don’t understand.” Lucky faced him. “The good people of Comfort, Texas, ran me out of town because of my bad luck.”
He laughed and stopped mid-chuckle at the serious look on her face. Lucky really believed her luck was the issue.
“I mean look at what’s happened already. I pushed Audrey’s truck into a ditch and destroyed half her liquor stores. I’m bad luck.” Though tears welled in her eyes, she didn’t let one loose. She bit into her lip, making Isaac want to pull her close and kiss her troubles away.
“Ah, Lucky. It can’t be that bad.” He couldn’t resist and gathered her in his arms.
“Since my father died, I have no home to go to. But the real bad luck started the day my fiancé was killed in a car wreck. A wreck I should have died in too.”
Isaac’s chest tightened. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry you lost your fiancé, but I’m glad you didn’t die in that wreck.”
She leaned into him, her cheek resting against his shoulder. “I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m just tired.” She looked to the stars. “Tired of things going wrong around me, tired of moving on.” With a soft snort, she gave him a crooked smile. “Most people don’t know how lucky they have it.”
The faraway look in her face and the hollow tone in her voice nailed it for Isaac. He held her, his arms secure around her. “You must have loved him a lot.”
“I did, but it’s been two years. I’m finally getting over it, but my luck hasn’t changed. I really wish it would.”
“You’ve had some tough breaks.”
“I didn’t come here to cry over my crappy life,” she said into his shirt, without pulling away. “But thanks.”
After a while, he pushed her to arm’s length. “Did you ever consider that maybe your streak of bad luck brought you here? To Temptation, the Ugly Stick Saloon and the Triple J Ranch? Do you believe in fate?”
She leaned back, looked at him and shrugged. “Mostly when she slaps me in the face.”
“I believe fate brought you here and you’re just what the Triple J Ranch needed. And maybe the Triple J is what you need to get back on track.”
“I hope so.”
“Here’s to starting over.” He waved his hand in the air.
“Please tell me you sprinkled some magic dust with that wave.”
“Better. Consider your slate wiped clean. Lucky Albright has only good things ahead of her.”
Lucky didn’t look as confident as he felt. Isaac leaned forward and brushed her lips with his, liking the feel of hers. All soft and plump. Ripe for kissing.
Lucky’s eyes widened and her lips opened on a gasp. “What was that for?”
“For good luck.” He pulled her against him and kissed her again, this time lingering over the connection, his tongue darting out to skim the seam of her mouth.
“And that?” she whispered.
“That was because I couldn’t resist a beautiful woman in the moonlight.” He smiled down at her and pulled her to her feet.
She leaned up on her toes and kissed him back.
He laughed. “And what was that for?”
“I like the way you taste.”
“I could get used to you around here.”
The sad look in her eyes faded and she smiled.
Isaac’s heart flipped. Hell, the moonlight had nothing on Lucky’s smile. Her face lit up half the county and made him want to laugh out loud with joy. He could spend a lifetime making her smile. “You have a beautiful smile.”
Her smile faded to just a hint of one and she glanced down at her feet. “Thank you.”
With a finger beneath her chin, he tipped her head up. When she stared up into his face, his entire body lit on fire. The woman had no clue how desirable she was. For a moment, he hesitated, considering crushing her to his chest and taking more than a chaste kiss. But then he was afraid of scaring her on her first night at the ranch. Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out, willing his pulse to stop banging so hard. “It’s getting late. Let me show you to your room.”
“I am tired.”
“Right. Look,
He laughed and stopped mid-chuckle at the serious look on her face. Lucky really believed her luck was the issue.
“I mean look at what’s happened already. I pushed Audrey’s truck into a ditch and destroyed half her liquor stores. I’m bad luck.” Though tears welled in her eyes, she didn’t let one loose. She bit into her lip, making Isaac want to pull her close and kiss her troubles away.
“Ah, Lucky. It can’t be that bad.” He couldn’t resist and gathered her in his arms.
“Since my father died, I have no home to go to. But the real bad luck started the day my fiancé was killed in a car wreck. A wreck I should have died in too.”
Isaac’s chest tightened. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry you lost your fiancé, but I’m glad you didn’t die in that wreck.”
She leaned into him, her cheek resting against his shoulder. “I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m just tired.” She looked to the stars. “Tired of things going wrong around me, tired of moving on.” With a soft snort, she gave him a crooked smile. “Most people don’t know how lucky they have it.”
The faraway look in her face and the hollow tone in her voice nailed it for Isaac. He held her, his arms secure around her. “You must have loved him a lot.”
“I did, but it’s been two years. I’m finally getting over it, but my luck hasn’t changed. I really wish it would.”
“You’ve had some tough breaks.”
“I didn’t come here to cry over my crappy life,” she said into his shirt, without pulling away. “But thanks.”
After a while, he pushed her to arm’s length. “Did you ever consider that maybe your streak of bad luck brought you here? To Temptation, the Ugly Stick Saloon and the Triple J Ranch? Do you believe in fate?”
She leaned back, looked at him and shrugged. “Mostly when she slaps me in the face.”
“I believe fate brought you here and you’re just what the Triple J Ranch needed. And maybe the Triple J is what you need to get back on track.”
“I hope so.”
“Here’s to starting over.” He waved his hand in the air.
“Please tell me you sprinkled some magic dust with that wave.”
“Better. Consider your slate wiped clean. Lucky Albright has only good things ahead of her.”
Lucky didn’t look as confident as he felt. Isaac leaned forward and brushed her lips with his, liking the feel of hers. All soft and plump. Ripe for kissing.
Lucky’s eyes widened and her lips opened on a gasp. “What was that for?”
“For good luck.” He pulled her against him and kissed her again, this time lingering over the connection, his tongue darting out to skim the seam of her mouth.
“And that?” she whispered.
“That was because I couldn’t resist a beautiful woman in the moonlight.” He smiled down at her and pulled her to her feet.
She leaned up on her toes and kissed him back.
He laughed. “And what was that for?”
“I like the way you taste.”
“I could get used to you around here.”
The sad look in her eyes faded and she smiled.
Isaac’s heart flipped. Hell, the moonlight had nothing on Lucky’s smile. Her face lit up half the county and made him want to laugh out loud with joy. He could spend a lifetime making her smile. “You have a beautiful smile.”
Her smile faded to just a hint of one and she glanced down at her feet. “Thank you.”
With a finger beneath her chin, he tipped her head up. When she stared up into his face, his entire body lit on fire. The woman had no clue how desirable she was. For a moment, he hesitated, considering crushing her to his chest and taking more than a chaste kiss. But then he was afraid of scaring her on her first night at the ranch. Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out, willing his pulse to stop banging so hard. “It’s getting late. Let me show you to your room.”
“I am tired.”
“Right. Look,
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