Slow Hand (Hot Cowboy Nights, #1)(54)

“You don’t want to go there,” he growled. “Please just accept that we’re done, Allie.”

“Fine,” she answered tightly. “Have it your way.” She snatched up her robe from the foot of the bed, jerked her arms into it, and then stood with her back to him for several minutes. Thank God, no false tears materialized. After a protracted silence she asked, “What about the deal?”

Wade shook his head. This was Allie after all. The woman was hard as nails. “I think we should take the deal and run,” he said. “I don’t expect Dirk will change his mind, but I’ll talk to the ol’ man in the morning.”

“Good.” She made her exit with a tight smile. “I’m glad to know you’re still capable of thinking with your brain.”





Chapter 15


Nikki awoke to a sharp thump on the door. She rolled over to look at the clock and groaned. Nine a.m.? She never slept that late! Damn. She should have been up hours ago. FedEx might even have delivered her license by now. She hauled herself out of bed and peered through the peep hole. There was Wade holding two steaming cups of coffee and balancing on one leg as he prepared to thump the door with his boot again.

She raked her hands through her hair, knowing it was a futile effort. At least he’d already seen her at her worst. She pulled the chain, flipped the dead bolt, and opened the door.

“Did I wake you? Sorry about that,” he said with a sheepish look. “My hands were full.” He handed her a coffee and stared disparagingly at her Bulldogs T-shirt. “Sweetheart, that ugly-ass bulldog’s gotta go.”

“Doesn’t do it for you?” She gave him a coy look. “Should I just take it off?”

“Not if you want to get anything done today.” He set the coffee down to nuzzle her neck.

“Why’s that?” she asked already growing breathless with lust. “You’d hold me hostage here?”

“Something like that.” He smirked. “I have rope in the truck.”

Her brows pulled together. “Rope?”

His grin broadened. “Yeah. It comes in handy from time to time. There’s all kinds of interesting things I can do with rope, but I guess it’ll have to wait till another time. I’ve got some business to take care of today, and so do you.”

“Lemme just shower. I’ll be quick,” she said, and slipped into the bathroom. She opened the door again, just wide enough to toss the T-shirt at him.

He caught it with one hand. “I’ll probably burn this, you know.”

“Then what will I sleep in?”

“Nothing’s fine with me, but if that doesn’t suit I’ll get you anything you like from Victoria’s Secret. I’ll take you when we go back to Bozeman.”

Toothbrush in mouth, she stuck her head out again. “While I appreciate your generosity, when I return to Bozeman, it’ll more than likely be to the airport, not to the mall.”

“Speaking of that…” He suddenly stood in the doorway, she caught his gaze in the mirror as it slid down to linger on her ass with a wistful look, before sliding back up to meet her face in the mirror. “Are you sure you want to be in such a hurry to go back to Georgia?”

She stole another look at him and their gazes caught in the mirror. She swallowed hard, almost choking on toothpaste when he flashed that heart-stopping grin. Wade’s smile warmed her to the core. His laugh sent ripples to her belly. Dear God, the things he did with his mouth. It was all she could do to keep herself in check every time he looked at her.

I’ve got it bad.

This was infatuation of the worst possible kind—the kind that could be so easily mistaken for something deeper, the kind that had the power to devastate her.

He cupped her ass and applied a lingering kiss to her bare shoulder. His warm lips sent a ripple of pleasure through her followed by something more—something that made her chest feel tight. She turned and planted her palms on his chest, pushing him toward the door. “I—I need to get dressed now.”

*

Iris handed Nikki an express package from the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services the moment she entered Wade’s office. She received it with mixed feelings. Now that she had her license she could finally attend to the matter that brought her to Montana to begin with. With Wade’s help she should be able to get everything taken care of and be on a plane by the weekend. As much as it hurt to think about leaving, the sooner she returned to Atlanta, the better. Every hour spent with Wade only made leaving him harder. Shaking off these thoughts, she tore the envelope open and scowled at the horrible mug shot.

“You see. It’s me, Nicole Marie Powell.” She waved her license under Wade’s nose. “Am I now authenticated to your satisfaction? Can I finally take care of what brought me here?”

“It’ll do.” He gave her a grim nod. Nikki noted the shift in demeanor that occurred the moment they’d walked into his office. He continued with no sign of the teasing glint she’d become so accustomed to. “The first order of business is obtaining a death certificate so you can properly dispose of your father’s remains. Iris should be able to help expedite that process.”

“Sure, Wade,” his assistant answered. “I’ll be glad to help.”

“Thanks.” He turned back to Nikki. “I’ve got a number of things to take care of at the courthouse and then I’ll be back to read you the will.”