The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress / Lone Star Seduction: The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress

“You’re a busy woman.”

“Keeps me out of trouble.” She flashed him a grin.

“Until now.” He grazed her neck with his teeth. Desire flashed through him, and he realized they were still idling on a busy street. “But let’s save that energy for later.”

“Sounds like a plan. Can we stop by Julie’s Gems so I can rave over her work on the necklace you gave me?”

“Sure thing.” He couldn’t hide a pleased grin as he pulled back on to the road, heading for Main Street, the focus of Alicia’s preservation efforts.

He hoped they wouldn’t run into anyone who’d greet him as Justin. On the other hand, if they did, maybe it would be the hand of fate at work.

Alicia showed him a hidden alleyway behind Julie’s Gems where his car barely fit into the single parking space. “You need more parking around here,” he muttered with a raised brow.

Alicia shrugged. “Or more people need to start using public transportation.” She winked. “It’s better for the earth.”

“This is Texas, sweetheart.”

“So? Miracles can happen.” She smiled sweetly and marched ahead of him up the neat alley. Her heels clicked authoritatively over the cobblestones. The way her backside jiggled slightly inside her flimsy white dress almost deprived him of his senses.

Miracles can happen.

With Alicia around, he had a feeling almost anything could happen.

“I can’t wait to thank Julie for the work she did on this topaz.” She opened the door. “I think it’s the loveliest gift I’ve ever had.”

Justin followed her into the store and greeted Julie. “It was a hit.”

“I knew it would be.” The bubbly jeweler hurried from behind the counter and gave Alicia a hug. “But you didn’t tell me it was for one of my favorite people.”

Justin shrugged. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“Alicia knows everyone in Somerset,” said Julie, tossing her red curls. “And we all adore her.”

Alicia flushed sweetly.

Julie stared at the topaz glittering on the delicate chain around her lovely neck. “And that is some very fine craftsmanship, if I do say so myself. Though I do have to give some credit to Rick for bringing me such a perfect stone. I don’t believe for a minute that he dug it up himself.” She shot him a wry glance. “But he certainly has an eye for a fine gem.”

Justin chuckled. “I was with an experienced rock hound. Otherwise I probably would have tossed it back into the soil.”

Julie narrowed her eyes at Alicia. “Do you believe a word of this?”

“I do.” Alicia’s sweet smile and words of affirmation filled Justin’s chest with warmth.

Until he remembered that she had every reason to be wary of him.

Would she believe his story about the stone if she knew he wasn’t Rick Jones? He’d used the fake name here, too, as he often did when he didn’t want the media sniffing after him.

He’d gotten so tired of stories and innuendo—Shipping Heir Commissions Jewels for Mystery Sweetheart—that subterfuge was second nature to him now.

Would Alicia have treated him differently if he’d introduced himself as Justin Dupree?

For all he knew, Alicia had never heard of the Duprees.

She’d figured out by now that he was well-off—a four-bedroom penthouse hotel suite let that cat out of the bag—but she hadn’t asked where the money came from.

She seemed to genuinely enjoy his company and showed no interest in plumbing the depth of his pockets.

Most girls would be fingering the sparkling bracelets—or rings—by now, in the hope that he’d offer to buy her another, but Alicia was far from the velvet-lined cases, chatting enthusiastically with Julie about her plans to restore the downtown area.

“Julie did a lot of the restoration on this storefront herself.”

“I live in the apartment above it, too,” Julie said, gesturing to the patterned tin ceiling. “I love everything about this area. I’m so glad it’s not going to be bulldozed and turned into a parking lot.”

“At least not if Alex and I can keep stalling the developers.” Alicia sighed. “Some people don’t think about anything but money.”

“I wish there were more people like you and your brother, who don’t mind standing up to the powers that be.”

Alicia chuckled. “We’ve been doing it our whole lives, so we’re not going to stop now. And once people start to see what downtown Somerset can be, they’ll all jump on the bandwagon and congratulate themselves for coming up with the idea.”

Julie laughed. “She’s the eternal optimist.”

“Yet another reason why she deserves only the best. And she also needs some lunch, rather urgently. Julie, would you care to join us?”

“Heck no.” Julie crossed her arms. “You two need to be alone. And you need to get out of here before all the chemistry in the air starts turning my gems pink.”

Alicia giggled, which made her full breasts bounce against the white fabric of her dress. Justin tried to ignore the heat rising in his groin.

He shot Julie a grin. “Thanks again, Julie. You’re a gem.”

“Yeah. I hear that all the time.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shot him a knowing smile. “If you dig up any more AAA quality rocks, you know who to call.”

Her wink told him she still didn’t believe his story—which was in fact the gospel truth. As usual, he didn’t care in the least whether she believed him or not. He’d never been one to sweat other people’s opinions—until he met Alicia.

“I thought we’d go to Tea and Sympathy for some lunch,” he said in her ear as they left the shop. The honey scent of her skin made him want to bury his face in her neck, but he managed to restrain himself.

“Perfect.” She flashed a pearly grin. “They make smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches to die for.”

“I hope no one will have to die.” He couldn’t resist grazing his hand down her waist and over the lush curve of her backside as he ushered her under the striped awning over the tea shop.

“Outside or inside?” He nodded at the wrought-iron tables and chairs that lined the slate sidewalk.

“Definitely inside.” She glanced up and down the street like a fugitive. “I know it’s very unlikely Alex is anywhere near here, but…” She shrugged. “Humor me, please?”

“I’d do anything for you.”

The words rattled around his brain as he followed her into the darkest corner of the café and pulled out her chair.

He couldn’t remember having feelings like this for a woman—ever. Usually all his devotion went into the family business, and his free time was spent blowing off steam.