The Untameable Texan

The Untameable Texan - Part 3

CHAPTER THREE

Texas financier Jed Farrell always gets what he wants—and he wants one more night with his first love. Now that she’s in his hotel room, will she stay?

He stood, empty glass in his hand, and pretended he wasn’t watching her. Her expressive face told him she was as conflicted as he was. At least Jed had known what tonight might bring. Kimberly had been blindsided by his appearance at the reunion.

When she crossed the room toward him, his lungs emptied in a long, slow exhale. She stopped a short distance away, her hands plucking at her skirt. “Is there a woman in Dallas who has a claim on you? Or anywhere for that matter?”

He set down the glass and gave her his full attention. “No. Absolutely not.”

Kimberly gazed at him in silence as if trying to dissect his brain with the power of thought. Her warm brown eyes reminded him of dark, rich chocolate. He was allergic to chocolate. But sometimes a man had to live dangerously. “Does that make a difference?”

She shrugged. “Yes.”

Her body language spoke clearly to him. Nerves. Indecision. Fear. But underneath it all he saw a glimmer of a very familiar emotion...desire. He held out a hand. “I’ve missed you, Kimberly. More than you know. You’ve been like a splinter under my skin.”

His candor coaxed a grin from her. Her nose wrinkled. “That doesn’t sound like a compliment. Besides...I never had a chance back then. All you had to do was look at me, and I melted.”

“And now?” He held his breath, his fingers tightening on hers.

“It’s a night to relive the past,” she said softly. “Surely that can’t be a bad thing.”

Dizziness rocked him for a moment. He had been holding his breath, his hope and expectation no more than 50/50 that she would stay. “There’s nothing I would like more.”

He drew her close. If dancing with her had seemed familiar, this embrace was a thousand times more so. Memories bombarded him. Was it the faint, sweet recollection of puppy love?

The slender arms that slid around his neck said otherwise. He put his hands on her waist, feeling almost as clueless as that long-ago teenage boy who had trembled with the need to possess her.

“You smell good,” he said, nuzzling her neck.

A soft laugh was his answer. “I thought you might have learned some new lines over the years.”

He bit her earlobe gently. “Don’t mock me, woman. I’m feeling distinctly off-kilter.”

Without warning, she pulled back and looked at him, her expression halfway between puzzlement and suspicion. “Why?”

“Why do you think?” He shook his head, amazed that he didn’t already have her between the sheets. “Frankly, I was hoping I’d come to the reunion tonight, see you and chat for a while, and feel nothing.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed. She kicked off her heels with a grimace and wiggled her toes. “I’m getting mixed signals, Jed. If you’re still mad, just say so.”

He was mad. That was the problem. Mad at her for tossing aside what they had. Mad at himself for not trying harder to make her see reason. Mad at the realization there was a good chance Kimberly Fanning had ruined him for other women.

“I hated you for a long time,” he admitted abruptly, the words tumbling uncensored from his tight throat.

Kimberly paled and sat down hard on the edge of the bed. “That makes me sad. I imagined you having all sorts of fun in college.”