Page 38 of A Rancher's Bride
The only reason he didn’t stick his fingers in his ears was because he had frozen at the sight of the bra—and didn’t that prove he was nothing but a teenage boy, immobilized by a woman’s underwear?
“I guess.”
She lifted her eyes to meet his, and that vulnerable woman who’d been making comments about not being “feminine” was back. “Can I tell you a secret?”
He waited, wordlessly.
Kelli smoothed her knuckles over the soft fabric of the cup. Her attention drifted onto the material as she spoke softly. “I told my friends I’d never had anything fancy like this. I kind of thought women who wore stuff like this were crazy to waste the money. But you know what? I tried a set on the other day, and I think I’m hooked. It was so comfortable.”
This was not happening. He was not really standing there next to Kelli James listening to her talk about unmentionables as she stroked its satiny finish.
But it was happening. It was far too easy for his brain to do the next step which was picture the swells of her breasts behind that soft fabric. And the hands stroking the material were his, and the cursed part was he had a really good imagination.
The next part that killed him? If he wanted to, he could totally admire the real thing. Kelli would be more than willing to model if he asked.
She glanced back up, and that rush of protectiveness he’d felt standing in the ice garden flared again. She might be driving him wild, but she was doing it by taking a risk. There was worry in her eyes, and damn if he didn’t want to wipe away her fears.
But he was damned if he took what she was offering—
The long-time friendship between them won, forcing him to offer reassuring words. “There’s nothing wrong with liking pretty things.”
Her smile brightened the room, and something inside his gut flipped. They had so much history between them, and he really did care about her, but when it came right down to it, a new door had opened between them, and now it was time to decide whether to take a step through or not.
He still wasn’t certain what he would do when it came to her green-light challenge, but one thing he was certain of.
Wanting to see her wearing a happy expression like she’d just flashed could get addictive.
9
As Kelli changed into the most comfortable of her dress-casual outfits, she scolded herself.
She’d hesitated instead of simply stripping down and dressing in front of him. While she’d dilly-dallied, Luke had grabbed what he needed and retreated into the bathroom.
Chicken.
By the time Luke returned, she was ready as well. He must have stuck his head under the tap or something, because his hair was a shade darker with lingering wetness, and he finger combed it into place as he checked the mirror on the dresser hutch.
“You missed a spot.” Kelli crooked her finger to get him to draw closer.
To her shock he moved as ordered, and she stroked a hand around the back of his head, patting the errant strands that had been standing upright.
It was too tempting to resist. She did it a second time, playing with a curl at the base of his neck before withdrawing her hand.
Luke stared back as his breathing deepened slightly. His eyes—mesmerizing.
He stood abruptly and cleared his throat. “We should see if our hosts are ready to go mingle.”
Kelli nodded and trucked ahead of him back into the living room. It took a moment for her to find her balance. The view out the window was nearly as mesmerizing as his eyes. Nearly, but not quite.
Still, she found herself pacing across the room to the window to stare into the majestic wilderness.
The view was amazing. Old-growth pine trees reached nearly as tall as the fourth-floor windows where she stood. Snow balanced on their limbs from the afternoon storm creating a picture-perfect Christmas card with a faint dusting of green and silver where the feature lighting from the hotel shone through the fluffy layers.
Luke stepped beside her. “It’s a miracle every time I get to see nature in all her glory like this.”
“It’s even better because we don’t have to go search for missing cattle,” Kelli murmured. “Warm,hmm.”
“Trust me, I’m appreciating that as well.” With a laugh, he draped an arm around her shoulders in a “good ol’ boy’s” way.
