“I can be a pain.”

He chuckled, and she felt the vibration of it rumble through his chest. “I’m not touching that comment.”

“It’s good that you don’t. What did the waitress mean, ‘This one doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty’?”

Carter spoke close to her ear. “Jody has a big mouth sometimes. It’s not important.”

Macy pulled back to look into his hazel eyes. “I’d like to know. I mean, the woman insulted me.”

“Trust me. She really didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just Jody.”

“You’re not going to tell me?” She should just be quiet and enjoy the dance.

His lips quirked. “Is this you…being a pain?”

She lowered her head and looked over the top of her fake eyeglasses. “I’m not even trying.”

Carter grinned, and those deep dimples came out. They were his secret weapon, whether he knew it or not.

Her lips formed a pout. She couldn’t help it. Her curiosity was killing her despite Carter’s charm.

He regarded her with a closed-off expression, then finally said, “It was about Jocelyn. She didn’t like it here. The last time we came, she sort of kicked up a fuss about the food and the service.”

“Whoops. Sorry I asked.” Macy really put her foot in it. Jocelyn was a sore subject with Carter.

He pulled Macy close and crushed her breasts, sauce stains and all, into his chest. It was absolutely the place she wanted to be. His lips formed words against her throat. “I don’t want to talk about her anymore.”

Her breath caught. She managed a throaty, “O-kay.”

“Fact is, darlin’, I’d rather not talk at all.”

She couldn’t argue with that or anything else. Her bones were melting.

He lifted her chin with his thumb, looked into her eyes and shut her up for good with a slow, sensual, heart-stopping kiss.

When the dance was over, Macy guiltily looked around to see if she was being gawked at. Carter had kissed her as if he meant business, right there on the dance floor. But the people at the Bear Pit didn’t seem to take notice. Not one bit. If was as if bone-melting kisses were an everyday occurrence or something. Maybe they were.

But not for Macy.

Carter took her hand when the band started playing a rockabilly tune and led her off the dance floor to the table. They stood by their booth and stared at the huge slice of chocolate cake sitting front and center, like a creamy edible centerpiece. “You want cake?”

“No thanks. I’ve already had my dessert.” She glimpsed his mouth.

He blinked.

“If you want some, go ahead. Please,” she said.

He picked up his hat from the booth’s seat and flicked his fingers over the brim, brushing it off. And then he shifted his attention to her, his eyes a dark, daring blaze. “Cake isn’t what I want right now.”

Macy took a gulp of oxygen, her nerves a mass of tingles, and asked softly, “What do you want, Carter?”

Music blared in the background. The floor got rowdy with foot-stomping Texans and their girls. She wasn’t Carter’s girl, but for a moment back there on the dance floor, it sure felt as if she was. She waited for his answer. He wasn’t a man she could deny. If he wanted her, she would go willingly.

A tick worked his jaw and he ran a hand through his hair, making the ends curl up at his collar. He did that, she noticed, when he was trying to make a decision. He drew a breath and regret singed his eyes. Then he tossed his hat back onto the booth’s bench and sat down. “On second thought, maybe I will have some cake.” He gestured for her to sit down. “C’mon, try it. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before in your life.”

Wanna bet? Disappointed, Macy lowered herself into the booth. She wouldn’t press Carter. He needed space and freedom. He’d kissed her like a man who hadn’t been heavily involved with a woman just weeks ago, but that was the point, wasn’t it? That kiss was more about forgetting Jocelyn than it was about his desire for Macy.

Her heart ached. Carter was an amazing man, and she wanted him more and more every day. She knew nothing would come of it in the long run. Macy had a life in Los Angeles, or rather a home, but she didn’t have direction. She needed that more than anything else. Now that her debts were paid, her hope was that her absence in Hollywood would cause the buzz about her to die down. When she returned, she’d like some peace of mind to find her place. She needed to carve out a future, somehow.

But she had time. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t worry about later when she could be living in the now. That’s why she came to Wild River in the first place.

Well, that and because she couldn’t imagine refusing the gorgeous Texan his offer.

“Okay, Carter. Lay it on me. I’ll bite.”

His brows rose and he laughed as he cut her a ginormous piece of chocolate cake. He slid it over to her. “It’s heaven on a plate.”

She picked up her fork and dug in. The cake went down creamy and silky smooth. It was the second-best thing she’d tasted tonight. She let out a contented sigh and sent him a smile. “Mmm…you’re wrong. It’s heaven in Texas.”

Carter leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his middle, giving her a smug, satisfied look. “You got that right.”

She did. Only, Macy wasn’t speaking about chocolate cake.


* * *

After last night with Carter, Macy had a ton of nervous energy. She’d rationalized in that his backing off from her was for the best, but her heart said other things. So today, Macy poured herself into her work at the inn, and it was doing the trick. She thought about Carter only every hour or so.

“You are pathetic, Macy,” she muttered as she walked the upstairs hallway.

She poked her head inside the bedroom she was planning on decorating next. This one needed furniture, an armoire and a headboard, at the very least. She’d flipped through catalogs, but nothing jumped out at her. She wanted something special and authentic, antiques from the area, to finish off the room.

The room dimmed and Macy stole a glance out the window. Threatening gray clouds moved in and filled the sky. The air cooled down. She crossed her arms and rubbed away a slight shiver. “Better pack up,” she said. She’d been warned about fast-moving Texas storms.

Rocky, the traitor, had already left. Seemed the dog loved her to pieces, until dinnertime. He’d trotted back to the main house an hour ago, led by his tremendous appetite. She’d already had break time with Bill Fargo. He’d told her a funny story about his youth while they munched on cheese and crackers.

Darkness was descending quickly. A loud clap of thunder made her jump. “Oh!”

There was a sudden flash. Then the power went out.

Macy stood alone in the dark. She shivered again then attempted to make her way out of the bedroom. There was no light, and she knocked her shoulder into the doorjamb. “Ouch!”

She rubbed away the pain on her shoulder, trying to get her bearings, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark.

Another clap of thunder struck, louder this time.

A noise from downstairs jerked her to attention. She froze, listening. She heard rustling and hoped it was a tree brushing the window. Glass broke. The sound rang out in her ears. Another bang erupted and glass splintered again.

It was raining and the wind wheezed slightly, but it wasn’t strong enough to break a window.

Someone was out there. Trying to break in.

Macy stood paralyzed with fear, defenseless.

This wasn’t happening, her mind screamed.

She heard a man’s voice, raspy and old, cursing. Someone was really downstairs.

Macy’s entire body shook now. She couldn’t stop it, but she knew she had to do something. She took a step back into the room, felt for the door, her arms flailing out, searching. Finally, once she made contact, she closed the door as quiet as a mouse and leaned against it, sending up silent prayers.

Footsteps on the stairs brought more fear. She held her breath, panicked. What could she do? She had no weapon.

“Macy? Macy, are you up here?”

His voice broke through her fear, and her knees buckled with relief. “Carter! Oh, my God, Carter!”

A thin stream of light beamed under the doorway and then he was there, opening the door. Light poured in from the flashlight he held. She squinted and saw a look of genuine concern on his face. He dropped the flashlight to the ground and grabbed her waist, folding her into his arms. “Macy, darlin’, are you okay?”

She shook uncontrollably and he tightened his hold on her. “I…d-don’t kn-know.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” he repeated, kissing her forehead, her hair. “I’m here now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop shaking. “I w-was so scared.”

“I know. I know.” His voice was velvet, soft and warm and smooth. “Calm down, sweetheart. Calm down.”

He freed one hand and used his fingers to pry something out of her hand. He brought it into the light. “A candlestick?” Admiration touched his voice. “I’m glad you didn’t use it on me. Looks painful.”

She couldn’t laugh. She couldn’t smile. She had grabbed the tall bronze weapon out of sheer panic at the last second. “D-don’t let me go, Carter. Don’t.”

His lips came to that sensitive spot behind her ear. He murmured softly, his breath whispering over her skin. “Wasn’t going to.”

She didn’t want to think about anything other than being with Carter, but she had to ask. She spoke in a hushed tone. “What happened out there? Does someone know I’m here?”

“It’s not that, trust me.”

“But how do you know?”

“I got a glimpse of him running away. Must’ve scared him off when I pulled up.”

“I heard him cussing. He sounded…older,” she said.