One Winter's Night (7 page)

“All this is yours?” she asked, getting out of the car. He gripped her shoulders lightly when he placed his arms around her.

“Yes, one hundred acres. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Beautiful? Words couldn’t describe how soul-touchingly magnificent the view was. The one thing she had fallen in love with when she’d first visited Denver had been the mountains. Aside from the cold weather, Denver was a beautiful place.

“Now I understand about Riley’s Station,” she said, looking up at him.

“Do you?”

“Yes. On the way here I saw the markers—Ramsey’s Web, Dillon’s Den, Derringer’s Dungeon, Zane’s Hideout, Gemma’s Gem.... Where on earth did those names come from?”

He threw his head back and laughed as he led her up the steps to the house. “Bailey. She figured all our places needed names and came up with them for us. She even designed the markers. At the time it was her pet project and we all gave in. We would have done anything to keep her out of trouble.”

“I take it that she used to be a handful.”

“If only you knew.”

She stepped aside so he could open the door for her. “Welcome to my home, Alpha.”

“Thanks,” she said, passing him, stepping inside. For the second time that day her mouth almost dropped open. She moved from the foyer and glanced around at the open-concept room. His home was beautiful, the furnishings gorgeous and the decor breathtaking. The entire place was simply immaculate.

“Okay, although this is definitely a man’s place, there’s no way the decorating and coordinating of the furnishings was done by you. You hired an interior decorator, right?”

He moved away from the closed door. “Right. My cousin, Gemma. She owns an interior decorating company and insisted upon doing her thing in here.”

Alpha continued to glance around. “Insisted.”

“Yes, for the most part. I would have been satisfied just to have a kitchen table and a bed, but she’d made up her mind, after going into business for herself out of college, that her brothers and cousins would be her first clients. And none of us got discounts.”

Alpha chuckled. “But I like that. Keeping it all in the family. Supporting one another.”

“That’s the Westmoreland Way.” He moved across the room to open the blinds to a huge window that had a gorgeous, picturesque view of the mountains.

“And how do you keep it all clean and everything in place?” she asked, not seeing a speck of dirt or smidgen of dust anywhere.

His eyes glinted as if insulted. “Are you trying to insinuate I’m a slob?”

She waved off his pretended insult. “You’re a man, Riley. Not too many tidy up after themselves. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you, but I’ll admit to having a weekly cleaning service. A woman drops by and takes care of the houses for all the single Westmorelands. It’s an annual birthday gift from the ladies in the family for the single male Westmorelands.”

He glanced at her messenger bag, which she was still carrying in her hand. “You can set up things in my office. I even have a pull-down screen in there.” He glanced at his watch. “And while you’re doing that, I’ll start dinner.”

She arched a brow. “You cook?”

He chuckled softly. “Yes, sweetheart, I learned how to fend for myself when I discovered the women inviting me over to their place to eat all had ulterior motives.”

She tried ignoring the fluttering in the pit of her stomach caused by his term of endearment as she eyed him up and down. He had removed his jacket and tie and was standing in the middle of his humongous living room, looking at home and oh-so-sexy.

“Can you?”

“Can I what?”

“Cook,” he said, opening blinds to another window.

“Yes.”

“The kitchen is around that bend in the wall,” he said. “After getting things set up, you can join me and we’ll see how well you can cook.”

* * *

When was the last time he’d whistled while cooking? Riley wondered as he pulled all the spices he needed out of the cabinets. He glanced to where Alpha stood at the island making dessert—sugar cookies. She had come up with the idea after discovering that he had all the ingredients she needed.

This wasn’t the first time he’d ever invited a woman to his house by any means, and this wasn’t the first time one had shared space in his kitchen. But he would admit, although he didn’t want to do so, that she was the first whose presence felt totally right.

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, not wanting to ponder why he felt that way. All he knew was that he enjoyed glancing across the way and seeing her there. She was wearing a pullover sweater and a pair of skimmer jeans, and he liked the short leather boots on her feet. He thought the outfit was perfect for what he had in mind later. They were going horseback riding around his property after dinner.

A thought then entered his mind. “You do ride, right?”

She glanced over at him. “Ride what?”

“A horse.”

She chuckled and the sound echoed around his kitchen. “Yes. I went to school to become a vet, remember. One year I spent the entire summer on a horse ranch in Ocala, Florida, working as a ranch hand. It was definitely a learning experience. I’m no jockey, but I can hold my own.”

He stopped what he was doing and turned around. “Glad you think so because we’re going riding later.”

“We are?”

“Yes.”

She shrugged. “Okay.” She then returned to what she was doing.

“How are you coming along over there?” he asked, curious. She had been quiet, concentrating on the task until he’d interrupted her just now.

“Fine. You did preset the oven to 350 degrees, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I haven’t made sugar cookies in a long time. What are the odds that you would have everything I need?”

“Only because Bailey likes my kitchen and keeps it equipped.”

She glanced up and around. “I can certainly see why she likes this one. It’s a cook’s dream. Beautiful oak cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and—”

“Hey, you have all those things in your kitchen, except your cabinets are maple instead of oak.”

“Yes, but I can place my small kitchen in here three or four times over. Most men would see this much square footage in a kitchen as wasted space.”

“I’m not most men.”

She glanced over at him and moved her gaze up and down. “Yes, I can see that.”

He smiled and shook his head. “You know those kinds of looks can get you into trouble.”

An innocent smile touched her lips. “I’m not doing anything.”

Instead of disagreeing with her, he turned back around to the sink to start peeling the potatoes that he planned to stew on top of the stove with pork chops and his special gravy. The dish wasn’t as good as McKay’s, but he didn’t think it was all bad.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Alpha opened his oven door to slide the tray of cookies inside. “These are slow-baking, so an hour should do it.”

“I can’t wait,” he said, turning toward her. “Once I get this started it will be on simmer for a while.”

“All right. Do you want me to cover the rest of the info for the party before or after dinner? The only thing left to cover is the budget.”

He nodded. On the drive over she had covered a lot, being detailed and precise and, not surprisingly, he had liked all of her ideas. “Let’s do it before dinner.”

“Okay, I’ll go get things set up in your office.”

He watched her walk off with his pulse hammering and his erection throbbing. She looked good all over but had such a curvaceous backside that seeing her in jeans was a total turn-on for him.

Riley drew in a deep breath as the rush of blood seemed to hit him right in the groin. At some point they would share a bed, but he had promised not to rush her and he wouldn’t, even if it killed him. Alpha was not a one-night stand, nor would she be a one-and-done. She would have her six weeks. More importantly, he would have his six weeks. He doubted he would want less than that. And he’d taken the time earlier that day, while in his office, to figure out the exact ending date, and wouldn’t you know it, it would be the night of the holiday party.

So it would be one winter’s night in more ways than one.

Seven

“W
ell, what do you think about the pork
chops?”

Alpha glanced across the table at Riley. It hadn’t taken long
to go over the budget and wrap up all the other minor details she needed to
finalize in order to move ahead with her plans. All her people were ready and in
place and now that he had approved her suggestions and the budget, it was full
steam ahead. She’d be putting on a party that she knew would impress him and
everyone attending.

She smiled ruefully. “I think if push comes to shove, you can
quit your day job and become a chef. Everything tastes wonderful, Riley.” And
she meant it. The pork chops were so tender they all but melted in her mouth and
the gravy and potatoes were better than any she’d ever eaten...even those at
McKay’s.

From his smile she knew her compliment pleased him. “Thanks.
Wait until you taste my shrimp and lobster casserole. It’s going to knock you
off your feet.”

Hmm, was that an invitation? Sounded like one to her. “I’ll
look forward to it.”

“And I’m looking forward to eating your cookies. They smell
good.”

“Thanks.”

She continued to eat and when she glanced up he was watching
her with a strange look on his face. She tilted her head and arched a brow.
“Something’s wrong?”

“No,” he said rather quickly and continued eating. Moments
later, after taking a sip of his wine, he said, “I looked at a calendar earlier
today and if we both agree to go the full six weeks for our affair, then it ends
the night of the company party.”

“Sounds good to me.”

She saw something flash in his eyes. “So we understand each
other?” he asked.

She smiled. “Perfectly.” She then picked up her wineglass and
took a sip, not sure why he was still sitting there staring at her. Had he
expected her to request more time or something?

She glanced at her watch. It was getting late. She darted a
look over at him. “Do you still want to go riding?”

“Yes.

“Then we need to get going if we want to take advantage of the
daylight.”

He stood. “I agree.”

She stood, as well. “I’ll help clear the table.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to, and it’s the least I can do for such a great meal.
You outdid yourself.”

He chuckled. “For you, any day.”

She didn’t say anything as she helped him clean off the table
and load up the dishwasher. The heat was on, and it was getting to her already.
And she had a feeling things would be getting hotter.

* * *

An hour later Riley stood at the window and looked out,
waiting as Alpha used one of his guest bathrooms. He had enjoyed his time with
her and now it was close to seven. It was hard to believe she had spent five
hours with him today. And he had enjoyed every second of those hours. After
dinner she had helped him clear the table and load the dishwasher. Then they had
gone riding, and she’d pulled one over on him when she’d given the impression
she wasn’t good when it came to riding a horse. The woman was an excellent
rider.

When they returned they had eaten the cookies she had baked and
drunk cold glasses of milk. He shared more stories about his family and she had
listened attentively, asking questions and laughing when he told her all about
Bane’s, Bailey’s and the twins’—Aiden and Adrian’s—escapades and how Family
Services had threatened to separate the youngest Westmorelands from the family
if their bad behaviors didn’t improve.

But the one thing he noticed was that she hadn’t talked a lot
about herself or her family. He knew she was from Florida, that her parents
owned a veterinary business and that she had a sister. But there was the issue
of the missing ring on her finger. Had something other than a career move driven
her to Denver?

“You even have a beautiful powder room, Riley. And it’s so big.
I probably could roll a bed in there and take a nap.”

He turned around slowly. “Glad you—”

Whatever he was about to say died on his lips when their gazes
connected. Suddenly, from across the room he held her in focus. His stomach
tightened and his nerve endings sizzled. “Like it,” he said, finishing his
sentence.

She’d done something to her hair. It was no longer pulled back
away from her face in a ponytail, but was now loose. A mass of brown curls were
hanging around her shoulders. He’d seen her hair that way before, earlier today
in his office. But for some reason, at that moment, restyling her hair made her
look incredibly beautiful.

His feet began moving toward her with a purpose ingrained in
every part of his body. He met her gaze, held it, and when he came to a stop in
front of her, he reached out and traced a finger across her chin. He then slowly
moved his finger down the length of her neck before touching a lock of her hair.
“You’re wearing it differently,” he said in a deep, husky voice, liking how the
silky tresses felt flowing through his fingers.

She nodded slowly. “The clamp came loose while out riding and I
thought I’d play it safe and take it off. The clamp was a gift from my sister
and means a lot. I don’t want to lose it.”

“I like your hair this way. It’s a stunning shade of brown. The
color is perfect for your skin tone. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them while gazing up
at her. “I promised not to rush you, but just so you know, I have no qualms
about making love to you tonight. I’m tempted to do just that.”

“Then I better move temptation out of your way by letting you
take me home. Then you can concentrate on other things.”

His lips curved in a smile. “Even if you weren’t here, I would
think about you, Alpha.”

She chuckled softly. “I bet you say that to all the
ladies.”

Riley shook his head as he continued to kiss her hand. Now he
was using the tip of his tongue to taste her skin. He liked hearing how her
breathing sounded forced. “No, I don’t say that to all the ladies.”

And he meant that. He would admit to throwing out a convincing
line or two when it served his purpose. That was to be expected when he was a
man on the prowl. But that’s not what he was doing here. With Alpha, he was
being totally honest. He had thought about her over the past week more than he’d
thought about any other woman. He had dreamed about her, waking up with a need
and desire he’d never felt for any other woman.

Since he didn’t know why his experience was so different with
her, he intended to be cautious in whatever he did, whatever they shared. He had
to be realistic enough to admit there had been something between him and Alpha
from the first. She had been wearing gloves, yet when their hands touched he had
felt the intense heat. He had felt the chemistry. An electrical charge had
zinged through him. At first he’d thought it was a fluke, nothing more than an
overreaction. But then, when he’d picked her up in his arms in McKay’s parking
lot to carry her into the restaurant, it was as if something had exploded
between them, a connection he couldn’t describe. And that was before he’d even
seen what she was hiding under all those clothes.

He straightened and reached up to touch her chin again, coaxing
her to meet his gaze. “Go out with me this weekend. We can do dinner and a movie
or a play.”

He studied the shape of her lips. Heat stirred his groin,
making several ideas flow through his head and prompting him to add, “Or better
yet, after dinner we can come here or go to your place and play a game.”

Her brow arched. “What game?”

“The Pleasure Game. Have you ever played it before?”

He saw how her eyes darkened with desire when she shook her
head. “Can’t say that I have.”

“Then let me assure you that you’re going to enjoy it. It’s
easy to play, and there are not a whole lot of rules to follow. You can let me
know that night if you want to play. How about if I pick you up for dinner
around seven? There’s this restaurant near the airport that I’ve heard nice
things about, and I want to take you there.”

“Okay,” she said, smiling softly.

“And the Pleasure Game will require you staying overnight here
or me staying overnight at your place. No pressure. No rush. If you don’t think
you’ll be ready to play Saturday night just let me know.”

She nodded. “I will.”

He leaned in close and slanted his mouth over hers, needing to
taste her and leave her with something to think about. When she opened her mouth
to return the kiss, he pulled her into his arms and deepened it, knowing he
would be counting the days until he spent time with her again.