being watched made Angel turn her head toward the open doorway. Rowdy stood there, arms folded across his chest and leaning a shoulder against the door frame.
Her heart went from hanging in her chest to pounding in her throat.
“We need to talk, Angel girl.”
She leaped to her feet, plucking discarded garments off the floor. A glance over her shoulder found him standing near her dressing table, running a finger over the small container of rouge powder.
His gaze met hers. “Liza and I have never—”
“I know.” That had become the least of her worries even before Liza mentioned it. Angel tossed her armload onto the chair in the corner. “If you’ve come for an apology, you might as well leave right now.”
He frowned. “Apology?”
She let out a long sigh. It was time to lay all her cards on the table. If it was meant to be, it would be. If it wasn’t… She squared her shoulders. “I’ve hunted you. I’ve ignored you. I’ve tried to make you jealous. I’ve all but thrown myself at your feet.” Exasperated, she tossed her arms in the air. “I don’t know what else to do, Rowdy. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you tonight, but I won’t apologize for loving you.”
His silver eyes searched her face, and it happened again, the communication between their bodies. She understood it better now. Knew why her insides grew warm and excited, and her skin tingled. Her body lived for his touch as surely as her heart beat for his love.
“You could never embarrass me.” He gave his head a little shake. “You’re so beautiful, Angel girl. There’s not a man around who isn’t smitten with you.” He stepped closer and ran a knuckle across her cheek. “Are you sure you want the cowpoke under this hat?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“You’re Angel Clayton, you des—”
“I deserve you. The man I love. I’ve watched you for months, and you’re much, much more than a cowpoke. You’re a good, hardworking, honest man. You care, and you respect how treacherous life can be out here. How it all could be gone in a heartbeat.” She reached up and tugged on the brim of his hat. “Under this hat is the most handsome, amazing man I’ve ever met.” The love flowing from her heart made her throat tighten. “A man who doesn’t let anyone rule him, but he’s gentle and kind, and lets a girl have her way once in a while.”
He grinned. “Once in a while?”
She stretched up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. “Yes,” she whispered, “once in a while.”
The kiss was a precious give-and-take that had her toes curling and her heart singing. When she lifted her face, she met his gaze boldly. “I love you, Rowdy McGuire, and I want the world to know it.”
Chapter Eight
Every single reason why he couldn’t marry Angel Clayton was gone. Rowdy couldn’t have remembered one if his life depended on it—which in a way it did. He couldn’t live without her. “I’ve tried,” he admitted, “but I can’t fight it anymore, Angel girl.”
“Fight what?” She cupped his cheek.
He twirled a curl of her hair around his finger. “You. Me. I don’t even remember why I was fighting. It was useless. A minute doesn’t go by without me thinking about you. Without me wanting you.”
An adorable, somewhat smug smile grew on her lips. “You want me?”
“You know I do.”
“I want you, too.” Her fingertips walked down the front of his shirt.
“Haven’t I told you that I always get what I want?”
He chuckled, and pulled her against him, running his hands along the delicate curve of her lower back. “Yes, more than once.”
She laid her head on his chest. “I’ll go anywhere. I’ll live anywhere you want.”
His chest swelled, yet he questioned her statement. “You’d leave Heaven on Earth?”
“The ranch, yes.” She lifted her head. “Rowdy, heaven on earth isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.”
He knew. It was what he felt for Angel. He’d rather spend one day married to her
Her heart went from hanging in her chest to pounding in her throat.
“We need to talk, Angel girl.”
She leaped to her feet, plucking discarded garments off the floor. A glance over her shoulder found him standing near her dressing table, running a finger over the small container of rouge powder.
His gaze met hers. “Liza and I have never—”
“I know.” That had become the least of her worries even before Liza mentioned it. Angel tossed her armload onto the chair in the corner. “If you’ve come for an apology, you might as well leave right now.”
He frowned. “Apology?”
She let out a long sigh. It was time to lay all her cards on the table. If it was meant to be, it would be. If it wasn’t… She squared her shoulders. “I’ve hunted you. I’ve ignored you. I’ve tried to make you jealous. I’ve all but thrown myself at your feet.” Exasperated, she tossed her arms in the air. “I don’t know what else to do, Rowdy. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you tonight, but I won’t apologize for loving you.”
His silver eyes searched her face, and it happened again, the communication between their bodies. She understood it better now. Knew why her insides grew warm and excited, and her skin tingled. Her body lived for his touch as surely as her heart beat for his love.
“You could never embarrass me.” He gave his head a little shake. “You’re so beautiful, Angel girl. There’s not a man around who isn’t smitten with you.” He stepped closer and ran a knuckle across her cheek. “Are you sure you want the cowpoke under this hat?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“You’re Angel Clayton, you des—”
“I deserve you. The man I love. I’ve watched you for months, and you’re much, much more than a cowpoke. You’re a good, hardworking, honest man. You care, and you respect how treacherous life can be out here. How it all could be gone in a heartbeat.” She reached up and tugged on the brim of his hat. “Under this hat is the most handsome, amazing man I’ve ever met.” The love flowing from her heart made her throat tighten. “A man who doesn’t let anyone rule him, but he’s gentle and kind, and lets a girl have her way once in a while.”
He grinned. “Once in a while?”
She stretched up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. “Yes,” she whispered, “once in a while.”
The kiss was a precious give-and-take that had her toes curling and her heart singing. When she lifted her face, she met his gaze boldly. “I love you, Rowdy McGuire, and I want the world to know it.”
Chapter Eight
Every single reason why he couldn’t marry Angel Clayton was gone. Rowdy couldn’t have remembered one if his life depended on it—which in a way it did. He couldn’t live without her. “I’ve tried,” he admitted, “but I can’t fight it anymore, Angel girl.”
“Fight what?” She cupped his cheek.
He twirled a curl of her hair around his finger. “You. Me. I don’t even remember why I was fighting. It was useless. A minute doesn’t go by without me thinking about you. Without me wanting you.”
An adorable, somewhat smug smile grew on her lips. “You want me?”
“You know I do.”
“I want you, too.” Her fingertips walked down the front of his shirt.
“Haven’t I told you that I always get what I want?”
He chuckled, and pulled her against him, running his hands along the delicate curve of her lower back. “Yes, more than once.”
She laid her head on his chest. “I’ll go anywhere. I’ll live anywhere you want.”
His chest swelled, yet he questioned her statement. “You’d leave Heaven on Earth?”
“The ranch, yes.” She lifted her head. “Rowdy, heaven on earth isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.”
He knew. It was what he felt for Angel. He’d rather spend one day married to her
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