Cougar in Texas: 3 (Rugged and Risque) (7 page)

“I appreciate that. I believe we’ll be able to swing it. I’m mostly concerned about taking in several dire cases at once. I wouldn’t want to turn them away, but I need to make sure they’re all receiving the attention they need—and that they’re getting the best care possible.”

“You still thinking of rescuing twenty at a time?”

“The existing stalls only hold twelve horses, so I’m constructing another stable for eight more, plus tack storage.”

“And the house?”

Caleb’s glance slid to the enormous, two-story structure. The design was modern, the building well maintained. But what use did a single man have for over nine thousand square feet?

“I haven’t decided what to do with it just yet.” The clinic would sit west of the house, the stables sat to the east. A circular, gravel drive with a fountain in the center lay before the house, trimmed with decorative edging and flowerbeds. The previous owner had hired a company to manage the upkeep of the grounds and Caleb intended to stick with them, since he wouldn’t have time for mowing lawns and watering flowers.

In fact, now that he surveyed the ranch, he wondered when he’d have time for Reese.

But that wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on at the moment. Nor did he want to believe he could only have one or the other—his dream or her.

To distract himself from his wayward thoughts, he said, “Why don’t I show you the stalls and the three corrals?”

* * * * *

Reese was a bundle of nerves, which she thought ridiculous for her age. But she hadn’t been on a date with a man other than her husband in eleven years. And though this wasn’t technically a “date”, because she and Caleb were having dinner at the B&B, she still couldn’t help but think of it as one.

She’d gone all out, which literally screamed of her apprehension—and contradictory exuberance. Albert Landry, the butcher, had been kind enough to give her a discount on filet mignon. He’d packaged up the specialty cuts in brown paper and had handed the meat over with a knowing look in his eye. But he was too decent a man to say he’d heard she’d been out on the town with Caleb the night before, which was what she suspected the twinkle in his gaze was all about.

When Reese had approached the asparagus display at the farmers market, Tabitha Moore had personally inspected every fresh bushel she’d brought to the market to ensure Reese had the best cut and the heartiest stock. This gave Reese pause, but she’d had no time to question Tabitha’s sudden interest in personalized customer service—when she was usually standoffish, always haughtily insisting every stem was of the highest quality—because Libby Martin had dragged her off.

Libby’s husband was a potato grower and Libby had selected two large, plump potatoes for baking. And then she’d winked at Reese.

Slightly daunted, Reese had moved on to collect the ingredients she needed for the homemade hollandaise sauce she’d spent years perfecting. And then she’d stood next to Luanne Dunham at the boxes filled with imported Georgia Freestone peaches as they’d both tested the weight and texture and firmness of each piece of fruit.

Luanne had handed two over and said, “Put these in your basket with the others. They’re just right.” She’d given Reese a smile and had added, “You make the best peach cobbler in Hill Country.” Then she’d turned away to continue her own shopping.

Curious.

Though her neighbors weren’t typically unfriendly—not by any stretch of the imagination—Reese found it fascinating they were so interested in her dinner ingredients. Clearly the fact she was cooking for two had them all wanting to lend a hand. Was it possible the residents of Wilder were trying to help her in the romance arena, following her public disgrace?

The thought had warmed her heart.

She’d returned to the B&B and had made preparations. Then she’d gone upstairs to primp and change into jeans that didn’t have hollandaise and peach flesh on them. She added a pale-pink sweater that sat slightly off the shoulders. Her stomach twisted with tension, but the more significant sensation coursing through her was exhilaration. Caleb’s blue eyes and sexy grin had flashed in her mind more times than she could count as she’d shopped, cooked and baked. And when she heard his Range Rover pull alongside the house by the courtyard, her pulse spiked.

She’d shaved her legs and bikini area… Just in case. Thoughts of sex with Caleb had lingered at the forefront of her mind since she’d made her indecent proposal the previous evening. A notion that made her snicker. Reese Middleton making a bold move like that…who would have guessed?

But he inspired her in ways that had lain dormant for too long. Not that she hadn’t done everything in her power to hold Tommy’s interest, but after being shot down so many times, at some point, a woman had to give up. Reese had no idea what had caused Tommy to lose interest, other than the fact that perhaps she’d just made life too easy for him, never asking for anything in return.

She wanted something in return this time. Respect. Intimacy. Mutual admiration.

Deep within her, she honestly felt she might have met a man capable of giving her those things. He might also be the one to restore some of the pride she’d lost because of Tommy—whom she refused to let spoil her good mood this evening.

Bounding down the stairs, she was more than happy to leave her jangled nerves behind and embrace the potential that lay before her.

Except that when Caleb came through the front door, she drew up short and gripped the post at the bottom of the staircase for support as her knees practically knocked together.

“Whoa,” she said, the breath leaving her body on a hard rush of air. He carried in his strong arms a huge bouquet of flowers, all in white and soft, buttery yellow, with greenery as accents, to complement the decor of her B&B. “What the hell?”

He laughed. “I was informed Ryan Bain had ordered the most ostentatious floral arrangement ever delivered to a Wilder woman. Now, really? You think I’m going to be outdone when it comes to romance?”

Reese recalled Jess’ last over-the-top ensemble. This one beat it by leaps and bounds. “Holy Moses.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “No one’s ever brought me flowers like that.”

Tears stung the backs of her eyes at a more painful thought. No man had cared for her enough—or had wanted to impress her enough—to go to the trouble of such a grand gesture.

Caleb grinned. “Well, you know, I just wanted to make the point that you should expect flowers like this from a date. You deserve them.”

He set the glass vase on a large, round end table. Then he reached behind him, extracting something from his back pocket. He handed over a pretty, fuchsia-colored Gerbera daisy.

“I saw this when I was walking out of Jess’ shop. It seemed more like your style than anything else.”

She sighed, then smiled. “It
is
my style.” Taking the stem from him, she brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply. “The bouquet is beautiful, but you don’t need to impress me with extravagance. You know that, right?”

His blue eyes shimmered under the golden light of the foyer chandelier as he said, “I realized that when I saw the daisy. But I still wanted you to have the big arrangement. You should never doubt you make a man want to do something ridiculous just to bring a smile to your lips or a tear of joy to your eyes.”

She brushed away the drops on her cheeks. “I haven’t done anything yet to warrant a gazillion dollars worth of flowers.”

He sniffed the air as the scent of hollandaise sauce and peach cobbler wafted from the kitchen. “Oh really?”

With another smile, Reese told him, “I need a little more time to finish dinner.”

“And I need to shower and change. Meet you back here in ten minutes?”

“I’ll likely be the one with flour on her ass.”

He chuckled. “I have no problem with that.” His head bent and he kissed her.

Reese found herself leaning into him, deepening the kiss. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and she could have lost herself completely in the perfection of the moment. Had the timer on the stove not chimed loudly.

She pulled away. “Damn. That thing is supposed to have good timing, not bad.”

Caleb grinned at her. “Go do whatever you have to do. I’ll be back.”

Watching him go was a foregone conclusion before he even walked off. The man had one hell of an ass.

That’s because he’s only in his twenties.

She had to brush off the thought, because tonight she was determined to see if something more substantial than lust existed between them. Perhaps the encouragement from her community made her feel this way. Obviously, speculation of her involvement with Caleb set right with her friends. She’d known they’d taken her side with the Tommy debacle, but she really hadn’t thought they’d jump on her rebound bandwagon with such enthusiasm. It increased her optimism, helping her to believe the chance she was taking was a smart one.

She finished the filets and drizzled sauce over them. She loaded up the plates with asparagus and potatoes. The garnishes were already set out on the table.

Caleb appeared, spiffed up in clean jeans and a white button-down shirt. Nadine had been right about him from the get-go. He really was one good-looking son of a gun. She smiled as he pulled the chair back for her. She’d lit two tapered candles in the center of the table and had set out the Gerbera daisy in a tall, slim glass as the centerpiece.

“You realize everything you do makes my day, right?” he asked in a low voice.

Her head tilted to the side. “No. I really haven’t done anything.”

He eyed the stem in its makeshift vase, then his gaze shifted to the filet on his plate. “Yeah, you have. This is perfect. Beats the hell out of a five-star restaurant, though I’d happily treat you to that. It’s just so much more…
real
here. So honest. Intimate.”

Everything she’d been looking for herself. Swallowing down a lump of emotion, she said, “Tommy always liked me to go out of my way for him. All the time. I didn’t mind at first. I wanted him to be happy. But after a while, when you know you’re being taken for granted, you start to resent not only the person who’s using you, but you begin to dislike yourself for allowing it to happen.”

Caleb dropped a dollop of butter, followed by sour cream, onto his potato, then sprinkled on the chives. “I know what you’re saying. Maybe that’s why I see something different with you. I’m accustomed to women who are interested in me because of my family name and money. You haven’t even charged me for the room yet.”

“We still haven’t negotiated a fair rate for a month’s rental.”

“Most people wouldn’t think twice about that, Reese, when they know what I’m worth.”

“Liza—and your purchasing the ranch—gave me a good idea. But I don’t care about what you’re worth,” she told him. “I know what it’s like to be used for monetary gain—on a much smaller scale, of course. The truth is, your family money is infinitely more intimidating than it is enticing to a woman like me.”

“I had that feeling from the beginning.”

She said, “I also don’t care for pretention—clearly, neither do you.”

With a sharp shake of his head, he said, “No, I do not. A sore spot with my parents, but that’s a subject we’re best to steer clear of. Pretention is the order of the day for most of the Bennetts who comprise my family tree.”

“I’ve wasted too much of my time trying to live up to someone else’s expectations. It must be much more difficult for you.”

He shrugged. “I suppose I have a bit of a stubborn streak that helps me through it.”

“And determination. You don’t strike me as the type to back down easily.”

“No, I am not.”

She admired the trait.

They finished dinner while talking about the town and the more laid-back lifestyle in Wilder, a vast difference from Dallas, Caleb conceded. He told her he preferred the more casual environment.

After coffee and more amiable conversation, he rinsed the dishes and she loaded them into the washer. He’d devoured the peach cobbler while raving about it and she’d silently thanked Luanne Dunham for her two additions to the dessert. All in all, Reese felt as though a little of her damaged pride had been healed this evening. Thanks to the sexy cowboy-vet.

He pulled her into his arms and murmured against her temple, “That was an incredible meal.”

“Glad you liked it.”

His lips grazed her skin. “I like everything when it comes to you.”

Reese’s thoughts ran the same direction. “I’m starting to think you’re a bit of a godsend.”

A wicked glint flashed in his eyes. “That sounds much too angelic for the thoughts occupying my mind.”

Her clit tingled and her cunt clenched. The erotic sensations he so easily sparked coursed through her. She wove her fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck. “Do tell.”

He groaned. “I’d rather show you.”

“Oh,” she said on a heavy sigh. “Okay.”

With a low chuckle, he scooped her up in his arms again. He seemed to enjoy doing that. As he left the kitchen and crossed the hardwood floor to his suite, her excitement escalated.

She whispered in his ear, “I’m not having any doubts tonight, nor am I answering any doors.”