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“You startled me!”
Reaching for the bottle of wine, Rex smiled easily. “I try to do what I can to keep a woman on her toes.”
“Hmm,” she said. “I thought the McDavid brothers did everything they could to keep a woman on her back.”
“Come on, Lucy. Let’s move past this. What’d you say we pick up where we left off when things were good between us?”
Lucy shook her head, taking in the man before her. Dear God, when had Rex McDavid turned into a walking billboard for country sex? Dressed in a fitted white shirt, white-washed denim jeans, and snakeskin boots, Rex was something else all right.
His eyes followed hers as her gaze settled on the window where everything went to hell and betrayal—along with life lessons—unfolded. “I’m not the same man, Lucy.”
“Mrs. Carpenter invited me for dinner. I brought her a photo album,” she rambled, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I thought she’d like to have some of these pictures of you and Luke. There are dozens, all laminated and dated. I don’t know why I kept so many, but here they are.”
The reason she owned such an assortment of glossies and black-and-white images was pretty clear. She’d grown up with the McDavids, and from the moment she noticed they were boys and she was a stupid girl—something Luke used to call her—she’d been obsessed.
?
?You look beautiful,” Rex remarked, taking a step toward her and apparently uninterested in scrapbooks and bottled alcohol. “I’d forgotten how sexy you are.”
His voice was low, his eyes hooded, and his steps were deliberate as he inched closer, taking a cowboy’s sweet time. Oh yes, Rex McDavid’s notions were clear.
He planned to claim her. He wanted to seduce her. There wasn’t a question in Lucy’s mind. Rex McDavid had every intention of possessing her.
She wasn’t going to stop him. In fact, she might even encourage him.
* * * *
Rex couldn’t imagine what Lucy must’ve been thinking when she dressed for dinner. Wearing a short white skirt and silky red tank, she looked like a seductress dressed deliberately for a hot summer night. Her black hair swept across shapely shoulders, and those enormous chocolate eyes followed him with quiet acceptance. High cheekbones and full lips made her appear just as sweet and tempting as he’d remembered.
“Mrs. Carpenter cooked enough food for a large reunion. Luke and I thought maybe you’d gotten married and had a few dozen kids.”
“Hmm,” she whispered. “I’ve never met a man interesting enough to tie me down.”
“You’ve met a couple that could tie you up,” Rex reminded her, thinking that’s probably what Lucy needed right now anyway. He wondered if she’d smack him if he told her so.
“That was a long time ago, Rex.”
“It was yesterday to me.”
“Not for me,” she stated flatly, walking ahead of him.
Her hips caught his attention, and he looked, but he didn’t gawk, at least not at her ass. He was more interested in following those long, tan legs. Noting shapely calves, before he thought, he asked, “Have you been working out with a trainer or something?”
“I run,” she replied, adding quickly, “I’m surprised you don’t remember. You never could catch me.” A moment later she added, “And yes, I work out. Staying in the gym helps pass the time.”
“Whenever you ran from me, I caught you,” Rex reminded her, a guttural edge in his tone. “Do I need to refresh your memory?”
Lucy stopped short of the front door. She faced him and said, “Actually, no. I prefer to live forward. Besides Rex, I’ve always been a firm believer in out of sight, out of mind. It’s the easiest way to overcome all addictions—candy, chips, ice cream, McDonald’s, and McDavids. Let me put this in terms you can understand.
“I’ve had my share of temptations and bad habits. I’ve found the best way to get along in life is by rotating stock. You know, replace the old with something—someone—new. You of all people should understand how that works. I find it keeps things fresh and interesting, particularly where it counts.”
Rex felt like someone laid a crop to his balls. He grabbed her before he thought about consequences. Lowering his mouth to hers, he hissed, “Kiss me. If you’re so sure I was easily forgotten, kiss me. I dare ya.”
Lucy tossed her head back. Coal black curls bounced across her trembling arms. Tilting her chin toward his, she said, “I’m tired of challenges, Rex.”
“That’s good to hear, because I’m a sure thing, baby. I’ve waited a long time for you to bring your sweet ass home. I’m not about to fuck this up a second time around.”
Chapter Four
