Slow Hand (Hot Cowboy Nights, #1)(81)

“Wade!” Nikki shrieked, shoving Shelby out of the way to leap with simultaneous laughter and tears into his open arms. He picked her up and swung her around, almost knocking over the thong-covered Christmas tree. “How did you get here?” she asked, raining kisses all over his beloved, beard-stubbled face.

“Camped out for two straight days at the airport waiting for anyone to no-show on any flight headed south. I only got as far as St. Louis and then had to rent a car and drive the rest of the way.”

“I can’t believe you did that! Or that you’re really here!”

“I couldn’t stand the thought of not being with you for Christmas, New Year’s, or any other day to come.”

“Oh, Wade,” she cried. “I don’t even know what to say!”

He flashed his sexy grin. “Say yes.”

“Of course! Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!” She suddenly drew back with a puzzled look. “Yes to what?”

“You didn’t think I came empty-handed did you? A guy who shows up at his girl’s place on Christmas Eve had better be armed.”

Nikki’s heart almost stopped when he plucked a velvet-covered ring box out of his shirt pocket.

“Oh my God!” Shelby’s jaw dropped. “A ring? He brought you a freaking ring!”

Nikki swallowed hard. “But we never even talked about this. I thought we were going to wait a while to see…” She stared at the box, afraid even to touch it.

He opened the box to a gorgeous emerald-cut diamond surrounded by glittering baguettes. Nikki stared down at the ring through eyes blurred with joyful tears and then back at Wade.

“I’m not getting any less certain about us.” He paused, searching her face. “Are you?”

“No,” she cried. “It’s been agony being away from you these past weeks.”

“Me too. I know we didn’t talk about this but it just felt right to me. We don’t have to rush into it if you don’t want to, but you’ll let me put it on your finger, won’t you?”

His eyes held a look of uncertainty, of vulnerability, that she’d never seen in him before. Did he actually think she’d refuse it? With her throat too tight to speak, Nikki stuck out her hand with an emphatic nod. Wade took it in his with an audible sigh of relief and then dropped to one knee.

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Shelby grimaced. “Are you for real?”

Wade’s grin returned, even broader than before, displaying his perfect white teeth and a mind-erasing dimple. “Humor me, Shelby. I’m an old-fashioned kinda guy.”

Wade’s expression immediately sobered when he took Nikki’s left hand in his. “I had this all planned out. I was going to ask you this question on New Year’s Eve, after a bottle of wine and a nice romantic dinner, but once I bought the ring, I knew I couldn’t wait. I’ve already wasted enough time in my life. Now that I know what I want, I don’t want to waste another minute.”

“Me either,” she whispered.

His eyes of crystal blue bored into hers. “Then will you marry me, Nikki? Will you be my best friend and my lover for real and forever?”

Nikki watched in breathless amazement as he slid the ring past her knuckle and firmly onto her finger. She gazed at the shimmering diamonds thinking this was the most sublime moment of her entire life. “I still can’t believe this,” she murmured.

“That’s not the answer I was hoping for, sweetheart.”

“How about this?” She clasped his face between her hands, kissing it all over with wild abandon. Wade soon took command, toppling her backwards over his knee for a long, deep, heart-clenching kiss, releasing her from it slowly, reluctantly.

“Can I take that as an affirmative?” he asked.

“Yes, Wade.” Nikki stroked his perfect face feeling like her heart would burst. “I’ll be your best friend and your lover. For real and forever.”

Order Victoria Vane's next book

in the Hot Cowboy Nights series

Rough Rider

On sale February 2015





Read on for an excerpt from





Rough Rider


Casper, Wyoming

Seated on the top rail above the bull pen, Janice watched with growing impatience as the final riders finished. Unlike most of the girls she’d grown up with, can chasing had never held her interest. Sure there was good money in it, but she just didn’t see the challenge in running circles around barrels.

Bulls, on the other hand, massively muscled, notoriously unpredictable, and sometimes dangerously aggressive, were her passion. She’d been raised with cattle, had fed bawling calves from the earliest time she could remember, but bucking bulls provided her family’s real living.

While the final scores were announced, and the barrels cleared from the arena, Janice hopped down from her perch. Time to get back to work. Although she could have used some help tonight, there was none to be had. Ready or not, she was Combes Bucking Bulls’ new chute boss. Janice walked the length of the pens, inspecting the animals and watching for any sign of trouble as the other stock hands prodded and loaded their animals into their respective chutes.

There were at least two dozen riders already surrounding the bull pens. Some were shooting the shit, and others were immersed in their preparations. Janice looked casually over the group for the one cowboy who made her pulse race. He was one of the early draws, but Dirk Knowlton hadn’t made his appearance yet.