The Texas Cowboy's Triplets

Dan grinned and kissed her again. A little more slowly and deliberately this time. “Because,” he responded tenderly, “I didn’t want you to have to wait until the end of our date to stop fooling yourself and realize I’m not the only one feeling something here.”

* * *

IT WAS JUST one embrace. One short, sweet, incredibly tender and evocative embrace. Yet Kelly couldn’t stop thinking about it and remembering just how wonderful it had felt to be caught up against Dan McCabe’s tall, strong body.

And she was still thinking about it two hours later, after the concert ended, when he was walking her home. As well as thinking about how to phrase what she knew she had to say.

When they were one street away, she took an enervating breath and began. “You know how we agreed to just one date...?”

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I recall you wanting to limit it to that.”

Kelly swallowed, already tingling all over. “Because I thought that, if, at the end of our night out, either one of us just wasn’t feeling it.” Or shouldn’t be feeling it. “Then...”

He stopped walking abruptly, caught her hand. And looked deep into her eyes. “Except, Kelly, I am.”

With a great deal more difficulty than she imagined, she ignored his soft, sexy declaration and pushed on as if he hadn’t spoken. “...the two of us might decide we would be better off as friends.”

Just as he had done with the dozens of other Laramie County women he had dated.

To her consternation, he rejected the notion, again. “Or friends and more,” he murmured persuasively, lowering his head.

She barely had time to catch her breath, and then he was pulling her all the way against him, kissing her again. And again, and again. Inundating her with so many sensations at once. The hard warmth of his body. The delectably minty and masculine taste of his mouth. The clean masculine fragrance of his skin. Heavens, the man knew how to kiss. How to make her want and need and feel, how to draw her into the promise of more, so much more, before letting that same kiss come to a slow and oh-so-sensual end.

When he finally pulled back, he rasped, “I don’t think we were meant to be ‘just friends.’”

Her body didn’t think so, either.

Frazzled, she moved a slight distance away from him and propelled herself forward, in the direction of her home.

With difficulty, Kelly reminded herself that it was a man only half as charming as Dan who’d broken her heart before. Could she really go through that again?

The common sense side of her said no, she could not. “Well, I do,” she countered stubbornly, folding her arms in front of her.

He fell into step beside her, matching her step for step as she hurried home. “Okay,” he said.

Kelly spun on him, echoing in disbelief, “Okay?”

It didn’t help that the sky was velvety black now, with a brilliant quarter moon and a sprinkling of stars. Or that the warm summer air was blowing gently over them. The town streets just as quiet and deserted and serene as they had been before the concert.

Dan shoved his hands in his pockets as they rounded the corner. “We don’t have to agree on everything, Kelly.”

That soothed even as it disturbed. “Meaning you won’t pursue me?”

He offered her his killer smile and gave her a lazy once-over before returning ever so deliberately to her lips. “I didn’t say that. Exactly.”

She ignored the low insistent quiver in her belly. Resolved not to let him know just how much he was getting under her skin, Kelly huffed, “Then what are you saying?”

He delivered a slow, heart-stopping smile. “That you might need some time to think this over before you officially deem us ‘one and done.’”

She wished he would quit behaving like the conquering hero, quit fueling romantic fantasies that had gone too long unexplored. She didn’t need him to remind her—with every request for a date—what a rut she had been in. Didn’t need him to charge past her carefully built defenses. Or make her realize how lonely she had been for just this kind of companionship. She looked at him defiantly when they reached the street lamp on the next corner. “Just so you know, cowboy, I’m not going to change my mind.”

His eyes were dark and unwavering on hers. “Okay.”

She swallowed. “Okay you believe me?”

“Okay.” Chuckling, he tugged her close and dropped a string of kisses along her temple to just behind her ear. “I’ll let you reserve the chance to change your mind.”

She splayed her hand across the center of his chest, pushed him away and kept right on walking. Marching, really. As quickly as she could. “You really are the most maddening man!” she called over her shoulder.

So much so that if it were Christmas, he would have to be put on the naughty list.

He caught up with her on the sidewalk in front of her home. “And you’re the most maddening woman. But you don’t see that discouraging me, do you?”

Kelly swung around to face him. She trembled at the raw tenderness in his gaze. She had the strong sensation—or was it hope?—that he was going to kiss her again.

And that she was going to kiss him back...

He moved toward her. She moved toward him. And just before their lips met, an excited rap on the windows of her home captured their attention.

In frustration, Kelly pivoted to see all three of her children with hands and faces pressed against the living room windows. Tessa standing behind them.

Dan laughed. “Quite the welcoming committee.”

No kidding. Kelly muttered, “They’re supposed to be asleep!”

The front door opened. The triplets and their sitter came barreling out. “You’re back!” Michael noted happily.

“Hi, Deputy Dan!” Matthew said.

Michelle asked, “Did you get married yet?”

“No,” Dan said with a wry chuckle.

Michelle pouted. She placed her hands on her hips. “Well, when?”

Never, Kelly wanted to say. Given how much Dan McCabe had turned her life upside down in just what, a matter of three, four days? Making her want and need and feel. Instead, she said, “It’s past your bedtime. Why aren’t you all asleep?”

Three shrugs. Tessa apologized. “Believe me, I tried, but they couldn’t settle down tonight.”

Kelly knew why. She hadn’t had a date with anyone since they’d been born. So this was definitely a new situation.

“Well,” Dan said, reading the situation correctly. “I can see you have your hands full...”

‘Say good-night to Deputy Dan,” Kelly told her children.

“Good night,” they chorused, gathering around the handsome lawman for a group hug that was just as warmly returned.

“Night, kids.” Dan looked at Kelly. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” Grinning and whistling, he sauntered to his vehicle.