Her Midnight Cowboy (3 page)

Rowdy sucked in air until his burning lungs refused to hold any more, and then exhaled with force. He pitched forward, grabbing hold of the stall board, and grunting.

The grunt turned into a groan. His life had gone to hell in a handbasket here at Heaven on Earth. He’d accepted the foreman’s job because he didn’t want anyone else seeing to Angel’s welfare, but he hadn’t moved into the ranch house. Had flat-out refused. Knowing Angel slept in that big house—alone—was pure torture.

But this past week had been worse. She’d completely ignored him, to the point that her gaze never even came his way. Her absence consumed him, and the lack of sleep made him edgy and cross. The cowhands saw it, though to their credit, they didn’t comment.

Damn Ellis Clayton and his trip across the ocean. Rowdy almost wished the ship would sink. A shudder ran across his shoulders, as if a goose had walked across his grave. Damnation, that was a terrible thought for a man to have—wishing another ill.

He lifted his head. Templeton was staring at him as if the animal was afraid Rowdy was dying. He wondered if he was. A kiss like that was enough to stop a man’s heart.

After another deep breath, he turned, glancing through the open barn door toward the ranch house. He liked her, all right. That was the problem. Pushing away from the stall, he grabbed both hats off the barn floor. Enough was enough.

By the time he reached the front porch, his footsteps had become determined and hurried. Without knocking, he entered the large home. A gasp made him swivel and peer into the front parlor. Angel sat on the divan, her expressive eyes wide and glowing, her curls tousled. His heart started racing again. She was so damn irresistible.

He tossed her hat on a small table and leaned against the door frame, giving his heart a moment to slow down—as if that could happen. Flinching at the thought, Rowdy tightened every muscle, determined to prove it could.

Angel stood, looking at him questioningly and twisting her hands together.

“The invitations?” They weren’t why he’d come, but now seemed like a good excuse. The wherewithal to tell her that kiss should never have happened had disappeared.

“I—I haven’t written them yet.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Her spine stiffened. The action thrust her breasts forward.

Rowdy fought to keep his eyes off the skin revealed by the open V of her blouse. “Yes, why?”

Her hands went to her hips. “Because I just walked into the house.”

“Looked to me like you were sitting on the sofa, not doing much of anything.” He bit the inside of his cheek. Seeing her flustered was damn near as exhilarating as tasting her smoldering kisses. He took a step into the room. “If you want me to take them to town, you’d better get writing.”

She stepped forward in turn, and her gaze, washing over him from head to toe, sent a thrill through him. These battles were getting harder and harder to win. “Angel—” He broke off as their gazes locked.

She stared at him as if lost in thought.. “Rowdy, do you remember when you first came here?”

Caught off guard by her change in subject, and the way her tone had become soft and gentle, he frowned. “Of course.”

She turned, waving around the room. “You and my father sat here while he interviewed you. He normally uses his office, but Constance and I were waxing the floor in there.”

Ellis had explained that. Rowdy remained silent.

“I came down the hall and heard your voice.” Angel turned to face him. “I had to peek in, see who was in here, because you sounded familiar.”

His pulse knocked against his skin. “I’d just arrived in Wyoming. We’d never met before then.”

She stepped forward, her big brown eyes searching his. “I know. I listened outside the door to the entire interview.”

His fingers itched to touch her hair. He allowed them to gently brush the curls off her shoulders. “Why?”

“Because I wanted to know everything about you.” Her hand grasped his as it fell from her hair. “I was drawn to you that day, and have been ever since. I can’t take a breath without thinking about you.”

Her fingers trembled against his palm, and he tightened his hold. “Angel—”

“Don’t, Rowdy.” She shook her head. “Don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m saying, because I do.”

Something inside him snapped. Pulling her forward, he dipped his face, catching her slightly parted lips with his. This time, their kiss was slow and easy, yet more powerful than the one in the barn. His heart was in it this time; it had cracked open and was spreading tenderness throughout his body.

Her arms slid around his waist. He eased his lips from hers and kissed her cheek and temple before tucking her head beneath his chin. Securing her in place, he murmured. “Aw, Angel girl, what am I going to do with you?”

“Love me?” she whispered against his chest.

Kissing the top of her head, he tightened his grasp, knowing he held more right now than he’d ever dreamed of. “You deserve more than I can offer, Angel. Much more.”

She pulled back, staring up at him with a deep frown.

The thunder of hoofbeats sounded outside, signaling the return of the ranch hands,. Rowdy gave her a little shove. “Go write your invitations. I’ll take them to town.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want company, Rowdy.”

“I do,” he said.

A tiny frown furrowed her brow. “Why?”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Because it’s not safe for us to be alone.” He tenderly pushed her toward the doorway. “Go write them.”

She opened her mouth, but closed it when he shook his head.

Rowdy followed her out of the room, then walked to the front door while she went down the hall to Ellis’s office. It was his own fault. The thought of Angel tagging along with Hank to Cottonwood on Saturday night had made Rowdy snort like a bull, so his second choice, taking a couple invitations to town, seemed like a good idea. Now it sounded even better. Maybe one of her friends could hang around for a few days. The barrier would help.

He nodded to the ranch hands as they dismounted. He and Angel weren’t alone at the ranch, but there wasn’t a man among the group of cowboys who’d be able to stand in his way when his final ounce of control snapped. It was when—not if. He was too close to giving in and accepting all Angel offered. Ellis would be back in six weeks and then… Rowdy glanced about. Maybe Liza was right. He should head to Texas.

His gaze went to the far side of the compound, where the original log cabin sat, the one Ellis and his first wife had built when they’d claimed the property. It was solid and still in good shape. Ellis had said it wouldn’t take much to clean it up, if Rowdy was interested in living there instead of the bunkhouse.

Angel arrived at his side, and without a word, Rowdy took the envelopes and walked down the veranda stairs. The invitations were a good plan. He could spend the evening reading about longhorns in the bunkhouse while she and her friends quilted and gossiped in the parlor.

A few hours later, he realized in this, too, he was wrong. Tanna’s squeal when she’d opened the envelope from Angel had been heard from one end of Cottonwood to the other. By the time he bought himself a bath and some new clothes, half the town had gathered at the Browns’ house, waiting for him to escort them to the ranch.

He felt as if he led a posse, the way the crowd behind him sped across the plains. The sun was streaking the sky pink, yellow and orange by the time he and the wagons full of people reached the ranch yard.

Angel walked across the veranda while he brought his horse to a halt near the hitching post. When she paused near the top step, Rowdy wondered if he’d been punched in the gut. The shinny gold dress she wore not only fitted her like a glove, but made his eyes want to play peekaboo with the full mounds of her breasts teasingly exposed by the low neckline.

He dragged in a breath and climbed out of the saddle. Wrapping the reins around the closest post, he paused with one foot on the bottom step. “Your
friends—
” he waved his hat toward the crowd “—invited a few more friends.”

“I see that,” she answered, glancing up when she heard squeals of delight.

“I’ll, uh, stick around. See nothing gets out of control.” His gaze once again dropped to her breasts, and his heart landed in the vicinity of his toes.

Angel’s heart twirled like a ballerina atop a music box. She couldn’t muster more than a slight nod of agreement. Rowdy was back and, she noted, in fine form. The scent of spicy soap wafted in the air as he flipped his hat back on and turned to glance at the crowd forming. The excitement lingering since their kiss pulsed through her veins, while at the same time dread rose in her stomach. It appeared none of her friends had had plans this particular Saturday night.

Her gaze went to the doorway. She’d set out a few cookies and sandwiches in case Rowdy hadn’t eaten in town. Glancing back to the incoming swarm, she realized she should have butchered a cow.

“This was the best idea ever!” Tanna screeched, racing up onto the porch.

Carla followed on Tanna’s heels. “Oh, yes, we haven’t had a celebration in ages!”

Since your wedding to J.T. last month
, Angel wanted to say. She glanced at Rowdy. His grin seemed as strained as hers. He touched the brim of his hat with one hand and turned away. Tanna tugged Angel’s arm, twirling her around. Over her shoulder, Angel watched Rowdy lead his horse to the barn. A new thought ticked in her head. Both Tanna and Carla were newly married, and several of the other couples climbing out of wagons were courting. Perhaps the hand holding and flirtatious glances of the group would nudge Rowdy.

An hour later, Angel, in the kitchen wiping up spills and replenishing plates, found frustration left her nerve endings raw. The way Liza had told her to tie her corset so her breasts rode high, and the rouge powder the woman had given her to brush over her cleavage, didn’t seem to draw Rowdy’s attention at all. The scowl on his face showed disgust, not interest. Being around others sneaking kisses and giggling at each other didn’t seem to entice him, either.

Absently, she ran her hands over the front pleats of the yellow gown she’d decided to wear—after trying on half the ones in her closet—since it had the lowest neckline. Glancing down, checking her cleavage, she spotted two long dark smears.

“What?” she gasped, and caught sight of the blueberries on her fingers. “Oh, good grief, Tanna.”

“What?” her friend asked, drying plates so people could refill them.

“You made blueberry pie.”

“Of course I did. It’s Emerald’s favorite.” Tanna set the plates down on the edge of the table. “Oh, you got some on your dress.”

“Yes, I noticed.” Angel grabbed a towel.

“You need to take that off. Soak it in cold water promptly or it’ll be stained forever,” Tanna offered.

“I know,” she huffed, moving toward the rear staircase. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Try and keep the hounds happy, will you?”

Tanna laughed and Angel stomped up the steps. Now what was she going to wear? Not that it mattered. She could be naked and not catch Rowdy’s interest. She was halfway along the upstairs hall when someone caught her arm.

“Finally, a moment alone.”

She tugged, trying to break the man’s hold. “Leave me alone, Timothy.”

He grabbed her other arm. “How about a kiss?”

“Why on earth would I want to kiss you?”

“Because the two of us are perfect for each other. The merger of our families will create a dynasty.”

She didn’t see the need to repeat what she’d told him countless times. Twisting against his hold, she glared at him. Being the daughter of Ellis Clayton, though it had its good points, definitely had its downside.

He pushed, making her stumble into the wall behind. “Think what we can do with all that money. The places we can go. The things we can buy.” His eyes landed on the low neckline of her dress, and his breath smelled of whiskey. “I’ve never seen you looking so good. Did you dress just for me? Wanted me to see what will soon be mine?” He pressed her harder against the wall.

“Stop it, Timothy!” Thoroughly disgusted, she tried to push him away, while twisting her face from his hot breath and wet, sloppy lips.

Suddenly, a rush of wind raced past, taking Timothy with it. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, Angel spun to see where he’d gone.

Rowdy had the man by the front of his shirt. “If you’ve got an ounce of wit, Milner, you’ll walk down those steps, out the door, and ride out of here without saying a word.”

“L-let go,” Timothy moaned, clutching Rowdy’s forearms.

“You gonna touch her?” Rowdy asked.

Timothy shook his head. Rowdy released him but didn’t step away.

Easing away from the wall, Timothy shot him an irritated, but nervous glance. “Geez, McGuire, just ‘cause you’re the foreman around here doesn’t give you cause to stop a man from kissing the woman he’s gonna marry.”

Angel’s stomach flipped. Flying forward, stopping inches in front of Timothy, she glared at him, ire stiffening her spine. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not marrying you—not today, not this year, not ever!”

Rowdy took her arm. “Go back to your party, Angel.”

She spun around. The annoyance on his face took her by surprise, and her heart plummeted. Did he think she’d asked Timothy up here? “Rowdy, I—”

His glare caused her throat to close up.

While his eyes skimmed her breasts, he grabbed Timothy and gavehim a shove toward the staircase.

She flounced away. The door to her bedroom shut with a bang and Angel practically ripped the buttons off the yellow dress as she tugged them open. After lighting a lamp, and no longer concerned about cleavage, she snatched the first dress she came to—a blue one with a collar so high the lace rubbed the bottom of her chin.

The swish of the door had her spinning about.

Tight-lipped, Rowdy eyed her from head to toe.

Her emotions were a tangled web. She wanted to scream for him to get out, and at the same time beg him to understand. “I—” she started.

“Maybe if you weren’t dressed like a saloon gal that wouldn’t have happened,” he snapped.

Her ire blazed up again. “What?”

“Milner. What did you expect?”

Stunned beyond reason, she gaped at him.

“Your git-up had every unmarried man downstairs—and some married ones—drooling.” Rowdy ran a hand through his hair, mussing it, and let out a long, heavy sigh. “Damn it, Angel, don’t you know how beautiful you are? One look at you and men grow weak in the knees. They start arguing with their own common sense.”

“I—” she said again, then stopped. Concern filled his silver eyes. The tenderness she saw practically knocked the air out of her, and sent her heart dancing in her chest at the same time.

He stepped closer. “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head, glancing at the blue dress clutched to her breasts. “I got blueberries on my gown. I had to change.”

Without taking his eyes off her, Rowdy reached behind him and closed the door.

The action ignited the demanding, sweet need inside her. Taking one step and then another, she didn’t stop until her nose practically touched his chin. Wanting him to know the truth, she whispered, “I dressed like that for you. I wanted to nudge you.”

“Nudge me?”

She nodded. “Liza said I needed to nudge you in the right direction. Into noticing me.” Liza had actually said “into realizing how much he cares,” but Angel wasn’t willing to reveal too much of what the other woman had said.

A smile flashed across his lips, but he squelched it. “Angel girl, you’ve had me hanging on the edge for the last year.”

His admission had her hopes soaring. She laid a hand on his forearm. “That gown had the lowest neckline, and Liza gave me some rouge powder—”

“I noticed.” He ran the tip of one finger along her collarbone. “Did Liza tell you that sometimes what a man can’t see is more enticing than what he can?”

Angel swayed. The blue dress fluttered to the floor, exposing her tightly tied corset, and the air grew so thick it was hard to breathe. She swallowed, searching for something to say. “I wish I’d have known that before I destroyed my closet.”

He let out a husky chuckle.

Her insides were on fire. She reached up and ran a finger along the fine line of his jaw. “I’ll remember it in the future. But right now, I have to thank you for coming to my rescue.”

“I—”

She silenced him by tilting his chin down. “Shhh,” she whispered against his lips.

The merger was slow and steady, and consumed her from head to toe. His lips were like warm honey, satisfying her hunger, while promising a more rewarding feast with every touch.

When Rowdy pulled away, she collapsed against him, licking her lips. He grasped her bare upper arms and spun her around. “Get dressed, Angel girl.”

Unwilling to let him push her away so easily this time, she leaned back against his hard, powerful chest, absorbing his heat. “Hold me, Rowdy. Just for a minute. Please.”

His hands slid beneath her arms and glided across her stomach. Her heart soared, and she closed her eyes, nestling the back of her head against his shoulder. He tightened his grasp, folding his forearms beneath her breasts. At that moment, she knew paradise.

The point of his chin ran along her the side of her neck. The touch made her moan, and she laid her hands on his arms.

“You need to get dressed.” His breath tickled her ear.

She nuzzled his cheek with her head. “Why?”

“So you can go back to your party.”

“I’d rather stay here. With you.”

His eyes went to her chest. The thin lace trim of her corset exposed how the tips of her breasts had hardened with anticipation. His intake of breath sent a wave of delight through her system. “Can’t.” His lips brushed her cheek. “You have a houseful of guests.”

She wished everyone would just disappear. Leave her and Rowdy alone. Completely alone. That wasn’t about to happen, so she asked, “Were you drooling?”

“Yes, Angel, I was drooling.” His hands roamed over her torso, gently caressing her stomach and rib cage. The tips of his thumbs brushed her nipples, making her breasts quiver and sending an intense heat to throb between her legs. “Still am,” he whispered.

Tightening her core muscles, heightening the pleasure there, she declared, “Good, because I am, too.”

He cupped her breasts, one in each wonderful palm. She arched her back, absorbing the touch fully. His lips ran along her bare shoulder before his fingers slipped down her sides to settle on her hips. “Get dressed, Angel, before we do something we shouldn’t.”

She pressed her backside against the swell of his groin. “There’s nothing we shouldn’t do, Rowdy.”

“Well, we can’t. Not right now, Angel girl.”

A second later the door opened and shut. She spun around, but he was gone. Her body, sizzling from his touch, slumped, and she sank onto the bed. The room was a mess due to her earlier dressing session. Rowdy would think she was a terrible housekeeper….

Her mind snapped into gear. Housekeeping wasn’t what she needed to be concerned with. Snatching up the blue dress, she pulled it over her head.

Brushing her hair, she took a moment to check her reflection in the large oval mirror on top of her dressing table. Her cheeks were flushed, but other than that, there were no telltale signs that her body ached with need. She had to get rid of the partygoers.

Grabbing the yellow dress, she flew to the door.

Rowdy leaned against the far wall. He grinned and nodded toward her bedroom. “You left the lamp lit.”

She backtracked, blew out the flame and then pulled the door shut as she exited again. He stepped forward, meeting her in the center of the hall.

The grin on his face made her smile. “Why did you follow me up here?” she wondered aloud.

He touched the tip of her nose. “Because you’re my responsibility.”

“Responsibility.” She mulled that over, determining it would do—for now.

He looked as if he expected her to say more. She held up the yellow dress. “I have to get this in cold water before the stains set.”

Rowdy took her arm and led her down the back stairs.

When they entered the kitchen, she paused. “Why is the house so quiet?”

“I don’t know.” He glanced toward the door that led to the front entrance, then into the parlor. “J.T. was still breaking the strings on his fiddle when I went looking for you.”

Angel moved to the doorway. Rowdy’s spicy scent, floating around her as he leaned over her shoulder to look into the far corners of the empty rooms, sent her senses whirling all over again.

She pivoted and stepped around him, stopping near the table laden with an array of food, plates, and the almost empty punch bowl she suspected Emerald, Tanna’s husband, had spiked. An excited hoot followed closely by a giggle sounded on the back porch. “Maybe they’re leaving,” she said hopefully.

Rowdy followed her. They paused at the back door, staring into the dark night. “Can you see anyone?” he asked.

A muffled, “Oh,” followed by a grunt sounded before two people stepped out of the shadows.

“We’re playing hide and seek,” Tanna said, with her arm looped through her husband’s.

“Hide and seek?” Rowdy repeated.

Angel shook her head, sighing. “It’s a parlor game.” Which meant it would have to end before she could send everyone home.