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“If I owned land here, I envision building a house and moving here.”
He smiled, liking the way her mind worked. They were headed in the right direction. Now, how in the world would he persuade her to take such a massive leap?
“And since we’re talking hypothetically,” she gave him a pointed look, “I’d have Midnight Star on my ranch. He needs to be ridden and often.”
Cord inwardly groaned. That horse wasn’t the only thing that needed to be ridden and often. He swallowed hard.
He drew his thoughts up short. He needed to focus. The only way to keep Lexi close would be to figure out a way she could still work for HSG while taking up residence here in Whistle Stop. But was that even possible?
Still, she was really taken with Midnight Star. “So you’re going to swap your business persona to become a horse thief. Looks like we’ll be taking that trip to the sheriff’s office after all.”
Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “If you’ll recall, I got out of it last time. I’m sure I’ll find another way out, should the need arise.”
He didn’t doubt with her easy way with words and those pouty lips that she’d be able to get out of any little scrape, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “The scorpion sting only works once. You’ll have to find another compelling reason to wave that sympathy card if you want me to fall for it again.”
Her chin jutted out. “Are you challenging me?”
He shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to pull up stakes and move to Whistle Stop to find out.”
“You know I hate to turn down a challenge. Be careful, or I just might, and then you’ll be minus a horse.”
Cord found himself wishing she was sincere, and it had nothing to do with saving Haggerty. He didn’t like the thought of her returning to New York and never getting to see her again. He enjoyed their time together a lot—a whole lot. As for giving up Midnight Star, it’d be worth it if he gained Lexi for a next-door neighbor—oh, what a beautiful neighbor.
“Could you hand me some water?” She wiped a palm over her forehead.
“Sure. As long as you’re willing to share the Choconut Bar.”
“I suppose if I have to.” She smiled, letting him know she was teasing him.
For a while, they shared the rock, the candy, and the water. The moment felt so right, even though he knew all of their talk was just that—talk. Frustration balled up in his gut. Lexi hadn’t changed her mind about the land. And neither had he.
“Look at that!” Lexi’s voice held a note of excitement.
He glanced her way to find her gazing up at the sky. With a hand shielding his eyes from the brilliant sunshine, he scanned the clear blue sky. And then he spotted the source of her excitement. Two brightly colored hot air balloons drifted lazily across the sky.
“I actually saw a balloon the other morning when I was out for a jog around town. I didn’t know I’d be lucky enough to see more.” She didn’t turn away from the sight of the two balloons. One was blue and white. The other had orange, red, yellow, and blue stripes. “Did you ever see anything so beautiful?”
Actually, he had seen something much more beautiful—her. But he kept that piece of information to himself. It’d do him no good at this point to show his growing feelings for her. “There are actually quite a few hot air balloons around here. In fact, every year in October a balloon fiesta is held in Albuquerque. It’s the biggest in the world. If you like balloons, you should definitely go. And make sure you don’t miss the morning glow as the balloons light up. It’s followed by the mass ascension of hundreds of balloons. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Just remember to take a jacket. Those early morning hours can be cold in the desert.”
“I just might do that.” She bestowed a smile on him before turning back to the balloons. “It doesn’t look like they’re going to drift any closer, so I guess this is the best picture I’m going to get.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and snap
ped some pictures. “Wait until I show my father these. He’s going to love them.”
“That’s not the only amazing sight out here. See how the rocks appear brown now? Well, come sundown, they’ll glow with a red hue—like jewels.” He got to his feet. “In the evening, it’s like having your very own private art gallery.”
“Stunning.” Her eyes never left his.
A flash of heat consumed him as she licked her dry lips. With no place to hide and no distractions, he couldn’t dodge the desire that overtook his common sense. Drawn to her like a restless stallion to a perky mare, he couldn’t turn away. Though this would only succeed in muddying his feelings further, he was willing to deal with the consequences. It’d be worth it to hold her and kiss her once more.
The differences between them slipped to the back of his mind. Before him sat a woman who’d given up everything to please her father. Maybe Cord just needed to remind her that there was more to life than work and duty.
His gaze shifted to her lush lips. His heart thumped, sending blood rushing to his extremities. Her blue eyes narrowed, and she licked her lips as though waiting for him to kiss her. He stepped toward her. She scooted forward on the rock. He stood between her legs. He gazed deep into her eyes, seeing the unmistakable flames of desire.
“I wish things were different.” Her voice was soft, drawing him closer. “I’d love it if you and I could start over.”
“Let’s start over right here and now.” His head dipped to hers. His lips brushed over hers, tentatively at first. He didn’t want to scare her away.
His fingers slid up the velvetiness of her neck. His thumb brushed over her warmed cheek. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever known, and he never wanted to let her go. He deepened the kiss, and she responded. Her tongue met his.
