Expecting The Cowboy's Baby

No. No. Those were dangerous thoughts. Cassie’s mind was too jumbled up to think clearly, but she did remember that Jake Griffin was off-limits. She could fall hard for her real-life cowboy. He’d hurt her in the past and would probably cause her pain again if she weren’t careful.

When they reached the front desk, Jake swore. “Damn.”

“What?”

She squinted at the reservation desk through hazy eyes, noting the place swarming with grumpy and beleaguered senior citizens. The chaotic line wrapped around the hotel lobby. Their loud rants rattled around in her head as they shouted out politically correct obscenities to anyone who would listen. Their bus had broken down in the desert. They’d missed their special dinner. They were hungry. They were tired.

Cassie’s brain fuzzed out and her legs wobbled like Jell-O.

“We’re not waiting around,” Jake stated plainly.

With a quick, efficient move, Jake swept her up into his arms. “You’re bunking with me tonight.”

Jake carried Cassie to the elevator. She weighed next to nothing, it seemed, and felt darn good in his arms. Little did he know this afternoon when he’d spotted her at the rodeo banquet that he’d be carrying Miss Sexy Red Dress up to his room tonight. Of course, not for the desired reasons, he thought with wry amusement. Even Jake had standards. He had a second bed in his room and that’s exactly where he’d deposit her.

When Jake reached his floor, he headed for his room, ignoring smirks and curious stares of the passersby in the hallway as they noted the woman out cold in his arms. She’d fallen into a druglike sleep the minute he’d entered the elevator.

With his keycard, he unlocked the door and, with a shoulder shove, pushed through the doorway. He uttered a curse, noting the dishevelment surrounding him. He’d thrown down his equipment on the bed in a hurry this afternoon.

Cassie stirred in his arms and he quieted her with soothing words. It would be better for both of them if she stayed asleep. Having her wake up in his room, in his bed, would be too great a temptation. With efficient thoroughness he removed as much equipment from the beds as possible. He tossed ropes, chaps, gloves and other gear onto the floor, then folded back the blankets on one of the beds. With care, he set Cassie down on her back. Immediately, she nuzzled her face into the pillow and sighed with undisguised pleasure.

That sigh unnerved him and heat surged through his body with rapid speed. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he quickly swiped at it, backing away from the gorgeous woman lying on his bed.

Get a grip, Jake. You can’t get in bed with her. In fact, you’d better not touch her again tonight.

He was ready to cover her up with the blanket, but realized her shoes were still on. “Damn.”

He went to the lower end of the bed and hesitated, glancing at the leggy woman in the red dress. The material had bunched way up, exposing firm, shapely thighs, legs that cried out for his attention. Jake heaved a heavy sigh and slowly lifted one shiny black heel off her foot, then the other, careful not to touch her in any other way.

Jake tossed her shoes aside, covered her up to her chin and closed the drapes. In total darkness now, he might be able to forget that Cassie Munroe slept just three feet from him.

Cassie woke to the alluring aroma of fresh coffee. She opened one eye, then the other, and stared straight into the face of a cowboy. The man sitting on the opposite bed, dressed in Western gear, complete with a black Stetson, smiled. “Morning.”

Cassie blinked, then blinked again. She wasn’t dreaming. He was as real as Nevada heat and so was the hot mug of coffee sitting on the nightstand just inches from her face. She brought the covers up to her chin, probing her mind for answers. Slowly, and with great effort, she began to remember everything. Except how she got into this bed.

What happened last night…with Jake?

Heavens, it’d be just her luck to have a torrid night with the sexy cowboy and not remember a darn thing in the morning. “Morning…oh!” Her head and facial muscles ached. It actually hurt to talk.

“That bad?” he asked, sipping from his mug of coffee. “I would have let you sleep longer, but I didn’t know what time your brother’s wedding was.”

Brian’s wedding! Cassie bounded upright, then paid a heavy price for her quick move when her head spun. She slumped back down with a groan. “I have two questions. What time is it?”

“Ten-thirty.”

That was doable. The wedding wasn’t until later this afternoon. She had time for a quick makeover, hair and makeup after an abbreviated workout. She didn’t have to be at the river dock until four-thirty.

“And…” she began, swallowing past a lump in her throat. This was a more difficult question. Fear ran rampant through her body in anticipation of the wrong answer. “And…well, um, what exactly happened last night?”

Slowly she sat up, bringing the covers with her. She peered directly into Jake’s dark eyes.

“You sort of passed out.”

That much she remembered. It was the “after” part that she couldn’t recall. “I mean, between us, Jake?”

Jake rubbed the side of his nose and tried darn hard to conceal a grin. “Wish I could say I was unforgettable in bed, but guess not.” He chuckled, then added, “Nothing happened, Cassie. When we couldn’t get you a room last night, I brought you up here to sleep. And you slept, all night, in that bed, by yourself.”

Cassie let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you,” she said with great relief.

Jake sipped his coffee and eyed her. “Don’t be so quick to thank me.” A sinful smile graced his face. “I do have rules, like a woman has to be coherent when I make love to her.”

Warmth spread to her cheeks and a deep flush of heat traveled the length of her. What an appealing thought, she mused, making love with Jake. Instinctively she knew he’d be great in bed.

Biting her lip, she looked away, taking in the Spanish motif of the room with its intricately carved dark wood furnishings and pictures of haciendas and vaqueros on the adobe walls. How fitting that she’d wake up in such a room with a cowboy. She turned to him again. “I’m really sorry about last night.”

Jake removed his hat, tossing it on the bed. “Yeah, what was that all about, anyway?”

Cassie stared at the shiny black Stetson on the bed, imagining Jake wearing it and nothing else. The image flashing in her head brought hot tingles to her body. Cassie cleared her throat—and her mind. She had to get over her fascination with Jake Griffin. He was strictly off-limits.

“What was what all about?” She played dumb. She couldn’t bear for Jake to know she was so desperate for a date to Brian’s wedding that she’d actually set out to meet a man last night. Her plan had failed, and even if Jake hadn’t intervened with that bull rider, she was doomed to disaster. Brody had already told her he wasn’t sticking around after the rodeo. He had to head home, straightaway.

“Cassie, I doubt you’re the type of woman who goes around picking up strange—”

“I’m not,” she said in her defense. “I don’t do that sort of thing. In fact, I’ve pretty much sworn off men for the rest of my life.”

Jake cast her a dubious look then shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

No, he wouldn’t understand. And she wouldn’t tell him that she’d been a dismal failure with the opposite sex since the beginning of time, it seemed. Cassie didn’t want to try anymore. She was through coming up with the short end of the stick. She’d drawn her last short straw. She wasn’t going to play second fiddle again. To anyone.

Disheartened with the path her life had taken, she’d decided to take a stand. For once she was going to put her needs first. She had other things to focus on besides men…such as that promising new job she’d been offered. It was perfect. There wasn’t even a need for her to find a place to live. All the arrangements had been made for her. The job was set. All she needed to do was to show up in three weeks and sign the deal.

“It’s…complicated.” She reached for the mug of coffee and took a long sip. The hot liquid slid down her throat like soft velvet, soothing her nerves and helping to clear her head. “Coffee is good,” she said, gauging Jake’s reaction to her obtuse answer.

He stared at her a moment, smiled, then jammed his hat onto his head. “Why don’t you take a shower? I’ll get your bags out of your car and you can change your clothes.”

Cassie lowered the sheet a bit, noting that Jake had left her dress on last night. “Oh, yeah. I guess I’d better get going. I’ve got to check into my own room.”

“Where are your keys?”

Cassie pointed to her purse. “In there. I think I’m on level three. Neon-yellow Volkswagen Bug.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll find your car. How many of those bright yellow Bugs could there possibly be?”

Cassie chuckled, but her mirth was stymied when Jake tossed her one of his shirts. The one he’d worn last night. “Put this on after your shower. I’ll be back later.”

Cassie watched him rummage through her purse, come up with the keys and head out the door. As soon as he was gone she undressed quickly and, on impulse, donned his light blue chambray shirt. She closed her eyes and turned her face to the collar, inhaling deeply, taking in his spicy scent. “Mmm.”

But then she snapped her eyes open instantly. She’d forgotten to give Jake the code to her car alarm. With the way things were going, hotel security might just arrest him for breaking and entering. She dashed to the door, took a step outside, catching sight of him at the elevators. “Jake!”