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The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress / Lone Star Seduction: The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress
Jennifer Lewis

Day Leclaire


The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress Her life in danger, innocent Alicia Montoya turned to tall, dark Rick Jones – who invited her to his penthouse. And she eagerly accepted her new lover’s protection…until she discovered his true identity: Justin Dupree, notorious playboy. Had he lied to her simply to seduce her? Lone Star Seduction He’d been the housekeeper’s son, foolish enough to fall for the boss’s daughter. Kicked to the kerb, Alex Montoya had become a self-made millionaire with one agenda: revenge. Now he had Rebecca Huntington exactly where he wanted her…THE MILLIONAIRE’S CLUB These millionaires are about to experience scandals and seduction.










The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress


by




Jennifer Lewis


and




Lone Star Seduction


by




Day Leclaire











www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)





The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress


by



Jennifer Lewis




THE TEXAS TATTLER

All The News You Need To Know…And More!


A mysterious fire on the Montoya ranch seems to be all anyone can talk about these days. Well, that and the fact that Justin dupree has been seen canoodling with an unnamed woman at The Millionaire’s Club. Could this be the same woman the Lone Star playboy has moved into his luxurious penthouse? because if we had to “name” this woman, we’d be calling her Alicia Montoya…and that would equal a whole passel of trouble.



For, not long ago, we recall a certain dupree brother accusing a certain Montoya brother of some dirty deeds. Has the hatchet been buried between these families…or is the feud about to go into overdrive when word of the dupree-Montoya merger (and we mean that, literally) gets out?


Jennifer Lewis has been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember and is thrilled to be able to share them with readers. She has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and worked in media and the arts before she grew bold enough to put pen to paper. Happily settled in New York with her family, she would love to hear from readers at jen@jenlewis.com. Visit her website at www. jenlewis.com.

For Anne, Carol, Jerri, Kate, Leeanne and Marie


Dear Reader,



As you can probably tell from the title of this book, my heroine Alicia Montoya is a virgin. A twenty-six-year-old virgin.



I can already hear the scoffs of disbelief. People seem incredulous that a woman could grow into adulthood without ever experiencing sex. I suspect, however, that there are a lot more adult virgins out there than many people realize.



For Alicia, a strict convent-school upbringing and a protective older brother built a strong moral code and kept her chastity belt firmly locked. before she knew it, she’d missed that “window of opportunity” in the late teen years, when most of us dip our feet in the waters of sensuality.



It happens. I know people who were in the same situation. Outgoing, fun, friendly women who just never met the right person and suddenly found themselves in their mid-twenties, wondering what went wrong. At that point sexual inexperience can become awkward, an embarrassing and shameful secret.



Luckily for Alicia, she meets just the man to help her explore her sexuality in a nonjudgmental way. Alicia’s innocence and sweetness are, in turn, refreshing—and ultimately life changing—for jaded Justin dupree. I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.



Jennifer Lewis




Chapter One


Who on earth could be calling at this time of night?

Alicia Montoya reached out from under the covers and groped for the phone on her bedside table. She squinted at the green numerals on the clock.

2:07. What the heck?

She lifted the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“You’re okay. Thank God.”

“Who is this?” Her sleepy whisper was barely audible.

“Hi, beautiful.”

Oh, boy. His rich, deep voice flowed into her ear and started to awaken parts of her she’d never even known she had until she met Rick Jones. “Hi, Rick.”

“I’m so glad you’re fine.”

Alicia glanced at the clock again. “I was fine until the phone woke me. Didn’t I tell you not to call me at home?”

She wondered if her brother Alex had heard the phone. Probably. She was a deep sleeper so it may have been ringing for a while.

Pretty much nothing could happen in the Houston-metro area without her brother being aware of it. Any minute now he’d come barreling in to see what was going on.

“Sweetheart, are you sure you’re not married?” Rick teased her relentlessly about her insistence on keeping their relationship secret.

If you could call it a relationship. They hadn’t actually kissed yet, but they’d held hands once. That counted, right?

“I’m most definitely not married.” She laughed. “Not even close. But I told you my brother is insanely overprotective. Believe me, you do not want him to know you’re calling me at two in the morning.”

“Why not? You’re a grown woman. You can do whatever you want at two in the morning.” His tone suggested there were some delicious things they could be doing together at this very moment.

Alicia wriggled under her warm sheets. What would it be like to have Rick right here in bed with her? To run her fingertips over his hard chest or through his silky dark hair?

She had no idea what that would be like, and if Alex learned about Rick, she wouldn’t get a chance to find out.

“Trust me on this. It’s better if he doesn’t know about you. Why are you calling me in the middle of the night, anyway? To torment me with the sound of your sexy voice?”

She smiled in the privacy of darkness. She’d never met a man she felt so comfortable around. With Rick, she could relax enough to tease and flirt. To just…be herself.

“Actually, I was calling to see if you’re okay. I’m watching TV and there’s breaking coverage of a big fire in Somerset right now. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in the dark but it almost looks like El Diablo.”

“What?” Alicia wondered if she was dreaming. “Our ranch is fine.”

Still, fear pricked through her and she slid out of bed onto the cool wood floor. “Hold on, let me look out the window.” She hurried across the room and pulled back the thick curtains.

“Oh, my God.” Her hand flew to her mouth. An orange glow pierced the darkness.

The flashing lights of emergency vehicles moved along the drive through the ranch, and even through the insulated glass she heard the throb of a helicopter circling overhead.

“It’s on fire! The barn! Oh, no, the animals are in there—” She darted across the dark room to the closet.

“I’m coming over.”

“No, please don’t.” Panic flashed through her as she tugged on jeans under her nightshirt. “Whatever’s going on, you coming here will make it worse. I have to find Alex. The calves…” She struggled to pull on a pair of boots. “I’ve got to go.”

“Please, let me come.”

“No, Rick. Not now. I’ll call you as soon as I can.” She hung up the phone.

“Alex!” She called out into the hallway of the big ranch house.

A light shone downstairs, and Alex’s bedroom door stood open. “Alex, are you here?”

No answer.

She dashed down the stairs two at a time and ran to the front door. She opened it to the smell of smoke and the wail of sirens.

A mass of heaving flame engulfed the barn roof and lit the darkness all the way to the house. “Alex!”

Alicia took off running across the lawn that separated the house from the barn. She could see figures moving, running in the eerie glow from the fire. Shouting mingled with the roar of flames crackling, wood splintering and water gushing from hoses.

“Alex, where are you?” Fear made her voice crack.

Alex was always at the center of everything. She knew with every cell of her body that he was inside that burning barn.

Heart pounding, she raced toward the fire. He might be bossy and overbearing, but he was also the best brother and the warmest, most caring man in the world.

He’d raised her since their parents died and managed to scrape and struggle to provide a good life for them—a wonderful life, now that he was so successful.

A figure rushed up to her in the dark and she recognized one of the ranch hands. “Diego, have you seen Alex?”

“He sent me to wake you. He said to make sure you stay inside the house until he comes.”

“He’s okay?”

Diego hesitated. “He’s trying to rescue the calves.”

“Oh, no! I knew he was in there. We have to get him out.” She started running to the barn.

Diego grabbed her sleeve. “Miss Alicia, please. Alex wouldn’t want you near the fire.”

“I don’t care what that stubborn fool wants. I’ve got to get him out of there.”

She wrenched her arm free and took off running again. She wasn’t the Our Lady of Fatima senior track champion for nothing.

She heard Diego behind her, pleading for her to stop, protesting that Alex had personally entrusted him with her safety and that if he found out—

“There he is!” She saw him emerge from the vast doorway on one side of the barn, driving a herd of calves in front of him.

The young cows were confused and ran in all directions—even trying to get back into the burning barn—as the workers tried to shove them out into the safety of the darkness.

Alicia ran into their midst and grabbed hold of the collar of the calf nearest her. “Come on, princess, you don’t want to go back in there.” She tugged it away from the doorway.

The hot glow of flame brightened the inside of the barn and seared her skin like noonday sun. Cinders whirled in the smoky air, and ash pricked at her eyes. Every instinct told her to run far, far away.

But she turned to see Alex heading back inside. She gave the calf a slap on the rump to drive it out and plunged for the doorway, toward Alex.

“Alejandro Montoya! You get out of that burning barn or I’ll—”

Alex wheeled around. “Alicia, you shouldn’t be here. I told Diego—”

“I know what you told Diego, but I’m here now and you need to get out of this barn before the roof collapses. The whole ridgeline is on fire!”

He frowned and glanced back into the barn. “I’ll just check to make sure they’re all out.”

“No!” She grabbed the front of his shirt. His face was almost black with soot but his dark eyes gleamed with purpose.

Desperation made tears spring to her eyes. “Don’t risk your life!”

“We’ve got them all out!” A voice shouted from the darkness. “I counted. All forty-five calves are safe.”

“Thank God.” Alex grabbed Alicia and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift that knocked the breath from her lungs.

Alicia fought the urge to kick and protest his overbearing reaction. But he was running from the barn, so at least she’d got him heading in the right direction.

“You need to get back in the house and stay there until I come for you!” he shouted as he set her down on her feet a safe distance from the barn.

“I’m not a child, Alex. I can help.”

“Nothing’s going to help save the barn.” Alex winced as a sidewall gave way and the roof started to lean to one side, like a ship keeling over in rough seas.

“It was here before the house. It’s over a hundred years old. It’s been home and shelter to thousands of animals, and now…” He shook his head.

Alicia bit her lip. She knew how much every inch of this ranch meant to her brother. He’d sweated and saved and worked so hard for it.

Buying El Diablo had been a crowning moment in both of their lives. The proof that despite all the odds stacked against them, they’d made it and were going to be fine.

She looked back at the barn, now a heaving mass of bright flame. “What happened?”

“We don’t know. The fire came out of nowhere. Thank heaven we have smoke alarms that woke Dave and Manny in the apartment above it. They called the fire department, but the building was already going up by the time the first truck arrived.”

A tall man strode toward them. Reflected flames illuminated his police badge and the handcuffs glinting at his waist.

“This way, please.” He gestured to the driveway where a host of different emergency vehicles winked and flashed their lights in the orange half-light. “We need you all in one place.”

“I’m the owner,” Alex said. “I need to protect my animals.”

The tall policeman squared his shoulders. “Everyone must be interviewed for the investigation.”

“What do you mean, investigation?” Alicia squinted through the firelit darkness.

“It’s early yet, but the fire marshal thinks this fire was deliberately set. They found empty gas containers near where the blaze started.”

Alicia bit her lip. Who would do this?

Alex stood up for himself, and as a result he’d made some enemies, but who could hate him—or her—enough to destroy the ranch?

“Arson?” Alex’s voice rumbled like a train. “If I find out who did it I’ll—”

“Please, sir. Come this way. We have to take a statement from everyone, and I need your cooperation.”

Alex blew out a snort of disgust and took Alicia’s hand. “Whoever did this will pay.”

She kept her mouth shut. No use arguing with him at a time like this. Better to get him out of danger and focus on getting through this awful night.

They picked their way across the grass. An ember landed on Alex’s shirt and Alicia slapped it out with her palm.

A strange thought occurred to her. “Didn’t Lance Brody’s place have a fire recently?”

“There was a blaze at Brody Oil and Gas, yes. That swine had the nerve to accuse me of setting it. As if I would stoop to something like that.” He clucked his tongue.

She frowned. “If Lance Brody really thinks you burned his building, could he have done this as revenge?”

She could tell by the look on Alex’s face that he’d already thought of this. The rivalry between Alex and Lance Brody went back all the way to Maverick High School, where they’d jostled for position on the soccer team. The last thing she needed was to fan the flames of that rivalry.

“I’m sure it wasn’t him.” She waved her hand in the smoky air. “I don’t know why I just said that. Why would a successful businessman get involved in a criminal act?”

“They have paid flunkeys to do their dirty work,” Alex growled. “I wouldn’t put anything past Lance Brody, or his brother, Mitch. I’ve been a burr under their saddles for years. Maybe this is their way of trying to push me out of town.”

He turned to the barn, where the roof had now collapsed and flames licked out of the hayloft windows.

His eyes flashed with a mix of anger and pain. “But no one’s going to run me off El Diablo, and whoever did this will regret the day they were born.”



At lunch the next day, Alex paced back and forth across the dining room at the ranch, his burger growing cold on the plate.

“Alicia, it’s not safe for you here right now. If someone’s out to get me, who knows what they’ll try next. You can stay with El Gato.”

Alicia looked up from her plate as goose bumps spread over her skin. “I’ll be fine here. Besides, you need someone to look after you.”

She pointed to his plate with her best schoolmarm expression. “Eat your food.”

“I’m serious, ‘Manita. It’s not safe.”

“Staying with Paul ‘El Gato’ Rodriquez is what’s not safe. I know you won’t hear a word against him, but everyone knows he’s involved in drug trafficking.”

Alex grunted as he slid into his chair. “They just don’t like to see a Latino make a lot of money. You’d be shocked if you knew how many people think I’m involved with drugs or guns or something. They don’t think we can make money the old-fashioned way like they do.”

He took a bite of his hamburger. “That’s why joining the Texas Cattleman’s Club was such a big deal for me. When I’m there, I’m one of them, a member of the club. They have to smile at me and act polite, even if they’d really prefer to see me hang.” He grinned. “I love that.”

Alicia hated the way her brother still felt like an outsider, even now that he was one of the richest men in the area.

“You were accepted into the Texas Cattleman’s Club because you’re a man of honor and an upstanding member of Somerset society. You are one of them.”

“That’s one of the many reasons why I love you, sis. You have such great faith in the human spirit.” He winked as he took a sip of soda. “But you’re still not staying here. El Gato can protect you from anything.”

“I’m sure he can. He’s probably got nine millimeters stashed in the trunk of his car, but frankly that kind of ‘protection’ makes me nervous.”

“He’s one of us. When the going gets tough, sometimes it’s better to stick with your own.”

“I don’t consider a suspected criminal to be one of ‘my own’ in any way.”

“You know what I mean. When you come from the barrio, you see the world a little differently.”

“You’re talking as if I didn’t grow up in the same house as you.” Alicia bristled. She hated when her brother treated her like a kid. “I was there, too, remember? I know what hard times are like, and I’m more than glad to have left them behind. You need to get rid of that chip on your shoulder,” she said, still trying to figure out how to change Alex’s mind. “I could go stay with one of the neighbors.”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “I don’t trust those people. Not right now.”

“How about Maria Nunez? You’ve known her as long as I have. You let me sleep over at her house when we were in school. I’m sure she won’t mind me staying a few nights.”

He grunted. “I always suspected that Maria of having a wild streak. Still, her parents are good people. Does she live at home?”

Alicia laughed. “No. She’s twenty-six years old, remember? She has an apartment in Bellaire. Very safe area.”

“If she’s not married, she should be at home with her family.” Alex took a swig of coffee.

“It’s not the nineteenth century anymore, Alex. Deal with it. I’ll call her right away. If she says no, then I’ll go to El Gato, okay?”

The lie tingled on her tongue for a second, since she had no intention of going anywhere near Paul Rodriquez and his crew of scary henchmen, even if he was Alex’s oldest friend.

Alex clucked with disapproval. “Stubborn.”

“Sensible.” She smiled sweetly. “You know I am. Don’t you trust me?”

Her heart fluttered as she realized he had every reason not to.

“All right, you can stay with Maria. You are sensible, and I’m very proud of you. I love you like crazy, ‘Manita, you know that?”

“I do, and I love you, too, you big bear of a brother.” She rounded the table and gave him a kiss on his thick head of hair before going upstairs, heart pounding.

Alicia closed her bedroom door carefully before picking up her phone.

She hadn’t even dared add Rick’s number to her favorites, in case Alex happened to pick up her phone and notice a new number there among her old friends from school.

Anticipation mingled with anxiety made her fingers twitchy as she dialed.

It rang only once.

“Hey, beautiful.” That soft, seductive voice.

A smile spread over her face. “What if I’m not looking at all beautiful right now?”

“Impossible. You can’t help it,” he said, making her feel warm all over. “I saw on the news they put the fire out and that no one was hurt. What a relief.”

“Tell me about it. We rescued every single calf, only a few scrapes and cuts on them. The barn is gone, though. Nothing left but soggy blackened wood. And there was a six-month supply of good hay in there that we’d put up for the winter.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it was insured.”

“It was, but the barn is irreplaceable. It was one of the first buildings in Somerset. A true historic landmark. I was hoping to get it preservation status, but I guess I can forget about that now.” She sighed. “It could have been much worse. If the wind was blowing harder, the house could have caught fire.”

“I wish I were there to give you a hug.”

“Trust me, I could really use one.”

“Then since you won’t let me set foot on El Diablo, you’re going to have to come here to get one.”

Adrenaline flashed through Alicia. How could she ask this delicately? Or even indelicately? “Can I spend the night with you?”

A beat of silence made her pulse throb, but it was followed by a rushed, “Of course.” His enthusiasm almost made her laugh.

“Wow, that sounded bad, didn’t it? It’s just that Alex doesn’t think it’s safe for me to stay here. The police think the fire was set deliberately and he’s worried the arsonist will come back to finish the job. He wants me to go stay with an old school friend of his, but I don’t like the guy.”

“I don’t want you near any guy except me. And in case you didn’t know, my suite at the Omni has four bedrooms.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Not even a little. Pack your bags and come on over.”

“My car was parked behind the barn. It pretty much melted.”

“No sweat, I’ll come get you.” She could almost hear him panting like an excited puppy.

She smiled. “I don’t think so. If Alex sees your car, it’ll ruin everything. I’ll ask him to drive me to the Texas Cattleman’s Club. That way he won’t suspect anything and you can pick me up there. I could be there by four this afternoon.”

“I’ll meet you outside.”

Alicia frowned. It might be nice to hang out at the club a while. She wouldn’t mind showing her new beau off to her friends. But maybe he’d just want to get her bags back to his place.

Or get her back to his place.

A naughty smile snuck across her lips and her body tingled with anticipation. She’d be all alone with Rick in his hotel suite, and she had a feeling that tonight would be a night she’d never forget.

“Great, I’ll meet you by the front door. See you then.”

She hung up the phone, downright jumpy with excitement.

She’d recently bought some sexy lingerie at Sweet Nothings in anticipation of becoming more intimate with Rick. She had it hidden away in the back of her dresser drawer so Alex wouldn’t stumble across it while looking for something.

Now hopefully she’d finally get a chance to put it on—and watch Rick take it off.



Justin pressed the button to raise the roof on his Porsche convertible. He wasn’t sure Alicia would appreciate the wind in her hair.

Like every inch of her that he’d had the pleasure to see so far, her dark hair was silky smooth and perfectly groomed.

And he was looking forward to seeing a lot more of her now that he’d have her all to himself, in his suite, for days—and nights—on end.

He’d like to see desire flare in those big brown eyes, and run his eager hands all over her glowing olive skin.

A wicked grin spread across his face.

Then he wiped if off.

Cool your jets. First of all, Alicia was traumatized by the fire at the ranch she shared with her brother. She needed his support, not his hands pawing all over her.

Second, she had no idea who he really was.

He cursed and tapped his fingers impatiently on the wheel as he waited at a traffic light.

Why did he have to call himself Rick Jones when he met her?

Sure, he used the name often, but usually for making hotel reservations or when he met someone who had “gold digger” written all over her. There were definitely times when being Justin Dupree—of those Duprees—was a serious liability.

Once people knew he had more money than God, they treated him differently. And he was tired of the society press tailing him like a bloodhound, looking for more stories for their gossip columns. Thanks to them, he now had an embarrassing reputation as a playboy that was really only half-deserved.

Okay, maybe three-quarters. But that was all in the past.

He was thirty now and more settled. He wasn’t so excited about partying all night. Lately, he wanted to spend quality time getting to know a woman before he slept with her.

Take Alicia. How many dates had they been on? Maybe eight, and he still hadn’t slept with her.

Or even kissed her.

He blew out a breath. The light turned green and he honked his horn to get the car in front of him moving. Eight dates and not even a kiss on the lips? That was ridiculous. And he wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened, either.

There was something so perfect about Alicia, so pure and sweet and gentle, that he never quite felt right about asking her back to his place. She was the kind of girl you’d send flowers to, the kind whose parents you’d chat with when you picked her up at her house. The kind you’d buy a corsage for on prom night.

Except that they were both adults and her parents had been dead for years. Why did Alicia Montoya turn him from a hardened ladies’ man back into an eager and apprehensive schoolboy?

He wove through traffic on the beltway and took the exit for Somerset. Alicia Montoya was something else, and he didn’t mind waiting for the chance to weave his fingers into her soft hair.

“I’m not Rick Jones.” How hard was it to just say it?

One snag was that Alex knew him. He’d used the alias partly so he could ask Alicia about Alex and maybe dig up some useful information about him for Mitch and Lance Brody. If he actually did go to El Diablo, Alex would recognize him from the club.

And then there was Alicia herself.

Usually once he told a girl he was actually Justin Dupree, she laughed off the deception and fawned all over him, thrilled to be dating the notorious shipping heir instead of some regular guy.

Alicia though…

He let out a low whistle. He suspected she wouldn’t take the deception lightly. She’d gone to a convent school, for crying out loud. She carried white linen handkerchiefs in her purse. Her French-tipped fingernails did not look like they’d ever been anywhere Mother Superior wouldn’t approve of.

Did he really want to blow his chance of feeling those luscious, manicured nails rake down his back?

No. He didn’t. Which was why he wasn’t going to mention the little name issue just yet. He’d wait until the drama of the fire blew over. Until he’d held her in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Until he’d made hot, wild love to her all night long.

Then he’d tell her.




Chapter Two


Alicia paced under the elegant awning outside the Texas Cattleman’s Club.

Bees buzzed around flowers blooming in the carved-stone planters. Sunlight glistened on the polished-marble walkway and flashed off the brass accents on the door as members came and went, waving hello and stopping to commiserate about the fire.

Alicia tried to act normal, as though she wasn’t about to embark on possibly the biggest “first” in her life.

She’d never spent the night at a man’s house before.

She’d never…

She’d never done a lot of things, and she hoped to rectify that, starting tonight.

The hushed sound of a powerful engine made her glance up. Rick pulled up in front of the awning and leaned out of the driver’s seat of his silver Porsche.

The sun shone in his tousled dark hair. “How do you manage to look more gorgeous every time I see you?” He cocked his head and fixed his bold blue eyes on hers.

Alicia blushed. She had gone to a little extra effort with her appearance today. She wanted everything to be perfect.

She gestured to her luggage. “I tried not to pack too much stuff. Just some clothes for work and a few casual things.”

Like the pretty lingerie she’d bought last week.

He stowed her bags in the trunk. Black tailored slacks clung to his powerful thighs and a well-cut polo shirt emphasized the width of his shoulders. Was it fair for a man to be so dangerously handsome?

She could hardly believe he was interested in her.

“Do you want to go in?” She gestured to the front door. Cara was inside and she’d love to see the look on her friend’s face when she got an eyeful of Rick.

Although she’d met him at the club, she wasn’t sure if he was a member. The couple of times she’d mentioned his name to friends, she’d drawn blank stares.

He hesitated and glanced at the double doors that led into the wood-paneled sanctuary. “I’d actually rather get back to the hotel. I have a business call coming. Nothing major, it won’t take long.”

“Oh, no problem. Let’s go then.” She tried not to let her disappointment show.

Of course he had business to conduct. She wasn’t exactly sure what he did, but judging from the car he drove and the fact that he had a four-bedroom suite at the Houston Omni, it must be pretty darn important. She couldn’t expect him to put his whole life on hold because she needed a place to stay.



At the Omni, the bellhop removed Alicia’s bags from the trunk and she felt strangely weightless as she watched them disappear across the glistening marble floor of the lobby.

No turning back now.

Not that she wanted to. Rick was so thoughtful and sweet. He squeezed her hand as they walked to the bank of elevators.

She squeezed back, trying not to let her nerves show. He had no idea this was new for her. That she’d never spent the night with a man before.

Or, in fact, ever had sex.

At age twenty-six.

How shocked would he be if he knew? At this point, it was such a humiliating secret, she even kept it from her girlfriends. Only Maria—who she’d stayed close to since high school—knew the terrible truth.

When Alicia had asked permission to use her as an alibi for her stay at Rick’s, Maria had been so excited she could barely get words out. “Who is he?” she asked. “Is he cute? I’ll only lie for you if you promise to go all the way!”

Alicia had laughed off Maria’s exhortations, but being a virgin at twenty-six was no laughing matter.

She flashed Rick a smile as he pressed the elevator button.

She wasn’t even quite sure how it had happened. One minute she was a teenager telling boys she wasn’t that kind of girl, the next she was looking in the mirror wondering where her so-called youth went.

Now she’d found the right man to finally initiate her into womanhood. Rick was perfect. Almost too perfect, in fact. She knew Alex would be suspicious of him.

But then Alex was suspicious of everyone.

“Be it ever so humble…” Rick winked as he slid the keycard into the lock.

“Oh, my.” Alicia’s jaw dropped as the door opened to an elegant interior, lush with fine fabrics and gleaming antiques. “This is a hotel room?”

“Not really. It’s more of a furnished apartment with all the amenities. Not too many apartment buildings come with room service, and with all the traveling I do, it’s nice to have everything taken care of.”

“I guess if you don’t have a wife to take care of you, a hotel staff is the next best thing.” She smiled, looking around the luxurious environment.

Rick’s silence made her turn.

Alicia bit her lip. A wife? What on earth was she thinking? Now he’d suspect her of auditioning for the role.

“And I guess you don’t have to worry about mowing your lawn.” She tried to push the conversation forward, to distract from her gaffe. “But you probably wouldn’t anyway.”

Duh! Rick Jones had probably never mowed a lawn in his life. Men who hung out at the Texas Cattleman’s Club had “people” for that.

She and Alex were probably the only members who weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths. Another reminder that she was out of her element here in Rick’s luxurious penthouse.

“Which bedroom would you like? We’re on the corner so each one gives you a different view of the city.”

He ushered her into a large room with gold draperies, an elegant sleigh bed and a panoramic view west over the Galleria area.

“Gee, I don’t know if this is fancy enough for me.” Alicia grinned.

“I see what you mean. And really, the morning light is better from the east.”

He guided her out the door. Pleasure shivered through her at the feel of his hand at the base of her spine.

They entered a room with a large four-poster bed laden with embroidered pillows. Elegant white draperies fluttered slightly in the air-conditioner breeze. The view across the treetops of Memorial Park—all the way to the shimmering skyscrapers of downtown Houston—was breathtaking.

“Then again, sometimes it’s annoying being woken up too early.”

Gentle pressure from his palm sent heat snaking through her belly. She allowed him to ease her out the door.

The third bedroom had a Japanese flavor with willow-green draperies and images of cranes and lilies on the wall.

The bedpost and furniture were crafted from elegant bamboo. A bubbling fountain ornamented one corner of the bright space.

The view looked down on a wooded bend in the river—a strangely wild vista for this part of the world—and added to the impression of a lush retreat.

Alicia smiled. “Pretty! I like this one.”

“Make yourself at home. You can stay as long as you want. And I mean that quite literally. I have the suite reserved for the next two years.”

She laughed. How much money did this guy have? This suite probably cost ten thousand dollars a night. “Hopefully, my brother will let me come back home before then, but I appreciate the offer.”

Rick’s striking blue eyes fixed on hers. “Now, dinner. I usually have it sent up from the hotel restaurant, but we could go out if you prefer.”

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“If you insisted on me cooking it myself, I think we’d both be in trouble, but as long as professionals are involved, it’s no trouble at all.” A naughty dimple appeared in his left cheek. “Let me get you a menu.”

He slipped out of the room, leaving Alicia to catch her breath.

Her heart pounded under her pale-blue blouse and her high heels sank into the soft carpet.

Houston lay at her feet like a rug unfurled, the sun setting over the trees and rooftops casting a soft glow over the delicate furnishings of the lovely bedroom.

Tonight was the night. By tomorrow morning she’d be a woman in every sense of the word.

Rick appeared in the door with the menu, startling her out of her thoughts. “If you don’t like anything on the menu, we can talk to the chef. He’s a pretty cool guy. He knows I’m wild about lobster so he saves the best ones for me.”

“I love lobster.” Alicia looked up. “I always feel guilty eating something that can live so long, but they’re too delicious.”

“Done.” Rick snatched the menu from her fingertips, which tingled as his hand brushed against them. “And your visit here definitely calls for champagne.”

They ate in the suite’s formal dining room. Champagne sparkled in crystal flutes as candlelight illuminated the details in the wood-paneled walls, and cast shadows across the white, linen tablecloth.

The chef had prepared them an array of different sauces for the lobster and some creative and colorful salads.

The champagne tickled her nose and she was careful to take only the tiniest of sips so she wouldn’t get tipsy. She didn’t want to miss a single minute of tonight.

Rick leaned forward. “Does Alex have any suspects for the fire?”

Guilt speared Alicia as she realized she’d totally forgotten about Alex and the fire. “I don’t think so, but there was a suspicious fire at the Brody headquarters a while back and they had the nerve to blame Alex, so being a guy, he’s decided the Brodys might be responsible.”

For a moment, she thought she saw a shadow flit across Rick’s face. He picked up his glass and took a sip. “I’d think you’d be friends with the Brodys. They’re members of the Cattleman’s Club.”

“Yes, but Alex and Lance have this dumb rivalry dating back to high school. I’m glad it’s not medieval times or they’d be challenging each other to jousts. Typical macho silliness.”

“So, you don’t believe Lance Brody set the fire?” His expression was strangely serious.

“Of course not. Why would a successful businessman want to burn down our barn? That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

She hesitated. “Alex does have some enemies, though. No one who’d really want to hurt him, but he’s trodden on a few toes over the years.”

“Haven’t we all? It’s part of being successful.”

She sighed and nodded. “And he rose so far so fast, it put some people’s noses out of joint. Did you know Alex used to be the groundskeeper at the club?”

“You’re kidding me.” His look of genuine shock made her wonder if she shouldn’t have told him.

Did Alex want people reminded of his humble beginnings?

“Not for long. Just during part of high school and college. He used to mow the lawns after class. Once his import-export business took off, he quit and he’s never looked back.”

“I had no idea.” Rick raised a brow. “Alex sounds like quite a character.”

“He’s an amazing man.”

“And I guess he doesn’t think any guy is good enough for his baby sister.” A smile lifted one side of his mouth. “Is that why you won’t let me near the house?”

Alicia laughed. “He’s overprotective. It drives me nuts. I know he’s only like that because he cares about me, but come on—I’m twenty-six!”

He leveled a serious blue gaze at her. “Maybe you should get your own place.”

“Oh, I’ve thought about it, but as far as Alex is concerned, a girl doesn’t leave home until she goes to live with her husband.”

She blanched. Once again she’d managed to raise the specter of marriage. That spooked most guys right out of the room. “It’s a Mexican thing. We’re very traditional. You learn to work around it.”

At least some people did. Maria had lived on her own for three years.

Maybe I’m just the lamest wimp on earth.

She fished inside her lobster claw, hoping he’d change the subject.



Was he crazy to want an affair with Alicia? Alex Montoya was not someone to tangle with.

Lord knew he put enough distance between himself and his own interfering relatives. Did he really want to get involved with a woman whose brother hovered over her like a shadow?

Justin watched her probe into the red depths of her lobster claw like a surgeon with a scalpel.

She looked up. “What?”

“I’ve never seen someone eat a lobster with such meticulous precision.”

“I like to enjoy every delicious morsel.” She smiled and popped a tender piece into her mouth. Like everything else in Alicia’s world, her plate was perfectly ordered, not a lettuce leaf out of place.

“You’re very detail-oriented.”

“I’m a museum curator. We’re probably the most detail-oriented people on earth. Except maybe for mail-service workers. But at least we don’t have to worry about going postal.”

She shot him an infectious grin, then returned to surgery on her lobster.

“I didn’t know you were a curator. You must be very accomplished to hold that position at your age.”

He’d been impressed and intrigued when she told him she worked at the museum, but for some reason he’d assumed she gave tours or taught classes there. It didn’t occur to him she was running the show.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” A delicate blush darkened her cheeks. “I’m just passionate about my work. The Somerset Museum of Natural History was just getting started when I joined as an archivist. The original curator left for a job at the Smithsonian, and I kind of stepped into the role.”

“I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never been to the museum. What kinds of artifacts do you have?”

“It’s an interesting mix. Most of it came from a huge private collection started almost a century ago. Dinosaur bones, fossils, meteorites, that kind of thing. We have some Native American artifacts from a different private collection. My focus has been on objects unique to the Houston area, and in particular to Somerset. This region has some interesting history. People seem to forget that when they talk about knocking down old buildings to put up a strip mall.”

Justin’s ears pricked up. “You mean the redevelopment of downtown Somerset?”

“Exactly.” Alicia tossed her head, which made her thick dark hair swing over her shoulders, golden highlights sparkling in the candlelight. “That would be a travesty.”

Interesting. He’d heard rumors that Alex had blocked the redevelopment of a key area that could have meant a big windfall to a couple of club members, including Kevin Novak. “Wouldn’t redevelopment be good for the local economy?”

“That’s what some people say, but our downtown area is one of the most well-preserved main streets in Texas. The architectural style is unique. Come on, have you ever seen corbelling like the fascia of the old town hall?”

Justin laughed, impressed by her command of architecture. “I can honestly say I haven’t.” Longhorn cattle with brass horns jutted out beneath the metal roof of the grand old building—Texas-style gargoyles. “I admit the aspirations of the town’s founders were writ large in those buildings. It does have its own charm.”

Alicia nodded, passion shining in her dark eyes. “And that would all be lost if they were bulldozed to make way for more generic big-box stores. It’s like the stuff I see in my job. Once upon a time, that fossil was just another boring insect or fish or leaf. Now it’s the only one of its kind that’s survived to the present day. A unique glimpse into another time that enriches our understanding of the world around us and its history.”

“I’ve never heard that perspective before.” He frowned. “I suspect most people would rather have a dry cleaner closer to home or a Mega Mart where they can get cheap groceries.”

“I’m not saying those things aren’t important, but downtown Somerset is too special to let it be lost forever. There are plenty of bland, ugly buildings that can be torn down instead.” She flashed a wicked grin. “I’d be happy to give them some suggestions.”

“Maybe you should.”

Justin frowned. He was getting a very different impression of the Montoya family than the one he’d formed based on idle gossip.

He’d assumed her brother stood up to block the redevelopment because he had his own profit-making agenda for the area. Now it almost seemed like he’d stalled the new development to make his history-buff sister happy.

This was not the fearsome and dangerous Alex Montoya of local legend.

Justin sipped his wine and peered at Alicia through narrowed eyes. “What would you do with the downtown?”

“I’d love to see it become a tourist attraction. Some of the buildings are ideal for upscale retail, or for quaint bed-and-breakfast accommodation. I don’t think many people in the Houston area have any idea how beautiful Somerset is. It could become popular as a weekend getaway, and that would bring business and tax revenue to the town without destroying its unique charm.”

“I’d hire you to do that in a heartbeat.”

“Shame you can’t.” Her luscious lips turned into a smile that heated his blood. “Or can you?” Her brows lifted. “You haven’t told me what you do.”

Oh, I’m just heir to the largest shipping operation in the western hemisphere.

He wasn’t at all sure how she’d react. But if he told her, he’d also have to confess that he was Justin Dupree, not Rick Jones.

“Nothing very interesting. Pushing papers around.”

She cocked her head, which made her earrings sparkle in the candlelight. “Didn’t you have an important phone call to make?”

“A phone call?”

“At the club, you said you couldn’t stay because you had a phone call?”

“Oh, yes.”

His little white lie to explain why he couldn’t go inside. Once you started with this stuff it was hard to stop.

Still, he didn’t want anyone to greet him with a hearty “Hey, Justin” until he’d had a chance to dig himself out of this hole he’d gotten into.

“I forgot about that call. But no matter. The world will continue to turn on its axis.”

“I’m sorry to be a distraction. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

Her look of concern touched something inside him.

“You are the best distraction I’ve ever encountered and I’d face all kinds of trouble to spend an evening with you. Tell me more about the natural history of Somerset. Were there dinosaurs around here?”

The sparkle in her eyes made him lean forward so he could enjoy their glow. “Absolutely.”



Alicia was sure Rick’s eyes would glaze over when she told him about the dig she’d helped out on last summer. Instead, his interest seemed to deepen with each detail she revealed.

Those intense blue irises stayed fixed on hers as she described each bone they unearthed, and how they had preserved and stored them for reassembly at the museum.

If she wasn’t mistaken he seemed…fascinated.

The candlelight flickered over the hard planes of his handsome face while he asked intriguing questions and actually listened to her answers.

Which only increased the turmoil of excitement in her stomach. How could anyone be this wonderful?

He’d said he pushed papers for a living, but his tan suggested time spent outdoors and the athletic cut of his body belonged to a man of action. There was clearly more to discover about Rick Jones.

But everything she’d learned so far had her dangerously close to falling in love with the man.

Her dessert fork clinked against her glass as she set it down too hard.

They’d known each other less than three weeks. She had no intention of actually falling in love with him or anyone else. But you didn’t have to be in love to kiss.

Her mouth twitched at the prospect of pressing her lips to his. His mouth was wide, mobile, with a way of lifting slightly higher on one side than the other like he had a naughty secret.

“I have a secret.” His words took her by surprise, as if he’d spoken her thoughts aloud.

“You do?” Her pulse quickened.

“I had something made for you.” His blue eyes twinkled.

Alicia stared at him. “What?” She hoped it wasn’t freaky lingerie with slits in strange places. Maybe now she’d discover the dark side of Rick Jones. There had to be something horribly wrong with him, didn’t there?

Rick reached into his pocket, which really set her heart pounding.

Of course it’s not a ring, you idiot. He barely knows you. Stop watching so many old movies.

He pulled out a jewelry box.

He laughed at her expression. “Don’t panic. It doesn’t bite.” That wicked dimple deepened as he handed her the box over the remains of their pecan pie.

Alicia took it with shaking fingers and tried not to look like he’d just given her a stick of dynamite. She flipped the lid.

A single blue gem attached to a fine silver chain sparkled against white velvet. A bold five-pointed star shone through the glittering facets.

“Texas topaz! Oh, my goodness, it’s lovely.”

The sparkly stone was almost the same haunting blue as Rick’s eyes.

“I found the stone years ago on a trip into the Texas Hill country. The rock-hound friend I was with couldn’t believe I found a gem like this on my first try. I never knew what to do with it.”

He glanced down at the box in her hand. “When you told me you worked at the natural history museum, I knew I’d been saving it for you. I had it cut at a place downtown.”

“Julie’s Gems? Julie’s been my biggest supporter in saving the historic buildings.”

“That’s the place.” He grinned. “And I noticed you wear blue a lot. It kind of matches the dress you have on.”

Alicia tried not to melt into a puddle on the floor. “You are without a doubt the most thoughtful and generous man I’ve ever met.” She couldn’t keep emotion out of her voice. “It’s beautiful. Let me try it on.”

“I’ll help you.” He rose and rounded the table.

Alicia stood, smoothing out the skirt of the simple silk dress she’d changed into for dinner.

She did wear blue almost every day. It had always been her favorite color.

She lifted the single flawless gem out of its box and dangled it on the pretty chain. Pleasure and anticipation tingled through her as Rick moved behind her.

His spicy and intriguing scent wrapped around her, and she could feel the heat of his skin through their clothes. His fingertips brushed hers as he took the delicate necklace, and Alicia suppressed a shiver of delight.

He lifted the delicate chain around her neck and fastened the clasp.

“Let me see.” With a deft movement of his hands he spun her gently toward him. Their eyes met and a flash of something passed between them.

Pure lust, probably.

Not being experienced, Alicia couldn’t put a name to any of the sensations pouring through her.

Only inches separated her from Rick and as they stood facing each other, the space between them seemed to crackle with energy.

Rick held her gaze. “Magnificent.” His eyes rested not on the finely cut gem, but directly on hers, as if the compliment was intended for her rather than the jewel.

Alicia’s lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, she stared at Rick’s lips, issuing a silent invitation for them to join hers.

Their mouths met in an instant, lips crushing together as their arms slid around each other. Alicia heard a slight moan issue from her mouth as the warm, firm pressure of Rick’s kiss sent a wave of pleasure rippling to her toes.

Their tongues touched, tentative and gentle, asking a sensual question.

Rick’s broad hands closed around her waist, firm and steady. Her fingers reached up into his silky dark hair as their kiss deepened. Her breasts crushed against his chest, nipples hard with desire as he pulled her tighter into his embrace.

His thin polo shirt separated her from the taut muscle of his chest and suddenly she longed to strip off the layers of clothing between them. To feel his skin against hers.

Rick pulled his lips away slowly. The sensation hurt. She’d longed for this kiss and waited and hoped…And now it was over. But the ache of longing hadn’t diminished. It throbbed—stronger—deep inside her.

Alicia drew in a sharp breath. “Thank you.”

“For the kiss?” Rick tilted his head, bemused.

“For the necklace.” Heat rose up her neck. “But the kiss was lovely, too.”

And hopefully, just the beginning. Would he invite her into his room to spend the night? She hoped so, but how could she make that clear without being forward?

She’d spent so much time trying to keep boys’ hands away from anything below her neck that she had no idea how to encourage Rick in that direction now that she was ready.

“It’s late,” Rick murmured.

“Yes.” Hope flared in her heart.

They stood, arms entwined, lips inches apart. In her high heels she was almost his height, and if she dared she could reach up and kiss him again right now.

“I think we should go to bed.” Rick’s eyes glittered like sapphires.

“Oh, yes,” breathed Alicia. “I agree.” Her belly contracted with excitement.

“Let me show you to your room.”

She tried to keep a goofy grin off her face as they walked across the candlelit living room and into the hallway that led to her room.

Rick’s hand at her waist guided her gently, sending awareness trickling along her nerves. The rough silk of her dress chafed against her nipples even through the expensive bra she’d worn.

Tonight’s the night.

Alicia tried to keep her breathing steady as he opened the door and ushered her inside.

She’d left the room spotless and perfectly organized—just in case. No makeup scattered on the dressing table or pantyhose spread over the chairs. She’d even turned the sheets back and opened a sachet of lavender into a little dish to add a fresh, floral scent.

She shuddered slightly as Rick pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. She rubbed against him, startled and thrilled by the hard length in his pants. Heat flooded her limbs and she wondered if it would be indecent to start unbuckling his belt while she still had control of her fingers.

But he pulled back and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “Sleep tight, my beauty. I’ll see you in the morning.”

As the door closed behind him, Alicia fought the urge to scream with frustration.

What’s wrong with me?




Chapter Three


Justin leaned back against the closed door of his bedroom and cursed the lust that roared through his body like fire. He was hard as any rock in the Texas hills. His muscles ached and throbbed with the urge to pull Alicia closer. To undress her and lick every inch of her warm, silky body. To make her cry out in hunger and desire as he pleasured her all night long.

A low groan escaped his mouth and echoed in the still air of his bedroom.

Thank heaven he’d still managed to behave like a gentleman.

Alicia came to him looking for sanctuary, not seduction. She was shaken by the fire and by the strange accusations of arson flying through the rarefied air of Somerset. It was his duty to comfort her and make her feel safe.

He shook his head as if that might dislodge the lustful thoughts rambling around his brain. It wasn’t her fault she was built like a sex goddess, with curves that could bring a grown man to his knees.

He marched across his room and flipped on the jets in the shower.

Cold.



The sound of her own cry woke Alicia with a start.

She sat upright in bed and searched for the familiar digital face of her clock.

Instead, the stiff tick-tock of an antique carriage clock reminded her that she wasn’t at home. In the darkness she had no idea what time the strange clock read.

Sweat pricked her brow and images from her nightmare crowded her mind. The embroidered bedcover clung to her like the rich lace of the dress she’d been wearing in her dream.

A wedding dress.

Standing at a kind of altar—or was it outdoors?—she watched as handsome men in suits and evening dress approached, bearing gifts and smiling.

Some of them looked familiar, like Remy, the exchange student from France she’d dated (very) briefly her sophomore year of college. And Lars, the boy from Minnesota who’d made the mistake of challenging Alex to a game of tennis when he came to pick her up.

Others looked new, unfamiliar, each handsome and smiling and staring at her with the heat of passion in his eyes.

Until a fierce growl erupted out of the night—wait, wasn’t it day?—and sent each suitor scurrying into the distance, passion forgotten.

Stop! The silent words had scratched at her throat. Wait! Don’t leave me here all alone.

Please?

A sob rose in her throat and tears behind her eyelids. The growl filled the air around her again, and she turned, frightened of the monster who’d chased away so many strong men.

But the monster was also a man. Tall and broadly built, his dark eyes filled with…love.

Her brother, Alex.

“Oh, Alex, why do you have to be so suffocating? Let me be. Let me live!” The words rattled in her brain as the first tears flowed.

She realized she’d woken up at the exact moment in the dream when she’d looked down at her hands. They’d been gnarled and spotted with age. Wrinkled and ringless. The hands of an old woman.

She glanced at them now in the dark, relieved by their smooth, familiar outline in the reflected glow of moonlight through the crack in the curtains.

In the dream they’d been different.

She startled awake as the horrible truth of the dream sank in: she was still a virgin. An eighty-year-old virgin.

A racking sob heaved her chest. Why me? What was so wrong with her? Sure, she wasn’t the most beautiful woman in the world, but ordinary women managed to marry and have children. Or go on dates.

Or even go all the way.

Just once!

She’d been so sure she’d break her losing streak tonight, that Rick would finally pop the rather wizened cherry she’d been keeping secret for years now because it was so horribly embarrassing to be still a virgin.

Twenty-six, for crying out loud! She was probably the only twenty-six-year-old virgin in the entire state of Texas. Or the whole United States.

Maybe even the whole world.

A wail escaped her lips as she collapsed back on to her pillow. At that moment, light streamed into the room as the door was flung open. Rick stood in the doorway.

“Alicia, what’s the matter?” His voice rang with concern.

“I…I…I…” I want to make love to you.

Did she want him to know that she was a freak? A grown woman who’d never been kissed below the neck? Who’d never seen a man naked, or felt his hands on her bare skin?

Tears streamed down her face.

Rick approached the bed. “Don’t cry, Alicia. I know last night was a horrible shock. But at least no one was hurt. They’ll rebuild the barn and they’ll catch the criminal who set the fire.”

Through her fog of tears she felt his fingers caress her tangled hair. But she didn’t want comfort. She wanted breathless passion.

She thrust out her arms and wrapped them around his neck, then crushed her mouth against his. Parted in surprise, his lips hesitated a moment before joining in the kiss.

Rising to her knees, she pressed her body against his through her long nightgown. Her nipples hardened against the bare muscle of his chest. The stubble of his cheek was a sweet balm to her fevered skin.

Don’t stop! She tightened her grip around him, determined not to let him escape.

“Alicia.” He managed to free his mouth for a second to gasp her name. “I’m not sure this…”

She fumbled with the strings of his pajama pants, unsure how her hands had found them, but intent on getting them undone immediately.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay.” Rick flinched as her hand brushed against his rock-hard erection.

She yanked on a string, but the knot was tight and she couldn’t work it loose. Still jerking at it with one hand, she raised the other to tug down the shoulder strap of her nightgown.

The thin satin tore easily and she pulled down the gown to bare her breast. Cool night air tightened her nipple.

“Touch me,” she pleaded, still tugging at his pajamas.

Rick lifted a tentative palm to her bare breast. She shuddered hard as he brushed her nipple.

“Alicia, I don’t know if this is a good idea.” She heard him swallow. “You seem a little…overwrought.”

With a burst of elation she pulled open the knot holding his pajamas closed and started to push them down over his hips.

“Really, I think we should slow down.” His pulsing erection and husky voice contradicted his words. “How about…a cup of tea?” he croaked.

Alicia froze. “Tea? What is it about me that makes you think of tea at a moment like this?” Suddenly, fierce sobs racked her body. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong?”

Her words rang out into the silent air of the hotel room and bounced back at her off the polished surfaces.

“Nothing’s wrong, Alicia. You’ve just had a long day and you need some sleep.”

“Sleep is the last thing I need.” Her voice quavered as she readied herself to make her terrible confession.

Rick’s eyes were midnight-blue in the scant light that streamed through the half-open doorway and outlined the ripped muscle of his neck and shoulders.

“I need you.” Alicia drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m a virgin.”

Justin almost fell off the bed. “You’re kidding me.”

“Would I kid about something like this?” Alicia’s big brown eyes glittered with tears.

“Wow. I mean, that’s amazing.” His erection throbbed.

“It’s not amazing, it’s depressing.” She picked up the torn section of her nightdress and held it over her bare breast. “I can’t figure out what’s wrong with me.”

“Absolutely nothing is wrong with you. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. You’re the sweetest—”

“I don’t want to be sweet!” Desperation flashed in her eyes. “I want to be wild.”

Rick glanced down to where his fierce arousal jutted beneath his untied pajama string. “I think you’re well on your way.”

“You’re shocked.”

“In the best possible way.” He lifted a thumb and brushed away the tear that ran down her cheek. It broke his heart to see her so sad. “It’s a very erotic revelation.”

She blinked, her lashes wet. “It is?”

“Absolutely. It means you’ve never tasted the most intense sensations in the whole world, and you’re about to experience them for the first time.”

Her eyes widened. “I am?”

“Absolutely.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. They parted, warm and yielding. His tongue flicked into her mouth and he felt her shiver in response.

Gently, he pushed aside the hand covering her breast and replaced it with his own. Her nipple peaked beneath his palm, and sent a flash of heat straight to his groin.

He stroked her nipple with his thumb as he pulled back from the kiss. Her tears had vanished, leaving her eyes bright and curious.

“That feels good,” she whispered. She bit her lip, suddenly shy.

“Excellent.” He lowered his mouth to her breast and blew. The nipple tightened in response.

“Ooooh,” she murmured, arching her back.

He licked a circle around the areola and drank in her rich, feminine scent as he tasted the honeyed silk of her skin.

She rocked against him when he took her nipple in his mouth and sucked. Then he slid the second strap of her nightgown over her shoulder and placed his palm on her other lush, full breast.

Under his fingers, her heartbeat was rapid with excitement.

The soft fabric of her lace-edged nightgown—appropriately virginal—slid down to her waist and he kissed her belly.

His own arousal was excruciating. Everything down there was so sensitive the mere touch of Alicia’s manicured hand could send him to another dimension. He really shouldn’t be so turned on by her innocence, but something about it was insanely hot.

Gently, he pushed her back against the pillows where she’d so recently tossed and turned in anguish. Her smooth hair splayed on the pillow like a halo. A smile flickered across her full lips as her eyes closed.

She obviously felt safe with him.

Little did she know he was not Rick Jones, the man she trusted with her virtue.

Guilt snaked through him and knotted up with the lust that had overtaken every synapse. He certainly couldn’t tell her now, while they were locked in a sensual embrace.

Her first.

He slid one hand under her sensational backside and lifted her hips enough to pull her nightgown to her thighs and down over her shapely legs.

“Are you cold?” he whispered.

“Not even a little,” she said through a smile. Her thick lashes flickered open and she reached up her arms. “Come here.”

He hesitated. While not exactly romantic, a condom was still a necessity. “I’m aching to, but first I have to get something. Don’t move a single muscle. Do you promise me you won’t?”

“I promise.” A slight frown played over her smooth brow.

Rick climbed off the bed and sped to the bathroom and back in record-breaking time. He was half-afraid Alicia would come to her senses and refasten the lock on her chastity belt.

Relief washed over him when he saw her still lying there, a goddess glazed with moonlight, staring up at him with hungry eyes.

He rolled the condom over his hard length and climbed on to the bed next to her. His hand played over the curve of her hip and her soft belly. She bucked as he slid a finger between her legs and touched the sensitive flesh there. Already hot and slick, she was aroused and ready.

He suppressed a moan of anticipation. He couldn’t wait to be inside all that lush heat and enjoy the deep closeness with Alicia.

It’s her first time, take it slow.

He drew in a breath and kissed her belly as her fingers ruffled his hair. Her skin quivered as he moved his fingers over her aroused and swollen flesh. Carefully, he parted her legs and lowered his mouth, greedy for the taste of her.

He groaned at the feel of her moist warmth against his mouth. He ran his tongue over her soft folds and she shuddered in response. “Oh, my,” she moaned.

A grin crossed his lips as he repeated the gesture. It had been many years since he’d first discovered the unique and tantalizing joys of sex for the first time, but it was a wicked thrill reexperiencing them through Alicia.

Her hips writhed, and she pressed herself against his mouth, begging for more. He licked and sucked until he felt her throb, hot and willing.

Layering kisses over her belly and breasts, he rose over her. He feathered a single, soft kiss on her cheek. “Are you ready?”

She nodded, eyes shut tight as a lascivious smile played over her sensual mouth.

Careful and slow, he guided himself inside. A breathy groan escaped his mouth when he sank into the hot, tight sweetness of her.

Alicia let out a tiny cry and his eyes flicked open, but instead of pain, her expression spoke of sweet relief.

“I’m free.” A broad smile lit her beautiful face.

“And this is just the beginning.”

He buried his face in her neck as her hips rose to meet him, drawing him deeper. He built a rhythm and Alicia rode it with him, rising and falling, her breath coming faster and her sweet sighs building to urgent moans.

Celibate for so long, her body was rigged with explosive desire and ready to blow.

And right now, so was his.

Not yet, he pleaded with himself. He couldn’t remember feeling such intense and urgent arousal. It’s her first time, make it last.

Alicia pressed hurried kisses over his face and shoulders, nipping and licking. Her hands pressed his hips to hers, deepening the connection until he could hardly stand it.

Her moans now ended in fevered shrieks, each driving him closer and closer to the brink of insanity.

Suddenly, her fingernails dug into his back. “Ohhh.…Ohhh…”

She shuddered hard as the first waves of her orgasm hit her. The fierce contractions of her untried muscles gripped him and he climaxed with her, riding the waves until they both washed up, sweaty and breathless, on the rumpled shores of her bed.

Eventually, he managed to crack his eyes open. Alicia lay sprawled against the fluffy pillows, hair damp with perspiration.

Her skin glowed golden in the half-light and her chest rose and fell in unsteady gasps.

“Goodness,” she breathed.

“I’m not sure goodness has anything to do with it.” He winked. “But it’s kind of fun, don’t you think?”

Alicia let out a laugh that filled the air like sweet music. “Yes!” she shouted. “It’s magnificent. Is it true? Am I really no longer a virgin?” Her eyes, wide with humor and excitement, glowed in the darkness.

“You are officially deflowered.”

“Thank goodness!”

Justin laughed. “Some women treat their virginity like a prize.”

“And I used to be one of them—more fool me.” Her pretty white teeth shone in her smile. “Seriously, I’m happy for women who want to have sex for the first time with their husbands, and I’m sure that works great if you marry at…oh, eighteen, but waiting until you’re twenty-six? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

She blew out a hearty sigh. “Did you know that in the Middle Ages they thought prolonged virginity could turn a woman’s skin green?”

“Sounds like the ploy of some young swain to get the key to his love’s chastity belt.”

Her bright gaze filled his heart with joy. “Sex is healthy and normal, not some weird sinful activity that should only be done in the dark while you hold your nose.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He kissed her soft cheek.

“All those years I was told to keep my legs crossed, or else. I didn’t know any better.”

“Isn’t that the whole point of convent school?”

She giggled. “Pretty much, yes. Though it’s also a good place to learn how to smoke and drink so that no one smells it on your breath.”

“You smoked?”

“No, of course not. I’m the original Goody Two-shoes, remember?”

He cocked his head, then gave her nipple a swift suck. It formed a hard peak. “I’m not so sure.”

“Oh, you have no idea what a relief it is to get that millstone off my neck. I feel like a regular person now. I can walk down the street without wondering whether people somehow know I’m different.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re definitely not a regular person.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “For one thing, you’re dangerously beautiful, so most men are probably afraid to come near you. It takes an especially arrogant one like me to get up the nerve.”

She laughed, her full breasts bumping against his chest in a way that made him hard all over again.

“For another, you’re brainy as well as beautiful, which is doubly intimidating.” He narrowed his eyes. “Except to a genius like myself.”

“So modest.”

He grinned. “You’re anything but ordinary and a run-of-the-mill guy would never cut it for you.”

She released a soft, sweet sigh. “Lucky thing I met you, then.”

Alicia’s radiant, dark eyes shimmered with joy. He’d put that joy there, and it gave him almost as much of a thrill as having sex with her.

There was something truly special about Alicia. She took pride and pleasure in everything she did, with the result that being around her made a man want to be a better person.

He certainly wanted to be a better person.

Better than a guy who’d give a woman a fake name.

Justin blew out a breath. He really wished he’d had a chance to tell her before they’d had sex.

What kind of a cad took the virginity of a woman who had no idea who he truly was?

And she had no clue he was good friends with her brother’s longtime rivals. That alone was cause for a big blowup.

He shoved a hand through his hair. He hadn’t planned it this way at all.

“Kiss me.” Alicia’s sweet command blew his labored thoughts from his brain.

He kissed her, enjoying the softness of her mouth and the caress of her hands on his back.

He’d never met a situation he couldn’t charm his way out of eventually. He’d figure out the perfect moment to tell her, and everything would be fine.

She’d probably find it funny.

Wouldn’t she?




Chapter Four


Alicia had trouble opening her eyes. This room was much brighter than her bedroom at home.

It must have been a dream.

A glance to the side confirmed that she lay alone in bed.

But why did her body feel so…strange? Her limbs were heavy, and her breasts seemed more tender than usual. Her lips tingled and so did her…

Goodness. Alicia clutched the covers around her.

Maybe it wasn’t a dream.

She turned to look at the pillow beside her in the king-size bed.

The fluffy goose down wrapped in snow-white Egyptian cotton bore the unmistakable indent of a head.

Had she really slept with Rick?

She remembered a dream about being an eighty-year-old virgin.

But she also remembered a second dream.

A glorious dream where Rick kissed her and licked her, his hands roaming over her body until he entered her and drove her to heights of wild pleasure.

Sense memory throbbed in the muscles deep inside her.

Alicia drew in a deep breath as a secret smile spread across her mouth. It was real.

But where was Rick?

She pulled on a flowered silk robe and checked her hair in the mirror. Wild, in a sensual kind of way. She fluffed it with her fingers, then opened the door into the hallway.

Bright morning sunlight filled the space. Then she saw the note on her door.

Morning, beautiful, I’ve gone to a meeting. I’ll be back by eleven so don’t go anywhere, please—Rick.

His underlined please made her laugh. He really wanted her.

If memory served her correctly, he’d enjoyed last night every bit as much as she had. She could almost hear his urgent moans and feel his hot breath on her ear.

A shiver of longing rippled through her and she prayed eleven o’clock wasn’t too far away. A peek at the clock in her room answered her prayer. Thank goodness it was Saturday, otherwise she’d have slept through half a morning’s work.

Her cell phone rang on the dresser in the bedroom and she hurried to answer it. Her heart pounded and she hoped it was Rick.

“Halloooooo,” Maria said.

Could she really give her friend the scoop she’d be sure to insist on?

“Hi, Maria, how are you?”

“Very formal, hmm. Does this mean you were up late last night reading theological philosophy with Mr. Rick Jones?”

Alicia cleared her throat. “Something like that.” She was glad Maria couldn’t see her guilty smile.

“So, did you guys figure out how many angels can fit on the head of a pin? I’ve been struggling with that one for years.”

Alicia laughed. She could totally picture Maria’s raised brow. “We figured about forty, as long as their wings were folded.”

Maria tut-tutted. “Come on now, Alicia. Stop playing with me. Did you, or didn’t you?”

Alicia hesitated, glanced over her shoulder, then whispered, “We did.”

“I knew it!” Maria’s joyous whoop almost deafened her. “Well, this calls for a celebration. Want to meet me at T.J.’s for lunch?”

“Actually, Rick’s just gone to a meeting and he’ll be back by eleven.”

“And let me guess. You’d rather have lunch with some new hunk than with your oldest and dearest friend?”

“Well…”

“You’d better! You know I’d ditch you in a second for the right guy.”

They both laughed. It was so true.

“Now that we’ve established that I have no principles, you’d better tell me all the details so I don’t rat you out to Alex.”

“Alex! Oh, my gosh, I totally forgot about him. He’s all alone at the ranch.” Guilt pricked her like a needle.

“All alone? You’ve got at least ten different employees living there.”

“You know what I mean. Who’ll make him breakfast?”

“He’s a big boy. I’m sure he can pour himself a bowl of Wheaties.”

“What if the arsonist came back? I’ve got to call him.”

“Not until you tell me more about last night.”

“Maria! I’ll tell you all about it another time. And believe me, I really appreciate you covering for me, otherwise nothing would have happened at all.”

“Okay, okay, but one thing before you cut me off.” Maria had stopped teasing and her voice was filled with concern. “I know I joke around a lot, but this Rick Jones better treat my very best friend like a princess or he’s going to have me to answer to. Did he make it wonderful for you?”

Alicia nodded, then realized her friend couldn’t see. “Oh, Maria, it was more than wonderful. He was so gentle, so tender. It was…beautiful.”

“Phew.” Maria laughed. “Well, then enjoy your day with him and wish him all the best from me. And give me a call if you want to come up for air.”

Alicia shut off her phone and caught sight of her face in the bamboo-framed mirror on the dressing table. Her goofy grin almost made her laugh.

Then she remembered Alex, and her grin vanished.

She punched in his number and waited while the phone rang, cold anxiety trickling through her.

“Hey, ‘Manita. How’s Maria?”

Alicia gulped. “She’s great. How are things at the ranch?” Her voice sounded nervous and false. She hoped he wouldn’t press for details about Maria. She didn’t want this lie to get any more elaborate.

“No more trouble. The vet’s been out to check the animals and the insurance guy was here. The police have interviewed all the workers, but I don’t think they have any leads yet.”

“I’m coming home, then.”

Even as she said it, her entire body screamed no. She wanted to stay here, with Rick.

“No way. You stay with Maria. We still have no idea who’s behind this, so there’s no way to predict what they’ll do next. I’ve got enough problems already. I don’t want to have to worry about my baby sister being in danger.”

Alicia’s relief mingled with stone-cold guilt. “Are you sure you’re okay? Did you eat breakfast?”

“I’m not an invalid.”

“Did you eat breakfast?”

“I wasn’t hungry.”

“Alejandro Montoya, you’d better go make yourself something—”

“Stop fussing. Maybe it’s better I learn to do things for myself, otherwise how will I manage when you leave to get married?”

His teasing tone told her he was joking. He probably didn’t think she’d ever leave to get married. And until this morning, she’d worried the same thing.

But now everything was different.

She fingered her blue topaz necklace and let her smile return. “All right, don’t eat anything, then. See if I care.”

Her reflection in the mirror revealed red lips and flushed cheeks. Her eyes were glassy and her hair—well, her hair needed work. “I’ll call you later and you can reach me on my cell if you need me.”

She hung up the phone. How shocked Alex would be if he knew what she’d been up to last night. If he knew that—right now—she was waiting for her new boyfriend to return.

Her lover.

Finally.



Justin marched up the walkway into the Texas Cattleman’s Club. Things were getting too complicated for his taste and he intended to do a little untangling. At least as much as he could without making Alicia run for cover.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Dupree.” The doorman nodded to him. “Mr. Brody’s waiting for you in the library.”

“Justin!” Mitch rose from a leather club chair near the carved-stone fireplace as Justin entered, his dark eyes shining with amusement. “You’ve been hard to find lately.”

“Busy. We’re in the midst of a deal. I’m wearing a suit right now because I just signed a contract. Saturday morning, can you believe it? But the guy’s heading back to Athens this afternoon.”

His tall friend narrowed his eyes. “That’s not the only thing keeping you tied up. I saw how well you hit it off with Alicia Montoya.”

Justin just smiled.

“Did you dig up any dirt on her brother?” Mitch asked.

Guilt trickled through Justin as he eased himself into a chair. He wished he’d never volunteered to get information about Alex from Alicia.

Both Mitch and his brother, Lance, suspected Alex of the sabotage at Brody Oil and Gas, but because of the longtime enmity between Lance and Alex, there was no way they could approach him without things quickly escalating to a confrontation. It happened every time Lance and Alex got near each other.

“Pretty suspicious that a fire broke out on the Montoya place, don’t you think?” Mitch asked.

“They don’t know who’s behind the fire at El Diablo. The police are looking into it but there are no suspects yet, from what I hear.”

“Do you think it’s possible that Alex set the fire to divert suspicion from himself about the fire at our refinery?”

“Why would he destroy his own property?”

“For the insurance money.” Mitch took a sip of whiskey. “That old barn was begging to be burned down. He probably had it insured for twice its value.”

“Alicia said it was a historic building. One of the oldest in Somerset.”

“Maybe they wanted to clear the way for a state-of-the-art setup. Alex has some of the finest breeding cattle in the entire state of Texas these days. He always was a competitive son of a bitch.” Mitch signaled to the bartender to bring a drink for Justin.

“I don’t think he’s behind it.”

Mitch looked at Justin closely. “Who else could it be?”

Justin leaned back in his chair. “It’s got me stumped. But I’m starting to think that the fires are somehow tied into the missing funds Darius discovered. Have you finished the unofficial audit yet?”

“Not yet,” said Mitch, “but I’m close.”

“Look, Mitch, from what Alicia’s told me, the refinery fire doesn’t sound like something Alex would do. He’s a legitimate businessman.”

“One of his best buddies is Paul Rodriquez. Don’t try to tell me ‘El Gato’ is legit.”

“No, El Gato has ‘drug cartel’ written all over him, but he and Alex Montoya aren’t business partners. They’re old friends or something. Alex has an import-export business, and from the sounds of it, he’s making money at the ranch, too, with those big-ticket bulls he’s breeding.”

A wry smile lifted one side of Mitch’s mouth. “Are you falling for Alicia Montoya?”

Justin took a gulp of whiskey. “I’m telling you what I’ve learned. The Montoyas seem like decent and upstanding people. I think we’ve all been too hasty in our judgment of Alex.”

Mitch took a swig from his own glass. “He slammed the brakes on redeveloping downtown and ruined Kevin’s deal. One of the councillors told me he was so persuasive that he almost single-handedly talked the city council into rezoning the area for historic development. I can’t figure out if he actually wants to redevelop it himself, or if he just couldn’t stand to see someone else make a buck doing it.”

“Alicia’s heavily involved in the preservation of the downtown area. She says it’s one of the few authentic and picturesque main streets in the state. She’s working on a committee to turn it into a tourist attraction.”

“Downtown Somerset as a tourist attraction? I suspect you’re thinking with a part of your body other than your brain.”

“Why not? If you look past the cheesy signage and faded paint, there are some beautiful buildings there. I think she’s absolutely right to want to preserve Somerset’s history. We already have enough strip malls in the Houston suburbs.”

“It’s hard to argue with that.” Mitch peered into his glass. “As I get older, I’m starting to take a more serious interest in the future and what will be here when my own children grow up.”

Justin’s eyes widened. “Are you and Lexi already talking about children?”

Mitch smiled slyly. “We’ve done more than talk about it. We’re expecting.”

Justin almost choked on his drink. He’d been shocked to his boot heels when Mitch said he was getting married. Mitch was always the last man standing at the bar and the first to run from any sign of a woman wanting commitment.

Apparently Alexis Cavanaugh—now Alexis Brody—had worked some kind of magic spell on him.

“That’s great. Congratulations.”

“You’re pole-axed.” Mitch’s smile broadened into a grin.

“Totally.”

“I don’t blame you. I used to laugh at the whole idea of love and marriage, let alone family. But let me tell you, when you meet the right woman, your whole world changes.”

Justin blinked. He’d certainly been looking at things differently since he met Alicia. Lying about his name, for example. He wasn’t going to do that again—ever.

“With Lexi, did you just…know?”

Mitch blew out a sigh. “It was a bit more complicated than that. You know the story. It started out as a business arrangement with Senator Cavanaugh. She was supposed to marry Lance. When Lance ruined that plan by marrying Kate, I figured I’d marry Lexi myself. Then I fell madly in love with her.”

“Sounds like a real fairy tale—Texas style.” Justin raised his glass and laughed.

“I’ll drink to that. You’re next, bro. I have a feeling.” Mitch’s dark eyes narrowed. “And from the way you’re defending the Montoya family, I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve already met your lady. I bet Alex wouldn’t mind his sister marrying into the illustrious Dupree clan.”

“Yeah, except for the fact that the Brodys are my best friends. He doesn’t know I’m seeing her.”

“She’s keeping you as her dirty little secret?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, watch your back. There are strange things going on all around us.”

“Too true. If the Brody brothers can settle down and get married, almost anything can happen.”

“Fires are burning, bro. Fires are burning. Sometimes they start right here.” Mitch tapped his chest with a knuckle. “When that happens, there’s no way to put ‘em out.”



The click of the lock made Alicia jump to her feet. She’d had plenty of time to shower and style her hair and put on one of her favorite dresses—which just happened to match the necklace Rick gave her.

And if he were to look underneath her dress—an event she fervently hoped for—he’d find a pretty lace bra and panties in a contrasting shade of pale blue.

“Alicia.” Rick’s warm, masculine voice sent a shiver of awareness through her.

“I’m here.” She hurried out into the hallway, heart pounding.

Rick stopped, as if struck motionless by the sight of her. He looked devastatingly handsome in a stylish, dark gray suit. His hair was tousled and his blue eyes sparkled with fascination.

He held out a bouquet of fat pink roses. “I bought these for you.” He frowned. “But I want you holding me, not a bunch of roses.” He glanced around for a surface to put them down on, then set them gently on a hall table. “Much better. Now my hands are free.”

Alicia’s body shimmered with anticipation as Rick took a bold step toward her. Her eyes closed as he wrapped his strong arms around her and gave her a tender kiss on the lips.

Pleasure crept over her like the sun’s heat. Her nipples thickened against the stiff fabric of his suit. And hidden, secret parts of her—parts she’d never been fully aware of—now throbbed with desire.

He grew hard against her, and she instinctively pressed her hips against his erection, delighting in the arousal that flared between them.

“Damn, I missed you so much.” His voice was rough.

“You were only gone for a couple of hours.”

“Way too long. Let’s not do that again anytime soon.” He pulled off his slim dark tie with two fingers and unbuttoned the collar of his white shirt to reveal his bronzed neck.

On impulse, Alicia slipped her fingers into the collar of his shirt, against his hot skin.

Rick kissed her nose, which made her smile. Her fingers—without checking back to her brain—unbuttoned the next button on his shirt, and the next, while her other hand slid over the rippling muscle of his pecs.

The scent of him drove her half-crazy. The fine wool of his expensive suit mingled with the musky aroma of sexually aroused male—an inviting combination of civilized and primitive.

She raked her nails over the front of his crisp shirt, down past his sleek, leather belt, to the thick bulge beneath it.

Rick groaned as she wrapped her hand around his rigid length through his pants. She held him, tight, while she let her other hand rest on the firm curve of his athletic backside.

He grew harder still when she freed her hands to pluck at his belt buckle.

Her breath came in unsteady gasps as desire pounded inside her like a drum, heightened by Rick’s obvious excitement.

His hands roamed over her silky dress, strumming her nipples and exploring the curve of her waist.

At last, she freed the leather from the buckle and tugged down the zipper. His erection throbbed against her hand and made her shiver.

Without ceremony, she shoved down his pants and pressed herself against his thick arousal. She couldn’t wait to feel him inside her.

Rick lifted the skirt of her dress and slid a bold hand inside her panties. Hot and slick, she writhed against him.

“Take me now. Right here,” she breathed, hardly aware of her own words.

Rick’s erection throbbed again. He pulled a condom from his jacket pocket, ripped it open with his teeth and rolled it on. Then he tugged her panties to one side and entered her.

Alicia cried out at the intense sensation, then gripped Rick so her scream wouldn’t make him back away.

Rick cupped her buttocks and lifted her up to him until her back arched and she took him as deep as she could.

“Oh, yes, just like that. It feels so good,” she murmured, rocking against him.

Sensation swirled through her, and colors flashed behind her eyelids. She clung to Rick, her fingers clutching his rapidly dampening shirt.

She hadn’t even given him time to remove his jacket. A burst of laughter accompanied the thought.

“What’s so funny?”

“Me,” she said on a groan as she writhed against him. “I couldn’t wait for us to get undressed. I wore pretty underwear and you didn’t even get to see it.”

Her breasts felt swollen and deliciously sensitive against their lacy prison.

“Let me have a look,” rasped Rick.

Keeping the steady rhythm, he raised a hand and tugged down the front of her dress.

“Nice.” He flashed a dazzling blue gaze that made her heart leap. “Sometimes it’s more fun to do things out of order.”

She gasped as he lifted her feet off the floor and strode for the living room, still hard inside her.

Without missing a beat, he eased them both down onto a green silk chaise lounge.

Alicia’s eyes squeezed shut as he thrust into her, but not before she had time to take in the restrained elegance of the setting: expensive antiques, fine china and crystal, delicate watercolor paintings.

What they were doing here seemed so wrong.

In the best possible way.

She wriggled under him, enjoying the sound of her own pleasured moans. “Oh, yes, Rick, again. Do it again.” She clutched him to her as he rode her until every nerve and muscle of her body hummed with sheer bliss.

Just when she was about to lose all control—

He stopped.

Completely stopped. No movement at all, except their chests rising and falling against each other as their breath came in ragged gulps.

She tried to lift her hips but the sheer weight of his muscled body made it impossible.

Almost growling with frustrated desire, she opened her eyes, and saw his dangerous baby blues staring at her. A wicked smile slid across his mouth.

“What?” she gasped, her body sprung like a catapult and desperate for release.

“Good things come to those who wait,” he whispered.

Alicia wiggled, which had no result but to make her more agonizingly aroused. When she was about to scream, he started to move again.

Oh. So. Slowly.

Only the tiniest movements at first. Incremental. Just enough to drive her that little bit closer to the brink of insanity.

He slid—very gently—in and out, the stroking motion creating an extraordinary sensation.

Then he picked up speed.

Alicia moaned and cried out with relief as she built toward her climax. The pressure intensified, growing and gathering inside her like a huge storm cloud ready to explode and drench the whole state.

Her orgasm crashed over her like a clap of thunder, sucking the breath from her lungs and throwing her back against the chaise lounge with a howl of exuberant release.

Rick’s own climax shook him like a jackhammer and he cried out as he collapsed on top of her.

It was some moments before she managed to draw enough breath to speak. “What was that? What were you doing?”

“Have you ever heard of the G-spot?”

“I think I read about it in Cosmo once.”

“Well—” a naughty grin lifted one side of his mouth “—now you know what it does.”

She lay splayed over the chaise, her head hanging slightly off one end so her hair brushed the floor. Rick held her on to the silk surface with a firm arm, or she might have fallen limply to the carpet.

Alicia blinked. “G-spot, huh?” Her muscles still throbbed with stray contractions. “I wonder what evolutionary purpose that serves.”

Rick chuckled. “The natural historian at work. Isn’t pleasure reason enough for it to exist?”

“I suppose.” She pressed a thoughtful finger to her lips. “I could see how once you’ve experienced that, you’d keep coming back for more, which would likely ensure the survival of your genes in the next generation.”

“Unless you’re using a condom.” Rick traced a line on her belly with his finger. Her muscles shivered in response.

“So true. In that case, you have to admit you’re doing it just for fun.”

They both chuckled. Then Alicia’s stomach grumbled.

“Hey, did you have breakfast?”

“No. I confess. I was distracted by my other appetites.” With some effort, she lifted her head up onto the chaise. “And I even berated Alex for not eating properly this morning. I’m such a hypocrite.”

Rick’s playful expression faded. “You spoke to Alex?”

“Yes. I wanted to make sure everything was okay at the ranch.”

“Did you tell him you’re here?”

“No.” She shifted onto her elbow. “It’s better he doesn’t know, especially with so much going on. He’ll just worry, then overreact.”

“And I’ll be challenged to pistols at dawn for assailing your virtue.”

“Exactly.” Alicia sighed. “Why go looking for drama? Let’s at least wait until they find out who set the fire. Then he’ll have some other man to direct his hostile energies toward.”




Chapter Five


“W here are we going?” Alicia asked as Justin pulled onto the freeway. They’d changed their clothing after the impromptu tryst, then headed right out in search of lunch.

“Downtown Somerset.”

He could feel her curious gaze on him. “Why?”

“Because I want to see it through your eyes.” Since he was now striding around town defending her plan to preserve the old buildings, he wanted to know more about what he was trying to save.

And more about the lovely Alicia.

Her gaze darkened. “What if Alex sees us?”

He managed not to laugh. “Is he likely to be hanging around downtown Somerset on a Saturday afternoon?” For someone so smart, she was more than a little paranoid.

“Well, no, but…”

“So stop worrying. If we run into him you can say I’m a visiting professor of natural history,” he said, knowing full well that if they did run into Alex, she wouldn’t be the only one who had some explaining to do.

She chuckled. “There is no such thing. Besides, you don’t look like a professor.” She eyed the pale blue shirt he’d changed into. “They don’t usually wear Prada.”

“Me, either. It was a gift from one of my aunts.”

“She has good taste. I like the color.”

He smiled. “I know. That’s why I wore it. See? I’m getting to know you, bit by bit. And so far, I haven’t found a bit I don’t like.”

“All this talk about biting is making me squirm.” She wriggled in her seat, inadvertently pulling her simple white dress tight across her full chest.

Justin suppressed a groan of arousal. “Please, don’t talk about biting and squirming while I’m driving. It could be dangerous.”

Alicia let out a little growl. The lascivious gesture sent a ripple of lust straight up his spine. He couldn’t wait to see more of her wild side.

Alicia crossed her sleek, tanned legs, giving him a flash of inner thigh.

The sensation in his crotch was getting to be pretty unbearable. “Tell me where to park,” he said as he pulled off at the exit. The hum and buzz of Houston subsided as they entered the peaceful, tree-lined streets of historic Somerset.

Victorian houses sat gracefully amidst large lawns and mature trees. A kid rode by on a bike, like something out of the 1950s.

“That house is a Stanford White.” She pointed to a stunning Beaux Arts “cottage” he’d never noticed before. “He was a famous nineteenth-century architect who—”

“Was murdered by the husband of a woman he had a scandalous affair with.”

“You’ve heard of him,” she said with surprise and delight in her eyes.

“I had one of the most expensive educations money can buy. Despite that, I managed to pick up a few facts along the way. It’s a beautiful house.”

He’d stopped the car and they sat with the engine humming. “The detail is incredible. You’d never see that kind of elaborate molding on a house today.”

“And just two years ago it was condemned. The roof was damaged during a storm and the city wanted to tear it down. That’s when I joined the Somerset Historical Society and we raised money to have it restored.”

Pride showed on her beautiful face. “It sold for two million when it was finished, and the owner loves it so much, she lets us give tours as a fundraiser.”

Justin was intrigued. “How did you get interested in architectural history?”

“I always loved to look at beautiful houses.” She glanced up at the steep eaves and shimmering multi-paned windows. “When I was a little girl we lived in a tiny house in the barrio. The roof leaked and the foundation was half-rotted, but my parents didn’t dare ask the landlord to fix anything in case he tried to raise the rent. My parents saved every penny they had because they couldn’t wait to move out of there and buy their own home. The American dream, you know?”

She laughed, but her laughter was tinged with sorrow. “They used to talk so much about that house they dreamed of—the sunny windows it would have with views of a grassy backyard, a big kitchen with rows of shining copper pots. Alex wanted his own bedroom so he could put up shelves for his collection of model airplanes.”

For a second, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t suppose they ever came close to having enough money for a down payment. My dad was killed in an accident where he worked and after that my mom just struggled to make ends meet. No one talked much about buying a house again. Except Alex.” She smiled. “He always said you have to dream big, no matter what. Even after our mother died, he kept saying that.”

“He’s right.” Emotion rose in Justin’s chest.

How he wished he could turn back time and give Alicia’s family the house of their dreams. The most pressing financial problem his parents ever faced was finding new tax loopholes to exploit.

He slid his arm around her shoulder. “Your parents would be so happy to see you and Alex at El Diablo.”

“Oh, I know.” Her eyes brightened. “My mom used to clean houses all over Somerset and El Diablo was one of them. She took such pleasure in polishing all the lovely quarter-sawn oak trim and buffing the brass doorknobs.” She stared out the window, as if lost in the past. “I know this sounds silly, but when we were there—she used to take me along when school was out because she couldn’t afford a sitter—we’d pretend it was all ours. I used to dance down those corridors and pretend one of those pretty bedrooms with the chintz curtains was mine, and that I had a closet filled with fine clothes.”

“And now you do.”

“Yeah.” A broad grin settled across her face as she turned to him. “Funny, isn’t it?”

“It’s totally awesome,” he said, meaning every word of it. “I guess the American dream is alive and well in Somerset.” He squeezed Alicia and she nuzzled against him.

Something kicked inside his heart. A fierce longing to give Alicia the world—or at least the most beautiful house in it.

Where did that come from?

“So, there are more of these old gems in Somerset?”

“Oh, yes. It developed as a suburb for wealthy Hous-tonians, so nearly all of the buildings are special in some way. Look at this one.”

She pointed to a quasi-gothic stone structure across the street. “The owner fell in love with a medieval abbey in Somerset, England, and had it brought here brick by brick and rebuilt as his home. It even has some of the original stained glass inside. I gave a tour of it last year through the museum.”

“You’re a busy woman.”

“Keeps me out of trouble.” She flashed him a grin.

“Until now.” He grazed her neck with his teeth. Desire flashed through him, and he realized they were still idling on a busy street. “But let’s save that energy for later.”

“Sounds like a plan. Can we stop by Julie’s Gems so I can rave over her work on the necklace you gave me?”

“Sure thing.” He couldn’t hide a pleased grin as he pulled back on to the road, heading for Main Street, the focus of Alicia’s preservation efforts.

He hoped they wouldn’t run into anyone who’d greet him as Justin. On the other hand, if they did, maybe it would be the hand of fate at work.

Alicia showed him a hidden alleyway behind Julie’s Gems where his car barely fit into the single parking space. “You need more parking around here,” he muttered with a raised brow.

Alicia shrugged. “Or more people need to start using public transportation.” She winked. “It’s better for the earth.”

“This is Texas, sweetheart.”

“So? Miracles can happen.” She smiled sweetly and marched ahead of him up the neat alley. Her heels clicked authoritatively over the cobblestones. The way her backside jiggled slightly inside her flimsy white dress almost deprived him of his senses.

Miracles can happen.

With Alicia around, he had a feeling almost anything could happen.

“I can’t wait to thank Julie for the work she did on this topaz.” She opened the door. “I think it’s the loveliest gift I’ve ever had.”

Justin followed her into the store and greeted Julie. “It was a hit.”

“I knew it would be.” The bubbly jeweler hurried from behind the counter and gave Alicia a hug. “But you didn’t tell me it was for one of my favorite people.”

Justin shrugged. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“Alicia knows everyone in Somerset,” said Julie, tossing her red curls. “And we all adore her.”

Alicia flushed sweetly.

Julie stared at the topaz glittering on the delicate chain around her lovely neck. “And that is some very fine craftsmanship, if I do say so myself. Though I do have to give some credit to Rick for bringing me such a perfect stone. I don’t believe for a minute that he dug it up himself.” She shot him a wry glance. “But he certainly has an eye for a fine gem.”

Justin chuckled. “I was with an experienced rock hound. Otherwise I probably would have tossed it back into the soil.”

Julie narrowed her eyes at Alicia. “Do you believe a word of this?”

“I do.” Alicia’s sweet smile and words of affirmation filled Justin’s chest with warmth.

Until he remembered that she had every reason to be wary of him.

Would she believe his story about the stone if she knew he wasn’t Rick Jones? He’d used the fake name here, too, as he often did when he didn’t want the media sniffing after him.

He’d gotten so tired of stories and innuendo—Shipping Heir Commissions Jewels for Mystery Sweetheart—that subterfuge was second nature to him now.

Would Alicia have treated him differently if he’d introduced himself as Justin Dupree?

For all he knew, Alicia had never heard of the Duprees.

She’d figured out by now that he was well-off—a four-bedroom penthouse hotel suite let that cat out of the bag—but she hadn’t asked where the money came from.

She seemed to genuinely enjoy his company and showed no interest in plumbing the depth of his pockets.

Most girls would be fingering the sparkling bracelets—or rings—by now, in the hope that he’d offer to buy her another, but Alicia was far from the velvet-lined cases, chatting enthusiastically with Julie about her plans to restore the downtown area.

“Julie did a lot of the restoration on this storefront herself.”

“I live in the apartment above it, too,” Julie said, gesturing to the patterned tin ceiling. “I love everything about this area. I’m so glad it’s not going to be bulldozed and turned into a parking lot.”

“At least not if Alex and I can keep stalling the developers.” Alicia sighed. “Some people don’t think about anything but money.”

“I wish there were more people like you and your brother, who don’t mind standing up to the powers that be.”

Alicia chuckled. “We’ve been doing it our whole lives, so we’re not going to stop now. And once people start to see what downtown Somerset can be, they’ll all jump on the bandwagon and congratulate themselves for coming up with the idea.”

Julie laughed. “She’s the eternal optimist.”

“Yet another reason why she deserves only the best. And she also needs some lunch, rather urgently. Julie, would you care to join us?”

“Heck no.” Julie crossed her arms. “You two need to be alone. And you need to get out of here before all the chemistry in the air starts turning my gems pink.”

Alicia giggled, which made her full breasts bounce against the white fabric of her dress. Justin tried to ignore the heat rising in his groin.

He shot Julie a grin. “Thanks again, Julie. You’re a gem.”

“Yeah. I hear that all the time.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shot him a knowing smile. “If you dig up any more AAA quality rocks, you know who to call.”

Her wink told him she still didn’t believe his story—which was in fact the gospel truth. As usual, he didn’t care in the least whether she believed him or not. He’d never been one to sweat other people’s opinions—until he met Alicia.

“I thought we’d go to Tea and Sympathy for some lunch,” he said in her ear as they left the shop. The honey scent of her skin made him want to bury his face in her neck, but he managed to restrain himself.

“Perfect.” She flashed a pearly grin. “They make smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches to die for.”

“I hope no one will have to die.” He couldn’t resist grazing his hand down her waist and over the lush curve of her backside as he ushered her under the striped awning over the tea shop.

“Outside or inside?” He nodded at the wrought-iron tables and chairs that lined the slate sidewalk.

“Definitely inside.” She glanced up and down the street like a fugitive. “I know it’s very unlikely Alex is anywhere near here, but…” She shrugged. “Humor me, please?”

“I’d do anything for you.”

The words rattled around his brain as he followed her into the darkest corner of the café and pulled out her chair.

He couldn’t remember having feelings like this for a woman—ever. Usually all his devotion went into the family business, and his free time was spent blowing off steam.

Right now, steam thickened in the air between him and Alicia. It hovered over the white, cotton tablecloth and wound around the wooden chairs. Wisps licked around their fingers as they both reached for the crystal pitcher of water in the center of the table, and their fingers—almost—touched.

His palms prickled with the urge to run over the silky curves of her body. To strip off her soft white dress and watch her skin bead with perspiration as he drove her to new heights of bliss.

This steam was a delicious torment, and he had no desire to blow it off at all.

“Can you believe this storefront was originally built as a tea shop?”

“I can. Our ancestors were mad about tea. I hear they started a war over it once.”

Alicia smiled. “The Boston Tea Party happened at least a hundred years before this area was developed. Still, it’s reassuring to think that some things have stayed the same. We think we’re so advanced with our laptops and cell phones, but deep down, we enjoy the same things our ancestors did.”

He’d finished pouring water for both of them and she picked up her glass and took a sip. “Has your family always lived in the Houston area?”

An edge to her voice told him she was becoming increasingly curious about him. As well she might.

“Actually they’re not from the Houston area at all. They settled outside New Orleans at the end of the Pleistocene Era and they’re still there today. Well, my mom is. My dad died three years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sorrow filled her big brown eyes.

“It was a merciful release. He’d been sick for a long time. That’s when I took over running the family business.”

“What kind of business is it?” She leaned forward.

“Transportation. Did you see they have crumpets on the menu?”

“Rick! You’re so mysterious. I’m beginning to be quite suspicious of you. What type of transportation?”

“Ferrying goods from place to place. Container shipping. Very unglamorous, I’m afraid.”

He glanced at the printed menu, hoping she’d drop the subject.

Duprees and shipping went together like tea and crumpets. Yes, she had to find out who he was eventually, but he’d prefer to have it happen someplace private, as he expected her reaction might be…dramatic.

“I think it sounds intriguing. So, you import and export goods from all over the world? That’s what Alex does.”

“Other people import and export them—people like Alex—and they pay money to bring their goods on our ships. We just get the goods from A to B. We used to run everything out of New Orleans, but back in the fifties we moved most of our operations to Houston, which is why I work here.”

He tapped his menu. “Hey, they’ve got quails’ eggs. I haven’t eaten those in years. I’m definitely having that. How about you?”

Alicia’s eyes narrowed. Apparently, she was hip to his desire to change the subject. “I’ll have the egg salad. They make it English style with a dash of curry powder.”

“A flash of heat just where you least expect it.”

“Exactly.” Her plump lips slid into an enticing smile. “I know I’m feeling flashes of heat in all kinds of places I never expected.”

Justin leaned forward. “And we’ve only begun to explore your erogenous zones.”

He’d much rather think about Alicia’s erogenous zones than the illustrious Dupree clan.

Her eyes widened and she glanced anxiously around the café.

“Don’t worry. No one can hear us.” He should know. He was used to keeping his affairs private. He’d learned the hard way.

They gave their orders to the friendly waitress, then Alicia leaned in close. “Is your mother lonely now that she’s a widow?” Concern filled her beautiful eyes.

Justin startled at the deeply personal question. “Oh, no. She’s not the lonely type. Always busy with charitable activities, friends, that kind of thing.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I always think it must be so hard to lose your spouse once your children have grown up and left home. Suddenly, you’re all on your own.”

He stared at Alicia for a moment. His mother probably had never been all on her own in her whole life.

There was a staff of five just inside the house, and at least another ten on the estate. Not to mention that his mother was a blur of motion. When he was little, he used to resent that she never invited him to sit on her lap for a story, the way mothers did in books. She was far too busy for that.

Over time, he got used to it. Maybe that’s why he didn’t get all misty-eyed over the idea of family life. He’d never really had any. His father was at work all the time, or off participating in manly sporting pursuits.

Quite possibly having affairs as well.

His parents’ relationship was anything but romantic. He couldn’t imagine how they’d managed to conceive him. Perhaps some aristocratic breeding process involving frozen semen.

“She must wish you lived closer.” Alicia tilted her head with sympathy.

“Oh, I’m not so sure. I’d been away at school almost since I’d learned to read. If she was desperate to clutch me to her bosom, she’d have done it a long time ago.”

“You didn’t grow up at home?”

“Sure, I was there until I turned eight, or so. Then they decided it was time to get serious about my education. I did come home for vacations, though.”

“That’s horrible! I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“It’s a family tradition. I went to the same school my father attended. The family estate is out in the country so there wasn’t really a school for me to go to there.”

Not unless he’d attended the local public school—over his mother’s dead body. He suppressed a snort. The idea of a Dupree having a normal childhood was quite laughable.

“Would you do that to your child?” Her face was tight with alarm.

“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.”

“Never? Do you not want children?” She’d pulled back from the table, almost seeming to put distance between them.

“Sure I do. I think.” He frowned. He truly had never thought about it. “I mean, everyone does, sooner or later.”

Alicia stared at him like he’d grown alien antennae. “You’re thirty years old and you haven’t given a moment’s thought to starting a family?”

“I’m busy with work.” Was that so odd? His crowd didn’t talk much about settling down.

Well, not until lately. Suddenly, it was all the rage.

Alicia must think he was some depraved party animal who never looked beyond that evening’s festivities. He frowned. “You’re right. It is strange. I guess I never met someone who made me think about it.”

Until now.

The words hung in the air between them.

“You’re used to being alone.” She bit her lip. “For all I complain about Alex, I admit I’ve never really wanted to live alone. I’m used to having my family about me, small as it is.”

“I could see how you worried about him being alone even for one day. I think that’s sweet.”

What would it be like to have someone care that much about you?

He’d been expected to fend for himself from a young age. Part of becoming a man. Or becoming a Dupree. It had never occurred to him before that those two things were different, that you could be a man without being a distant, patrician father who wouldn’t kiss his son good-night in case it made him “soft.”

“I think there’s a lot to be envied and admired about the close relationship between you and Alex. Kind of makes me wish I had a sister I could smother.” He shot her a mischievous smile.

“Much as I complain, I know he just does it because he cares. He’s a big softy, really, underneath the gruff exterior. I bet you guys will get along great once you get to know each other.”

“If you ever allow us to meet, that is,” he teased.

The waitress set down their lunch and he watched as Alicia took a bite out of her egg-salad sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully.

“You know what? Maybe it is time for you guys to meet.”

Justin froze.

“I mean, we’ve already been…intimate.” Her lovely complexion darkened a shade. “So, he can’t exactly forbid me to see you.”

“He might just insist we marry before sunset.”

Alicia giggled. “You’re so right. My honor is at stake.” She took a sip of water and flushed even darker. “But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to marry me just because you’ve claimed my virtue.”

She was embarrassed, but turned on at the same time. Her dark eyes glittered and her lips and cheeks were flushed. Alicia Montoya was apparently much more interested in making wild and passionate love than in securing a big rock for her finger.

There was something very reassuring—and totally hot—about that.

She leaned in. “Come to think of it, I pretty much threw my virtue at you.”

“You sure did.” His voice was husky, and his pants uncomfortably tight. “Lucky thing I’m a good catch.”

“I was so upset when you didn’t try anything.”

“It practically killed me not to. I had to take a cold shower that night. But after all you’d been through with the fire and the suspicion of arson, I didn’t want to take advantage of you.” He grinned at her. “I had no idea you were downright desperate to be taken advantage of.”

He raised a quail’s egg to his mouth and flicked his tongue over it for a second before popping it in.

Alicia’s eyes flashed. “I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“About ten years, I’d say. We’d better get cracking right after lunch. I’m going to take you to one of my favorite places.”




Chapter Six


Rick turned the car down a gravel drive and under the scrolled-iron arch leading to the Houston Bay Yacht Club.




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