Wedding Planner Tames Rancher!

“Very good!” Wade took his hat off and set it on the flat rocks off to his right. “So if I told you I wanted to haul you into my arms and kiss the daylights out of you, you’d say...?”

Leah’s jaw worked silently for a second or two before she realized she probably looked like a fish out of water. Heaven knew she shouldn’t be this flustered, but he’d managed to blindside her yet again.

She cleared her throat and said, “I’d probably say...um...something like I was flattered but it wouldn’t be a good idea. Yes! I’d tell you it would be foolish for you to kiss me since I’m going to be working so closely with you and your family and...uh...kissing, as it were, would be inappropriate since—”

Her words were cut off as his mouth closed over hers, a warm, firm pressure that served effectively to silence her.

As he pulled her into the steely strength of his arms, she was forced to wonder again if she were dreaming. She felt the wind snatch away the scarf Wade had dislodged, the slide of silk against her sensitized skin almost harsh.

She tried to think, tried to concentrate. She never lost control. Ever. And she wanted to deny her will was being drained so easily. Not her, no-nonsense Leah, who never wasted time in hopeless moments of pure whimsy. She simply couldn’t be standing on the Town Lake trail kissing a man she barely knew.

Surely it wasn’t she, melted against a rugged cowboy’s length, feeling the cool smoothness of his buttons slide provocatively against her breast...feeling the hardness of his sex pressed intimately at the apex of her thighs and the gentle scratch of his callused thumb against her throat, sending tremors down her spine.

Leah gasped softly as his kiss deepened and his hands moved against the fabric of her dress, pulling her just the slightest bit closer. Her awareness of him increased, if that were possible, making his chest feel like a granite wall against her softness, making her fingers clutch the bulging muscles of his biceps, making her swear she’d have a denim pattern stamped on her thighs for a week after this.

Oh, but it would be worth it. She felt vibrantly alive and thoroughly desired, feelings she couldn’t ever remember feeling.

With a shuddering breath Wade abruptly set her away from him and turned back to the railing, clenching the cool metal so tightly his knuckles showed white.

“Leah, I apologize. I’ve never been quite so...impulsive... before.”

Impulsive? She was still standing there like a dazed idiot and he was worrying about being impulsive?

Somehow she forced a brain cell to work and stepped back one more pace. With an unexpectedly even tone, she said, “Please don’t apologize. You’ve only proven my point. We need to maintain a proper relationship if we’re going to work together to make Myra Jo’s wedding a success.”

Wade pushed off the rail and picked up his hat. He seemed inordinately preoccupied with brushing away nonexistent particles of dust. “That might be good.”

He straightened then and walked a few steps down the trail to retrieve her scarf. His eyes seemed drawn against his will to the skin exposed by the vee of her dress, but he forced himself to look away. A shiver that had nothing to do with the breeze shook her. His gaze had flowed over her like warm, gray smoke, and combined with his citrusy aftershave still in her nostrils, it was overwhelming to her still-dazed senses.

She accepted his offered arm, and they walked to the car as if nothing had happened, but she was glad he couldn’t see the hand holding the strip of silk. The fabric would never be the same from being clenched in her fist.

During the ride to her house, Wade was as congenial as a woman could hope a man to be. And she amazed herself by responding in a normal voice.

“I’d like you to come out and meet my folks,” Wade said as he took the turn into her neighborhood. “If you think Myra Jo wants you to groom me a bit—”

“She didn’t say—”

“Leah,” he said shortly, “I’m nobody’s fool.”

This was not new information to her. “Certainly. I can come out anytime,” she said as they reached her condo and Wade walked her to her door.

“Well,” she said a shade brightly, all too aware of the dreaded end of the evening. “Would you like to come in for a nightcap or cup of coffee?”

“No, thank you. I’ll be headed back to the homestead. Do you think you could come out tomorrow and meet my folks?”

Tomorrow was Sunday, and for once her calendar was free. Spring and summer months usually had her at some church or hall every weekend, but her new executive assistant was taking the Baker affair, leaving Leah the illusion of having one whole day to laze around the condo.

“Don’t you think I should call first and set an appointment?”

“Heck no! You go all stiff and formal on my dad and he’ll be a pain in the—” Wade cleared his throat quickly. “I mean, he’ll be difficult to deal with. Myra Jo’s terrified of what her grandfather’s going to pull in a roomful of politicians and their cronies.”

“It’s a wonder she doesn’t elope,” Leah muttered under her breath.

“And please don’t come all citified,” Wade warned, ignoring her comment, if he’d even heard it. “Take your hair out of that knot and put on a pair of jeans, for God’s sake.”

A short laugh burst from her lips. “Yes, sir.”

Wade looked annoyed, but Leah wanted to believe the distracted look meant he was upset with himself, not her.

“I apologize,” he said. “It’s just nearly driven me crazy all evening to see that beautiful hair of yours all mashed back. I’ve been imagining it would look like liquid chocolate and feel like silk. It’s been all I could do to keep my hands off.”

Her face flushed hotly. She always wore her hair up, unless she was at home or in an extremely casual situation. Without thinking, she put a self-conscious hand to her ear.

“I’ll do my best tomorrow.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.” Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her cheek. “Good night, Leah.”

She had the foolish urge to turn her face so their lips would meet.

“Good night, Wade.”

As she closed the door behind her, the silence of her professionally cleaned and decorated apartment surrounded her. She walked into the dimly lit living room and glanced around. For some silly reason, all she could think of was Wade going home to his daughter and the excited greeting of a beautiful collie. She, on the other hand, would say good-night to an expensive painting and curl up in bed with the printout her accountant had dropped by yesterday.

Yep, she decided as she headed for her bedroom, she had it all.

Wade settled into a comfortable cruising speed, noting absently that Highway 290 wasn’t crowded this time of night. It was too late for commuting traffic and too early for the drunks headed home. But Wade’s mind was bumper-to-bumper with jumbled thoughts.

He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. He didn’t think he’d ever acted so irrationally with a woman before. The need to kiss her had just overwhelmed him, and he’d been helpless to resist the urge to pull her into his arms.

He called himself a thousand kinds of fool. And the foolishness had to stop. There was too much at stake for him to be acting irresponsibly. His daughter’s happiness was more important than his hormones.

But he couldn’t deny that that not-so-simple kiss had been a soul-rocking event, something of a shock to a man who thought spontaneous combustion was mere theory. Lord help him if he had been in a position to go any further. He doubted he would have come to his senses until he’d buried himself inside her and found release.

He’d meant what he’d said. He was never impulsive. Yet even now, while worrying that his daughter was giving him the fastest-forming ulcer in history, his mind would not let go of the image of making Leah lose control with him, driving her mindless with passion underneath him. She was so contained, so self-assured, he wanted to rock her as deeply as she’d rocked him. He wanted her primal...not sleek and oh-so-correct.

He shook his head sharply. Yes, he was attracted to Leah, but he’d just met her, for criminy’s sake. Of course, she’d thrown him off guard by not reacting to his “I’m the boss” speech as he’d expected, and there was nothing like surprise to intrigue a man. He’d been so sure she would disapprove of his motives. Not that approval or disapproval mattered, but she had empathized with him, and for the first time in months he felt a little less like bubblegum stuck to the bottom of a shoe.

Oh, he’d definitely seen the wheels beginning to turn in her beautiful head when the discussion had inevitably turned to the damned tuxedo issue, but he was sure he could hold his own with her. No amount of coaxing from Myra Jo had changed his mind, so he doubted the machinations of the curvaceous consultant would have any better effect.

He was sure of one thing, though—

The sound of a siren and bright strobe lights in his rearview mirror jerked him rudely to attention.

Without hesitation he pulled onto the shoulder and cut his engine while he rolled down the window. He was reaching for his wallet when he heard a vaguely familiar voice.

“All right, Bobby Ray, I clocked you at ninety-two. I’ve caught your—oh! Mr. Mackey!”

“Evenin’, Tim.”

Wade looked out the window at a boy he’d almost raised. Tim Anderson’s folks were some of his best friends, and Tim and Myra Jo had gone to school together since grade school. Then Myra Jo had gone off to college and Tim had gone to the Department of Public Safety academy. Wade had even attended the boy’s graduation.

“What are you doing in Bobby Ray’s Mustang, Mr. Mackey?”

Wade got out of the car and leaned back against the quarter panel. He rubbed the tension lines on his forehead. “It’s a long story, Tim.”

“Well, uh, did you know how fast you were going?”

“No, Tim, I’m afraid I didn’t. I was daydreaming a bit.”

“That’s dangerous at any speed, Mr. Mackey, but certainly at over ninety.”

“I know, son.”

“Well, if you’ll give me your word you’ll watch it the rest of the way home, I’ll let you go.”

“I appreciate it.”

Wade held his hand out to the young man, remembering the time when Tim had solemnly informed him that men didn’t hug. If he recalled correctly, Tim had been about seven.

He’d almost slid back into his seat when a thought occurred to him. Stepping back out, he called to Tim. “How’d you know this was Bobby Ray’s car?”

Tim’s laugh carried the few feet between the vehicles. “Bobby Ray and I used to drag out here in high school. I told him when I became a Trooper I was going to nail his butt someday. I thought I had my chance tonight.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, son.”

“No problem. You just slow down and drive more like a man your age should. You got that?”

Wade chuckled. “Yeah, I got it. And you’re gonna get it, too, as soon as I catch you out of uniform.”

“Now, Mr. Mackey, don’t make me haul you in for threatening an officer.”

“You know me, Tim. I don’t threaten. I promise.” Tim laughed again as he slipped inside his vehicle and turned off his strobes. Wade indulged in another chuckle as he pulled back onto the highway, determined to set aside his obsession with one particular lady. No matter how beautiful she was, he wasn’t going to get a ticket. Or worse.

“Drive like a man my age, my foot!” Wade snorted. “That pup thinks anyone over thirty is old, but I’ve got news for him.”

He might have edged past forty, but he was hardly over the hill. He had a long life ahead of him.

His smile faded. Long and alone, if the truth were told. Myra Jo was starting her new life, and he felt as if his had gone into limbo.

He used to know exactly who he was and what he had to do. He was a single father, a son and a rancher. He used to get up every day before the sun, knowing he had a family to support and more bills to pay than money to pay them with. Now his baby was leaving, he was starting to parent his parents and he had people running the ranch for him. He was supposed to be free to do the things he wanted, but running the ranch was what he wanted.

Did this mean he was in a midlife crisis? He’d always thought the midlife crisis thing was a bunch of hogwash people used to excuse their misbehavior.

Hell, he decided he wasn’t sure about anything anymore.

Except his inability to get his mind off one beautiful, elegant brunette.

Three

Leah checked her hair self-consciously before she left the sanctuary of her car. She’d spent the entire drive to Wade’s vacillating between congratulating herself on her casual attire and berating herself for obeying him. She’d picked her oldest and most faded pair of pleated jeans and had added a simple cotton top knotted over a peach-colored tank. Her only wish was that jeans did a better job of masking the few extra pounds giving her hips a roundness not exactly in style these days. She hadn’t cared what a man thought about her body in a long time, and it made her uncomfortable to acknowledge that she wanted Wade to think she was attractive.

During the time her mind wasn’t occupied with those thoughts, she had lectured herself not to make a fool of herself when she saw him again. She absolutely forbade her heart to flutter, her stomach to constrict and her pulse to race. He was just a man, for heaven’s sake, and the father of her client. The man who, incidentally, would be writing her a check.

The man who’d kissed her as though her lips tasted of honey.

The man whose touch had reminded her how very long it had been since she’d felt desired.

With a fortifying breath she gathered her purse and planner and headed toward the house. As she expected, Wade answered the doorbell. Unexpectedly, though, she went a little light-headed—in spite of her self-directed lectures.

But it was his fault, she decided. No available fortysomething man should be this good-looking. If he were married or attached it would make sense for him to be this handsome. The ones that were taken always were. The available ones—at least the ones she’d met—usually seemed a little desperate.

She found she wasn’t attracted to desperate men. Go figure....

“Good morning,” he said, taking in her boots, jeans and French-braided hair. His short nod of approval irked her, and she was glad for the uncomfortable feeling. It kept her from reading too much into the little smile that curved his lips and lifted the corners of his eyes.

“You look beautiful.”

It wasn’t fair. Even his voice was gorgeous. How was she supposed to stay irritated if he wouldn’t cooperate?

“Thank you.” She determinedly made her voice light, and ignored the pleasant tingle his compliment gave her. “I hope I’m not too early.”

“Not at all. It’s refreshing to have a woman show up when she says she will.” Wade squinted one eye shut. “Oops, I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

Leah gave him a lopsided smile as she shook her head. “Wade, you may not be politically correct, but you’re probably the most straightforward man I’ve ever met.”

He tipped his head to the left. “And that’s a good thing?”

“Yes, it is.”

He gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Well, thank the Lord for small blessings.”

“Are your folks ready to meet me?” she asked as she followed him to the kitchen, trying to gain some equilibrium. He was so stern one minute and smiling the next. She wondered if he was doing it on purpose—just to keep her flustered.

“Myra Jo and my brother, Jonathan, went to church with them, and we’re supposed to meet at Mama’s for lunch. I hope you haven’t eaten.”

“Not since breakfast, but I really don’t want to intrude on your parents—”

“Trust me. Mama is in her glory when she’s feeding people. You’ll win her over forever if you praise her cooking.”

“If you say so.”

“And I have to warn you. If you think I’m a straight shooter, there’s no telling what my daddy might pop off with. Your best defense is to not act shocked.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Leah wondered, not for the first time, just what she’d gotten herself into.

“Great. Since we’ve got some time, why don’t I show you around the place a bit? Then we’ll head down the road.”

Curiosity more than politeness made her agree. The blandness of his expression should have told her he had something up his sleeve, but it wasn’t until they went out the back door that the sight of two saddled horses made her realize what it was.

She stopped in her tracks and gave him a sardonic glance.

“I don’t suppose you have a Jeep we could use instead?” She tried to disguise the near terror building in her stomach.

Wade turned from checking the cinch on a saddle. She assumed the reddish brown horse was for her since it was smaller than the black behemoth that looked as if he wanted to take a bite out of her.

“Are you going to tell me you’ve lived in Texas all your life and you’ve never been on a horse?”

She gave an exasperated snort. “Wade, lots of people in Texas have never been on a horse.”

“Not true natives.”

She knew he was teasing her, but she still felt a little defensive. “Yes, even true natives.”

“You’re not scared, are you?”

Leah rarely felt inclined to answer taunts, as she rarely cared what people thought about her personally. Professionally yes. Otherwise they could take her or leave her.

But for some strange reason, she found she cared very much what Wade thought of her. And even more surprising, she had to admit the wedding had nothing to do with it. She wanted Wade to like her, not just respect her as a businesswoman.

That interesting thought deserved more attention, so she filed it away for later inspection.

“No, I’m not scared.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m terrified.”

He raised the other, but his expression contained a generous dose of sympathy.

“But,” she said, taking a solid breath and continuing, “I’m willing to try this if you’ll be patient with me.”

Besides, she rationalized, her efforts might pay off when it came time for the next round on the tuxedo issue.

“Deal.” He studied her for a moment and then said, “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

As he went into the house, Leah watched the horses warily and muttered, “And where would I go?”

The black brute snuffled and shifted his hooves, making Leah jump back, her heart racing. She knew nothing about horses and here she was baby-sit—er...horse-sitting as if she would know what to do if one of the two beasts decided to run away.

Wade returned before she could talk herself out of the whole deal. When he handed her a beautifully shaped cowboy hat, she let out a sigh.

“Great, Wade. First you want to scare me to death, then you want to give me hat hair. Thanks a lot.”

He simply smiled and put the tan felt on her head. “It’s one of Myra Jo’s. I figured you two’d be close in size.”

The hat was a bit small, but not uncomfortably so. Leah decided it was prudent to keep playing Wade’s game at this point. She sent a mental fax to the fairness gods to make sure she was earning points for this.

Leah nearly fainted when he introduced her to the monster named Thunder and then to Thumper. The little mare stretched her nose closer, and Wade had the poor grace to laugh at her stricken expression.

“She wants you to blow back in her nose, Leah.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. Watch.”

She was fascinated to see the horse brighten from his attention. Wade finally convinced her to try it, but only laughed at her again.

“That wasn’t a blow. That wasn’t even a sneeze. Come on, Leah, this animal weighs seven times as much as you do. Blow!”

When she did, she earned another snuffle from Thumper and actually felt her fear lighten a small notch.

Finally Wade gave her a quick course in mounting before helping her onto Thumper with surprisingly little discomfort on her part, considering his proximity. His face near her thighs and his hands on her calves as he adjusted her stirrups might have caused her blood to heat and her face to flush, but it wasn’t from embarrassment.

She admitted feeling envy as she watched him take his seat on Thunder’s muscular back. His fluid grace as he mounted told her he’d done this countless times, and it was as natural to him as breathing. She may not have been on a horse herself, but being a “true native,” she could deduce a real horseman.

Suddenly Thunder didn’t seem so frightening with Wade sitting confidently, almost negligently, in the saddle. She didn’t care how corny it sounded, he looked as if he’d been born there. And it was easy to see how the mystique of a cowboy had lured more than one feminine heart down the garden path.

Which she would do well to remember.

Instead her imagination rolled right over the warning. Wade carried the essence of a born-and-bred Texan male, something that couldn’t be purchased at a Western-wear store. All the boots leather could make would never endow the wearer with the long-limbed stride so much a part of Wade Mackey. Leah had little doubt he also held the code-of-the-West attitude that tended to make the feminist in her twitch; but at the same time, she felt a traitorous thrill when she wondered what it would be like to be loved and protected by this unapologetically alpha male.

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