Книга - Sizzling Summer Nights

Sizzling Summer Nights
Debbi Rawlins


She's got this cowboy hot and botheredA week in Montana at the Sundance Ranch is exactly the break Hannah Hastings needs. No dry, dusty Texas. No painful reminders that she's not the son her rancher father wanted. Plus there seems to be no shortage of dead-sexy cowboys in Blackfoot Falls…especially one tall, dark drink of delicious in a Stetson.Hannah was just hoping for a little sexy fun. She never expected Seth Landers to rock her world—or just how much she’d love being in his. But disputes over government land are growing heated in the small Montana town. And Hannah is being drawn into a war she can’t win. One where finally gaining her father’s approval may mean losing the cowboy she can’t help falling for…







She’s got this cowboy hot and bothered

A week in Montana at the Sundance Ranch is exactly the break Hannah Hastings needs. No dry, dusty Texas. No painful reminders that she’s not the son her rancher father wanted. Plus there seems to be no shortage of dead-sexy cowboys in Blackfoot Falls...especially one tall, dark drink of delicious in a Stetson.

Hannah was just hoping for a little sexy fun. She never expected Seth Landers to rock her world—or just how much she’d love being in his. But disputes over government land are growing heated in the small Montana town. And Hannah is being drawn into a war she can’t win. One where finally gaining her father’s approval may mean losing the cowboy she can’t help falling for...


“I should’ve taken you straight to the Sundance.”

Hannah gaped at him. “No way. And miss this?”

“Don’t worry. In a week you’ll see your fill of stars.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Hannah said.

Seth cupped her face with one hand and deepened the kiss, their tongues touching and stroking each other. His hand moved to her neckline, and he toyed with the fabric before dipping his fingers just underneath, just enough to tease.

She trembled when his mouth left hers and his lips blazed a damp path down the side of her neck.

The temptation was there. She could feel his tension, his indecision, his restraint.

Oh, God, how she wanted to touch him. But she didn’t dare. His mouth was hot and hungry, his skin feverish. His warm, rugged scent surrounded her. It was all going to her head.

Stepping just one toe over the line would be all it took. They wouldn’t stop.

And there would be no turning back...


Dear Reader (#u03e99d7c-248d-59b5-a9b4-3e9fd30a920f),

I’m happy to say Blackfoot Falls, a kissing cousin to the Rocky Mountains, is still alive and kicking, and waiting for you to pay a visit. In this story you’ll be bumping into quite a few characters you already know from the Sundance and Whispering Pines ranches, as well as a handful of townsfolk who keep the rumor mill well-oiled. To add to the fun and mayhem, you’ll also meet a new troublemaker who’s mixing it up with the old ones.

After writing sixteen books set in Blackfoot Falls, it’s amazing how attached I’ve become to the town and its cast of characters. Although some of them would tell you otherwise and they’d have a point. When I started writing someone we haven’t seen in a while, I got annoyed with myself. How could I have left Barbara McAllister on the sidelines for so long? Completely unforgivable!

And then we have the hero and heroine—Seth and Hannah. I generally form bonds with all my characters, though on many different levels. When Hannah met Seth, I knew these two were destined for a happy-ever-after, and no interference from me would change their destiny. Not that I wanted to keep them apart. I can honestly say that at the end of the book, I felt as though I was saying goodbye to two very good friends. I didn’t want them to leave. But of course they’ll be with me for a while...making me smile.

I hope they make you smile, as well.

Regards,







Sizzling Summer Nights

Debbi Rawlins






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


DEBBI RAWLINS grew up in the country and loves Western movies and books. Her first crush was on a cowboy—okay, he was an actor in the role of a cowboy, but she was only eleven, so it counts. It was Houston, Texas, where she first started writing for Harlequin, and now she has her own ranch...of sorts. Instead of horses, she has four dogs, four cats, a trio of goats and free-range cattle on a few acres in gorgeous rural Utah.


This is for my editor, Laura Barth, who’s been with me for the whole series, through thick and thin, for better or for worse, and for Oh, my God, I’m never going to finish this book!

And please, no one tell her, but Hannah is a little like Laura in some ways. That’s all I’m saying.

Thanks also to Jo Leigh, my partner in crime and plotting.


Contents

Cover (#u778b6133-bcea-53d6-8409-a0fb944f62e1)

Back Cover Text (#u9f0fa0a1-d4c3-5319-a2d4-11ad1969223c)

Introduction (#u77ecf4c6-68e2-598d-97f9-284690cd220a)

Dear Reader (#u904bba81-23b2-5057-881e-3ce433f8562a)

Title Page (#u7a828fd2-5dcb-5eeb-a919-be76ce666e45)

About the Author (#ue605948f-a710-530d-89df-e57a10c869b7)

Dedication (#u83c29299-4bcf-590b-ad8f-5f2c8fc98e45)

Chapter 1 (#ua56dfca2-7093-598f-a99d-95f8f3f174cd)

Chapter 2 (#u33cc927c-d809-5029-a767-8faf7ad25f71)

Chapter 3 (#u97b8410c-6ea9-5760-a8ba-dc41eafe359a)

Chapter 4 (#u06a4a58c-a946-596e-8164-dc362ee962e2)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


1 (#u03e99d7c-248d-59b5-a9b4-3e9fd30a920f)

“I’VE STAYED OUT of trouble for six years,” Hannah Hastings said, shaking her head, resigned and not nearly tipsy enough. “And now you’re going to make me do this, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am.” Rachel grinned at her. “Get up there before someone beats you to the mic.”

“Gee, that would be a shame.” Sighing, Hannah pushed back in the old oak chair. “No pictures.”

“Yeah, right. Okay.”

“I mean it. Put your damn phone away. We’re not stupid college kids anymore.”

“No?” Rachel burst out laughing.

“I haven’t taken a vacation in four years,” Hannah muttered. “And I decide to come all the way to Montana to see you. I’m such an idiot.” She drained the last of her watered-down margarita, then got to her feet, glaring at the small makeshift stage next to the jukebox. “What’s wrong with you people? Who does karaoke night anymore?”

She glanced around at the good-sized crowd crammed into the rustic bar. The Watering Hole was supposed to be a nice, quiet place where they could talk, catch up with what had been happening to each other since their college days. Ha.

Tears from laughing filled Rachel’s eyes. Sitting next to her, Jamie, her sister-in-law, only had a vague idea of what was going on but it seemed that laughter really was contagious.

God help her. Hannah figured she might as well get it over with. She just wished this wasn’t her first night in Blackfoot Falls. She’d only be here a week. Not nearly long enough for these nice people to forgive and forget.

Now, the tall, dark-haired cowboy sitting at the bar? He was the one she really cared about. Since walking in five minutes ago he’d kept his head down and nursed his beer. Bad break-up was Hannah’s guess. Poor guy showed all the signs of love gone wrong. Something she might’ve been willing to help him forget for a while. But what were the odds he wouldn’t turn around to see who couldn’t carry a tune with both hands and a two-ton pickup truck?

Oh, and who had the nerve to get up in front of a roomful of strangers and completely humiliate herself. Sure, he’d be all over her. She wouldn’t be able to fight him off.

Five stupid minutes. Rachel couldn’t have called in her marker before then?

Hannah sat down again. “Is there an expiration date on that coupon? I bet there is.”

Rachel grinned. “Nope.”

“Let me see it.” Hannah stuck her hand out, wiggling her fingers. “Not that I don’t trust you.”

“I’m not giving you this piece of paper. You’ll probably swallow it.”

Hannah sighed. “Jamie, would you mind checking? And make sure it isn’t Rachel’s handwriting.”

“Wow, she really doesn’t trust you,” Jamie said, grinning, as she leaned over for a look. “Sorry. I think it’s legit. Says it was for her twenty-second birthday?”

“Okay, who holds on to something like that for six years? That’s just sick.” Most of the women in their sorority had been too broke to afford gifts, so they’d gotten creative with coupons. Everyone had cashed them in right away. No one would’ve thought to include an expiration date.

“Better get up there before I feel inclined to make an announcement,” Rachel said sweetly.

Hannah hesitated. She had an idea that just might work. “Rachel...listen, you know I’m always up for a challenge, but there’s a guy in here that I—”

“Who?” Rachel sat up straighter. “Where?”

With a pitying look, Jamie shook her head at Hannah. “Are you nuts?”

“She’s still that bad, huh?”

Jamie nodded and signaled for their waitress.

Apparently marriage hadn’t tempered Rachel’s annoying hobby of trying to fix up her single friends. If Hannah had stopped to think about it, she probably would’ve realized that the gold band on Rachel’s finger could never curb her enthusiasm, but only make it worse.

Lord, it was hard to believe Rachel was married. Doing her dad a favor had prevented Hannah from attending the wedding. She hated that she’d missed it. And for what? She was no closer to pleasing the old man than on the day she’d been born the wrong gender. It was a lost cause.

Ignoring them, Rachel surveyed the bar like a hawk circling its next meal. “Just tell me who he is and I might let you off the hook.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Hannah purposely didn’t look in his direction.

With that damn uncanny ability of hers, Rachel whipped her gaze around and hit a bull’s-eye. “Seth Landers?” she asked. “Because you’d like him. Nice guy. Has some issues. Nothing horrible. Just enough to make him interesting.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about. And just so we’re clear, I’m not doing a whole song.” Hannah took a couple of steps, and stopped. “Jamie, please tell the waitress to make my margarita full octane this time.”

“You got it,” Jamie said, and laughed when Hannah made it another foot and stopped again.

“It’s going to get bad, so if you want to step outside for a few minutes, you won’t hurt my feelings.”

“And miss everyone’s reaction?” Rachel said. “Not a chance.”

“I think I’m already missing something.” Jamie’s puzzled frown was aimed at Rachel. “You look positively evil right now.”

“Don’t worry about Hannah. She’s fearless. Just wait.”

Hannah tried not to look in Seth’s direction. Luckily, his mug of beer seemed to be the only thing that interested him.

A perky little blonde finished her rendition of Need You Now, curtsied to the hooting and applause and left the small stage.

Hannah decided she needed this to be over with and hurried to pick up the mic. The song she selected was an oldie. She’d given up karaoke nights right after college and didn’t know which tunes were the current faves. Although, in her case, it really didn’t matter.

She rubbed a sweaty palm down the front of her jeans.

Maybe she should just admit to Rachel that she wasn’t the same daring person she’d been in school. What good was pride if she ended up dying from embarrassment?

On the other hand, maybe this was just what she needed to loosen up. What the hell, she didn’t know anyone here. Except Rachel. And now Jamie. Ah, and Nikki, sister-in-law number two, who happened to be the bartender at the moment. She was talking to Seth. Sure would be swell if she kept him distracted until Hannah finished making a fool of herself.

The music started. Hannah knew all the words to the song but she kept her eyes on the small monitor and started singing her heart out. It felt pretty good, just like the old days. Before she’d discovered that getting through college was the easiest part of life.

The guys playing pool in the back room left their game to stare at her. Even the waitress, carrying a full tray of drinks, had stopped between tables. People sitting with their backs to her twisted around in their seats, probably afraid it was a disaster drill. Hannah used to get that one a lot.

She refused to look at Rachel, though, or the cowboy. Heaven forbid, she might get nervous and start singing on key.

After the longest three minutes of her life, and likely everyone else’s in the bar, Hannah set down the mic. A brief crackle of static pierced the shocked silence.

Oh, what the hell.

She took a bow.

Laughter and applause broke out. She even heard some boot stompin’, courtesy of two pool players. God bless cowboys. She’d never cared for them before but might have to rethink her position.

Head held high, she walked back to the table and sat down, facing Rachel. “Happy?”

“You have no idea.” Her cheeks were almost the color of her auburn hair.

Hannah risked a peek at Seth. Huh. Had he turned around at all?

“Lady, you’ve got guts.” Jamie slid the fresh margarita across the table. “This is on me.”

“Thanks.” Hannah took a quick sip, realizing she should’ve asked for water, too. “Can you believe she made me do that?”

“Oh, please.” Rachel dabbed at her eyes. “Like you haven’t dragged me over the coals plenty of times.”

“Me? I would never!” The three of them laughed, then Hannah glanced over her shoulder at the pool tables. “Is there only one waitress?”

“I don’t know,” Rachel said. “What do you need?”

“Just some water.” Hannah rose, feeling a bit wobbly. Not from booze. She hadn’t drunk much. “Either of you want anything?”

Rachel’s cell beeped. “I’m good,” she said, her gaze on the phone.

Jamie shook her head. “Hey, ask Nikki if she’s closing tonight, would you?”

“Sure.” Hannah wove her way around the tables, grinning at the good-natured remarks about her performance, and headed toward Nikki, who was wiping down the bar near Seth.

“That was...pretty damn awesome,” she said with a laugh. “Had to be Rachel who got you up there.”

“Of course it was.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I hope I didn’t chase away any customers.”

“Are you kidding? Everyone loved it.”

“Or they’re all in shock.”

Still laughing, Nikki tossed the rag. “Want another margarita? I’m buying.”

“No, thanks. Water would be great, though.”

Hannah couldn’t tell if Seth had even bothered to look up. Resisting the urge to check him out, she focused on Nikki’s glossy dark hair as she bent to open the small fridge. They’d met earlier at the Sundance just after Hannah had arrived at the ranch. Nikki was married to Rachel’s brother, Trace. Which reminded Hannah to chew out her so-called friend. Back in their sorority days everyone knew Rachel had brothers, but had she ever mentioned they were all hotties? And now all three were married.

Nikki straightened and uncapped the bottle. “Anything else?”

“Oh, yes, Jamie wants to know if you’re closing tonight.”

“Afraid so,” Nikki said, and set the water on the bar.

Thirsty from nervous dry mouth, Hannah reached for the bottle.

“How late do you stay open on weekends?” Seth’s voice was deep, gravelly and unexpected.

Hannah knocked the bottle over. Water shot out and splashed her on the chin before spilling across the scarred wood and down the front of her jeans. She and Nikki both went for the bottle. Nikki was quicker.

Luckily, Hannah wasn’t too wet and she didn’t think any of the spray had reached Seth.

She turned and met his hazel eyes. “Did I get you?”

“Nope.” He ran his gaze down the front of her blouse to her jeans and lingered on her hips. “You don’t look too bad.”

For a second she wondered how to take that, then got caught up studying his strong, unshaven jaw and the deep cleft in his chin. His lips were pulled into a thin line, and she realized he was fighting a smile. He had thick lashes as dark as his collar-length hair. He must’ve been wearing a hat earlier. It had left a ridge.

She hoped it was a Stetson.

“Oh...” She met those heart-melting eyes again. “It’s my turn to talk, isn’t it?”

* * *

SETH LANDERS HAD been wondering how he should go about getting laid tonight. Generally it wasn’t a problem for him. His luck ran better than most if anyone listened to the guys in the bunkhouse. The trick was finding a nice, willing woman here in town, someone who wasn’t a local so he’d be less likely to get himself in any trouble. That being his number one goal these days, he’d suffer through a few more weeks of abstinence if he absolutely had to. Hell, he hoped not.

“I’m Hannah.” She extended a slim hand that was still damp from the spill. Her skin was soft, pale, and she had a slight southern accent. Texas maybe. Her inflection reminded him of his old air force buddy from Houston.

“Seth Landers.”

“I know. I mean...” She glanced back at her table. “Rachel mentioned it. Rachel McAllister... Gunderson, actually.”

“Ah. She say anything else?”

“Hmm. Not that I recall.” Her gaze went to Nikki. “Do you have something I can use on the floor? A rag maybe?”

“Should I get the mop?”

“No, it’s just an itty-bitty spot, but someone could slip,” Hannah said, staring at her feet.

She was pretty. Brown eyes, brown hair, a heart-shaped face, nothing that stood out. But pretty all the same. Nice smile. Yeah, she had a real nice smile. If she weren’t drunk and a friend of Rachel’s, he would’ve gone for her.

The minute he walked in he’d pegged her as a guest at the Sundance. Before he’d moved back to help his brother run their family ranch, Seth had heard the McAllisters had opened a dude ranch separate from their cattle operation. What he hadn’t known was that their guests were mostly twenty-something women, a good many of them looking for vacation flings.

A couple of hired men had been scoring left and right, but Paxton and Joe had made a deal not to clue Seth in on their little gold mine. Then last week Joe had let it slip. Dumb greedy bastards. Seth had threatened them with a month of flood irrigation duty, a chore that made for endlessly long days. That would teach them. They’d be too damn tired to dip their buckets in anybody’s well.

He smiled thinking about the looks on their faces, even though they knew he never would’ve done anything like that. Guess it was easy for them to forget he was their boss. Up until seven months ago, he hadn’t been around all that much.

It bothered him to think about what a shit he’d been, sullen and uncommunicative, mad at the world and leaving the responsibility of the Whispering Pines to his dad and brother. Clint had suffered the brunt of it. But Seth was here to stay, making it up to his brother, hell, his whole family, for as long as it took. He just needed to stay out of trouble and let time heal.

Rag in hand, Nikki started to come around the bar but stopped for a guy wanting his mug refilled.

“I’ll get it, Nikki.” Seth reached across the bar.

“No,” Hannah said, trying to snatch the rag from him. “It was my fault. I’ll do it.”

He got off the stool, and when she stubbornly refused to move, he crouched down right in front of her, putting his face level with her crotch.

Not a wise move. His thoughts shot in every direction but the right one, while his body reacted as if he’d never been with a woman before. For Christ’s sake, it wasn’t as if he could see anything.

It seemed he’d mopped half the floor before he finally trusted himself to stand.

Hannah hadn’t moved, other than to place both hands on her slim, curvy hips and frown at him.

“You’re welcome,” he said, and dropped the rag into Nikki’s outstretched hand.

“Thank you.” Hannah inched back and came up against a stool.

He hadn’t meant to crowd her. He quickly got out of her way and returned to his seat.

She had a pleasant scent, nothing floral or cloying. Maybe it was just her. Seth normally didn’t care for perfumes of any kind. Even her breath smelled nice, no hint of booze. He’d heard her massacre that song, though. He wondered if she was that gutsy when she was sober.

He returned to his seat just as Nikki set another water on the bar.

“Here you go,” she said to Hannah. “I’ll let you open this one.”

Hannah laughed. “God, you’d think I was drunk.”

In mid-sip, Seth chuckled and nearly sprayed her. Wouldn’t that have been a hell of a thing? He lowered the mug and wiped his mouth.

“Nice meeting you, Seth. And thanks again.”

“Any time.” He turned just enough to watch her walk back to the table without being obvious.

She had a nice backside view in those slim-fitting jeans. The heels on the snazzy boots made her look taller. By his estimate, without them, she was around five-six.

A few seconds after Hannah sat down, Rachel jumped up. So did the blonde sitting with them, but she lingered with Hannah while Rachel approached the bar.

“Hey, Seth. How’s the family?”

“Good. Working hard.”

“I know what you mean,” she said and motioned for Nikki, who nodded as she poured drinks at the other end. “We sure don’t need any more of these scorching hot summers.” Rachel shrugged. “Could be worse, I suppose. I pity the ranchers in Texas.”

“Amen to that. How’s the dude ranch business treating you?”

“The money’s decent. And mostly it’s been fun.” Rachel grinned. “My brothers might tell you otherwise.”

“I met Hannah,” he said, as if Rachel and half the people in the joint hadn’t noticed. “I assume she’s a guest?”

“She’s from Dallas and staying at the Sundance, although I invited her to stay with Matt and me. We’re old college friends.”

Nikki brought a foaming mug with her and set it in front of him.

“Ah, no, thanks. One’s my limit. Unless you want to drive me home.” He wasn’t hitting on her. She knew it and just laughed.

Rachel’s soft smile told him she recalled the trouble he’d gotten into years ago. Folks in this flyspeck town had long memories. Rachel wasn’t judging, though, and he appreciated that.

“Your beer is warm and flat by now,” Nikki said. “Just drink what you want and I’ll pour out the rest.”

“Listen, Nik,” Rachel said. “I need to run up to Kalispell for Matt. He needs a part for the tractor by morning.”

“What’s the matter?” Nikki asked. “He can’t get it himself?”

“He could, except I was supposed to pick it up yesterday, and I forgot. Just like he said I would. So, of course I’m not admitting to it. Anyway, I should be back before you close. If I’m not, can you give Hannah a lift to the Sundance?”

“You’re leaving her here?” Seth said, before Nikki could answer or he had stopped to think.

Both women gave him strange looks. He was touchy about leaving someone who was drunk on their own. Nikki was a relative newcomer and wouldn’t understand. But Rachel did. His own hang-up aside, it surprised him that she’d abandon her friend.

“Well, yeah, I can’t imagine she’d like driving to a garage. She’ll have more fun here. Even Jamie doesn’t want to go. She’s meeting Cole.”

Hell, it was none of his business. He glanced over and saw a young cowboy hitting on her. Hannah was going to get plenty of that kind of attention. Could be what she wanted.

“I don’t mind taking her,” Nikki said. “But it’ll be late, unless Sadie comes in and closes up.”

“Like I said, I hope to be back by ten. Possibly elevenish.” Rachel paused. “Seth? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he muttered, dragging his gaze away from Hannah. Nah, he had to say something. “You really think it’s a good idea to leave her here alone?”

“Um, she’s twenty-eight. I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself.”

“But she’s drunk.”

Rachel grinned. “No, she’s not.”

“Hell, I’m not judging.” He glanced at Nikki. “You know I’d be the last one to do that.”

“I get why you think she is,” Rachel said, laughing. “She just can’t sing.”

Seth wasn’t buying it. Nobody in their right mind would get on that stage and do what she did to that song.

“I hope you bring her back in before she leaves,” Nikki said. “That was priceless.”

“I’ll admit, I called in a chit from our college days. She wasn’t all that anxious to get up there. But she’s fearless. I knew she’d do it.”

A blonde waitress walked past them, waving an order ticket.

Seth didn’t recognize her, but then he’d been gone most of the last ten years. She gave him a sassy smile, and he smiled back. But she had to be a local and he didn’t want to go there, so he broke eye contact quickly. Too bad about Hannah being Rachel’s friend.

“Kristen, same thing?” Nikki got a nod and grabbed the tequila from the back shelf. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll get Hannah to the Sundance,” Nikki said, and started toward Kristen waiting at the end of the bar.

“Thanks,” Rachel said. “Oh, Seth, how about you? If you’re still around and Nikki has to close, any chance you can give Hannah a ride?”

He heard Nikki laugh, caught a brief glimpse of her giving Rachel an eye-roll. So maybe Hannah being a friend wasn’t a problem at all. “Sure,” he said. “Count on it.”


2 (#u03e99d7c-248d-59b5-a9b4-3e9fd30a920f)

NOT LONG AFTER Rachel left, Hannah took Seth up on his offer to drive her to the Sundance. She’d resisted at first, not wanting to impose, but it seemed he wasn’t going to leave the bar without her. Once they were outside, he gestured to the right. “My truck’s that way.”

Hannah hesitated. “Tell me the truth,” she said giving it a final try. “Did Rachel twist your arm? Because, honestly, I don’t mind waiting for Nikki.”

“Nah, I figured I’d play hero and rescue you from the masses.”

She still wasn’t sure she believed him, and she would’ve told him just that, if it weren’t for that ridiculously charming smile of his. It was a tad crooked, the corner of his mouth hiking up slightly higher on one side. The adorably boyish look was an amazing contrast to the dark intensity of his eyes. “Those guys had to be pretty drunk to ask me for an encore.”

Seth chuckled. “That’s downtown Saturday night for you. Up ahead is the Full Moon Saloon. Been open almost a year now. Before that, we had only the one bar.”

“Wow. The Watering Hole is kind of small, too.”

“The Full Moon is supposed to be a lot bigger. I heard they have live music some nights and a mechanical bull in the back.”

“You haven’t checked it out yet?”

He shook his head. “I’d been away for a while. I moved back seven months ago but I don’t come to town much.”

Hannah got the feeling he didn’t really want to talk about himself so she held her curiosity at bay. Anyway, she could get all the information she wanted from Rachel. “Well, Montana is beautiful country, so green, and the mountains are breathtaking. I don’t understand how you could’ve left in the first place.”

“It won’t be all that green for much longer. Not with the heat we’ve been having.”

“Well, I’m from Dallas, and it’s been exceptionally hot for a couple years now.”

“Yeah, Rachel mentioned you’re from there.” He was over six feet tall, with long legs that could probably go much faster but he stayed at a nice comfortable pace that better suited her.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Texas, but excuse me for not being sympathetic when you say it won’t be green much longer.”

“I’ve been there,” he said. “I seem to recall some nice areas.”

“Of course there are, mostly in the Hill Country, but overall it’s been so dry and just...brown and ugly.”

“Yep, the drought has hurt a lot of folks—ranchers, farmers and ultimately the consumer.” He gestured to a sign posted in the window of a bakery. “As a matter of fact, there’s going to be a town meeting on the topic.”

Hannah had been too busy looking at the bakery’s name. The Cake Whisperer. Cute. She caught only a quick glimpse of the handwritten sign as they walked past it. “Grazing permits. What does that have to do with the drought?”

“Cattle have to eat,” he said. “If you don’t have enough grass on your own land, you have to find some. It just so happens the government owns a good deal of prime grazing land,” Seth said, with an enigmatic smile that revealed nothing of his political leaning.

Something that Hannah understood. Discussions about politics and religion always made her edgy. “So, the local ranchers can get a permit and let their cows graze on government grass?”

“For a fee, yes. And not just local ranchers, some of whom have been using the land for decades without a permit. Hence, the emergency meeting. It’s a touchy subject around here. That’s why I stay out of it.”

“Huh.” She wondered if her father knew anything about grazing permits or had thought about looking beyond Texas. Depending on shipping costs, leasing land here could solve his problem. Maybe she’d poke around and get some info.

Right now, though, she was more interested in Seth. His language surprised her. With his scuffed boots, worn jeans and blue T-shirt, he looked like a typical cowboy. Sometimes he sounded like one, and other times not at all. Now she really wanted to grill Rachel about him. What had she said about him having issues?

“Ask me,” he said with an air of amusement.

At the sudden realization she’d been staring, she blinked. “Ask you what?”

“Whatever it is that’s got you thinking so hard.”

Tempting, but no, she’d wait for Rachel. It was possible the night could end really well and she didn’t want to mess things up. “Where did you park? The next county?”

Seth stopped and opened the passenger door of a late model, dark gray truck. “Here we go.”

“Is this yours?”

“No, but it’s closer,” he said, pulling the door wide. “Go ahead. We’re all friends here. We swap vehicles all the time.”

Hannah opened her mouth to ask if he was joking, then closed it without a word.

He laughed. “Of course it’s mine.”

“I knew that,” she said, glaring up at him.

Humor lit his eyes. He really was very good-looking and it was all she could do not to touch his dimpled chin.

Before she gave in to the impulse, she looked up at the June sky filled with stars. So many that she couldn’t keep count if she tried.

“Sorry,” she said, when it registered that he was waiting for her. “The sky is so beautiful out here.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” His gaze swept the vast expanse of inky backdrop. “I’ve visited a lot of different places, and so far nothing beats a Montana sky. Probably why I loved astronomy so much as a kid.”

“Really? Not anymore?”

“Ah, you know...” He shrugged. “Life happened.”

“I get it. Oddly enough, I was just thinking about how stargazing had been one of my favorite things to do as a little girl. Now I can’t remember the last time I slowed down long enough to look up.”

“Did you grow up in Dallas?”

“No. My parents own a small ranch a couple hours west of the city in the middle of nowhere.”

“A ranch?” His brows went up. “No kidding?”

Hannah wished she hadn’t told him that part. He’d expect her to know things about ranching. But her father hadn’t taught her anything, or wanted her around. He’d considered her a nuisance. “When I say small, that’s not an exaggeration.”

“But your folks raise cattle?” he asked, and she nodded. “How many head?”

“I’m guessing around a hundred. My dad works by himself.”

“That’s not as small as you think. Statistically speaking, fifty head is closer to the average. But, yep, he could easily handle a herd that size alone.”

She started to climb into the truck but it was a high step up so she accepted the help he offered. His hand was big and strong, with long, lean fingers, and his palm was not nearly as tough as she’d expected.

Once she was seated and buckling up, he closed the door and came around to slide behind the wheel. Just as he was going to start the engine, his cell phone buzzed and he took a quick look at it. Then he checked his watch.

“Honestly, you don’t have to drive me anywhere,” Hannah said. “I can wait for Rachel or Nikki.”

“If it was a problem, I’d tell you. I don’t have anything I need to do at the moment.” He put his phone on the console and started the truck. A country music song blasted from the speakers and he quickly turned off the radio. “I wanted to get away from the ranch for a while. That’s all.”

“You were in the bar for less than an hour. That’s not much of a—” She sighed at the smile tugging at his mouth. Okay, so she’d noticed him when he’d first come in. So what?

At the sound of laughter she turned and saw two couples leaving a steak house. Once they were on the sidewalk, the women tried awfully hard to see through the truck’s tinted windows. The shorter brunette smiled and waved.

Seth waved back. “So,” he said, “what do you want to do? Go straight to the Sundance? Go for a ride? Get something to eat?”

Excitement flared, then the truth hit her. “That tricky little—Rachel had me convinced this was all because she had to run to get a part for Matt. I swear I’m gonna kill her.”

“I don’t think I can help you with that,” he said, and pulled the truck away from the curb. “But I will need to know which direction to go.”

“The Sundance, I guess,” Hannah said, and he looked disappointed, so that was some consolation. “How well do you know her?”

“Rachel? Not all that well. We went to different high schools. I know her brothers.”

“Well, I love her dearly but she has a nasty little habit of trying to fix up her friends. Or anyone.” Hannah snorted. “She’s horrible about it.”

“Oh, that’s right,” he said with a slow nod. “She used to piss off Cole and Jesse.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me one bit.” Hannah cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure that’s why she asked you to give me a ride. I mean, I’m only here for a week, but—well, who knows what she was thinking...”

Seth didn’t respond. He had no reaction at all, and not because he needed to pay attention to traffic. Main Street was practically dead.

“Another thing you should know—I didn’t say anything to her about you. So if she is trying to hook us up, it’s all her doing.” She stared at his thin, high-bridged nose, waiting, knowing he’d heard her. But he kept his eyes on the road.

Maybe she shouldn’t have brought it up. He’d drop her off at the Sundance and she’d never see him again. The idea was surprisingly disappointing. She was still staring at him when he finally turned to look at her. Hannah pretended she was looking past him at the well-lit service station, the last vestige of civilization before the highway stretched into darkness.

“Are you waiting for me to say I have a problem with that?” he asked. “Because I don’t.”

“Which part?”

“Any of it.”

Hannah wasn’t sure what to make of that. Obviously he didn’t care about Rachel’s meddling. But did he also mean he was open to hooking up? “Well, neither do I,” she said, her heart pounding as she watched a slow, telling smile curve his mouth.

After driving for another mile or better, she still couldn’t think of anything more to say. And clearly he didn’t feel the need to contribute. Normally she was fine with silence, but not knowing where they stood was maddening.

As it was, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at him every few seconds. His hand was on the steering wheel, and his T-shirt exposed his muscled arm. The short sleeve clung to his well-defined biceps.

“Why aren’t you staying with Rachel and Matt?”

“I had a conflict and couldn’t make it to their wedding, so I just met Matt today. Seems like a great guy. And of course he would be...” Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to get in the way. A week’s a long time to have a houseguest.”

“I see your point. Summer is a busy season, though I don’t think Rachel is involved in the day-to-day operation.”

“No, but she’s at the Sundance every day. The dude ranch keeps her hopping even though she and Jamie split duties.” She saw his brows lower in a frown. “Cole’s wife, the woman who was with us at the Watering Hole. She’s handling reservations, meals, that sort of thing, and Rachel takes guests on trail rides and gives riding lessons so she doesn’t have to pull any of the men away from the cattle side.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun for you. Unless you’re going to help with the lessons.”

Hannah cursed her big mouth. It would’ve been so much easier if he didn’t know about her parents’ ranch. “I don’t ride well enough.”

Seth glanced over at her. “You grew up on a ranch.”

“I’m aware,” she said with a forced laugh.

“Did you use ATVs?”

It was tempting to lie and say yes, but she wasn’t good with those either. “My dad didn’t like me hanging around while he was working, so I just...” She shrugged. “Read a lot of books. Where’s your ranch in relation to the Sundance?”

He didn’t seem eager to answer. For God’s sake, it was an idle question. Only meant to change the subject. It wasn’t as if she planned on showing up uninvited.

“About thirty minutes, give or take,” he said with a faint smile. “Depending on traffic.”

Hannah grinned. “I saw a truck hauling a horse trailer. I can see how the streets might get congested.”

Seth briefly took his eyes off the road to look at her. “Assuming Rachel’s going to be busy, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Um, nothing, really. I’m going to try to sleep in, a long shot at best.” She wound her fingers together, a nervous habit she thought she’d broken years ago. This wasn’t like her, being hesitant. “You have something in mind?”

“Oh, quite a few things,” he said, his laugh as deep and gravelly as his voice. “Are you interested in seeing the sights? Not that there’s much around here but you might enjoy a drive to Glacier National Park. After that we could get some dinner.”

“Not much here? The Rockies are practically in your backyard.” She turned to look out the window. Even in the gathering darkness, she could see the distant snow-topped peaks jutting into the night sky. And, of course, the stars. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe even thousands. She sighed and turned back to Seth. “Yes. I’d love to, thank you.”

“Good. You sleep in and I’ll get the men squared away for the day, then we’ll make it happen,” he said. “What was the sigh for?”

“I still can’t get over the stars. I don’t remember the sky ever looking this spectacular at home.”

“Are you in a hurry to get to the Sundance?”

“Not at all,” she said, stifling a yawn. Travel days were always hard, but she wasn’t about to miss out on anything Seth had to offer.

“Then how about we take a short detour?”

“I’m game if you are.”

“In about a mile we’re going to leave the highway. It’ll be bumpy for a while as the road climbs into the foothills, but it’s not too steep. Still game?”

She kind of wanted him to define not too steep. But come on, did it really matter? “Of course.”

“So, what is it you do in Dallas?” he asked, as soon as he’d made the turn.

“Executive recruiter,” she said, grabbing on to the handhold over the door. “I match qualified candidates with the right jobs. It can be interesting. The fun part is getting to learn about how different businesses work.”

“Do you recruit on behalf of corporations or individuals?”

“Mostly corporations. Though I also have a list of execs who aren’t looking for jobs actively, but if one comes along that I think would be of interest, I let them know.”

“Sounds challenging.” Seth slowed down as they arrived at a small clearing, the headlights sweeping clusters of purple and yellow wildflowers.

He got out of the truck, and while he rummaged around in the back, she popped a breath mint.

“You want some water?” he asked.

“Maybe later,” she said, as she slid off the seat. “Isn’t it late for wildflowers?”

“It’s the altitude. They’re on their way out. Last month you would’ve seen five times as many. I’m getting a blanket. Pick a spot.”

A shiver raced down her spine. Impressive as the wildflowers were, all she could think was...blanket! She had a good feeling there’d be more making out than stargazing going on. And, boy, was she ready.

She looked up at the sky. None of the surrounding trees blocked their view of the moon and stars. The clearing was perfect. And, for now, so was the cowboy walking toward her.

Hannah’s goals had been to visit Rachel and get the hell away from Texas and her father—the man made her so crazy she could forget how to breathe. Vacay sex hadn’t consciously been on the list. But this was a nice bonus. Not only had Rachel vouched for Seth, but Hannah lucking out the first day? Amazing.

“Is this the spot you want?”

“Oh, sorry, I’ve been looking up instead of down.”

All he did was smile at her and her heart beat wildly. Thankfully, he’d brought two bottles of water with him. Her mouth was suddenly dry and she sucked greedily on the mint. Probably looked obscene. She turned away and toed the hard ground. Most of the clearing was covered by tall grass.

“I think the best we can hope for is no rocks.” Seth nodded to an area where the grass had been flattened. “Deer approved. Shall we try it?”

He checked for rocks while taking quick glances up at the sky. Hannah did the same thing on the other side. An aspen that had provided the deer with shade blocked a tiny section of stars but the rest of the trees were slender pines.

“This is fine with me,” she said, and helped him spread the blanket out on the ground. “What? No pillows?”

Seth chuckled. “You’ve lived in Dallas too long.”

“And yet, not long enough,” she muttered, and saw his curious look. “Family stuff. Moving three states away from my dad would’ve been better.”

“I get it,” Seth said with a wry smile. “I joined the air force.”

“Wow. For how long?”

“Four years.” Crouching, he folded back part of the blanket, avoiding her gaze, and she wondered if he regretted telling her.

“Should I be doing the same thing on this side?”

“No, it’s fine,” he said, and flattened more of the grass before smoothing the blanket over it. “Here’s your pillow, princess.”

Hannah laughed. “I was joking,” she said, then pinned him with a mock glare. “Princess? Ha. Far from it.”

“Come here.”

“Don’t you mean, come here, please?” She watched a shadow cross his face and realized a cloud had passed over the moon. It made him look a little dangerous, certainly mysterious and too damn sexy. He could’ve just snapped his fingers and she would’ve scurried over to him.

“Please,” he said.

She gave a final tug on her side. It wasn’t necessary but it bought her a few seconds to calm down. “Where do you want me?”

“Right here.” He caught her arm and gently pulled her closer. Once she was directly in front of him, he turned her around and put a hand on her right shoulder. “Now, look up. How’s this view?”

Hannah felt his heat against her back, felt the steady, gentle presence of his palm cupping her shoulder. “Perfect,” she whispered.

His warm breath tickled the side of her neck. He pressed his lips against her skin. “You smell good,” he murmured, running his hand down her arm to lightly grip her elbow. With his other hand he swept the hair away from her neck. His breath stirred the loose strands at the side of her face.

Hannah was too dizzy to think of one damn thing to say. She saw a pair of eerie, yellowish eyes in the trees, low to the ground, before they disappeared. A howl split the night. She stifled a shriek, whirled and threw her arms around Seth’s neck.

He enfolded her in his strong, muscled arms and held her close. “It’s nowhere near us.”

“I don’t know why it made me jumpy,” she said, embarrassed but loving the feel of his hard body flush with hers. “I’m used to coyotes.”

“That was a wolf.”

Wolf? She didn’t know anything about them. Did they run from humans or put them on the menu? She leaned back and looked up at him. Before she could question whether or not this was a good idea, Seth lowered his head.

Their lips touched and she was lost in the fog.


3 (#u03e99d7c-248d-59b5-a9b4-3e9fd30a920f)

THE TEMPERATURE HAD dropped since the sun went down. But the chilly air wasn’t the reason Hannah pressed herself against his warm body. Enticed by the pleasant muskiness of his skin, by his firm lips moving over hers, she tightened her hold around his neck.

Seth pulled her closer. The heat of his erection penetrated both layers of their denim jeans. The urge to move her hips was too great to ignore. She swayed a little to the left.

He froze, all of him, his body, his mouth, the hand that had started rubbing her back. A low groan rumbled deep in his throat. She felt it against her lips, followed by a jolt of excitement that traveled all the way down her spine.

It didn’t take much for him to tease her lips apart. She readily opened for him and welcomed the thrust of his tongue. He tasted as good as he smelled—200 percent male. A rush of warmth spread through her body and settled into dampness between her thighs. She arched into him and he deepened the kiss.

Easing her death grip on his neck, she was able to run her fingers through his hair, touch his muscled chest. But the brief time-out was enough to make her wonder what the hell she was doing. She’d just met the man. Kissing was fine, for tonight. They still had tomorrow. Hopefully, she’d see a lot of him the whole week.

He must’ve sensed her hesitation. He broke the kiss and gave her a questioning look.

“We’re still standing,” she said in a playful tone.

“Yes, we are.”

Despite her rude awakening, Hannah wasn’t anxious to pull away. And, it seemed, neither was Seth.

Finally he stepped back and expansively spread his hand. “Your blanket and pillow await.”

“Lucky for you, you left out princess.”

He grinned. “Why? What would you have done?”

“It’s more like what I wouldn’t have done.”

He gave it a moment’s thought. “Ah,” he said, with a solemn nod. “Yeah, lucky I didn’t.”

Hannah laughed as she lowered herself to the blanket. By plopping down in the center, she couldn’t have made it more obvious that she wanted him to sit next to her.

After grabbing the water he’d left on the hood, he joined her, stretching out his long legs and passing her a bottle. He sat close enough that their shoulders brushed and tilted his head back to look up at the sky.

Hannah would’ve been content just to stare at him. But she followed his gaze to the crescent moon hovering over the Rockies. “How many constellations are there? Do you know?”

“Close to ninety have been recognized.”

“Do you know all their names?”

Seth laughed. “That’s a tall order.”

The air really was too chilly for her short sleeve shirt, and she leaned closer to him. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Maybe at my geekiest.”

“Oh, please. You were never a geek.”

He smiled at her, then frowned when he caught her shivering. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her against his side. “I might have a long-sleeved shirt in the truck,” he said, brushing the hair away from her face. “Or we don’t have to sit out here at all.”

“No, I like it here,” she said quickly. “Unless it’s too cool for you.”

“Not with you snuggled up to me like this, it isn’t.”

“Feels perfect to me.” Weird, very weird, in fact, and yet perfect.

Sitting like this was something she associated with boyfriends. Cuddling and holding hands felt intimate to her, and often uncomfortable. Of course she’d gone out with a few guys she liked over the years. Shane was strictly a friend. Trevor and Steve were more like sex buddies with no expectations on either side. True intimacy had never played a part in any of her relationships. Yet sitting here with Seth felt perfectly normal. Safe, even. Pleasant. And how did that make sense?

“I think I’ll go look for that shirt,” he said, removing his arm from her shoulders.

“Look, if you’re cold we’ll go. No problem.”

“Not for me. You’re the one shivering.”

“Was I?” She heard another howl and jumped. “Still far away, right?”

“Right,” he said, and started to get to his feet, but she caught his arm.

“I’m not cold.”

“Okay. But let’s try this instead.” He resettled on the blanket, this time behind her. “How about you sit here,” he said, patting the spot between his spread legs.

Her pulse fluttered. “That doesn’t look comfortable for you.”

“Sure it is.” He drew up his bent knees so she could shift into place.

She refused to check if his erection had subsided. Surely it must have or he wouldn’t have made the offer. Still, she hesitated to lean back, until his coaxing won her over. Her shoulders met his chest, but she managed to leave some room behind her butt to avoid contact.

“Better?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re stiff. Relax. I’m not going to bite.”

“Any chance you have a can of wolf repellent in your truck?”

Seth chuckled. “Is that what’s got you tense?” His mouth was near her right ear; his warm breath glided over her skin at the side of her neck. “The wolves aren’t going to bother us,” he murmured.

Oh, God, his body was so warm, chasing away the chill air. His encircling arms were strong and made her feel ridiculously safe. So safe she found her butt snuggled up against his...his crotch. Anatomically, no other body part was possible. And his arms made it all the way around her drawn-up knees. Yet his hold remained loose. She didn’t feel the urge to break free just to make sure she could.

He’d told her to relax. She was practically lounging back as if he was the most comfy chair in the world. His heart was beating a bit fast, and so was hers.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’d feel a whole lot better if I thought you were more comfortable.”

“Are you kidding? What could be better than this?”

“Um...” Hannah laughed. “Nothing.”

“Besides that,” he said, and kissed her neck.

She felt a jerky movement against her backside and she bit down on her lip. “Ouch!”

He brought his head up. “Did I hurt you?”

“It was me. I bit my lip.”

“Let’s see.”

“It’s okay. I’ll live.”

He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him. “You have pretty lips.”

“What?” Hannah giggled.

“Soft, too,” he said, drawing his thumb over them. He bent his head as if he were about to kiss her, but it wasn’t easy, the way they were sitting.

Their mouths merely brushed.

Hannah sighed, completely ready to give up warmth for more kissing. But Seth didn’t seem to be of the same mind. He just smiled and settled back.

“Hey, look at that,” she said, pointing to the western sky. “Are those stars in the shape of a W, or is it my imagination?”

“That’s Cassiopeia,” he said, without enthusiasm.

“Not your favorite, huh?”

“I wouldn’t kick her out of bed,” he said, and grinned when Hannah twisted around to give him a look. “We see Cassiopeia all year long from here. Now, if it was October or November, the bottom of the W would point to Andromeda.”

“What about that one?”

His cheek close to hers, he followed her gaze. “That’s Cygnus. We can only see it during the summer.”

“It looks like a kite.”

“According to mythology it’s supposed to be the form of a swan that Zeus used to seduce women.”

“Okay, you need quite an imagination to come up with that description,” Hannah muttered, trying to not get too distracted by the feel of Seth’s cheek pressed against hers. “What about the W? What’s the story behind that one?”

“Queen Cassiopeia sitting on her throne combing her hair. Her claim that she was more beautiful than the gods pissed off Poseidon, so he put her in the sky as punishment.”

Hannah grinned. “Those touchy Greeks.” She moved, just to see him better. “I doubt you were trying to impress me, but wow anyway.”

He smiled and went for a kiss. Their lips almost met, but not quite. The slightly different position wasn’t any better.

“Okay, this isn’t working,” he said. “You mind scooting down a couple feet?”

She didn’t need to think about it. She just slid her butt to the edge of the blanket. Seth pulled the opposite end up, draping it over her shoulders as he settled beside her.

“How’s that?” he asked, keeping his arm around her.

“Perfect.” She smiled at him and he pressed his lips to her mouth.

The sudden kiss startled her at first, but then she kissed him back. His arm tightened around her shoulders as his tongue swept past her lips and probed her mouth. He wasn’t in a hurry, but that didn’t make the kiss less intense. With his free hand he cupped her jaw as they explored each other, her breasts aching for his touch.

She lifted a hand to his chest and felt the swell of muscle under her palm. His heart pounded as hard and fast as her own. Shifting to give herself more freedom of movement, she nearly forced him back flat onto the blanket.

The kiss broke. Laughing and out of breath, she barely had the strength to help hold him upright. Not that she was doing anything more than clutching his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Seth asked, also laughing.

“I’m not sure.”

He used an elbow to brace himself and she landed, half sprawled across his body, her breasts squashed against his chest.

She wasn’t too upset with the awkward move, though. Their new position had its upside. “Did I bruise you for life?”

“They should fade in a week or so.”

“Sorry. I was actually trying to prevent this from happening,” she said, and realized that righting herself would go a long way toward reinforcing that claim. Grudgingly she started lifting herself off him.

Seth stopped her. “The ground isn’t too bad if you want to try lying back.”

“Or you make a pretty decent body pillow.”

“Sure, feel free to use me.”

Grinning, Hannah moved her arm and unintentionally brushed his erection.

He hissed through gritted teeth. “Yeah, sitting is probably better.”

“I didn’t do that on purpose,” Hannah said, her breathy voice sounding strange to her ears.

“I know.”

She didn’t even try to hide her disappointment when he sat upright. Instead she almost gave in to the urge to cup him, make sure he knew it was no accident. But that wouldn’t be cool. She’d never had sex with a guy the same day she met him and she’d already decided making out would be enough for tonight.

The stars seemed to be multiplying, each one trying to outshine the others. Barely covering a yawn in time, she felt his hand close gently on the nape of her neck.

“Tired?” he asked.

“A little.”

“I should’ve taken you straight to the Sundance.”

Hannah gaped at him. “No way. And miss this?”

“Don’t worry. In a week you’ll see your fill of stars.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, and felt the pressure at her nape become a gentle massage.

They leaned into a soft kiss. Hannah laughed when they both angled their heads the same way.

Seth didn’t. He cupped her face with one hand and deepened the kiss, their tongues touching and stroking each other. His hand moved to her neckline, and he toyed with the fabric before dipping his fingers just underneath, just enough to tease.

She trembled when his mouth left hers and his lips blazed a damp path down the side of her neck.

Gently, he touched her jaw, then trailed his fingertips down her throat over her knit top and lingered between her breasts. The inside of his wrist grazed her hardened nipple.

Hannah held her breath. The tiny movement caused a slight thrust of her breasts. She waited, wondering if he’d slip his hand under her shirt.

The temptation was there. She could feel his tension, his indecision, his restraint. Damn, she wished she could see his face. But it was impossible with the way they were sitting. Although she could see his straining fly just fine.

She laid a hand on his thigh, about midway between his knee and groin. And then she inched higher, stopping short of his erection. His free hand went to the back of her head and he held her still while he kissed her.

Oh, God, she wanted to touch him so badly. But she didn’t dare. His mouth was hot and hungry, his skin feverish, his warm rugged scent surrounded her. It was all going to her head. Stepping just one toe over the line would be all it took. They wouldn’t stop. And there would be no do-overs. She wasn’t sure it mattered.

Seth was waiting for her to make the next move, she realized. She’d set the tone and he could’ve taken over from there, but he wanted her to call that final shot. While she appreciated his thoughtfulness, she almost wished he’d just gone for it.

A cool breeze seemed to come out of nowhere, nipping at her, making her shiver. She rubbed her bare arms. Removing her hand from his thigh killed the mood.

He straightened away from her. “Guess I’m doing a shitty job.”

“Oh, no.” Hannah clutched at his arm, trying to bring him back to her. “It feels good.”

“I meant keeping you warm.”

“Ah. Right.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “No, it was just that one little gust.”

“Gust?” Seth laughed. “I’d stay away from Montana in the winter if I were you.” He grabbed both their waters. “In the meantime, let’s get out of here.”

“We don’t have to go.” A yawn threatened and she pressed her lips together for a second. “It was just that one...breeze.”

“Look, you have a whole week. No rush, right?”

She would’ve rather he’d said we. But that might’ve sounded too presumptuous. Probably not something she would’ve said herself. “I’ve ruined the night, haven’t I?”

“Absolutely not,” he said as he got to his feet. “I’ve enjoyed myself.”

She grasped his outstretched hand and he pulled her up.

“Go ahead and get in the truck,” he said when she picked up one side of the blanket.

“I’m really not cold.”

“Just tired.”

Hannah sighed. “Exhausted,” she admitted. “It was harder getting away from the office than I thought.”

“Signs of a healthy economy, right?”

“More like a slave-driver boss.”

Seth smiled, and boy did she want to kick herself. It was only a little after ten. She was on vacation and had lucked out meeting a gorgeous guy the very first night. And what was she doing? Squandering an opportunity to get laid, that’s what.

“Hannah?”

She blinked at Seth as he tried to take her corner of the blanket from her.

With a wicked smile that made her wonder if she’d said something she shouldn’t have, he tugged the blanket free of her hand. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you to bed.”


4 (#u03e99d7c-248d-59b5-a9b4-3e9fd30a920f)

HANNAH STARTED DOWN the staircase, but was so busy rereading a text from Seth confirming their date that she nearly missed a step. She grabbed the oak handrail and managed to hang on to the mug of coffee she’d gotten from the kitchen earlier.

It was her third one. She was more than half awake. Hopefully this would finish the job. The last thing she wanted was to be yawning all day. And all because some idiot had raised his voice outside her window at 6:00 a.m.

She didn’t know who it was, or who he’d been yelling at. All she really knew was that it had something to do with the upcoming town meeting and grazing permits. She’d have to ask Rachel about it later. Without letting on about the rude wakeup call. Anyway, it was Hannah’s own fault for being too snug under the covers and not closing her window.

Chatter drifted from the dining room, but she stopped for a moment to look out at the Rocky Mountains through the expansive two-story windows. Lucky her, she was staying on the same floor as the family, and not in the separate wing where they put regular Sundance guests.

She envied Rachel, growing up in this house, with this view every day. Today the sky was clear and a perfect blue; not even the slightest trace of smog blurred the edges. Hannah had been living in Dallas an awfully long time, and on the rare weekends she went home to see her parents, she always ended up too stressed to truly appreciate the beautiful country mornings.

It was hard to believe the McAllisters’ original house had started off as a modest-sized log cabin over a hundred years ago. It probably hadn’t been all that much bigger than the current foyer that spilled into the dining room on one side and the living room on the other.

Sitting at the table with Rachel’s mom were three other guests. Carol, whom Hannah had met last night, smiled. The other two women sent her bored looks before returning to their muffins.

“Good morning, Hannah,” Barbara McAllister said with a bright smile. “Rachel’s looking for you. She’s taking a group on a trail ride this morning and wanted to know if you’d like to join them.”

“Ah, sounds like fun,” she said, lying through her teeth. She hadn’t been on a horse in fifteen years. “But I can’t. I have a date.”

All three women turned their heads to give her a second look.

“Didn’t you just arrive yesterday?” The blonde stared with a hint of accusation in her narrowed eyes.

“Yes, I’m Hannah,” she said, crossing to the table with her hand extended. She should’ve left out the date part. Rachel had warned her many of the guests came here looking for vacay sex.

“Kimberly,” the woman muttered, accepting the gesture with a limp handshake.

The third woman made no effort to introduce herself so Hannah let it go.

“You work fast,” Carol said with a laugh. “We were just telling Mrs. McAllister she should’ve had more good-looking sons.”

“Available ones,” Kimberly added. “We came too late. They’ve all been snatched up.”

Shaking her head, Barbara laughed. Trim, petite and with the same lively green eyes as her daughter, she looked more like she was pushing fifty instead of sixty.

“If it’s any consolation, Rachel and I were in the same sorority together for three years and she never told me they were hot. Just that she had brothers.” Hannah gave Barbara a private smile as she came around the table and took the chair beside her.

“That’s just wrong.” Carol’s warm smile made up for the other two sourpusses. “And you’re still friends.”

“Yep. Not sure why.” Hannah nodded to the coffee Barbara offered. “Thank you.”

“Have you eaten yet?” Barbara asked. “We have more muffins and fruit in the kitchen, and Hilda is making omelets.”

“I had a muffin earlier, but thanks—”

“To be honest...” Kimberly cut her off. “I think Rachel should take their pictures off the website. It’s almost—I don’t know, false advertising or something.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sakes, this isn’t a dating service.” Barbara gave Kimberly the mom glare, that said, open your mouth again and I’ll wash it out with soap. It was clear where Rachel got her backbone. “Anyway, if you are looking to...what is it?” She paused, waving a hand. “Hook up,” Barbara said finally, and Hannah nearly spit out her coffee. “With so many hired men in the area, they outnumber the women three to one.”

Kimberly blushed and sulked at the same time.

Carol burst out laughing.

The mystery brunette stared at Hannah. “Is it the guy who was sitting at the bar last night?” she asked. “At the Watering Hole?”

Hannah hesitated, tempted to ignore her. “Oh, were you there? Didn’t see you. But to answer your question, yes.”

“Well, wasn’t that nice of Rachel to fix up her old friend,” the woman said in a snippy tone.

Several juicy remarks sat primed on the tip of Hannah’s tongue, but she restrained herself. Both women were very pretty and wouldn’t need any help hooking up for the week. As long as they kept their rude mouths shut.

The front door opened and Hannah recognized Rachel’s laugh. “Hey, look who I found,” she said, drawing everyone’s attention as she passed through the foyer.

Seth walked in behind her. He yanked off his black Stetson.

“Mornin’, Mrs. McAllister. Ladies,” he added with a brief nod at the other three women, and then he looked at Hannah. “Hello, Hannah.” He gave her a slow, bone-melting smile. “Sorry I’m a little early. I figured I’d talk to Jesse for a while...”

“But I dragged him in here,” Rachel said, her devilish grin directed at Hannah. “So, I guess that’s a big no on the trail ride, huh?”

Determined to play it cool, Hannah rolled her eyes. Not easy with her heart trying to pound its way out of her chest. He wasn’t wearing anything special. Just the typical cowboy get-up, boots, jeans, a blue button-down shirt. But he’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, exposing tanned muscular forearms, and for some reason that made her mouth go dry.

“Seth, it’s so nice to see you.” Barbara had shot to her feet and was skirting the table. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am, it has,” he said, bending as she pulled him into a fierce hug. He looked so tall next to her. And his shoulders were much broader than Hannah remembered from last night.

“How’s the family—”

“The omelets are almost ready.” Hilda said, as she pushed through the swinging door from the kitchen. Her dark eyes lit up when she saw him. “Oh, Seth, look at you...so tall and handsome.”

Barbara stepped aside as Hilda rushed toward him.

“Hi, Mrs. Carter.” He smiled and moved his Stetson out of harm’s way in the nick of time.

The wiry housekeeper threw her arms around him. “I saw your mom at the market. She said you’re here for good, this time.”

“That’s right. Dad’s retired so I’m helping Clint run the Whispering Pines.”

Hilda stood back, still holding on to one of his large hands. “Your mother is so happy. Did you know my Ben is back, too? He bought a ranch.”

Seth nodded. “I ran into him at the hardware store a couple months ago.”

Kimberly noisily cleared her throat. Once she had everyone’s attention, she looked at Hilda. “Are our omelets getting cold?”

Throwing her hands up, Hilda muttered something in Spanish as she hurried toward the kitchen with Rachel on her heels.

“Come sit, Seth,” Barbara said. “Have breakfast with us.”

He darted a look at the other three women. Carol’s smile was friendly. Kimberly and the brunette had their fangs out. Hannah would be taking several giant steps back if she were him.

“Have you eaten?” he asked her.

“Yes, but if you want—”

He shook his head. “I’d rather get on the road while it’s not so hot. If that’s okay with you.”

“Sure.” Hannah pushed her chair back, aware of the evil looks aimed at her.

“Thanks for the offer,” he said to Barbara.

“Anytime, Seth. You’re always welcome here. I hope you know that.” She patted his arm. “Where are you two headed?”

Seth swept a gaze over Hannah as she left the table. He kept it brief but managed to linger a second too long on her bare legs. Long enough to make her a little flustered. “Glacier National Park,” he said.

“Oh, you’ll love it, Hannah. There’s so much to see, you could spend a week watching the wildlife,” Barbara said, just as Hilda came from the kitchen carrying plates of fluffy golden omelets.

Rachel held back the swinging door, and Barbara rushed over to help serve.

Hannah stopped. She’d almost forgotten. “I need to run upstairs and get my purse.” She glanced down at her white shorts, pink tank top and strappy white sandals. “Am I dressed okay for the trip?”

“You look good to me,” he murmured, his gaze missing nothing all the way down to her polished blue toenails.

Hannah didn’t think it was her imagination that his voice had lowered. Or that his eyes had darkened. She hurried toward the stairs, aware he could watch her from where he was standing. She was also aware that Kimberly and her pal were breathing fire by now. Mostly he’d ignored them, though not in a discourteous way. But she had the feeling they weren’t used to being outclassed by a woman who was barely a six.

“Hannah, wait.”

On the second step she turned. One bad thing about an open floor plan, you couldn’t get away with much. They weren’t visible to everyone in the dining room but it was possible they could be overheard.

Seth came all the way to the stairs. “You should bring along some walking shoes,” he said, then leaned so close that his breath tickled her ear. “It’s going to be a long day. Wouldn’t hurt to bring a change of clothes and some toiletries. I’ll leave that up to you.”

He straightened away from her and gave her another one of those irresistible smiles. Might as well hog-tie her and throw her in his truck. Like she could say no to anything that came out of his mouth.

“I have a question,” she said.

“What’s that?”

Standing on the second step gave her a two-inch advantage over him and this time she did the leaning, and whispered, “Why didn’t I get a hug?”

“I was saving up for this.” His hand cupped the back of her neck and he kissed her, the tip of his tongue taking a languid swipe with the promise of more to come.

Her toes curled over her sandals and she clutched his shoulders for balance. “I figured it was something like that,” she said, pulling back and grinning. “Give me a few minutes to pack.”

The self-satisfied gleam in his eyes caused a burst of excitement in her chest. Mingled laughter coming from the dining room abruptly changed the mood.

“Take your time,” he said, settling his hat back on his head. “I’ll be outside.”

“Chicken,” she whispered.

Seth just smiled and stayed right where he was...where she knew damn well he could watch her jiggling behind all the way up the stairs.

* * *

ALMOST THREE HOURS LATER, they entered the park. They’d made a stop that took them twenty minutes out of their way when Hannah realized she’d forgotten sunscreen. Seth wished they could’ve gotten an earlier start but he was lucky to get the whole day off, plus it was possible they’d spend the night, too. That would make up for a hell of a lot. Damn, he hoped it worked out. Since their time was limited, he’d decided Going-to-the-Sun Road was the best thing for them to do. The scenery was spectacular and it would give her a taste of everything from glacier-carved lakes and valleys to stunning jagged peaks. And wildlife. She seemed interested in spotting different critters and there would be lots of them.

“I can’t believe all the snow,” Hannah said, twisting around in her seat and staring out the back window at the snow-topped mountains all around them. “It’s crazy.”

“Considering it’s only June there really isn’t all that much. We’re lucky Logan Pass isn’t blocked. That’s where we’ll cross the Continental Divide.”

She made the strangest noise. Kind of a strangled giggle. “I’m sure it won’t be nearly as exciting as it sounds.”

Seth chuckled. “Maybe it will, who knows?”

“How many times have you been here?”

“Over a hundred.”

She swung her attention to him. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. I used to camp out here with my brothers when we were teenagers. Usually at the end of July or in August, when it’s warmer. Less likely for the higher elevations to be blocked by snow.”

“Oh, my God.”

He slid her a quick glance.

Her gaze had wandered beyond him out the driver’s window. “I think I just saw a bear.”

“You might have.” Unlikely at this elevation, but it was fun to see how excited she got over everything.

“He wasn’t all that far from the road.” Eyes narrowed, she craned her neck to see behind them.

“Do you want me to slow down?” Seth asked, even though they were practically crawling.

“For the bear?”

“No,” he said, trying not to laugh.

“I knew that.” She shifted so she was facing straight ahead. “I read there’s a bunch of scenic turnouts. Would you mind stopping at a few?” It took all of three seconds for her to whip around again. “I’m never going to see everything.”

“That’s right, you won’t. Not in one day.” He should’ve warned her about first-timers overload. “So better you save yourself from whiplash and just concentrate on what’s ahead.”

“Am I annoying you?”

“Of course not.” Trying to avoid the scurrying chipmunks, he kept his eyes on the road. But he found her hand and squeezed it. “It’s fun being here with a virgin.”

“Yeah, well, I hate to disappoint you...”

Seth laughed. Hannah was sharp, had guts and a great sense of humor, as she’d proven last night at the Watering Hole. And she had a slightly gullible streak that surfaced now and then. What he hadn’t figured out—yet—was just how much of it was her yanking his chain. But either way, she made him smile, and few things had done that in the last couple of years.

“Hey, I should’ve told you before now. Cell service is about to get real spotty. It’s like that throughout most of the park, so if you need to call or text anyone, now’s the time.”

“Nope. I’m good.”

Hell, he realized something else he should’ve considered and pulled the truck over the second he could.

Hannah dragged her gaze away from a pair of marmots lounging in the underbrush and looked at him. “Do you have to make a call?” she asked. “Because I definitely don’t.”

“We should talk about tonight.” He checked the rearview mirror to make sure they were in the clear, then met her soft brown eyes and almost forgot why he’d stopped.

“I’m cool with staying overnight. I assume they have lodges or motels here?”

“They do,” he said, lifting a hand to her cheek because he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He stroked her smooth skin with his fingertips, touched the soft silky strands of her hair. He liked how the different shades of brown shimmered in the sunlight. “I don’t know about availability so we’ll have to call around.”

Her lids drooped as she pressed her cheek against his palm. “Do you think we’ll have trouble?”

“Not in June. It’s just that the accommodations in the park can be a little rough.”

Her sleepy eyes widened. “We have to camp?”

“Not that bad.”

“I don’t actually mind camping. I just prefer a heads-up.”

He watched her chest rise with the deep breath she took. The tank top she was wearing wasn’t too snug but fit close enough that it distracted him if he wasn’t careful. Damn, he wanted to kiss her.

His cell rang, startling both of them.

It took some effort to dig for it in his jeans pocket. Especially with a partial erection in the way. Which he figured Hannah had also noticed because she turned abruptly to look out her window.

He saw that it was Paxton, one of the men from the Whispering Pines. That usually meant trouble. “Yeah, Paxton...”

“Hey, boss. You busy?”

Seth knew that sheepish tone all too well. And calling him boss? “What do you want?”

“You happen to be anywhere nearby?”

“Why?”

“I kinda lost the key to the medicine cabinet.”

“Kinda?” Seth glanced at the dashboard clock. Already noon. Paxton should’ve given the pregnant mares their meds by now. “Either you lost it or you didn’t.”

Paxton noisily cleared his throat. “I had it earlier. Then I misplaced the damn thing. It’s gotta turn up. You got one, don’t you?”

“Where’s Clint?”

“He and Lila left for Kalispell about an hour ago. Won’t be back till late.”

Seth pinched the bridge of his nose. Kalispell was closer to the Whispering Pines, but he wouldn’t ask Clint to drive back. The poor guy deserved the time off with Lila. Hell, what he truly deserved was to be able to count on Seth for a change.

He looked over at Hannah. She’d been gazing out the window but she turned to him with a smile. She could only glean so much from his side of the conversation but she mouthed, “It’s fine.”

Cursing to himself, Seth exhaled slowly. She’d never know how much he appreciated her understanding. Though he doubted she understood their entire day and night together was about to be ruined. Maybe the whole week. He didn’t know if he could take another day off. But, hell, he owed his brother. His whole family.

After a nervous silence, Paxton asked, “You want me to give Clint a holler?”

“No. It’ll take me about three hours,” he said, and couldn’t quite look at Hannah.

“Sorry, boss,” Paxton mumbled.

“Yeah. I know.” Seth disconnected the call and put the phone down with too much force. “Son of a bitch.” He turned to Hannah. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, please. I can curse with the best of ’em.”

He managed a smile. “About everything. I have to get back to the Whispering Pines.”

“I guessed as much.”

“After that, it’ll be too late to come back here.” He saw the disappointment in her eyes. Just a flicker and then it was gone. She wouldn’t sulk or make him feel bad, like so many other women he knew. The thing was, they could still drive to Kalispell afterward, just to have dinner and spend the night. For that matter, there was a motel in Blackfoot Falls. But either option seemed too tacky. He wouldn’t feel right doing that to her.

“Shouldn’t we be getting back on the road?” she asked softly. “I’m not trying to rush you. It just sounded kind of important.”





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