I crouched to refill her bowl with kibble, topped off the water, and scratched her chest until her sighs grew heavier. “Eat up, baby girl. I’ll be back before morning.”
She whined again, like she didn’t believe me. Maybe she was smarter than I gave her credit for.
I shoved the cork back into the half-empty bottle and tucked it under my arm. My coat slid over my shoulders, hiding the silk of the negligée I’d pulled on like armor. The fabric whispered against my skin, cool at first, then warming fast as the wine buzz spread through me.
Maybe this was crazy. Maybe he’d open the door and tell me to leave. Maybe he wouldn’t even answer. But the thought of lying awake in my empty bed, staring at the ceiling and replaying every second of our night together, was worse.
On impulse, I snagged the bottle ofSensuous Nudefrom the shelf above my dresser and gave myself a quick spritz. The warm, amber-sweet scent clung to me instantly, settling over me like a secret only I knew.
The night air wrapped around me, sharp and damp. As I walked to the car, my pulse raced ahead like it knew where I was headed.
Lucky Ranch.
Sawyer James.
Another reckless gamble.
By the time I pulled into the driveway at Sawyer’s place, deep night had settled in for good. The ranch house loomed against the sky, windows black, its white trim catching just enough moonlight to look ghostly.
My headlights swept across the wide porch before I killed the engine. Silence rushed in, broken only by the creek somewhere beyond the pasture and the steady tick of cooling metal under the hood.
For a second, I sat there, clutching the neck of the wine bottle, pulse skittering.
This is insane.
I could still turn the key and back out of the drive. No one would ever know. But then I caught the faint glow spilling through the slats of the stable door and knew he was somewhere in the vicinity.
I slid out, pulling my coat tighter, purse bumping against my hip. The negligée whispered against my skin beneath the coat. Heat curled low in my belly, welcome and unstoppable.
My boots clicked over the paved drive as I crept up the porch steps and tried the door. The latch gave beneath my hand.
Of course, it wasn’t locked. Sawyer protected everyone else in this town like a watchdog, but his own place?
Wide open.
I lingered in the entry, half expecting alarms to shriek, cameras to whir.
Nothing.
My shoulders sagged as I glanced around the great room. He really did live like the world couldn’t touch him.
Through the kitchen window, I glimpsed movement. Two riders emerged from the timber, silhouettes against the silver wash of moonlight. Even from this distance, I knew one of them. Straight back, sure hands on the reins—Sawyer.
Sawyer followed Bruce as they led their horses into the barn. The lights inside the stable flickering against the hard lines of Sawyer’s jaw. He hadn’t seen my car. Maybe he wouldn’t care if he did.
Either way, the chance was here. My heart pounded, half dread, half hunger. Maybe he’d send me packing. Perhaps he’d pull me close again. Either way, I’d deal with it.
I poured a quick glass from the bottle, took a sip—deep ruby—and then set both the glass and the bottle on the kitchen counter. My courage had already burned hot enough.
Upstairs, I found his room—the massive master suite. The bed was neatly made, the air carrying soap and cedar, unmistakably him. My coat slid to the floor as I eased off my boots and slid under the covers, silk cool against my skin.
I curled onto my side, breath catching, pulse wild. Foolish or not, I was here.
And all I could do now was wait.
Chapter Four
Uninvited Guest
