That Night With the Rich Rancher Read Free Page A

palm, looking up at her.
    “You have soft hands. I know how you work with the cowboys. You should have hands like mine—with scars, calluses and crooked bones from breaks. How did you get these?” he asked, running his thumb lightly over her palm.
    “I wear gloves most of the time,” she said. “And I haven’t been out working quite as much for the past two weeks because I was shopping for a dress and getting ready for tonight.”
    Her voice had changed, becoming throaty, losing the humor, and he wondered if she had a reaction to his touch. That idea made the temperature in the limo climb again. He gazed into her big blue eyes. “I hope tonight will be far better than you dreamed possible and worth all the effort you put into it,” he said softly, and raised her hand to brush her palm with his lips.
    His thumb brushed across her wrist and he felt her racing pulse, making his own pulse jump again in response. As he looked into Lindsay’s eyes, he wanted to pull her close and kiss her. He couldn’t help the thought that came to mind. How much was this night going to complicate his life?
    He couldn’t answer his question, but he was glad for the auction and thankful she hoped to win him over with sweet talk. It was a dazzling prospect.
    He tried to pour on the charm and avoid any topics about the ranch, their relationship or their families. The feud between their families had been far stronger when they had been children and their grandparents had influenced the families. As a small child, Tony was taught to avoid speaking to any Calhoun, and she’d been taught the same about the Milans. In fact, they hadn’t spoken to each other until they became neighboring ranchers and had their first dispute over her tree falling on his fence and hitting his truck.
    The plane ride seemed to take mere minutes. Before he knew it, they touched down in Houston and were ushered to another waiting limo. A short while later, they pulled into a circular drive lined by manicured shrubs strung with tiny white lights and stopped in front of a sprawling stone building he recognized as an exclusive club.
    When they stepped out of the limo, Tony took her arm to walk through the canopied entrance. Inside, when he told the maître d’ they were from the Dallas auction, they were welcomed and led to a linen-covered table by a window overlooking the wide patio that held hundreds more twinkling lights and a splashing water fountain.
    A piano player sang as he played a familiar old ballad and several couples danced on a small dance floor.
    In minutes they were presented a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne. As soon as they were alone with drinks poured, Tony raised his glass in a toast. “Here’s to the most beautiful woman in Texas.”
    She smiled. “A very nice exaggeration, Tony,” she said, touching his glass lightly with hers and taking a sip. “Actually, you look rather handsome yourself.”
    He smiled and wondered if she felt any real attraction. “Lindsay, I can’t imagine why you’ve been hiding that beauty all these years.”
    She laughed. “Not so many years, Tony. And thank you. I’m far from the most beautiful woman in Texas, but it’s nice to hear.”
    “You could have had most of the single guys in the county asking you out if you’d wanted,” he said.
    “Actually, that’s not my aim in life,” she remarked. “And I do get asked out.”
    “To talk about someone’s horses. If they could see you tonight, though, horses wouldn’t come up in the conversation.” He waited a second and then asked the question that flitted into his mind. “Speaking of which, Lindsay, will you go to dinner with me next Friday night?”
    She grinned at him. “Aren’t you jumping the gun? You don’t know if we can make it through tonight and get along the entire time.”
    He leaned across the table to take her hand again. “I promise you, we’re going to get along tonight,” he said, his tone lowering as it did when he was aroused.