“I haven’t gone to a lot of nightclubs, mind you, but the ones my girlfriends and I would visit when we were in college were dark, loud, and packed wall to wall with people. The atmosphere in this bar is totally different. Very upscale.”
“That was my and Armando’s intention. We wanted something that would attract a more sophisticated crowd. By the way, where did you learn to dance?” He had noticed how easy it was for her to adjust to different rhythms and beats.
“I took dancing lessons. That was one of the things my grandmother found the money for me to do. I loved it and would often choreograph some of my own dance routines. The University of Georgia offered me a dance scholarship, but I chose Yale for medical research instead.”
“Well, you’ve certainly got rhythm. And maybe, one day, you will dance just for me,” Skylar said, giving her a wink.
She grinned. “I might just do that…if you play your cards right.”
It was close to four in the morning when they returned to the Ursula Hotel. Haven had slept through most of theflight back, held contentedly in Skylar’s arms. She had been too deep in sleep to hear him whisper more words of love in Italian against her ear.
Instead of walking through the lobby, Skylar had used his private entrance and elevator to carry her up to her room in his arms. Luckily, they hadn’t run into anyone. He wasn’t worried about his own reputation, but didn’t want to risk hers. He wouldn’t allow anyone to consider their relationship tawdry, or that he was in any way taking advantage of her. Because he wasn’t. He had fallen hopelessly in love with Haven McGuire.
Upon entering her hotel room, he had placed her in the middle of the bed and stood back, staring down at her beauty. Though he was tempted to remove her dress so she could sleep more comfortably, he gently shook her awake. He knew that a half-naked Haven was something he wasn’t ready to deal with. Her eyes slowly came open, and she smiled at him, then asked in a groggy voice, “You want to dance some more?”
Skylar grinned and shook his head. “No, we danced enough tonight.” And they had. Even after the club had officially closed for the night, they’d still danced to slow numbers. He had loved having her in his arms.
“We are back at the hotel, and you need to get ready for bed,” he said softly. “Do you need my help?”
She shook her head. “No thanks. I can manage. Thanks for such a wonderful evening, Skylar. You made me feel special.”
“You are special, Haven. Always believe that. I want you to sleep late tomorrow and then hopefully, you can join me for brunch around one.”
“I would love that.”
“And after brunch, I’ve arranged for us to take a tour of the valley. How does that sound?”
“It sounds wonderful,” she said, easing up and wrapping her arms around his neck. “I don’t want these four weeks to end, Skylar.”
“Neither do I, Haven.” There was no need to tell her right now that he was doing everything he could to make sure they didn’t. He would wine and dine her, giving them a chance to continue to get to know each other. He refused to rush things between them.
Leaning in, he kissed her and wondered if she could feel his love for her in their kiss. Probably not now, but he was confident that one day, she would.
CHAPTER 16
Danielle and Wade
On Sunday morning, Danielle woke up to the aroma of coffee and eased up in bed the moment Wade walked into the room carrying two cups. He was shirtless, and his jeans rode low on his hips. How did he manage to look so darn sexy this early in the morning? She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and discovered it wasn’t as early as she thought. He had let her sleep late.
All she had to do was think about the last two days and how enjoyable they had been. Waking up Friday morning in his arms. Taking a shower together. Getting dressed and then going over to his ranch to help him with his chores. Of course, he’d had to explain more than once what she was to do and how she had to do it, but he hadn’t seemed to mind. More than once, he’d called her his ‘city girl’. She laughed. Richard called Libby ‘New Yorker’.
They had spent Friday night at his ranch and in his bed. After completing early morning chores on Saturday, which she had become more proficient at on the second day, they’d showered, gotten dressed, and gone to the county fair. There, he had introduced her to several neighbors who had stoppedto chat with Wade about the rodeo circuit. It was easy to see he was the local celebrity.
Dani figured that by now, this entire section of Dallas, known as Serenity Pines, had probably figured out something was going on between them. He had held her hand or slung his arm around her shoulder, leaving no one to wonder if Wade Harrison was interested in Libby Manchester-Mercer’s sister. He’d openly displayed his affection.
They had spent the entire day at the fair and had even run into Elena and her husband Carlos, as well as Richard’s brother, Cal, and his wife Faith. They had joined the couple later for dinner and drinks at a nearby restaurant. Dani could now fully understand how Libby had adjusted so well to living in Texas. She knew it had been a challenge for Libby, but obviously, the kindness of the folks living here had made it easier. Last night, she and Wade returned to Richard and Libby’s home to spend the night. It would be their last night together since tomorrow, a whole new work week would start back on Wade’s ranch.
She had received a call from Jerry Alloman to let her know he was back in town and would be by to check out the internet problem first thing Monday morning.
“Here you go, city girl,” Wade said, handing her the cup of coffee.
She took a sip and closed her eyes. “Umm, I love how you make coffee. I could get used to this, Wade Harrison.”
He chuckled. “What else could you get used to, Danielle Manchester?”
She decided to be honest with him. “Waking up every morning in your arms, deliciously sore after making love with you thenight before.”
“Funny you say that. Because while I was making coffee, I was thinking the same thing.”
