Page 52 of Pure Temptation in Cowboy Boots

Her turn came to order, and she got a butterscotch-dipped cone for herself and a chocolate-dipped one for Kimberly.

“That’s all?” Mac said as she stepped aside so he could order. “No triple banana split or Earthquake for either of you?”

“I like chocolate-dipped the best. I always get that,” Kimberly said with authority.

“Tess? You’re going to let me get away with just a butterscotch cone?”

“Yep.” She set Kimberly down and handed her the chocolate cone before taking the freshly dipped butterscotch one from the counter clerk, a young woman named Evie Jenkins. “Thanks, Evie.”

As Kimberly walked over to the table where the rest of the group had gathered, Tess turned back to Mac, who looked more tempting than any ice-cream cone. She realized that her sisters-in-law were engrossed in eating their ice cream and keeping their children from becoming sticky disaster areas. They wouldn’t pay any attention to her and Mac, especially considering they were used to seeing the two of them tease and joke with each other.

A devil took temporary possession of her, and she gave Mac a sultry glance. “As much as I’d like to take advantage of you, this is my all-time favorite.” Then she swirled her tongue around the top of the cone.

Mac stared at her.

“Then if you nip off the top—” she bit through the butterscotch coating “—you can suck the ice cream right out.” As she demonstrated her technique, she glanced up at Mac.

He continued to stare at her while gripping the counter so hard his knuckles showed white against his tan.

“Mr. MacDougal? Are you ready to order?” Evie asked.

Mac didn’t take his gaze from Tess. “Uh, yeah.” His voice was gravelly. “I’ll have... what she’s having.”

“Coming up.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing that,” he murmured to Tess.

“Eating ice cream?” She smiled innocently. ‘That’s what everyone does at the Creamy Cone.”

“Not like that.”

“Exactly like that. I’ve eaten one of these like this a million times.”

“But not after we’ve just...”

She took a quick inventory of the area below his belt and was gratified with the slight bulge there. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about.”

“Oh yes you can,” he said in a low voice. “Imagination is your long suit. You love to torture me, don’t you?”

“What’s good for the gander is good for the goose. You were playing games with me as we walked in here, while you were pretending to fool with Kimberly.”

“That was only⁠—”

“Mr. MacDougal? Here’s your cone. Oh, and the other ladies said you were paying for everyone."

"That's right.” It seemed to take great effort for him to turn away from Tess and focus on the task of paying the bill.

Tess moved a little closer. “I’ll see you over at the table,” she said softly. “And thanks for the dipped cone.”

He slipped his wallet back in his pocket. “If I’d known what you were going to do with it, I never would have agreed to buy you one,” he muttered without turning around.

“Fair is fair.” Feeling much better than she had when she’d been mired in thoughts of his eventual marriage, Tess walked over to join the others.

Chapter Thirty

Mac played abysmal poker the following night, and the Blakely brothers finally figured out that a woman must be distracting him. Although they teased him about being lovesick and pestered him for the name of his latest conquest, he managed to outmaneuver their questions. By the end of the evening no one was the wiser.

His latest conquest. He chuckled at the irony of that as he stuffed a blanket and two beach towels in his saddlebags Thursday night in preparation for his ride with Tess. Tess had conquered him, more like it. He was afraid to put a name to what he was feeling in relationship to Tess, but he craved her nearly every waking minute, and that wasn’t a good sign. He’d thought tonight would never get here.