“Ready?” Graham poked his head in the door. “Now you look like a cowgirl, except we’ll need to get you some boots.” He put his hand at her back and escorted her out to the car. “We’ll try the steak house the clerk mentioned. I’m starved.”
The restaurant looked like a large log cabin. Inside it was dark with candles on the tables. Graham asked for a table in the back against the wall. The waiter glanced at Regina and grinned.
“Yes, sir. Right this way.” There weren’t many people this late, so they had their pick.
Once settled, Graham asked what wine she liked. “I like red, but it gives me a headache. Any white wine is fine with me.”
He ordered her a glass of chardonnay and himself a glass of merlot. After the waiter brought it, they both ordered steaks, and he left. Graham lifted his wineglass.
“To us and an interesting next few months.” He clicked his glass against hers.
Regina took a sip and then asked, “You think it will be months?”
He shrugged. “I hope not, but it might. I know you must be anxious to get back to your job.”
She gave a deep sigh. “I have three weeks’ vacation and ninety days’ leave. After that I lose my job if I’m not back.”
“Your sister is causing you a lot of trouble. She chose a dangerous career.”
“How do you know her? I’d bet you worked with her.”
He saluted her with his glass before he took a long swallow. “I did. I quit.”
From his expression she guessed he expected her to ask why. She could almost see his walls going up, and she saw the hurt in his eyes. She changed the subject.
“Can you tell me about the place where we’re going?” she asked.
“It’s in the country, about twenty miles from the nearest town. I have a small cabin. We’ll have to get used to being in each other’s space.”
“Something you don’t relish.”
“Perhaps.”
Their food came, and they both stopped the conversation to enjoy the thick steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans. There were two onion rings on top of each steak. Regina ate hers quickly.
“Here, you can have mine.” Graham moved his onion rings onto her plate.
“I love them, but I stay away from them most of the time, too much fat and calories.” She smiled. “How did you know they were my favorite food on the plate?”
“Your expression of bliss on your face when you ate yours.”
“As a kid my family teased me about my obsession with them. If it was between fries and onion rings, the fries lost out every time. What’s your favorite food?”
Graham put down the piece of steak he’d just started to put in his mouth. “I guess anything my mother cooks. I’m not particular, but she’s the best. Millie, a lady who’s had a restaurant in town for years, is next to her.”
“So no particular food, but very specific cooks. Who’ll cook at your cabin, me or you?”
“If you wait for me to cook, it’ll be frozen dinners or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
“Thanks for the warning. I like peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches.” She decided she wouldn’t tell him one of her hobbies was cooking. She’d have to buy a local cookbook for new recipes and surprise him.
“A woman that agrees with me. I’m in shock.”
The rest of the meal was eaten quickly as they were both hungry. The snack along the way had not been like a real meal.
“Would you like to order dessert?” the waiter asked.
“I’ll take a slice of your coconut pie and coffee,” Graham said.
“I’d like decaf coffee and an extra spoon. I’ll eat some of his pie.”
“And what if I don’t want to share?”
“Surely I can have just a tiny bite.”
I’m flirting with him. Am I crazy? I never flirt, and this is someone I have to live with for weeks.
She started to retract her statement. But it was too late. She’d seen the flash of fire in those dark eyes, and deep in her abdomen, heat stirred into a bolt of desire.
Thankfully the waiter returned soon with the pie and spoons. Graham pushed the pie into the center of the table. “Help yourself.” His husky voice slid through her body like a warm swallow of cognac.
Regina pushed the plate toward him. “I was teasing. I’m full.”
He put a bite of the coconut delight onto a spoon and, leaning across, placed it against her lips. She opened her mouth and took the offering. He held her attention. His blue eyes were as dark as midnight.
When he drew back, he said softly, “Beware of teasing. You may get more than you want.”
She picked up her coffee cup, but her hands were shaking and she placed it back on the table. He pretended not to notice and kept his eyes on his pie and coffee. Perhaps he was giving her time to regroup.
Taking a deep breath, she tried again and took a long sip of the warm coffee. What had her sister gotten her into, and had Sylvia and he had an affair? She knew of few men who could or would even try to resist Sylvia.
“Does your family call you Regina?” Graham asked, breaking into her thoughts.
Regina hesitated about telling him her nickname. He slid the last of the pie across to her.
“Eat it. I’m really full. You didn’t answer my question.”
“Gina,” she said abruptly. “Sylvia calls me Gina. My mother fluctuates between the two, the few times we talk.”
“I like Gina. It’s softer sounding.”
“This pie is delicious,” she murmured, feeling flustered inside. When he said “Gina” in his deep voice, a thrill went through her body. If she wanted to keep distance between them, she had made a big mistake in telling him her nickname. As she had feared, when he said her name it sounded much more intimate than “Regina.” She ate the last bite of pie and finished her coffee. “Dinner was excellent.”
Graham stood. “You must be tired. Let’s go back to the motel.” He paid the waiter and put his hand on the small of her back as they walked out.
In spite of his tantalizing nearness, she almost fell asleep during the short ride. Graham came around to her door, opened it, and then leaned in. He carried her inside the motel room and let her feet slide to the floor as he held her close. His scent wafted into her head, and she felt the hardness of his cock against her belly. When she glanced upward, his face looked hard and his eyes, hungry. She quickly moved backward. He waited a second, and then without a word, he took brisk steps to the open doorway between their rooms.
“Whatever length of time you’re with me is going to be too long. I’ve never said I was always a gentleman. Remember that before you tease me again.”
* * * *
Graham didn’t go to sleep instantly as he’d hoped. He tossed and turned, thinking about the woman in the next room, so close and yet far away. His body ached from the desire to get out of bed and go to her. He wanted to bury his hard, aching cock inside her pussy. Her scent drove him crazy, and those golden eyes were beginning to melt the hard core inside him. The problem was he didn’t know if he wanted to let himself feel that deeply for anyone other than his family.
Hell, no, he hardly knew her. So he’d been celibate too long. That’s all it was, and once she was in his cabin, driving him crazy, as any woman would, all the fascination would go away.
Women wanted to talk, to discuss, to mess around in the kitchen, and most of all to go places. He’d never get his edit done. He had nothing to fear. When they got home tomorrow night he’d instantly remember why he didn’t want a permanent woman in his life. And he had to be careful about fooling around with Gina. She had permanency written all over her.
Exhausted, they finally landed in Montana. Gina had been surprised but pleased when she discovered their final destination. She’d always wanted to see the state known as Big Sky Country. Now she’d be visiting and not just in touristy areas. She’d see the real place.
Graham had been quiet on the rest of the drive and the flight. He hurried her through getting their bags.
“My brother Dirk is picking us up. I called him before we boarded the plane.”
She’d noticed him making a call, but didn’t ask any questions. She’d sensed he was not in the best mood. Hopefully the whole time wouldn’t be this stressed between them.
They stepped outside the luggage area and had to wait only a few minutes before a black SUV parked at the curb.
“Hi, Graham. Glad to see you made it back.” A tall man with black hair and blue eyes who looked a lot like Graham strode around the SUV and grabbed her suitcases to put in the back.
He grinned at Gina. “I’m Dirk, the good-looking brother.”
“And that’s only because he looks like me,” Graham added. “Dirk, this is Regina, or if she likes you, she’ll let you call her Gina.”
“Welcome to Montana, Gina. I’m going to assume you’ll like me.” Dirk opened the front door of the car and helped her inside. “Graham can sit in back.”
Soon they were pulling out of the airport and driving on a two-lane road past farms and stretches of empty prairie. Gina was fascinated.
“You’re going to get whiplash in your neck if you keep turning your head so much and so fast,” Graham said from the backseat. “After a few weeks you’ll have had your fill of wide-open spaces and miss the city.”
“Not necessarily. I’ve dreamed of living out west. But I never had the nerve to make the change on my own. This is a surprising gift.”
“Mom called and said to bring your friend to dinner tonight. I’m sure she fears Gina will go hungry otherwise.”
“I keep food in my fridge.”
“Beer and nuts or chips is not a meal,” Dirk razzed him. “She’d invited Rand and Marian, but he’s on call, and Marian is in the last trimester of her pregnancy and is feeling tired,” he explained to Gina.
“I’ll miss seeing them, but too many of us at once might be a bit intimidating to Gina,” Graham said.
“Our town is called Frontier City,” Dirk said. He pointed out landmarks and had funny stories to tell about him and his brothers.
Gina glanced back once to see if Graham had gone to sleep. He’d stretched out on the seat and had his eyes closed, but his lips were curved into that half smile he used that rattled her insides. He was listening.
Dirk saw her glance. “You might as well know, if you haven’t noticed already, my brother is a man of few words.”
“I’d noticed,” she said softly. “I’m certain he’s lying back there and counting the days until I can return home.”
* * * *
If only
. Graham was counting the days, but because he feared his control of the desire she stirred in him would slip away before she was gone. He didn’t want to want anyone, not as much as he desired her in just these few days. He’d hoped, sitting in the back, that he could sleep during the ride, but her soft, melodious voice ran across his nerves like a haunting melody drawing him to her.
He’d thought of having her stay with his mother, but if the wrong person or persons discovered her hideaway, he didn’t want any of his family, especially his mother, to be put in danger. And he couldn’t very well protect Gina from a distance.
When Sylvia asked him to watch out for her younger sister, he never expected the complication of him desiring her. The SUV turned left. Graham sat up. They were on his road, and he’d be home soon. The first item to be taken care of was to set some rules for the house. Then he’d shower, and they’d go to his mother’s.
A picture of them together in his larger-than-usual shower spiked his desire instantly. He could see himself picking her up and putting her backside against the tile wall while his hard dick slid into her pussy. His cock rose at the thought.
Down, boy, this is a dream, it mustn’t become a reality
.
She’s the marrying kind, the most dangerous of all women to a lone man. Damn, I wish I’d added the new addition on to my cabin last summer
. They were going to be on top of each other in the small area he had now. And then he feared they’d literally end up on top of each other in his bed.
They’d stopped, and Dirk was helping Gina out. Graham groaned as he stepped out of the back.
“Are you all right?” Gina asked.
“Yeah, I’ve just got a kink.”
Dirk’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “It has a way of happening to us all as we get older.”
But Graham knew Dirk wasn’t talking about age. Dirk was insinuating Graham had met
the one
.
No way. I’m not going to fall in love and get married, never, ever.
Graham took his bag and one of Gina’s. Dirk followed with the other. Graham strode straight to the back hall and into the room on the left.
“This is it. It’s a bit small.” Graham spread his hand out to indicate the single bed, small dresser, and very small closet.
“It’s lovely. I like the view of the outside from the two windows. It just needs a bit of color.”
“Damn.” Graham dropped her suitcase on the floor. “I knew it. A woman can’t come into a house without wanting to redecorate.” He flung himself out of the room and stomped down the short hall.
* * * *