Beneath the Stetson(24)
His jaw tightened as the truth of her words sank in. Whatever time the two of them shared was likely to be very brief. Her heart shied away from that knowledge. Leaving Royal was a reality she didn’t want to contemplate. Especially not now that Gil had admitted he wanted her.
He frowned as he took her shoulders in his hands and squeezed gently. “Please be careful, Bailey.”
She moved closer into his embrace, kissed his cheek, and sighed. “I’m always careful.” For long seconds, they stood there quietly as something fragile and precious bloomed. To have the right to lean on him, even symbolically, was very sweet. His hard frame seemed to shelter hers, even though she was quite capable of caring for herself.
The pull of his masculinity called to a part of her she often kept out of sight. Being “girlie” was the last thing she needed in her line of work. But with Gil, she felt herself letting down barriers. Softening. Needing.
“Tell me,” she said, idly running her fingers over his collarbone. “What is this idea you were working on?”
He set her at arm’s length, his expression unreadable. “You want to interview club members—right?”
“Yes. Maybe half a dozen or more.”
“The thing is, Bailey, I can’t stop you from doing what you were sent here to do, but I also can’t condone using the club for those interviews. The TCC is where guys come to get away from life. To chill out and kick back. They have a right to their privacy. But...”
“But what?”
“But I think it might go down better if we do it at my place. I’ll contact whomever you tell me and invite them out to the Straight Arrow tomorrow night. I won’t lie. I’ll tell them flat out why they’re coming. But I’ll throw some steaks on the grill and open a case of beer, and hopefully, we can mitigate any negative backlash.”
“You’d do that for me?” What he was suggesting made perfect sense. Neutral territory.
He kissed her nose. “It’s not that big a deal. But, yes.”
“What about Cade? Will he be there?”
“Actually...”
For the first time since she had known him, Gil looked uncomfortable.
“What? What are you not telling me?”
“I have friends in Midland with a little boy exactly Cade’s age. They’re planning a sleepover birthday for their son and they want Cade to come. I’m driving him up there in the morning.”
She fidgeted, not sure if she was reading him correctly.
Gil’s smile was crooked. “I hope you’ll pack a bag and stay at the Straight Arrow with me once our guests are gone.”
* * *
Twenty-four hours later, Bailey drove out the familiar road to Gil’s sprawling ranch, wondering how she had gone from being a hardworking investigator to a woman contemplating a night with her lover in one dizzying swoop.
The juxtaposition of professional and personal in the upcoming evening made her skittish. It was important that she come across as businesslike and competent when she interviewed Gil’s friends and acquaintances. If any of them got wind of what Gil had planned for later, her credibility would be shot.
But there was no real cause for alarm. Gil didn’t want gossip any more than Bailey did. For his son’s sake, if nothing else.
When she arrived, Gil greeted her at the door. Two high-end pickup trucks were already parked out front. “Come on in,” he said. “I thought you could go ahead and get started before dinner. We’ll set you up in the front parlor. It was always my mom’s holy of holies, but I think it will give you the privacy you need.”
As they traversed the narrow hallway to the back of the house, Gil suddenly dragged her to a halt and pushed her against the antique wallpaper for a hard, hungry kiss. “I missed you today,” he muttered, his hips anchoring her to the unyielding surface.
She returned the kiss eagerly, inhaling the scent of starched cotton and well-oiled leather. Gil was dressed casually in jeans, cowboy boots and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He radiated tough masculinity, and despite her advanced degrees and the level to which she had risen in her career, it was humbling and embarrassing to admit that she was definitely turned on by his macho swagger.
“I missed you, too,” she said primly. “And I want you to know how much I appreciate all you’ve done to set this up tonight.”
He nibbled the side of her neck. “You can thank me later. There’s a full moon tonight. The view from my bedroom window is spectacular.”
The breath caught in her throat as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “Promises, promises...” She swallowed back an embarrassing moan. “There are vehicles out front. I assume we’re not alone?”