Country Courtship (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 2) (12 page)

She trembled at his gentle touch, at the coarse fingertips that could so softly whisper across her brow. She looked down, afraid of the way her heart raced, afraid he'd see something in her face that would encourage him when she couldn't do that to Lori. "He's a stubborn foal, determined to be born healthy and filled with promise, so he needs a name that will reflect all that."

She expected Bobby Gray to retreat at her words. Instead, he took a step toward her. Kelli couldn't make her feet back away. One part of her screamed, come closer, while the other said, run.

Bobby Gray's head dipped low. What was he doing? Oh, heavens, was he about to kiss her?

She pulled back an inch while her soul pleaded for her to remain in place. Was she guilty if he was the one doing the kissing? If he kissed her, it wouldn't be her fault, would it?

Did she want him to kiss her? His green eyes were hooded as he came even closer, touching his forefinger to her chin. Her heart almost stopped beating. She did want his kiss. She craved his kiss.

She wanted it more than the air she breathed. More than anything. If he didn't kiss her soon, she thought she might die from wanting.

Her palm came to rest on his shoulder, the heat of him nearly her undoing.

Bobby Gray's lips touched hers and her knees almost buckled. She whimpered at the warmth and rightness of his lips on hers.

At first he merely brushed the corner of her mouth, as if expecting her to force him away. And she should.

But she couldn't bear not to have his kiss.

She couldn't bear to miss this moment.

She couldn't have him, but she could always have this memory. His lips crushed her own and he pulled her deeply into his arms.

He smelled of leather and all things manly.

He tasted of—heaven.

Surely it was heaven?

And for that tiny moment, she forgot Lori and honor and loyalty—and everything she'd ever been taught about them—and kissed him back.

Chapter 9

At the sound of David Bishop clearing his throat to let them know he'd joined them, Bobby Gray ended the kiss. Sooner than he wanted. Much too soon.

Kelli's lips were soft, supple, but there was a firm promise to her kiss. He stepped back. It took her a moment, but she opened her eyes, and her expression was one he wouldn't have missed for anything. She looked happily dazed and it took time for her to fully focus.

Her momentary confusion was cute. She was cute. More cute than any woman he'd ever seen before, and he didn't generally think in terms of such a feminine word.

As she turned toward David, hot color traveled from her neck to her face, making her look like an especially attractive beet.

"Came to check on the foal," said David, lowering his gaze.

"He's a healthy boy," said Kelli, smiling tenderly at the newborn.

They all stood back and studied him. That was the exact moment Bobby Gray decided this foal would be added to the Nelson stock.

"I'm just thankful you were here today," said David. "Otherwise, it probably would have turned out differently."

Kelli shot him a tremulous smile. "I'm glad I was here, too. I wouldn't have missed his birth for the world."

As David tended to the mare, Bobby Gray said to Kelli, "You do great work, Dr. Princess."

"Don't call me that." She grabbed a Wet Wipe from a storage area in a corner of the stall and began cleaning her hands. Her brows were clenched with annoyance. "My mother may be a marqueza, but I'm nothing like her and I'm definitely not a princess."

"It applies," he insisted.

"My ancestry doesn't mean anything." She tossed the wipe into a garbage bin and pointed at the newborn. "
This
means something."

"That's where you're totally wrong."

She looked at him as if he'd grown not merely another head but maybe two or three.

He quickly added, "
This
, as you call it, gives meaning to the word. Without meaning, sure the word is worthless. But with meaning, it takes on huge significance—Dr. Princess. To me you personify the ideals of both doctor and princess-like behavior."

She opened her mouth to reply, but Bobby Gray gave every indication that he'd said his piece and that was it. He turned and headed for the ranch office. He looked back over his shoulder and said, "I need to discuss the stock."

Kelli touched her lips, which were still swollen from his kiss, and didn't know exactly how she felt, other than dazed.

* * *

Bobby Gray completed his business with David quickly and found Kelli waiting outside the office. They walked companionably to the truck and, as she took her seat, he leaned in through the open truck door for another of the kisses he couldn't get out of his head.

However, his plan went awry when Kelli turned her head. He connected only with the soft skin at the base of her cheek.

Placing his forefinger on her chin, he gently adjusted her face toward him.

Kelli's eyes widened and she held up her hand in a stop gesture. "Time for this Cinderella to go."

"It's not midnight."

"For me it is." She shoved him of out the door and closed it.

He wouldn't rush her, he thought as he headed for the driver's side. He smiled, certain he
would
get that kiss, sooner or later.

Of course, he could be wrong, he thought, considering Kelli's silence. She'd told him to take her to the Palmoral estate, but she wasn't saying much otherwise.

Finally he couldn't hold it in any longer. "I'm not going to apologize for that kiss."

"I don't expect you to."

"It was a great kiss."

"It was."

"You agree?" He couldn't understand her. "Then why are you mad at me?"

At last she turned and looked him in the eye. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just not sure what to do with you."

"You could give me another kiss?" He smiled at her. "You know you want one."

"You could try concentrating on driving?"

* * *

Boy, did she want another one of his kisses.

When he drove past security at the Palmoral estate, it was all she could do to keep her hands—and lips—off of him. Once he halted the truck, she bolted out of it as if her life depended on it.

Considering how angry her sister was going to be if she heard about the kiss, Kelli's life very well
might
be in the balance.

She waved goodbye from the safety of the front door and went inside, looking for her father. Before she met up with Abby for their planned shopping expedition, she planned to give him a piece of her mind about deserting her.

She was completely confused over the kiss she had shared with Bobby Gray. He'd been right. The kiss had been great. Special. Unique. And he'd also been right about her longing for another one.

She simply couldn't allow herself to think about him. It was the only solution she could come up with.

She headed for her father's office. She found only her mother, straightening his desk.

"Hi, Mom."

Her mother turned and embraced her. As she stepped back, she swept a lock of Kelli's hair from her face. "You seem worried. What's wrong?"

Kelli studied her mother's beautiful face. She had fine laugh lines at the edges of her eyes and creases where her brows were drawn together out of concern for Kelli, but her mother appeared far younger than her years. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a neat chignon and she'd carefully dressed, as she usually did, in an Armani pant suit.

"You look so sad, Kell. Want to talk?"

"Nothing's wrong." But Kelli never could hide anything from her mother, so what was the point in trying? Her shoulders slumped. "Everything's wrong."

"Let's chat. I just made a pitcher of lemonade and we could sit on the patio and talk in private."

"That sounds perfect." Kelli followed her mother to the kitchen, where they each got a glass of lemonade. They headed outdoors and took seats at one of the tables near the swimming pool.

"Man trouble?"

"Sort of." Kelli didn't want to admit to herself what she'd done by kissing Bobby Gray and she truly didn't want to admit it to her mother. But maybe Mom would have some sage advice that would help Kelli know her own mind. "Maybe more like sister trouble."

Kelli spent the next half hour spilling what had happened and how she'd come to be in this mess.

"That is a difficult position to be in," said her mother.

"So what should I do?"

"Only you can know your heart." Her mother took a sip of lemonade and set the goblet on the table. "It's possible your father and I made falling in love sound a little too simple. It's complex."

Kelli considered that for a moment. Was she falling in love? "How can I know if it's love, Mom?"

Mom tilted her head and gave Kelli a steady smile. "You'll know, and once you do, you'll know what to do. When your father and I fell in love, we faced many obstacles. You girls aren't aware of this, but back then there was a lot of resistance to my marrying someone who wasn't of royal lineage. We had to convince my parents and their advisors that in our case it was the right thing to do. I had to learn to stand up for my own happiness. Love gives you the strength to do that."

Her mother had given Kelli a lot to think over. She'd never known about the opposition to her parents' marriage. They were both so very happy, Kelli would never have suspected it.

At that moment, Abby joined them on the patio. "Ready to go shopping, Sis?"

"You bet." Although she had more questions, she didn't want to ask them in front of her sister. "See you later, Mom."

"Have fun, my darling girls."

* * *

Dillard's was Kelli's favorite department store. She and Abby had just arrived and Kelli stopped on a quick detour to the lipstick section of the cosmetics counter. Their ultimate target was a dorm-decoration shopping expedition. Abby was on her way to the University of Texas in Austin, and Kelli had promised her sister a spending spree as a high school graduation gift.

Kelli applied some lip gloss to her lips and checked her image in a mirror on the counter.

Ever since Kelli had climbed into her sister's Mustang, Abby hadn't stopped yammering about Bobby Gray—how cute he was, how fun, what a great sense of humor and, worst of all—how lucky Lori was, which of course drove home what a traitor Kelli was.

"He's got a cute backside," added Abby.

More worrisome, Bobby Gray had apparently succeeded in charming Kelli's baby sister. Kelli gnashed her teeth, which wasn't so good when she was trying out
Save Our Reefs Red
gloss.

"Are
you
dating anyone?" Would her sister fall for the change in subject?

"If I met someone like Bobby Gray I sure would be." Abby studied her image in a wall mirror behind the counter as she flicked her long hair behind her shoulder. She slanted a look at Kelli. "Does Bobby Gray have a brother?"

Moving the topic off Bobby Gray had been too much to hope for. Kelli might as well come clean. "Have you heard of the Nelson Brothers?"

"Oh." A lovely sunshiny smile spread on Abby's peaches and cream face as she realized exactly who Bobby Gray was and that, yes indeedy, he had a brother who was even cuter. "Monty Joe still single?"

"Even if he is, he's too old for you."

"I'm an adult."

"Eighteen doesn't count. Monty Joe has to be well into his thirties."

Abby stopped looking at her reflection long enough to pout at Kelli. "I bet you want him for yourself."

"Nothing could be further from the truth." Although there was a truth that she wasn't willing to admit to herself, much less to her blabbermouth youngest sister.

The truth was, a brother wouldn't do for her. Only one cowboy called to her heart and he was off limits.

Abby cast another slant-eyed look Kelli's way. "I think I'm good at matchmaking. Don't you?"

Where had that subject come from? At least she was no longer discussing Bobby Gray. Kelli gave Abby's idea some thought. "You did introduce your high school principal to Chrissie. Aren't they engaged now?"