Riding Tall: Fencing You In Part 5

The heat burning in him seemed to magnify, the pa.s.sion of his kiss sending her mind whirling. She could hardly think straight for the need burning inside of her.

Soft moans rose up inside her and she heard his groan.

The sound of a door opening was like a bucket of ice water being dumped over their heads.

They stepped away from each other as they both said, "Jenny."

"I'm sorry, honey." He stepped a little further back, putting a respectable distance between them. "I forgot she was here."

"So did I." Her smile wavered as she straightened and turned to greet her daughter. "What do you have there, sweetie?" she asked as Jenny came up waving a paper.

"I drew something for almost-Uncle Gage." She handed the paper to Gage. "It's a picture of you working on our house."

Gage and Tess both looked at and admired it, and told her how nice it was.

When Jenny had run back to her bedroom, Gage touched Tess's cheek. "I'll call you."

She nodded. "Hold on." She picked up the sticky pad she kept on the counter along with a pen from out of a cup near the pad. She scrawled her number on it and handed it to him.

He grinned, glanced in the direction of Jenny's room, then gave her a quick but meaningful kiss.

She brought her fingers to her tingling lips as he turned and walked out the front door and into the night.

Chapter 8.

"This is a surprise." Tess set down a cardboard coaster with Nectars and the bar's logo on it. "Since when do you come in the bar?"

"Hi, Tess." The smile Harvey gave her was engaging. "A Tecate with lime," he said as he folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. "I thought I'd drop by to see you."

"Missed you at breakfast this morning," she said. "Did your hours change?"

"Today was my day off," he said. "Glad to hear you missed me."

"Okay, enough flirting." Tess smiled as she indicated a menu at the center of the high top. "Happy hour just started, so appetizers are half price."

"I'm sure I'll find something I like here." Harvey picked up the menu and winked.

"Your beer is on its way." She shook her head in mock exasperation, turned, and headed for the bar.

Harvey was harmless. Charming and fun, but harmless.

It was still early but soon the place would really pick up for happy hour. All day she'd wondered if Gage was going to call her, but he hadn't. After that kiss last night, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Well, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him for some time, but now it was even worse.

She slid a lime wedge on the mouth of the beer bottle and carried the Tecate to Harvey and set it in front of him. "Did you find anything that sounds appetizing to you?"

He looked at her with a steady gaze. "I certainly did. But I'll settle for the onion rings."

She shook her finger at him. "Friends, Harvey."

"Of course," he said but kept smiling.

After she checked up on people at the other tables and took more orders, she went behind the bar. Hector, the new guy, arrived and he took over his share of the tables. She caught Harvey staring at her, watching her over his beer bottle and for some reason tonight it set her a little off base.

"I could use some company," Harvey said when she went back to check on him. "When you're not so busy, I'd love to talk."

"It's happy hour, so that's not likely to happen." She shrugged. "And we stay busy long after it's over. You'll have to find some lucky girl." She nodded to his empty. "Another?"

He leaned back in his chair. "I've actually got to go. Just thought I'd drop in." He leaned forward again. "Can I talk you into going out for another drink this week?"

"I like you, Harvey," she said. "And I enjoyed the time the other night, but I told you I just want to be friends."

He gave a slow nod. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

She smiled. "Have a good night, Harvey."

"See you at breakfast," he said as he slid off his stool.

"All right." She gave him a little wave and walked away.

It was a busy night, but when a tall figure walked through the doorway into Nectars, Tess knew that it was Gage before she even got a good look at him. She did her best not to give a silly smile like a giddy teenage girl. She went for a more reserved, maybe even flirtatious smile.

"What can I get you, cowboy?" she asked as he came up to the bar.

He gave her a slow and s.e.xy grin that made her stomach swoop. "How about another kiss?"

"That's on our select menu." She braced her hands on the bar and managed to keep a straight face. "That particular menu is only offered to special patrons."

He put his big hand over hers and the heat of his touch sent a quiver through her belly. "I'd better be the only man on that list."

She tilted her head to the side. "Oh, yeah?"

He gave a solemn nod. "Yeah."

She leaned closer to him, but staying out of kissing distance. "I agreed to a date, Mr. McBride. One date."

He moved his hand so that he was now holding hers. "Speaking of that date, are you free Sat.u.r.day morning?"

She studied him. "As long as I can get a sitter for Jenny."

His green eyes held hers. "I'll pick you up at nine."

"If I can get a sitter," she repeated. "Where would we be going?"

"It's a surprise." He rubbed her knuckle with his thumb and she found herself wanting him to touch her everywhere. They could head to the broom closet- She cleared her throat. "What should I wear?"

"Something you wouldn't mind getting muddy in," he said with a smile.

Her eyes widened and she laughed. "Don't tell me you want me to mud wrestle another woman because that's not happening."

He grinned. "Now, there's a thought."

"Ha." She extracted her hand from his as she glanced around the bar. "I'm starting to get dirty looks. I need to get to my tables."

He studied her eyes. "I'll be right here waiting for you, honey."

Before she left to take care of her other customers, she gave Gage his usual and hurried to get back to work. She had to avoid looking at him because he unsettled her so much that it made it hard to concentrate on her job.

As she made the rounds she smiled and chatted politely with each customer, all the time aware of Gage waiting for her at the bar. She wanted to hurry so that she could get back to him, which was completely insane. Maybe he should leave so that she could focus better.

But she didn't want him to leave. She really didn't want him to leave. She wanted him here, teasing her, flirting with her.

"Did you hear who's back in town?" Tate's low drawl came from Gage's left as he pulled up a bar stool and sat at the bar. "I didn't think Harvey Norton would show his face in Prescott again but I saw him in the restaurant yesterday morning at breakfast."

"At the Hummingbird?" Gage looked at his brother who nodded.

Tate smiled at Tess as she returned with Gage's beer. "Hey, Tess."

"Hi, Tate." Tess set the beer in front of Gage. "The usual?"

"Yep," Tate said.

She smiled at him. "One Rolling Rock coming right up."

"Did you get her to go out with you yet?" Tate asked as she walked away.

Gage couldn't help a grin. "Taking her out Sat.u.r.day."

"About d.a.m.ned time." Tate returned his grin but then sobered. "You just take care of that girl. She's not one of those women you go through like tissue paper. Tess is special."

Gage watched Tess as she walked toward them with Tate's beer in hand. "She sure as h.e.l.l is special."

Tate thanked Tess for the beer when she set it in front of him and then she moved away to help other customers.

When Tess was out of earshot, Tate said, "Not to mention, Megan will kill you if you break Tess's heart."

Gage nodded. "I don't know if I've ever seen sisters more protective of each other than those two."

Gage and his brother talked until Tate had to head on home. Tate's parting shot was "Don't forget what I told you about Tess."

When it was closing time, Tess said, "You're here a little late, aren't you? Don't you get up at the crack of dawn?"

Gage gave her a smile. He'd nursed two beers from happy hour to closing and his head was clear. "I like watching you work."

She shook her head. "Next time I'll trade you places. You work behind the bar and I'll watch you." She braced her forearms on the bar in front of him and leaned forward. "Just because I said yes to one date doesn't mean I want you hanging around."

Even as her mouth said the words, her eyes told him differently. She'd loved having him stay and she hadn't minded him watching her. The smile she gave him every now and then was cute and so d.a.m.ned s.e.xy all in one.

When she was ready to leave, she turned off the lights and grabbed her purse. Gage walked with her as they headed out the back and into the night. He waited while she locked up the place then fell in step beside her as they headed toward her car and his truck.

"I see you parked close to me," she said.

"What can I say?" He looked down at her pet.i.te form and her short blonde hair that gleamed beneath the lone parking lot light. "Even my car likes to be close to you."

He loved her smile. "You can't stay every night I work and walk me to my car."

"Who says I can't?" He settled his hand at the small of her back as they reached her vehicle and she turned to face him.

"Gage..." She bit her lower lip before she continued. "This might be moving a little too fast for me."

"Too fast?" He moved so that he had her between him and the car. He kept his voice low as he searched her beautiful eyes. "Honey, I've been trying to get your attention for so d.a.m.ned long. I don't know how many times I've asked you out. I'd say this is nowhere near fast enough."

"But-"

He captured the rest of what she was going to say with a kiss. He took her by the upper arms and held her as he moved his mouth over hers.

She didn't resist him, didn't hold back, and his hunger for her grew. She moaned softly and slid her palms up his chest and over his shoulders.

With a groan he pressed her up against the car, lightly pinning her body. She caught her breath and he deepened the kiss. Her body was so soft against his, and he could feel her desire rising up with his own.

d.a.m.n, he wanted her, and he wanted her more than he could ever have imagined. But at the same time he knew he had to take it slow with her. He wanted her to know she was special to him and he wasn't planning on jumping into bed with her the first chance he got.

She wiggled against him, as if trying to get closer than they already were and she kissed him with a kind of fervor that about drove him crazy.

His mind was going places it had no business going with her. Not yet.

He gripped her shoulders and held her still as he broke the kiss. She looked up at him with big blue eyes, her lips parted. She looked almost surprised, like she didn't know how she could have lost control.

"d.a.m.n, Tess." He searched her gaze. "You make me crazy."

Her chest rose and fell, like she was trying to catch her breath. "I-I should get home."

"We'll take it slow." He gently stroked her hair behind her ear. "I won't rush you, so don't worry. Okay?"

She bit her lower lip then nodded. "Slow is good."

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "I want you to know that I care about you and I just want to get to know you better. I want to be with you. I'll go at whatever pace you'd like."

She studied him, as if trying to read his intentions and judge how sincere he was being. "Thank you," she finally said. "I haven't really dated anyone since...since Steve pa.s.sed away. I guess I've avoided anything that felt like it could potentially develop into a relationship. This is kind of scary."

He gave her a gentle smile. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel good about us, Tess."