Kinkade, Lea - I Got a Feelin' [The Chisholms of Texas 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (5 page)

“Great. Now I’ll have to worry if I’m going to get into a catfight over any man I dance with. Maybe I should just go home.”

“Don’t be silly, Samantha. We’ll let you know if there’s any potential for a smackdown. Some of the women see any guy that hasn’t got a ring on his finger as theirs. Hell, some will even go after the married ones. We’ll show you who they are so you can decide whether or not the man’s worth it. Sometimes you just gotta say, ‘What the fuck’ and go for it,” said Emily.

“If you say so,” muttered Samantha under her breath.

“We say so,” said the women at the table, letting Samantha know that her mutterings had been heard regardless.

As the DJ began spinning the tunes, Jessie was asked to dance almost immediately by a handsome, dark-haired man she called Rio. He was tall and muscular and, all in all, quite good looking. Samantha sighed when she felt not a single tingle. Jessie seemed reluctant at first, but did agree to dance with the tall drink of water, and they melted into each other’s arms as they began the two-step.

Several other men came up to the table angling for introductions to Samantha. She was introduced to so many men that, although usually good with names and faces, she knew she would never be able to remember them all. She refused all dance invitations, telling them she might be ready to dance later in the evening. She wasn’t waiting for Ryan. She wasn’t. Really.

* * * *

“I see Ms. Michaels is here again tonight. Made any progress on that front, bro? You’ve only got one week left.” Ryan knew that Ryder was deliberately goading him.

“I’m making progress.”

“So when did you take her out and why am I just hearing about this now?” asked Ryder curiously.

“We’ve had lunch together a few times,” hedged Ryan. He didn’t want Ryder to know that Samantha had turned him down when he’d asked her out for dinner and dancing.

“So what’s her story?”

“She’s originally from Corpus Christi and sold her interest in a flower shop there to move here to invest in Bach Florists.”

“And…?” coaxed Ryder.

“And what?” Ryan didn’t want to give his brother any information about the lovely Samantha. “That’s all you need to know about her. I saw her first. I’ve called dibs.” Ryan reminded his brother of their discussion last Friday.

“So that’s the way it is.” Ryder looked at his twin curiously. “When’s your first real date? Lunches don’t count.”

“I asked her to go out tomorrow night, but she said she didn’t know me well enough yet,” admitted Ryan.

“If she won’t go out with you, how did you manage to have lunch with her?” Ryder asked.

“I saw her eating her lunch in the park under that old oak tree and I invited myself to join her. I’ve been doing it all week,” answered Ryan. “I think she’s a little gun-shy. It’s going to take some time before she’ll go out with me.”

“I’ll give you an extra week. You’ve got two weeks from tonight. If you’re not dating her by then, dibs be damned. I’ll go after her myself,” retorted Ryder.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll be dating, and I’ll be in her bed. I haven’t dated a woman for longer than two weeks without getting her in bed yet. I don’t intend to break that cycle with the lovely Miss Michaels,” drawled Ryan confidently.

“Be careful, bro. There’s something different about this one.” Ryan watched Ryder as he watched Samantha Michaels throw back her head and laugh at something Jordan said. She was beautiful but had a vulnerability about her that drew people to her. His brother turned to him with worried eyes. “Run her down too hard and she just might catch you,” Ryder warned.

“Don’t worry, little bro. Our pact is still in place. I don’t plan on being caught any time soon.”

“See that you aren’t. If you get caught, Mom will start looking at me next. I’ve got too many wild oats left to sow to deal with that shit,” he said with a shudder.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it under control. Tell the brothers that I won’t be joining you tonight but I’ll call all of them sometime this week.” Ryan left his brother and walked toward the table where the delectable Miss Michaels sat with his sister, his sisters-in-law, and their friends.

As he approached the table of laughing women, Ryan saw the light of genuine amusement in Samantha’s eyes, yet there was a wariness there that gave him the sense that she held part of herself back. When he focused his attention on her, the look in her eyes became even more wary.

“Ladies,” he said grandly as he approached their table. “I hope y’all are having a good time tonight.” Focusing his attention on Samantha, he asked, “Miss Michaels, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

“Samantha,” he chided gently as he saw the refusal in her eyes, “how can you get to know me better if you won’t spend time with me? I’m sure my sister and sisters-in-law will vouch for me that I’m harmless. Won’t you ladies?” Ryan asked Jessie, Taylor, and Jordan.

“He flirts a lot, Samantha, but he’s basically harmless. You’re safe enough with him,” said Jessie.

“Yeah,” chortled Jordan, “go ahead and dance with the man already.”

“Well, okay,” responded Samantha uncertainly. She knew that Jessie and Jordan were telling her that she was physically safe with Ryan. They probably had no idea that Samantha was already feeling emotionally susceptible to the handsome hunk.

Ryan offered his hand to help her stand and led her to the dance floor where the DJ was playing Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee.” He led well and, after a couple of dances, Samantha relaxed in his arms.

As the tempo of the music changed, she made a move to leave the dance floor. Ryan stayed her with a hand on her arm, and they settled into a slow rhythm as Billy Currington’s “I Got A Feelin’” started playing. When the song was over, Ryan reluctantly escorted her back to the table full of women. Several of the women were out on the dance floor, including Jordan, who was swaying in a corner of the dance floor with his brother, Xander.

Asking her if she wanted a drink, Ryan took Samantha’s order and let himself behind the bar to get a beer for himself and a shot of Jameson and a Diet Coke for Samantha. While behind the bar, one of the bartenders came over to him and asked him a question about the schedule. Once he got that question handled, another bartender couldn’t find any more Cruzan Rum in the storeroom. Ryan found it stored in the wrong place and got a couple of bottles for behind the bar, telling the bartenders where it was in the storeroom. When he finally got back to the table, Samantha was surrounded by men who were chatting her up. Cutting through her admirers with precision, he sat down in the chair next to her and set the drinks down on the table as he said, “Here’s your drink, darlin’. Sorry it took me so long. Couple of issues behind the bar.”

“No problem, Ryan,” she replied with a dry smile. “I was just getting acquainted with a few of these gentlemen. They’ve told me a lot about you.”

“Oh, really?” Ryan looked around at the men surrounding Samantha and gave them a dangerous look. “I’m sure I can return the favor for most of them.” He looked around at the men pointedly and several of the men seemed to fade away from the circle surrounding them. A few men remained, looking for another opening to get to Samantha. Samantha just smiled slightly and took a drink of her soda. Once she’d taken several sips from the glass, she poured the shot into her soda and mixed the concoction together with her straw. She took a long sip of her drink just as a song by Carrie Underwood came over the speakers.

Samantha took Ryan by the hand and urged him to the dance floor to dance with her. The remaining men, seeing she had chosen Ryan, dispersed back where they had come from. Ryan knew they were just biding their time. Samantha was a beautiful woman. He should have expected something like this, but he’d been so intent on getting her to go out with him that he hadn’t considered the fact that he might have competition for her attention.

They danced off and on for several hours. Neither danced with anyone else. As they took their seats several hours later, Samantha looked at her watch and sighed. “I think it’s time for this girl to head on out. I have to work tomorrow.” Ryan took heart at the disappointed tone of her voice. He could make some major headway with her if he handled this just right.

“Can I walk you to your car?” asked Ryan, unwilling to leave her company just yet.

“Oh, that’s okay. I walked here. It’s just a few blocks and it’s a beautiful night.”

“I’ll walk you to your place, then. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you walking by yourself at this time of night.” Ryan was being totally honest with her. He wouldn’t feel at all comfortable with any woman walking home by herself at this time of night.

“The question is whether it’s safe or not to let you walk me home. According to those guys you scared off, you’re only after one thing. They were kind enough to point out several women in the club that could back them up.” He could tell she was only partially teasing.

“Darlin’…” Ryan was cursing his habit of playing fast and loose with the women in town. If he wasn’t careful, his history was going to cost him a chance with his future. His future? Now where in the hell had that thought come from?

“No, don’t say it. I already knew you were a player, but I don’t think you’re dangerous. My gut tells me I can trust you to walk me home without accosting me. Besides, I trust Jordan and Jessie, and they say you’re basically harmless. I’m ready to go. You coming?” she asked cheekily.

“After you.” He gestured for her to lead them from the bar. Once they were out of the club, he grabbed her hand despite her feeble attempts to shake him off.

They made small talk as they walked in the general direction of Bach Florists. There were a few people in the parking lot of the club but nobody on the streets. They headed down the alley behind the flower shop, and Ryan noticed that the outside light at the top of the stairs leading to her apartment didn’t throw off much light to the area.

As they headed up the stairs, Ryan said, “I’m surprised you don’t have a motion-sensor floodlight out here, darlin’. It doesn’t seem very safe back here. I know Deseo seems like a safe town, but we still have our criminal element. Why don’t you let me install a better light out here for you?”

Samantha looked around the dim alley as if for the first time. “You’re right. But, it’s okay,” she demurred. “I can probably pick one up at the hardware store or Walmart. I’m sure it will come with instructions. I can install it myself.”

“I’ve put in several over at the club and my own house. It will take me less than fifteen minutes to install it. I can put it in tomorrow for you. Do you work tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’ll be at the shop until 5:00 p.m. You really don’t have to do this. I’m sure I can take care of it.”

“I can pick one up tomorrow while you’re at work and install it for you after you get home, darlin’.”

“All right. Go ahead and put it in. I’ll pay you back for the light though.” She looked a little put out by his refusal to let this matter go.

“No problem. I’ll bring the receipt.” He smiled at her stubbornness.

“Do that,” she said cheekily. She dug her key out of her pants pocket and unlocked the door to the apartment. As she moved to enter the dark apartment, he stayed her with a hand on her arm.

“Let me just make sure everything is safe, okay? Then I’ll leave.”

“Fine.” She waited at the door as he checked all the rooms to make sure she was alone, her face a mask of exasperation.

“No boogeyman?” Man, he loved it when she was sarcastic. It really did something to his libido. Funny, he’d never really liked it in other women.

“No boogeyman,” he said lightly. “Nothing here but dust bunnies under the bed.”

“I don’t have dust bunnies.” Her haughty response made him laugh.

“Tell that to the dust bunnies. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well,” he murmured as he bent in to kiss her gently on her cheek. She looked at him in surprise.

“Good night, darlin’.” He shut the door softly behind him.

* * * *

Samantha locked up after him as she heard his footfalls going down the steps. She wilted against the door. Man, oh, man, was she in trouble! That man got to her on a level she’d never experienced before. She’d expected him to at least try to kiss her good night. A real kiss. A hot kiss. A kiss meant to seduce. She hadn’t been prepared for the chaste little kiss on her cheek.

Samantha decided to take a shower with her new products before going to bed. After she’d washed and conditioned her hair, she poured some of the scented bodywash on a washcloth and pulled it gently over her sensitive mound and breasts. Her body ached for Ryan's touch.

She dried her body carefully, trying not to stimulate her pussy or nipples any more than they already were. She smoothed lotion over her body and moisturized her face. She took the twenty minutes necessary to blow dry her hair thoroughly then pulled it into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck. Her hair was very thick. If she left it loose overnight, she’d be fighting snarls in the morning. She unwrapped the towel from around her body and hung it back in the bathroom. Naked, she pulled back the covers enough to slip into bed. She lay there thinking about Ryan until she fell into a fitful sleep. In her dreams, Ryan made mad, passionate love to her.

Chapter 5

The next afternoon at 5:30 p.m., Ryan parked his truck in the alley behind Bach Florists. Grabbing the bag from the hardware store that contained the security light and a dead bolt lock he had picked up earlier in the day, he pulled his smaller toolbox from the truck-bed toolbox in the back of his truck and headed up the stairs to Samantha’s apartment. He’d decided to get the dead bolt after he’d noticed last night that she didn’t have one on her door. He couldn’t believe the lack of security at her apartment. After the flack she had given him about putting the security light in, he expected an argument about the dead bolt, but he was determined to win that discussion as well. It was a matter of safety. A single woman could never be too careful. Gaining the landing at the top of the stairs, he knocked on the door and waited for Samantha to answer.