Page 38 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

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It was three hours before he stood at her back door again. “I’ll pick you up at seven and tonight you’re staying at my house.”

All she wore was a blue bath towel, which she pulled tight around her as she nodded.

“You look too good to leave,” he said.

“You go. You’re taking my whole day and I have to go to my office. Goodbye.”

He wiped his brow and took one more long look at her. “If you drop that towel, I won’t be able to leave.”

“I’m not dropping it and you go now. The door will lock behind you.” She turned and left, stepping out of sight through a door into her kitchen.

He left and went to his car to drive to his house. He wanted her constantly. He expected that to wear off as it always did, but right now, he couldn’t stop thinking about her and wanting to be with her.

At his house he fished out the fake ring she had given him and turned it in his hand. It was a beautiful ring and at a glance looked impressive and real. Yesterday he had phoned his florist and ordered flowers sent to her office so the flowers would be there when she arrived today. If Justin dropped into her office, he would see the flowers and probably find out who had sent them.

Gabe wanted to surprise her about tonight and had made reservations at an elegant steak house. On short notice he’d needed to call in some favors to get a reservation. The place had great steaks, the perfect ambience and there would be people they knew who would see them together—the essential requirement for Meg to consider the evening a success. He smiled and placed the ring back in the velvet box.

Soon Meg would be gone out of his life. He wasn’t ready for that yet and hoped he could talk her into continuing to date for a while longer.

He suspected she would not. She was afraid of falling in love with the wrong guy and he assumed the minute this engagement was over, she would disappear out of his life.

If she did, he would have to live with that. Sooner or later he knew they would say goodbye, but he’d rather keep her around longer. She was incredible in bed—instantly responsive and eager, filled with energy, wanting him and trying to please him as much as he pleased her.

He left to go to his office, the tall building he shared with Cade in their commercial real estate business, but on the way he made a stop to get a present for her for the evening.

For the rest of the day he had the hardest time concentrating on work. All he could think about was Meg. He couldn’t wait to get her to dinner, give her the ring and then get her back to the privacy of his house, where he wanted to make love to her all night long. Their time together was limited and he intended to make the most of it before they said goodbye.

At the end of the month or whenever they parted, would it bother him to tell her goodbye? It never had with anyone else, so maybe it wouldn’t with Meg. Besides, she had a way of bouncing back into his life.

He put away his papers, closed up and left his office. While he couldn’t wait to see her, this fake engagement was playing hell with his life. But it had given him Meg in his bed and that was definitely worth all the trouble she had caused him. How much more delight and trouble would tonight bring?

Nine

Meg heard her doorbell and rushed through her small house. She glanced in the mirror at herself again, looking at a red dress with a full skirt that came to her knees. Her sleeveless top had a vee neckline. She wore high-heeled red sandals and her hair fell loosely on either side of her face. Tonight she would get engaged to marry Gabe. The thought took her breath away even though she was totally aware it was a fake. After tonight she and Gabe would be bound together in the eyes of her family and the town. She wavered between excitement, even though it was fake, and worry that it would draw her closer to him, closer to falling in love if she wasn’t already doing that. They were not suited for each other and neither one could change their lifestyle. She couldn’t suddenly start flying and loving it, riding on his Harley—what a thought. She would be terrified. Gabe complicated her life in one way, but he had brought her freedom in another and he was a great guy. Whatever their future, tonight excited her and she couldn’t wait.

She opened the door and drew a deep breath as she looked up at Gabe in his broad-brimmed black hat, his navy Western suit and tailor-made white shirt. He looked so handsome, she wanted to pull him inside, close the door, step into his arms and make love all night long.

Instead, she had to stick to the program they had agreed on for the evening. She smiled at him. “Hi, my handsome, irresistible cowboy,” she said in a sultry voice.

“Oh, damn. I’m taking you to dinner when all I want to do is take you to bed.”

Should she tell him she had the same thought? Should she tell him she wanted the same thing? His eyes were practically singeing her skin as they raked her over from head to toe.

His voice turned huskier when he said, “You know, darlin’, we can skip dinner—”

She interrupted before he went any further. “No, we can’t. We’re going to stick to the script for tonight. We go out to eat where we can be seen and you propose. I accept and we have a fake engagement. We go see my parents and show them the ring. I call Justin and then we’re free to do whatever you want, my strong cowboy.”

“I’m not sure I can wait that long.”

She laughed. “Yes, you can. Let’s go get this show on the road. This is the night doors fly open and I walk out of Justin’s life forever. We’re both better off.”

“I have to agree with that one. I’d hate to have to bribe someone to marry me.” He pulled out his phone. “Stand still. I want one picture of you looking so beautiful, and then one with me.” He took them quickly and put away his phone. “I’ll pull those out on cold, empty nights and remember what fun I had with you.”

“Oh, right. Like you have so many empty nights.” She smiled at him, then locked up and started toward the car.

He took her arm and wrapped it around his. “Darlin’, I’ll be counting the minutes until I can get you in my arms and out of that gorgeous red dress.”

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