Belonging to Bandera (5 page)

“Look,” he said, “your cousin was okay, but I’m not your cousin. Or your friend. We’re strangers.”

“True.” She began pulling the twinkly things and pins out of her hair. Strand by strand, her hair came
down. He gulped nervously. He’d never watched a woman take her hair down before. It was an awful lot like a prelude to taking off her clothes.

He really wanted her to consider taking off her clothes for him.

“But I feel safe with you,” she said. “Somehow you seem almost like family.”

“You’re wrong,” he said. “Think of me more as the big bad wolf waylaying you on the way to Grandma’s house.”

She reached to release another strand. “But you rescued me. I can’t envision you as the big bad anything.”

Yeah, well, his mouth was dry from thinking about all the tempting charms she had under her top and shorts. She had sexy legs and—

“You don’t look like you feel well,” she said, putting her hair doodads in her purse. “Your eyes are glassy.”

He glanced away. “I’m all right.”

“Do you want me to drive so you can rest?”

“I’m fine!” he snapped. “At least I was until you got my mind off my responsibilities.”

“Look at that!” she exclaimed, pointing up ahead. “Hot air balloons!”

Two brightly colored hot air balloons floated over the highway. Bandera squinted up at them. “There must be a festival somewhere, because there’s another one over there.”

“I want to ride in a hot air balloon,” she said softly. “I want to float for a while and gaze down on the beautiful earth.”

He looked at her. He reminded himself of the task at hand, bringing Mason home. And he drove past the grounds where a steady stream of vehicles were turning in to the Berryland Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Holly didn’t say a word. She just stared out the window at the balloons, the dogs on leashes and the casually dressed people enjoying a day at the fair.

Bandera gripped the steering wheel. He estimated he was about an hour behind Mason. If he kept going, he could probably get to Hawk’s right after Mason did.

Holly reached back into her purse, pulled out a ponytail holder and put her hair up. Bandera’s throat dried out again as he looked at the curve of her underarm and the softness of her skin as it peeked from under her tank top.

Just a hint of breast showed delicately from the armhole.

He sighed and turned around. “You’re getting me way off my schedule.”

She smiled as they entered the grounds. People lingered, pushing strollers or eating hot dogs. He parked the truck, trying not to think about the fact that Mason was getting far ahead of him, or the fact that his brother had no reason to turn around and head home when he had a sexy brunette clinging to him.

“Look,” Holly said, clutching Bandera’s arm. “That balloon is for hire.”

“Yeah.” He nodded without enthusiasm. “Anybody who’d go up in that thing is mad. Crazy. Completely off their rocker.”

She let go of his arm and walked in the direction of the balloon, throwing a teasing glance over her shoulder. “I’m crazy.”

“I know,” he said, striding to keep up with her, “but not that crazy.”

“I think you’re crazy, too. Any man who breaks into someone’s house and eats their chocolate chip cookies has a crazy streak.”

“I was protecting her dwelling,” he protested, trying to grab Holly’s hand. “It was the least I could do since she’s taking care of my brother.”

Holly avoided him and ran to the balloon. He stopped mulishly in his tracks. If she wanted to do something risky, that was up to her. He was not her keeper. He was not her anything.

He watched her pay. He watched her put a leg over the edge of the basket as a man with a long ponytail helped her in. Bandera watched her look toward the sky with anticipation…and he realized he couldn’t stay rooted to the ground forever. “Wait!”

Grabbing his wallet from his pocket, he ran to the balloon. “I’m with her,” he said breathlessly.

“I know,” the ponytailed man said with a grin. “She already paid for you.”

“You minx,” Bandera said to Holly, surprised.

She laughed.

The balloon’s owner grinned. “She said you wouldn’t be able to resist a challenge.”

He wasn’t. He climbed into the basket. “This is not what I thought I’d be doing today.”

She smiled. “Me, either.”

That was true. “I suppose you deserve a balloon ride after what you’ve been through.”

“Everything about me is rising now,” she told Bandera. “My spirits, my happiness—”

“And this balloon.” He glanced worriedly over the edge. “We’re actually going
up.
”

“Yes,” she said. “Did you think we would remain on the ground?”

“I don’t know.” They floated past the balloon owner’s head, then ten feet higher. “Are we tethered to something? Because I’m not sure how to work one of these amusement rides.”

“The owner is covered for disaster.” Holly laughed at him. “You won’t get hurt, I promise.”

“I better not get hurt,” Bandera said. “We have a healthy superstition about that in my family.”

“Oh? You don’t strike me as the superstitious type.”

How little she knew. “Just being around you is attracting all kinds of karma into my atmosphere,”
he said. “My inner tuning fork is vibrating with danger.”

“You do have a problem.” She glanced over the edge, smiling. “Look! Everyone down there looks so small!”

“I’m not looking,” he stated. “When do we get reeled back in? This has been fun, but not so much I couldn’t stand to get my boots back on earth.”

“Well,” Holly said, her voice sounding a bit worried, “I think you’ll have to settle for your boots lifting heavenward for a while.” She pulled a rope in over the edge, settling it in the bottom of the basket, then she stood at the rail, waving. “By the looks of their faces down there, this rope was not supposed to come loose.”

Small trails of dread slithered through Bandera’s stomach. “I can’t look. I just discovered I have a fear of heights.”

She looked at him, concerned. “You do?”

“I think so. I’ve never been higher than the back of a bull. I’ve never even been to Six Flags to ride the roller coasters. I don’t mind the second floor of the barn, but I suppose that’s different.”

“Very different. Barns don’t float away, except maybe in
The Wizard Of Oz.
”

“Oh, jeez.” He closed his eyes, trying not to think about the tiny blowing flame above his head keeping the balloon aloft. Hard ground lay below, and
Holly was at his side, staring up at him as she clutched his arm.

“You’re not going to faint, are you?” she asked, her voice sweet and worried. “I really wouldn’t advise it in this basket.”

He noted her hands felt good on his arm, and the concern in her voice made him feel better. Still, he was in trouble. “I feel very out of control of this situation.”

“Well, you are out of control, which is okay if you relax,” she coaxed. “Keep your eyes closed if it helps.”

Because she told him to keep his eyes closed, he snapped them open to stare down at her. Looking at her made him feel a whole lot better. “When we crash-land in some trees—and I’m sure that’s the only possible ending to this dilemma I find myself in—you’re going to be in big trouble. As soon as I get out of the hospital.”

She laughed at him. “We’re in this together. Enjoy the adventure until we crash.”

Holly knew she should take pity on Bandera—he really did appear terrified—but she sort of liked the way he was leaning on her instead of being withdrawn and cocky. “Remember when I got into your truck and said I’d entered the danger zone?”

“And I said you had no idea?”

“Mmm. Looks like we reversed roles.”

He sighed. “Actually, no. You disturbed everything in my aura when I saw you by the side of the road, flashing your sign.”

“I wonder if our meeting was something more than chance.”

The look on his face was priceless, but Holly held back a laugh. If she was going to enjoy baiting him, she wanted to do it to the fullest.

“Meaning what?” he demanded.

“Think about it. You’re in a balloon, far from safety, with a wedding planner.”

He frowned. “Yes. That makes you a bride in flight.”

“I’m not really,” she said. “You rescued me from all that.”

He stared at her. “All that what?”

“The trauma. The broken heart. The barren field of dreams.”

“Yikes. I was trying to keep Mason from leaving us. I wasn’t looking for a dramatic woman in white.”

She laughed. “Admit you’re having fun.”

“No.”

“And you liked it when I kissed you.”

He slid his eyes back her way. “Lady, you are alone with me in a basket, apparently on your way to some unknown destination. Do not tempt what you know nothing about.”

“Maybe I like the unknown.”

His gaze warmed. “You’d best figure out how to keep yourself safe,” he growled. “The possibility of crash-landing is not your only worry.”

“And if I’m tired of being safe? If minding the rules didn’t get me anywhere and I feel like throwing caution to the wind?”

“You might find your caution caught,” he said.

Her heart pounded, and suddenly, the scenery outside the basket didn’t seem nearly as interesting as what was inside it.

“I think you’ve been running and merely want to be caught,” he said, leaning in close. “I’m very, very fast.”

“I’m glad,” she whispered.

“And I have the stamina for long chases. Though I’ll warn you, most of my prey gives up pretty quickly.”

“Are you planning to run me to ground, cowboy?” she asked, knowing in her heart that she’d waited too long for a man to make her feel the way Bandera did.

Before she could think twice, he kissed her, long and hard, his tongue searching, his lips possessing hers with fierce urgency. Holly gasped, feeling magic and a storm of longing rising inside her.

He was hot and hard and muscular—and they were in the balloon of her dreams. “I think you represent the change I want in my life,” she said breathlessly.

He smiled. “I intend to change your life completely.”

Could she throw a lifetime of planning to the wind? He was fabulous and sexy. This was the hot emotion she’d been hoping for in her marriage—she now knew it would have been lacking with Chuck.

“I’m glad I didn’t get married,” she said, pulling Bandera closer. It was wonderful to be floating in a beautiful balloon with a man who made her feel as if the worst part of her heartbreak had been swept away.

He kissed her again sweetly, not wanting to let her go. “You’re amazing, Holly.” He hugged her to him, thinking that he didn’t want to give her up, no matter what.

She was his now.

And just as that thought sent terror rushing
through him, the balloon made a long, ripping sound above their heads. Holly gasped, clutching Bandera as they both fell backward from the force of the crash. They waited for more disaster, and Holly squeezed her eyes shut as she lay against Bandera’s chest.

“We hit a tree,” Bandera said. “We were losing altitude.”

She opened her eyes. “Because we didn’t know how to keep the balloon in the air.”

They glanced up into the balloon, which didn’t look to be folding in on itself yet. But it was only a matter of time.

“Come on,” Bandera said. “Let’s at least get out of the tree. I’ll bet the balloon’s owner followed us in his vehicle and isn’t far behind.”

“I read about that once,” Holly said, climbing over the edge and grabbing on to a tree limb. “Chase vehicles. Teams that are part of the balloon crew.”

Bandera stared at the ground. “Goodbye, sanity.”

Holly gasped as he jumped down. “Bandera!”

“Don’t worry.” He straightened, dusting off his jeans and putting his hat back on his head. “You learn about jumping from second-story bedrooms when you grow up on a ranch.”

“Oh?” She narrowed her eyes as she maneuvered closer to the tree trunk. “Visit many girls on the second floor?”

“Nah. But if you want to visit girls, you have to
learn to jump out your own window. Mason was hell on curfew.”

She’d bet Bandera knew several convenient methods of escape, himself. “I thought you were afraid of heights.”

“Not when the risks are worth it.” He grinned up at her. “And you were worth it. Now, don’t get snippy. Shimmy on down here and let me catch an armful of that booty.”

She glared at him. “Somehow my adventure has turned into your adventure.”

“That’s probably the way it should work in any good adventure. Shared risk. Congruent excitement.”

He was annoying. He’d gotten very confident since he’d taken control of his fears—and hers. She made her way down the opposite side of the tree and then jumped to the ground so he couldn’t grab her. “I don’t need your help, thanks.”

Bandera laughed. “Your coach awaits,” he said, pointing to the truck, which pulled up fifty feet away.

“I think I’ll stay and watch the men wrestle this thing down.” She looked up into the tree. “It’s not going to be easy.”

“Hello!” the balloon’s owner yelled as he ran toward them. “Are you all right?”

“We’re fine. Don’t worry,” Bandera said.

“That’s never happened before!” The poor man was so distressed that Holly felt sorry for him.

“We are fine,” she assured him. “And I think your balloon may be in decent shape.”

He looked at Bandera. “I do apologize. Somehow it came unmoored and off you went.”

“It was okay,” Bandera assured him.

“I promised her that my ride was safe as a baby’s crib. She said you had a fear of unpredictability. Risk taking. Mind you, you didn’t go very high, and you floated along slowly, but it must have seemed quite frightening to you and—”

“It’s all right,” Bandera said, his voice a growl. “Neither one of us is hurt.”

So she thought she had to take care of him like a child! Protect him from his fears! He glared at Holly.

He should have known getting involved with a runaway bride was a bad idea.

“What?” she asked.

“The riskiest thing I’ve ever done, I just did with you,” he said as the owner went around the tree to figure out how to rescue his balloon. “The flight was a trip, but kissing you…” He took a deep breath. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He didn’t want to think about just how shaken he was. And not because of the crash, either.

B
ANDERA NOW REALIZED
he must have lost his mind. Somewhere over the tops of the trees, he’d forgotten who he was, who she was and what his mission was.

Holly was seducing him, plain and simple. And he’d been going along for the ride, led by his libido in the same tango that had ensnared his brothers. Chase, capture, then become the captured.

This was where his dance ended, he vowed.

He and Holly were both a bit sunburned, but the balloon was safe with its owner, who had driven them back to Bandera’s truck amid more apologies.

It was time to hit the road and keep heading in the direction he should have been going before he got sidetracked. He dialed his cell phone. “Mason!” he barked, when his brother answered.

“Yeah?”

“Where the hell are you?”

Bandera refused to look Holly’s way, though she watched him as he drove.

She twitched the map. They hadn’t followed one line on that map, thanks to her!

“At Hawk’s,” Mason said. “Where the hell are
you?
”

“I’m…on the road.”

“You should have been here hours ago.”

Bandera sighed. “Long story. Has to do with chocolate chip cookies and hot air balloons.”

“Well, quit fiddling around and let’s get on with it! I didn’t know you were going to be such a drag on my schedule. I can’t be gone forever, you know. Marielle has to get back home to her cat.”

Mason’s irritation made Bandera tense. He
couldn’t be any more annoyed with the tiny blonde next to him if he tried. She had caught him up in her runaway scheme. Up in that balloon, she’d looked at him with those big eyes, her hands in his back jeans pockets, and he’d realized he was losing something—could it be his heart?—that he wasn’t ready to give up.

“Tell Marielle her cat was happy as a cat can be when we left. And her chocolate chip cookies were delicious. I’ll be there as soon as I can. No more detours are in the itinerary.” He turned off his phone and dropped it onto the seat beside him.

Holly looked out the opposite window silently. He could tell she was hurt by his comments.

Okay, maybe he was being a bit of an ass. She’d had her dream day turn distinctly undreamy. Maybe she was just rebounding, and he’d provided the bound. Like she’d said, she’d wanted to kiss a cowboy.

He’d been standing there, his body more ready than his mind, to give her what she craved.

But then her craving had turned into his craving. Now he knew what she felt like. What she tasted like. It was going to take superhuman strength to stop the dance now, when he dearly wanted to keep knowing how she felt. Tasted.

He got more tense just thinking about what he wouldn’t be able to discover. He had to remember it
wasn’t up to him to do anything more than give her a ride.

“From now on, we stay in the truck,” he said sternly. “Until we get to my destination. From there, Cousin Mike takes you wherever your heart desires.”

“Fine,” she said coolly. “I’ve got an idea of what my heart
does
desire.”

That caught his attention. He’d expected a protest. Perhaps he’d
hoped
she’d protest. “You are welcome to share.”

“I’m ready to go back home.”

He blinked. “Home?”

“Yes. I’ve had my fun. I should be with my parents now. It was selfish of me to leave them.”

It was selfish of her to leave
him!
After their balloon ride, shouldn’t she be trying to stick to him like glue?

No, that wasn’t right. He was trying to
end
this dance. She should go back home, and he shouldn’t care.

“Fine,” he said, his voice rougher than he meant it to be. “We’re not far from Hawk’s.”

“Hawk’s?” She perked up. “That’s a catchy name.”

Jealousy bit at him, deep and hard, which he told himself was ridiculous. He’d never been jealous in his life!
And I’m not going to start now.
“Maybe I should take you back now, since you’re in such a hurry.”

“I’m fine,” she said. Then she put her hand on the back of his neck, lightly massaging his corded mus
cles. The sensation of wanting to relax beneath her fingers was intense.

“Are you all right?” she asked. “Your eyebrows are knitted together, and your jaw is locked.”

“I’m very well. Thank you for your concern.”

“Are you sure? Because you look distinctly uncom—”

“This is my driving face,” he said.

“Maybe I should drive,” she suggested. “And let your inner being flow to a more relaxed plane.”

He wasn’t going to relax, not with her in the truck and her fingers on his neck. “I just need to get you home.”

She pulled her fingers away from his skin, which he regretted, and she went back to studying that infernal map. “I’ll let you drive,” he said suddenly. “I need a beer.”

“Okay. Though you didn’t strike me as the kind of man who would turn his truck keys over to a woman.” She smiled at him. “I’m impressed by your lack of machismo.”

He ignored that, because he hadn’t realized there was anything symbolic about giving up his keys. Now that he knew there was, he was tempted to skip the beer.

Then again, if she drove, he could keep an eye on her better—surreptitiously, of course. He was getting a crick in his neck from bouncing his gaze between
the road and the passenger seat. Holly was worth looking at, he admitted as he pulled to the shoulder. Even if it meant giving up his keys, which she took with a foxy wink.

Oh, boy. “There is no hidden subtext in you driving my vehicle,” he said. “Stop trying to alarm me.”

“I’m a very safe driver,” she told him. “You just sit back and relax.”

His cell phone rang, so he switched it on, keeping one eye on the blonde getting behind the wheel. “Hey, Mimi.”

He stood beside the driver’s-side door, his gaze on Holly as she checked out the seat positioning. Maybe he wouldn’t shut the door just yet. He liked watching her move around, settling her fanny just so. “Um, Mason’s not with me.”

Holly glanced at him, her brows raised.

“Well… I don’t know why you can’t reach him,” Bandera said. “Maybe he’s out of range. In a bad cell area or something.” He blinked. “Um, okay, Mimi. I should be catching up to him soon. I’ll tell him.”

Holly’s gaze was sympathetic, but encouraging, too. Encouraging him to be honest.

But he couldn’t tell Mimi the truth. There was too much history between Mimi and Mason. It shouldn’t matter to either of them what the other one did, but it did matter somehow. To both of them. Bandera had seen that in the stubborn set of his brother’s jaw.

He switched off the phone.

Holly looked at him curiously.

“Family stuff.” He shrugged.

“I take it your brother might not have belonged on that bike with—”

“One can never say in my family. Very complicated, and not always understandable.”

“Families are like that.”

“Really.” He figured no family was quite as unhinged as his. “We have good hearts. Just not always the wisdom we should.” Closing the door, he walked around the truck, grabbing a beer out of the cooler as he went. “Want something? There are beverages in here besides beer.”

“I’m fine.” She started the truck, gunning it a little bit. “Are you sure you shouldn’t have grabbed two of those for yourself?”