The Reluctant Rancher (14 page)

Just as they reached the dance floor, the band switched to a soft melody, perfect for a slow dance.
 
Luke guided them around the floor with surpri
sing grace for such a big man.
 
Mary sighed happily as she clung to his hand and savored the feel of his body pressed against hers.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you looked tonight?” he whispered in her ear.

“Luke,”
she protested
.
“I thought we’d settled that.”

“I thought we had, too
.” He
mov
ed
until he could see her eyes.
 
“I thought you were going to listen when I spoke.”

Mary had the grace to blush.
 
“Al
right, l
ay it on, mister.
 
Tell me what a raving beauty I am and how much you want me.”

Luke smiled, a predatory smile if ever Mary saw one
,
and
she
knew she had gone too far.
 
He pulled her close
, letting her feel exactly what
she did to him. “Do you feel me
, Mary? D
o
you feel how much I want you?” H
e ground h
is hips against her soft belly.
As the next song started, he swung them off the dance floor and into a small alcove
off
to the side.

“Mary.” H
er name
was
a mere whisper of breath as he brushed her mouth with his.
 
His fingers stroked the nape of her neck under t
he weight of her hair.

“Open your
mouth for me, baby.
 
Just like that day in the barn
.” H
e bit into the soft tender flesh of her botto
m lip, and she cried out
in pleasure.
Heat engulfed her and she pressed herself against his hard form, breathing in his warm, male scent.

He muttered somethi
ng low and rough, breaking off the kiss
.
 
His hands roamed over the flesh of he
r arms, the sides of her waist and explored the soft outer curves
of her breasts.
She trembled, bu
t didn’t pull away or protest. H
er blood heated with delicious anticipation.
Holding her star
e, he brushed his
thumb
s across
the puckered centers.
For long, endless moments he caressed her, his eyes darkening with an indefinable emotion before a shuttered expression s
ettled over his rough features.

He placed her hand on the bugle in front of his charcoal gray pants and
urged
her to cup him with her palm. Mary’s moan mingled with his as she closed her fingers around him, squeezing ever so slightly. “I want to make you wet with wanting, Mary
. S
o
wet that
you
can take me with a single stroke
.”

He raised her hand to her mouth, kissing her trembling fingers
“Don’t ever think I don’t want you, baby.
 
Don’t ever think you’re not beautiful.”

“I won’t,” Mary whispered, a part of her finally
beginning to believe his words.

“I know all this is new for you, Mary.
” He toyed with a strand of her hair.
 
The pale silver color seemed to fascinate him.

Hectic color flooded Mary’s face.
 
“Yes
.”

“It’s relatively new to me, too,” Luke admitted.
 
“But I don’t expect you to believe that.”

“I know you were married
.” She was r
eluctant to bring up any subject that might shatter this fragile moment.

Luke gave a short bark of laughter.
 
“Yeah, for all of two minutes.”
 
For a brief instant, Mary sensed his need to talk, to share his feelings.
 
She held her breath and waited.
The moment passed and he patted the pockets of his suit until he found his pack of cigarettes.
She took them from him and tossed them on a table.

“Smartass.” He groused but grinned at her.
“Go inside and find grandfather.
 
I need a few moments alone.”

“Will you kiss me again, Luke?”

“Hell, Mary, what do you think
, I’m made of, steel?”

“Apparently so.” Her eyes went to the front of his pants that hadn’t lost any of their fullness.
He
s
crubbed
his hand along his jaw.

His touch held a measure of male possession and
an
unspoken warning when he lifted her against him to kiss her so thoroughly and hungrily that she gasped when he let her go.

Without another word, he gave her a not-so-gentle pat on her swaying backside and sent her on her way.
 
Mary stopped at the edge of the dance floor, turning back to watch
as he
stepped into the rain swept night.
 
She knew she might be reading more than he intended into what they had shared, but she wanted to go after him, to stay with him until the world faded
away
.
 
But she kn
ew she couldn’t
.

A sudden silence fell over the group as she joined Joseph and h
is date.
 
Joseph’s knowing look made her blush.
“He had to go outside for a few minutes.”

“He’s smoking those damned ci
garettes again,” Joseph huffed.

“No, he’s not. I took
them away from him.” Mary took a seat beside her patient.

“
Good for you, Mary.
I want you to meet my Sara.”
 
He introduced the woman by his side and Mary could see something special existe
d between the two older people.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” the other woman said. Her warm and infectious smile had Mary responding instantly.
 
The two exchanged pleasantries and Mary soon discovered Sara had retired from nursing only the year before.
 
As they continued to talk, Mark and Jennifer walked up with a fretful baby Jessica in tow.

“Let me take her, honey.
” Mar
k
shifted the fussy child into his arms.

Jennifer sighed as the baby con
tinued to cry despite her husband
’s ministrations.
 
“I guess she needs to be changed.
 
And fed.
 
Will you come with me, Mary?
 
I hate to walk to the restrooms by myself.
 
I don’t know why they put them so far away from the main hall.”

“Of course
,” Mary agreed.
She tried not to look for Luke.

Joseph squeezed her arm as she passed.
 
“When he comes back, I’ll tell him wh
ere you went.”

“Thanks.”
 
Mary smiled
.
No point in
trying to hide it
now.
 
Anyone who had seen them
at the table sharing the chocolate treat or
making
their way to the dark corner of the hall would have guessed her true feelings for Luke Tanner.

Once inside the ladies room, Jennifer ch
anged the baby’s soiled diaper and took a seat in one of the leather chairs in the alcove. “T
here, that’s all that was wrong with my little girl
.
” She lowered the front of her dress and settled
the infant in her arms to nurse.

“How are you enjoying the dance?
D
id Luke like my strawberries?”

Mary
fus
sed with her hair as she stared
at her reflection in the mirror.
Sometimes having a best friend who knew you so well could be very annoying.

“
Don’t clam up on me now,”
Jennifer
begged.
 
“I want det
ails.”

“You’re a married woman.
 
What kind of details can I possibly give you?”

“I’m married, not dead
, for heaven’s sake.
 
Come on, give,” she growled.

Mary shook her head.
 
“There’s nothing to tell.
 
We ate a little and danced a little.”

The other woman became serious.
 
“Did you talk any?”

“Some, but Luke isn’t much of a talker.”

It was Jennifer’s turn to shake her head.
 
“Darling, I know you don’t want to
hear this, but
…
”

“You’re right.
 
I don’t want to hear it.
 
You got lucky, Jenny.
 
Mark is a wonderful man who loves you to distraction.”

“I didn’t mean
to upset you.
I just don’t want you rushing into anything, doing something you’ll regret later.”
 
Her eyes filled with sympathy and Mary knew her friend had guessed her feelings for Luke without being told.
And her intentions should the opportunity ever arise. Remembering the feel of him beneath her hand had her insides clenching.

“I’m never going to have what you have.
 
I’ve accepted that about myself and my life.
 
But if I can have a night with this man holding me close, I’ll take it.
 
Happily-ever-after never happens for women like me.” She sighed in regret.
 
“I’m staying until Joseph’s cast comes off and then I’ll have my loan and forget all about Luke Tanner.”

They shared a sad smile and left the restroom, returning to the dance.

When Mary and Jennifer returned to the party, the
y discovered Luke had received
a
urgent
call from the ranch informing him that one of his pregnant mares might be in trouble.
 
He’d hitched
a ride and left the truck for Joseph and Mary.
They stayed until the early hours of the morning but for Mary, the night had lost its fairy tale feeling.

Suddenly she felt just like Cinderella
had
after the ball – pumpkin coach, rats and all.

CHAPTER SEVEN

A few days later, Luke shifted restlessly in his saddle
and tried
to find a comfortable position on the cold wet leather
. He’d given
up any hope of
staying
dry in the deluge now falling.
 
He cursed each cold drop of rain that found its way beneath his weatherproof poncho.
 
For hours he had ridden through the unrelenting downfall and there seemed to be no
relief in sight.

A
nother cow escaped from the herd
and he
wheeled Lucifer around to catch the errant animal.
 
Tired and damp, he just wanted to go the hell home.
 
He and his men had been up since before dawn
moving cat
tle across the water logged plains.

The cattle had to be rounded up and moved to the mountain pastures pronto.
 
He didn’t care what the weatherman said, the town of
Fiddler
C
reek, as well as his ranch, was
in for
a good old-fashioned flooding.

He urged his stallion forward and headed for the mountains. More than one cow had already strayed through the boundary fence he had repaired earlier that week. Or thought he had repaired. He winced. His mind had been more on Mary than the job at hand. She had him so confused, he was behaving like some greenhorn kid.

Luke cursed roundly
as the clouds above him broke open
again drenching him all the way through in spite of his waterproof poncho.
It was nothing more than he deserved he thought
as he
tugg
ed
the collar of his slicker up around his neck.
Why shouldn’t the fates decree their displeasure with him?