Texas Two Steps Four-Pack Bundle (2 page)

Gabe folded his napkin and placed it beside his plate. He shoved back his chair. He'd kiss her, then get the hell out of here. He didn't want to screw this up. Darcy was the best thing to come his way in a long time.

****

Darcy watched as Gabe rose from his chair and stood. His blue eyes lasered in on her as he made his way around the table to where she sat. He offered his hand and silently helped her to her feet.

"Thanks for dinner," he said in that sexy voice that was beginning to drive her wild. His hand held hers in a strong grip, and his thumb rubbed circles on her suddenly sensitized skin.

Darcy swallowed. She had to get hold of her wayward thoughts and emotions. She couldn't just fall into bed with this man. He was a stranger. Her body had no problem with the visuals and scenario, but her mind couldn't quite wrap itself around it all.

Bad enough she'd let him come to her house, but now he was looking at her like he wanted her for dessert. Her heart pounded in her throat and her nipples tingled in response.

"I want to kiss you, Darcy. I know we've just met, but I
need
to kiss you." He pulled her against his big hard-muscled body, wrapped his strong arms around her and lowered his mouth to hers.

Darcy had tried to ignore his sculpted lips all afternoon, but she couldn't ignore them now. Not when they were doing wonderful things to her mouth and tugging at long-forgotten yearnings. He kissed the corners of her mouth, her nose and chin, then back to her lips. With the tip of his tongue, he traced the closed seam, demanding the right to enter.

She opened immediately, and Gabe plunged deep inside, tangling his tongue with hers. Dancing, tasting, exploring. Darcy's stomach somersaulted as hot desire poured into her veins.

She lifted her arms and draped them around his neck, burying her fingers in his black hair at the nape. His hold tightened around her and he groaned into her mouth, taking the kiss to the next level.

Gabe thought he'd never tasted anything as sweet as Darcy in all his life. His body was rock hard and tension coiled low in his gut and groin. He moved his hands down to her tight little butt and pulled her closer. He couldn't keep from grinding his erection against her, wishing they were naked and in bed.

He nearly came unglued when she plastered herself against him, bumping and wiggling that curvy little body, pressing her breasts to his chest.

He had to put a stop to this fast. Darcy wasn't the kind of woman who slept around. He'd figured that out from her nervous chatter. Besides, he wanted more than a one-night stand. He liked her. If he played his cards right, they could enjoy a casual relationship and he could have steady sex with a smart attractive woman. Nothing serious. Just casual. Steady sex would be nice for a change.

With great reluctance, Gabe ended the kiss. "I have to leave."

"Leave?" Darcy looked at him with passion-glazed eyes. She licked her lips as if savoring the taste of their kiss.

Gabe couldn't resist swooping in for another, then set her away from him. "As much as I enjoyed today, and the kiss, we have to call a halt or we'll end up in bed, and I really don't think you want to do that." Not yet anyway, he added for good measure.

Darcy stepped back and ran her trembling fingers through her tumbled hair. She blushed adorably and tried to smile. "You're right. I don't usually. . ." She stuck out her hand. "Thank you for fixing my pipes. It was nice meeting you."

Gabe laughed and took her in his arms again. "Oh no, sweetheart. Just because I'm trying to be a gentleman here, doesn't mean I don't want to make love to you. I want to see you again. How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow would be great."

He searched her face, memorizing every detail. The dark eyes, the short turned-up nose, high cheekbones and lush lips. He hugged her tight. "How would you like to go horse-back riding?"

"I'd like it. But I have to warn you, I haven't ridden in a while. Do you have horses?"

Gabe shook his head. "No, but I have some friends who own a ranch about an hour or so away. We could ride tomorrow afternoon, then come back to town for dinner. What do you say?"

Darcy smiled a beautiful smile. "I'd say that sounds like a plan."

Gabe stole a quick kiss. "Good. I'll pick you up around noon."

****

Darcy buckled her seatbelt in the passenger seat of Gabe's late model Ford pickup truck and settled in for a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive. The highway stretched for miles, seemingly all the way to the horizon, and soon Abilene was far behind.

Gabe turned his head and smiled at her making her tummy crater. "Mind if I play some music?"

She shook her head. "No, go right ahead."

He chose a classic country and western ballad, and the soft melody filled the cab of the truck. "I'm glad you came with me. I get tired of spending my weekends alone. Grading papers and watching television gets old real fast."

Darcy licked her suddenly dry lips. His words were innocent enough, but his low sexy voice glided over her with a promise of heat and passion.

"I'm glad you asked me." She'd spent a restless night after he'd left her house yesterday evening. The kiss they'd shared and the emotions he'd evoked had kept her tossing and turning into the early morning hours.

Her body had been stretched as taut as a barbed wire fence with repressed sexual tension. It was stretching unbearably taut again from the nearness of the man behind the steering wheel. The chemistry between them was electric. Darcy had never experienced anything like it before.

When Gabe had ended the kiss last night, she'd almost cried in frustration. She knew if he'd pressed the issue, she would have jumped into bed with him, damn the consequences. But afterwards, she was thankful he'd called a halt. She couldn't sleep with a stranger on the first date, now could she?

Luckily, Gabe wasn't a stranger any longer. Okay, that was a mere technicality, but she knew in her heart they'd end up in bed tonight. The attraction was too strong.

The drive to the ranch flew by. She and Gabe talked about everything under the sun. And nothing at all.

It didn't seem very long before they were turning onto a dirt road and driving under a wrought-iron sign that said
The Diamondback Ranch
. Darcy had heard of The Diamondback, of course. It was a good-sized spread by Texas standards--sixty-four hundred acres of prime ranch and farmland.

Gabe introduced his friends and Darcy found herself in the midst of the McCade family. They took Darcy to their collective hearts and she fell in love with Ruth, who turned out to be the quintessential mother.

They rode horses for a couple of hours on trails winding through the rugged West Texas landscape. Mesquite and prickly pear cactus stood out green against the red soil of the land.

When they finished riding, Ruth insisted on feeding them an early dinner. They enjoyed generous helpings of delicious fried chicken, gravy and homemade biscuits; and for dessert, Ruth served her famous Texas Hot Cocoa cake.

"I don't think I'll ever eat again!" Darcy said, as she and Gabe headed back to Abilene.

"I guess I should have warned you about Ruth. She does love to cook and feed her family and friends."

"She's a sweetheart. Thank you so much for inviting me."

Gabe reached for her hand and held it in his on the seat between them. "It was my pleasure."

His touch sent chills and thrills through Darcy's system. She'd enjoyed their visit to the ranch and watching Gabe's interaction with Dallas and Austin McCade. The two brothers had treated him as one of their own.

The more she got to know Gabe, the more Darcy liked. And wanted. Anticipation made her toes curl.

If holding hands was such a turn on, what would it be like when they were in bed together? Darcy's blood heated at the thought.

****

Gabe thought the drive back to Abilene would never end. His body was throbbing with a desire so strong, he hoped like hell he wouldn't embarrass himself when he finally got Darcy into bed. He felt like a horny teenager, not a respectable thirty-three year old math teacher. They were holding hands like teenagers, too. Funny how that simple connection could feed the burning passion in his groin that was growing ridiculously out of control.

Damn, he hadn't been this hot for a woman in a long time.

"Are you hungry?" Darcy asked. "You said we'd go out to dinner, but Ruth fed us so well, I don't really feel like food. Do you?" Her soft voice filled the dark cab of the truck with visions of tangled sheets and sweaty bodies.

Gabe slowly withdrew his hand from hers and gripped the steering wheel. Tight. "No, I'm not hungry for food either. Let's skip dinner tonight."

"Oh, but I didn't mean our . . . date has to end."

Gabe chuckled. "I'm not ready to say goodbye, either. I'll take you home and we can watch a movie or something." Gabe pretty well knew what that something would be.

Darcy sighed. "That sounds lovely. I'd like that."

He hoped she'd like it.
He
was certainly banking on liking it. "Then it's settled. Movie night at your house. But I can't stay too late. I have school tomorrow. Five o'clock comes awfully early."

"Tell me about it."

The lights of Abilene could be seen in the distance. By the time Gabe pulled into Darcy's driveway, he was reciting geometric postulates . . . backwards, in an effort to curb his impatience to get her naked and into bed.

Once they entered the front door, Gabe's patience fizzled out. He took Darcy's purse and keys and set them on a table, then gathered her into his arms. He held her for a moment, searching her dark eyes. "I've been dying to kiss you all day. Tell me you don't really want to watch a movie."

Darcy shook her head, her long hair swinging with the movement. She twined her arms around his neck. "All I want is you."

She tugged his head down and kissed him. His stomach bottomed out when Darcy plunged her sweet little tongue in his mouth, making sweeping forays in and out, nipping his lower lip, sucking his tongue. All the time, playing with the hair at his nape.

Holy shit! He was going to have a very hard time of it. Hard being the operative word here. He was going to explode before they even got into bed.

He lifted her in his arms, holding her close. "Put your legs around me."

Never breaking contact with his mouth, Darcy wrapped her legs around his waist. She deepened the kiss, holding his jaws in her hands, rubbing his chin with her thumbs.

Gabe settled her against his length, torturing himself with the pressure of her body against the fly of his jeans. Oh yeah. He was going to lose it for sure if he didn't get them into bed. Pronto.

He carried Darcy through the living room, down the hall and into her bedroom. Yesterday, he'd scouted out the place when he'd been here fixing her plumbing. Even then, he'd been planning her seduction. When he'd first seen her at his demonstration workshop, lust had hit him full force. And it had only grown stronger as he became better acquainted with her last night and today. He like her. He liked her a lot.

Darcy came up for air when she realized they were in her bedroom and Gabe was getting ready to set her on the bed. Her body was on fire, but she wanted this first time to be perfect. She felt dirty and smelly. It would be too embarrassing.

She slid her legs down the length of Gabe's body and immediately, he let her go. But he still kept his hands on her shoulders, a question lingering in the depths of his heavy-lidded eyes. "Darcy?"

Again she wished there was a workshop on Dating after Divorce. How to get through the awkward moments.

She put her hands on his strong chest. "I can't do this--"

Gabe dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I've been too-- uh--"

Darcy smiled. "No, you haven't. I mean I don't want to do this smelling like horses. I need a shower." She hesitated. She really liked Gabe. She was ready to take this to the next level. What did it matter if their first time was in bed?
In for a penny, in for a pound
, as they said in the Regency romances she loved to read. "Care to join me?" she asked.

Gabe smiled back. "Oh yeah. A shower sounds good." He bent to nibble her earlobe. "A shower could be really fun."

Tingles of awareness shimmied down Darcy's spine. She led the way to the bathroom and waited for Gabe to follow. Drawing back the shower curtain, she turned on the faucets and adjusted the water to a nice comfortable temperature.

Taking a deep breath, Darcy faced Gabe. "I know I've been married and stuff, but I haven't really done . . . this, since my divorce." She looked at the shower, then back to the gorgeous man she'd only met yesterday. "Especially
this
." She pointed between them with a wave of her hand.

Gabe grabbed her hand and held it in a tight grasp. "It's been a while for me, too. We'll take it one step at a time." He pulled her to him and kissed her. Tenderly at first, but the passion flared fast and the kiss turned hot and sizzling.

Darcy tugged the tails of Gabe's western-shirt out of his Wranglers and began unbuttoning the snaps. She felt his fingers doing the same to her long-sleeved blouse. Every brush of his hands on her skin sent electric currents zinging through her, making her almost frantic with hunger and need.