Taming Clint Westmoreland - Brenda Jackson [38]
“Oh.” But that didn’t explain why he was back at the ranch when he had mentioned that morning he would be gone all day. Alyssa decided it really didn’t matter why he had altered his plans. He had and she was glad about it.
“So where to first?” he asked her again.
“What about the Highland Mall?” she asked. That particular mall had been her favorite when she lived in Austin as a Ranger.
“The Highland Mall it is.”
She settled back in her seat, anticipating how the rest of the day would pan out.
Nine
I t was late afternoon before Clint and Alyssa returned to the ranch. In addition to shopping, Clint had suggested they see a movie. He could tell that Alyssa had been surprised by his suggestion. There were ten movies showing and they had narrowed their selections down to two. They couldn’t decide which of the two to see, so they ended up viewing both.
Clint had enjoyed Alyssa’s company immensely. He’d discovered several new facets of her character. For instance, Alyssa loved Mexican food and she was thrilled about her work as a Web designer. During the course of the day, she’d explained the process of setting up a Web site and how each design was tailored to the individual needs of each client. She’d also gone into detail about search engines and how invaluable they were to anyone who frequented the Internet.
They ate lunch at the mall food court and he had enjoyed watching her eat every single bite of her meal. In fact, he had gotten turned on just from watching her eat. Was that crazy or what?
And another thing that was crazy was that he had enjoyed being with her while she shopped. In his opinion, she was a smart shopper. He had definitely learned a lot today about working a clearance rack.
“So where do you want these bags and boxes?” he asked as he followed her into the house.
“You can carry them into my bedroom.”
He glanced over at her and grinned. “Is that an invitation?”
She shook her head and grinned back. “You may enter my bedroom this time, but only to deliver my packages, Clint.”
As they walked together down the wide hallway that turned off into the wing where she was staying, a part of him regretted his decision to make sure the guest room she used was so far from his bedroom.
“Did I tell you how nice you look today?” he asked softly as they neared her bedroom.
She glanced over at him. “Thank you.”
He could tell his compliment had caught her off guard. When they reached the bedroom, he stood back while she led him in. “You can place everything on the bed.”
“Sure,” he said. He had come into the bedroom last night while she had slept and the memory of seeing her so relaxed and at peace sent sensations of desire spiraling through him now.
After placing the items on the bed, he turned and saw her watching him. And there it was again. He had felt it all day around her—the spark, sizzle and steam that seemed to emanate between them. He knew she was aware of it, too.
“I believe this one is yours,” she said, retrieving a single bag from the bed and offering it to him.
“My belt,” he said and chuckled.
He took the bag and then gently pulled her to him. He saw the flicker of passion in the depths of her eyes. “I always say I’m not going to kiss you and end up doing it anyway,” he said.
“Why?”
A smile touched his expression. “I’ve told you why. Do you want me to remind you?”
“Yes, why not?” she teased.
He leaned into her, let her feel the evidence of his desire that was pressed hard against her. He spread the palms of his hands at the center of her back, bringing her closer to the fit of him. “Should I say more?” he asked in a voice that sounded deeper to his own ears.
She held his gaze. “Yes, say more,” she said daringly.
He leaned over and licked her cheek with the tip of his tongue. “I like tasting you and one of these days, Alyssa, I plan on tasting you all over.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. He was being blunt, but he was also being truthful. Things couldn’t continue between them at the rate they were going. They hadn’t made it to their