Page 26 of The Texas Cowboy's Proposal

She grinned. “I see. No going down that slippery slope of self-incrimination. Good choice.”

“Thank you. I will say it again. What you did with Lacy these two days—you have taken my place at the top of her most favorite list, I do believe. Might have even supplanted Beast too.”

She shook her head with a rueful smile. “I doubt that. And fathers have a place that is never given to anyone else all their daughters’ lives. That is a known fact. So don’t worry. You are irreplaceable.”

“Sit a spell.” He made space for her on the bench and then patted his knee. “Raise your foot up here.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“No one is paying attention, and it’s dark enough anyway that they won’t see much. Give me your foot.”

Sammi Jo did so, a totally puzzled look on her face.

Beaudry pushed the material of her gown above her ankle and then undid the small buckle. Off came the offending stiletto to be placed on the bench beside him. Then with firm hands, he began to massage her ankle and foot. It was evident to him that it was a welcome sensation that both eased the discomfort and brought a totally new feeling of pleasure, along with the nimble fingers on her flesh, if her soft smile and lowered lashes were any indication. For a moment, her eyelids drifted closed, taking in the soothing movements. Then they opened as she watched the man’s head bent in his intent to give her comfort.

“I have never had anyone give me a foot massage before. I would have if I had known how great it feels. You have magic in those hands. You might have found a new profession if you ever want one.”

The smile he shot her, along with a green gleam of warmth, only added to the pleasure level and kept her gaze trained on his.

“Well, you are my first client. But I think my services along these lines will remain very exclusive. Of course, feel free to tip if you are so inclined.”

Sammi Jo took that as more of a dare than anything. And she never backed down from a dare. Especially where this jade-eyed cowboy in the sexy black tux was concerned. He had taken her breath away the moment he walked into the suite earlier that evening, complete with the dressy black Stetson on his head and black boots. He had turned the heads of every woman in the gallery on their arrival. And now he was giving her a very exclusive foot massage. A tip?Most definitely.And she leaned over and found those lips ready to welcome hers.

The heat that erupted inside her shot from head to the foot that was firmly held in his powerful fingers, and then zinged through all her other body parts. The man could kiss. He could be an Olympic champion at it. And she was a very grateful girl. Sammi Jo laid her hands along the soft, lightly stubbled skin along both cheeks, holding him captive, as her mouth, with a most insistent tongue, knocked on the door that slowly opened to admit her into another slice of Heaven and added fireworks down in the deepest part of her core.

A warmth began an ascent, unimpeded by the long skirt, a burn that traveled from her foot, around the ankle, ever so slowly along the calf, a gentle kneading of muscle until the warm flesh hesitated, then softly circled one long finger over the skin of her inner thigh. She answered with a moan in the back of her throat and subtly shifted her hips to push her body closer to his exploration.

A giggle and then a deeper murmur of laughter seeped into her consciousness, just as his fingers stilled and withdrew the warmth of his hands, along with his lips. Reality crashed back into Sammi Jo’s realm. She dropped her hands from his face as his head straightened on his shoulders. But he kept possession of her foot.

A couple had come out on the patio through one of the doors at the end and interrupted Sammi Jo and Beaudry and whatever was very close to happening on that bench in the semi-darkness. Then retreated back inside. Sammi Jo felt the heat pool in her cheeks and hoped Beaudry couldn’t see. What she had done was not in her character. What must he think?

“That... I don’t act that way... I have no idea... maybe too much champagne or...” That long finger that had worked such magic only a few moments before was placed gently on her lips, silencing her words. Beaudry slowly shook his head, the fire banking in those gorgeous eyes but not the warmth that still shone from them.

“Sh, it wasn’t the champagne. You and I have discovered that there is definitely some heat to be found if we allow our feelings to take charge. But we also know that it can cloud the very important decisions we need to deal with first with clear heads. Hearts and other parts of our bodies can’t have a say in it. And I am trying my best to remember that advice each moment I spend in your company. I hope you’ll help me out with that as well.”

“Help you?”

“Try not to be so damn irresistible. Don’t wear makeup, comb your hair, or put on that sweet-smelling scent you wear a lot. Don’t bathe, maybe. And all that sounded really lame. So add ‘don’t get me tongue-tied and muddle-brained’ to the list. Think you can do that?”

“Sure,” she said, removing her foot, taking her shoe into her hand, and swiftly putting it back in its place. Then she stood, smoothing her skirts. Looking down at the cowboy who had clearly been thrown off by her sudden move and change in direction, she nodded. “I will simply go back to considering you to be a pain in the butt and something akin to a pesky fire ant to eradicate off Burkitt land as soon as possible. That sound about right?” She turned on her heel, trying not to laugh at the sheer look of shock on his good-looking face. Sammi Jo coulddoSammi Jo really good if she put her mind into it.

Careful what you ask for, cowboy.

*

“You called himthat? A fire ant? Is that the best analogy you could think of? And he took it?” Tallie refilled the coffee in Sammi Jo’s mug and plated another cinnamon roll, setting it in front of her before she took a seat across from her. “I realize that you spend the bulk of your time with bovine and horseflesh, so you might need to work on how you speak to a potential husband. Calling a guy who just took you to the edge of total passion as less than a fire ant is not the best of compliments in that moment.”

“I expected a bit more empathetic understanding from my best friend. This is where you should be supporting my judgment and making me feel better and not worse.” Sammi Jo attacked the roll with her fork, cutting off a bite and popping the gooey piece into her mouth.

“It’s because I tell it like it is when you screw up that makes us best friends, remember? I live vicariously through your one and only major romance prospect, and you are about to screw that up big time. And then what do I do?”

“Gee, I don’t know, maybe take the blinders off, and see that tall, uniformed hunk of male that needs you to pay attention to his covert glances every time he comes in here for tea or lemonade or coffee and all those lunches and afternoon pie breaks. Do you think he doesn’t kill himself every day of the week in the local gym just so he can a shed those extra pounds only to pack on more? Everyone sees it but you. So stop berating me for my lack of love life and get your own with a sexy lawman.”

Tallie shook her head. “Don’t change the subject. Just wise up before you mess up something really good and lose your ranch in the bargain. But Beaudry is right. The time is coming for a decision. Sounds like neither of you are sure of what the answer will be, or you are both just too scared to be the first to speak up. I hope you’re preparing for might happen if the answer is no.”

That was the sobering thought underneath the sleepless nights and her mind wandering during the day when it needed to focus on things like running a ranch. Thank Heavens she had Jaxson and old Tom and many others who were her backups and kept her from totally screwing things up during this crazy time.

But Tallie was right. What if things didn’t go as positively as she tried to think? Besides the money, why would Beaudry want to take the chance of having his daughter’s heart broken into pieces if—when—they did call it quits after the three years? Was his hesitancy because he was trying to find a way to soften the blow when he backed out?

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