Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine's Day by Randi Alexander Page B

bullshit, her soft, consoling glances
when he'd talked about his past.
    He slammed his bottle on the bar.
    The cute, exotic-looking bartender brought him another.
    "Sorry." He drank the last ounces and set down the
empty. "Rough morning."
    "This one's on me, then." She winked and walked
away.
    This was his chance to move on. He had a big check in his
pocket, he could talk Jayden into staying another night and driving home to
Reno tomorrow, and the way the bartender was bending over to check the stock in
the cabinet, he could have a warm, willing, no-strings sex partner tonight.
    He looked away from her ass. He was an ass. He could have
Kira in his bed tonight. He stood. He could have Kira in his arms right now. He
could get things back the way they were this morning. She hadn't told him to
stay away, threatened a restraining order, or a knee to the groin if she ever
saw him again.
    All he had to do was apologize. Make things right, deal with
what happened in the casino office, and he could have her back. Have her today,
have her again next weekend in New York. Get his fill of her and say goodbye
after the wedding.
    As he pulled out his wallet, something inside him turned
cold at the plan. Would it be enough? "It'd have to be enough."
    "What was that, cowboy?" The bartender crossed her
arms under her bountiful breasts.
    "Thanks, ma'am." He set down a nice sized bill and
touched the brim of his hat. "Much obliged."
    She winked. "Come back any time. I'm off at six."
    He nodded and turned. Hopefully by six, he and Kira would be
tucked in bed in their suite enjoying supper in bed, with some chocolate and
whipped cream waiting to be spread on heated body parts as dessert.
    A few minutes later, he knocked and slid the keycard in the
door of the Wrangler Suite.
    Kira walked out of the bedroom, her eyes red, her cheeks
wet. "Did you forget something?" She turned toward the bedroom.
"I thought I packed every—"
    "Kira. Sweetheart. I'm not here for anything but
you."
    She turned toward him so fast, she nearly toppled before
catching herself on the doorjamb. "What?"
    "I was wrong. I was an idiot. I am a fool, and I want
you." He took off his hat and held it in both hands in front of him. He
had to get this right the first time, had to convey his sincerity and his
humility every way he could.
    She narrowed her eyes. "What does this mean?" She
seemed cold, as if a wall had dropped around her.
    "I was wrong to not trust you, but please, see this
from my perspective. I've been burned in the past. Badly. In the casino office,
I found out about all the things you'd held back from me. You're rich, you're
giving me the whole jackpot, you got your attorney working on it." Shit,
he sounded like a whiny three year old.
    Kira laced her fingers together in front of her. "I'm
sorry. But I don't—"
    "No, don't tell me to go." He set down his hat and
walked toward her. "I'm not as sharp as you. It takes me a while to
process things. To get things settled through my thick skull and into my
brain." He took her hands, kissing each one softly. "I just now
realized what I had with you. What I turned my back on."
    She blinked rapidly. "What are you asking?"
    "Let's start again. We have today." He touched her
chin. "Maybe you can stay another night?"
    "And then?"
    He heard the uncertainty in her voice. "And then we
have next weekend in New York." He offered a small smile. "It'll be
fun. I'll try to resist keeping you in bed the whole 48 hours and you can show
me the town." That sounded easy. No drama, no commitments.
    She breathed heavily, as if fighting back tears. "And
then?"
    "Do we have to decide right now? Can't we take it one
day, one weekend, at a time?"
    Kira closed her eyes and twin tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I see." She looked up at him. "Damn you, Dallas Burns, I have
no way to resist you."
    His heart did a quickstep. "Sweetheart. Let me make it
up to you." He moved closer and brushed his lips against hers. "Let
me take the hurt away for both