Page 66 of A Rancher's Bride
Luke chuckled, lifting far enough to press a kiss to the back of her neck before rolling away and disengaging. “You look thoroughly debauched for a debutante.”
She was too boneless to move. “If that’s a job perk, I might have to look into future opportunities more thoroughly.”
He trailed his fingers up her thigh, teasing her wet sex. “I’m willing to practice my debauching,” he told her. “Just to make sure you have the right skill set. But I’m pretty sure you’ll be a superstar no matter what you do.”
She forced herself away from his enticing fingers. Rolling on her side she pulled her legs under her. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared, seemingly uncaring that he was completely dressed except for his cock hanging out the open zipper of his dress pants.
And as impressive as that part of him was, his cock was no longer what she was looking at anyway. It was his face—hiseyesand the contented expression there. Those were things she wanted to memorize. Those were the things she would to miss.
He caught her fingers in his and lifted them to his mouth. “Shower with me?”
Another thing Cinderella would have never turned down. “Start the water, I’ll be there in a minute.”
He leaned over the bed and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, standing and walking away, his perfect ass shifting under his trousers.
Kelli lay in the moonlight, her heart pounding, while euphoria still blazed through her system. In the midst of that perfection, she searched for the next path she needed to follow. The one that would allow her to retreat, to find safety and a solid place to stand.
The magic had lasted longer than one night, but it was beginning to fade. Soon enough it would be back to Silver Stone and the ordinary, everyday magic they made there.
And Kelli was fine with that. Really, she was. She was glad she’d got to experience for a brief while something far beyond the dreams of a runaway.
She stood and peered at her reflection one last time. A princess? A debutante? The woman before her lifted a hand to her tumbled hair and smiled softly. As Kelli slipped out of the borrowed dress, she said goodbye to the borrowed persona in the mirror.
It was okay. Kelli James, head ranch hand at Silver Stone, was an all-right woman, with a kick-ass set of skills and a whole lot of friends.
The only thing she wouldn’t have was Luke Stone.
Not after tonight.
* * *
The breakfast roomwas full of people. Some hurrying in to grab a final cup of coffee before rushing to the airport. Some moving slower—those who hadn’t as much distance to travel, or later flights.
Everyone took an opportunity to say farewell and double-check contact information.
Jack slapped his hand on Luke’s shoulder a couple times before squeezing tightly, his bright smile one hundred percent sincere. “You’ll hear from me before too long,” the man promised, “but I’m pretty sure the girls will be the ones to tell us when and where we’ll meet next.”
Luke caught him by the hand and gave it an extra squeeze. “Appreciate that, man. And thanks for the shared suite, and for taking such good care of Kelli. Both you and Diane.”
“Hey, she’s easy to be around. As are you.” Jack motioned with his head. “Diane, honey. We need to move.”
Diane gave Kelli a big hug then shook her finger in Kelli’s face.
Kelli smiled, but she looked a little sad. She was once again clad head to toe in denim, her braids back in place, boots on her feet.
He was so busy staring he nearly fell over when Diane wrapped her arms around him and gave him an enthusiastic hug.
“We’ll be in touch,” she promised. Then she lowered her voice. “My girl’s got something on her mind, but she won’t tell me what. Take care of her, okay?”
“That was the plan,” he promised.
There was a rush, and then the foyer quieted. He turned to Kelli, who had just finished saying goodbye to Mrs. Petrie, and now stood before the massive fireplace in the waiting area, staring into the flames.
Luke tugged on one of Kelli’s braids to get her attention. “We should hit the road too,” he told her. “It’s clear now, but you never know when that pressure system is going to move in.”
Kelli nodded. “I’m ready.”
She climbed into a cab, dropping into the passenger seat and putting her travel bag on the seat between them. When she hauled out some paperwork and began going through it, he chuckled then left her to it.
