"Is something wrong?"

She blinked. "No. Why?"

"You're staring. You have a tendency to do that a lot when we eat together. Is there a reason why?"

Alyssa shifted in her seat. There was no way she could tell him that she found watching him eat fascinating...and a total turn on. He seemed to appreciate every piece he put into his mouth. And the way he would take his time to chew it, methodically getting all he could from each bite, let her know he would make love to her the same way. Given the chance, Clint would savor her in the same way that he ate. Goose b.u.mps formed on her arms at the thought of it.

"No reason," she said after pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts. "It's just that I'm totally in awe of how much you eat."

He lifted a brow. "And I'm in awe as to how little you eat. You remind me of Casey. She eats like a bird, as well," he said.

She heard the fondness in his voice for his sibling. "I appreciate your sharing her clothes with me. I hope she won't mind," she said.

"She won't," he said, effectively closing discussion on the subject. "Will you be using the computer later?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm through for the day. I thought I might look through that folder you were telling me about on your uncle's foundation. Why?"

"Because I need to use it to log in the information on the horses we got in today," he said. He glanced at his watch as he pushed his plate aside. It was clean. "I play cards with the men on Wednesday night so I'll be leaving the house again after logging in that information. And I won't be back until way after midnight," he said with a smile. "I'm telling you this just in case you want to play another game on the computer later. I promise not to interrupt you this time."

"This is your house, Clint. You have free rein of any place in it."

He c.o.c.ked his head and looked at her. "Even your bedroom?"

The glint in his eyes indicated that he was teasing her. At least she hoped he was.

"No. According to our agreement bedrooms are off-limits," she said.

"Um, that really doesn't bother me. The bedroom is one of the places I least like for making love," he said slyly.

She suddenly felt like she was under the influence of some sort of drug. Sensations were surging through her, touching all parts of her body, but especially the area between her thighs.

"What is your favorite place?" she couldn't help asking.

Alyssa stared as he put his gla.s.s of lemonade down. His gaze was intent on holding hers. She tried fighting it but she was being pulled into his sensuous web.

He smiled and that smile, like his words, touched her all over. It added kerosene to her already blazing fire. "Before the thirty days are up," he said in a deep, throaty voice, as his gaze held hers, "I intend to show you."

An hour or so later Alyssa stood at her bedroom window and watched as Clint walked across the yard to the bunkhouse, which meant his office was empty again. She needed to think and wanted a quiet place to do so. His office was the perfect place.

The man was getting to her in a big way and he was doing so with a degree of confident arrogance that astounded her. He wasn't pushy or demanding. He wasn't even using manipulating tactics. He was merely being his own s.e.xy self.

Before the thirty days are up, I intend to show you.

Those words were still ringing in her ears, still causing an ache in parts of her body that aches had never invaded before. The area between her thighs was actually throbbing. Clint had basically a.s.sured her that he would make love to her at some point before she left his ranch. Such a statement was bold, bigheaded...and heaven help her, probably true.

She inhaled sharply. How could she of all people, someone who rebuffed men's s.e.xual advances with mediocre kindness, even contemplate such a thing happening? How could she of all people, someone who rebuffed men's s.e.xual advances with mediocre kindness, even contemplate such a thing happening? She was not only contemplating it, Alyssa was actually antic.i.p.ating it. She was not only contemplating it, Alyssa was actually antic.i.p.ating it.

She shook her head to clear it, needing to focus mainly on the facts. Clint Westmoreland was the s.e.xiest man she had ever seen in clothes, so naturally a part of her-the feminine part-couldn't help wondering what he looked like without clothes. That kind of curiosity was new for her.

Then there was the way Clint carried himself. He had a self-a.s.sured nature that was very attractive. And lastly, she couldn't downplay the fact that since meeting him, she experienced an all-consuming desire that had invaded her entire body. It wasn't in her normal routine to l.u.s.t after a man but she was definitely l.u.s.ting after Clint Westmoreland.

She turned away from the window, her mind stricken by what she was thinking, her body shaken by what it needed. The couple of times she had made love with Kevin, it hadn't done anything for her. She hadn't felt the earth shake and she hadn't experienced the feeling of coming out of her skin. In fact, she had been inwardly counting the minutes when it would be over. Was it possible an experience with Clint would be just the opposite? Would it be one she wouldn't want to end? Such thoughts made her draw in a shaky breath.

As she crossed the room and slipped between the cool covers of the bed, she had a feeling that sleep wouldn't come easily for her tonight, especially since the aches in her body wouldn't go away.

By the time she finally closed her eyes, she was convinced that dreaming about all the things Clint could do to her wasn't sufficient. She wanted to experience the real thing.

Eight.

T he next morning Alyssa entered the kitchen to find Clint already sitting at the table drinking coffee. She frowned. She had hoped to get up before him and have breakfast started. he next morning Alyssa entered the kitchen to find Clint already sitting at the table drinking coffee. She frowned. She had hoped to get up before him and have breakfast started.

"Chester said he usually doesn't start cooking until around five o'clock. You're up early," she said, glancing at him while going straight to the sink to wash her hands.

A smile touched the corners of his lips as he shrugged one broad shoulder. "I thought I'd have a cup of coffee while watching you work," he said.

She raised her chin defiantly. "You don't think I can handle things?" Alyssa asked in an accusing tone.

"Oh, trust me. I believe you can handle things. Chester wouldn't let you in his kitchen if he thought otherwise. I just wanted to watch you do it and offer my help if you need it," he said.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

A short while later Alyssa wondered if she'd been too quick to give Clint her thanks. Each time she moved around the kitchen she felt his eyes on her and had a feeling his intense stares had nothing to do with her culinary skills. She was dressed in another of the outfits belonging to his sister. This one was a pair of jeans and a top. He'd been right. She and Casey were about the same size and so far everything she'd tried on fit perfectly.

She turned around from the stove to tell him that everything was ready and her gaze collided with his. She saw something flicker in the dark depths of his eyes and that fiery light sent a burning sensation through her middle. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Everything is ready."

Then, following Chester's instructions, she called the foreman at the bunkhouse to let him know the meal was ready to be picked up. She had prepared enough food to feed at least fifty people and was grateful for all those times she had helped Aunt Claudine and the other older ladies at church prepare meals for the homeless.

She hung up the phone only to find Clint standing only inches away from her and her pulse rate escalated. He was the epitome of handsome and radiated a s.e.x appeal she couldn't deal with this early in the morning.

"You did an outstanding job," he said, and the sound of his voice only added to her discomfort. Alyssa began to feel a tingling sensation all over.

She tried playing off the feeling. "Save your compliment until after you've tasted it," she tried saying lightly.

He smiled. "Don't have to. I watched you. You definitely know your way around the kitchen."

She chuckled. "Thanks to Aunt Claudine, I would have to agree. I helped her out with feeding the homeless at least once a week. I never thought doing so would come in handy one day," she said heartily. "It felt good doing it. Chester has everything so well organized. This kitchen is a cook's dream."

"And you, Alyssa Barkley, are a man's dream," he said in a low voice.

He leaned forward and she knew he was going to kiss her. Just then she heard the sound of footsteps on the back porch. She took a step back.

"The guys are coming for the food," she said softly.

"So I hear," he said silkily and took a step back, as well. He glanced at his watch. "It's time for me to go, anyway."

"You're not going to stay and eat breakfast?" she asked quickly, before she could stop herself. Alyssa prayed he hadn't heard the disappointment in her voice.

"I'm going to eat with the men in the bunkhouse before leaving." And then before she could blink, he had recovered the steps and placed a tender kiss on her lips. "I'll see you in a couple of days."

Alyssa nodded, thinking she could definitely use two days without him hovering about. She would have two full days to get her head screwed back on right.

That first day Alyssa was still convinced that distance was just what she needed from Clint. She was glad he would be away from the ranch. Once her boxes had arrived, she'd taken the time to unpack. Her aunt had sent her everything she needed, from an adequate supply of clothes for the chilly days of February yet to come, to a sufficient supply of underwear.

By the second day Alyssa found herself glancing out the window wondering if perhaps Clint would return a day early-even though she tried to convince herself that she really didn't want him to. She enjoyed her talks with Chester and a few of the ranch hands who had remained behind.

On the third day, Alyssa paced the floor in his office when she couldn't sit still long enough to work at the computer. And every time she heard a commotion outside the window she found herself racing toward it to see if it was Clint returning. By late evening after sharing dinner with Chester, she found herself standing on the front porch staring out into the distance. She was reminded of a woman standing on the sh.o.r.e waiting for her man to return from the sea. The comparison struck her. For the first time since coming to Austin, she began to realize that her emotions were getting too deep. It was becoming obvious to Alyssa that she was developing feelings for Clint.

She sighed deeply, knowing it didn't make sense. They had been reunited just days ago. The only excuse she could come up with was that Clint Westmoreland-with his arrogant confidence and untamed sensuality-was more virile than Kevin could ever hope to be. She hadn't been involved with a man since that fateful day-her wedding day.

Finding out Kevin had been unfaithful had been a blow, but what had been even more of a shocker was the very idea that he felt they should forget what he'd done and move on. She couldn't move on. Instead she had sought to protect her heart from further damage the only way she knew how-avoid any personal dealings with men. She had responded in just the way Kim had counted on.

Alyssa had long ago accepted that her cousin didn't want her to be happy and didn't want Alyssa to have a man in her life. The thought of Alyssa having a man who loved her, who wanted to give her his world and his babies was something Kim was determined to prevent.

She knew Aunt Claudine was right when she would say that she needed to move on and not give Kim the victory. But she hadn't met a man worthy of such a task...until now.

Clint Westmoreland made her want to take a chance on living again in a way she had denied herself for almost two years. And even if it was only for the time she stayed on his ranch, she knew that she wouldn't have to worry about Kim being around to sabotage her relationship with Clint. Alyssa was smart enough to know that any relationship that she developed with him wouldn't last. At the end of the thirty days he would want her gone, off his ranch and out of his life.

In the past, Alyssa had avoided casual relationships, but for some reason she didn't see the time that she would spend with Clint as a casual fling. It would be more than that. Indulging in pleasure seemed a fitting term for their relationship. She considered her feelings for Clint a reawakening. If she had an affair with him, it would be a way to rebuild her self-esteem and regain her confidence as a woman. It would also be a way to enjoy life before returning to the mundane existence she'd carved out for herself in Waco.

"Nice night, isn't it?"

Alyssa was pulled out of her reverie when Chester walked out onto the porch. She was discovering each and every day just how much she liked the older man. He was loyal to Clint and his siblings to a fault and she liked that. It reminded her so much of how her relationship with her grandfather had been and the relationship she shared with her aunt now.

"It is a nice night," she said simply. She knew he was perceptive enough to figure out why she was outside standing on the porch in the dark and his next statement proved it.

"Sometimes it takes longer than the two days to set free the horses. Some of them can get real frisky when they are taken out of their element. I bet the reason Clint hasn't returned yet is because he'd had his hands full."

Alyssa sensed that Chester was telling her that Clint hadn't been staying away from the ranch just to avoid her. How had Chester known that was exactly what she had been thinking? How had Chester known that was exactly what she had been thinking?

Alyssa smiled as she pulled the jacket she was wearing more tightly around her shoulders. February was proving to be a colder month than January.

"Clint said that your grandfather used to be a bronco rider," Chester said.

"Yes, he was. In fact that's how he met Sid Roberts. It was an experience he took pride in telling me about while growing up."

"You were close to him," Chester said.

"Yes, he was the most special person in my life."

Less than an hour later when getting ready for bed, Alyssa remembered those words and knew in her heart that Clint was becoming a special person to her, as well.

Clint almost weakened as he gazed down at a sleeping Alyssa. A stream of light from a lamppost poured into her window and illuminated her features. He wasn't sure what she was wearing under the bedspread because her body was completely covered, but she looked incredibly s.e.xy.

Okay, he had broken their agreement and had come into her bedroom. He'd done so because Chester had told him that she had stood outside on the porch that night waiting for him to return.

At first Clint hadn't wanted to believe it, but then a part of him realized that the possibility existed that she had indeed missed him...like he had missed her. Clint stiffened at the thought that he could miss any woman, but whether he liked it or not, he had. And she had constantly invaded his dreams since she'd come to the ranch. He didn't like that, either.

How could she get to him so deep and so quickly? He'd had other women since Chantelle, but none of them had made a lasting impression. None of them had even come close. But Alyssa was making more than a lasting impression. She was carving a niche right under his skin and it got deeper and deeper each and every time he saw her. He'd had other women since Chantelle, but none of them had made a lasting impression. None of them had even come close. But Alyssa was making more than a lasting impression. She was carving a niche right under his skin and it got deeper and deeper each and every time he saw her.

He studied Alyssa when she made a sound in her sleep. A lock of her hair and fallen onto her face. He leaned down and brushed the tendril back, careful not to wake her. He sighed knowing he had no right to be there, but also knowing that he would not have been able to sleep a wink if he had not looked in on her. He also knew his presence in her bedroom was about more than that. It was about wanting to be close to Alyssa.

He hated knowing how much he had wanted to see her and be with her. Clint fervently hoped that by the morning he would have regained control of the situation. He had to get whatever emotions he was battling in check and start putting her at a distance.

He frowned as he turned to leave the room and contemplated his plan of action with difficulty. It would mean more days spent away from the ranch. That had been his plan in the beginning. Then why did the thought of following through with his original strategy leave such a bitter taste in his mouth? Then why did the thought of following through with his original strategy leave such a bitter taste in his mouth?

Upon awaking the next morning, Alyssa heard a group of men talking not far from her bedroom window. She got out of her bed and slipped into her robe before crossing the floor to the window and glancing out. Her heart nearly stopped beating. The three men she saw were among those who had left the ranch with Clint, which could only mean he had returned, as well. She couldn't help the smile that covered her lips as she headed for the bathroom.

Less than thirty minutes later she was dressed and eager to get down to breakfast before Clint left for the day. She felt a burning desire to see him, come face-to-face with him and get all into his s.p.a.ce. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror before she left the room. She didn't look bad in her jeans and shirt, she thought with a smile. She also wore the new boots she had purchased the day before yesterday when she'd caught a ride into town with Chester. Alyssa felt like a bona fide cowgirl.

She breathed in deeply and with shaking hands she reached to open her bedroom door. Alyssa hoped that by the time she made it to the kitchen her heart would no longer be beating so wildly in her chest. It would be a struggle to keep it together knowing Clint was back and they would be once again breathing the same air.

She opened the door to step out into the hallway and her heart caught. Standing there, leaning against the opposite wall as if he'd been waiting for her, was Clint. Alyssa was speechless. And before she could open her mouth to utter a single word, he moved from the spot, pulled her into his arms and kissed her, devouring her mouth with an urgency that astounded her.

Alyssa sagged against him and wrapped her arms around his neck as his mouth and tongue continued plundering hers. She didn't think about struggling to keep herself together or trying to gain any semblance of control of the situation. The only thing she could think about was that he was back. He was here. And he was taking her mouth with a hunger that meant he had missed her to the same degree she had missed him. That thought made her giddy.

Everything was forgotten. How she had intended to protect her heart from further damage, and how she had decided at some point during the night to retreat back into her hands-off strategy. All her concentration was on the intense arousal overtaking her belly as she kissed Clint with the same fervor and pa.s.sion that he was kissing her.

And then when he finally released her mouth, he didn't let go of her lips. He took the tip of his tongue and outlined a sensuous path from one corner to the other, over and over again. Alyssa heard herself groan. She actually felt her panties get wet. Clint had the ability to reach down, deep inside of her, to a place no man had gone for two years. He was stirring up a need, one as intense as anything she had ever encountered.

"I've got to go," Clint whispered against her moist lips. The deep, raspy tone of his voice knocked down the last reserve of strength she was trying to hold on to.

"Breakfast?" she asked. The only word she could get her lips to form.

"I've already eaten. I need to be on that back pasture. I'll be gone all day and wanted to see you before I left. I wanted to taste you."