6. Montana

-the good the bad and the ugly-

It was clearly a grave mistake to allow Pearl and Kelly to talk me into wearing these shoes. It felt like I was walking on stilts, and I was sure I looked clumsy and graceless. As if navigating through an obstacle course, I cautiously wove my way around busy waitresses and groups of customers towards the bar where I could see him standing with his back to me.

As if he had felt my gaze, he abruptly turned and our eyes met.

And Holy Freaking Cow! The force coming from the inscrutable jaw, hard muscles, and the sheer animal magnetism was shocking. The universe fell away, the bar became like a blurred impressionist painting. The noise, the hustle and bustle around me became oddly muted as if I was underwater. The air itself became as thick as syrup. Time slowed down.

In this strange world there was only him and me … and the feral urge to mate with him. This kind of pure lust had never shown itself before, but now it was undeniable. Full of fierce hunger, it uncoiled inside my body. God, I wanted him. How I wanted him.

In those hushed seconds, I couldn’t move.

I didn’t dare move.

Paralyzed, I just stared at him in amazement. The virility of the man was impossible to describe. It seemed as if sparks of electricity were jumping out of him, flying through the air and landing on my body. The sparks ran through my veins making my heart race, my skin bristle, and my stomach feel as if it had been invaded by a swarm of madly fluttering butterflies.

I felt alive in a way I’d never experienced before. Gosh, I’d never even dreamed I could feel this way by just looking at a man. I’d lived my whole life as innocent as a lark, and my self-imposed celibacy was no hardship at all as I had no interest in the boys around me, or exploring the pleasures of the flesh. Even watching porn just bored me.

Until now …

Now my whole being throbbed for him.

As if he knew I was unable to move, he started walking towards me. His walk was unhurried but purposeful. Like a lion walking towards its stunned prey. As he got closer, I saw that he was even more wildly handsome than I’d originally thought.

His eyes were especially mesmerizing.

Translucent gray and so intensely beautiful you couldn’t look away. In general, I preferred the look of clean-shaven men, but his five o’clock stubble was masculine, rugged, and so, so sexy, I had absolutely no problems with it. What would the rough skin feel like between my thighs? The thought was involuntary and so uncharacteristic for me, that I felt my knees wobble. Then my ankle turned, and to my dismay, I started to go down.

Pure horror flashed through me. Oh, God no! I was going to end up on my butt and disgrace myself in front of this god-like man.

But lightning quick, his hand shot out and captured my elbow in an iron grip.

I leaned into the solid support. “Thanks,” I whispered.

“My pleasure,” he drawled. His voice was rich and warm, his accent was polished, the way newscasters on TV were.

“These are not my shoes,” I babbled. “I can’t do high heels. I must look a total fool.”

“Not in that dress you don’t,” he murmured, his luminous eyes looking right into my very soul.

“The dress is not mine either,” I prattled unnecessarily. My mouth had become a runaway train I had no control over. More pointless explanations tumbled out. “Borrowed for the night from my friend, Kelly.”

His eyes widened with surprise, but of course, I couldn’t stop myself from adding to my humiliation by exclaiming, “Wow! I thought only cats and archangels have eyes like yours.”

He looked genuinely curious. “Do you generally blurt out everything that comes into your head?”

“Kinda,” I confessed ruefully.

He grinned, a wolfish grin. “In that case, you and I are going to get along just fine.”

His presence bathed me in a glow of desire. I could feel the heat from his hand warm the skin on my elbow. That simple touch was a delicious pleasure. When he released me, I missed the sensation and hungered for more.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” I asked softly.

“Was it the rented car that gave it away?”

“That and the fact that everything about you screams city slicker.”

He looked amused. “Ouch.”

“It wasn’t meant to be an insult. We’re all wholesome simple people living off the land here. You’re deeply mysterious and sophisticated.”

He raised one eyebrow. “Simple and wholesome? You’re wearing a dress that would drive a man to the brink of insanity and shoes that a lap dancer would consider risqué.”

I decided to be blunt as I’d already made up my mind. Either he was the one I was hooking up with tonight or I was going home early.

“I am simple and wholesome,” I insisted, “but I came out tonight with the intention of finding a no-strings-attached, one-night-only fling with a complete stranger. What I’m trying to say is I”m not looking for anything serious. Not tonight, anyway.”

For a few moments, he stared at me, a strange expression on his face. Then he smiled, a gorgeous smile, “And have you found your … fling for the night?”

I nodded slowly. “I’m looking at him.” My voice was hoarse with a strange anticipation.

His eyes never left mine. “If nothing else you are direct.”

“Do you have a hotel room?” I asked boldly.

His pupils grew so large his irises looked like silver rings. “Yeah, I’ve got a room booked upstairs.”

I gazed into his amazing eyes and couldn’t help but feel curious about who he was. But that was a dangerous thought. “Good.”

A thought occurred to me. This was all too good to be true. I come out dressed like a bimbo and find the most beautiful man on earth who already has a room booked upstairs. Life was great, but not that great, surely.

“You’re not married, are you?” I asked, my gaze sliding down to his ring finger.

“I’m separated.”

I felt my heart sink a little. If I was on a separation with someone because we were still working something out I’d hate it if some woman thought my man was fair game and slept with him. “Separated as in-”

“Separated as in never ever getting back together again.” His voice was dry and decisive.

The relief I felt was enormous. Like a bright sunshine, it filled my entire being and made me smile with happiness. “What’s your name?”

“Cole.”

The hesitation before he answered was almost imperceptible, but I saw it.

“There you go. That’s what I mean by mysterious,” I pounced. “You almost didn’t even want to give out your name.”

He laughed and it truly had to be the most mesmerizing sound I”d ever heard. Deep, quiet, and as rich as one of Mrs. Dearborn’s famous fruitcakes. I loved it. It showed his gorgeous teeth and lit up his face.

“It was the one-night-only thing that threw me,” he mocked. “Some one-night-only encounters are conducted without names and I wasn’t sure if this was to be one of them.”

I stared at him. “I suppose you’d know all about them.”

He shrugged. “Sure, I’ve had a few. Is this your first?”

I crossed my fingers and, tossing the curls that Kelly had skillfully put into my hair, proceeded to lie with a straight face. “Of course not. I’ve had loads and loads of experience at this kind of thing.”