Prologue

      The elevator doors swung open. Since it was after office hours on a Friday, Paige Summers had expected the elevator to be empty. But a lone man occupied the small space. Tall and lean, with an aura of masculine strength surrounding him, the stranger stared at Paige, inspecting her from head to toe. Forcing herself to ignore his interest, she quickly ran her gaze over the handsome cowboy.

      His faded jeans fit like a glove, and with one more washing his plaid work shirt would need to go into a ragbag. A sweatband circled the base of his black Stetson.

      Although he dressed like dozens of other men in Grand Springs, Colorado, one glimpse told Paige that this man was unlike any she’d ever met.

      When she glanced back at his face, he smiled at her and her stomach did an evil flip-flop. He did possess a killer smile. A wide, sensuous mouth. Full, tempting lips. And beautiful, perfect teeth, sparkling white against the dark, suntanned skin of his face.

      “If you’re worried about getting on an elevator with a stranger, I can assure you, you’ll be safe with me.”

      The man spoke with a drawl. Oklahoma or Texas, maybe, she thought.

      Paige forced a smile to her lips. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I didn’t expect anyone to be here still.” She stepped inside the elevator, but deliberately avoided eye contact. She was a quiet, private person, who didn’t normally find herself lusting after a stranger.

      Lusting after? Good grief, Paige, how could you think such a thing? He’s attractive. That’s all. You’ve never lusted after a man in your life.

      She glanced at the cowboy again, unable to stop herself. His dark brown hair brushed his collar. Strands of gray streaked his thick sideburns. He grinned and tipped his hat at her. Paige looked down at her feet. A guy with his looks and charm could be dangerous.

      The elevator doors closed.

      Jared Montgomery couldn’t remember the last time he’d been instantly attracted to a woman, and never this strongly attracted.

      She was lovely, in a fresh, unspoiled sort of way. He liked that she was a good deal shorter than he, and that every inch of her five-and-a-half-foot body was filled out in lush, curvaceous proportions.

      The elevator jolted to a sudden halt, shaking Jared instantly from his thoughts and tossing him sideways. Acting purely on instinct, he grabbed the young woman the moment he realized they were both falling. She clutched the front of his shirt, accidently ripping off two buttons. Quickly maneuvering her around, Jared took the brunt of the fall as they hit the floor. The black Stetson flew off his head and landed a few inches from his right shoulder. The impact of his big body sandwiched between the hard surface beneath and the woman on top momentarily knocked the breath out of him.

      The red emergency lights came on, coating the interior of the elevator in a rosy pink glow. Paige realized she was lying on top of the stranger, her body intimately aligned with his. Her breasts crushed against his muscular chest. Their bellies pressed together. Their legs entwined.

      A fluttering, quivering sensation began in the depths of her femininity. It quickly spread through her entire body, and she became embarrassingly aware that the man lying beneath her was aroused. His hardened sex pulsated against her.

      She rolled off his chest and onto the floor beside him. “Are you all right?” she asked, her voice deceptively calm. She shook like a leaf in the wind.

      Jared stared up into the woman’s big brown eyes, concern evident in her gaze as well as her voice. She hovered over him, her large, round breasts almost touching his chest. God, she was gorgeous.

      “Fine.”