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As she slid into her jeans she wondered if she was overthinking the situation. All they’d had was last night. But what if he wanted more? Was he pretending he didn’t want more to throw her off kilter? She pushed such a thought from her mind. Jaxon said he was a man who didn’t play games with a woman and there was no reason to assume he was doing so now.
Exactly on the hour there was a knock on her door. Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she quickly moved down the stairs to open it. Nadia was glad the weather was cool so it wouldn’t look odd for her to be wearing a scarf. The last thing she needed was for anyone to see all those passion marks on her neck. It was bad enough Rissa had seen them.
She glanced through the peephole. It was Jaxon all right and like her, he was wearing jeans and a Western shirt with the top three buttons undone.
Was that on purpose since she’d told him she had a fetish for chest hair? If so, it was working. She could recall last night when she had dragged her fingers through it, buried her face in it. Her thighs quivered at the memories. And as if he knew she was watching him, he smiled. Dang. That smile would be the death of her.
Drawing in a deep breath, she opened the door without asking who it was. No point since he’d known she’d been watching him. “Jaxon, I’m ready and you look nice,” she said, grabbing her purse and jacket without inviting him inside.
“So do you and I like your scarf,” he replied as he waited for her to lock the door behind her.
“Thanks.” Although she thanked him there was no doubt in her mind that he knew why she was wearing one.
They walked side by side down the steps to his parked car. Forever being a gentleman, he opened the door for her. “Thank you, Jaxon.”
He smiled down at her. “You’re welcome, Nadia.”
She frowned when he closed the door to walk around to his side of the car. Why were they acting so formal with each other? This was the same man who had undressed her last night. The same man she had undressed. The man she’d given her virginity to, and who in the span of fourteen hours had taught her more positions for lovemaking than she’d thought were possible. He had packed a lot into those hours and she had no complaints.
When he got in the car, before starting the engine, he glanced over at her with concern on his features. “Still sore?”
She was about to tell him he was asking her something too personal but then pulled back. Hadn’t she just thought they were acting formal with each other? For that reason, she decided to answer. “I’m fine, Jaxon. What about you? Are you sore?” She figured that question would shut him up. They were now discussing her inexperience versus his experience.
“Yes, in fact. I tried some positions with you I’ve never done with other women.”
Yeah, right. “You could have fooled me. You seemed good at everything you were doing.”
“Only because it was you.”
She rolled her eyes. Did he honestly expect her to believe that? Deciding to change the subject, she said, “If the invitation is still open, I’ll have lunch with you.”
“Okay,” he said, starting the car and driving it out of the yard.
Nadia didn’t think he sounded all that enthused about it. “If you’d rather I didn’t, then...”
“The invitation is still open, Nadia, and I would love for you to join me for lunch. However, I’ve made after-lunch plans.”
“Oh.”
“I’m going horseback riding.”
“Horseback riding?”
“Yes. I understand the Ellerey Ranch arranges activities like that.”
“They do, and they have some beautiful horses,” she said.
“That’s what I heard and you’re welcome to join me if you like. You did say you can ride a horse, right?”
Did he not believe her? “Yes, and I recall saying I was pretty good at it.”
“If you say so.”
“And that’s what I meant,” was her retort.
Nadia wished he hadn’t mentioned he was going to the Ellerey’s ranch. Immediately, thoughts of Clementine Ellerey, the granddaughter of old man Ellerey, flashed in her mind. Twice divorced at thirty, the woman was known to be a man-eater. It didn’t help matters that a lot of men around these parts thought she was absolutely gorgeous. Well, maybe she was. But that was no reason to deliberately sleep with someone’s boyfriend or husband just because she could, if rumors could be believed. Clementine had a reputation around town and not a good one. More than likely, she would be at the ranch, especially if she got wind that Jaxon was coming. Well, Nadia had news for Clementine. Not on her watch.
Nadia turned around in her seat to face Jaxon as he came to the gate that led off the Novak Homestead. “I’d love to join you, and I can’t wait to show you how well I can ride.”
