Page 45 of Pure Temptation in Cowboy Boots

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tess sat propped up against the pillows next to Mac, the tray balanced on another pillow across their laps while they sampled the snacks she’d prepared for the evening. Mac was eating with gusto, but Tess felt too happy and pleased with herself to be interested in food.

She looked at Mac for about the hundredth time, a grin on her face. “We did pretty good, huh?”

He lowered the peach he’d been about to bite into and gazed at her. A slow smile eased across his face, and he nodded. “Yep. You look damn proud of yourself, too.”

“I am.” She picked up a cluster of red grapes and plucked one off its stem with her teeth. “I’m proud of us. I think we were awesome. Better than I ever expected.”

After swallowing his bite of peach, he gestured around the room. “I don’t know. Looking at all this, I’d say you expected a lot.”

“The books say a man is a visual animal, so I was trying to make sure you’d be properly aroused.”

He laughed so hard he almost choked on his peach. “Overkill,” he gasped. “Major overkill.”

She lifted her chin. “I don’t know how you can say that, considering how well everything worked out. Maybe if I’d left the bedroom the way it was, and worn an old T-shirt and boxers, you wouldn’t have been able to get an erection.”

He stared at her. “Tess, I had an erection driving over here just knowing what we planned to do tonight.”

“Yeah?” She smiled. “So the phone thing worked?”

“I knew you did that on purpose!”

“Of course. Just like you sent the gloves on purpose.”

“And you put that double-meaning message on the answering machine. I stood there listening to it with my mom watching me the whole time, if you don’t think that was tough!”

“Well, I didn’t want you to lose interest!”

“Fat chance of that, twinkle-toes.”

“Seriously, Mac. According to what I’ve read, women are a lot better at sustaining lustful feelings in the absence of the lover than most guys. Guys are more the out-of-sight, out-of-mind type. I didn’t want you to lose interest.”

“For your information, there was no chance I’d lose interest. I didn’t need that phone conversation or the message on the answering machine and your cute little reference to ice in order to get excited.”

“Oh! I didn’t remember the ice! I was planning to give you a special treat with that ice trick. But I was so carried away that I... forgot.”

He gave her a long glance. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Her heart beat a little faster, remembering the glory of the moment when she’d felt completely united with him, as if their souls had fused. She’d lost all track of techniques and tricks in the wonder of loving Mac. “It is a compliment. I couldn’t think of anything but what was happening between us.” She held his gaze and heat invaded her secret places once again. “I guess we didn’t need the ice.”

“No. We didn’t need anything but each other.”

Even now, she could barely believe that he really and truly wanted her. “This is so new. Then you’re really turned on by me, the girl you’ve known forever?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Wow.”

“In fact, I’m getting in the mood again.”

And so was she, but she’d been hesitant to admit it. “I thought it took a while for men to recharge.”

“It does. It’s been a while.”

“Not that long. From what the experts say, a man would probably need some stimulation before he could manage another episode.”

Mac chuckled. “That reading may get you into trouble yet. Take my word for it, I could manage another episode. Maybe several. I wish I could stay here and make love to you all night, but I don’t know how we’d ever explain my truck being parked outside your house all that time.”