Page 16 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

After Delene left, their little corner of the terrace seemed too quiet. “You ready to head back in?” Eliasked.

“Actually, Zack had a point. It is getting late. Maybe we should say our goodbyes andheadout.”

Eli checked his watch. “It’s only a little aftereleven.”

“Eleven!” she said with a mock gasp and slapped a hand to her chest. “Why, I turn into a witch hag at midnight.Hurry.”

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. “You could never be a witch hag,” he said in that low, sexy tone that melted every bone inherbody.

She shivered again, not from the cold but from the fire that flared inside her. “I haven’t forgotten about your marriage. You can tell me the story later, but I can be assured you’re not married now,right?”

“Marti,” he said, his voice like rough gravel. “I wouldn’t do this if I was married.” He turned her in his arms and took her mouth in a rough, demanding kiss. He took a step forward and she took one backwards until she was pressed between the hard, cold concrete wall of the building and the hard, hot concrete wall of his chest. Good thing he held her tightly, otherwise, she was likely to slide down the wall to the floor. He moved his hands to her ass and jerked her up against his stiff cock. Without conscious thought, she jutted her pelvis against his. He pulled his mouth away with agroan.

“You have to give me a moment. I’d rather not point the way, if you get mydrift.”

She smiled. “Lucky women. We can hide ourarousal.”

“Sometimes,” he said. “Like right now? I can smellyours.”

She swallowed hard. “Youcan?”

“Oh yeah. Like the sweetest nectar. Andyoureyes.”

“What aboutmyeyes?”

“Honey, every emotion shows on your face. Your eyes are big and dilated. Your lips…Oh my God, your lips are swollen and red and—” He released her and took one step back. “That isn’thelping.”

She couldn’t help it. She grinned. She’d known most of the men in this part of Texas all her life. She liked them all just fine. But none of them affected her like this Yankee did, and she was mighty pleased that she wasn’t alone in this…whateverthiswas.

Chapter5

It tooka good twenty minutes to collect Marti’s purse and say all their goodbyes before they finally headed to Eli’s SUV. By the time they exited the hotel, a light rain had just begun to fall. They raced for the parking lot, laughing as Marti tried to run in her three-inch heels. As soon as her door closed, Marti slipped off her shoes with a sigh and leaned the passengerseatback.

“My puppies are howling,”shesaid.

“I do not understand how women can wear those high heel shoes. They look liketorture.”

“And they feel like torture too.” She leaned over the console between them. “I call them highhells.”

The front of her dress shifted and the neckline hung down, exposing the black lace of her bra. He bit back a groan and adjusted slightly in his seat. “For good reason. I can promise you a good foot rub later if thathelps.”

She leaned against the back of her seat with a low moan. “Are you kidding? Drivefaster.”

He pulled from the parking lot, his wipers swishing the rain drops away. He rested his arm on her seat back. “I had funtonight.”

“Me,too.”

“I usually avoid these things like the plague, but you made tonightbearable.”

Laughing, she said, “Bearable?” She slapped both hands to her chest. “Be still my racing heart. I don’t know if I can take many more compliments thisevening.”

He reached over and took her hand. “You know what I mean.” He kissed her palm. Her hand quivered in his fingers, which made him smile. Nice to know that she was as affected by him as he wasbyher.

“Eli,” she said. “Tell me aboutyourwife.”

The SUV kept traveling forward, but that was about all that moved. Eli froze, took a deep breath and then squeezed her hand before lettingitgo.

“My marriage. Well, long story short. I met Gina in eleventh grade. We went steady off and on through high school. Ended up going to different colleges. After the first semester apart, she transferred to Columbia where I was doing my undergrad work. We married in our sophomore year, way too young, let me add. My parents, who are saints, kept us both in college. Gina doubled up on classes and graduated in three years as a teacher. She worked while I was in medical school. On Match Day—do you know whatthatis?”

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