Page 39 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

He scratched his chest and her mouthsalivated.

Lifting the covers, he scooted over. “It’s warm and toastyunderhere.”

“You’re not nice,” she said with alaugh.

“Hang around and I’ll makebreakfast.”

“Now, that’s just evil.” She took a step away and her toes landed on her panties. There they were. She shook her head. “Warm bed, sexy man and breakfast? That’s sort of like leading a kid into a candy store and saying, ‘Help yourself.’Notfair.”

“Who said Iplayfair?”

“Bad, bad man. I have to go.” She bent over and picked up her panties. She heard the rustle of sheets, and before she could straighten, Eli’s big hands grabbed her hips and pulled heragainsthim.

“Bending over like that? How did you expect me toignorethat?”

She straightened and leaned her back into his chest. “Has to be aquickie.”

“I can do aquickie.”

She looked over her shoulder into his deep, dark eyes. “Haven’t seeoneyet.”

An hour later, she was climbing her car, her panties in her pants pocket and still wearing his shirt. If only she knew how to sew, she could make a pillowcase from that shirt and have that wonderful scent lull her to sleep everynight.

Who was she kidding? She’d never go to sleep with that aroma fullingherroom.

By the time she drove down the drive to her house, the sun was well up and had been for a while. After a quick stop to change into work clothes, she headed down to the barn, already preparing her story for when Grisham asked why she wassolate.

Pedro had the entire weekend off and had gone to Kansas to see his family. Grisham had Sundays off, so she’d expected to find him in the barn. However, his truck was missing and the doors to the barn were closed. Not like Grisham to oversleep, but anything waspossible.

She moved the horses that stayed in the barn overnight out into the pasture. The last stall contained Princess and Duchess, who exited with regal tail flips and attitudes befitting theirnames.

Cleaning the stalls was nobody’s favorite job. She tackled the work all the while reliving last night. It had been everything, and more, than she’d dreamed. She had hoped, wished and even dressed in her sexy undies just in case, but she hadn’t really believed she’d end up in Eli’s bed. The man definitely knew his way around awoman’sbody.

The barn phone rang and she hurried to the office to grab it. “Flying Pig,” sheanswered.

“Good morning,Marti.”

“Eileen?”

Eileen Grisham rarely called but her Irish lilt never failed to make Marti smile. “Aye.It’sme.”

“I was getting worried about Grisham. Everything okay overthere?”

“Nay. The old fool fell off a ladder this morning. Broke a coupleofribs.”

“Oh no. Thathorrible.”

“We’re at the hospital now. Don’t know when he’llbeback.”

“I am so sorry, Eileen. Tell him everything is fine here. He just needs to get better. Pedro and I can handlethings.”

“Doctor’s here. I’ve gottorun.”

“Keep meinformed.”

Poor Grisham. She’d broken a couple of ribs when she’d been a crazy, take-a-dare teen. She’d climbed a tree and fallen. The pain with each breath had been excruciating. She’d basically had had to give the ribs time to heal but it’d been so frustrating that there was nothing but time astreatment.

She and Pedro would be fine. It was May and the cattle had plenty of fresh grass shoots to eat and most of the heifers had delivered. Other than maintaining fences and checking for any late deliveries, this was their slow time, which was exactly why her parents felt they could be away right now. If she told them about Grisham, they would certainly turn around and head home which was the last thing she wanted. They would just have to notfindout.

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