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“I bought it because I wanted you to have it. It’s something to remember our time together by.”
“It’s too much,” she said. “And I’ll never forget our time together. It’s been way more than I ever expected.”
“Me too,” he said. “Please, I want you to have it.”
Reaching up she pulled his face to hers and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. Oh, how he wanted so much more than that simple touch. And he wanted those kisses not to be fake but real. Real with meaning and feelings behind them.
“Thank you,” she said, “but you’ve already given me so much. My law practice is going because of you and the new client I received this week.”
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He started the engine and they were on their way. It took them less than an hour to reach Fort Worth with little traffic. When a winter storm was predicted, most people stayed home.
He pulled up in front of the hotel where the event was taking place and valet parked. Handing a young man the keys, he got out of the truck.
Then he walked around and helped Madison alight from the truck. She left her coat in the vehicle and he noted she was cold as they hurried inside the hotel.
“This place is beautiful,” she said.
Tonight, they would hand out the trophies and cash prizes to all the cowboys who had won the different divisions of the rodeo.
Leading her into the ballroom, they were shown to their table. Thank goodness tonight they were not placed next to his cheating ex and her husband.
For over an hour, they sat and listened to awards being handed out while they ate the delicious dinner. Finally, the music began to play and he led her onto the floor to dance.
He wanted to hold her for as long as possible and share as many dances as he could with her. This was the last ball of the season and he had no need for her to protect him from the overzealous women any longer.
And yet he didn’t want it to end.
“What if we continued to see each other,” he said as they glided across the floor. She felt so good in his arms but the moment he said those words, she tensed.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said.
“Why not?” he asked.
She bit her lip. “Because sooner or later, one of us will develop feelings for the other and then we’ll both end up hurt. Because you haven’t changed your mind on marriage and neither have I. In fact, hearing from my father this week confirmed what I knew. Marriage is not good for me.”
While he knew what she was saying was true, that didn’t mean he didn’t want to see her any longer.
“We’re having fun. Why can’t we continue to keep things light and casual?” he said.
“For the reasons I just outlined,” she replied.
Suddenly they heard tapping on the glass panes on the ceiling of the ballroom.
It was sleeting. Damn, for once, the weathermen were right.
“We need to leave,” he said.
She grabbed her purse off the table and they hurried to the valet stand.
Other people were doing the same, and there was a line of people waiting to get their cars. The poor guys were doing their best to get people their vehicles, but it was a madhouse.
Standing inside the hotel, Adrian watched as Norma Jean approached.
“Seasons over,” she said, glancing between the two of them. “When’s the wedding?”
Adrian didn’t want to talk to this woman or any other woman right now. He wanted Madison.
