Wild Ride: Lance and Tammy (7 page)

At least?
She actually coughed.  From tennis and horses, to kids.  What on earth? He wasn’t kidding about moving on.

“You?” He smiled at her reaction this time, unmoved as if he expected it.

“I love children, Lance. Of course I want some.”

“So after we get married.  How long should we wait?”

Now his voice seemed to have changed.  It didn’t seem as taciturn and she was wondering if he really sounded interested.  “Well, if it was up to me, I would like a baby as quick as possible.  I’m turning twenty seven.”  Seeing Zane made her heart hurt.  She really did want one.

He nodded.  “I’ll agree to that.”

Again, a thrill went through her.  She just couldn’t fathom having a child with this man. Gosh though, it would be the most beautiful baby, she was sure of it. A deep longing welled up inside her over that thought. She knew she’d be a great mother. She’d smother their baby with such affection the likes of which she never had the privilege to know. She cleared her throat and had to adjust her emotions before speaking again. “Do we live separately?”

“For now.  I’m building a house.”

“You are?”

A smile reached his eyes and he shook his head slowly.

She blushed again.
Why are you so stupid around him?
she thought to herself.

“Family is very important to me.  Tessa and Elaina are like my sisters.  Their children are close to my heart.  I would do anything for family.”

“I know that already Lance,” she admitted hesitantly.

“Do you?”

“I’ve seen you with them.”

“You’re quite observant then, Tammy.  I don’t let many people see me like that.”

Only with you
.  She felt her cheeks heating up again. “Where did you learn to ranch—I mean horses?”

He glanced at his watch again. “This will have to be the condensed version.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Okay then. My brothers and I learned from our father.  He was adamant his sons learn the business through hard work and by that, I mean backbreaking.  First there were cattle on a ranch in Texas, but that business wasn’t breaking even.  When he married my mother, he inherited a small spread in Sulphur Springs that was breeding thoroughbreds just for local races.  He did his research and turned the business around, bought more land.  He put the Lansdowne on the map. He’s a very strict businessman and highly intelligent, but he was also just as demanding with us getting an education and not living off of our inheritance.  He expanded the ranch to horses, less with cattle, and made good money. Then, my mother died and it took the drive out of him.  He’s still in our lives but lives in Texas.  He has a small spread, about a thousand acres.  He seems happier there, and it keeps him busy.”

Small? She supposed the fifteen thousand acres they owned in Montana was a reference.  “I’m sorry about your mother,” she said sincerely.  He only shrugged and continued talking.

“He’s been to visit a few times, but it’s hard for him.  My mother was an amazing woman.”

Well to throw such well-adjusted handsome sons, she would have to be. “You were very lucky to have her.”

He nodded. “We all were. Now, I would ask you what you do in your spare time, Tam, but I know for a fact, you don’t have any.”

She shook her head. “I don’t, but I like what I do.”

“Past boyfriends?”  He shifted the subject suddenly surprising her again.

She flushed.  She wished she wasn’t the only uncomfortable person in the room all the time.  Lance still seemed totally at ease with himself and these questions.

“Intimate couples share these details. We don’t want to be unprepared.”

Intimate?
  Oh how she wished. She sighed heavily. She knew what he was getting at.  If her mother brought up Richard and her it would take Lance by surprise. “I was engaged, unhappily, and not by choice, to Richard.”

“Anyone else?” he asked in the same non-hesitant and calm manner.  Not feigning interest or disinterest.

She shook her head.  For the first time he looked a little surprised at her confession.

“I take it he ruined you for a decent relationship.”

“I think my mother ruined me more, pushing me into it. I was young and wanted to make her happy.  Over time I realized nothing I did would have accomplished that. She was very controlling.  Then Richard expected much of the same.”

“He’s not good enough for you.  He’s got a mentality that women have their place. He’s no prize, Tammy.”

He hit that nail on the head. It actually made her feel better.  She always had regrets about leaving everyone, but it was for her survival. “No he’s not.  Although he thinks he is, and the people that surround him think he is because he knows how to fit in, behave.  I hate that lifestyle. I don’t like being someone I’m not.  It seems—well, dishonest.”

Lance observed her thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. “Most people raised in that lifestyle are spoiled and selfish.  That’s why I like the ranch.  It keeps my feet on the ground.  It does that for my brothers too.”

“Yes, but this penthouse is amazing.” She tilted her head and looked up at the scalloped ceiling of his bedroom, which was no small room.  She could fit her entire apartment in it.

“It’s my escape every now and then.  I like to indulge myself sometimes.  I have a healthy balance. Here, I can do that without my family witnessing.  At home, I’m myself.” He smiled while poking fun at himself.

She laughed at the humor he was displaying. It was rare. He was always so serious.

There was an uncomfortable silence after that, well, for her.  “What about your past relationships?”

He sat back in the chair and rubbed his stubble dusted chin with his thumb and forefinger while contemplating that question.

“Tit for tat Lance.”

He smiled, his eyes on hers. “Yes, very true, but I’m thinking.  Let’s see.  Six partly serious ones.”

“Any serious-serious ones?”

He shook his handsome head slowly with his eyes locked on hers  looking as comfortable as the man could be.

Well I guess that rumor was put to rest on why he quit the city life. “What about less-serious.”

“Too many to count.”

Her eyes popped wide.

“I’m a wealthy man Tammy.  I also know how I look to the opposite sex. I’ve had my pick since I hit puberty.  I’m a conceited aggressive, red-blooded male, so I haven’t had a problem finding female company when I need it.”

He looked past her for a moment.  She wondered if it bothered him that she’d pressed him for information regarding his relationships, or perhaps it was that women couldn’t see past his looks and his wallet. “I’m so sorry.  I shouldn’t have pried. It’s none of my business.” She blushed bright red. It was obvious he didn’t like explaining why he’d slept with women the way he did, and really, he didn’t have to.  He was honest with her and she should have left it at that.

His eyes studied her face and saw the embarrassment and he shifted his expression showing keen interest as if something occurred to him.  “Have you ever been intimate with a man?”

Holy hell, this man was too darn insightful! How the heck did he figure that out? Her glow in the dark cheeks were his answer.  He sat upright slowly and a smile pulled at his sensuous mouth.

“I’ll be
damned
, Tammy. That’s admirable.”

“Do you think so?”

“Absolutely.  I find it fascinating with all the work you do, and you do it remarkably, that you’ve never been sexually active.”

How could he, could anyone, possibly be so relaxed about such a discussion.  Yet, here he was speaking to her about it like he was talking about the weather. She knew exactly what he meant though. She’d seen plenty of men naked and had done many invasive procedures to them.  Yes, it was difficult in the beginning, but now it was as easy as buttering bread. Her eyes met his boldly. “I never had a chance to fall in love.”

“Love?”

“Yes.”

“So you are under the impression that you have to love someone to enjoy them sexually?”

“Yes—no, well, yes I do—I think.”  She really didn’t sound too sure of herself, but she was not comfortable with the question.

“I see.”

“Is something wrong? I know it sounds old fashioned.”

“No, again, I find it fascinating.  I find
you
fascinating. I would have never thought that you had such principles about sex.  You are so outgoing.  Most virgins have a reputation of being shy, vulnerable, and introverted. You are a true enigma Tammy.”

Another blush hit her cheeks.

In all the years she knew Lance, not once did he feign interest in her.  That admission sent her heart soaring. Love? Yes, she believed in love before being intimate with someone.  She loved him. “I’ve come to believe that sex isn’t the end all be all of my existence.”

“Says the woman who’s never had the experience.” His handsome mouth graced her with another heart throbbing smile.

“It can’t be all that—“

“—Oh, but
it
is.” his smile altered ever so slightly. It went from charming to challenging showing his even straight white teeth. 

It was a cat-that-got-the-canary smile and Tammy instantly felt a ball of heat well up deep in her pelvis.  It was a smile that told her she was oh-so-wrong and that he was willing to prove otherwise.  Leave it to her to lay a stimulating provocation at the feet of a highly intelligent accomplished alpha male.  She should have known better to give him so much information.

“I think we’ve learned enough today.” There was a gleam in his eyes when he spoke. “You should find something to wear to your parents tonight.” He stood and stared down at her. “Black, yet elegant—ankle length and strapless, with a sweetheart neckline to show off your figure.”

She tilted her head in confusion trying to avoid the embarrassment at his assessment of her body, “I don’t have anything like that.” why on earth was he asking for that style?

He glanced at the time on his Rolex. “I’ll send for Vern.  You have time to shop before dinner.  He reached down and took her elbow to help her stand. “We should really make an impression, don’t you think?” The corner of his mouth pulled up in a devious quirk

“Oh yes!” Again she could have kissed him for his consideration.

“Do you need money?”

She was speechless and stared at him eyes wide and mouth open.

He waited patiently until she composed herself, staring down at her with a glimmer of humor in his eyes.

“Lance, I’m drawing the line at that.  I have savings.  You’ve already done enough for me.”

“I’m not trying to insult you.  I know that you work hard, but nursing doesn’t pay a hell of a lot.  You need something glamorous for tonight.  I can afford that.”

“It doesn’t feel right to accept that.”

He shrugged like it was no big deal.  “It’s my responsibility to make sure you come home in one piece.  I promised Colt and my family.  Also, its men like Cavanaugh that give my profession a bad name. It’s been a while since I enjoyed putting a man like him in his place.”

Oh, and she’d love a front row seat to that. Richard thought he’d had her figured out. He fully expected her to conform to his wishes. He started buying her clothes without her consent, planning which social clubs she was going to belong to and worst of all, who she could be friends with.  Seeing him again, and the way he looked at her, made her realize that he thought nothing had changed no matter that he was engaged.  He wasn’t going to give up.  It made horrible memories flood back to her and she shuddered.  Yet, when she looked at it in Lance’s way, it actually removed some of the angst she had in meeting her family again. She was pretending to be engaged to a man richer than her family who didn’t mind what she did for a living.  Yes, this could be something she needed to get her mother off her back about Richard.  She was also surprised to hear that Colton had talked to him.  She began to wonder if this whole trip Lance had planned was because of her?  She thought it was sweet that the Hartleys wanted to protect her, but she really wished that he was doing it without his brother’s coaxing.

He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet retrieving his credit card despite her refusal. “I have a feeling that the type of dress I want for you is not in your budget.  Let’s say we take this over the top.  You chose, but keep my ideas in mind.”

She looked down at the black card credit card he held out to her. She’d never seen one before, but she knew the card and the color.  The balance was limitless.

He was right, though.  She didn’t have the money for what he expected.  Yet, she couldn’t take his money either.

“You can pay me back later,” he added not meaning a word of it.

“You are lying.”

The corner of his mouth pulled up. His eyes remained steady on hers. “I really don’t indulge much, Tammy, in women and myself.  I don’t mind.  I won’t miss it.  You are pretty much a part of our family. We don’t pay you half of what you’re worth.”

He doesn’t indulge?  This penthouse must’ve been worth at least thirty million.  She pinched her eyes shut resisting the offer.  Suddenly she felt his hand on hers pressing the card into the palm.  She opened her eyes and stared at him then the card.