In Over His Head

Lexie lowered her own sunglasses and met Darla's incredulous eyes. 'Yes. I had to think about it. Because what was supposed to be simply fun, wild and temporary has taken an unexpected and frightening turn. Because unfortunately there's more involved than just my hormones.'

Darla's expression instantly changed to contrite. 'Well, I can understand why.' Her gaze darted back to Josh. 'Good Lord, Lexie. He's-'

'Incredible. I know.'

'Are you sure he doesn't have a brother? Jeez, I'd settle for a long-lost cousin.'

'No brother, but I do seem to recall him mentioning a cousin in Texas. I'll ask him if you'd like.'

'Oh, I'd like.' Darla raised her iced tea in salute. 'Well, here's to hoping that everything works out the way you want it to.'

'Thank you. Problem is, I'm not sure I know how I want it to work out.'

'Sure you do. You want that glorious man to fall madly in love with you, sweep you off your feet, and be your Prince Charming. Shouldn't be too difficult-he's already got his own horse.' Her attention riveted once again over Lexie's shoulder. 'What's he doing?'

Lexie turned and smiled at the trio of young boys surrounding Josh. One of them handed him a length of rope. 'Looks like he's showing some young fans a few rope tricks.'

They watched Josh make a lasso. He expertly twirled the rope around himself, then the children, who laughed and applauded. Josh then hunkered down on his haunches, and showed the boys how to fashion the knot.

'Seems as if he likes kids,' Darla remarked with an unmistakably envious sigh in her voice.

'He does.'

'Well, if your Josh is a sample of what the men are like in Montana, I know where I'm heading on my next vacation.'

Lexie eyed Darla's costly off-white ensemble. 'I don't think they wear Calvin Klein on the ranch,' she teased.

'Maybe not suits. But Calvin makes some bitchin' jeans.' Darla suddenly straightened in her seat and jerked her head to the right. 'Looks as if kids aren't the only ones who want to see what your cowboy can do with a rope.'

Lexie turned where Darla had indicated. A buxom blonde wearing a sarong-wrap beach skirt and a bikini top that resembled two poker chips held together by dental floss was sashaying toward Josh with an unmistakable predatory gleam in her eye. She held a piece of paper and a pen in one hand and a long-necked bottle of beer in the other. Male heads snapped in her direction as she made her way around the perimeter of the pool.

'She's looking for an autograph,' Lexie murmured.

'She's looking for a lot more than that,' Darla corrected. 'It'll be interesting to see what she gets.'

The blonde stopped in front of Josh and offered him a come-get-me smile that tightened Lexie's stomach. An image of Tony flashed through her mind, followed immediately by one of Josh with that walking sex and wrapped around him, and she gritted her teeth. Josh straightened and nodded, giving the woman a smile. Lexie noted that his smile appeared no more than simply friendly and that his eyes didn't wander south of her chin. He signed the piece of paper she handed him, then nodded and returned his attention to the trio of small boys. The blonde said something else to him, and Lexie cursed her inability to read lips. But whatever she said, Josh shook his head in reply. With a flip of her long hair, the woman strode away.

'Looks like Blondie was shut down,' Darla said in an unmistakably satisfied undertone. 'Talk about not being like Tony. There's only one kind of man who says no to a woman who has 'I'm ready and willing to have wild, sweaty sex with you' tattooed across her 38-D implants.'

'Yeah. A gay, dead guy.'

'And your cowboy is neither of those.' Darla looked her straight in the eye. 'The only kind of man who can resist that sort of invite is one who is head over heels in love. Now the question is, what are you going to do about it?'

Lexie looked across the length of the pool at Josh, laughing and smiling with the boys, and her heart melted like a marshmallow over a campfire. But how could she ignore their differences? And her deep-seated fears of making the same mistake again? 'I don't know, Darla. I just don't know.'

'Well, if you need to talk, call me,' Darla said, squeezing her hand in commiseration. 'I have to go. But I want an intro to dream man first.'

Lexie led Darla around the pool. As they approached Josh and his charges, he looked up. His eyes met Lexie's and a slow smile, filled with unmistakable pleased surprise and undeniable heat, lifted his lips. From behind her Darla whispered, 'Good Lord. The way he's looking at you is making me sweat. How can you stand it?'

'Believe me, it's almost more than I can take,' Lexie whispered back.

Josh rose to his feet and, after handing the rope back to the boys and ruffling their hair, he walked toward her. 'This is a nice surprise,' he said. Leaning down, he brushed a quick kiss across her lips, stopping her breath.

She performed a quick introduction. 'Darla and I just finished lunch.'

'Pleased to meet you, Darla,' he said, shaking her hand and giving her a friendly smile.

'Same here,' Darla said. She indicated the trio of boys with a nod. 'Pretty fancy rope work there.'

'Kids always get a big kick out of it. Of course, it looks a little more authentic when I'm wearin' my cowboy gear.' He looked down at himself and laughed. 'Whoever heard of a cowboy in a bathin' suit?'

'Not clothes you'd normally associate with a rodeo champ,' Darla agreed with a grin. 'But we are in Florida, you know.' She glanced at her watch. 'Much as I'd love to stay and pick up some lassoing techniques, I need to get back to work. Nice meeting you, Josh. And Lexie, don't forget to ask him about the cousin.' With a queenlike wave, she departed toward the lobby, weaving her way among the lounge chairs.

Josh tickled his fingers down Lexie's arm, then held her hand. 'Cousin?'

'When I told her you didn't have a brother, she wondered if you might have any unattached male cousins.'

'As a matter of fact I do.'

Lexie slapped her hand to her chest. 'Be still, my heart. You mean there's more at home like you?'

A teasing grin lit his face. 'Nah, I'm one of a kind.' His gaze skimmed down her shorts and T-shirt. 'Are you headin' back to work?'

'Yes. I have a scuba excursion leaving the dock at two.' She wriggled her back and winced at the ache in her muscles. 'Note to self-horseback riding, sailing and engaging in unrestrained sex all in the same day is not a good idea.'

He lifted her hand and pressed a warm kiss against her fingers. 'Oh, I don't know. Sounds like a great day to me. Still, if I had to choose only one of those activities, it would have to be-'

'Horseback riding.'

He made a sound like a game show buzzer. 'Wrong answer,' he said in a soft voice that sent a pleasurable tingle down her spine. 'And sailing is the wrong answer, too.'

'Oh yeah? What kind of cowboy are you?'

'Invite me over tonight and I'll show you.' He leaned down and flicked his tongue over her earlobe. 'I'll even bring dinner and cook for you.'

Bring dinner? A feat that would require a trip to the supermarket? And cook? And sex? Yikes. If she didn't get away from him right now, she'd never make her scuba lesson.

Stepping away from him and the potent spell he seemed to cast upon her whenever he was within a ten-foot radius, she forced a deep breath and a smile.

'All right, cowboy, you've got yourself an invite. How does seven o'clock sound?'

'Like a long time from now.'

Damn it, it sure did.

* * *

At exactly seven o'clock -which had indeed seemed like a long time-Josh deposited a half dozen white plastic