The - Cowboy’s - Secret - Twins by Dilesh Page B

Joey and never keeps his blankets on,” she said softly as she moved across the hall to her bedroom doorway. “I guess then I’ll just say good-night.”
    “Melissa, I enjoyed spending the morning with you.” He took a step toward her and stood so close she could feel the radiating warmth of his body.
    “I had a nice time with you, too,” she replied as her heart drummed a little faster.
    There was a heat in his eyes that excited her and when he reached up to smooth a strand of her hair back from her face his simple touch electrified her.
    “I thought about you often after that night,” he said, his voice a husky whisper that stirred a simmering fire inside her. “I wondered if you’d gotten where you were going okay, if somehow, someway, our paths would ever cross again. I can’t believe how little we shared and yet how much we shared.”
    “It was a crazy night,” she replied half-breathlessly.
    “I’m feeling a little crazy right now.” He didn’t give her time to think, time to process what he’d just said. He pulled her into his arms and his lips claimed hers.
    It never occurred to her to step back from him, to deny him and herself the pleasure of kissing him. Just as she remembered, his lips were a combination of tenderness and command, of controlled hunger. She opened her mouth to allow him to deepen the kiss. His body was rock-hard against hers as his hands slid down her back and pulled her closer to him.
    Their tongues swirled and danced and Melissa felt herself falling into a sensual haze of instant desire. No man had ever been able to stir her like Henry. No man had ever made her feel as alive as she felt in his arms, with his mouth on hers.
    He released her suddenly and stepped back, his eyes hooded and dark. Melissa fought for composure when all she really wanted was to grab him by the arm and pull him into the bedroom with her. Then she was struck by a thought that dashed all desire away.
    “You’ve tried bribery and manipulation to get me to agree to move here. Is seduction your next weapon to use?” she asked.
    A slow grin curved the edges of his mouth upward. “I promise you I will never seduce you in order to get you to move into the carriage house. The only reason I would seduce you is strictly for my own personal pleasure and nothing more.”
    He reached out and touched her lower lip with his index finger. “And I do intend to seduce you, Melissa. But, for tonight, sleep well and I’ll see you in the morning.”
    Chapter 7
    H enry awakened the next morning with a sense of excitement he hadn’t felt since he’d been a very young boy. The air smelled of Christmas, of baking cinnamon rolls and fresh evergreen boughs and the cranberryscented candles his mother loved to burn. For a moment he remained in bed, thinking about the day ahead and the night before. Kissing Melissa had been an early Christmas present to himself. He’d wanted to kiss her all day.
    As he watched her wander through the stores, her lips pursed thoughtfully as she considered her purchases, all he could think about was capturing that lush mouth with his own. Even in those moments immediately after the blowout he’d wanted to cover her trembling mouth with his and kiss her until the fear in her eyes transformed to something else. Kissing her had been just like he remembered. Her lips had been soft and hot and welcoming and he hadn’t wanted to stop. He’d wanted to take her by the hand and lead her to his bed.
    Afterward he’d told her good-night and he’d gone back downstairs and spent the next several hours wrapping presents and placing everything he’d bought and the items that had been delivered over the past twentyfour hours under the tree. By the time he’d finished it looked like toy land had come to the Randolf home. As pleased as he was about what he’d bought the twins, he couldn’t wait for Melissa to open her presents from him. It had been a long time since Henry had been excited about giving to