Flirting with Love(33)

VOODOO WAS A popular restaurant located at the north end of Trusty. The interior was decorated with a plethora of odd paraphernalia ranging from old-fashioned bicycles to trombones that hung on the walls like pictures. The hardwood floor was shiny and dark, as were the tables and booths. Music filtered in from the bar located down a wide hallway in the back of the restaurant. They waited in the lobby for Rex and Jade. At least they hadn’t been late. Elisabeth had visions of running in with flushed cheeks and Rex and Jade shaking their heads at them. Her insides were still reeling from the intensity of the orgasm she’d had. She was sure his cousin would know exactly what they’d done.

Ross’s hand clutched her waist, and she felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder. She and Ross both turned.

“Hey, cuz.” Rex stood eye to eye with Ross, with shoulders as wide as a linebacker, dark eyes that had to be a Braden trait, and thick black hair that hung over the top of his collar. He took his Stetson off and set his boots hip width apart. His thighs strained against a pair of faded Levi’s. “I’m sorry we’re late. We…uh…” He glanced at Jade, whose cheeks pinked up.

“Had trouble getting out of the house.” Jade raised her brows at Elisabeth and flashed a knowing smile.

Elisabeth breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little less nervous and wondering if there was an aphrodisiac in the Colorado air.

Rex embraced Ross, then opened his arms to Elisabeth. “And you must be Elisabeth. Nice to meet you.” He squeezed her tight against his rock-hard chest, then settled a hand on Jade’s back.

“This is my fiancée, Jade.”

Jade’s long hair was as dark as Rex’s. She wore skinny jeans tucked into cowgirl boots and a black form-fitting tank top. She was built like Scarlett Johansson, but she was ten times prettier with almond-shaped eyes and higher cheekbones. She and Rex were the epitome of a beautiful Western couple. Hot cowboy, gorgeous cowgirl, and the way Rex looked at her was the same heated way Ross looked at Elisabeth. The whole scene was so different from LA that she wondered how she’d stayed there for so long. She’d seen more love pass between Ross and his family in just a few weeks than she ever had anywhere else.

Jade hugged Elisabeth. “It’s nice to meet you. Emily has told me a lot about you.”

“Emily was over last night. She’s designing my kitchen renovations.”

“She’s weaseling her way into Elisabeth’s life and eating all her baked goods,” Ross teased.

“Sounds like Em,” Jade said.

The waitress seated them in a booth. They looked over the menu and ordered a round of drinks.

“Emily said you moved from Los Angeles. Are you still in culture shock?” Jade asked.

“It’s definitely different, but I spent time here in the summers when I was younger, so I knew what I was getting into.”

Ross pulled her against him. “Well, mostly, anyway.”

Elisabeth’s insides warmed. She had hoped and dreamed of meeting a man like Ross, but being with him was so much better than those dreams ever were.

“You can’t elude fate.” Jade gazed up at Rex with eyes full of adoration. “Look at us. Our families feuded for forty years before our love conquered it.” She looked at Ross and Elisabeth. “True love can’t be stopped, and when it touches you, you’re flooded with so much emotion that you don’t know whether you’re sinking or swimming, or floating. I know this sounds corny, but I swear it’s true. I was in love with Rex for fifteen years before we finally got together, and still, to this very day, when I look at him he takes my breath away.”

Rex brought a big, strong hand to her cheek and gazed into her eyes. “I’ll always breathe for you.” He pressed a loving kiss to her lips and Elisabeth felt her insides melt.

She glanced at Ross and saw every bit as much love as she felt in her heart.

Their dinner came, and the conversation shifted to the Braden ranch and Rex’s brother Treat’s baby, Adriana, who was named for their mother. Rex’s mother, Adriana, had passed away when her children were young, and as Rex spoke of her, it was clear his love for her still flourished.

“I want to be next,” Jade said.

“Next?” Ross asked.

“A baby. I want to be the next one to have a baby. I’m so ready, and Rexy isn’t getting any younger.”

“Hey. We’ve got to get married first.” Rex’s smile told Elisabeth that a baby was not a bone of contention between them. He shifted his eyes to Ross. “You’re coming to Josh and Riley’s wedding, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Ross turned his attention to Elisabeth. “Josh is Rex’s younger brother. He’s a fashion designer in New York, and he’s marrying Riley Banks, his business partner and childhood crush. The wedding is in New York in the spring. We’ll get someone to watch the boys and your animals and make a vacation of it.”

Elisabeth felt her eyes widen and tried to quell her excitement. Spring was months away. Ross was planning a future with her. She realized that she hadn’t even considered if they stayed together. She assumed they would. With the few other men she’d dated, she was constantly battling the things she didn’t feel comfortable with about them. With Ross, that hadn’t happened even once.

“Elisabeth, you’ll love Riley,” Jade said. “She’s my best friend in the world, and you’ll meet all the girls. I can’t wait!”

“Do you two have a date for your wedding yet?” Ross arched a brow at Rex.

Rex tightened his grip on Jade. “We’re deciding on the location first. I wanted to plan the whole thing and surprise Jade, but so far she’s not going for it.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “He’s the most romantic man on earth, isn’t he?”

“I think you should let him,” Elisabeth said. “He knows you, and he loves you. Who better to plan your big day?”

Jade’s gaze softened. “I hadn’t thought of it in those terms. Maybe so. Hm.”

“Not to change the subject or anything, although I am…” Elisabeth was itching to ask about the business opportunity Jade wanted to talk about. “Ross said you wanted to talk about my pet-pampering business.”

“Yes. Tell me about what you do. I do horse massage, and a lot of my clients have cats and dogs and have asked about my doing massages for them. I can, and I have, but horses are really my specialty—”

“And cowboys,” Rex added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Only one cowboy.” Jade touched his cheek. “Anyway, I thought maybe we could discuss referrals and maybe share client lists, that sort of thing.”

“Gosh, I’d love that if I had a client list. Unfortunately, I’m so new to the town that I don’t think many people here trust me yet, and they don’t seem that interested in grooming their pets. Although I did get a call from someone named Cherry about grooming her shih tzu.”

“Cherry Macomb. She’s a client of Ross’s, but I know of her.” Jade laughed. “She acts like she’s some kind of movie star and dresses like she’s Peg Bundy, but she’s really good to her animals.”

“Well, I know how to handle film stars, so that’s good.”

“Why don’t we do this,” Jade offered. “How about if you come with me to see a few of my clients and talk with them? You can give them your information, and maybe that will get things started for you.”

“Really? You haven’t seen me work yet. Do you want to watch me do a pet massage or grooming first?” Elisabeth’s heart was beating so fast she could barely hear past it.

“I heard about what you did for Gracie, and word has spread as far as Allure about you picking up the Wynchels’ dogs and grooming them. If Ross trusts you, which he obviously does, then I trust you.” Jade sipped her drink. “And I’d imagine that all that talk will eventually lead to more business for you.”

“Thank you, Jade. You can’t imagine how much this means to me.” Is this really happening?

Ross touched his forehead to hers. “And as far as trust goes, give it time. No one will be able to resist you.”





Chapter Sixteen


ROSS AND ELISABETH cuddled on a lounge chair beneath a blanket and watched the sun rise Saturday morning while Storm, Ranger, and Sarge played in the yard. Knight sat beside them, his black fur rising and falling with each sleepy breath. He had become as attached to Elisabeth as Ross had, and since Elisabeth was lying in Ross’s arms with one hand stretched out as she stroked Knight’s back, he knew she’d become just as attached to Knight. Storm had awoken at five o’clock, and rather than try to go back to sleep, they’d taken all the dogs out and decided to greet the rising sun from the back deck of Ross’s house.

“Why do you think Storm was up so early?” Elisabeth asked.

“Who knows. But Trout did say he had trouble sleeping. I’m hoping it’s just a fluke. Trout thought he was lonely.” He slipped his hand under the back of her camisole. Her skin was warm, despite the chilly morning air. She was wearing a pair of his flannel pajama pants folded down at the waist to make them smaller, and they still nearly fell off her hips.