fork
again, but didn’t take a bite. Finally, she sighed. She couldn’t resist asking
him, “So what did you tell them?”
He leaned forward and the heated gleam in his eyes made her
want to lean back, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “Worried?”
When Leah just glared at him he laughed. “I told Conner you were smart…sexy,” he
reached out and traced the line of her arm from her elbow to her wrist, “and
sophisticated.” Turning her wrist, he lifted it and placed a soft kiss to the
inside as she held her breath.
Leah blew out the breath she’d been holding. “I thought we
were going to stay friends,” she said, her voice squeaking at the end. Closing
her eyes, she tried to withdraw her hand from his, but he wasn’t letting go.
“I never promised that friends were all we’d be.” Feathering
another kiss on her palm, he began to move up her arm with hot, open-mouthed
kisses. Her heart hammered in her chest and a rush of moisture dampened her
panties. Why couldn’t she steel herself against this man? Her eyes flew open as
Brady straightened in his seat.
Following his gaze, she turned and saw a tall, lean, tanned
cowboy with jet-black hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate saunter toward
them, a smiling woman loping along beside him. The man plopped down next to
Brady, giving him a friendly shove. “Move over. I’m not here to see you. I
wanna see the pretty little lady here.” The woman, who Leah assumed was
Jessica, snorted and slid in next to Leah. He gave her an indulgent smile before
turning back to Leah and sticking out his hand. “Hi, I’m Conner Raub, the
good-looking bull rider.”
Leah couldn’t help but laugh. She shook Conner’s hand.
“Leah, the figure skater who Brady swears he told you wasn’t as frigid as my
nickname implies.”
Conner slid a gaze to Brady and then back to her, kicking up
one corner of his mouth. “Oh, he sure didn’t describe you as frigid, I assure
you, ma’am.”
“Uh-huh…”
“And this here’s Jessica, my fiancée,” Conner said as he
stretched out his long legs to the side of the booth.
“Hi, Jessica, it’s so nice to meet both of you. Brady talks
of you highly.”
Jessica barked out a laugh. “I bet.”
“So what’s for lunch? I’m starving. You buying, Mr. Rodeo
King?” Conner asked with what could most accurately be described as an
up-to-no-good grin.
Before Brady could answer, Leah slid her plate toward
Conner. “Have the rest of mine. I’m sure you’ll want more than what’s left but
at least it’s something.”
Conner looked horrified. “That’s all you’re eating? You need
your strength, girl!”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t try to convince her to eat more,” Brady advised. “She
eats exactly what she wants, when she wants. Arguing with her is a waste of
time.”
“Arguing with any woman is a waste of time,” Jessica
retorted. In that moment Leah decided she was going to get along just fine with
Jessica.
Leah nodded. “That’s right. It is pointless to argue with
us. Anyway, I really do need to be getting back to the hotel. You guys have a
good time this afternoon catching up.” Rising, she pulled a couple of bills out
of her wallet. “This should cover lunch.”
“You’re making her pay?” Conner asked Brady.
“We made a deal, so shut the hell up.”
Laughing, Leah left. The faster she got away from Brady, the
faster she could regain her equilibrium. With all that testosterone focused
exclusively on her, she wasn’t sure how long she would’ve lasted without
jumping him. Instead, she poured her energy into a long, hard workout, which
Brady mercifully left her alone to do, then grabbed some takeout, went back to
the hotel, called James, and curled up with a movie.
Chapter Five
Brady debated what to wear to the sponsor shindig for far
longer than any man should ever take to decide on clothes, finally settling on
a pair of black jeans and a black button-down shirt with his
again, but didn’t take a bite. Finally, she sighed. She couldn’t resist asking
him, “So what did you tell them?”
He leaned forward and the heated gleam in his eyes made her
want to lean back, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “Worried?”
When Leah just glared at him he laughed. “I told Conner you were smart…sexy,” he
reached out and traced the line of her arm from her elbow to her wrist, “and
sophisticated.” Turning her wrist, he lifted it and placed a soft kiss to the
inside as she held her breath.
Leah blew out the breath she’d been holding. “I thought we
were going to stay friends,” she said, her voice squeaking at the end. Closing
her eyes, she tried to withdraw her hand from his, but he wasn’t letting go.
“I never promised that friends were all we’d be.” Feathering
another kiss on her palm, he began to move up her arm with hot, open-mouthed
kisses. Her heart hammered in her chest and a rush of moisture dampened her
panties. Why couldn’t she steel herself against this man? Her eyes flew open as
Brady straightened in his seat.
Following his gaze, she turned and saw a tall, lean, tanned
cowboy with jet-black hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate saunter toward
them, a smiling woman loping along beside him. The man plopped down next to
Brady, giving him a friendly shove. “Move over. I’m not here to see you. I
wanna see the pretty little lady here.” The woman, who Leah assumed was
Jessica, snorted and slid in next to Leah. He gave her an indulgent smile before
turning back to Leah and sticking out his hand. “Hi, I’m Conner Raub, the
good-looking bull rider.”
Leah couldn’t help but laugh. She shook Conner’s hand.
“Leah, the figure skater who Brady swears he told you wasn’t as frigid as my
nickname implies.”
Conner slid a gaze to Brady and then back to her, kicking up
one corner of his mouth. “Oh, he sure didn’t describe you as frigid, I assure
you, ma’am.”
“Uh-huh…”
“And this here’s Jessica, my fiancée,” Conner said as he
stretched out his long legs to the side of the booth.
“Hi, Jessica, it’s so nice to meet both of you. Brady talks
of you highly.”
Jessica barked out a laugh. “I bet.”
“So what’s for lunch? I’m starving. You buying, Mr. Rodeo
King?” Conner asked with what could most accurately be described as an
up-to-no-good grin.
Before Brady could answer, Leah slid her plate toward
Conner. “Have the rest of mine. I’m sure you’ll want more than what’s left but
at least it’s something.”
Conner looked horrified. “That’s all you’re eating? You need
your strength, girl!”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t try to convince her to eat more,” Brady advised. “She
eats exactly what she wants, when she wants. Arguing with her is a waste of
time.”
“Arguing with any woman is a waste of time,” Jessica
retorted. In that moment Leah decided she was going to get along just fine with
Jessica.
Leah nodded. “That’s right. It is pointless to argue with
us. Anyway, I really do need to be getting back to the hotel. You guys have a
good time this afternoon catching up.” Rising, she pulled a couple of bills out
of her wallet. “This should cover lunch.”
“You’re making her pay?” Conner asked Brady.
“We made a deal, so shut the hell up.”
Laughing, Leah left. The faster she got away from Brady, the
faster she could regain her equilibrium. With all that testosterone focused
exclusively on her, she wasn’t sure how long she would’ve lasted without
jumping him. Instead, she poured her energy into a long, hard workout, which
Brady mercifully left her alone to do, then grabbed some takeout, went back to
the hotel, called James, and curled up with a movie.
Chapter Five
Brady debated what to wear to the sponsor shindig for far
longer than any man should ever take to decide on clothes, finally settling on
a pair of black jeans and a black button-down shirt with his
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