The Millionaires' Club: David, Clint & Travis: Entangled with a Texan / Locked up with a Lawman / Remembering One Wild Night. Laura Wright
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but if you want to try, I’ll ask. I’ll go along with you, though.”
“That’s fine. Thanks. I’ll feel better about it if mother and baby are united briefly.”
“You’re hopelessly optimistic,” he said lightly, and she smiled.
“That’s what my sister Greta always says. According to her, I’m the optimist, she’s the pessimist, Karen is the party girl and Dallas is boy-crazy.”
“Do you concur with the analysis?”
“Sort of,” she said, smiling again.
“When I met you in the baby store and introduced myself, you said you knew me through your older sister. You look a lot younger than your sister.”
“I’m twenty-eight. I often went with her to football games and I watched you play ball.”
“And you remembered me from that?” he asked, and she knew her cheeks were hot and she knew he was going to persist with his questions until he found out the answer.
“Yes, David, I remembered you. I thought you were cute. It was a schoolgirl crush. Satisfied? I got over it.”
“I hope not,” he said, leaning forward. “And whatever it is between us, I feel it, too.”
“I suspect what you feel is lust.”
“Damn straight. My pulse is racing right now. How about yours?” He placed his hand against her throat and waited.
She twisted away slightly. “I can’t help it if my body responds to you, but that doesn’t change my mind,” she said, taking his hand and removing it from her throat where he had been checking her pulse. “Now, you scoot back where you were.”
He grinned and scooted away a few inches, increasing the distance between them only slightly. “So tell me more about your life. How come you were working in the baby store?”
“I majored in sociology in college and that’s what my degree is in. I had a job with the clinic, and after doing that for a few years, I knew I didn’t want to do it forever. I have a minor in public relations and I’ve got applications out right now, so the store job is temporary. So where did you go to college?”
David talked about college and life on the ranch, safe topics that didn’t dredge up emotions or bad memories, yet gave her a glimpse of his life. When Autumn began to cry, Marissa brought the baby to the kitchen and she and David took turns caring for her. As Marissa held and rocked her, they talked. Later that night Autumn had a second bottle, but this time when Marissa got Autumn back to sleep, she stood.
“It’s almost two in the morning, David. I’m going to bed.”
“Want me to carry Autumn?” he offered, standing and crossing the room to Marissa.
“No need. She’s a featherweight,” Marissa replied.
“I’ll bring your things, then,” he said, picking up the boxes of gifts he had brought her. As they left the room, he switched off the kitchen light.
“So when will we go to town tomorrow?” she asked.
“My meeting is at ten in the morning. After that, I’ll talk to Clint and Tara about taking Autumn to the hospital. I don’t want you wandering around alone with her. I’d rather drive back here in the afternoon and pick you two up and take you into town then.”
When they reached her bedroom, he followed her inside and placed her presents on the bed. She crossed to him and caught his hand in hers. As his brows arched in surprise, she said, “Come here, David.”
He went with her and she led him into the hall, pausing at the door. “Thanks for the interesting evening and dinner. Good night.”
He looked amused. “You don’t want me in your bedroom?”
“Not yet,” she answered, and his chest expanded as he inhaled a deep breath.
“That wasn’t the answer I expected, since you tricked me to get me out of your room.”
Marissa smiled. “What was it you said? Sneaky and underhanded sometimes gets you what you want, or some such. Good night,” she repeated with emphasis, glancing toward his bedroom.
He braced one hand against the doorjamb, blocking her way. “Just one kiss.”
“You’ve had a kiss, and I have a baby in my arms.”
“Neither matters,” he said, catching her chin in his other hand and leaning down. Before he could touch her lips, Marissa ducked under his arm and stepped quickly into her bedroom.
“See you in the morning.” She closed the door in his face and let out her breath. How she ached for his kisses! Every inch of her wanted to be standing outside her door in his arms. Thank heavens she had shown some restraint. Now, if she could just hang on to that restraint throughout this job.
She put Autumn in her crib, standing over the baby. Autumn was one of the most beautiful babies she had ever seen. She touched Autumn’s cheek lightly with her finger. Marissa closed her eyes and said a prayer that Autumn’s mother would have a full recovery. When she opened her eyes, she smoothed the baby’s wispy hair. How it was going to hurt to say goodbye to Autumn!
That was one more thing she could postpone thinking about. Better to go home crying over the loss of Autumn, than to go home brokenhearted, crying over the losses of both Autumn and David. Just keep remembering that one, she told herself.
“This is no big deal. Relax and enjoy yourself.” His words haunted her. It was no big deal to him. To her, it was enormous. The dream of half a lifetime. His sexy appeal was irresistible now. If she let the man seduce her, she would be absolute and hopeless mush around him all the time.
“Marissa Wilder, learn now to say no,” she ordered aloud, remembering her ex and how charming he had been at the first. “No, no and no.”
Repeating no, no, no to herself, she crossed the room to open the boxes and look again at the beautiful dress he had given her. She peeled off her T-shirt and jeans and stepped into the dress, pulling it on and sliding up the zipper, turning to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was perfection. Simple, sleek lines, short, figure-hugging, soft. She unzipped it and changed into the oversize T-shirt she slept in.
In the dark, she lay in bed and remembered David’s hands on her, his touches, his fabulous kisses. Tingling, she ached and wondered whether he was really losing sleep over her or if it was just a line he used when it suited him.
She thought about the danger to the mother and to Autumn. By insisting on going to the hospital, would she put Autumn at risk? She hoped not, but she felt certain that, even though the mother wasn’t conscious, she should have her baby near her for a few minutes.
Before dawn the next morning, David left the house to take care of ranch chores. He wanted to see about two of the horses and he needed to talk to his foreman.
He hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours and those few hours had been fitful, waking and falling asleep again, having erotic dreams about Marissa. He suspected that she had no idea of her effect on him—that she had him tied in knots. He was looking forward eagerly to Saturday night.
He realized he better get his mind back to the possible danger they might face when they left his ranch. The attempt to get the mother was sobering. He would see Clint later today when they met at the club and he would get the details. Someone wanted that money badly. Or maybe wanted her. Or wanted to silence her. He hadn’t wanted to alarm Marissa, but it seemed someone was in Royal, intent on harming their Jane Doe. None of their questions about her had been answered yet, and more had been raised.
David’s thoughts jumped back to holding Marissa in his arms. Never had a woman’s kisses stirred him the way hers had. He wanted so much more than kisses. He wanted her in his bed. And if she ever agreed, she knew he wasn’t into lasting commitments. Just thinking about her responses to him drove his temperature