After she straightened and tugged at the hem on the sundress, her attention turned to some focal point behind him. “What a beautiful horse.”
Dallas glanced over his shoulder to find the black gelding poking his head through the opening in the stall. “That’s Raven. Even though he lost his stud status years ago, he still knows a beautiful woman when he sees one.”
A slight blush colored her cheeks. “He must not get out much.”
Dallas still couldn’t get why she didn’t realize her worth. He’d be happy to take a turn at trying to convince her. But not now. Not yet. He had something more pressing that required her consideration. “How was breakfast?”
She leaned back against the opposite wall. “Wonderful. Maria said you wanted to speak with me.”
“Yeah. I thought I could show you around.”
“Around where?”
“The barn.” Although the bedroom would be better, a thought that luckily hadn’t jumped out of his mouth.
She folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You’re not going to ask me to be one of your ranch hands, are you?”
He couldn’t stop a laugh. “Not hardly. Just trying to be hospitable.”
“Oh. You said earlier you wanted to talk to me about business, so I assumed maybe that’s why I’m here.”
Obviously she wanted to get right down to it. Normally that would suit him fine, but this proposition would take some time easing into it. “We’ll cover that in a minute. First, I want you to officially meet Raven.”
She looked almost alarmed. “Is that necessary? I mean, he is rather big.”
He crossed the aisle and took her hand. “He’s big all right. A big baby. He won’t hurt you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, a good dose of wariness in her voice.
“Positive.”
He guided her to the gelding’s stall, stood behind her and told her, “Just pet him on his muzzle.”
“Huh?”
“His nose. Or rub him right between his eyes on that white part, which is known as a blaze. He’ll follow you anywhere if you do that.”
She glanced back at him and frowned. “I’m not sure I want him following me.”
“Give it a try, darlin’. You’ll see he’s a gentle giant. Besides, if you’re serious about going on that cattle drive, you better get used to being around a horse before you climb on his back.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Paris reached out and touched Raven carefully, then slowly began to stroke him. The gelding didn’t move an inch, as predicted, and soon began to close his eyes like he’d been hypnotized. Dallas, on the other hand, began to twitch as he followed her movements and imagined her hands on him...
He had a dirty mind full of devilish thoughts that could land him in trouble, or on his ass if he acted on them. To make matters worse, Paris suddenly turned and ended up way too close for his comfort.
He figured it would be best if he continued the tour, but when she wet her lips, he could only move toward her, not away. And this time, he took the reins. He lowered his head and kissed her like he hadn’t kissed a woman in years.
The next thing he knew, he had her spun around and backed up against the wall. She had her hands wrapped around his neck and that sweet little body pressed against his. All thoughts of wedding pacts and proposing to a virtual stranger flew out of his brain in lieu of what was going on below his belt.
Without warning, Paris broke the kiss and ducked under his arm. “This should not be happening.”
Dallas braced both palms on the wall and tipped his forehead against the wood. “Maybe not, but it did. Too late to take it back.”
“I wish I could take it back,” she said from behind him. “I don’t understand what is wrong with me. I see no reason whatsoever why I keep acting this way.”
That ticked him off a bit and turned him around to face her. “Are you going to try to ignore the chemistry between us? Because I’m sure as hell not going to even try. From the minute you marched into the office, I knew something was brewing.”
She looked away for a few seconds. “It’s immaterial whether we share chemistry or not. I’ve made it a point not to do anything rash, and I’m not inclined to sleep with someone outside a committed relationship.”
Hell, not only was she sexy, she could read minds. “I don’t remember asking you to sleep with me.”
She sent a pointed look south of his buckle. “You might not have verbally asked, but the message was loud and clear.”
That wasn’t up for discussion. “Hey, I’m a man. We don’t always have control over physical reactions.”
She gave him a good eye-rolling. “That could be true, but I do have control over mine.”
“Lady, you could’ve fooled me a few minutes ago. And don’t forget that kiss last night.”
“Evidently I forgot myself.”
“Maybe you’ve just forgotten what it feels like to be with a man who really wants you.”
Her indignant look told him he’d struck a nerve. “Look, I have a few rules. I don’t believe in casual sex, and I don’t become intimate with anyone I’ve known such a short time. Never have. Never will.”
A good lead-in to his crazy scheme, crazy being the operative word. But for the first time in a long time, he saw a possible end to his dilemma. Not to mention being married to Paris Reynolds carried a couple of perks, the least of which would be some nice, hot lovemaking. First, he had to convince her to give his plan credence.
He paced down the aisle and back again before he paused in front of her. “No sex outside a committed relationship, huh?”
“That is correct.”
He rubbed a palm over his neck and prepared to propose. “Then if that’s the case, I can only see one answer to the problem.”
“What would that be?”
“Marry me.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Nope.”
Paris found it difficult to believe a man like Dallas Calloway—a reputed confirmed bachelor—would blurt out a proposal to a woman he’d known less than twenty-four hours. “Let me get this straight. You’d be willing to marry me in order to sleep with me?”
“Yep.”
This simply had to be a joke with an impending punch line. “Shouldn’t we go steady first?”
“I’m serious, Paris, and I’m not asking just so I can get you into my bed.”
From the somber look on his face, she could tell he was dead serious. “If it’s not only the sex, then why would you want to rush into a marriage?”
“Because I need a wife and I need one fairly fast.”
Her head started spinning from confusion. “Could you be any more vague?”
“It’s kind of complicated. But I believe getting married would benefit both of us.”
In what universe? “This doesn’t make any sense to me, Dallas. As I said before, you could probably have any woman you wanted