LITMIR.BIZ

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pill a while ago.”

      “And washed it down with the margarita?”

      She nodded. “It’s been a long day.”

      Cassie couldn’t believe Jake Griffin was standing there, in the flesh. She’d been thinking about him all day. And the minute she’d laid eyes on him on the dance floor, her heart sped up and her toes curled. Just gazing up into his dark, ominous eyes made her dizzy. Well, the allergy pill had a little something to do with that, she assumed, but Jake Griffin was just too appealing. Cassie could never trust herself with him. She’d fall hard and then she’d shatter.

      Besides, he was the last man on earth she should be thinking about. He’d been the first in a long string of bad decisions. The first one always hurt the most, she presumed, because she’d been so trusting and it had been so unexpected. But the sad fact remained, Jake Griffin had stood her up on what was to be her very first date ever, and the sting of his betrayal wounded her like a gut-stabbing pain. She’d cried the night away and had the worst weekend in her young life. And now, he stood, with hands on hips, looking better than ever, lecturing her on prudent drinking habits.

      “We both have things to do tomorrow. We should get some sleep. Let me walk you to your room,” he offered, reaching for her hand.

      Her room? Heaven help her! It just dawned on her that she didn’t have a room. She’d gotten back late this afternoon with the tow truck, then made a spectacle of herself at the rodeo banquet before she’d finally found the right room and met with Brian and Alicia for their dinner. Immediately after that, she’d dashed into the rest room, cleaned up a bit and tried applying her hare-brained scheme of finding a date for the wedding in this bar. She’d been here for three hours and had completely forgotten to check in.

      “I, uh…um. I don’t have a room, exactly.”

      Jake lowered his head and searched her eyes. With a hint of confusion he asked, “You don’t have a room?”

      “Yes, I do. I mean I have a reservation for a room, but with all the commotion, I forgot to check in.”

      Jake ran a hand down his face. “Okay, come on. We’ll get you a room.”

      Cassie took his hand and stood up. Her head reeled and the room spun out. She’d been too busy dancing to notice, but once she’d sat down, everything seemed to hit her all at once. “Uh…oh. I guess margaritas don’t mix well with antihistamines,” she said, trying to keep her balance.

      “Oh, man, Cassie. You’re gonna have a whopper of a headache tomorrow.” He put his arm around her shoulder and leaned her into him. They walked slowly toward the reservation desk and that was perfectly fine with her. Cassie liked being in Jake’s arms. He felt solid and steady and he smelled so darn good.

      No. No. Those were dangerous thoughts. Cassie’s mind was too jumbled up to think clearly, but she did remember that Jake Griffin was off-limits. She could fall hard for her real-life cowboy. He’d hurt her in the past and would probably cause her pain again if she weren’t careful.

      When they reached the front desk, Jake swore. “Damn.”

      “What?”

      She squinted at the reservation desk through hazy eyes, noting the place swarming with grumpy and beleaguered senior citizens. The chaotic line wrapped around the hotel lobby. Their loud rants rattled around in her head as they shouted out politically correct obscenities to anyone who would listen. Their bus had broken down in the desert. They’d missed their special dinner. They were hungry. They were tired.

      Cassie’s brain fuzzed out and her legs wobbled like Jell-O.

      “We’re not waiting around,” Jake stated plainly.

      With a quick, efficient move, Jake swept her up into his arms. “You’re bunking with me tonight.”

      Jake carried Cassie to the elevator. She weighed next to nothing, it seemed, and felt darn good in his arms. Little did he know this afternoon when he’d spotted her at the rodeo banquet that he’d be carrying Miss Sexy Red Dress up to his room tonight. Of course, not for the desired reasons, he thought with wry amusement. Even Jake had standards. He had a second bed in his room and that’s exactly where he’d deposit her.

      When Jake reached his floor, he headed for his room, ignoring smirks and curious stares of the passersby in the hallway as they noted the woman out cold in his arms. She’d fallen into a druglike sleep the minute he’d entered the elevator.

      With his keycard, he unlocked the door and, with a shoulder shove, pushed through the doorway. He uttered a curse, noting the dishevelment surrounding him. He’d thrown down his equipment on the bed in a hurry this afternoon.

      Cassie stirred in his arms and he quieted her with soothing words. It would be better for both of them if she stayed asleep. Having her wake up in his room, in his bed, would be too great a temptation. With efficient thoroughness he removed as much equipment from the beds as possible. He tossed ropes, chaps, gloves and other gear onto the floor, then folded back the blankets on one of the beds. With care, he set Cassie down on her back. Immediately, she nuzzled her face into the pillow and sighed with undisguised pleasure.

      That sigh unnerved him and heat surged through his body with rapid speed. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he quickly swiped at it, backing away from the gorgeous woman lying on his bed.

      Get a grip, Jake. You can’t get in bed with her. In fact, you’d better not touch her again tonight.

      He was ready to cover her up with the blanket, but realized her shoes were still on. “Damn.”

      He went to the lower end of the bed and hesitated, glancing at the leggy woman in the red dress. The material had bunched way up, exposing firm, shapely thighs, legs that cried out for his attention. Jake heaved a heavy sigh and slowly lifted one shiny black heel off her foot, then the other, careful not to touch her in any other way.

      Jake tossed her shoes aside, covered her up to her chin and closed the drapes. In total darkness now, he might be able to forget that Cassie Munroe slept just three feet from him.

      Cassie woke to the alluring aroma of fresh coffee. She opened one eye, then the other, and stared straight into the face of a cowboy. The man sitting on the opposite bed, dressed in Western gear, complete with a black Stetson, smiled. “Morning.”

      Cassie blinked, then blinked again. She wasn’t dreaming. He was as real as Nevada heat and so was the hot mug of coffee sitting on the nightstand just inches from her face. She brought the covers up to her chin, probing her mind for answers. Slowly, and with great effort, she began to remember everything. Except how she got into this bed.

      What happened last night…with Jake?

      Heavens, it’d be just her luck to have a torrid night with the sexy cowboy and not remember a darn thing in the morning. “Morning…oh!” Her head and facial muscles ached. It actually hurt to talk.

      “That bad?” he asked, sipping from his mug of coffee. “I would have let you sleep longer, but I didn’t know what time your brother’s wedding was.”

      Brian’s wedding! Cassie bounded upright, then paid a heavy price for her quick move when her head spun. She slumped back down with a groan. “I have two questions. What time is it?”

      “Ten-thirty.”

      That was doable. The wedding wasn’t until later this afternoon. She had time for a quick makeover, hair and makeup after an abbreviated workout. She didn’t have to be at the river dock until four-thirty.

      “And…” she began, swallowing past a lump in her throat. This was a more difficult question. Fear ran rampant through her body in anticipation of the wrong answer. “And…well, um, what exactly happened last night?”

      Slowly she sat up, bringing the covers with her. She peered directly into Jake’s dark eyes.

      “You sort of passed out.”

      That much she remembered. It was

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