, dark knit boxers, Shannon crooked a finger. “I’ll help with that.”

He stepped closer to the bed, breathing hard. “I didn’t know I
needed help.”

“Oh, you do,” she whispered, cupping him in one hand and
playing with him.

His jaw clenched and his eyes closed of their own accord.
Trembling, the muscles in his neck and arms rigid, he stood silently as she
hooked her fingers in the elastic at his hips and pushed the underwear down to
his thighs.

Impatient, especially because she could reach no lower, he
shoved the boxers the rest of the way to his ankles and kicked them aside. He
choked and cursed when she gathered him in both hands this time, one set of
fingers curled around his shaft. “Shannon...” He wasn’t sure what he was trying
to say. He could barely form a coherent thought.

She coaxed him closer by the simple expedient of tugging his
erection. Stumbling forward, he landed on top of her, both of them sprawled on
the gold-and-green spread. In one weird part of his brain, he knew this would
feel better on soft sheets, but with his body pressed to hers, chest to chest,
thigh to thigh, he couldn’t move.

Shannon had a different idea. She wriggled free. “I want to be
naked,” she said, the words a mere whisper of sound.

“I want that, too. I do...” He removed the two items of
clothing she wore and leaned forward to bury his face in her cleavage. She
smelled intoxicating.

Slowly, he spread her legs with his. At the last moment he
remembered a condom. Thankfully, he had stashed some in the bedside table. But
the effort to retrieve one and put it on seemed almost insurmountable. At last,
his body braced above hers, he fit the head of his erection to her welcoming sex
and pushed his way home.

If this afternoon had been fast and furious, tonight was
gentle, slow, endlessly erotic. All of his senses were sharpened. He heard each
catch of her breath, felt the damp warmth of her skin, saw the way her irises
expanded when he took her close to the edge. And he tasted the sweetness of her
kiss.

She cried out his name when she came. “Rory...oh, Rory.”

“I’m here, my love.” Her release triggered his. He moved in her
again and again, wringing every last drop of pleasure from the denouement.

At last they found the will to climb beneath the sheets. The
air-conditioning in the room was cool on their heated skin.

Shannon curled into his side. “That was nice.”

He laughed helplessly, captivated by her more each day. “I know
how much the ranch means to you, honey. We’ll make it work. You don’t have to be
afraid that marrying me will disrupt your life.”

She sat up, her lips tilted in a self-satisfied smile.
“Marrying you? I haven’t even been asked.”

He yawned and stretched, stroking the nearest breast as he did
so. “Sorry. I thought it was implied when I put that ring on your finger. But
I’m asking now, Shannon Morrison. Will you marry me?”

“Yes. I believe I will.” That prompted another celebratory
kiss. She was on top of him this time, draped across his chest in a highly
satisfactory position.

“I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy,” he said,
the words a solemn vow.

Shannon sighed, nuzzling up against him. “I love your sweet
offer, Rory. And knowing that you love me enough to give up your dream fills my
heart to overflowing. But I think you’ve misunderstood
me
this time. I haven’t kept running the ranch because it’s my
dearest wish to do so. I was only preserving a heritage for my descendants. I’d
love to live with you in Austin
and
in Royal. As
soon as we get married, the ranch belongs to both of us. So if you can chip in
for a trustworthy foreman, and if we can fly back here several times a month so
I can keep tabs on things, you’re stuck with me. Besides, I have a perfectly
good degree in communications going to waste. That might just come in handy for
a politician’s wife.”