The Cowboy's Surrender (23 page)

God, he missed her. His whole body ached with missing her.

Was Cameron right? Was he punishing Gillian for Marilyn's sins? Punishing himself for his mistakes? The years since his divorce had been wasted. After Marilyn left, Dallas had avoided women like the plague. He had loved his wife, or so he'd thought. That youthful love couldn't compare to the all-consuming passion he felt for Gillian.

From the beginning, he had fought the feelings for her. Recognizing danger when he saw it, he had guarded his heart with a vengeance. Only to have Gillian inch her way in bit by bit. She hadn't turned his world topsy-turvy. She had righted it. Made it good again.

Now she was gone, and he only felt half alive.
Two parts, one whole.
That's how he felt about Gillian. Part of himself was here on the ranch; the other part was in Los Angeles where Gillian lived.

Dallas was tired of fighting his feelings. He was tired of fighting a losing battle. In spite of everything, Gillian had managed to capture his heart. Did she still love him? Was it too late? He'd acted like a bastard towards her. Unfortunately, he did that a lot where Gillian was concerned.

Slamming his hat back on his head, he strode to his truck. He needed to go to Los Angeles as soon as possible. Luckily, he knew a pilot with a plane ready to fly at a moment's notice.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Gillian raised the metal watering can over the hanging basket, giving her new spider plant a healthy sprinkle of water.
Charlotte
was the first plant she had bought in years. Her job had required extensive traveling, so she'd never bothered with plants or pets, because they were too much trouble.

Had required
. She had quit her job with Copper River Oil Company. After the fiasco in Salt Fork, she didn't care if she never saw another drilling site for the rest of her life. There was plenty of time for plants now. Maybe she'd get a dog.

It was time to regroup. She had money in savings to see her through for a while. Give her time to find a new job. Maybe go back to school. Maybe think about settling down. But the thought of settling down with anyone other than Dallas tugged at her heartstrings.

He'd rejected her. He hadn't wanted her love. He'd warned her he wasn't interested in love. She should have guarded her heart more closely. Instead, she had foolishly fallen in love with Dallas McCade. And he believed she'd betrayed him. His pride and integrity had been questioned. He would never forgive her. She would never forgive herself.

Setting the watering can in the kitchen sink, Gillian wiped her hands on a towel. Somehow, someway, she would get through this. She had always done so before. She would do it again. She was used to being on her on. Used to being alone.

With a long sigh, she hung the towel to dry. Before she met Dallas, she'd never felt
lonely
. Well, she would learn to live with that, too.

A loud banging on the door startled her from the melancholy thoughts. She groaned as she looked down at her tattered t-shirt and sweatpants. She wasn't exactly dressed for company. Her feet were bare and she wasn't wearing a bra. Hopefully, she could get rid of whoever it was.

Gillian pressed her eye to the peephole. Her breath hitched and she jerked back, clutching a hand over her heart to still its tremors. She grabbed the doorknob to take another peek, bumping her forehead in the process.

Yes, it was Dallas all right. There he stood, on her front step, his hands behind his back, that proverbial frown on his handsome face, his black Stetson sitting on his head.

God, he looked good!

He knocked again, rattling the door. "Come on, Gillian. Open up. I heard you bump against the door. I know you're in there. Let me in."

"Why should I?" she called. Something very close to hope crept along the base of her spine.

"So I can see you. Talk to you. We need to talk."

"No, I mean why are you here?" Gillian rubbed her aching head. Part of her wanted to yank the door open and fling herself in his arms. Another part warned to tread carefully. Dallas was a difficult man at best.

"I think that would be obvious, sweetheart."

Through the peephole, Gillian saw that almost-smile of his. Her heart turned a somersault.

"Give me two minutes to change. I'm not decent," she said, glancing at her shabby clothing again. If Dallas was here to sweep her off her feet, she didn't want to be in rags. And if he was here for some other reason, a change of clothes would give her an added boost of confidence. Something she sorely needed when dealing with him.

"Hell, I don't mind," Dallas said. "I like you that way. The more indecent, the better. Open up."

"Two minutes, Dallas. Please?"

"Oh hell," he growled. "All right, but hurry."

She was running to her bedroom before he finished the sentence. Stripping off her t-shirt and sweats, she threw on a thin silk caftan. She grabbed a brush and pulled it through her hair. She didn't have time for make-up, only a dab of lip-gloss.

Gillian ran back to the door and opened it. She was rewarded for her hasty efforts. Dallas stood there staring at her; his eyes flared with appreciation and hunger. Her skin tingled all the way down to her bare toes from the pure male appraisal, and her heart hummed with optimistic anticipation. He was here. She couldn't believe he'd come.

She leaned on the doorframe, her stomach fluttering madly. "Would you like to come in?" she said, her voice just a bare whisper.

His mouth tugged upwards in the half-smile she loved so well. "Yes, ma'am," he said. Except he didn't move. He took his time admiring her from the top of her head all the way down to her bare feet.

The air sizzled between them. Gillian felt her nipples tighten. Dallas's eyes shimmered in response.

"You going to stand there all day, Cowboy?" she asked. "I thought you wanted to come in."

Dallas took two long strides, stopping only inches away from her. The heat from his powerful body seared through the gossamer fabric of her gown. Her knees wobbled from his nearness. With a firm grip, she held on to the door to keep from melting at his feet.

"What are you hiding behind your back?" she asked. The fluttering in her stomach increased. Her heart pounded even harder than before.

"I brought you something." Extending his left hand from behind his back, Dallas presented his gift with a flourish.

"Cotton Candy? I don't understand." She searched his face as he handed the bag of pink fluff to her. His hand brushed her palm. An electric charge jolted up the entire length of her arm.

"Remember at the jubilee?" he said, his voice deep and husky. "We called a truce that day."

Gillian nodded, feeling tears crowd the corner of her eyes. "You want to call another truce?" She looked at the sugary confection, thinking about the wonderful time they had shared at the Founder's Day Jubilee, wondering if they would share more good times.

Bringing his right hand from behind his back, Dallas waved a small white flag under her nose. "Not a truce, exactly. More like a treaty--a complete and total end of all hostilities between us."

Gillian swallowed the lump in her throat. Hope and desire struggled deep inside. "But you swore
you
would never be the one to surrender."

Dallas gently placed the flag in her hand. His fingers closed over hers, before he gathered her in a fierce embrace. "I was a fool," he said. "I'm surrendering my heart to you, if you'll have me." He lowered his head and touched his lips to hers.

"Oh, Dallas! Yes!" Gillian dropped the candy and flag and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her enthusiastic response warmed Dallas's heart and soul. He cupped her bottom and hauled her closer. Once again he was amazed at how perfectly her body fit his. Her softness complimented his hardness. Damn, he'd missed her.

She smelled wonderful and felt even better. Plunging his tongue deep inside her mouth, he tasted her sweetness. She opened to him and he deepened the kiss. The sexy little sounds erupting in the back of Gillian's throat made his heart hammer in response.

Gillian snuggled into the embrace, adjusting the fit of their bodies, rubbing against his aching-hard shaft. He groaned when she pressed her firm breasts to his chest. Her nipples teased him through the filmy material of her gown.

His hands roamed over her supple body, rediscovering every swell and curve. He brushed a thumb across one nipple, swallowing Gillian's moan with another kiss.

"I want you, Gillian. I
need
you. It's been too long."

She pulled back, and stared at the man who had captured her heart. His rugged face was so dear. She'd missed him dreadfully. "It's been much too long," she said. Taking his hand, she led Dallas to her bedroom. They would talk later. For now, it was enough to know he was here. That he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Stopping by the foot of the bed, Gillian began unbuttoning Dallas's shirt, following the path of bare skin with soft kisses. Dallas toed off his boots, reveling in the sensations of Gillian's touch, digging his fingers in her silky hair. Gasping for breath when she dipped her tongue in his navel.

She pulled the shirttails from the waistband of his jeans, standing so she could push the fabric over the rigid muscles of his shoulders. Unbuckling his belt, chocolate-colored eyes met deep ocean blue ones. With gazes locked, Gillian unsnapped the jeans and slowly pulled the zipper.

Kneeling on the floor, she peeled the denim down his legs, caressing his thighs and calves with feather-light touches. She waited for him to step out of each pants leg.

Glancing up, she caught his eyes again. They burned with desire and yearning. He placed his hands on her head, burying his fingers in her silky hair. Thrilling tingles chased down her body as she stroked his hardness through the thin cotton of his boxers. His shaft flexed in reaction; his fingers tightened on her scalp.

Gillian traced the rigid length with her tongue, cupping him down below with her hands, feeling him tremble with need. She pulled the shorts down, kissing the velvet steel, taking him gently in her mouth.

Dallas almost collapsed in a heap. He locked his knees so he wouldn't fall, enjoying Gillian's sensuous caress and wondrous touch. He was extremely close to the delicious edge of release. It wouldn't take much more for him to explode. But he didn't want it this way. He wanted to be inside Gillian's sweet warmth. Feel her clutch him with her inner muscles. With a feral groan, he pulled her up and pushed her onto the bed.

He followed her down, pressing her into the soft mattress. Pulling her gown up over her head, he tossed it aside, then covered her body with his own.

"I can't take it slow this time," he said, nuzzling the silky column of her throat.

"I don't want it slow." She slid her arms around his neck, lifting her body to meet his. "I want you inside of me." She pulled him down and kissed him hard on the mouth, as he plunged his shaft deep within her.

Together they rode the crest of passion. Hanging, hovering over the brink. Dallas buried himself in her, pulling back only to thrust deeper still. He clasped both hands on either side of her head, watching her as he drove into her again and again.

Gillian held on to the powerful biceps, meeting each thrust with a lift of her hips. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper on each downward thrust. Her nails bit into the muscled arms. She closed her eyes as she reached the summit, her body splintering into tiny shards of exquisite sensations.

Dallas heard her call his name. It faded in and out as if coming from far away. He felt her convulse around him. With one last push, he collapsed on top of her as he reached his own shattering climax.

Neither spoke for several minutes. Gillian could hear Dallas's labored breath in her ear. She almost cried from the gladness in her heart. She hugged the big powerful body to her, relishing the weight bearing her down.

Closing her eyes tight, she felt hot tears on her cheeks. She couldn't help it. She had to say it. Tell him.

"I love you," she said, punching him on the shoulders to emphasize her words. Bucking her hips so he would be sure to get her meaning. "I'm sorry about what happened at the rig. I love you, damn it. And you better love me back!"

Dallas pressed her down even further into the mattress. He kissed the tear-drenched lashes. Hugging her tighter, he rolled over until she was on top of him. "I came after you, didn't I? I surrendered, didn't I?"

Gillian leaned on her elbows, kissed the firm chin. "Say the words, Dallas. I need to hear the words."

"I love you." He pulled her closer for a quick hard kiss. "I can't believe how much I love you, how much I need you. After the crew cleaned up and pulled out, I should have been happy, but I wasn't. You were gone. I realized then that I'd fallen in love with you."

Gillian snuggled next to Dallas, her head on his hard chest, his heartbeat loud in her ear. She pulled the sheet over them to cover their nakedness.