Cougar in Texas: 3 (Rugged and Risque) (4 page)

Wilder’s newcomer appeared equally enthralled with the food. And this from a guy connected to Dallas society. That certainly spoke volumes of Mike’s talent in the kitchen.

When the plates had been cleared away, Ruby delivered separate checks to each couple, excluding Reese and Caleb. He quickly reached for her bill.

“For letting me hang with you and your friends,” he said as he handed Ruby both tabs and some cash. “I forgot to pick up the credit card I’d left in the kitchen when I went back to the B&B to shower and change.”

“I haven’t run it yet. We ought to discuss a fair room rate.”

“I’m okay with whatever works best for you.” He grinned at her.

“We can come to an agreement later.”

“I’m sure we can.”

She resisted the urge to sigh over how utterly breathtaking he was, and those gorgeous blue eyes… She could gaze into them all night long and never consider it a waste of an evening.

“You really don’t have to buy my dinner,” she said.

“Too late.” His grin was such an easy, comfortable one, it caused a tickle of excitement along her clit and made her pussy throb in a dull, aching way. The man set her on fire with very little exertion on his part. All that natural charm and hunkiness… He was lethal to a woman’s resolve not to stroll down Romance Lane again.

“How about a round or two at the saloon?” Jack suggested, unfortunately not distracting her this time from the erotic sensations coursing through her.

Everyone agreed, then turned their attention to Reese and Caleb.

“You’re joinin’, right?” Jack asked.

Caleb said, “Thanks for the invite. I could use a night out before I dive into the work at the ranch.”

“Reese?” Ginger prompted her in a discreet tone. Though there was nothing discreet about how all these people where trying to hook her up with the sexy vet.

But the constant fluttering of her stomach led her to throw caution to the wind. “What the hell?” The live music would be loud and the atmosphere cheerful. She could hardly dispute both would vastly improve her mood of late. Although she suspected Wilder’s newcomer could do that all on his own.

Caleb stood and pulled back her chair.

As she got to her feet, she said, “You probably don’t know how to get there.”

She turned to Jack for him to give directions, since it was his saloon, but Jess intervened, suggesting, “Why don’t you go with Caleb? You can show him the way.”

“I carpooled with Jess and George this evening.”

“Perfect,” he said with a nod. “I can drive you over and then back to the B&B.”

“You’re okay with that?” she asked, a bit breathless from another tickle of desire against her clit.

“You’re kidding, right?” He stared down at her, his hypnotic eyes holding a twinkle of mischief that was intriguing. And enticing.

“Okay, then.” Jack clasped his hands together. “We’ll see you there.”

The group dispersed. When they stepped outside, they walked in different directions to their vehicles. Caleb led her to a Range Rover parked in front of the pawn shop. He opened the passenger side for her and she slid into the seat. He closed the door and rounded the front. Reese tried to latch her seatbelt but it was tricky. She suspected her shaky fingers caused the problem.

He climbed in beside her and the space seemed much smaller. More intimate. Downright cozy. The strong Italian seasonings in Pietro’s had overpowered Caleb’s cologne, but now she drew in a long stream of air filled with a masculine, earthy scent that was warm and inviting. It had a calming effect on her.

Glancing over at him, she said, “Take Main Street to the junction and then turn left. Wade’s is set back a few miles out of town.”

“Got it.” His gaze lingered a moment. “Your friends are great.”

“I’m usually a good judge of character. One slipup, but other than that…” She shrugged off her miscalculation with Tommy. “They all liked you, I could tell. Well, the women, obviously…”

He chuckled. “They’re very friendly. And to offer to help with the horses. That was incredibly nice.”

“Their offers are genuine, I assure you. They don’t carelessly throw things like that out. If they say it, they intend to commit to it.”

“It’ll be a big help. I just need them to know it’s not a pretty sight when a neglected horse comes into a shelter. Took some muscling through the first dozen times I witnessed it.”

“That’s why I didn’t volunteer,” she said. “Not that I wouldn’t like to help in some way, but abused horses… That’s like looking at puppies that have been kicked around and tossed out a car window, left to suffer on some deserted country road.” She shuddered at the thought. It was a fate more tragic than her own personal debacle with Tommy, yet she could certainly relate to how bad it felt to be punted emotionally.

“Yeah,” he said in a low voice. “I hear ya. And don’t feel obligated. I won’t be offended. Some cases can be excruciatingly painful to deal with. Most of them, as a matter of fact. No decent human being wants to see an animal that’s been mistreated.”

“Takes someone with a very strong character to do what you’re trying to do, Caleb.” She thought about what she’d said earlier to Jess and Liza about their husbands, and how they’d never have to worry about the men cheating despite how attractive they both were—and how they easily caught the eyes of other women—because they had such strong constitutions. Reese had a niggling suspicion the cowboy veterinarian who’d recently shunned Dallas society for a higher purpose just might be made of similar stuff.

He started the engine and she settled more comfortably in her seat. She was perfectly at ease in his presence. Stealing glances at his chiseled profile, she couldn’t deny how he revved her own engine. The man was all brawn and brain and inner beauty. How the hell was he still single?

“Was it difficult to leave family and friends behind in Dallas?”

His eyes remained on the road as they turned at the junction and the town’s antique lampposts no longer provided additional illumination. Silver rays from the moonlight lit his cheekbones and streaked his dark hair.

“Actually, I was ready for a change of scenery. My dad has been breathing down my neck about a position in his company. But I’ve always known what I wanted to do. Work with animals.”

“You’re kind of young for such a big responsibility, don’t you think?” She couldn’t help it…the five-year age difference still stuck in her craw.

His jaw tightened briefly, as though she’d hit a sore spot.
Interesting.

“I suppose so,” he said. “But I’ve been around horses my whole life. And I started volunteering at clinics and shelters when I was thirteen, under strict adult supervision of course. Since a lot of vet schools will accept you on good grades with a minimum of forty-five or fifty college credits, I spent two years studying at the university level, then did my four years at vet school. A year as intern followed and I was offered a job at that particular facility. I did that stint for another year, and now here I am.”

“That’s serious dedication.”

“I always knew this was my calling. But rescuing horses on my own is new to me. I contracted with a more seasoned equine specialist to work part-time. And he recommended a number of skilled techs willing to relocate or drive over from Austin. I think we’re going to have an outstanding group.”

Reese tore her gaze from his profile and stared out the window. “That’s incredible,” she said. “My biggest dream was a bed and breakfast.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Weary travelers need to rest their heads somewhere.”

She turned back to him. “You don’t judge, do you?”

“Who am I to do it?” He was silent a moment and she motioned with her hand for him to turn off the road onto a gravel drive that led to a nearly packed parking lot. He pulled into one of the few empty spots and said, “I’m supposed to follow in my father’s footsteps, as he did, and as his father followed in my great-grandfather’s footsteps. But I don’t like the corporate mentality and the focus on making more and more money without concern for the environment or social responsibilities. I wanted to head up corporate contributions. But the fund is so bare bones—meeting minimum requirements that allow for tax deductions—that it’s not even a necessary position. So I struggle with how conscientiously the company is run.”

She stared at him, thinking he was quite the gem. Too bad she’d already ruled out any sort of romantic involvement with him. He had a hell of a lot to offer by way of sexual chemistry and, as her mother would have said—were she still alive—true grit.

“Well,” he said, “looks like a lively time lies in wait.” He exited the vehicle while she tried to work the latch on her seatbelt. Damn thing wouldn’t give.

He opened her door and saw her struggling. “It sticks sometimes, sorry. I should have warned you.” Leaning in, he asked, “Do you mind?”

“Free me,” she said with a laugh.

He moved in close and she got another nose full of the enticing scent he wore, along with the leather from his jacket. His hunky body filled the passenger side and his shoulder brushed hers as he jiggled the latch until the metal released from its holder.

“There you go.” He ducked out of the SUV and straightened.

Reese tried to get her breathing under control. She slipped from the vehicle and led him to the entrance of the saloon, admittedly on shaky legs. He did crazy things to her insides. Made her knees practically knock together. Her nipples puckered behind her lacy bra and her pussy pulsed with awareness. None of those sensations could be controlled, least of all the tingling of her skin.

He reached around her for the door handle and pulled it open. She stepped inside, instantly relieved to have the upbeat country-western music and the noise from the patrons take her mind off the way she innately responded to Caleb.

“Hey, y’all!” Jess waved them over. They’d pushed together several tables to accommodate the large party.

Jack delivered scotch to George and beers to the others. He asked Reese and Caleb, “What can I get you two?”

“The same,” Caleb said as he inclined his head toward the brew.

“Ditto.”

“Comin’ right up.” Jack headed off to the bar.

Caleb draped his jacket over a chair and added Reese’s after he helped her out of it. His gaze slid over her, and it made her pulse accelerate. She hadn’t gotten too dressed up for the evening out. She wore jeans along with a sweater and tank-top ensemble in winter-white. Admittedly, she was glad she’d left her hair down and had applied a bit more makeup than what she’d had on earlier. Caleb seemed to like what he saw.

Yet she couldn’t help reminding herself she wasn’t looking for a new man. And certainly not a younger one. Though five years wasn’t a huge difference, it’d be nice if they’d at least been born in the same decade. Him being a twentysomething made her feel as though she was trolling for a younger man to spite her ex. That was not the case at all, particularly since she’d decided yesterday she needed to cut the ties with the past. Let it all go.

Caleb leaned toward her and asked in a low tone, “You two-step, darlin’?”

“Not in a very long time.”

“Like riding a bike,” he said in her ear. “You game?”

She spared a glance at her friends, all of whom wore expressions of encouragement. She debated the situation a moment. Despite all of her reservations though, the offer was simply too tempting to pass up. Placing her hand in his, she let him lead her onto the dance floor.

Chapter Three

Caleb pulled Reese into his arms and had to bite back the sigh of relief that sprang up on him. From the minute Jack had suggested they head to the saloon, all he could think of was dancing with her. It was a wonder he’d been able to get through the conversation about his new business on the drive over, though it was such a grand passion he could talk about it extensively with little thought. Reese, he’d discovered, had incited a different kind of passion.

They moved together easily as he guided her around the dance floor. He kept her close to him, which didn’t go unnoticed by those in the near vicinity. He caught the curious glances shot their way and knew Reese did too, because her body turned rigid.

He smiled at her and said, “Relax, darlin’. We’re just dancing. That’s hardly newsworthy enough to set the rumor mill on fire.”

“You have a lot to learn about this town.”

With a chuckle, he added, “I can take the heat.”

But he wondered if she could. She seemed preoccupied with the indiscreet attention they received.

When the song ended, he asked, “Ready for that beer?”

“Definitely.”

Despite her obvious tension related to the scrutiny from the townsfolk, Caleb didn’t miss the flash of awareness in her eyes. Something more than self-consciousness edged her tawny irises. An unmistakable flicker of desire told her she’d liked being in his loose embrace. So he didn’t think twice about taking her by the hand as they strolled over to rejoin their party. They took the empty seats and sipped the cold draught beer awaiting them.

George said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out on the dance floor, Reese.”

“Not since my wedding reception, which was a few months before you came to town,” she told him, a distant tinge to her voice.

“Looked like you were enjoying yourself,” Jess added.

Caleb watched as her gaze slid to the dance floor and then returned to him. She smiled.

“I was enjoying myself. Too hell what anyone has to say about it. Wanna get back out there?”

The band covered Garth Brooks’ lively
American Honky-tonk Bar Association
. He reached for her hand again and said, “Damn straight I do.”

He heard George’s laugh as they left the table. Whether the half a pint she’d had while they were sitting helped to calm her nerves, or she really did want to brush off the busybodies, he wasn’t sure. Nor did he care. All that mattered to him was that she settled comfortably in his arms this time and was much more relaxed as he led her across the floor. Song after song, he twirled her and shuffled her around They moved together in a natural way, as though effortlessly in tune with one another.

When the band slowed it down, Caleb didn’t let her go. He pulled her closer to him, so her breasts nestled below the ledge of his pectoral muscles. She stared up at him, that lusty flicker in her gaze again.

“You’re a very good dancer.” Her tone was provocative and breathy. Her fingers tangled in his hair at the nape of his neck and a soft smile played on her lips.

“It’s our chemistry.”

The way his groin tightened assured him of this. She nodded in confirmation. “I like being in your arms.”

He groaned. Those were words he’d wanted to hear. Bending his head to hers so he could keep his voice low, he said, “Darlin’, you feel better than anything I’ve ever known.”

Her breath seemed to catch. Her eyes searched his and he was certain she found what she was looking for—sincerity. Because he didn’t spew nonsense or empty sentiments.

Her chest rose a tad faster against his. “Maybe we should work our way back to the table.”

“Is it really so bad we’re attracted to each other?” he asked.

“I’m too old for you,” she retorted, a bit quick for his taste.

“Hell,
I’m
too old for me, Reese.” He scowled. “If that’s the best defense you’ve got…”

“Being the talk of the town again isn’t something I welcome.”

“Too late for that. We left tongues waggin’ back at the restaurant. And jaws have been droppin’ in this joint since we walked in together. I don’t mind one bit.” He stared deep into her eyes. “Tell me you don’t either.”

She hedged for only a moment, then said in a lighter tone, “I’m out here on the dance floor with you, aren’t I?”

He grinned. “Well, then. Problem solved.” He twirled her slowly, then brought her back to him, holding her close. “I’d say from the looks of things, your friends aren’t opposed in any way.”

She glanced around his shoulder and then shook her head. “We didn’t leave
all
the tongues wagging back at the restaurant. We brought six of them with us.”

He found the situation amusing, despite the fact he’d forewarned himself he didn’t need any complications. Something about the woman he held in his arms made him think he was inviting all kinds of trouble into his life—on a lot of different levels and from varying outlets, including his own family, since they would not approve of his interest in someone outside their social circle. But impending adversity neither slowed him down nor tripped him up.

After several more songs, he suggested, “Why don’t we get out of here?”

She nodded, likely ready for a break from all the interest they’d racked up. He released her and placed a hand at the small of her back. She collected her purse and their jackets as he dug out some bills from his front pocket.

Liza raised a hand in protest. “No, no. These are on Jack.”

Caleb gave the saloon owner a wave and then said to everyone else, “We need to head out. I’ve got another early start at the ranch tomorrow. Thanks for the good time. And happy birthday again, George.”

“Nice to meet you,” the other man said.

The rest of the group bid them a good evening and then they left, Reese holding her chin at a respectable level, he noted.

When they reached the Range Rover, he opened the passenger door but she didn’t slip inside. Instead, she gazed up at him.

“Are you
sure
you don’t mind all the gossip we just sparked?”

“What are they going to say? That the new guy in town took an instant liking to the woman he’s renting a room from? Can’t get too worked up about that. It’s the truth, after all.”

Her fingers toyed with a button on his white shirt. “You just got here. Maybe you should keep your options open. Plenty of younger, single women in town.”

“I don’t play the field,” he said. “I didn’t come to Wilder to hook up, that’s true. I have a lot on my plate. But something about you feels right, darlin’. And I don’t give a damn how old you are.”

She drew in a long breath, let it out slowly. “I wasn’t looking, either.”

“I can tell. You didn’t put on the high heels and pearls for me when you knew I was on my way over to the B&B. And I’m glad, because I like how grounded you are.” His head dipped and his lips brushed over hers. “So real.”

Her eyelids fluttered closed, so he moved in for a kiss. A slow, easy one that had their bodies gravitating to each other. He wrapped an arm around her waist as the other one cupped the back of her head. Her breasts pressed to his chest again, the sensation more enticing this time than when they’d been on the dance floor, because there was no one around to take note of the way their bodies melded together.

His tongue slipped past her parted lips and delved deep. His arm tightened around her waist. He kissed her with all the passion she incited, all the desire she evoked.

When he finally broke their kiss, she was breathless. Her chest heaved against his and short pants of air fell from her lips.

With a grin, he asked, “What was that you were saying about keeping my options open?”

Under the dim light of the parking lot lampposts, he saw the blush spread over her cheeks. “You’re very sweet.”

He groaned. “One kiss and I’m already hard. You wanna call me
sweet
?”

The rosy color seeped down her neck. “And sexy.”

“Now you’re talking.” He kissed her again. When he heard voices coming from the entrance of the saloon, he pulled away. “Why don’t you hop in?”

She stared intently at him a moment, and it stirred myriad feelings within him. Although the hint of reticence still rimmed her eyes, the prevailing emotion he saw was need. Plain and simple, she needed him to help her get back something she’d lost because of her ex—her dignity.

Caleb could see this quite clearly, because he knew what it was like to have a shortcoming that required someone else’s assistance to rectify it. He suffered from being too young numerically for his advanced maturity. The very reason he had to bring in a more experienced vet to help him get his business underway. Though he was damn certain he was capable of managing the operation—he’d helped injured animals since he was a kid, after all—he was smart enough to admit eight years of schooling and working in a clinic did not make him the be-all, end-all of large-animal vets. Maybe someday he’d be able to make that claim. In the meantime, he looked to Dr. Donald Peters to work with him on the most difficult cases.

As far as Reese went… The woman seemed to know he was more than capable of getting her back in the saddle. If a little romance helped her regain her confidence and inner strength, Caleb was definitely the man for the job. Hands down, he was already nuts about her.

Finally she slipped into the passenger’s seat and he shut the door after her. He climbed in on his side and started the vehicle. “Need the heater?”

“Not after those scorching-hot lip locks,” she said with a sigh. “In fact, I could use a little air to cool down.” She cracked the window an inch.

Caleb backed out of the parking space and hit the road. He reached for her hand and rested it on his thigh, his hand covering hers. His muscles bunched at her touch, a reaction he liked. She did all sorts of interesting things to his body.

Glancing over at him, she asked, “Do you always work this fast?”

His laugh filled the quiet interior of the SUV. “Do I go after something I want? Yes. But when it comes to women… Let’s just say I’ve always been a bit gun-shy.”

“Oh really,” she deadpanned. “Because I don’t get that at all.”

He liked her gentle teasing. “You’re a different story. Something clicked when I met you. I can’t explain it.”

“Yeah, I felt it too.” Regardless of her affirmation, she pulled her hand from his leg. “The thing is, I’m still bumbling along. As you observed earlier.”

He was quiet as he considered this. On the one hand, he did have a tenacious nature when it came to his goals. His professional aspirations required his undivided attention. As for Reese… Well, he certainly knew where she was coming from.

The difficulty with the situation was that he’d never actually been this ensnared by a woman. That it had happened almost instantaneously meant even more to him. He’d kept his guard up since he’d been a teen, having learned at a very early age what the opposite sex typically wanted from him. His family name on
Forbes
billionaires’ list was a guarantee he’d never be lonely. But that was not the kind of companionship he sought.

The woman sitting next to him hadn’t even asked where he’d come up with the money to bankroll the rescue operation, nor had she been quick to snatch his credit card for the room and board. While he had a well-padded trust fund, he hadn’t needed to dip into it for the animal shelter. His grandfather had taught him about the stock market when he was in high school, and he’d invested his graduation money in several sweet spots that had helped him to make even bigger investments later on. He’d also saved his money from birthdays and Christmases, knowing someday it would be better spent on his dream than a collection of comic books or a video gaming system or some other expensive, though inconsequential toy.

He wouldn’t say he’d made his money all on his own. His family had too much of it for the cash not to flow in his direction. But he’d more than stepped up to the plate to reach this point—a necessary tactic in order to justify his need for independence. He didn’t want to be a drain on the Bennett finances any more than he wanted to be a slave to them.

Pulling into the drive of the B&B, he wondered about the current course of action to take with Reese. While his libido was in high gear, he also knew any sort of involvement with her would not be strictly physical. He wasn’t the love ‘em and leave ‘em type.

He cut the engine and she attempted to release the seatbelt again.

“You’ve got to get this thing fixed.”

“Already planned to trade the SUV in for a truck next week. But in the meantime, you’re my captive audience.”

She sucked in a breath, audible over the chirping of crickets and the rustle of leaves that blew in the gentle breeze, which filtered in with her window still cracked.

“You have another point to make?” she asked, her brow lifting.

“Yeah. I’m not looking for romantic complications any more than you are. We both have our issues to work through. But…” He shook his head. “Sometimes you have to step off a cliff. Otherwise you stay stagnant. And potentially miss out on something worthwhile.”

“Meaning?”

His chest pulled tight. He had plenty of dilemmas to wade through, but something drove him to say, “I’m going to kiss you again. If you decide you want me to do more than that, just nod your head.”