A Cowboy for Holly

Chapter 5

Ben got a grip on the raw fury burning inside him. Damned if he was going to sit here and be punished for the actions of a man too stupid to see exactly what he'd thrown aside.

"Your turn," Holly said. "Tell me why you hid who you really were."

He shook his head, glanced down at his steak dinner and realized that he didn't want it. What he wanted was to pick Holly up, toss her over his shoulder and carry her out of the restaurant. Hell, carry her all the way to Montana. He wanted her alone. Where they could talk without keeping it to a whisper to avoid others overhearing.

More than that, though, he just wanted her.

The woman was in his blood. He'd thought he could forget her. And had made a damn good try at it when he'd discovered she'd gone. But after a long damn week, he had finally realized that nothing was going to be right for him until he saw her again. Talked to her. Touched her. Maybe then he could let her go. Though at the moment, he was more interested in taking hold of her.

Shaking his head, he blurted, "Are you hungry?"

She glanced at her plate and shook her head. "No."

"Me, neither. Let's get out of here." He pushed his chair back, grabbed his wallet and dropped several twenties on the table.

"We can't just leave all of this food—"

"Holly," he said, holding one hand out to her as he stared down into her eyes, "either we get out of here right now, or the people in this place are going to get quite a show. What I've got to say to you is private. And you're damn well going to listen to me."

He watched her think about it, could practically see the wheels turning in her mind as she considered just keeping her seat. Defying him and refusing to leave. But something in his expression must have convinced her because she stood up—without taking his hand—and walked through the restaurant, head held high.

He was right behind her, and couldn't quite keep himself from enjoying the view of her backside in that swirly skirt she was wearing. Her high heels made her legs look about three miles long and the fall of blond hair around her shoulders made his hands itch to touch it.

Yes, he'd be damned if he'd be surrounded by people when he said what he'd come to say.

***

The cab pulled up outside Holly's apartment and she turned to look at Ben. "How did you know where I live?"

He glanced up at the four-story brick building. She followed his gaze. Lights were on behind a few of the windows and yet more lights lined a narrow walkway to the front door. A few straggly flowers drooped out of pots on either side of that door, like sentinels too tired to stand up straight. If he was comparing her home to his, hers would come in a sad second. But Holly liked her place. It was small, but it was hers.

When he looked back at her, he said, "It's not hard to find what you need to find."

"Is this a stalker thing?"

He laughed, and the sound of it buzzed through her system like champagne bubbles. That's when she was sure she was in trouble. She still wanted him. Still loved him.

And when he eventually left, the pain that was waiting for her was going to be awesome.

"I'm not a stalker," he assured her. "Just a guy looking for the woman who got away."

"And the difference is?"

"I'm here. With you. Not hiding behind the shrubbery watching you from a distance."

"Fine distinction."

"I'll take what I can get."

The cab driver called out the total and Ben swiped his credit card through the slot, tapped in a tip and took his receipt. Then he reached across Holly, opened the door and stepped out behind her.

"Thanks for the ride," she started.

"We're not done," he told her, taking her elbow in a firm grip. "I'm coming in and we're gonna finish this."

She sighed a little. "What will that accomplish?"

"You said you wanted to know why I didn't tell you who I was."

"I changed my mind."

"I haven't," he said and started walking.

His hand on her arm was warm and strong and sent shivers racing through her. She glanced up at his profile in the dusk and saw a quietly confident, determined man. How was any woman supposed to resist a man like him? Especially a woman who didn't particularly want to?

As they entered her building and walked to the elevator side by side, she reminded herself firmly that no matter what he said in the next few minutes, nothing had changed.

They were only two people with nothing but chemistry in common.