warm steam would clear her head.
She’d told Mack nothing was going to happen between them tonight, yet she yearned to make love with him and pretend for a few hours that they were a perfect match. But she knew in her heart she wasn’t the right woman for him, and it was only a matter of time before he came to the same conclusion.
The bathroom door creaked open and she froze. Would he try to join her in the shower? She held her breath, waiting for his hand to pull back the curtain. Instead, the door closed, and disappointment sent a cold shiver through her. She shut off the shower, dried herself then stepped from the tub and spotted her overnight bag on the floor. Why did Mack have to be so thoughtful?
She dressed in her lounge pants and long-sleeve cotton shirt then applied a dab of moisturizer to her face and neck before pinning up her wet hair with a clip. She checked her image in the mirror and couldn’t remember what the Beth at the Number 10 Saloon looked like anymore. When she left the bathroom, she found Mack pacing in front of the window. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” He frowned at her outfit. “I thought we’d go out for a bite to eat.”
“I ordered room service. I hope you don’t mind.” As if on cue, a knock sounded.
“I’ll get it.” Mack opened the door. A young man wheeled the cart inside and the scent of grilled steak wafted through the air. “Thank you.” Mack handed the waiter a tip then locked up behind him.
Beth cleared the travel brochures off the table and Mack pushed the cart closer. “Smells good,” he said.
Together they set out the food then sat down. Neither spoke. Surprisingly, the steak was better than Beth expected—or maybe she was so hungry anything would taste good. Mack on the other hand toyed with his meat.
“Is it too well-done?”
“No.” He pushed his broccoli into a pile.
“You don’t like broccoli?”
He stabbed his fork into the foil-wrapped potato then scooted his chair back and stood. “You want to know what’s wrong?”
She set her utensil down.
“There.” He pointed his finger at her.
“There what?”
“Your attitude.”
She gaped. “My attitude?”
“The way you’re acting right now.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When we’re together, you’re formal, polite and reserved. But tonight playing cards with Steve and Blake you were—” he waved his arm in the air “—funny, sweet and charming. You joked and laughed with them.” Mack’s pupils grew until his brown eyes appeared black.
There had been one other instance when Beth had witnessed his eyes change color—at the El Rancho Motel when he’d tumbled her to the bed, then... She’d forgotten she was holding her breath and gasped with the sudden need for oxygen.
“You’re jealous,” she whispered, awed that Mack was envious of his friends—guys who couldn’t hold a candle to his good looks, sexy body and cowboy charm.
His chin jutted as if he wanted to deny her charge. Wanted her to believe he was as confident as his reputation portrayed him to be. Then his shoulders slumped, and she lost a tiny piece of her heart to him.
“You’re the first, you know,” he said.
“First what?”
“First woman who’s ever made me feel jealous of another guy.”
If her heart wasn’t swooning inside her chest she might have laughed at his admission. “I’m not interested in Steve or Blake.”
“You smiled more at Steve than you’ve smiled at me since we’ve known each other.” Mack sucked in a deep breath. “ I want to be the reason you smile more.” He poked his finger in his chest. “ I want to make you laugh and act relaxed with me.” His eyes shone with sincerity, and it was all Beth could do not to launch herself at him and hug him until he stopped looking so sad.
“I can’t be that way with you, Mack.”
“Why not?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
Dear God. It really mattered to him. She really mattered to him. “Because.” There would
She’d told Mack nothing was going to happen between them tonight, yet she yearned to make love with him and pretend for a few hours that they were a perfect match. But she knew in her heart she wasn’t the right woman for him, and it was only a matter of time before he came to the same conclusion.
The bathroom door creaked open and she froze. Would he try to join her in the shower? She held her breath, waiting for his hand to pull back the curtain. Instead, the door closed, and disappointment sent a cold shiver through her. She shut off the shower, dried herself then stepped from the tub and spotted her overnight bag on the floor. Why did Mack have to be so thoughtful?
She dressed in her lounge pants and long-sleeve cotton shirt then applied a dab of moisturizer to her face and neck before pinning up her wet hair with a clip. She checked her image in the mirror and couldn’t remember what the Beth at the Number 10 Saloon looked like anymore. When she left the bathroom, she found Mack pacing in front of the window. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” He frowned at her outfit. “I thought we’d go out for a bite to eat.”
“I ordered room service. I hope you don’t mind.” As if on cue, a knock sounded.
“I’ll get it.” Mack opened the door. A young man wheeled the cart inside and the scent of grilled steak wafted through the air. “Thank you.” Mack handed the waiter a tip then locked up behind him.
Beth cleared the travel brochures off the table and Mack pushed the cart closer. “Smells good,” he said.
Together they set out the food then sat down. Neither spoke. Surprisingly, the steak was better than Beth expected—or maybe she was so hungry anything would taste good. Mack on the other hand toyed with his meat.
“Is it too well-done?”
“No.” He pushed his broccoli into a pile.
“You don’t like broccoli?”
He stabbed his fork into the foil-wrapped potato then scooted his chair back and stood. “You want to know what’s wrong?”
She set her utensil down.
“There.” He pointed his finger at her.
“There what?”
“Your attitude.”
She gaped. “My attitude?”
“The way you’re acting right now.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When we’re together, you’re formal, polite and reserved. But tonight playing cards with Steve and Blake you were—” he waved his arm in the air “—funny, sweet and charming. You joked and laughed with them.” Mack’s pupils grew until his brown eyes appeared black.
There had been one other instance when Beth had witnessed his eyes change color—at the El Rancho Motel when he’d tumbled her to the bed, then... She’d forgotten she was holding her breath and gasped with the sudden need for oxygen.
“You’re jealous,” she whispered, awed that Mack was envious of his friends—guys who couldn’t hold a candle to his good looks, sexy body and cowboy charm.
His chin jutted as if he wanted to deny her charge. Wanted her to believe he was as confident as his reputation portrayed him to be. Then his shoulders slumped, and she lost a tiny piece of her heart to him.
“You’re the first, you know,” he said.
“First what?”
“First woman who’s ever made me feel jealous of another guy.”
If her heart wasn’t swooning inside her chest she might have laughed at his admission. “I’m not interested in Steve or Blake.”
“You smiled more at Steve than you’ve smiled at me since we’ve known each other.” Mack sucked in a deep breath. “ I want to be the reason you smile more.” He poked his finger in his chest. “ I want to make you laugh and act relaxed with me.” His eyes shone with sincerity, and it was all Beth could do not to launch herself at him and hug him until he stopped looking so sad.
“I can’t be that way with you, Mack.”
“Why not?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
Dear God. It really mattered to him. She really mattered to him. “Because.” There would
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