From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,49

and kissed it, lingering to inhale the vanilla-scented body cream she’d rubbed everywhere.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look?”

“Once when you picked me up and twice at dinner.” She tried to ignore the heat surging to her cheeks. It had been quite an eye-opener to discover she was more comfortable with Trace teasing and flirting than she was when he got serious and looked dangerously sexy. “But don’t let that stop you.”

His mouth curved in that same slow patient smile he’d given her across their candlelit table an hour ago. She’d had a glass of wine, something she did only on special occasions. His concession was to drink his beer from a wineglass. That had made her laugh, which she suspected had been the point.

Of all the ridiculous things, her nerves were getting the better of her. She couldn’t explain it. She was supposed to be more worldly, more sophisticated and...what was the word...blasé? Yeah, that was it. Anyone may have assumed tonight was something she’d done a thousand times. Not give a second thought to having a really hot guy come to her door, take off his hat, kiss her and tell her she looked beautiful. Oh, not just say the words but really mean it, so that she’d see the truth in his eyes.

She’d certainly tried to give the impression of a woman who’d seen it all when she started at the Watering Hole. And it was partly true. Her fast life in Houston was so different from anything here in Montana, people here wouldn’t get it. But right now she was out of her element, and she had the feeling he knew it. The shift in power would’ve bothered her more if it was anyone but Trace.

He released her hand, slid his arm across the back of her seat and leaned in to her. Their lips barely touched when a horn honked behind them. The light had turned green.

Trace cussed under his breath and hit the accelerator.

Nikki laughed. “What are we doing after the driving tour? Not that I’m not enjoying this.”

“I’d planned on checking out what movies are playing, but I don’t know...” His gaze started at her exposed shoulders then slid down the front of her strappy sundress. “I should be showing you off.”

“Oh, God, there you go being sexist again.”

“I know, and I don’t care.”

She shook her head, faking disgust. The thrilling way he’d practically devoured her with that look trumped political correctness. “Then we should go dancing.”

“Um...”

“Relax. I’m kidding.” She twisted around for a second look at the fancy hotel they’d passed. So much nicer than the motels she’d seen closer to the highway.

Nikki turned back and faced straight ahead. She couldn’t tell if Trace had noticed the hotel or her interest in it. Of course sex was on her mind. And she’d bet her savings he’d been thinking about how tonight they had the perfect opportunity. The heated looks were hint enough. But after throwing herself at him the other night, the subject was still touchy for her.

“You seem restless,” he said. “Is there somewhere you wanted to stop?”

Suspicious that he had seen her check out the hotel and was teasing her, she studied his profile. He wasn’t trying to hold back a smile or anything. “No. Just getting the lay of the land as they say.” She sighed, wishing the horn hadn’t interrupted their almost kiss. “I haven’t had many dates.”

He frowned, darted her a glance. “What’s that?”

She sighed again. The thought had passed through her mind so many times she wasn’t sure she’d meant to say it out loud. “I haven’t had many dates. Not the real kind. Like tonight with you picking me up at the house.”

“Why not?”

“It wasn’t like that in high school.” She shrugged. “My friends and I did group things and then sometimes paired off. After graduation I worked nights, even when I went to community college, so I didn’t have time for a social life.”

“We went out in groups, too. Mostly to football games or rodeos, so I get that. But what about proms or dances or just dinner and a movie?”

Nikki bit her lip. Ten years later and she still cringed just hearing the word prom.

“Obviously you think I’m an old-fashioned country boy, and you go right ahead—”

“I don’t think that at all. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“I see you trying not to laugh.” He caught her hand again. “A woman accepts an invitation from me and she’s gonna get picked up