Read Online Millionaire in a Stetson by Barbara Dunlop - Free Book Online Page B

straight.
    She blinked, and something shifted in the depths of her eyes. Her tone went husky. “What are you thinking?”
    His fingertips tightened convulsively at the small of her back, and the tips of her breasts seemed to tease his chest provocatively. He held her gaze. “You don’t want to be asking me that.”
    “I just did.”
    “I am fire, Nellie Cooper. And you are definitely playing with it.”
    Someone tapped Sawyer on the shoulder.
    It was John, and his tone was icy. “I believe the next dance is mine.”
    Sawyer’s hold automatically tightened on Niki. Any other time, any other place, he wouldn’t give her up. But he couldn’t do anything stupid right now. He couldn’t bring attention to himself. And he had to tread carefully where this relationship was concerned. He needed Niki’s trust, her confidence. He needed her to like him, but he needed to keep his distance, as well.
    “Sure,” he said to John, forcing himself to release her and step away.
    “Thank you,” he said to Niki, then he clenched his jaw and turned his back, pacing his way off the dance floor.
    * * *
    As Niki danced with John, she thought about Sawyer’s question. John was definitely an iced-tea-at-the-kitchen-table kind of guy. She couldn’t imagine a moonlight stroll with him. And she sure couldn’t imagine anything more.
    The reason she could so easily tell the difference, was that she could imagine all of those things with Sawyer. She could imagine anything and everything with Sawyer. Which was extremely dangerous. At the moment, she wasn’t in a position to embark on anything more than iced tea in the kitchen with any man in Colorado.
    At the end of her dance with John, Travis cut in.
    “Popular woman tonight,” he told her, leading her into a spin and then back into his arms.
    The music had grown livelier, and couples were having fun with the tunes.
    “I think there’s an uneven ratio of men to women,” she observed.
    “I thought it was the gold dress.” He swung her around in a circle.
    “You know Katrina took me for a makeover.”
    “I do.”
    “And,” Niki hesitated. “You know she, uh, well…”
    “My baby sister is as transparent as they come.” Travis smiled. “I’m guessing she woke up yesterday and realized we were both single.”
    “I tried to talk her out of it.”
    Travis twirled Niki out, then reeled her back. He really was a fun dancer, more skilled than John, less intense than Sawyer. She found herself enjoying the music more and more.
    “I’m sure you did,” he told her, wrapping his arm around her waist again. “And did she listen?”
    “Not even for a second.”
    “So, what do you say, Nellie. You want to give it a try between us?”
    Niki stumbled, her expression sobered.
    But Travis laughed, and she noted there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He drew her close, leaning down to her ear.
    “The way I see it, Nellie. If there was a spark between us, we’d have noticed before now. Katrina’s not-so-secret plan notwithstanding, I don’t need a sexy dress and a fancy hairdo to notice a woman. If I was the one, you’d have noticed me covered in manure. And, if you were the one, I’d have noticed you in sackcloth.”
    Niki drew back. “Do you truly believe that?”
    “I truly do.”
    For Niki, it was the first time Travis had differentiated himself from the general crowd of Terrell and Jacobs ranch workers and family members. She felt as though she was meeting him for the first time.
    “Do you think we could like each other enough to be friends?” she found herself asking.
    “I think we could like each other just fine. I already like you, Nellie. And, hey.” He drew back and gave her a slow once-over. “I could sleep with you at the drop of a hat.”
    She couldn’t help but grin at his audacity.
    “But I don’t see us living happily ever after.”
    “Neither do I,” she admitted.
    He smoothed back her hair. “And, I could be wrong, but I think two marriages