The Cowboy's Baby Bargain

She grimaced. “You’re just saying that so I won’t step on your toes.”

“Planning to?”

“I hope not.” She glanced up at him, frowned, and then looked back at their feet, concentrating so intently you’d think she was doing brain surgery. The second time her head clipped his chin Caleb decided he’d had enough.

“Brooke, look at me and let me lead. I won’t steer you wrong.”

She did as he asked, but the agony in her face told him she wasn’t enjoying it. She mouthed the count: quick, quick, slow, slow. He shifted his hand from her shoulder to her hip to guide her better. About halfway through the second song she caught the rhythm and cut loose with such a blinding smile that he nearly tripped.

“There you go.”

They circled the room a few times. The more she relaxed, the smaller the gap between them became. He didn’t think it was intentional, but the slide of her thighs against his was driving him slam out of his mind. He cleared his throat. “Had enough?”

“I could do this all night.” He barely heard the softly voiced comment over the band, but he didn’t miss the blissful expression on her face.

There were a few things he’d like to do with Brooke that might take all night. Dancing wasn’t one of them. “Brooke.” He waited until she tipped her head up and locked her gaze with his. “I can’t do this all night.”

Something in his eyes must have clued her in to the trail his thoughts had taken because she stumbled against him and met the tangible proof of his statement. Her eyes widened then something flared in their depths. She stopped in the middle of the floor, causing other dancers to fork around them.

“I—I wasn’t trying to lead you on. I mean…Oh my—This is crazy. I’ve never…I don’t even know you and I want—” She tucked her chin and mashed her lips together.

“What is it you want, Brooke?” His blood headed south and his throat closed up. He could barely get the words out.

“Nothing. Never mind. Let’s just finish the song and then we can—” Adorably flustered, she pulled him back into the line of dancers, leading again. He let her because his mind was…elsewhere.

She had to be close to his age, but she still blushed, for crying out loud. Something inside him softened. If she’d been the man-eater he’d originally taken her for back at the bar he’d have probably pushed her away. He’d had enough aggressive women to last him three lifetimes. But this vulnerable, shy side of Brooke reeled him in and turned him on.

He stopped beside their table and bent his head to whisper in her ear. “Know what I want? I want to see if you taste as sweet as that dessert.”

The shocked look on her face made him wonder if he’d have to resuscitate her.

Brooke dropped into her chair. Her legs would no longer support her. She’d thought learning the two-step would help her fit into her new home state. Instead dancing left her with a hunger for the taste of another Texas product—the handsome, slow-talking, rough-around-the-edges cowboy across the table.

Hadn’t she already done enough bad things to her body tonight by sampling the double chocolate raspberry mousse cake and drinking that vile beer? She didn’t need to add a one-night stand to her list of sins.

A one-night stand. The idea rippled through her like waves on a pond. She’d never had one—and of course she wouldn’t tonight—but dear heavens, he tempted her. Her hands shook when she blotted her face with her napkin. She sipped her water and sucked an ice cube in an effort to cool down. Why had ovulating never affected her this way before? Parts of her tingled like they’d never tingled before. She’d heard of the call of the wild, but she’d certainly never experienced it firsthand. Until now.

Caleb wanted her. The knowledge practically made her pant. She saw the need in his coffee-dark eyes, had felt it in the strength of his touch, and in the searing heat of the erection she’d accidentally encountered.

She’d never been so turned on in her entire life—not even by her former lovers. She’d known each of them for years before becoming intimate, and she’d thought she loved each of them. She’d known Caleb less than three hours, and she wanted to tear his clothes off.

The waitress passed and Brooke asked for the bill. Her voice sounded scratchy, and she was amazed the woman understood her. What would she do once she’d paid for their meal?

She had absolutely no idea.

She’d started the evening wanting to explore the way Caleb made her feel. She hadn’t expected the experience to last past dessert. After all, what did she have in common with a man who poked cows—or whatever it was called—for a living?

Did she have the nerve to investigate further? She’d never been sexually adventurous. Repressed is the word one of her lovers had used, and all because she liked to schedule their…encounters weeks in advance. She also had a tendency to tell her partner exactly what she liked, but it wasn’t because she was being bossy or picky. She knew what she wanted in a mate. She did intend to spend the rest of her life with this person after all. She had a right to high expectations both in bed and out.

And look where that had led her.

She had three failed love affairs to her credit and tomorrow she had the appointment in Dallas with a paternity Popsicle. Her stomach tightened, forcing her to dig in her purse for the roll of antacids. The day after being inseminated she’d fly to California to arrange the shipping of all her belongings from her apartment to her new home in southwestern McMullen County. She’d never see Caleb again.

The emptiness in her stomach was a new experience.

Perhaps it was time to be spontaneous. Renting the Miata was a baby step compared to what she was actually considering. She popped a chalky tablet into her mouth and washed it down.

“Barbecue too spicy?” The genuine concern in his voice and on his face was both unexpected and touching.

“No, I take these for the calcium.” And for the baby she hoped to conceive.

“Gonna finish your dessert?”

She’d only taken one bite. Caleb had shared the other and killed her appetite for her beloved chocolate with one steamy look. “I…no. I’ll take it with me.”

Start as you mean to go. Book one, chapter one. She’d spent the last ten years chasing success, trying to please her publisher, her accountant, and her parents. She’d focused on external goals—visible signs of success—rather than internal ones. It left her feeling empty, like a fraud who didn’t practice what she preached. When a rival had called her a sellout on a national radio show, she’d acknowledged that he might have a point and vowed to change her focus. The move to Texas signified a shift toward satisfying her emotional needs.

Right now she needed Caleb. Oh dear.

She could tell him goodbye, go back to her motel room and finish this milestone birthday alone, or she could reach beyond her comfort zone and test her resolve to find herself.

Be spontaneous. She suppressed a shudder. Spontaneity went against every fiber of her being.

She needed her Day Planner and a pen. It was vital to consider all the angles before making a decision as important as this one. But she’d left her planner in her car, and if she took the time to get it and map a strategy this opportunity would pass.

Personal growth is only achieved by stepping beyond one’s boundaries. Never let a day go by without taking a step toward your goal. Book one, chapter two.

“M-my motel is just down the road.”

He blinked those lush lashes, one slow sweep of black against his tanned skin, but not before she saw desire ignite in his eyes. Caleb leaned forward and she caught her breath, but instead of kissing her like she thought he would—like she’d hoped he would—he pulled out his wallet and tossed enough money on the table to cover the bill.

“I’m supposed to pay for dinner,” she protested.

“You can buy the condoms. Lady’s choice. Let’s go.”

When he put it like that she wondered if she might have been precipitous in making her decision.

“I—I—” Her bottom might as well be glued to the chair, and even though she made her living as a public speaker, she couldn’t seem to think of a single thing to say.

He paused, his face carefully neutral. “Or I can walk you to your car and point you in the direction of your motel.”

You run out of chances when you stop taking them. Her own words haunted her. She took a deep breath, wet her lips and tried to summon her courage.

Caleb lifted his hat from the extra chair and set it on his head. His expression tightened. “How about I thank you for your company and say good night right here?”

“No, I—” Her mouth was as dry as the Mojave Desert. She swallowed, but it didn’t help. “Caleb, wait.”

She’d never been tempted to sleep with a total stranger. Of course, she’d never been impregnated by a man she’d never seen before, either, but she would be tomorrow.