Page 81 of A Rancher's Love
She’d been there a week ago with her friends, yet as they headed into their corner, music welling around them, Ginny found herself tangling with a strange mix of apprehension and curiosity.
How would her friends deal with the change in relationship about to arrive?
Rose was the only one in their usual spot. She smiled as Ginny and Tucker reached her side.
“You made it,” Ginny said. “Thought you had a date with your sister.”
“Fern’s appointment got changed to yesterday, so we’re all good to go.” Rose’s gaze dropped, eyes widening for a split second as Tucker slid his arm around Ginny’s waist. Her gaze snapped up to Ginny’s, and a slow smile curled her lips, but she made a typical Rose report without commenting. “Tansy is on the dance floor, regretting her life decisions because she found somebody with three left feet. Kelli and Luke are dancing, and Fern is over there with the rest of her posse, making eyes at your youngest brother and his buddy.”
Ginny peered over to where Rose had pointed. “Fern knows Charity?
Rose all but rolled her eyes. “Fern knowseveryone, andeverything. At least according to Grandma Sonora. Grandma also thinks Fern needs to be careful with her dangerous source of knowledge, because at some point, it’s going to get her in trouble.”
“Fern doesn’t seem the type to go snooping where she shouldn’t,” Tucker said cautiously.
Rose waved a hand. “It’s not that. I think she’s openly sneaky. Walks right into the middle of a conversation and stands there, and for some reason, people keep talking. Add in that the girl doesn’t forget a thing, and she could pretty much have blackmail material on anyone in this town.”
Tucker turned to Ginny. “Want a drink?”
“A little later. First, let’s dance,” Ginny ordered. And it was an order, because she caught him by the hand, winked at Rose, then hauled him onto the dance floor.
Tucker’s confident arms wrapped around her. He whirled her in a rapid two-step full into the thick of things, his lips curled in the smallest of smirks. “I take it we’re going for full onblow their mindsrather than easing into it.”
Ginny grinned, trusting he’d keep them from barreling into anyone on the crowded dance floor. “My mom always said when you’re going to do a thing, do it up right.”
“Seems I’ve heard that sentiment a time or two from my uncle,” Tucker offered.
They danced. For the first couple of moments, Ginny was curious what kind of reaction they might be causing. But the truth was, the longer they danced and the longer she was in his arms, moving to the upbeat music; the longer Tucker looked down at her in that intensely focused manner that sent all her nerves tingling; the longer it all went on, the less Ginny cared to see anyone else’s reaction.
This was where she wanted to be. Period.
“Your brother just spotted us,” Tucker informed her quietly.
Ginny didn’t care. Or maybe she did, because she stroked her fingers along the back of his neck a little more intently. “If the next song’s a ballad, I dare you to kiss me.”
Another near smile. “You’re an evil woman, Ginny.”
“Yeah, but you like me anyway.”
An outright laugh escaped him, and he gave her an extra hard twirl, dipping her back over his arm and smiling down with his eyes set toSmolder, Level-Ten. “Challenge accepted.”
Definitely not the move she’d expected. She teased, he responded, but in this case, he flipped all her expectations out the window.
Tucker pulled her upright, firmly against his body. With the hand pressed to her lower back, he sealed their torsos together. The other hand he brought to the back of her neck, fingers tangled in her hair to tilt her face up so he could lean in and kiss her. A slow, hot, demanding kiss that made it clear this was the type of evening that ended in the bedroom.
Somewhere between their lips making contact and his tongue dipping between her lips…
Somewhere between him accepting her teasing challenge and taking absolute control…
Somewhere between the start and the finish of all that, Ginny’s brain simply fizzled out. When he finally pulled her upright, and the two of them stood in the middle of the dance floor while amused patrons danced around them, it happened.
Ginny Stone fell in love.
17
Once again, Tucker had gotten a prime example of how being involved with Ginny never went to plan.
The next song was thankfully slower. Tucker kept Ginny in his arms, swaying together. It gave everyone plenty of time to gawk and talk, ripples spreading visibly around the room.
