Sunset Seduction - By Charlene Sands Page 0,17
why.”
“I told you why.”
“You’re guessing, but you don’t know for sure.”
He wasn’t letting this drop. Mr. Nice Guy was also a Good Samaritan.
An idea popped into her head. “How about if you text me?”
He chuckled from deep in his throat and a boyish gleam lit his eyes. “You’re sleeping three doors down.”
“It could be fun. And you don’t have to be disturbed.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll text you. I’ve got your number.”
“Great. Well then, good night.”
“Sleep tight, Audrey.”
After closing the door to Luke, her lungs released a whoosh of air, and she slumped against the door as the last bit of her energy seeped out. She was more tired than she’d let on to the Slades. She’d never fainted before. What was that all about? She chalked it up to emotional angst seeing Luke again. By all rights she should feel exhausted after the highs and lows she experienced today. The lowest was finding out that Luke had no memory of their night together. That had been a crushing blow, and she hadn’t been allowed time to absorb the implications and heal her wounded heart and deflated ego.
Audrey undressed with deliberately slow moves, carefully peeling off her clothes. No sense tempting fate. A sudden move here or there and she might find herself on the floor again without a dashing prince to awaken her.
She hung up her blouse in a double-wide closet and folded her jeans in half, putting them across a captain’s chair in the corner of the room. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then climbed into bed, giving Jewel a little nudge. “Why aren’t you a curl-up kind of cat?”
The cat was stretched out, taking up most of the width of the bed, and the prod moved her only enough to give Audrey room to climb in. She sank into the comfort awarded her in that small space. She picked up the remote control and clicked on the television. Mindless babbling might just comfort her to sleep tonight. She settled on a reality show that Susanna constantly raved about. Her friend, the reality-show junkie, watched them all and had recommended this one specifically for Audrey.
“Wannabes and Wranglers,” Audrey mumbled, sinking into the pillow.
The first ten minutes entertained her enough to keep watching the city slickers trying to replicate life in a mock-up Western town. Poor John Wannabe was having trouble saddling up his horse. He got the cinch all wrong and the saddle might have slipped off if it weren’t for Wrangler Beth, who’d come to the rescue. They were teamed up for a series of challenges and it was Beth’s job to turn John into a horseman in less than two months. John was halfway into his on-camera, heartfelt confession explaining how Beth made him nervous because she was so beautiful when Audrey’s cell phone barked. The ruff-ruff ringtone had Jewel lifting her head sharply to listen. “It’s just a text,” she explained to her cat.
She picked up her phone from the nightstand and read Luke’s message.
Are you sleeping yet?
She punched in an answer.
Obviously not.
What are you doing?
Watching Wannabes and Wranglers. I’m fine.
A few seconds later, another text came through.
Glad you’re fine. I’m watching that, too.
Really? Luke watched reality shows? She found that hard to believe.
Because Beth is so hot?
It only took a few seconds for Luke to respond.
Yes.
Then a few moments later:
But I like the concept, too.
What do you think of John? she texted, closing her eyes briefly after typing in the question.
His next text came instantly.
Not a fast learner.
Audrey smiled as she punched in her reply.
He’s distracted by Beth.
So am I. She knows her way around a stallion.
Hardy, har-har. Look, John finally got the horse saddled right. Beth’s teaching him how to mount.
That should come naturally to a man.
Was he teasing? She immediately wrote back, A woman, too, if the stallion’s worthy.
An image flashed through her mind of her mounting Luke and taking them both for a sweet ride. His hips had arched and he’d bucked from underneath, meeting her every stride with a fierceness that penetrated her body and soul. The notion layered through her belly in warm waves.
His next text came through.
Mounting a horse, I meant.
Right. You don’t fool me, Luke.
I never did. You almost ready to turn in?
Yes. Go to sleep. I’m fine.
Lights out.
I’ve already done that once tonight.
Funny. Wake me if you need me, Audrey.
That was a loaded comment and a dozen needs regarding Luke flitted through her mind.
Night, Luke.
Night.
Well, it wasn’t text sex or anything close,