The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you slept with me, no one would ever know it except the two of us. I know you don’t talk about your affairs of the heart,” she said, trying to keep from laughing and also aware that his light caresses were stirring surprising sizzles. How could Gabe cause any sizzles? He had always been like a brother. She gazed more intently at him, thinking that brother image was being melted away by every stroke on her hand.

“Now, how can you possibly know about my love life?” he asked.

“Word gets around about you.”

“Well, what do you know—you’ve been discussing me with others.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I may not be the one bringing up your name, you know.”

He laughed. “I better back off right now. I know you well enough to know when my teasing is getting to you.”

“You don’t know zip about the grown-up me. We haven’t spent much time together since I was a teenager.”

He didn’t respond to that remark. Instead, he was focused on something else. “Let’s go back to my question.”

She knew the one he meant. Are you going to let me kiss you.

He tilted her chin up. “We’re in a spotlight. Just in case anyone observes, let’s make this look like the real thing.”

“No one in this neighborhood will observe us,” she said, amused, curious about kissing him.

Gabe slipped his arm around her waist. “You know, Meg, we’ve never kissed,” he said, looking into her eyes.

She gazed back into vivid blue eyes that seemed to turn her insides to jelly. Gabe really was a good-looking man. When his gaze shifted to her mouth, to her amazement flutters tickled her insides.

He leaned closer, slowly, and her heart beat faster. When his mouth brushed hers, heat engulfed her. She closed her eyes, winding her arm around his neck. His arms tightened around her, drawing her against his hard length as his mouth covered hers and his tongue stroked hers.

She felt in free fall, her insides clenching while her heart pounded. She forgot everything except his kiss, his arms holding her tightly and their bodies pressed together. Tingles raced through her and she moaned softly with pleasure, sinking into a kiss that set her ablaze. Sliding her hand across his shoulders, she trailed her fingers over his nape and into his thick hair.

She had no idea how long they kissed. She only knew she didn’t want to stop. When he finally raised his head, he gazed silently into her eyes and she felt as if she were seeing him for the first time in her life.

“Wow,” she whispered. “Now I know why the ladies like you,” she said, trying to keep the moment light though she was stunned how his kiss had ignited such desire in her. She stepped back and from the look of him, he was as surprised as she felt.

“Thank you, Gabe, for tonight,” she said, or hoped she said. Her thoughts were still on his kiss and she fought an urge to walk back into his arms and kiss him again. “I had a wonderful time and we were seen by so many people.” She felt as if she was babbling, but she couldn’t think straight. Gabe’s kiss had scrambled her thoughts and she was trying to return to the world as it had been before he held her tightly and kissed her.

“I think this fake engagement is going to be easier to do than I first thought it would,” he remarked drily, still looking intently at her. “You and I wasted our time playing with marbles.”

“Not really. Our friendship was important. Tonight was perfect and a million thank-yous for agreeing to the engagement.”

“I’m beginning to look forward to it. I’ll call you. I’ll try to plan something where you’ll be seen by another segment of people you might know.”

“That would be excellent. I’ll get a fancy dress for the occasion. I’ll even wear makeup.”

He grinned and touched the tip of her nose. “I like you the way you are. You know, now I’m glad you called me for help, and believe me, I’m willing to help you.”

“Thanks. Calm down a little, Gabe.”

“After our kiss? I don’t think so, darlin’. Want to try again and see if we get the same result?”

She leaned closer and squinted her eyes to look at him as she poked his chest with her forefinger. “We’re not going to fall in love.”

The twinkle was back in his blue eyes. “You don’t think?”

“I know. You can’t get serious and I definitely will not get serious with you.”

“That doesn’t mean we have to avoid kissing, does it?”

“I know you’re laughing at me again. No, it doesn’t mean we won’t kiss. Maybe all the ladies you kiss fall in love with you, but I won’t, so yes, we can kiss.”

“I’m so glad to get your permission,” he said, his voice filled with so much laughter she had to smile. “You’ve given me another challenge, Meg.”

“Oh, no. Once again, that’s a fact. I’m not going to fall in love with you and you won’t with me. We’re definite opposites. Good night, Gabe. Thank you, and it was fun.”

“Oh, darlin’, was it ever fun,” he said, suddenly sounding sincere.

She turned to unlock her door. “I don’t think I’ll invite you in tonight. We’ll save that for next time, when I’ll show you my house.”

“Sure, Meg. I’ll call you,” he repeated as he headed toward the steps.

As he drove away, she closed and locked the door and leaned against it, lost in memories of his kiss. How could his kiss have been so sexy? Her lips still tingled and she wished she could have gone on kissing him. Had she gotten herself into a predicament with this fake engagement?

It had never occurred to her she would have the slightest sexual response to Gabe. She had never even thought about kissing him. She had known him all her life without that happening and she hadn’t given it a thought.

Till now.

Tonight he had turned her world upside down. And she no longer saw him the way she had before. Would she ever in her life see him again without that hot, tingling response she felt?

Gabe would be aiming for seduction. As he said, he liked a challenge. He also liked the ladies and parties...and a daredevil lifestyle that took her breath away, because it was the same as her brother Hank’s lifestyle had been, and that wild living had gotten him killed.

Surely she wouldn’t succumb to Gabe; she wouldn’t go to bed with him. She had known him all her life and would never run the risk. One hot kiss wouldn’t make a difference.

Except his kiss was different from all other kisses she had ever experienced. Not that there had been lots of different guys, but she suspected if there had been, Gabe’s kiss still would have melted her. “Mercy me,” she groaned. The man was sinfully sexy, and she suspected she’d never view him the way she once had again.

What was she saying? She could not be attracted to Gabe. Absolutely not! Kisses were one thing. Falling into bed with him was another.

She moved through her house, switching off lights and going to her room. She just needed some sleep. But when she crawled into bed, sleep was the last thing on her mind. She lay there, gazing into the darkness, her lips still tingling and memories burning their way into her thoughts. She may not want to admit it, but she still wanted to kiss him again.

She sat up in bed. “I’m not going to fall into bed with you,” she whispered in the darkness. That wild, woman-chasing cowboy would be nothing but heartbreak. It was just one month. One month wasn’t a long time. Surely she could resist him for that long. It could be a lot of kisses though, because it wasn’t going to be just weekend dates. She planned to stay at his house with him. She’d simply have to guard her heart and keep kisses to a minimum.

Did she have the willpower for that? She suspected it was going to be difficult to resist him. He wouldn’t have trouble resisting her, so maybe there was nothing to worry about. She just had to take care, remember who he was and how he felt about a serious relationship, and that wild lifestyle he had. He raised rodeo bulls for a living—big, mean, thousand-pound animals. He liked to compete in bull riding. He flew his own plane. He had a motorcycle and a sports car. And he loved the ladies and parties. There wasn’t a serious bone in his body.

She had to make each date move things along to convince her family and Justin that she and Gabe were serious. The minute Justin was out of her life, she would thank Gabe and send the sexy hunk on his way.

When had Gabe changed to a “sexy hunk” from the friendly kid she grew up knowing? She hadn’t been around him in the past few years because they moved in different circles after school. She knew a lot of local ladies loved going out with him. She paid little attention when one of her friends talked about wanting to date him. Such conversations left her slightly amused at most. But his kiss wasn’t amusing. It was sexy enough to wrap around her heart and carry it away.

She punched her pillow behind her, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. “You may be my knight to the rescue, Gabe Callahan, but you’re going to be trouble,” she said in the dark, empty room. Moonlight spilled in the window. All she could see was Gabe’s blue eyes and his cocky smile. “About six feet, three inches of sexy male and you’ve already rocked my life. We’ll kiss, but I will not go to bed with you. I mean that,” she whispered, and sighed. She knew she’d better stick to that conviction if she wanted to get through this pretend engagement with her heart intact.

She sighed again, getting up and opening a bottom drawer to rummage through sweaters. She pulled out a raggedy brown bear and shook it. Gabe had given it to her on her ninth birthday. “Why didn’t he stay the way he was when he gave you to me?” she asked the bear. “A nice kid I had fun with instead of this sexy man who makes me want to keep kissing him all night.”