Page 87 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs
“Yes,” Lucas answered with more certainty than he felt.
A cheery warmth greeted them as they stepped into the foyer. The scent of fresh pine needles from the tree enveloped them. Lucas glanced at the crackling fire in the fireplace. No one was in the living room. He wondered if Magnolia might like to go and relax there before they retired to their room. At least the living room was classy as opposed to the tacky honeymoon suite. Before he could pose the question to Magnolia, Sam spoke.
“Look where you’re standing.” The tiniest hint of a smile crept over Sam’s patrician features as he pointed to the ball of mistletoe, hanging from the chandelier.
Startled laughter rose in Magnolia’s throat as she looked at Lucas. “I guess we are.” It was cute how rosy her cheeks suddenly became.
A wicked impulse streaked through Lucas’s brain. In two short days, Magnolia would be his wife. They were to have a child together. It was time to quit dancing around the water. Better to dive right in. In a swift move, he encircled her waist and pulled her to him. She gasped softly, her eyes widening to silver dollars as she looked up at him. He caught the flicker of desire in her jade eyes. It called to him.
He dipped her back. His lips claimed hers as he kissed her hard and thoroughly as he’d been wanting to do all day. He relished the heady fire that licked through his veins. Her lips were soft and pliable against his. She tasted as sweet as he imagined. He longed to run his fingers through her glorious hair. He wanted to kiss her until he couldn’t think straight. But then the rational side of his brain took over. He couldn’t exactly do that here, in the Magnolia Blossom Inn, with Sam watching the entire thing.
He set her back upright on her feet. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips parted and swollen from the kiss. Her chest moved up and down with her fast breathing. Magnolia had never looked more beautiful, or more enticing. He wanted another kiss. No,he wanted infinite kisses. He wanted to savor every aspect of their physical relationship. And he would, as soon as they became man and wife. Until then, he’d keep his desire in check. It wouldn’t be easy. Now that he knew how incredible she was. Ever so slowly, a satisfied smile moved over his lips. “And here you thought we were gonna need more practice.”
A chortle hiccuped from her rosy lips. “You are something,” she uttered, caressing him with her eyes.
“So are you.”
Sam cleared his throat, winking at Lucas. “That’s the best use of the mistletoe I’ve seen all season.”
Magnolia giggled, ducking her head slightly like she was embarrassed. He liked how proper and dignified she was—a princess to the nth degree. Magnolia added a refining element to Lucas, an element he’d not realized was missing in his life. He’d blustered and complained about the trendy clothes that she’d selected for him. But the truth was, the clothes were growing on him. Maybe he wasn’t as much of a redneck as he once believed himself to be.
“Lillian was hoping to be able to visit with you tonight, but she wasn’t feeling well, so she went to bed early. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. It gets bad this time of the year, with the dampness.”
“I’m sorry,” Magnolia said, her voice ringing with sympathy.
Sam offered a nod of acknowledgement. “Lillian hopes to be able to catch up with you tomorrow at breakfast. It will be offered, buffet-style, in the dining room. What time do you plan on leaving tomorrow morning?”
Lucas looked at Magnolia as he did a mental calculation. While they weren’t far from Asheville, they would need to account for the snow. “I’m guessing we should leave around eight or eight-thirty.”
“Good idea. We can’t afford to be late.” Magnolia looked at Sam. “Do you think the storm will let up tonight?”
“That’s what the weather forecast is saying.”
“I hope the forecasters are right.” Apprehension tightened her features.
“I’ll tell Lillian that you’ll be down for breakfast at seven thirty. Will that work?”
Lucas and Magnolia looked at one another before Lucas shrugged. “Sure, that sounds great. I hate to make Lillian get up so early. She’s already been so kind to us. We don’t want to put her out any further.”
“No, we don’t,” Magnolia piped in.
Sam waved a hand in dismissal. “You’re no trouble.” He held up a finger. “Oh, I almost forgot. Lillian called and spoke to Arthur Vinson.”
“Who?” Lucas asked.
“The man who’s selling the ranch. Lillian has some information about it for you.”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
After saying goodnight to Sam, Lucas and Magnolia went up to their room. A nervous energy buzzed between them as Lucas inserted the old-fashioned metal key into the lock. They stepped into the room, closing and locking the door behind them.
“So,” Magnolia began. Her voice shot up several notches as she clasped her hands. “What now?” Color rose in her cheeks as she glanced at the heart-shaped bed. “Does it feel hot in here?” She removed her coat and draped it over the foot of the bed. “I’m sweltering.” She turned to Lucas, a halting laugh issuing from her throat. “I can’t believe how over-the-top this room is.” She sat down on the bed and removed her boots. She let out a long sigh. “It has certainly been an interesting day.” Her voice had a squeaky edge to it as she forced a laugh. “The hoodlums with theknife, the storm …” she looked around “… this crazy room.” Her eyes met his. “Us.”
Lucas went over and sat down beside her on the bed. He reached for her hands. They were ice cold. A sudden thought entered his mind, tying his stomach in a hard knot. Was Magnolia having second thoughts? Everything had been going great between them, until the kiss. Maybe she’d not felt the same fire in her blood as he had. He’d been under the impression that Magnolia cared about him, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe Magnolia was still hung up on her cheating ex, and this was solely about the trust fund. He shouldn’t have let his guard down. He shouldn’t have let himself believe that he and Magnolia could craft a life together. Just when he thought things were turning around, everything went up in a ball of smoke. Well, at least he would get the ranch. He pushed out a hard breath. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I shouldn’t have confused the situation. This is a business deal, nothing more.”
Her face fell. “What?” She barked out a hard laugh. “What happened to all of your talk earlier about standing by me?”
“I will stand by you, just like I said.”
