It didn’t work.
“Don’t even go there,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s over, cowboy. Go home. Let’s get on with our lives. I have a date arriving any minute now.”
“A date?” he practically bellowed. “You’re a married woman, and you’re dating? I’m sorry, but dating is not allowed. No way!”
“You went on a date with Amelie.”
“That was not a date. That was just friendship.”
She inhaled and exhaled several times as if exasperated with him. “We are not really married and haven’t been for ten years.”
“Oh, yes, we are.” He raised his left hand for her to see the gold band on his fourth finger.
“Where did you get that?” At least he’d surprised her again.
“I’ve always had it.” It was one of the matching bands they’d bought in a pawnshop before their wedding. “Bet you still have yours, too.”
The blush on her cheeks told him he’d struck home with that lucky guess.
“I’m not signing the divorce papers,” he told her.
“Doesn’t matter. The divorce will go through without your consent.”
Boy, is she stubborn! “But it will take a helluva lot longer.”
“And what would that accomplish?”
“Time. Time for me to park my butt on your doorstep and explain why I did what I did. Time to beg for forgiveness. Time to seduce you all over again. Time to build you a dude ranch.”
Her head shot up at that last time bomb. “That is a low blow.”
“No, it’s not. Jimmy and I have been doing research—”
“Jimmy and you?” she interrupted.
“Yeah. What a kid! We’ve been doing all kinds of research on dude ranches. Jimmy does all the ranch paperwork now, on the computer. You were right about utilizing his talents better.”
“You are a piece of work, Lanier. Do you really believe that the key to my heart is a dude ranch?”
How would I know? If I had all the answers, I wouldn’t be here, practically on my knees. Give me a clue, baby. What is it you really want? “Everyone misses you at the ranch. Clarence is driving me nuts with all his advice on how to get you back. Says I handled things all wrong with you, which I did. Linc has a publisher interested in his book and wishes he could discuss it with you. Jimmy yearns for your meat loaf and says he’s sick of my cooking. Everyone misses you.”
“Everyone?” Her arched eyebrows gave him a clue that he’d made an important omission.
“Especially me. I miss you most of all.”
“For my cooking?”
He grinned. Maybe he was making some headway. “And those frickin’ dryer sheets that smell up my underwear. And all your cosmetic junk that clutters the bathroom. And the way you look in my T-shirt. And your mop dancing. Especially your mop dancing. Will you do that on our wedding night… our wedding renewal night… except naked… and wearing those red high heels? And I miss your snake shooting. And—”
She was back to frowning again. No headway after all. Note to Raoul: No sense of humor today in Charmaine.
“I want you to leave,” she said, steely-voiced.
“I want to kiss you.” Sometimes a guy just needed to get directly to the point.
“Don’t you dare.” She started backing up.
He followed after her. “I gotta dare. What flavor is that lipstick anyway?”
“Blood… because that’s what you’re going to taste if you put those wicked lips of yours anywhere near mine.” Her back hit the wall right next to the tree.
She thinks my lips are wicked. That’s a good sign, isn’t it? He shrugged and pressed his advantage by putting his hands on either side of her head, thus trapping her. “Sometimes a little blood is worth the battle.”
He bent his knees slightly so he was level with her, then pressed his mouth gently against hers.
She moaned. No question there. That is definitely a good sign.
He moaned, too… because he thought it might be a good thing to do and because, truth to tell, he couldn’t help himself.
The scent of the Christmas tree, the scent of her per-fume, the sound of the bayou stream outside, the chirping of birds—all these assailed his senses. But mostly, he just lost himself in the feel of her parted lips under his. It might sound hokey, but he felt like swooning at the sheer pleasure of being with Charmaine again. “I love you, chère,” he murmured against her open mouth.