He glanced over at her. “You’re drunk.”
“Because she needed to twinkle.” When he didn’t crack a smile, she explained. “Get it. She needed to twinkle . . . like tinkle but twinkle because she’s a star.”
He looked back at the road. “Funny. How long have you known Maisy Sweeney?”
Dixie had never been the jealous type. She was competitive about everything but men. Probably because she’d always been able to get any man she wanted. Maybe that was why few men had held her attention for any length of time. But Lincoln had certainly grabbed her attention and she was more than a little annoyed that his focus was on another woman.
“She’s a little young for you, isn’t she?”
He glanced over at her. “I’m not interested in her in that way.”
“It doesn’t seem like you’re interested in any woman that way,” she grumbled as she propped her high heeled feet up on his dashboard.
He leaned over and removed them. “You’re right. Did Maisy tell you anything about her father?”
So that was his interest in Maisy. It figured. Lincoln was all work and no play. “She didn’t tell me anything you probably don’t already know. He married her mama, got her knocked up, and then took off right after Maisy was born. She hasn’t seen or heard from him since.” She reached over and tapped him on the nose. “There. Are you satisfied? Now tell me about the woman who broke your heart.”
He glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think a woman broke my heart?”
“Why else would you hate us so much?”
He looked back at the road. “I don’t hate women. I’m just not interested in getting into a relationship right now.”
“Because you still have a broken heart?” When he didn’t say anything, she took that as a yes. “Were you married?” Again silence. “Okay, so you were married and she cheated on you.”
“She didn’t cheat on me. She just wasn’t happy. And I wasn’t really happy either.”
So no broken heart. That was good to know. “Who asked for the divorce?”
“She did.”
“So, you’re one of those silent types who will stick with a woman even when you’re miserable just because you think it’s the right thing to do.” She watched his jaw tighten and had her answer. “Well, then hooray for her for being brave enough to get you both out of a bad situation. And now I guess it’s not women you don’t trust, it’s yourself. You feel like if your emotions tricked you once, they can trick you again.” She smiled and pointed a finger at him. “I’ve got your number now, Lincoln Hayes, Texas Ranger.”
Before he could reply, a Luke Bryan song came on the radio. She released a squeal. “Oh, my God! This is my song.” She turned it up and spent the rest of the drive to her apartment seat-dancing and singing at the top of her lungs. She was still singing when Lincoln opened the passenger side door.
“Would you lower your voice?” he snapped. “Do you want to wake the entire town with your caterwauling?”
“Caterwauling? I hope you know that I won Little Miss Texas with my rendition of ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas.’ You want to hear?”
He took her arm and helped her out of the truck. “No. I want you to be quiet.”
“Being quiet isn’t my thing. And are you walking me to my door, Lincoln Hayes? You didn’t walk Maisy to hers.”
“She wasn’t as drunk as you are.”
“I’m not that drunk.” She stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk and Lincoln’s big hand settled on her waist and stayed there as he led her up the path to the front door.
It had been a long time since a man had touched her, and she’d forgotten how nice it felt. Little sparks of heat radiated from the place where his hand rode her hip and settled in her tummy. And a few inches lower. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol or her sex-deprived body, but suddenly the idea of Lincoln placing his boots beneath her bed seemed like a good one. He was single. She was single. He was hot. She was hot. And getting hotter. When they reached the door, she stumbled again. Only this time, it was on purpose. When he went to catch her, she turned in his arms and hooked her arms around his neck.
He froze, and she could feel his gloriously hard body tense. She knew enough about men to know he wasn’t tensing with distaste, but rather with the same sexual spark of attraction she felt. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the steady thump of his heart. In the shadow of his cowboy hat, she could see the glittering heat of his brown eyes. She licked her lips in preparation for the kiss she knew was coming. But instead of kissing her, he took a step back.
“Give me your key so I can unlock your door,” he said in a low gravelly voice. Oh, yes, he was turned on. He was just fighting it. Too bad he was going to lose.
She smiled seductively as she let her hands wander over his broad shoulders and hard chest. “It’s not locked.”
“You don’t lock your door? You have absolutely no common sense at all, do you?”
“Nope. Which is why I’m going to do this.” She leaned in and kissed him.
His lips were the complete opposite of his body. They were extremely soft. Just not very welcoming. They remained tightly closed as she pressed hers against them. She slowly ran her tongue along the seam before taking a nip of his plump bottom lip and allowing it to slide along her top teeth. His hands tightened on her waist. For one brief second, his mouth opened in a taste of hot heat before he shoved her away.
“Enough,” he growled in a low, dangerous voice. He turned and
