Книга - Tall, Tanned & Texan

Tall, Tanned & Texan
Kimberly Raye








“You look really hot,” Rance said, his voice husky


“And how.” Deanie turned and squinted up at his large shadow towering over her. “There were no umbrellas available, and so I’ve been cooking.”

He grinned. “I meant hot as in good-looking.” Before she could answer him, he’d hooked a leg over the chair and straddled the chaise behind her. His thighs framed hers and his chest cushioned her back. His hands settled on her shoulders, then traced her upper arms. Deanie could barely breathe.

“You feel hot, too,” he added, his lips touching the shell of her ear.

“It’s the sun,” she said weakly.

“Maybe.” His hands slid back up over her shoulders.

“And maybe not.” Strong fingers lifted her hair away from her neck and she felt the cool rush of fresh air followed by the hot press of his lips.

“What are you doing?”

“Following the Camp E.D.E.N. curriculum and the first workshop—‘Shedding Your Inhibitions.’”

“Shouldn’t we find someplace a little more private? With less people?”

“Now, Deanie,” Rance said, grinning wickedly. “Wouldn’t that defeat the whole purpose?”



Dear Reader,

Being a romantic at heart, I love Valentine’s Day. It’s an infatuation that began long before I met my husband and fell in love. Lucky for him. See, my hubby is a total nonromantic. His last V-Day gift to me? A fishing rod and reel combo from the local sporting goods store. But for me, it’s not the actual gifts that make Valentine’s Day so special. It’s the whole notion of an entire twenty-four hours devoted to the big L. It’s just so… romantic.

But I have a lot of friends—single women, as well as married ones—who think I’m a nutcase. They hate the cheesy cards and the never-ending pressure that comes with a holiday where the depth of a person’s love is often measured by the size of the gift.

Like my gal pals, Deanie Codge, the heroine in my newest Harlequin Blaze novel, is totally convinced that Valentine’s Day is the worst day of the year. Not because she doesn’t enjoy a box of Godiva, mind you, but because she simply doesn’t believe in love. She’s been there and done that, and she’s not doing it again.

But when she finds herself stranded on a romantic island for twenty-four hours with her old flame, Rance McGraw, she starts to think that maybe, just maybe falling in love again might not be all that bad. After all, it is Valentine’s Day….

Join Deanie and Rance as they spend their hottest holiday ever in Tall, Tanned & Texan, and have a blazing-hot Valentine’s Day!

Kimberly Raye










P.S. I love to hear from readers! You can visit me online at www.kimberlyraye.com or write to me c/o Harlequin Books.




Tall, Tanned & Texan

Kimberly Raye





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


This book is dedicated to the wonderfully talented Nina Bangs. Thanks for being such a great writer and an even better friend!




Contents


Chapter 1 (#u52e1fa16-f4f8-5e2b-9e76-8709b786e885)

Chapter 2 (#u439d98e3-7d09-5742-9482-da0a2a6a0db2)

Chapter 3 (#uabadfebf-4cd7-5e15-a477-4b7fda1e7279)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

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)




1


DEANIE CODGE had been waiting her entire adult life to experience really great sex.

Sex that included lots of slow, deep kisses and long, lingering touches. Sex that stole her breath away and zapped her common sense. Sex that made her toes tingle and her skin prickle and her body actually throb.

Sex that didn’t involve a sleeping bag, a can of insect repellant and the bed of a beat-up pickup truck.

Now, after twenty-nine years and one too many mosquito bites, she was this close.

Deanie stowed her purse beneath the seat in front of her and her hand paused on the side pocket where she’d tucked her cell phone. She slid it free and noted the flashing message light before powering it off. She had five messages. Probably one from each of her older brothers. Or maybe they were all from Clay. He wasn’t the oldest, but he was the only one who’d settled down and found the right woman. His wife, Helen, was pregnant with their first child, which was due any day now. Since Clay had taken over the family’s cattle ranch—their father suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and had handed over the workload to his most responsible son and the only one who’d stuck around Romeo—he now considered himself the head of the family. While their dad spent his time playing bingo and gossiping down at the Fat Cow Diner, Clay kept track of ten thousand cattle and his baby sister. She could only imagine the fit he was throwing after discovering that she was missing in action.

Technically, she wasn’t missing. She’d left a letter clearly explaining what she was doing. At the same time, while the letter was meant to inform, she knew its contents would make her overprotective brother worry that much more.

It wasn’t every day that his baby sister signed up for boot camp.

A sexual boot camp, that is.

She ignored the small spiral of guilt, stowed her cell phone and fastened her seat belt. She lifted the oval window shade and stared at the hustle and bustle. Beyond the glass, she could see the white and gray building that housed the terminals for San Antonio International Airport. A cart overflowing with luggage, her new white and pink flowered canvas bags balanced on top, rolled toward the turquoise-and-white 747. The gray tunnel she’d just walked through still sat attached to the doorway of the plane. The last few passengers filed inside, twisting this way and that to make it down the narrow aisle that separated pairs of seats.

Excitement zipped up her spine and her hands trembled. This was it. The second step in transforming her ho-hum, going-absolutely-nowhere life.

The first had involved the purchase of the pair of three inch stilettos currently cutting off the blood supply to her toes and the cotton sundress that clung to her as if it were hanging on for dear life.

She drew a deep breath and tried to ignore the way her chest pressed against the low-cut halter top.

So what if it was skimpy? And pink? It was feminine. Trendy. Sexy. There would be no mistaking Deanie Codge for one of the boys in this get-up.

She looked one hundred percent female.

As for feeling like one… Okay, so it wasn’t quite happening.

Yet.

Growing up the youngest of five brothers, she hadn’t had much of an opportunity to explore her feminine side. Her mother had passed away right after giving birth to Deanie, and so she’d been raised by her father and brothers on a small cattle ranch in the middle of Nowhere, Texas aka Romeo.

It had been survival of the fittest in the Codge household, complete with wrestling matches to determine who used the bathroom first and shooting competitions to decide who did what chores. Being the youngest and the smallest, she’d ended up pitching hay and cleaning out stalls more times than she could count. She’d also been extremely lucky to get a full five minutes in front of the mirror every morning. Not nearly enough time to primp her way to womanhood, even if she’d wanted to. Overall, she’d grown up feeling like one of the boys.

Oddly enough, it had never really bothered her. Deanie had always been happy with herself. Content.

Until six weeks ago when Harwin Mulligan—the low-down, sneaky rat bastard—had stolen her promotion and cheated on her with Dora Mae Shriver.

She’d realized then and there that she would never be taken seriously as a mechanic. While her customers—namely the entire Senior Women’s Rotary Club—trusted her with their Cadillacs and Bonnevilles, Big Daddy, the owner of Romeo’s largest auto shop where she’d worked for the past ten years, obviously did not. Otherwise, he would never have left his brake specialist—aka Harwin aka the low-down, sneaky rat bastard—in charge while he raced off to Mexico on a fishing trip.

She’d known then that if Big Daddy wouldn’t let her run Big Daddy’s Auto & Body for a measly six week vacation, he certainly wouldn’t let her take over the place when he officially retired. It didn’t matter that she was the best mechanic in town or that she’d worked her way through the local junior college and earned an associates degree in business.

Her dreams of managing the auto shop and building up the business while saving to eventually buy out Big Daddy had died as fast as the old, souped up Toyota pickup she’d driven her senior year of high school. It wasn’t going to happen.

Not now.

Not ever.

As had the crazy, insane notion that she was going to ever meet the man. A man who would know a few things about romance. A man who wouldn’t assume she didn’t give a lick about those things just because she didn’t look all soft and frilly and girlie. A man who could give her the best, most amazing orgasm of her life. A man who would love her and not so much as glance at Dora Mae or any of the other hotties down at the Fat Cow Diner.



A man who would see beneath her rough-and-tough exterior to the heart and soul of the woman who lay beneath.

Yeah, right.

It seemed her overalls were made of Kryptonite because no man had ever seen beyond the surface. Except Harwin, or so she’d thought. But then he’d stolen Big Daddy’s confidence and gone after someone prettier, more feminine and a zillion times better in bed.

Deanie would never forget Dora in her red thong and matching bra, a large red feather in her hand as she leaned over Harwin, who’d been spread-eagled and tied to the bed with a pair of fuzzy red handcuffs.

In her wildest dreams, Deanie could never have cooked up such a scene. A fact that spoke volumes for her sexual know-how. Or lack thereof.

Determination flowed through her. She ignored her pinched toes and the goose bumps chasing up and down her arms thanks to the revealing sundress. It was time for something drastic. A change.

An extreme makeover.

Deanie had started with the outside. She’d left her dead-end job, spruced up her blah hairstyle, revamped her vampless wardrobe.

Now she was ready to tackle the inside.



She leaned over, reached into her purse and pulled out a folded brochure.

Two weeks to a new and improved, sexier you!

The main caption leaped out at her and she grasped at the hope that blossomed in her chest.

In exactly three hours, after stopping in Miami to pick up more passengers and a thirty minute layover on a neighboring island, Deanie would arrive in Eden, a small island in the heart of the Caribbean and home to Camp E.D.E.N. The honest-to-goodness sexual boot camp helped individuals nurture their sexuality. Their specialty was an intensive fourteen day training program that included everything from an anatomy class called Treasure Island 101: If You Can’t Find It, You Can’t Use It, to Cooking To Cuddle: The Best Aphrodisiac Foods.

By the time Deanie graduated from Camp E.D.E.N., she would be more than ready to begin a new life in Dallas, complete with an apartment in the heart of the city and a job as manager of Sweet Nothings, an upscale lingerie boutique owned by one of her mother’s old high school friends. Miss MaryBelle had been surprised and happy to hear from Deanie. She and Deanie’s mother had been close and so she’d been more than willing to consider Deanie’s résumé.



Consider, mind you.

Miss MaryBelle was a businesswoman first and so she’d been clear about the fact that she couldn’t give Deanie a job just because she and Deanie’s mother had giggled about boys in the girls’ bathroom all four years of high school. Business was business.

Thankfully.

Where Big Daddy had been more influenced by a set of balls—and not very big ones—rather than an associates degree, Miss MaryBelle didn’t subscribe to the good ole boys’ club. The old woman had been impressed enough to start Deanie off as a manager-in-training. Now it was adios to her life as a small-town mechanic and, especially, her reputation as Romeo’s resident tomboy.

A change she never could have made if she’d stayed put. While the town itself had changed over the years, the people hadn’t. The Piggly Wiggly had added a self checkout lane, but the owner, Mr. McGhee still bagged up everyone’s groceries himself. Moe’s Gas Station had turned into a self-serve with pay-at-the-pump options, but Mr. Johnson, the clerk, still rushed out to wash every-one’s windshield and share the latest gossip. The old rodeo arena where Deanie had spent her weekends watching Clay and his best friend, Rance McGraw wrestle steers was just weeks away from being bulldozed to make way for one of those superstores, but Mr. Samuels, the grounds-keeper, still raked the arena dirt every afternoon the way he’d been doing for the past twenty years.

The folks in her hometown would never see her as anything other than the tomboy she’d always been.

She ignored the pang of regret in the pit of her stomach and checked her watch. Even though they were already five minutes past takeoff, she should still arrive on the island in plenty of time to make the camp’s afternoon check-in.

Most of the passengers had already boarded and so the flight attendant started down the center aisle, checking the overhead compartments and closing the bins.

Deanie had just stuffed the brochure back into her purse and settled into her seat when she heard the soft, sugary voice.

“Coming through, hon.”

A heartbeat later, a tall woman folded herself into the seat next to Deanie’s.

“Thank God for flight delays,” the twentysome-thing woman exclaimed. She had long blond curls brushed out just enough to make them full and wild. Streaks of platinum added to the overall effect.



She wore a stretchy blue top, the neck outlined with sequins and matching beads. A short blue skirt clung to her hips and rode high on her thighs as she adjusted herself on the seat. Her legs were long and tanned and bare. Her feet disappeared into a pair of three-inch blue sandals even higher than the shoes Deanie wore. A matching clutch purse sat in her lap. French-manicured fingertips reached for the edges of the seat belt.

“Now,” she declared as the buckle clicked into place. “I can actually breathe. For a few minutes there, I didn’t think I was going to make it.” Her hot pink lips parted in a smile as she turned blue eyes the same color as her outfit on Deanie. “I couldn’t get Roger off the cell phone. I swear, he’s this close to being a Fatal Attraction, you know what I mean?”

“Boy, do I ever.” The comment came from the seat in front of Deanie. A heartbeat later, a large, red beehive hairdo pushed into view, followed by the thin, narrow face of a fiftyish woman. She wore flaming orange lipstick and a pair of gold-framed glasses that looked two sizes too big for her thin face. Her cheeks were pinked with too much rouge and bright blue eye shadow clung to her lids. She smelled of hair spray, old perfume and mothballs.



“You try to let them off easy,” the woman continued, “but they just can’t take no for an answer. They keep calling and showing up and sending flowers and buying jewelry. I can’t be bought, I’ve said more times than I can count.” She made a face that deepened the wrinkles around her eyes. “But that still didn’t stop Walter from sending over that Rolls Royce last month.”

“A man bought you a Rolls Royce?” the twenty-something asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

“He tried, but I’m still partial to the Porsche that James gave me for my birthday last year. James…” She sighed. “Now there was a man who had good taste. Unfortunately, he had a bad colon. Keeled over during dinner a few months later and that was that. It’s always the good ones that go young. Remember that, child,” she told Deanie. “If you find a grade A, quality man, you latch on to him fast and don’t waste a moment, especially if there’s a nasty colon involved.”

“Words to live by,” the blonde murmured.

“And how, otherwise I would be home watching my soap operas right now instead of popping Dramamine.” At Deanie’s questioning expression, she added, “Men usually fly to me, mind you, not the other way around. Then again, Mitchell isn’t your typical man. Why, he actually wrote me a love poem, of all things. I couldn’t very well let him abandon a million-dollar deal just to fly to Texas to see me for Valentine’s Day after that. Not that he needs the money. He’s got the stuff coming out his ears.”

“You’ve got a millionaire writing you love poems?” The blonde sounded as skeptical as she looked.

The redheaded woman didn’t seem the least put out. “Actually, he’s a billionaire. And he’s handsome. And a good dancer. And a great bingo player. Not that any of that means anything. Why, I’ve known handsome, bingo-playing, tangoing billionaires before, but none of them knew how to appreciate the real me. The personality beneath the decorative package.” She patted her hairdo with a bony hand. “Mavoreen Rosenbaum does have a brain, too. Unfortunately, men are simple creatures much too caught up in their hormones to understand that.”

At that moment, a man bolted through the doorway and started down the aisle. He wore a three-piece suit and a haggard expression. He rushed past Deanie’s aisle, only to stop and retrace his steps until he stood next to Mavoreen Rosenbaum. He pointed his briefcase at the empty seat beside her. “I’m sitting there.”



“Of course you are,” she told him. “What can I say?” Mavoreen shook her head. “I guess we all have our crosses to bear.” She turned to let the man scoot past her. “I’ll expect you to keep your hands to yourself,” she told him as he settled in. “And your legs. And all other body parts. And don’t even think about staring at me, sonny, because I’ve got a stun gun in my purse and I know how to use it…”

“If she’s got a decorative package, I’m Shrek,” the blonde murmured.

As far out as the notion seemed, Deanie couldn’t help but admire the older woman. “At least she’s confident.”

“She’s delusional. There is no billionaire. It’s just a story she makes up so she doesn’t have to look like a lonely desperate woman, which is what she is.” The blonde smiled. “But enough with the small stuff. I’m Savannah Sierra Ellington.”

“Nadine. Nadine Codge. But you can call me Deanie.”

The woman’s smile widened and she winked. “Thank the good Lord for flight delays and nicknames.”

Before they could exchange any more pleasantries, the flight attendant’s voice carried over the loud speaker.



Deanie shifted her attention to the woman wearing the white blouse trimmed in turquoise piping and khaki slacks, and did her best not to grimace.

A reaction that had nothing to do with the fact that she was on an airplane for the first time in her life. Or that it just so happened to be Friday the thirteenth. No it was the cupid cutouts and heart streamers that decorated the front of the plane in honor of tomorrow.

V-Day.

The worst day of any single girl’s life.

The flight attendant wore a flashing neon heart pin. A red scarf dotted with red lips circled her neck. To top off her tribute to the big L, she sported a headband with a pair of red glitter hearts attached via long, tentacle-looking wires. The hearts bobbed with her every movement.

“…a little delay, but while we’re waiting for the tower to give the go-ahead for takeoff, we’ll start our in-flight service by taking drink orders.” She started down the aisle, pen and paper in hand. In her wake, another flight attendant carried a large red bag filled with packages of pretzels. She passed out the goodies and carefully eyeballed everyone’s seat belt.

“Welcome to Island Airways where love is always in the air,” the flight attendant with the pretzels told them after her partner had taken their drink orders.

“This is too much,” Savannah Ellington exclaimed when the attendants had moved to the next row.

“You said it.” Even the pretzel bags were red with tiny silver hearts. Deanie fought back the memory that pushed its way into her head… Of a hopeful young girl, a shoe box full of homemade sugar cookies and the most handsome boy in the seventh grade.

She’d been so silly back then and Mr. Handsome hadn’t been the least bit interested. Not that she’d taken the hint. She’d made more sugar cookies the next year and the next, and the only thing he’d ever given her in return had been a thank-you and a grin.

Ah, but that grin had been worth the entire day spent in the kitchen and her brothers’ teasing.

At least that’s what she’d thought back then. But then she’d wised up.

Sure, you did. After you made an even bigger fool of yourself.

“I’m definitely going to complain to the higher ups,” Savannah said. “This just isn’t right.”

“I know. It’s not like it’s a major holiday. We’re not talking Christmas, for Pete’s sake. It’s just Valentine’s Day.”

“I wasn’t talking about Valentine’s Day.” Savannah held up the red foil bag. “ One serving? Talk about chintzy. Forget dancing the night away once I get to Escapades. I’ll be too weak from lack of proper nutrition.” She dropped the bag into her lap and unlatched her purse. A little digging and she withdrew a candy bar. “Thank God I think ahead.” She tore the wrapper, broke a piece of candy off and popped it into her mouth. Her expression eased as she savored the mouthful before holding the bar out to Deanie. “Want some?”

Deanie shook her head.

Savannah gave her a knowing look. “It figures.”

“What?”

“If you hate Valentine’s Day, you’re bound to hate candy, too. And flowers. And jewelry.”

“I don’t hate Valentine’s Day. I just think it’s a little overdone.” And depressing. “People shouldn’t have to buy candy or flowers or jewelry to prove their love.”

“Says you.” She ate another piece of candy and eyed Deanie. “You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

“Not exactly.”

“Not exactly no, or not exactly yes?”

Deanie swallowed. “We broke up.”



Savannah studied her a few more seconds before winking. “Don’t sweat it. There are plenty more where he came from. Real ones,” she added, nodding toward Mavoreen’s beehive that bobbed above the seat in front of her. “And trust me, the more the merrier. That way when one’s busy in Atlanta with a buyout for his precious company, you don’t have to sit around feeling sorry for yourself. You just hop a plane to a tropical paradise and party the night away with boyfriend number two. And number three. And number four. It’s all about having a back-up plan.”

For the lucky few like Savannah Sierra Ellington with her feminine clothes and her breathy voice. She practically oozed sex appeal. It made sense that she would snag more than one man’s attention.

Deanie, on the other hand, wasn’t as concerned with snagging every man’s attention as she was with keeping one man’s attention.

The man.

And so she intended to be ready when he happened along.

If he happened along.

“I shouldn’t have had that extra glass of wine in the airport lounge. I think I’ll head to the ladies’ room before we takeoff.” Savannah tucked the remainder of her candy bar into her purse, popped open her seat belt, pushed to her feet and sashayed the few feet to the lavatory at the front of the plane.

Deanie glanced at her watch again. Anxiety rushed through her, chasing away the excitement. They really needed to get going. The last thing she wanted was to be late.

Camp E.D.E.N. ran a tight ship. There would be no lounging around the pool or writing post cards. Her training would start immediately after check-in with the first workshop—Shedding Your Inhibitions. There would be a thirty minute dinner break and then it was back to work with three more workshops before curfew and lights out. The strict regimen went hand-in-hand with the camp’s no-nonsense image. Camp E.D.E.N. was for the serious, self-improvement-minded individual, not the fun-seeking sort. At least that’s what the Web site and its page of testimonials claimed.

Her toes whimpered and she eased her feet out of her shoes just enough to allow some breathing room. She shifted and tried for a more comfortable position. The seat was more narrow than she’d initially thought, her legs a lot more cramped. Jet-setting to a tropical getaway wasn’t at all as glamorous as she’d imagined.

It felt more like being cooped up in the last row of a school bus with the other equipment assistants—all three of them, Deanie included—while the football players rode up front.

Then again, this wasn’t high school.

This was her life.

The new and improved version.

“This is a good day.” She murmured the words her grandmother had recited to her every morning during her summer visits before the old woman had passed away.

A great day.

A scary day.

She forced aside the last thought.

Exciting, not scary.

Of course, both caused massive bursts of adrenaline and a faint, light-headed feeling so it was understandable how she could confuse the two.

She pulled out the latest fashion magazine she’d bought at the newsstand—after reaching for Sports Illustrated and giving herself a mental hand slap—and flipped to an article that debated the benefits of lip gloss versus lipstick. Then she heard something…

It took her all of two seconds to realize it wasn’t just the cramped space that reminded her of her high school days.

It was the deep, husky voice that slid into her ears.

“…wouldn’t say I was the greatest tackle to ever play pro football. Maybe one of the top five…”

It couldn’t be.

Deanie closed her eyes for a long moment, her heart beating frantically, as the past pushed and pulled at her.

“Hey there, Teeny.”

The familiar voice echoed in her memory and she practically smelled the sharp aroma of cattle and hay that had filled the corral where she’d watched her brother and his best friend practice steer wrestling techniques every afternoon after school.

“…I managed to hold my own, but there were a lot of players just as good…”

She forced her eyes open, drew a deep breath and twisted to peer over the top of her seat.

Rance McGraw had been the hottest, hunkiest boy to ever wear a Romeo High School football jersey. He’d been the youngest and the wildest of the notorious McGraw triplets, the star of Deanie’s adolescent fantasies and a few adult ones, as well. He’d been sweet and charming and charismatic, and one of the best steer wrestlers to ever win first place at Romeo Junior Livestock Show and Rodeo. He’d also been the boy Deanie had wanted desperately to marry and live happily ever after with.



Wanted, as in past tense. She’d given up her infatuation with him a long time ago.

Sixteen years was a long time, however, and the boy had turned into a hotter, hunkier man.

The man now sitting two rows behind her.

She swallowed and tried for a deep breath. But while her brain issued the command, her lungs wouldn’t cooperate. Neither would her eyes. She willed them to look away, but they kept staring, drinking in the picture he made, his tall, muscular form barely contained in the narrow seat.

With his dark hair and good ole boy smile, Rance was the spitting image of his two handsome brothers. He had the same strong jaw, sensuous lips and sculpted nose. At the same time, there would be no mistaking him for the other two. Being a fraternal triplet, he didn’t have blue eyes like Mason or green ones like Josh. Rather, his gaze gleamed as bright, as bold, as intoxicating as a shot of Jack Daniels whiskey.

Even more, Rance had his own style that set him apart. He wasn’t the classic clean-cut cowboy type like the other McGraw men. Rather, his dark hair hung down to his shoulders. He wore a bright Hawaiian print shirt unbuttoned, a white NASCAR T-shirt beneath. She couldn’t see without giving herself whiplash, but she’d be willing to bet that he wore his signature board shorts, long and frayed around the edges, and a pair of flip-flops.

The only indication of his cowboy roots was the beat-up straw Resistol that he’d been wearing since the age of sixteen. It had belonged to his father who’d died that year. The hat looked worn and faded now, a Coors Lite patch stitched to the brim in between a patch for last year’s ESPN Extreme Sports Games in Colorado and another advertising the bungee jumping finals in South America.

The media still referred to him as a cowboy, however, because of his do-anything attitude and I-don’t-give-a-damn appearance. Rance was an ex-pro football player who now owned a chain of extreme sporting good stores and still made the news with his passion for the outrageous. Just last year she’d seen him on TV hang gliding over a sea of hungry sharks.

Crazy.

Not Rance, mind you. She understood his competitive drive better than anyone because she knew the circumstance behind it. His parents had died when he’d been sixteen, and a little of his heart had died with them. He’d been trying to revive it ever since with a constant supply of adrenaline rush.

No, Deanie was the crazy one.

Her heart pounded. Her vision blurred. Her hands even trembled.

And all because of the fact that Rance McGraw was this close and, despite every argument to the contrary, Deanie still wanted him more than her next breath.

She didn’t know whether to crawl across the seat and kiss him for all she was worth, or kick his ass sixty ways to Sunday.

On the one hand, she’d vowed to abandon her hellion ways and conduct herself in a more ladylike fashion from here on out.

On the other hand, she’d offered herself to Rance once before and it had gotten her the ultimate rejection.

She weighed the two options for several frantic heartbeats.

Better to go with plan B.

Deanie unfastened her seat belt and pushed to her feet.




2


WHEN IT CAME TO WOMEN, Rance McGraw had never been a man to turn tail and run the other way.

He liked women. Hell, he loved ’em and he wasn’t the least bit shy about it.

He loved the silky feel of a woman’s hair trailing between his fingers. The softness of her skin against his lips during a deep, hot kiss. The rasp of her nails up and down his back as he plunged deep inside her body. The soft, sweet, breathless sound of her voice as she begged for more…

Yep, he loved women, all right. As thoroughly and as often as possible. And they loved him.

Deanie Codge, in particular.

She’d been head over heels for him since the day he’d paired up with her brother, Clay, for the annual steer wrestling competition.

Rance had been eight years old when he’d gone home with Clay to practice. Deanie had been four, and hell-bent on joining in the wrestling match. When Clay had captured her in a headlock to teach her a lesson and force her to leave them alone, Rance had gone to her rescue.

It was the biggest mistake of his life.

Free of her brother’s hold, Deanie had stared up at him with wide, adoring blue eyes, and the damage had been done. She’d followed him around from then on, clear up until the night he’d graduated high school and left for college.

A vision pulled him back and he saw her standing on the grassy bank of McGraw River, her long, dark hair hanging down around her shoulders, her pale, naked body shimmering in the moonlight.

He didn’t remember much about that night except that he’d started out at Dorie Jackson’s graduation party with his buddies and a keg of beer. He wasn’t sure exactly how he made it out to the creek or what happened to the dozen or so guys he’d been party-hopping with. The evening was just a blur up until that moment when he found himself alone on the riverbank with Deanie.

His senses had sharpened then and he’d drank in the sight of her, from the faint stirring of her hair to the goose bumps that had chased up and down her pale arms, to the pucker of her ripe, rosy nipples. He’d heard the slight gurgle of water where it fed from the underground spring, the buzz of crickets and the thunder of his own heartbeat. He’d smelled the vanilla and sugar scent of her Sweet Honesty perfume. He’d tasted the surprise on his own tongue and he’d felt the sharp tightening of his groin.

That had been the first time he’d ever seen her naked. And the last.

Hell, that had been the last time he’d seen her, period. He’d been back in Romeo only a handful of times over the past sixteen years and he’d always made it his business to steer clear of Deanie Codge.

He’d succeeded up until a few months ago when he’d come face-to-face with her at the double wedding of his older brothers, Josh and Mason. Rance was the third and youngest of the McGraw triplets, and the only remaining bachelor. A title he intended to keep for as long as possible. His living-on-the-edge lifestyle wasn’t conducive to a long-term relationship and so he’d avoided them.

Much the same way he’d avoided Deanie.

She’d caught up with him, however, and confirmed what he’d started to suspect months before, when he’d come home to mend after breaking his leg en route to an alligator wrestling competition in Australia. Namely that she no longer carried a torch for him.



As owner and spokesperson for Extreme Dream, the South’s largest chain of extreme sporting goods stores, Rance competed in everything from snowboarding to offtrack dirt bikes. He’d skiied down the Riviera, base-jumped off the Empire State Building and parasailed over piranha-infested waters off the coast of Thailand.

Scary stuff, but not half as frightening as meeting up with Deanie, and so Rance had kept his return a secret from any and everyone.

At least he’d tried.

But then a sudden craving for something sweet had forced him to make a midnight run to the local diner. Word had traveled in the time it had taken to eat one slice of Miss Mona’s unforgettable cherry pie and he’d been screwed.

Or so he’d thought.

But in the days that had followed, Deanie had made no attempt to contact him.

Until the wedding.

She’d spotted him and he’d spotted her. They’d exchanged the usual pleasantries. And then…

Nada.

No stealing glances at him during the ceremony. No bugging him to dance at the reception. No following him home with his favorite pepperoni and jalapeno pizza. No showing up on his doorstep with his favorite silver dollar blueberry pancakes the next morning. No inviting him to the local Friday night football game or Saturday bingo or Sunday morning church.

That had been a week ago. The longest week of his life. He hadn’t slept. He’d barely eaten. He’d spent his time thinking. Worrying. Wondering. What the hell had happened?

Suddenly, his gaze collided with a pair of sizzling blue eyes fringed in dark black lashes. Her eyebrows were drawn together, her full, pink lips pulled into a tight frown. Her shoulders were rigid, her movements stiff as she sidestepped in front of the seat next to her and stepped purposely into the aisle.

She looked ready to explode, and not in an orgasmically good way.

That’s it, buddy. She’s over you. And once she gets in touch with her sexuality at Camp E.D.E.N., she’ll be on to bigger and better things and she’ll really be over you.

His gut tightened and it took all of his effort to keep the smile on his face from hardening into a frown. So she wasn’t tagging along after him like she used to? It didn’t mean she wasn’t still wildly attracted to him.

She still wanted him, all right.

He knew it. He felt it.



Even if she was doing a damned fine job of hiding it.

Remember your objective—intercept and turnaround.

While Deanie had every right to lead her own life the way she saw fit, her older brothers felt differently, particularly Rance’s longtime friend and best bud, Clay. The man was frantic. Not because his baby sister couldn’t make her own decisions and switch jobs, or even cities, if she felt like it.

But enrolling in a sex camp?

Clay had been ready to follow her himself, despite the fact that he was going to be a father any minute. But then Rance had shown up and volunteered for the job.

“You don’t have time for this.”

He could still hear Shank Murphy when Rance had dialed him up en route to the airport. Shank was the chief marketing director for Extreme Dream and Rance’s business partner. He’d had a fit when Rance had told him that he wouldn’t be flying back to Austin today because he had to do a favor for an old friend.

“You have to come back today. You’ve got to pick up your gear and catch a plane tomorrow in order to make personal appearances for the upcoming competition.”



“Pack and ship my gear and I’ll pick it up when I get there.”

“Tomorrow. You have to leave tomorrow. I don’t care where you are or what you’re doing.”

“I’ll be there.”

Which meant he had twenty-four hours to talk some sense into one very stubborn Deanie Codge.

He’d wanted to sling her over his shoulder and haul her off the plane the moment he’d set eyes on her, but that would have just made her mad. He didn’t want her mad. Mad meant stubborn, which meant she would do anything just to spite him. Including booking herself on the next flight out the minute his back was turned. No, he wanted her stuck so that she would have no choice but to listen to reason.

A sex camp, of all things. While the setup had looked respectable enough when he and Clay had looked it up on the Internet, Rance could only imagine what really went on at a place like that.

In fact, he’d spent the better part of the cab ride to the airport imagining it, and so he’d been pretty worked up before he’d seen her board the plane in her skimpy dress and do-me high heels.

Seeing her up close and personal, smelling the sweet sent of vanilla and sugar that still clung to her, hearing the slight breathlessness in her voice when she spoke worked him up even more. He knew then as he stared up at her that he wasn’t just here because of his friendship with Clay.

Deanie had been the one constant in his life. The one person he could count on to always be there. The one person who’d really liked him. The one person who’d cared.

The only person.

She couldn’t not be attracted to him anymore.

Particularly since he was about to bust his pants at the sight of her.

He tamped down his lust, shifted in his seat and put on his game face.

“Hey, there, Teeny.” He grinned when she reached him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She glared down at him. “I’m going to kill you. First I’m going to shoot you, then I’m going to skin your sorry hide, and then I’m going to hang what’s left for the buzzards.”

“Careful with the sweet talk.” He winked. “Otherwise, I’m liable to think you’ve still got the hots for me.”

Her eyes softened and he knew then that she wasn’t as immune to him as she pretended to be. But then her expression hardened again. “In your dreams.”

He grinned, slow and sure. “Amen.”



AMEN?

As in he actually dreamed about her?

Deanie entertained the possibility for several fast, furious heartbeats before reminding herself that this was Rance McGraw.

As in the Rance McGraw who’d never so much as glanced her way romantically while growing up.

As in the Rance McGraw who’d turned her down cold the night she’d offered her body to him.

“I can’t do it,” he’d told her.

Unfortunately, rumor said he’d done it with every cheerleader who’d shaken a pair of pompoms his way and so Deanie knew that it wasn’t so much the fact that he couldn’t do it, but that he couldn’t do it with her.

Or rather, he wouldn’t.

Because Deanie hadn’t been a cheerleader. Or a twirler. Or even a pep squad member. Heck, she hadn’t been a member of anything except the auto shop club and she’d only joined that because her brother, Clay, had served as president to earn extra credit in shop class. He’d promised to rally for the club and boost its membership, and so he’d recruited his best friend, Rance, to help him. That had been enough incentive for Deanie and she’d gladly forked over two dollars in dues and worked her buns off to help Clay pass his senior elective.

Clay.

The name stuck in her head and Rance’s sudden appearance started to make sense. Her brother had a wife who was nine months pregnant. He couldn’t come running after her. So he’d asked his oldest friend to do it for him.

“Clay put you up to this, didn’t he?” she asked with tight lips.

“Up to what?”

“This.” She gestured around. “You’re following me.”

“You’re the one who came to me, Teeny. I don’t recall jumping out of my seat to walk over to you.”

“You know what I mean.”

He gave her a wide-eyed look that might have hinted at innocence if the Devil himself hadn’t danced in the bright gold depths of his eyes. “I don’t have a clue.”

“Okay, if you’re not following me, then what are you doing?”

He held up a bag of pretzels. “Just having a damned fine snack, darlin’.”

She ignored the shiver that rippled through her at the endearment. “I mean, what are you doing on this plane? On this flight?”



He winked. “I’m on my way to camp.”

“ You’re going to Camp E.D.E.N.?”

“Sure am.”

“But why? It’s a…” The word sex stalled on the tip of her tongue and her mouth went dry. She swallowed. “It’s not the sort of place you would want to go.”

“Actually, I think it’s exactly the sort of place I’d want to go.”

“Why? Because you need sex lessons?”

“I was thinking I could give a few.”

“You’re going as an instructor?”

He must have read the disbelief in her voice because his grin faltered just a little. “I’m truly hurt, Teeny, that you don’t think I have anything to offer by way of sexual expertise.” He stared up at her, into her, and his gaze added, I seem to recall a time when you felt completely different.

“You already have a job,” she said, eager to ignore the sudden memory that rushed at her. Of a moonlit creek bank and a desperately hopeful girl and… Uh, uh. She wasn’t going there.

Not now. Not ever again.

“This is just a little side project to break the monotony. I need some variety in my life.”

“You’re an extreme sports fanatic. Your life is nothing but variety.”



“Too much of anything can become routine.” He winked. “Say, maybe you’ll end up in one of my classes.”

It took everything she had not to give in to the sudden shiver that raced through her at the prospect.

First off, if he were an actual instructor, she wouldn’t get lucky enough to wind up in his class. Second, she knew full well that Camp E.D.E.N. only employed educated professionals. While Rance had the experience and know-how, he didn’t have a Ph.D. in sex education. Which meant he’d cooked up the story to cover the real reason for his presence.

Clay.

She planted her hands on her hips. “If Clay thinks I’m going to change my mind just because you’re here, he can think again. I’m going to Eden.”

“Then so am I.” He grinned. “After all, duty calls.”

SHE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN better than to leave a note.

Deanie spent the entire trip to Miami mentally kicking her own ass for being so stupid. But she hadn’t wanted Clay to worry. Unfortunately, she hadn’t wanted to lie to him, either, and so she was stuck with Rance for the entire flight.

It was bad enough that he sat just a few rows behind and she had to hear his voice. But what made things worse was that she could feel him. Her nerves tingled, her hands shook and her heart pounded with awareness. She tried to talk to Savannah, but the woman was more interested in taking a nap before they arrived. Likewise, Mavoreen was snoring away in the row in front. Deanie was left with her magazines.

Unfortunately, makeup and clothes and Fifty Ways to Make Your Man Say Wow wasn’t enough to distract her from the knowledge that he was there.

Behind her.

Watching her.

Even more, Rance himself reminded her every hour or so by heading to the men’s restroom near the cockpit. On his way back to his seat, he made it a point to meet and hold her gaze. And he grinned at her. And forced her heartbeat faster with the twinkle in his eyes. She couldn’t help but feel like the last barbecue rib at an Elks luncheon, and Rance was one hungry Elk.

Right.

No way did Rance actually hunger for her.

She told herself that as they flew the hundreds of miles to Miami, and she actually believed it by the time the plane touched down to pick up more passengers. But then they took off again and he made another bathroom trip, and the way he looked at her sparked the thought all over again.



Maybe he was telling the truth.

Maybe fate had orchestrated this chance meeting. Maybe they’d been thrown together so that their unspent lust for one another could be rekindled. At least her own would be rekindled. He hadn’t carried a torch for her back then, so his lusty fire would have just ignited at the sight of her. Maybe he’d realized what he’d been missing all these years and he would do any and everything to make it up to her.

Forget Mavoreen. Deanie was the seriously delusional one.

He was following her, checking up on her, plain and simple. Reason told her as much.

If only Rance didn’t keep stirring her doubt with his sexy-enough-to-be-a-sex-instructor grin.

Thankfully, the trip from Miami to Escapades Island was short. The Fasten Seat Belt light stayed on the entire time so Rance stayed in his seat. And Deanie managed to shake the whole attraction/fate theory.

“We have exactly twenty-two minutes before we take off for Eden,” the flight attendant announced once they’d rolled to a stop at the main gate at the Escapades airport. “Until then, everyone is free to move around the cabin.”

Uh, oh.



“This is where I get off,” Savannah declared as she gathered her purse and pushed to her feet. “Nice meeting you and happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Thanks. You know,” Deanie unfastened her seat belt and pushed to her feet, “I really need to stretch my legs. I’ll walk you out.” She followed Savannah down the aisle and up the terminal gate.

She wasn’t going to be a sitting duck for Rance and her own crazy fantasies.

And if he follows you?

She didn’t chance a glance over her shoulder. She wasn’t risking even more eye contact if he was following her. She said goodbye to Savannah once they reached the gate and headed into the small but busy terminal that serviced all flights to and from Escapades Island. She passed a newsstand and a bagel cart before she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

He was following her, all right, and she knew just how to prove it and kill the maybe’s once and for all.

An instructor?

“My aunt Fanny,” she muttered to herself as she picked up her steps and rounded a corner.

She pulled open a small door to her left and disappeared into the dark interior. Groping for the light switch, she held her hand in position and waited. A few seconds later, the doorknob trembled.



Metal hinges creaked and a shaft of light peaked into the dark interior. She inched to the left, deeper into the darkness and waited for the door to swing wider. The light grew brighter and a large, unmistakable form stepped inside.




3


“I KNEW IT!” She flipped on the switch and light flooded the small room. “You are following me.”

“I am not.” Rance frowned.

“Oh really? You’re standing in an airport storage closet.”

“So are you,” he retorted. “Maybe you’re the one following me.”

“Excuse me? I was here first,” she reminded him. “My brothers sent you here to spy on me, didn’t they?”

His mouth thinned as if he were about to deny it. “Actually, they sent me to talk some sense into you,” he finally said after a long moment.

She’d known the truth, but having it confirmed bothered her a lot more than she expected. Her chest tightened. She blinked against the sudden burning behind her eyes. “So all of that instructor stuff was just a bunch of BS?”



“They are always looking for qualified instructors according to their Web site.”

“But you’re not one of the chosen few.”

“I could be. If I wanted to be.”

“I should have known.” Hello? You did know.

She just hadn’t wanted to believe it. Deep down, she’d wanted to think that maybe Fate had finally smiled on her. Maybe all those years of dreaming hadn’t been wasted. Maybe it had just been poor timing.

And now the time was right and he’d followed her because he’d wanted to.

Wrong.

“Look, I’m sorry I lied to you, but it was for a good cause. Clay is worried about you and I promised him I would stick close and keep an eye out. I was afraid you would have walked off the plane back in San Antonio if I didn’t give you a convincing story.”

“I would have.”

“Which means it really was convincing.”

“Then.” She narrowed her gaze. “But now that I really think about it, I can see major holes.”

His mouth tightened into a frown. “It’s the tightest story I’ve ever heard.”

“Not really. I know you have a reputation back home, but it takes more than just a little backseat action to make a Camp E.D.E.N. instructor.”

“A little?” He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Okay, so a lot. But that’s small town stuff, which is always overexaggerated. Not to mention, that was years ago. You could have been celibate since then for all anyone knows. Which brings us to huge, gaping hole number one—you don’t have any solid references behind you.”

“I haven’t been celibate.”

“Says you.”

“And the press,” he reminded her.

“Everybody knows the media can blow things out of proportion. Last year Irma Sue Sinclair bought a push-up bra on a shopping trip to Austin. Two days later, the “About Town” column reported that she’d not only had her boobs done, but splurged on a tummy tuck and liposuction to boot.”

“That’s small-town gossip, not news.”

“You’re telling me that piece I saw on Inside Edition—the one with you eating a banana split off some centerfold’s belly—was news?”

“It was for charity.”

“It was for publicity. Look, I know you think you’ve maintained your reputation by ingesting all that whipped cream, but—”

“—and cherries.”



“—and cherries,” she added, ignoring the sudden vision that popped into her head of a very well-placed cherry and a certain tall, dark and handsome man trying to retrieve it with his mouth. “But just because you know your way around a seductive dessert, doesn’t make you an expert when it comes to sex.”

“Trust me.” His gaze glittered gold fire and she became acutely aware of the small size of the closet and his close proximity. “I’m fully qualified in that department.”

“That’s what you say. But talking the talk doesn’t make you a real expert. It takes moves. Skill. Action.” His frown deepened and she added, “If I were Camp E.D.E.N.’s owner, I would have only the most experienced instructors working for me. As a paying student, I expect a certain level of expertise.”

“And you don’t think I’ve reached that level?”

And then some. She shrugged. “It’s nothing personal. Camp E.D.E.N. needs teachers who can put their money where their mouth is… What are you doing?” she blurted as he stepped closer and she lost the precious few inches of distance between them.

“Putting my money where my mouth is.” He leaned down and his lips touched hers.



Deanie wasn’t sure what she’d expected from Rance, but she was damned sure what she didn’t expect.

A kiss.

A hot, wet, breath-stealing kiss.

Shock beat through her for the next few seconds as his lips nibbled at hers. But then he reached out, his large hands sliding around her waist, and her surprise faded amid the sudden tidal wave of lust that broke over her.

She slid her hands up and around his shoulders, his neck, and buried her fingers in his hair. His mouth slanted more fully over hers and his tongue plunged deep to tangle with hers. The kiss heated and shifted into overdrive as his hands slid down to cup her bottom and pull her tight against his hard crotch.

He rubbed her back and forth and she shuddered. He felt so good. So right.

Fate.

The word echoed in her head as she slid her hands beneath his T-shirt and stroked his bare skin. He reached between them and cupped her breast. He stroked the fullness through her thin sundress before sliding his fingers toward the gaping neckline. He traced the path where her plump skin plunged beneath the fabric and she trembled. His touch moved higher, following the strap that fastened around her neck. He paused over the hook and for a long moment, his hand cupped the back of her head and he simply kissed her. Deeply, thoroughly, his tongue stroking in a frenzied rhythm that picked her up like a tidal wave and carried her along for the ride.

She relished the taste and texture of him. A moan of protest curled up her throat when he finally pulled away. Her brain barely had time to register the fact that he’d unclasped the halter top of her dress and the material now bunched at her waist. Her bare breasts trembled from the sudden rush of air and she felt a moment of self-consciousness. But then he caught one nipple between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed, and a bolt of pleasure pierced her brain. Her lips parted on a gasp and then he was kissing her again.

Her hands dropped from his shoulders and traced a path down the hard wall of his chest. She pressed her palm over his erection, feeling him through the fabric of his shorts. She was this close to the zipper when the doorknob trembled.

Things happened fast in the next few seconds as Rance pulled away and caught the doorknob just as someone tried to open it from the other side.

“What the…” The voice carried from the other side as Rance jerked the door shut and held it tight while Deanie fumbled to cover herself.

“Just a second,” he called out, glancing at her to make sure she was fully covered. His eyes were a deep, dark gold. Surprise shimmered in their depths.

Surprise?

Because he’d kissed her, or because he’d liked it.

She didn’t have time to debate the answer before she tightened the clasp on her dress and Rance loosened his grip on the doorknob. Metal creaked and the outside world intruded. Deanie’s lust faded into a rush of anger as she stepped into the terminal and stared through the wall of windows that overlooked the boarding gate.

RANCE STOOD amid the hustle and bustle of the airport and let his gaze follow Deanie’s. He stared at the empty spot where their plane had sat, the stairs now pulled back and idle, and frowned. At least, he tried to stare at the empty spot, but his gaze kept straying to the woman next to him.

He’d kissed Deanie Codge.

That fact didn’t bother him half as much as the fact that he’d kissed her and he’d liked it.

Obviously, a lot more than she had.

“…can’t be happening,” she murmured, her soft, panicked voice pushing past the whirlwind of his thoughts. “I have to check-in at Camp E.D.E.N. today or I’ll lose my Valentine’s Day discount.”

“It’s not Valentine’s Day until tomorrow.”

“That’s beside the point. The course runs through Valentine’s Day, and so they’re giving a discount. It officially starts today.” She glanced at her watch. “Check-in is less than an hour. And the first workshop is right after that.”

“So you miss it. So what?”

“I can’t just miss it. I paid for it. I need it…”

She was totally oblivious to him. To the fact that he’d kissed her senseless only minutes ago. To the fact that he was standing next to her and it was taking everything he had not to reach for her again.

He’d meant to teach her a lesson. To show her that he was every bit as good as his reputation maintained. Even more, to turn the tables and remind her that she wanted him.

She always had.

Then.

And now?

While she’d responded as if she still did, she’d managed to forget all about it in the face of their departed plane. As if she kissed and felt up men every day of the week. As if it hadn’t been that big of a deal.



The notion stuck in Rance’s craw as he followed her toward the desk at the boarding gate.

“We just missed our flight,” Deanie told the attendant. “You have to call it back.”

“I’m afraid we can’t do that, miss. They’ve already taken off.”

“Then put me on the next connecting flight,” she said.

“Us,” Rance cut in. “Put us on the next connecting flight.”

“No problem.” The woman tapped away at her computer keyboard for several seconds before a triumphant smile lit her face. “That will put you on Flight 1156 coming from Miami.”

“When does it get here?”

“At three-fifteen.”

“That’s not so bad,” Rance told her as he glanced at his watch. “You shouldn’t miss more than one workshop. Two at the most.”

“Three-fifteen tomorrow.”

“But I need to be there today.”

“I’m sorry, miss. There are no more flights today.” She gave a brilliant smile. “But the airline will be happy to put you up at the island’s main resort until your connecting flight arrives tomorrow. The resort is nearly full, but we reserve a few extra rooms for this sort of mishap. People miss flights all the time. Someone’s always taking sick or getting stuck in the snack bar line. There was even this time when a woman actually fell asleep in the ladies’ room—she suffered from that sleep disorder where you just conk out with no advance warning. Anyhow, we’re fully prepared to deal with these situations.”

“What about a boat? Can’t I take a boat to the next island?”

“This is an airline, miss. Not a marina.”

“But—” Deanie protested.

“Thanks,” Rance cut in, taking the new flight itinerary that the attendant handed them. “We appreciate your help.”

“Says you.” Deanie turned on him, her gaze hard and glittering. He’d kissed away her pink lip gloss in the closet. Her lips were full and pouty. Or they would have been if she wasn’t wearing such a tight frown. “This is all your fault.”

He could argue that one. She’d turned him on with her sudden cold shoulder after all those years of panting after him, a calculated move to stir his interest if he’d ever seen one. On top of that, she’d insulted his expertise, no doubt knowing full well he’d be hard-pressed to prove her wrong.

Why, she’d practically begged for that kiss.

That’s what he told himself. He just wasn’t so sure he believed it, especially since she was currently staring daggers at him.

“Let’s go.” He took the complimentary room passes the attendant handed him and steered her around. He did his damnedest to ignore the warm pull of heat at his fingertips as he steered her through the small airport as fast as he could manage without running someone down.

He needed out of there. He needed some fresh air. He needed a cold shower.

What he didn’t need was another trip to the storage closet.

But man-o-man, did he want one.

RANCE WATCHED DEANIE walk toward the cab that waited at the curb. Sunlight drenched her, outlining her petite figure clad in the hot pink sundress.

An honest-to-god figure, with enough curves and indentations to make his mouth water.

Not that he’d ever doubted she actually had one. He’d just never really thought about it until that night at the creek.

Up until then, she’d been Teeny Deanie. His buddy’s kid sister. His personal pain-in-the-ass.

Speaking of asses…

His gaze hooked on the gentle sway of her tight, round bottom beneath the short pink dress and his stomach hollowed out. For a split second, he imagined bending her over, peeling the dress up and sinking his fingers into her soft pale flesh. He imagined sinking something else into her, as well, and his groin throbbed its agreement. He licked his lips and tasted sweet, sugary candy and something else. Something rich and potent that made his gut ache for another taste.

“I have no intention of tagging along after you.”

Her words echoed in his head as he watched her fold herself into the cab and pull the door shut behind her, and he frowned. She was telling the truth. While he’d tried to convince himself that her indifference had just been an act to stir his interest, he knew better.

While she was still attracted to him—there was no mistaking her response to his kiss—she didn’t want to be attracted to him.

She wanted to start a new life.

To put the past behind her.

To forget him and, from the way she motioned for the cab driver to take off, make him walk from the small airport to the resort.

He picked up his steps as bitterness swirled inside him and made his throat tight.

Forget him?

After all they’d shared, she wanted to chuck it all and wipe the slate clean. Hell, she didn’t even seem to give a lick that he’d broken his leg not four months ago and was, most likely, in some serious pain with all this walking.

Okay, so they hadn’t actually shared anything, except a few cookies, the occasional slice of cake and the every-now-and-then bag of his favorite jawbreakers. But that had been his fault. He’d resisted her advances and done his best to discourage her, at least romantically. He’d had nothing against talking to her when she sat next to him on the bus or showed up on his doorstep.

Christ, he’d liked talking to her.

There’d been no need to search for the right words to try to impress her. She’d liked him anyway. Even more, she’d listened and understood everything he’d had to say.

And even the stuff he hadn’t been able to say.

He could still remember the time he’d been shooting marbles with a group of boys in the schoolyard. She’d been in the first grade and he’d been in the fifth, and she’d just started following him around. He’d had the biggest collection of marbles out of all the boys, and he’d been dead certain he was good enough to keep them.

He’d been wrong.

There had been a new kid at school and he’d been better. Rance had lost all of his marbles that day, and most of the ones that belonged to his two brothers.

Rance remembered crying only two times in his life. That had been the first time. He’d gone home and bawled his eyes out. He’d been bawling, as a matter of fact, when Deanie had come knocking. She’d held a great big bag of jawbreakers in her small hands.

“Jawbreakers?” He swiped at his tears and sniffled.

“For the ones you lost,” she told him.

“They weren’t jawbreakers, doofus. They were marbles. I can’t shoot jawbreakers.”

She frowned as she stared at the bag, as if thinking hard for the first time. And then she smiled and popped one into her mouth. “No, but you can eat them.”

She held the bag out to him and he had the urge to tell her to get lost. But something about the way she looked at him, her blue eyes warm and full of understanding, made him want to reach out.

He took a jawbreaker and popped it into his mouth. Cherry exploded on his tongue and he smiled, too.

She’d been there the second time in his life when he’d cried, as well. He’d been sixteen then and he’d just lost both his parents. He’d barely arrived home after the double funeral before the townsfolk had started to arrive. They’d brought everything from ham to casseroles. Miss Jackie had brought her famous red velvet cake and Miss Myrtle had brought homemade bread and strawberry preserves. But he hadn’t had an appetite for any of it. He’d felt sick inside. Empty. Dead.

And then he’d opened the door to find Deanie standing there with a great big bag of jawbreakers. She hadn’t said a word. No “I’m sorry for your loss” or “Let me know if I can do anything.” She’d just stared at him with her bright blue eyes and popped a candy into her mouth. Then she’d handed the bag to him.

He’d done the same and while he’d sucked the cherry coating off, he’d actually felt better.

As the memories swirled in his head, he couldn’t help the sudden feeling that maybe he’d been a genuine dumb ass back then. Maybe Deanie had been the perfect girl and he just hadn’t been able to see past her T-shirts, baggy jeans or mud-covered cowboy boots.

Maybe he shouldn’t have walked away that night down by the creek.

And maybe your pride’s just hurt, buddy.

Maybe. Probably.

There was only one way to prove it.



If the lust eating him up from the inside out was the result of his wounded ego, it would fade once he and Deanie had a good, old-fashioned roll in the hay. Then she could get on with her “education” and he could stop thinking those damnable what-ifs.

And if it didn’t?

As soon as the question struck, Rance squashed it. It would. He had his flaws, but he couldn’t have been that blind. Any more than he could have said yes to her that night. She’d been too young and he’d been too old, and it just wouldn’t have been right.

He picked up his steps, careful to add a nice, pained looking limp to his gait, and called out. “Wait up!”

She turned toward him and he caught her stare.

Suspicion glimmered in her true blue gaze, but not before he’d seen the flash of concern. She said something to the driver, leaned over and shoved open the door.





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