Breathless Temptation [Texas Stallions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (4 page)

“Delilah, will you be in town for a few days, or are you planning on heading back to California?”

Clearly repulsed by the idea, she said, “Oh, I have no intentions of going back there. I’m here to see Texas. Both my parents are from here, so I figured I’d stick around to see the sights. Besides”—she pointed at her leg—“it doesn’t look like I’ll be going anywhere soon.”

“At least not without having your car repaired,” he reminded her.

“Oh, God.” Her eyes opened wide, “How bad is it?” She cringed as if waiting for the fatal blow.

He couldn’t lie. “It’s pretty bad. Randy, the local mechanic and body repairman, said it would take some time to get all the parts your car would need in and then to actually do the work…If that’s what you want, of course.”

She pinched her brows tightly together. “I guess I need to talk with the insurance company first and see what they say.” She smiled and then asked, “Why do you ask, Sheriff?”

Releasing a big chest full of air, he felt like a boy again, asking a girl to prom. He couldn’t figure out why his hands were so sweaty, but they were, and in a flash, he was beyond nervous. “How would you feel about an escort to help show you the town and its people? According to my friend Hunter Boyd, your mother actually had ties to Temptation.”

She smiled, and he felt the simple gesture swell inside him. There was something sweet about the way Delilah looked when she smiled. There was a soft sparkle of blue that surfaced within the depths of her eyes and the innocence he’d never witnessed before that illuminated her face.

Maybe he was acting impulsively by asking a woman he just met if he could be her chaperone. In fact, he knew he was. He still couldn’t deny that he wanted her to accept his invitation.

“Are you sure you have time to be my escort?” she asked with a crooked grin. “I’m sure you have a lot of work you need to do, and I’d hate to be a bother.”

“Ms. Devero, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t have the time. Besides, it’s not every day that a woman as lovely as you saunters into town, crashes her car into a friend’s fence, and lands in the hospital, making her a captive audience.” He grinned.

“I don’t saunter,” she teased. “If there is one thing I know how to do, Sheriff Garrett, its make an entrance.”

He moved to stand beside her bed, his fingers wrapped around the side bar. “Ms. Devero, I have no doubt about that. I also have no doubt that you’re going to stay and allow me to show you our town.”

Nibbling her bottom lip, she gazed at him for a moment before telling him, “Yes, Sheriff, I’ll stick around and let you show me your town. I think I may even come to like what I find in Temptation.”

Brow arched, he held her gaze and said, “I have no doubt, Ms. Devero, that Temptation will leave you breathless.”

Delilah was killing him. At least that’s how Clay felt. It had been a long time since he’d been this attracted to a woman, especially one he’d just met. He didn’t necessarily want a relationship, but he did enjoy the connection they shared. Perhaps it was their innocent flirting he found dangerously seductive and so damn desirable. Strangely, he couldn’t wait to see her again.

After several days, she’d finally been released from the hospital. He’d made a point to visit daily since she didn’t really know anyone else in town. Secretly, he couldn’t stay away if he wanted to.

It didn’t help that he was enthralled by her spirit, her sweetness, and her vulnerability. Clay sensed she needed him, even if she never admitted it. There was nothing sexier to a man like him than a woman who wanted him the way he thought she did. She made him feel like a fierce guardian who was there to protect and care for only her.

What he had come to like most about Delilah was the soft light that radiated from her eyes when she saw him. The moment their eyes meet, his chest tightened, and the words he’d so cleverly practiced flew right out of his head, leaving him chuckling at his adolescent behavior. When it came time for her to be discharged, he made himself personally available to chauffeur her from the hospital to the motel.

A wave of nervousness settled into the pit of Clay’s stomach as soon as he began charging up the gravel road and spotted the only motel in Temptation. He wasn’t at all sure why he felt this way. It wasn’t like he was going on an official date or anything like that with Delilah Devero. He was simply being a gentleman by offering to show her the sights of a town her mother once owned a good deal of, helping her to reconnect with a place in her family’s history.

At least that was what he was telling himself. There was still a part buried deep inside that had him contemplating other motives. Opportunities that had him licking his lips and daydreaming of long, passionate kisses and lots and lots of—
Shit
, he had to stop thinking like that. It was going to get him into a lot of trouble.

Once parked in front of room twenty-three, he exited his truck and stalked up to the dull-red door, knocking twice. A few seconds later a beautiful woman, one that stole his breath immediately, opened the door to greet him. The sweet smile that lit her face was just as sexy as the body-hugging, low-neckline, blue sundress she wore. He’d never seen anything quite like it in his life. The dress stopped just above her knee, and he couldn’t stop his eyes from admiring every square inch of her. His blood quickly rushed south, leaving his brains to fend for themselves.

“Hello, Sheriff,” she said in a soft voice.

He cleared his throat. “Not today. Today, I’m simply Clay Garrett,” he told her with a grin.

Her bright-white smile widened, if that was even possible. “All right, Clay, are you ready to begin our little adventure of Temptation?”

He arched a brow as more arousing thoughts sprung up in his mind. The fast beat of his heart had him searching for words that should have been easily found. “I…um…yes. Let’s get the show on the road, shall we?”

He extended his elbow for her to grab. She eyed him for a moment before sliding her delicate fingers around his bicep. He closed the door behind her and escorted her to the passenger side of his truck. Helping her in, he closed his eyes, keeping himself from ogling her perfectly round, firm ass. He was sure it would be firm. She looked like the type of woman who took pride in her appearance and exercised regularly.

Clay hopped in on his side and began driving.

“So, where are we going today anyway? You’ve been so secretive about it. I have to admit, you’ve got me extremely curious.”

“Well, I told you that I’d show you the town as well as its people, and it just so happens that today is the wedding reception of Tyler and Abby Boyd.”

“Boyd? You mean the same family as Hunter Boyd, the man whose fence I destroyed?”

“Yep, the very same,” he muttered.

“You must be joking. Is this your attempt at humor? If it is, then you should know that I really don’t think it’s very funny.” Just like in the hospital, her hands were balled tightly in her lap, twisting and wringing around as if she were practically trying to squeeze the blood from her flesh.

He reached over and placed his hand over hers. “Relax, Delilah. The Boyd’s are my friends. I’ve been invited, and you are my plus one. They were more concerned with how you were than the fence anyway. Abby personally asked me to bring you.”

Her eyebrows shot up, hiding beneath her wavy bangs. “She did?”

He smiled, glancing quickly over at her and then back to the road ahead. “Yes, Delilah, she did. Abby is one of a kind. She and Tyler have had a rough patch, and if there is anyone who can understand what you are going through, it’s her.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged, removing his hand from hers. “She came to Temptation to escape her family issues, too. Unfortunately, her father had to pass away for her to find the strength to stand on her own.” He glanced back over at her. “You at least had the courage to do it sooner rather than later.”

“Oh,” she said, sounding almost surprised at his answer.

“When did they get married?”

“About a month ago, but they’ve been planning a big party to celebrate, and it just so happens to be today.”

“Have they been together long?”

He chuckled. “Actually, no, they’d only been together for a handful of months before they got married.” He waggled his eyebrows at her as he told her, “It seems they’re expecting.”

Delilah smiled and glanced away shyly. “Oh.”

Clay couldn’t help but laugh at her coyness, as if the conversation of sex and getting pregnant was too alarming to discuss. Her newly rosy cheeks made her look even more beautiful. He glanced away the moment a sudden pang jumped from his gut to his heart. He hadn’t felt anything like that in a lifetime, and the emotions had him wondering what the gorgeous woman was secretly doing to him. Her innocence ran more than skin deep, and it was something he actually admired and appreciated.

After a long moment of silence, she asked, “Have you lived in Temptation long?”

Yes, since I met you
. “A few years, but I’m originally from Houston. I was a law-enforcement officer there, but I really wanted a change of pace, so when the sheriff position opened up here, I put my name in for it.”

“Do you like being sheriff?”

He sighed and then shared, “I like being able to help people. I like keeping my town safe, but I hate the negative that goes with the job.”

“You mean the crime?” she asked quickly.

He nodded. “That and having to tell people that a loved one has passed or…you know, the ugly stuff that you hear about on the news. That’s the kind of stuff I’m not a big fan of, but it’s part of the job, so I do it.”

“I gather that since you’re taking me to this reception you’re not seeing anyone?”

He felt the tug of a smile on his lips but kept it to a minimum. “You guessed right. I haven’t been in a serious relationship in a long time.”

“Why is that, Clay Garrett?” she asked, twisting in her seat a little, but as she did she hissed, reaching down to grab her leg.

Eyes wide, he asked, “Are you all right? Is your leg still bothering you?”

“Yes, but it’s okay. I still have it wrapped, but it’s healing nicely.” She smiled. “Now, tell me why you’re not dating.”

He felt his throat get dryer. Something about discussing his love life with a woman he was very attracted to seemed to sit funny in his mind. “I haven’t found anyone I’m that interested in. I spend a lot of time at the office and running between ranches, so I don’t think about it much.” He cocked his head in her direction. “What about you, Delilah Devero? Why don’t you have someone in your life?”

“Who said I didn’t?”

He almost pulled the truck to a complete stop. His heart and mind began squaring off, and he was about to completely lose it. How had he not asked her this before? How had he allowed himself to daydream about a woman who could have another man back home?
Shit
, he was not fucking happy.

“You didn’t seem like you did,” he told her, and then his mind calmed, and he considered that she was teasing him.
Damn, I hate being teased.
“Besides, why wouldn’t you be with him now instead of traveling across the country alone?”
Or in my truck with me?

She laughed. “I don’t have a lot of time for men. Juggling a crazy stepfamily, aiding my father’s business endeavors, and trying to find my own direction have been more than a full-time job.”

“That would definitely be a good reason to stay single,” he told her, grinning at her for a moment before returning to look up at the main entrance into Paradise Ranch.

The entire property seemed to be decorated for the wedding reception. White balloons and bells hung from the Paradise Ranch arch, and hundreds more lined the fence. The front area was lined with vehicles, mostly trucks.

Once he parked his vehicle, he ran around to the other side to help Delilah down and escorted her to the front steps. White and teal-blue streamers hung from the railing, and a big “congratulations” banner hung from the ceiling. Loud music was blaring from around back, but as instructed by Abby, he took Delilah into the house.

Inside the ranch was just as decorated as the outside. The only difference was all the food on display. Cheese, fruit, and vegetable trays lined one end of the table, while hot food began filling up the other.

Clay’s nose awakened to the scents of smoked ham, roast, macaroni and cheese, green beans, baked potatoes, fresh bread, and so many other wonderful aroma’s he could barely contain the rumble in his stomach. It had been a long time since he’d been able to enjoy a meal so much like his mother used to make. Perhaps not as abundant, but still the scents took him back to a time when he was truly happy.

“Clay,” Abby squealed as she spotted them rounding the corner past the kitchen. The moment she stepped closer, she flung her arms around him and hugged him like a brother. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of missing it,” he told her with a smile and then reached down to take Delilah’s hand. “Abby, I’d like you to meet Delilah Devero.”

Immediately, Abby hugged her. “I am so glad to meet you. I was so worried when Hunter told us what happened.”

“I’m terribly sorry about your fence.”