“May I help you?” a girl barely out of her teens inquired perkily. A Ginger-in-training, he decided.
“I’d like to buy something for a lady.”
She grinned. “I’m relieved,” she said. “I doubt we’d have anything in your size.”
The unexpected joke, which also reminded him of his secretary, released some of his anxiety. “I don’t have a clue about sizes and stuff like that,” he admitted.
“Is she about my size? Bigger? Smaller?”
“A little taller,” he said without hesitation, then paused. The rest seemed downright intimate to be discussing with this total stranger. She was watching him expectantly, though. She was probably used to men fumbling around with embarrassment.
“Maybe a little bigger…” He cleared his throat. “On top,” he added in a choked voice.
She grinned again without batting an eye. “Got it. And on the bottom?”
He thought of Kelly’s cute, sassy little behind. “Curvy,” he said. “But not too big.”
The teenager grinned. “Okay. Now, did you want a teddy? A negligee? Bra? Panties?”
He was stymied. His gaze went back to the item that had drawn his attention to the window. Rexanne had owned something similar, but seeing her in it had never seemed to stir him the way just the thought of seeing Kelly wearing one did. He had no idea what it was called.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“A teddy. It’s from France. Very chic.”
Ginger had said he ought to get something from France that was capable of driving him wild. Another glance at the teddy told him that ought to do it. No question about it. With Kelly in it—or mostly out of it—he wouldn’t be able to catch his breath for a month.
“I’ll take that.”
“In red, black, pink or blue?”
“All of them.”
The clerk’s eyes lit up, which hinted that he might have made a mistake not asking about the price. He didn’t care. “Can you wrap them?”
“Absolutely.”
Fifteen minutes later he exited the store with his elegantly wrapped package. An hour later he was driving straight toward west Texas at a speed that openly defied state law. This was one gift he intended to give her in person. Tonight. And he was too damned impatient to waste time waiting around in an airport to be on his way. Besides, a long drive was the only way he could think of to cool off before he scared her to death by making it plain exactly how badly he wanted her.
* * *
The pounding on the front door woke Kelly from a sound sleep. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was well after two in the morning. She automatically sniffed the air for the smell of smoke. A fire was the only thing she could think of that would cause all this uproar at this hour. The air smelled summer fresh with just a hint of the flowers she’d planted in pots on the porch below.
Grabbing her old chenille robe from the foot of the bed, she belted it tightly around her and glanced outside. She spotted Jordan’s car parked haphazardly in front of the house. So much for the who, she thought wearily. All that remained was the why. Why would he be carrying on like a lunatic in the middle of the night? She’d sent him a polite thank-you note for the gifts. Maybe he hadn’t considered it adequate, but this was hardly an appropriate hour to discuss her lack of manners.
She hurried down the stairs, pausing only to reassure a sleepy-eyed Dani that there was no problem.
“Go on back to bed, sweetie. It’s just Jordan.”
“He sounds mad or something.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” In fact, she was going to wring his stupid neck.
Downstairs, she switched on the porch light and opened the door a crack, determined not to admit him. “What do you want?” she demanded, noting that he was still wearing a suit and tie. He had at least loosened the tie. Obviously he’d driven all the way across the state straight from work.
He shoved a huge box toward her. It wouldn’t fit through the crack. “I brought you this.”
The box was intriguing with its gold paper and fancy bow. Still, Kelly determinedly wrapped her arms around her middle and refused to take it. “Jordan, this has to stop.”
Her insistent tone seemed to totally bemuse him. He regarded her with evident confusion. “Why?”
“Because I cannot be bought.”
Shock registered on his handsome features. “I’m not trying to buy you,” he swore. “I’m trying to…”
Words clearly failed him. Kelly could understand why. There was hardly another interpretation for what he’d been doing. “Buy me,” she supplied.
“No,” he insisted. “I’m trying to court you.”
Her heart skittered wildly. “Oh, Jordan,” she murmured, feeling her insides turn to mush. “Please don’t do this to me.”
His gaze settled on her and a once-familiar warmth spread through her.
“Could I come in so we can discuss this?” he asked.
Kelly did not want him in the house, not with her resolve wavering and his determination solidifying. “It’s the middle of the night. I have fences to mend in the morning.”
“I’ll help,” he promised.
“When was the last time you mended a fence?”
“Not that long ago,” he shot back. “I was raised on a ranch, you know. There’s almost nothing I haven’t done.”
“And hated,” she reminded him. “That’s why you couldn’t leave White Pines fast enough.”
“If you’re going to analyze me, could we do it over coffee? I’m beat.”
“If you’re that tired, go home to White Pines.”
“Is there some reason you don’t want me in the house?” he inquired, studying her with amusement. “You aren’t afraid I’m going to persuade you to say yes, are you?”
That was exactly what she was afraid of, but she refused to admit it. She opened the door wider. “Come on in. You get one cup of coffee and a half hour of my time,” she said firmly. “That’s it.”
He grinned. “Whatever you say.”
He was already stripping off his
