Page 37 of Falling for the Maverick

Lucas slowly shook his head, then smiled. “No harm done,” he said. He wanted to tell the nosy young woman that she’d overstepped, but after all, being overheard was part of their deception.

“How often does this happen to you?” Michelle whispered quietly so only he could hear.

“What?”

“Women flirting with you even when you’re with another woman?”

Lucas wondered if Michelle was annoyed because of the woman’s rudeness or jealous. “Not often,” he admitted. It was only half true. He’d had women flirt with him, not knowing he preferred to do the pursuing rather than the reverse. Some men liked aggressive women while he tended to avoid them at all costs.

Tiring of playing a game, Lucas removed his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket and sent Michelle a text: Will I see you later for a nice intimate dinner?

Her cell chimed, and she picked up her phone and read the message. Smiling, she nodded.

He sent her another text: I’ll pick you up at six and bring you back home. Her parents were out of town, making it easier for him to come to her home without having eyes on them.

Michelle nodded again.

“Maybe you can show me around town on one of your days off,” he said out loud so anyone nearby could hear.

“I’ll give you my number. Call me, and I’ll let you know when I have free time,” she told Lucas, handing him her phone.

He pantomimed putting his number in her phone, then handed it back to her.

Michelle glanced at her watch. “My lunch break is almost over, so I’ve got to get back to Little Cowpokes. It’s been nice talking to you.” She picked up her crossbody bag to take out her wallet, then hesitated when Lucas caught her hand and shook his head. She mouthed a thank-you, then gathered her purse and jacket and walked out of the restaurant.

Lucas had to remind himself that he wasn’t in Bronco where a person could be afforded a modicum of anonymity. Apparently that wasn’t possible in Tenacity. And he was willing to bet the news that Michelle Corey agreed to show a newcomer around town would be hot gossip by the end of the workday.

He’d begun to count down the days until he and Michelle could go public with their relationship. Not only was he too old, but he was tired of playing pretend.

Was he falling for Michelle? The thought scared him. He’d gone through life planning what he wanted to do and achieve. Eventually he figured he’d marry and have a family… That was one of the reasons he’d been working so hard to establish the ranch. However, things with Michelle were happening too fast.

He wanted them to go public with their relationship, then take time to really get to know each other before planning a future together. She was still young. No doubt she also wouldn’t want to rush headlong into something before they were ready for a final commitment.

But their families wouldn’t be so patient. Lucas knew he had a reputation for being commitment-shy—a reputation he admitted was well deserved—and their families would want proof he’d overcome that, and quickly. Especially Aaron.

Lucas wasn’t sure he wanted to be on the express train to matrimony at this point in his life. But was it already too late to get off?

Chapter Nine

Michelle was waiting when Lucas drove up in a black low-slung sports car. The main house was located several miles from her brothers’ cabins, and with their parents out of town, Aaron and Tristan wouldn’t be stopping by.

He got out, opened the passenger door, and she got in. “Nice car,” she said when he slipped in behind the wheel.

Lucas rested his hand on her left knee. “Thanks.”

“It still has a new car smell.”

He shifted into gear, and the car took off like a shot, going from zero to sixty in seconds. “It’s not quite two years old. I drove it a lot when I lived in Bronco, but around here it’s pickups and four-wheel-drive vehicles.”

She watched his right hand as he expertly shifted gears, smiling. “Do you like driving a standard shift car?”

“Yes. I have more control over the vehicle.”

Michelle looked out the passenger window. She didn’t want Lucas to see her lusting after him. She’d already noticed every detail about him, including the scent of his body wash, freshly laundered clothing and the distinctive fragrance of his cologne. He’d exchanged the jeans and flannel shirt he’d worn earlier for a pair of tailored slacks and a crisp white snap-buttoned shirt. He’d traded his dusty boots for a polished pair.

“Are we going somewhere before we go to your house?”

“Maybe.”