shoulders and turned her around to face him.
"I've missed you," he told her then leaned
down to put his lips on hers, pulling her to his chest. Cassie
closed her eyes and tried to capture any spark of passion his kiss
ignited in her. Nothing...absolutely nothing happened. He lifted
her hand to his mouth and kissed it, then confusion crossed his
face and he looked at it. "Where's your ring?"
Cassie felt the flush start at her chest,
move up her neck and spread across her face. "I took it off,
because I didn't want to damage it, or l-l-ose it working," she
said stumbling over the last words. Thank god it was the truth, she
felt relieved at not having to lie to him.
Relief passed over his finely chiseled
features and he smiled. "Good, thinking." He kissed her hand again
and then let it go and stepped back. "You can wear it to dinner
then."
Guilt flooded her and she swallowed hard and
lied, "Um...it's locked in the safe in daddy's room and I don't
want to disturb him."
James' smile slipped a notch, but he nodded.
"No, let's leave him alone to rest...maybe it will improve his
mood. I'll just go downstairs and wait for you in the family room."
He leaned in for another kiss and she turned her cheek to him. He
looked at her curiously, then walked to the door.
Cassie let out the breath she'd been holding
when he shut the door softly behind him. Luke's taunting, but
truthful words took a circuit through her brain. "How can you
marry him when you want me?"
The tremors started in her hands then moved
up her arms and down her body to her toes. She was shaking
violently and stumbled over to the bed to sit down before she fell.
The truth hit her in the face taking her breath away. She couldn't
marry James. But how was she going to tell him. They were business
partners, lovers and they lived together. That was a whole lot of
mess to untangle.
***
Luke tossed back the last sip of his third
beer, and tapped it on the bar letting Slim, the bartender know he
wanted another. He hadn't been drunk in a long time, but he was
working on it right now. Maybe he'd be able to sleep tonight.
The bartender looked up at him then slid the
beer toward him, giving him a thumbs up. Luke nodded his thanks and
took a long swallow. It spilled down his shirt when someone bumped
his shoulder then sat down on the stool beside him.
"Drowning your sorrows, buddy?"
"Shit," Luke said looking down at his
expensive western shirt. He grabbed the bar towel and mopped at his
shirt, before he wiped his forearm over his mouth. "Give a guy some
warning, would ya?"
"You had supper yet?" Cole asked with
concern in his tone.
"No, daddy , I haven't had supper,"
Luke slurred then tossed back another swig of his beer.
"This won't help you know...you should have
learned that last time," his friend told him and waved to the
bartender for a beer.
"Jesus, can't a guy just get shit-faced for
no reason these days?"
"If you were the same guy I pulled out of
this same bar ten years ago, I'd say yeah. Now, the answer is a
little more complicated... Sheriff ."
Luke's head dropped and his shoulders
slumped. Cole was right, but he'd be damned if he'd admit it, so he
didn't. He just picked up his beer and finished it one long slug
before slamming it down on the bar. "Do you ever mind your own
business, Cole?"
"You're my friend, that makes you my
business." Cole slapped him on the back then took a sip of the beer
the bartender had just put in front of him. "How bout we finish off
one more then go eat at the steakhouse? There's a cute waitress
over there I'm sweet on."
"Don't want food. It'll ruin my buzz. I need
to get laid," Luke said then spun around on his barstool and leaned
his elbows back on the bar to survey the possibilities.
Cole laughed and took another drink of his
beer then turned around too, hooking his boot heel on the stool and
leaning closer to Luke. "Okay...then pick one out and
"I've missed you," he told her then leaned
down to put his lips on hers, pulling her to his chest. Cassie
closed her eyes and tried to capture any spark of passion his kiss
ignited in her. Nothing...absolutely nothing happened. He lifted
her hand to his mouth and kissed it, then confusion crossed his
face and he looked at it. "Where's your ring?"
Cassie felt the flush start at her chest,
move up her neck and spread across her face. "I took it off,
because I didn't want to damage it, or l-l-ose it working," she
said stumbling over the last words. Thank god it was the truth, she
felt relieved at not having to lie to him.
Relief passed over his finely chiseled
features and he smiled. "Good, thinking." He kissed her hand again
and then let it go and stepped back. "You can wear it to dinner
then."
Guilt flooded her and she swallowed hard and
lied, "Um...it's locked in the safe in daddy's room and I don't
want to disturb him."
James' smile slipped a notch, but he nodded.
"No, let's leave him alone to rest...maybe it will improve his
mood. I'll just go downstairs and wait for you in the family room."
He leaned in for another kiss and she turned her cheek to him. He
looked at her curiously, then walked to the door.
Cassie let out the breath she'd been holding
when he shut the door softly behind him. Luke's taunting, but
truthful words took a circuit through her brain. "How can you
marry him when you want me?"
The tremors started in her hands then moved
up her arms and down her body to her toes. She was shaking
violently and stumbled over to the bed to sit down before she fell.
The truth hit her in the face taking her breath away. She couldn't
marry James. But how was she going to tell him. They were business
partners, lovers and they lived together. That was a whole lot of
mess to untangle.
***
Luke tossed back the last sip of his third
beer, and tapped it on the bar letting Slim, the bartender know he
wanted another. He hadn't been drunk in a long time, but he was
working on it right now. Maybe he'd be able to sleep tonight.
The bartender looked up at him then slid the
beer toward him, giving him a thumbs up. Luke nodded his thanks and
took a long swallow. It spilled down his shirt when someone bumped
his shoulder then sat down on the stool beside him.
"Drowning your sorrows, buddy?"
"Shit," Luke said looking down at his
expensive western shirt. He grabbed the bar towel and mopped at his
shirt, before he wiped his forearm over his mouth. "Give a guy some
warning, would ya?"
"You had supper yet?" Cole asked with
concern in his tone.
"No, daddy , I haven't had supper,"
Luke slurred then tossed back another swig of his beer.
"This won't help you know...you should have
learned that last time," his friend told him and waved to the
bartender for a beer.
"Jesus, can't a guy just get shit-faced for
no reason these days?"
"If you were the same guy I pulled out of
this same bar ten years ago, I'd say yeah. Now, the answer is a
little more complicated... Sheriff ."
Luke's head dropped and his shoulders
slumped. Cole was right, but he'd be damned if he'd admit it, so he
didn't. He just picked up his beer and finished it one long slug
before slamming it down on the bar. "Do you ever mind your own
business, Cole?"
"You're my friend, that makes you my
business." Cole slapped him on the back then took a sip of the beer
the bartender had just put in front of him. "How bout we finish off
one more then go eat at the steakhouse? There's a cute waitress
over there I'm sweet on."
"Don't want food. It'll ruin my buzz. I need
to get laid," Luke said then spun around on his barstool and leaned
his elbows back on the bar to survey the possibilities.
Cole laughed and took another drink of his
beer then turned around too, hooking his boot heel on the stool and
leaning closer to Luke. "Okay...then pick one out and
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