

Cosmopolitan Man

Next in Series to: Perfect Cowboy

Published by Smashwords.com and Copyright 2011 Kat Von Wild

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CHAPTER ONE

There are moments in a woman's life when she puts her best friend's needs ahead of hers. This was one of those times. She had to convince her best friend Angel, that it was just another weekend in their lovely summit mountain town. Misleading her was not a normal endeavor however, Angel's new beau, Colton, had some serious plans up his sleeve.

See Colton had taken the weekend off to go back to Denver. Angel had been sensing something was very nervous with the way Colton had been acting before he left. Lou Ann knew that Colton had her best interest at heart. He was making plans that would change their life together forever.

Tonight was a planned girl's night out, just the two of them, like it used to be. Lou Ann missed those nights. Since Angel and Colton had fallen in love. A love like she use to have. Having not found anyone to replace her deceased husband, she was often lonely. However, watching her best friend fall in love and find her soul mate brought on many emotions. Emotions she had buried deeper than she thought. Ones she had not dealt fully with.

Lou Ann had to admit she became jealous watching Angel fall in love. However, she felt extremely elated for her, in the same swirl of emotions. Not every day a girl meets her true love and falls so deep, so quick. It reminded Lou Ann of her first true love, her deceased husband, Stanley.

She knew she would never replace another soul mate like her Stanley. She would just have to settle for a good old fashioned, easygoing cowboy that could handle her heated temper. A man, which shared her similar interests; for the love of the country, good food and good friends. Someone she could share the simple life.

As Lou Ann sat in the side booth of Main Street Diner, she watched a very distracted looking Angel walk towards the entrance door. She could not help but admire what a beautiful woman she had grown into. Her cowgirl walk caused her long blonde curly hair to swish from side to side. By the way her friends face seemed troubled, she knew Angel was 'chewing grit' over Colton leaving to Denver for the weekend.

Now Lou Ann knew that Colton wasn't doing anything bad. In fact he was about to turn her best friends life into a whirlwind of good news. However, Angel had been stressing her doubts to none other than Lou Ann. Which for the first time ever, she had to hide the news from her about what Colton's plan was. It was killing her.

"Thanks for meeting with me for dinner. Colton had to run into Denver to help his friend Mike move into a new condo. He's been acting a little strange lately and I don't know, I just needed some company tonight. I don't think he's cheating or anything like that, but he's just acting nervous a lot. So I figured I could call on you?" Angel knew she could always rely on her best friend Lou Ann. Even when, Lou Ann was married and lived in the big city for a while, she could always call and she would be there for her. Just walking in here tonight and looking into Lou Ann's honest brown eyes, she felt secure.

"Angel, honey we are gonna have a fun night. I rented a couple chick flicks to watch, stocked up on munchies and bought some B-52 slide mix so we could drink, nibble and giggle. Honey don't you worry about anything. Colton's a great guy. Maybe he just needed a little man time with his best friend. I mean it isn't like he's bonded with any of the guys from the ranch yet, except Randy. And, well Randy is his father's age. They'll probably be so tired from moving they won't even have time to hit the bars. You said he was going to be back Saturday evening to do a test run on the sleigh ride, so don't worry. Let's enjoy our Friday night chick night!" Lou Ann knew what Colton was up to and if all went as planned Saturday night was going to change Angel for the rest of her life. She figured after dinner, drinking and watching some movies, Angel would relax.

"Alright, I'll relax. I'm sure he's really going to help Mike move. It's just Mike is well off and could pay movers. And Mike is a lady's man and Colton and he used to hit the bars 'patrolling for potentials' as Colton called it. I guess I'm more worried about the peer pressure from Mike then what Colton will do." Angel was sure she was worrying for nothing, but Colton did seem like he was hiding something when he left.

"Angel honey, you really have nothing to worry about. Let's enjoy our meal and have a fun night. We haven't had a night like this since Colton rode into town. I miss you and our Friday nights. Now come on and let's eat dinner quick and we can stop by the shop for stuff to give each other pedicures, sound good?" Lou Ann really did miss hanging with Angel but she knew how great it was to be in love with a man and want to spend every waking moment with them.

When Colton had confided in Lou Ann about asking Angel for her hand in marriage in a romantic setting she almost screamed his ear off. She guaranteed she would keep Angel busy all Friday to Saturday afternoon. She dusted off some old photo albums they did together and found an old home movie that had both girls learning how to ride horses and make lassos. She knew once she convinced Angel that Colton didn't need a break from her but just visiting his best buddy, and then they could relax and have a great time.

She couldn't help but wonder what Colton's best friend looked like and how cool it was for him to come all the way up here to watch his best friend propose to his future wife.

On the drive into Denver, Colton thought about how he told Angel he had to go into Denver to help his buddy Mike move to a new condo. It ate him up to lie to her, but he knew the end-result would make her happy. He couldn't image a life without Angel. In such a short time, they had connected with a true friendship and fallen in love. He didn't want to squander the gift he was given.

Denver had some incredible jewelers and he needed to ask Mike to be his best man. He knew Mike might try to talk him out of 'all this madness' as Mike would call it. He knew there was no talking him out of it. He wanted to ask Angel for her hand in marriage on the sleigh ride. The first project they did together; the sleigh rides, was about to take off for the winter season. He wanted all the special people in their lives to be there when he asked for her hand. Angel was such a romantic he wanted to cover all bases.

A strong feeling came over him when he realized driving back into Denver; it didn't feel like home anymore. The ranch and Angel felt like home.

Colton knew from their last email Mike had a major client sale he was wrapping up that morning and then he would meet them at their old hang out. A place they had hung out on a regular basis before Colton took up the ranch job. They had the best green chili and a relaxing atmosphere. Great locals and a fun staff with the knowing they could always find a pool table to shoot at unless there was a major sporting event.

Colton had just ordered for them when Mike strode in. With his dark hair, tanned skin in December and bright white teeth he screamed salesman. It was the thousand-dollar business suit he wore and his Italian leather loafers that screamed executive. Mike did not recognize him in his cowboy hat at first. He stood and put a hand out for Mike and the men shook hands and gave a quick pat on the back type of man hug. They were best friends and Colton was a little nervous.

"Mike. Looking like a true cosmopolitan man. What that suit set you back?"

"Colton, shit man you look totally different, like a true cowboy. That your ranch dually out there?"

"Yeah, nice job perk."

The guys quit competing for who was doing better a long time ago. When Mike made his first million, Colton put his hands up and surrendered. He always figured he would be the poorer of the two. They were both good at investing but unlike Colton being in Management and Marketing, Mike was one of the top sales reps at his work and every bonus check he got he invested wisely.

"This old suit, oh I don't know, about thousand."

Colton swallowed hard on his beer.

Mike eyed Colton's hat and checked out his boots. "So how much you spend on those boots and hat, cowboy?" Looking past the expensive duds, he could tell that Colton had a happy gleam in those blue eyes of his. His skin looked tan and blonde hair much blonder. An indication that his new job wasn't all about sitting behind an oak desk.

Colton let out a hardy laugh. His best friend had him there. Quality cowboy clothes did not come cheap and well they paid him well at the ranch and this weekend being a special occasion he wanted to look good. "You got me there old buddy, about seven hundred. Even?"

"Even. So what brought you to Denver other than trying to whoop ass at the pool tables on your best buddy? You know in one week, our office is closed for a month and won't open until after the New Year. I was thinking of driving up to the ranch, seeing firsthand what kind of mayhem you've caused and maybe check out the local gals." Mike flashed his million-dollar smile.

Colton wondered how many times that man got his teeth whitened. Watching Mike take a drink of his beer, the man had perfectly manicured hands. Nothing with this man shocked him anymore. He had become one pampered executive. "Great news Mike; I came to find a ring to ask for Angels hand in marriage; you know, make an honest woman out of her and I want you to be there when I ask and be my best man at the wedding."

Mike was in mid drink when Colton laid all that out. He spit out his beer and choked in utter surprise. "What?"

Mike's beer spit landed on Colton's new cowboy hat. He pulled it off, grabbed a napkin, and started to wipe. "Hey asshole you just got beer on my new hat."

"Yeah well I'll buy you a new damn hat after I beat some sense into you. What are you crazy? You just met this one and by what you described she's handing out the milk for free, why marry the cow?"

Colton was pissed. He knew Mike wasn't calling Angel a cow but was implying why marry the gal if she's already giving it out. He took a moment and glared at Mike. He was sure this was going be Mike's response and he didn't want to come across unsure of his actions. The stare down started. A minute passed but it sure as hell felt like an hour, but Colton wasn't backing down.

"Sorry man. You really love her?"

"Yes" Colton was glaring back still.

"So alright then I don't understand but I'm sure once I meet her I will fall in love with her too. She must be one hell of a gal to have snagged you so quickly and put you under her spell."

Colton knew Mike's negative attitude towards marriage was stemmed from his wealth and all the women in his social circle always trying to get him to marry them. That and Mike had never been in love. Not the way Colton was. "Can you drive back tomorrow morning with me? I have to find a ring today and I told Angel I was helping you move, so she knows I'm staying at your place tonight. I'm planning on having all the special people in our lives there when I surprise her at the warming hut at the end of the sleigh ride tomorrow."

Mike interrupted Colton. "Wait! You are going too fast. You want me to come up tomorrow?"

"It's Friday. I get the ring today and propose tomorrow. You could drive back on Sunday. It's only a couple hours' drive. I burned you a couple country cd's for the drive and just to make it enticing I'll race my dually against your corvette in the mountains." Colton knew his best bud would be there for him, he would just give him a hard time about it.

"Isn't it a little weird to ask for a gals hand in marriage with your friends around? I mean what if she says no. A sleigh ride to a warming hut; romantic, but surprising with all your friends?" Mike was beginning to wonder what this Angel was doing to his best friends head.

"I've put some hard thinking into this and discussed it over with Randy; that's the guy I told you about that is like Angels dad. Well, Angel is a family gal but doesn't have any except the people that took her in when her mom died. Every major decision she makes she discuss it with the people I've invited. I figured it would be nice to have my best man and future god parent there too!" Colton smiled and put a menu between them as Mike spit out another sip of beer.

"Shit man! Sorry about the beer shower. You have to quit saying shit that surprises me while I'm drinking. Is Angel pregnant? Is that why you're rushing all this? Damn man, modern woman doesn't require a marriage license to have a baby." Mike was shocked.

"Nope, Angels not pregnant but we have already discussed starting a family right away. We both want kids and well you being my best friend you're required to be best man in the wedding and the future god parent of our children." Colton let out a hardy laugh. He knew his best friend wouldn't let him down but might need a few more drinks before he talks him into it. He knew Mike didn't do anything he was told unless it was his idea and Colton had years of practice.

"Wow this is a lot you're loading on me." Mike felt like their old life just went on a short ride on the tilt a whirl. First, he becomes a cowboy and moves to the country, now he wants to get married, have kids, all in less than a few freaking months.

"Hey foods here. I hope you don't mind I ordered us some appetizers and our favorite green chili. Well take another round." Indicating another beer like he was drinking to the waitress.

Mike gave him the one raised eyebrow look and drank the rest of his beer. "Oh shit, I'll do it."

CHAPTER TWO

Mike had to tie up loose ends that Saturday morning with his client. He wanted the deal sealed before heading out of town. He never left anything undone. He was a finish the job through to the end kind of man and this one should land him a hefty bonus when all the deal closed out.

Colton waited at Mike's condo for him and repacked his bag with jeans, warm boots and flannel shirts and warm wool socks. Mike was a skier but he packed non-cowboy clothes and Colton wanted him to fit in badly.

Mike walked into his condo just as Colton set the bag back in place. He grinned and did not say much to Mike. "Ready to race up the mountain?"

"Ready." Shifting through his mail he just picked up, he was not in any big hurry unlike his best friend seemed to be.

"You gonna change out of that other expensive suit?" Sensing the man was on leisure time he wanted to hurry things up a bit.

"Nope, isn't this a fancy occasion?" Slugging him on the side of his arm and getting a dirty glare in return. "Just kidding Colton, I'll change when I get there. Let's rock and oh you can keep your country music for now."

"Whatever Mike" Knowing he was giving him a hard time that he had ditched his more metro ways to get back to the country. Right now his nerves had the best of him. The sooner he got Angel to say yes the better he would feel. Knowing once Mike met Angel, he would agree she was the one for him. That maybe her best friend might not be a bad catch for Mike.

Following Mike down the hall, towards the elevator that would lead them to the garage, where their car and truck were parked, Colton grinned and laughed inwardly. All he could think about was Mike's reaction to the way he repacked his overnight bag.

Colton and Mike raced up through the mountainside. What should have taken at least three hours, took them two and half hours. Colton's dually climbed all the hills extremely well, but Mike's corvette was geared for high altitude.

Mike was impressed with Colton's company truck. He figured it had a chip in it to make it run faster due to all the heavy loads he would have to pull.

Colton's mind wandered to Angel the whole drive up home. With everything he had planned he did not want Angel to see Mike or she might suspect something else was up. He really wanted to surprise her.

He knew she had not put any pressure on him but Randy and Sheila, her adoptive aunt and uncle kept relaying how in love Angel felt. They were about the only family Angel had other than her best friend Lou Ann and her mom Bee. Randy had always played dad and uncle to Lou Ann and Angel but had also been Angel's boss until they hired him to replace Randy. Never in a million years would Colton have realized what type of bond he would make with Randy as he fell in love with Angel. Once he asked for Angels hand from Randy, the old man almost cried.

Colton pulled off the highway, just one exit before their turnoff and got out of the truck. Mike pulled in behind him and got out of his corvette.

"What's up? Did my corvette wear your dually out? Isn't it the next exit?"

"Well, I didn't mention this before but if Angel sees you or your flashy sports car she might ask questions and I don't want to lie to her, just surprise her."

"Alright, what's your game plan cowboy?"

Colton handed him a piece of paper with a printout of a map and some handwritten instructions. "Well here are directions to her best friend's house and work just down the road from her house. Park in the local shop district on main and your car will blend with tourists. She's expecting you at either place. Her back door to her house is always open, so if she's not at her shop or house than wait at her house. She'll take you to the warming hut tonight and bring you back to her place to sleep tonight."

"Who's her?"

"Lou Ann. And Mike?"

"Yeah..."

"Lou Ann is single and she is good looking but she is also a hothead. I wouldn't put your smooth moves on this one."

"Don't worry; I'll be a perfect gentleman for you pal. Oh and Colton, you got the ring?"

Colton grinned. Mike always liked acting like the older brother even though he was only six months older. "I got it in my pocket, right next to my heart."

"I'm sorry old buddy did you say Angel was the romantic or you? It must be all this fresh air messing up your head."

"See ya tonight Mike." Colton got in his truck and waved. As Colton pulled back on the highway, Mike came up fast and blew by him in his red corvette. Colton shook his head. Mike was a wild one and boy was he turning into the cosmopolitan man. He just hoped Lou Ann would not rip him to shreds. She had a way of making fun of any travelers that looked like a Cosmo boy. He barely warned Lou Ann about his pretentious friend and charming ways, but felt it best for her to make judgment on her own. She had just smiled at Colton and said 'don't worry, I'm a big girl and I can handle the best of them'. Colton was sure she could, but Mike was the best of the best.

Mike followed the map and figured he would park wherever he felt like. It looked like both her shop and home were off a historical part of Main Street. Therefore, he figured his vette would blend in either way. Besides he didn't want his prized possession too far away in case his extremely expensive alarm system went off. The fact that it was tied in to On Star was comforting, but his vette was loaded and could get damaged in an attempt of car theft. He didn't want to chance it. Besides, once Angel's friend got a load of his vette she might want him to take her for a ride. A little fresh mountain moonlight could do his stress levels wonders. He wasn't thinking about the sky kind, he was thinking about the tight end kind.

Pulling in front of her Victorian styled house, he figured he would try her at home and if she wasn't there he would go on in, check things out and get on-line on his laptop to get some work done before the big meeting on Monday. The coloring of her house was traditional to its period. Very ornate wood pieces placed in corners of the porch and doorways. The coloring wasn't something he would do but the shades of grays with burgundies were much of what he saw coming into town. It felt very much like a Victorian home would look in a magazine but with a lot of mountain landscaping. The path to her backdoor was slightly hidden by a white trellis covered in vines, taking him a second to find.

Looking around, overall the house looked well maintained and Mike wondered if this Lou Ann lady had herself a handyman or landscaper or lots of free time. But that thought, was quickly replaced with, the fact that Colton forewarned him that Lou Ann was not only beautiful, but also hotheaded. Colton knew Mike never went for the sassy talk back kind.

"Come on in" Lou Ann hollered over her shoulder as she was facing the cooler while loading it with beer and pop. Bending at her waist with her backside facing the door, she figured it was Mike, Colton's best friend who was due any minute and if not she always had friends popping by.

Mike walked in and set down his overnight bag and laptop case by the front door. He was amazed at what was in front of him. Colton had warned him what a hottie this Lou Ann was. A visual inspection had put her into a different perspective. Hmm, he would be a gentleman but if she made a pass he wouldn't turn her down. Looking at her bent over, all he could get was a great look at her heart shaped ass and long, very long slender legs with cowgirl boots on. Her long dark brown hair flipped to the side.

Lou Ann tilted her head sideways to peek at the stranger walking through the door who had not said a word since they walked in. She stood up from bending over the cooler. She wiped her cold hands on her jeans, flicked her hair over her shoulder and held out her hand. "Mike I presume?"

"Yes Mam" Mike reached out to shake hands but as Lou Ann put her hand in his, he felt electric warmth trail up his arm. He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed the top as if she was a princess. His senses scattered as a tingling sensation brushed across his lips when he kissed the top of her hand. Her hands were smooth and her fingers were long and sexy with pink painted nails. A flash of those hands on his center parts had him smiling a mile wide. Her light brown eyes with flecks of gold reminded him of dark honey. Her full luscious lips and dimples made Mike think of lots of exotic things. Oh shit, why did this one have to be off limits? Why did he promise Colton to be a gentleman?

Lou Ann pulled back her hand quickly in response to what her body reacted. No man got her tingly since her Stanley. While mentally blessing Stanley's resting soul, she convinced herself it must have been the dry air and static that gave her the sensations from his hand.

Colton mentioned his friend was quite the lady's man. This man oozed cosmopolitan, centerfold, city boy. From his thousand-dollar suit and Italian leather loafers, to his expensive haircut and manicured nails. His tanned skin was from a winter tanning booth and his dark hair and chiseled face screamed executive. He did have soft brown eyes like hers but they were suggesting something and she was not sure if she read them right.

The oven buzzer went off to break the silence of the two of them checking each other out. Oh well, she knew how to be a great host and her silent stares were not it.

"Mike, I'm Lou Ann, Angel's best friend. Would you mind terribly finishing putting the beer into the cooler while I grab the oven? I cooked up some food for tonight."

"Sure, so is this gonna be a big shindig with lots of food? I didn't get a chance to eat this morning before my business meeting and I didn't eat on the long drive up here."

"There will be food but honey why don't I make you something to eat. It will just take a minute. We aren't due for another forty five minutes or so, let me fix you something to hold you over. Would you mind tossing the cooler in the back of my pickup out front when you finish loading it? Oh, and the restrooms down the hall and second door on the left. You might want to slip into something warmer than your thousand-dollar suit. The couch pulls out into a bed. I already put fresh linens on and there is a comforter and pillow in the chest. We shouldn't be home too late but in case we came back separately." Lou Ann felt in charge as always. Directing everyone was her specialty but this man just stood there and stared.

"Did I talk too fast?" Lou Ann felt a little nervous. He was good looking but she promised Colton she would be the perfect host and watch her hothead temper. She didn't think her thoughts at that particular moment would have made her a very good hostess.

"Nope, I got it all right here." Mike took two fingers and knocked the side of his head with them. He felt busted staring and he realized for the first time he had no effect on this one. Usually he made women like her all giggles and they would swoon over him. This one just went about her business, directing him and boy did she talk fast. But the way, she spoke the word 'honey' as it rolled off those incredible lips, made him think of all his original thoughts when he saw her bending over and then when he kissed the top of her hand. Yes siree, this was going to be an interesting trip.

Mike finished filling the cooler with beer and pop and tossed it in the bed of her truck. It was an old slightly rusted 1967 Chevrolet. He could see it being a classic, once it was restored. The license plate personalized with the word 'HONEY'. He wondered if that was because that word rolled off her tongue several times, as she addressed him or because her eyes were like honey. Just thinking about it made him semi hard. She had the most exotic eyes he had ever seen. He was more of a blonde hair blue eyed favoring kind. However, he could see himself settling for some fun with the honey eyed brown hair beauty inside.

When he came back in, he grabbed his overnight bag he went down the hall to change without exchanging any words.

Lou Ann saw him and smiled then turned back around to packing up the hot food she cooked in a large cardboard box.

Mike unzipped his black travel duffel bag he used on short trips to find Colton's pranks had already started. He had repacked his clothes. What was he trying to do make him a country boy? Oh well he figured he was just trying to get him to fit in so Colton would be comfortable. He hung his suit up on the back of her shower door and figured he could steam any creases out later.

He came back in the front room and dropped his bag by the couch. He picked up his laptop case and set it on the kitchen table next to the plate of food. Well one thing was for sure she made him a nice plate of food, a huge heap of potato salad and two turkey sandwiches. He was starving and this would hit the spot.

He popped open his laptop and looked over the top of it with Lou Ann's back to him. Mmm well, that backside was inviting. He envisioned himself running his hands up the back side of her legs all naked and smooth to her back and up her neck and whisking her around naked and planting a kiss on those luscious lips. Just then, Lou Ann turned around and looked long and hard at Mike. Almost as if, she read his mind.

"Honey, I bet you didn't know I'm good at reading minds."

Mike choked on his sandwich and his eyes bulge.

"Oh Mike are you ok? I could tell you were enjoying that sandwich, but I didn't mean to make you choke. You ok?" Lou Ann came around the table and gently patted Mike on the back. Her touch magnified his thoughts down to his trousers. Shit, he wouldn't be able to stand up for a bit.

"Why don't you stand up and put your arms above your head. That always helps me if I start to choke on food."

She did not know what she was asking for. He knew that he had been all business lately and put off dating but he was not that out of commission. No woman in this short of time had him warming to thoughts like this.

"No that's alright. I'll be ok. I just swallowed wrong. Great sandwich Lou Ann, thanks, I was starving. Hey I hope you don't mind but I have a few emails to follow up from this morning's meeting." Mike figured if he kept talking she wouldn't take notice to what happened to his manly parts under the table. Thankful his lap top was there. He could just put it back in the case and hold it front of him while he stepped out to get air and visit his car.

"Glad you like the sandwich. I read you for a turkey avocado with bacon on a croissant kind of guy." She wondered if she pegged him. She loved sitting in the local restaurant as tourists or businessmen drove through town and stopped for lunch. She would take one look at them and guess the type of lunch they would have. She loved doing that and describing a man's personality just by the car, they drove.

"Can I bother you for something to drink?"

"Coke or lemonade?"

"A Coke would be great."

"Sure. Here you go." Lou Ann turned back around after she handed him a diet Coke and went about packing up the warm food with crumpled newspaper inside the big cardboard box to keep it warm.

Mike took a moment to glance around her home and found the décor not too overly feminine but actually filled with a lot of dark mission wood and more masculine furnishing. Except for a homemade quilt here or there and several vases filled with flowers throughout the house, the only room that was very bright and white was the kitchen. With yellow curtains, white tiled floor and yellow daisy wallpaper on the only wall that did not have cabinets. The table and chairs he sat at all had different patterned painted flowers on it. He was in the daisy chair. The white kitchen table sat six comfortably and each chair place had a coordinating place mat painted on the table surface to match the chair. Go figure every girl needs a flowery touch somewhere in her home.

Mike figured if it was his kitchen it would be all chrome, granite and black or stainless steel, a man's kitchen. But then, he really didn't care about her home décor, but whether or not he might get lucky with her. He knew he promised Colton, but this one had too many naughty thoughts in his head in such a short time, that he figured if she led on she was up for uncomplicated fun he was a more than willing partner.

Lou Ann watched Mike out of the corner of her eye as she finished up and noticed he was checking out her house and kitchen. She had furnished it with most of Stanley's furniture to remind her of him. However, the kitchen table that had him squirming like a little boy in Sunday school was her recent purchase from the fall festival to help raise funds for the public library. The artist she purchased it from had taken an old trashed out oak table and turned it into something bright and cheery. She loved that about her community crafters.

"Alright Mike I need to go freshen up and put on a little something warmer. The tent should be warm but we have a small hike from where we can hide our cars to the warming tent. Hey, did you bring a warm jacket? You're gonna need one." Lou Ann knew she had a couple extra men's jackets still in her closet from her first husband, Stanley. She kept the warmer ones to wear to help remember him.

Lou Ann didn't even hear Mike's answer as she slowly walked into her room and shut the door. She sat down on her bed to think. What was she doing offering Stanley's jacket to another man. She kept those jackets around for herself. The smell from Stanley was long gone but the memories still lingered. She knew Stanley had been dead for plenty of time for her to move on but it tore her up when she thought of him. He was a businessman like Mike and he died on a flight to an international client.

It seemed like just yesterday she was living in Denver with Stanley when it happened. All she remembered after the bad news was driving home and collapsing into a mental coma for days at her mother's house. Angel, Sheila and Randy drove into town and handled everything for her. A knock at the door broke her thinking.

"Lou Ann are you ok, you've been in there a while?" Mike spoke softly though the closed door. "We need to head out. I'll go warm up your truck. If you find an extra jacket for me that would be great, I did leave mine at home in such a rush to get up here." Mike turned and headed to the key rack by the back door and then grabbed the box of hot food off the kitchen counter.

Listening to the back door close, she changed in a flash and grabbed an old parka of Stanley's. It was time to move on and it was just for Angel and Colton for one night. She could not be that mean and let Mike freeze. Stanley would lend it to him if he was alive.

She came out her back door leaving it unlocked like usual and tossed the jacket at the incredible looking man leaning against her old truck with his arms crossed against his chest. His dark navy flannel shirt rolled up past his elbows and his tight Levis were snug in all the right spots and worn. It put a nice thought in her head but she needed to place a little distance between them or else. She dug up her hothead attitude and reached for the driver side door he was leaning against. "I'll drive my truck. You have no clue where you are going and I hate giving directions. This jacket should keep you warm on the walk up to the hut."

The tingling sensation that traveled from Lou Ann's hand up her arm as she all but butted him away from the driver door to drive had her wondering if it had been too long or if this man was such great eye candy, the rest of her body was just reacting.

The chill from her nasty attitude quickly replaced with how sexy she looked in her faded boot cut Levi's, brown cowgirl boots and a camel colored suede jacket with fringe all along the arms. She looked like the sexiest Annie Oakley imitation he had ever seen.

Mike walked around to the passenger truck door and took a seat placing the jacket between them on the front bench seat of the truck. He wasn't sure but the gorgeous brunette next to him just turned two shades cooler since the choking incident in the kitchen. Ever since she offered a coat to him she went all mental and wasn't there. She was in the room over half an hour when he knocked. He'd gladly let her drive. It was her truck. He was just trying to be the nice gentleman and do the driving. Maybe once Angel accepted the proposal she would lighten up and be happy again. Mike figured he'd keep the conversation as light as possible.

The first few minutes of town were quite. Lou Ann's stereo had been stolen a week ago and she hadn't had the time to replace it. She took a big sigh and figured she should start the conversation, but where to start?

Mike sat looking out the window at the incredible scenery that lay before him. He loved to visit the mountains to fish or ski but he could not remember the last time he had been up. The trees were covered in new fallen snow. Not a heavy one, since the roads were dry. The sky was crystal blue but darkening as the sun was setting. It was a warm day but by sundown, he figured mid-forties. He was glad Lou Ann grabbed him a jacket.

"Thanks for the loaner jacket."

"No problem." A moment of pause then a deep sigh escaped Lou Ann's lips. "So Mike I never got your last name. I just know you as Colton's best friend."

"Johnson. Pretty simple. Easy to remember. Lou Ann, I never got your last name. I just know you as Angel's best friend."

"Rider."

"So it looks like your radio got stolen, bummer, saving up for a new one?"

Lou Ann rolled her eyes to herself. "Yep, saving up." Who did this creep think she was? Just because she loved this old truck and chose to save her money and invest it, didn't mean she couldn't afford it. He was a good looking one and he was checking her out right now so she turned and threw her country girl charm his way.

"So honey, what's a good looking guy like you do for a living anyways?" She figured kill them with kindness always worked. Plus the fact, that he was drop dead gorgeous; his dark hair, blue eyes and tanned skin with his white teeth made him look like a men's cologne model. Under any other circumstance, she would throw caution to wind as they say and jump his incredible good-looking bones. She had not felt this horny this quick with another man before, well maybe Stanley and with that thought she cooled her heels.

"Well I'm the sales director for a software company. What do you do pretty lady?" Mike figured they both now acknowledged their possible interest in each other. It was a start, not the kind he was used to but a start.

Colton said he was a charmer so let's just see if she could get him to charm her for the short visit. After all, she knew when the wedding rolled around she would be the one to stand next to this guy. "Hair and nails." She decided leaving out the fact she was the owner of her salon was ok. She wasn't the one to flaunt her success.

"Oh, does it pay decent? I mean are the tips in this town ok or do you have to supplement your income with a second job?" Mike figured she had an incredible Victorian home nicely decorated in town on prime real estate but her truck was old and in need of a stereo system. How well could doing hair in a mountain town pay?

"I get by just fine." Lou Ann gritted her teeth. She didn't need to privy up the fact she was worth over three million dollars. She owned her shop and the building it was in. She owned everything else free and clear. It helped that Stanley had a million dollar life insurance policy he left her. However, since his death three years ago she made the other two million with investing and buying and selling real estate properties in her town.

"So, do you do lots of old ladies blue hair dos or do you get a decent clientele? I mean your hair is incredible and the color is gorgeous, but what kind of clientele do you get?" Mike could just imagine some of the clientele that came in to the shop in this small of a town.

Lou Ann was ready to ripe him one until he complimented her hair. Something she took great pride in. "I get a few blue dos but they are usually woman that knew me as a baby." She needed to redirect the conversation before she gave this man a piece of her mind. "So Mike what kind of truck do you drive?"

"Well I have Ford F150 but I drove my vette up here. Colton wanted to race me. Don't tell Angel but we made it back from Denver in two and half hours. Colton kept up pretty good but then I didn't make him push it either. I also have a 67' mustang convertible but it stays garaged." Mike didn't want to overload this simple country girl. If he impressed her too much she would be shopping him for marriage and that was the exact reason he had put off dating seriously. If it was not a guaranteed, no conditions lay, he didn't bother.

"Oh... impressive" Lou Ann oozed out sheepishly, while thinking 'whatever' to herself. "You know what they say: you can say a lot about the man by the car he drives. Mike Johnson you send mixed messages." Lou Ann wanted to gag. Did he seriously think by impressing her she would invite him to her bed tonight. He might be a hunk but he definitely rubbed her the wrong way. Or maybe, she just wanted the distance. The feelings he brought on by a touch or look were too close to home.

Mike sat silent for a long moment. He got the impression she was not impressed. She came across as a simple country girl but he was starting to think that there was more than meets the eye with this one. Well he could charm the pants of just about any woman so he switched his momentum.

"So Lou Ann, Colton briefly told me what an incredible person and host you are. I'm looking forward to getting to know you and Angel. He told me I would fall in love with her. If she's half the woman you are I'm sure I will." Mike flashed his million-dollar smile and caught the blush on Lou Ann's cheeks and the tips of her luscious lips turn upwards.

"Well Mike, Colton told me you were a charmer. Keep it up, you are finally scoring points."

Mike kept his gaze out on the scenery but his mind was more along the lines of a hot steamy night of sex after they got back. Maybe he could get a few bonus points in with her if he made Angel think he was a great guy.

CHAPTER THREE

As they turned off the county road onto a freshly plowed makeshift dirt road, Mike was glad he turned things around. Lou Ann was warming up to him and they had shared a few laughs. He had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. She was like a wild horse that could use a little taming.

Lou Ann figured if she could get past the 'I know I'm hot attitude' the man in her truck was better than any centerfold model she'd seen. He had a great sense of humor once he lightened up and well she was his host for the weekend and she figured she would be during the wedding weekend as well.

Mike carried the cooler with Lou Ann as they walked up the path to the warming hut. It looked as if someone plowed a temporary road up the hill through the snow just for tonight. Mike began to wonder how much was being put into this production.

As everyone gathered quietly in the warming hut around the big heater, Mike was introduced. Even the owners of the ranch were there. Colton had mentioned how well everyone embraced him and treated him like family. He could see the honest sincerity these people held in the excitement of Colton and Angel getting engaged. Mike hadn't even been up to visit once but could tell by what Colton had said and looking around him. This had become his best friend's home.

A cell phone rang and everyone got quiet. "That's the signal everyone. They're just around the corner." A hushed voice called out.

No one said a word. A minute or two passed and then Mike could hear the sounds of horses hooves and sleigh bells over the hum of the heater.

"Angel, I want to show you something inside the tent." Colton's voice from just outside.

Mike began to wonder how nervous his best friend must feel right at the particular moment and he felt nervous for him and happy at the same time. He was glad he came to share this moment in his life.

"Oh, ok, what is it?" Angel sounded mystified.

"Well you'll have to see for yourself." Sounded a very shaky voice that was Colton's.

Yep, Colton was nervous and Mike could really hear it in his voice.

Colton guided Angel through the tent flaps with his hand on her back. A rush of emotions was about to take over and he needed to hold it together until he asked her.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted.

"What is this all about?" Angel squealed.

Colton grabbed Angel's hand and got on his knee. He had the box with the one caret engagement ring that Mike helped him pick, open in his other hand. "Angel, in front of all our favorite people, will you marry me?"

Tears fell down her face. She couldn't breathe. She knew she had been a nervous ninny for nothing. Colton was just going to buy her a ring so he could propose. She knew they talked about it but she figured that they would get married in a year or so. This was more to her liken.

"Angel?" For a brief moment, Colton wondered if she wasn't ready and he was asking too soon. What if she wanted more time then everyone had led on?

"Yes" she whispered and Colton felt a world of relief. He didn't think everyone else heard her, because Lou Ann started to taunt her.

"Come on Angel, you know you want him bad." Lou Ann coxed.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Angel shouted and leaned down to grab Colton for a huge hug. She felt like the happiest woman on the face of the earth. She knew they had discussed a future and kids but this was a lot sooner than she thought Colton could commit.

Colton hugged Angel for a moment and then kissed her long and hard. All sense of sanity seemed to be lost. They didn't care that everyone was whooping and hollering at them as his mouth created a suction that was taking all the air from their lungs. When they pulled back for a breath, he slipped the engagement ring on her finger and they kissed again so deeply their lips burned from the friction as his tongue slid in and out creating electricity that caused Angel to giggle.

As everyone whooped and hollered; Mike and Lou Ann were standing next to each other shouting and then she turned and gave him a tight hug. The hug shocked him a little; they were caught up in the excitement. But the sensation Lou Ann sent through his body was so incredible he wanted to kiss her right there. It took all his constraints, since he was sure she would smack him and then he'd have no place to sleep tonight.

"Whoee!" Lou Ann shouted again. Making it sound like she was so thrilled for Angel and Colton, which she was. But the hug she threw at Mike sent stimulating feelings to her core and shocked the heck out of her. She hadn't felt anything like that since Stanley and it made her head light.

Mike thought about the love and admiration in not only Colton's eyes but also everyone else's. He felt a tinge of jealousy wondering if he would ever be able to share this same type of moment with Colton but he was the one asking.

Lou Ann nudged Mike as she saw him staring in a swirl of emotion at Angel and Colton. "This is so cool. They are so in love and Angel had no idea it was coming."

"Yeah, cool." Mike felt like the odd man out. He always figured Colton would be the first one married, but Mike had yet to ever be in love and sometimes wondered if he ever would. His attention was brought back when he heard Angel scream. "Get over here Mike"

Colton had a tear in his eye and he wanted Mike there to be happy with them; somehow, Angel knew that.

Mike gave Angel a hug and congratulated them. He shook Colton's hand and gave a brief pat on his back with a manly hug. They were not the huggy kind of men, but this was an emotional time. Mike and Angel were chatting briefly then Lou Ann dragged Angel away while Colton and Mike got a chance to catch up. "Happy for you man. She's incredible."

Mike was in awe at how incredibly beautiful Angel was. Her long blonde curly hair and blue eyes were very sexy. She was tall and slender like Lou Ann, but Lou Ann was definitely gifted in the curves department. He could see the love in Colton's eyes and could tell that this was his woman to make him happy.

Colton was never very good at commitment with woman but he always went for the blondes. This blonde he just asked to be his wife was definitely something great to look at every morning. That thought made him think marriage couldn't be all that bad if it was a great looking woman with a guaranteed laid. He would just make her sign a pre-nuptial to eliminate the money hunger part.

"Yes Angel is incredible; there is no doubt about that. Change of subject, how would everything go with you and Lou Ann? She can be a tough one."

"Nope, smooth as glass." Mike grinned thinking to himself that bumpy wavy glass, but ok. Their conversation was interrupted by Lou Ann.

"Mike, get over here and help me pass out this food." Lou Ann yelled over her shoulder. She didn't plan on coming across bossy but then she felt a strong desire to have him next to her, touching her again. She had dragged Angel away to give her own personal congrats hug and she wanted to tell her that Colton's best friend had her interest. Angel told her that Colton had mentioned in past conversations that they would make an explosive pair, but to feel free if the urge struck her. Shelia and Randy pulled Angel away and Lou Ann couldn't help herself she had called Mike over for her own personal satisfaction, but the man was ignoring her and he went towards the beer.

Well Mike did not take orders from brassy chicks but this one's grin sent a shocking effect to his core. He needed a beer just to settle his nerves. Ok he could not be too rude. He would grab them both a beer and help for a second but he did not think he needed to play caterer that was the woman's job. Besides, he needed to get his buddy a shot of whiskey to complete the celebration.

As Mike grabbed a beer and cracked it open he took a long drink and wiped the back of his shirt sleeve to his mouth. The beer took a small edge out of the tension his groin was getting every time he got around Lou Ann. He caught her nasty look and he reached in the cooler, grabbed a second beer, and held it up to her. She smiled back with a nod and he figured she was game. Maybe if he got her buzzed, he could drive her truck back and get in some action before he left tomorrow. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone, being here for his buddy and getting laid later would be just about a great weekend.

Lou Ann watched him take the long sip of his beer as if he was mocking her. However, the way he wiped off his beer with his sleeve was cowboy style, not napkin wiping cosmopolitan. So maybe he had some rugged cowboy genes in him somewhere under his manicured body. And a fine body it is. Even the loose flannel didn't hide the chest muscles and thick biceps the man carried. He was built almost as big as Colton. She liked a man to carry his weight in muscles, not flab. It gave her a sense of strength and health. The longer she looked at him the more obsessed she got. She could see herself spending some fun time with this one if it weren't for her heart reminding her how hurt she would get she might have laid the honey on thick.

Mike handed a beer to the woman that had his mental interests in the gutter. He felt her long slender fingers wrap around his and the beer he was offering. The smirk on her face about said it all. She just might be a willing participant.

Lou Ann could sense he was toying with her. She was about to turn up the heat and pour on the whiskey. What she needed was a man too drunk to let her change her mind that she didn't need the heart ache. "Thanks cowboy!"

CHAPTER FOUR

Glancing around the warming tent in with a slight alcohol buzzed glow, Mike noticed that the whiskey bottle looked empty and too many to count beer bottles had been tossed into a box. He remembered say his good byes to Colton and Angel a while ago. Then they disappeared out of the tent for their sleigh ride home.

He felt at ease with mostly everyone but Lou Ann. She kept handing him shots of whiskey and telling everyone what a cosmopolitan boy he was. He'd show her the difference between boy and man. But she seemed to be the only one upset about it. Lou Ann hadn't been drinking but the one beer he brought her earlier so he wasn't too worried as he stumbled out of the tent carrying the empty cooler towards her truck. He knew she wouldn't have let him drive home anyway, not when she practically poured whiskey shots down his throat. But the touch of her long sexy fingers on his mouth as she made him open wide was incredible. He was buzzing, he was horny and she was off limits... shit!

Tossing the cooler into the bed of the truck with a resounding thunk, he watched Lou Ann hug good byes to everyone. He walked over to the passenger side of her truck and plopped himself down with a sigh. Sitting back in his seat, he rested his head backwards, letting his thoughts lead where they may. His head was spinning; not only from the alcohol but the thoughts of Lou Ann that kept creeping into his mind; the feel of her soft long slender fingers sliding across his chest and down. Her luscious lips kissing him on his neck and ear and over to his lips for a long tongue twisting kiss. His thoughts were broken by the slamming of the truck door.

"Ready to head, cosmopolitan man?" Lou Ann teased. He was drunk and she knew one more cosmopolitan joke and he might belt her. Not that he came across as the type of guy to hit a woman but he was drunk and every time she made a joke he seemed to wince. She figured getting him drunk was the safest way to make it through the night without wanting to jump his bones. Her plan was to get him to his own bed and excuse herself long enough he should pass out.

She felt incredibly alive tonight watching her best friend say yes to the man of her dreams, but in the same moment depressed she had no one to go home to. She hugged extra tight and extra-long to everyone, just in hopes that Mike was really drunk and impatient when she got in the truck. She wanted him irritated with her not enamored with her every time she touched him to give him a shot he looked like he was going to devour her with his eyes. Drunk or not he was hot for her and she was for him. She was the sober one that needed to keep this night sane.

Mike waited a moment and let out a huge puppy dog sigh. He laid his head in her lap and looked up at her behind the steering wheel as she was starting her truck. "Take me home and put me to bed, I'm thrunk, I mean drunked." And then he looked up into her incredible brown eyes and felt like he was falling into a deep golden brown colored pool that was warm and inviting. "Lou Ann..."

"Yes Mike." Lou Ann started to drive the truck down the hill with his head in her lap. It was causing her to have very nice sensations between her legs and caused her nipples to tighten. He was a fun drunk. Maybe just this once she should live on the wild side and have a little fun. Hell maybe he wouldn't even remember in the morning and she could walk away with no commitment just the great memories.

"Lou Ann, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my head in their wap, I mean lap." Mike giggled like a schoolboy. Boy was he drunk but not too drunk to perform if she would let him. Maybe he should tell her what he's worth and that would be an automatic sell.

Touched, she felt something exciting about to happen. She needed to concentrate on the road, but his head in her lap and him staring up at her admiring her was something she hadn't had in a long time. A man telling her how beautiful she was and the sensations she felt around him. She remembered the hug she threw on him when Angel said yes to Colton. She was so caught up in it all and excited she hugged him, but felt something incredible between them. "Mike your drunk and not all that aware right now."

He knew how aware he was, so aware his hardened parts were pressing and his mind wouldn't stop the fast forward thoughts of what he wanted to do to her. "Lou Ann I might be a teensy, weensy, itsie, bitsy drunk and those words don't explain my manly parts; but I would like to fool with you tonight."

Knowing what his drunken request meant; fool around, go to bed, sleep together and not in the conventional way. She sat silently driving down the highway with this incredible man in her lap thinking possibly that she could just this once break all her rules. What if they did fool around and then remained friends, no serious relationship? She wasn't sure but the way this man made her feel could really screw with her emotions and it wasn't like he was available or convenient; he lived 3 hours from her and if the sex was as good as she was imagining she wouldn't want to end it after one night.

"Lou Ann maybe I can help seal the deal by telling you that I am worth over a million dollars. I'm your million dollar baby... come on what do you say? Let me take you."

Take her? Well he went from funny drunk back to arrogant asshole in 6.1 seconds. Who gives a hoot if he's worth a million? She's worth three times that and no matter how spectacular his looks are or the sensations he gave her, she didn't need an asshole in her life. What did she think she was a sale to close? She whipped onto a county road causing Mike to be tossed back over into his seat.

"Mike buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride. Roll the window down if you think you're going to puke and Mike... when hell freezes over and you were the last man on earth, I might seal the deal just to keep the population going."

"Sheeze, Lou Ann what did I say."

There it was; the bone cold silence that shrank him and his thoughts of seduction. Shit, he didn't need this. He had plenty of women he could call from his phone book, what made her so special. Mike pressed his head against the glass and wedged it between the back of the seat and window. He figured he would buckle up only if he god damn felt like it. No brassy chick was going to tell him what to do. Woman like her made him nuts. Why he ever tried to put any moves on her? It made him think how desperate he was and in the morning, he would make a massage appointment for Sunday afternoon and maybe call up one of his guaranteed favorites. With those comforting thoughts, he must have dozed off.

Looking over at him, all pathetic with his body slumped and his head wedged into the corner while he slept, she felt something stir deep within her gut. He did look peaceful and he was still very cute, but seal the deal cut her feelings for him in half. Half of her actually still wanted to take him up on that offer. The other half told her to take a cold shower at home, hug a teddy bear and go to bed.

As they pulled up in front of Lou Ann's house, her watch read almost eleven. Still early for a Saturday night, but who was she kidding? She would usually be in bed. Sundays were her time to relax, read the paper, a good book or stack of magazines, and then head into the office to catch up on paperwork. She stepped on the brakes of her truck just hard enough; Mike got knocked out of his seat.

"Geese, nice way to tell a friend we're home." Mike still felt buzzed but the short cat nap put his head in a clearer perspective. He opened the truck door and walked around to open her door, just as she was opening it. "Here you go mam" and Mike tossed her a smile. Lou Ann smiled back. Mike then grabbed the cooler out of the back of the truck and headed for the front door as Lou Ann opened it and held it open as he came in with the cooler.

Once inside, Lou Ann clicked on a light in the front room and set her keys on a desk. "It's still early but I've had a busy day so I'm going to bed. Do you remember where the blankets are and how to set out the couch or do I need to replay it all for you again?" She wanted to drop her guard and be nice again, but playing the hard ass was easier on her emotions.

He looked at her perplexed. What had he said to piss her off so bad? He needed to turn this situation around. He could not leave her with a sense of disgust he was picking up. He knew they would be in the wedding together and he would not dream of upsetting Colton or Angel. "Lou Ann... I wanted to thank you again for taking me tonight. It was one of the more incredible moments in Colton's and mine life. I was glad to be there to share it with everyone. I... I'm sorry if in my buzzed stooper I said something to offend you." He reached out and pulled her close to him for a peck on her check. "Now I know why Colton loves it here and why he talks so highly of you. Thanks again." He pulled away, grabbed his night bag, and headed to the restroom. Hoping Colton was not a shit and took his pajamas out. He usually slept in the nude, but knowing he was a guest at a female's house he figured he would be a gentleman which meant wearing pajamas, which he had packed the first time.

She watched him walk down her hall. His chiseled backside in his Levis left her with nothing but desire. His broad back shoulders and clean cut hair made her want to run her long fingers through his hair and give him a sensual scalp massage. She shook her head and tried to shake the sensation he left her with again. Well at least he didn't seem stone cold drunk anymore. She went into the kitchen and put on water for tea. Some chamomile tea would lull her to sleep along with the good book she was reading. She hurried into her room to put on pajamas just as she heard him coming up the hall. She hoped he would be settled into bed by the time she came out to get her tea.

Padding down the hall in his bare feet, he saw the living room and kitchen empty. But saw the fresh tea bag dangling in the empty cup and the tea kettle warming on the stove. Hmm only one cup. Must be for her. He searched her kitchen for another cup and slipped a chamomile tea bag in his cup.

He stood in her kitchen in the only pajamas Colton repacked for him, a black tank top and black boxer shorts that read 'hot stuff inside' on the front. It was all he could find in his bag. This was one prank he would have to do double pay back. That prick knew he was staying at Angel's best friend and knew she was a hot head and he packs this.

The teakettle whistled and no Lou Ann. Mike poured the hot water into their cups, dangled the tea bags for a moment and started to stir.

Walking into the living room and she noticed the couch wasn't even pulled out. Mike's back was to her in the kitchen. She tied her robe over her tee shirt. She didn't like to sleep in anything but the nude, but when a house guest stayed she had one of Stanley's old tee shirts to put on.

He looked incredible in his black boxer shorts and tank top. His backside was chiseled from working out and his legs were solid muscle. He definitely found the time to work out when he wasn't working. Just then Mike turned to offer her the cup of tea he had made for her and Lou Ann busted out in laughter.

Mike stared at Lou Ann with his head tilted and holding two cups of tea and watched her laugh uncontrollably while tears poured out of her eyes. He looked down at himself. He didn't know if it was the boxer shorts she was laughing at or the fact at his last pedicure. The manicurist paid him a bad joke for his bad attitude. One dark blue big toenail was painted with a lightning bolt on top. The manicurist had put his socks and shoes back on his feet while he got a face massage for free. But he later realized it was for distraction. He noticed yesterday morning but didn't have time to run to the store to get some nail polish remover.

"Lou Ann, Colton likes to play a lot of jokes on me and vice versa. He repacked my bag while I was at a business meeting Saturday morning. He substituted my regular visiting pajamas for this, among other things."

"Ok... Ok... that explains the boxers." Lou Ann was having trouble catching her breath from laughing so hard and her eyes were blurry with tears. "Explain to me the toenail you big studly, unlikely cowboy." She was finally catching her breath. She had not laughed that hard in a long time. This man was perilous and nothing seemed normal with him. It had been a while since she lived in the city, but is this what city boys were up to.

Mike handed a cup off to Lou Ann. "I pissed off my manicurist with some stupid comment. Anyway I didn't notice until the day after my pedicure and remembered the comment that 'may a lightning strike change my life' or something like that. I knew her broken oriental words were for my comment but shit I tipped her good. Now I know why she was so generous to offer a free facial and put my socks and shoes on for me. You got any nail polish remover."

"Yeah, at my shop. I'll take you by in the morning. Shit Mike you need to learn to watch your words around woman. You're pretty bad at complementing woman. I can only imagine the comment you made to piss her off." Lou Ann took a sip of tea but secretly was holding back on more laughter.

"Thanks... your shop? You own the shop?" Mike wondered why she didn't say something sooner.

"Ah yeah... my shop. Oh and by the way Mr. to seal the deal, I am worth three million." Lou Ann took another sip of tea and smiled. That ought to even the playing field.

He spit out his tea all over the table. The color in his face flushed and he realized he had been duped; not only by Lou Ann but by Colton. He could have released that tidbit of information. Oh well, he still had a good buzz and he was a happy drunk so he would just sit and smile, drink his tea, make his bed and go to bed.

"Mike you ok? Did I hurt your itsy, bitsy, teensy, weensy feelings about being worth over two million more than you? Or maybe it was the turn down to your offer in the truck? Or better yet, the blue toenail with lightning bolt? And who has boxer shorts in their drawer like that anyway?" Lou Ann couldn't stop herself; it was fun getting back at him for all the tension he caused her.

He was quite. He knew better than to overreact to her comments. Years of corporate hazing had taught him to stare down your opponent and never give them any more ammunition than what they already had. But deep down, he was hurt. He knew his rich card would come back and slap him in the face one day. It was the card he pulled when he really wanted to sleep with a woman. Any hesitation and wham he would tell them his net worth and they'd sleep with him. Then he would use it as an excuse to never get close to a woman.

After tonight, watching Colton and Angel, he realized how close to home the jealousy hit. While in his buzzed self-pity moment he imagined himself with a woman like Lou Ann and the warm feelings she brought when he touched her and the laughter coming out of her actually made him decide to smile. "Lou Ann?"

"Yeah Mike?" Lou Ann took a deep breath and a sip of tea while leaning with her back to the kitchen counter.

"Good night" Mike walked over to the sink and put his cup in, then headed out to the living room to make his bed.

Good night, is that all he could say? Good night? No major comeback or cut down, no silly innuendo or... what was she expecting. She just slapped him in the face. She was rude and inconsiderate and why on earth was she acting like a school girl around him, all stupid and silly. This wasn't like her to bring a man down. She loved men. All right, she did like to make fun of his type but only because she missed her Stanley and knew if she looked at only cowboys, no cosmopolitan man could come back in her life and break her heart. She just wanted a man that made her feel like this, but was settled one place, preferably her town. She had finally found peace moving back to the country and dating the occasionally cowboy. She knew he hit a raw nerve of sexual anxiety but now she had taken his invitation too far.

She walked into the living room, opened the chest to pull out the comforter and extra pillows as Mike opened the couch, and pulled the double bed out from the frame. They moved in silence. It was scraping at her gut to apologize and she did not know where to start. Should she tell him about Stanley or her defense mechanism or just about the fact she was sorry for being a brat.

He turned and took the pillows and comforter from her. His hand grazed hers and she smiled at him. He smiled back and enjoyed the sensation her hand gave his and figured he could at least fantasize about her and be content with that. She was obviously out of his league, which was a new one to him and this situation would probably knock him back down out of the cloud nine he had been riding lately and keep him among the common folk. "Lou Ann thanks again for everything. I might be gone when you wake in the morning so; thanks and I'll see you around wedding time? Maybe I could take you to dinner or a movie?"

Great now he brings back the charm and makes her feel like poop. He wasn't even gonna stay tomorrow for breakfast with Angel and Colton. She didn't want to drive him off and then did she just hear him right? Did he just ask her out on a date when he comes back for the wedding? "Mike, please don't leave in the morning. I thought Colton told you that I am making him and Angel breakfast so that the four of us could spend a little time together. I'm sorry... I really am sor..." and Lou Ann cut off her sentence and broke down in tears. She was so sad for her Stanley and mad at herself for never leaving any doors open for opportunities for new men. A man like Mike made her feel things she hadn't felt in a while and now all she could do was find ways to jeopardize it.

Why? Why did she do this? She kept asking herself while crying. Then she felt it or more like him and his arms wrap around her and his breath in her ear telling her it was ok. Was this ok, she thought? He made her feel so ok at that moment, could she tell him about Stanley and could she be friends with this man.

He felt his heart ache as he watched Lou Ann break down in tears. He wanted to soothe whatever it was that was making her sad away. He wrapped his arms around her but was afraid to do much more. He kept telling her it was ok. Her crying seemed to slow some and he continued holding her. He wanted to kiss her and take away the pain. He wanted to show her that he had a kind gentle side and it didn't have to be sexual. He knew he could be a nice caring guy but it often took a moment like this to bring it to the surface. "Lou Ann, do you want to tell me about it? I'm a great listener. I'll bet you my million that I can be a great listener." He hoped the joke would make her smile.

He heard a giggle and knew that was a better sign. She had wrapped her arms around him tighter. He held her like that for several minutes and then led her to sit down on the sofa bed so he could look at her and get her to talk. Something had her upset and he knew he needed to help. He gently pulled her arms away and tilted her head up with his hands on her jaw and looked deeply into her eyes. "I want to help, can I please help you?"

She could tell he was genuinely concerned and he stared so intently into her eyes. His voice made her melt and his hands warmed her face while his thumbs wiped the tears off of her cheeks. She thought maybe if she just explained why she had acted so nasty that he could forgive her and she would feel better. She didn't like acting like she had but sometimes the anger of missing what she used to have with another man upset her, especially when she wanted so bad to have all those little things she watched Colton and Angel experience. It tore her up when she started to feel anything towards Mike. She thought maybe Stanley would consider it betrayal even though it had been three years since he was gone and she knew deep down that Stanley would have moved on by now. Why couldn't she?

"Lou Ann I can just hold you if that makes you feel better. Just guide me in what you need me to do. I am sorry for whatever is making you sad." Mike went back to holding her against his chest and putting his face in her hair. God she smelt good and her hair felt like silk. He missed holding a woman like this and this particular woman was really starting to affect him.

She snuggled in deep to his arms and chest. Taking big breaths to help ease her tears but also to breathe in the scent this man gave off. It was like testosterone and sweat and it filled her nostrils like heaven. She missed the smell of a good man. She could hear his heart beat in his chest and it was beating fast. She must have scared him and she didn't want to do that. She took another breathe "Mike, I'm feeling a little better. Did you really mean it we could just talk? I mean I like you and I don't know why I keep acting all mean and nasty. Well I do but it's complicated."

He leaned her back on the sofa bed and laid next to her as he propped himself on his elbow he looked into her eyes. "I am all ears."

She looked into his eyes and figured if he was anything like Colton she would survive this. She lay on her back with her hands clasped together over her robe. She took another big breath and thought you got nothing to lose girl. "I lost my husband three years ago. You remind me of him. A lot. Sorry. I didn't mean to act out on you."

A moment of silence passed. Lou Ann already was feeling better baring her soul about her complicated feelings.

Colton stared at her beautiful face all puffy and red and felt sorry for her. "I am so sorry. No, don't apologize. It's ok. Do I look like him; I could change my looks for you?" Mike smiled hoping it would make her smile.

She smiled back. "No. He was a cosmopolitan man, like you, in sales. Until you walked in my house earlier today, I forgot how incredible of sensations a man could give me and what I missed about being with a fun loving man."

They both sat silently for a few minutes.

"I guess that is why I lashed out at your proposal. I don't think I deserve another chance at love. I would have taken you up on your offer and even right now... just to touch you, well it does things to me that I haven't felt in a really, really long time. I just get so emotional over the men I'm with and you hours away and the wedding coming up and how could I do that to Angel. I mean I'm known for being a hot head and I could see me getting all possessive and jealous if you flirted with another woman at the wedding and... oh I'm rambling so fast and I'm sure you're not looking for a commitment, just a little fun."

Lou Ann kept rambling on about feeling a connection with Mike and making love, but Mike rolled on his back and put his arms to his side and closed his eyes to think. He didn't want to fall in love, or did he? He understood what she meant but he too was scared. He wanted her with his body aching, his chest tightened, his muscles tensed and his breathing grew heavy. He wanted to touch her hair and kiss her luscious lips. He wanted to take her robe off and kiss every inch of her body. Her voice broke his thoughts. Maybe if he pretended to have fallen asleep it would give her the out she needed. Just as she finished rambling on he pretended to lightly snore.

She couldn't believe it. She talked the man into sleep. Oh well, he was probably pretty tired from all the whiskey anyway. She figured she would set her alarm for early so she could get breakfast started before he woke and then he would have to stay.

She pulled the heavy comforter up over him and gently tucked in the sides. She laid a gentle kiss on his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Good night my cosmopolitan man." She grinned to herself thinking how well that suited him. He was far from the cowboy she dreamed of being with but everything else about him drew her attraction deeper.

As Mike heard the click of the lights go off and the shuffle of Lou Ann's slippers, then the click of her door closing; he opened his eyes and smiled to the way her soft sexy voice said cosmopolitan man. This time he didn't feel an ounce of harsh feelings only a warm feeling settling in his chest next to his heart. He knew now that they both had it bad for each other, but would it be good for them to take it any further would require some thinking. She was obviously the emotional type and he was usually the love em and leave em kind. If they had done anything tonight, it could really have screwed with her head. Although a part of him could really see himself spending a lot of time with a woman like Lou Ann. It had been a long time since any woman made him this lustful.

CHAPTER FIVE

The book she was holding was a good one but she had only read the same page at least twenty times. She couldn't keep her mind from wandering to Stanley and how young they were when they met. The feelings of hot lustful sensations he could give her with a touch or a look. The same feelings she would get from Mike. But she wasn't sure if he was getting the same sensations or just looking for some fun.

Slowly tears slid down her cheek as her throat tightened from her holding back her emotions. If she didn't think it would wake her house guest she would let it all out and fall asleep hard, waking up with a renewed outlook in the morning. She knew this because she had done it many times before.

Taking a deep breath she slowly breathed it out and she couldn't help herself. The tears begin to fall and she was sure her sobs were loud. She tucked her head into her knees that were under the blanket and tried to muffle the sounds.

The sound of floorboards creaking down the hall made her hold her breath for a moment. She figured he had woke to use the restroom but would go straight back to bed.

Letting out a slow breathe that was almost a wince and she heard a quiet knock at her door. Too late. He heard.

Mike had lain awake visualizing what Lou Ann looked like naked and realized he heard soft sobs from the bedroom. He cursed himself for bowing out earlier with the fake asleep act. He had to pea and he hoped she wouldn't hear him walk to the bathroom.

Looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror he was none too happy with himself. He lacked self-control with this woman and he wondered why.

A cold splash of water hit his face with both hands. He wiped his face on her lavender scented bath towels and thought he never met a real woman quite like Lou Ann. Most the women he met were career orientated but didn't want family or kids just to marry more money to make their portfolio look good.

As he passed back by her door the sobbing stopped and he knew she heard him. Before Mike could stop himself, his hand raised and rapped lightly on her bedroom door. He awaited her answer.

"Come in" seeped out in a hush tone. She wasn't sure he heard her, but then as she watched the doorknob turn; it dawned on her she was naked under her hand stitched quilt. She quickly grabbed the quilt and raised it to under her chin with one hand while wiping tears away from her cheek with her other hand.

Peeking around the door was that sexy husky voice. "Are you alright?" Hoping he looked sincere and not like an ass he caught the glimpse of her puffy red eyes and the fresh tears still rolling down her cheek.

He looked mighty hot in those boxers and images conjured up in her mind of what was under those shorts. Lou Ann cracked a smile even though tears were still seeping down her face and little sobs escaped her lips. "Yes."

"Lou Ann?" Mike felt his heart grip a notch tighter at the sight of her eyes all red and her face blotchy. But her honey brown eyes looked almost a soft golden yellow as if all her tears washed away what shadowed her before.

"You awake?" Lou Ann smiled up at him and then looked down to avoid direct eye contact.

"Yeah. Sorry for coping out earlier. I really am a good listener. I... I can, do you want to try again?" Mike walked towards her and sat at the end of her bed.

Lou Ann stared at his boxer shorts for a minute and let out a little giggle. "I'm sorry. Those boxer shorts are hilarious."

Mike looked down and back up to meet her eyes and smiled. "Colton and I have always played practical jokes on each other. This is his. Wanna help me think of some way to get him back? It might cheer you up."

"Oh, Mike, I don't mean to be like this; this teary eyed sob story that lost her husband. I guess watching Angel get engaged I needed to cry tears of joy mixed with tears of jealousy." Lou Ann took a deep breath and let out all the air in her lungs. Man, how this guy sitting at the end of her bed could bring warm thoughts to her core with just a look and a smile. Maybe a little fooling around could make her feel better.

"I know what you mean." Mike thought of how Colton looked so utterly happy when Angel said yes.

"Come again? Which part do you understand?" Lou Ann asked calmly. She knew he was just trying to be a nice guy and listen. However, thoughts of talking were, slowly replaced by thoughts of seducing the man at the end of her bed. She unclipped her long brown hair from the top of her head with one hand, set her clip next to her and gave her hair a little shake. Somewhat of a seductress move, but she felt like she was on autopilot.

Mike watched her every move and if she wiggled that head of hers just a tad harder he was sure the quilt covering her naked body was going to fall down so he could get a peek at her round voluptuous breasts he was sure she was holding back from him.

"Jealousy part." Mike quietly replied as he focused on her soft pink lips that had corners turning up to a smile as he spoke.

"Jealous, huh? Of Colton or that I have 2 million more than you?" Lou Ann looked down for a second and back up into his eyes. Lord how his blue eyes were calling her and she really needed to answer. Her legs felt warmer by her thighs and her nipples had drawn tight.

"Both." Mike had an incredible urge to gently tug on the quilt covering her. His hand grasped around a section of the quilt and then rested against her foot. "Can I ask you a personal question? Do you always sleep naked? Because that bit of information could help the fantasy I was having of you earlier before I realized I needed to know this?" He pulled just a tad amount of blanket to expose the crest of her breasts and he waited for her reaction.

"Always." Lou Ann barely whispered out of her lips.

"Always, huh? Me too. In case, you are interested. I mean in case you feel the need to fantasize about me."

She could hear his breathing get heavier and was sure hers was joining his. They sat like that for a minute with their breathing and his hand grasping her quilt. One quick tug and she would be exposed and she felt herself mentally begging him to pull the quilt off her and expose her naked body.

Then his hand relaxed. A flood of disappointment came over Lou Ann as she wrestled with the voice in her head, waging a mental yes and no. Don't blow this. Tell him a one-night stand would be ok. You need it. You deserve it. You can be the big girl and watch him go tomorrow. No you can't. You're too much the romantic. Pass it up. Don't torture yourself with the Godiva chocolate when any store brand is what you should be looking for.

"Lou Ann? I know I shouldn't suggest this and don't get mad at me."

"I won't get mad." She rushed it out in a whisper. She wanted the Godiva chocolate and he was at the foot of her bed. She had some good whiskey she could drink when he was gone.

"I could make you feel better. You know. I don't even have to take care of myself. You look like you could use, I don't know why I'm saying this. You just draw me to you. I mean I barely know you and I promised Colton I would be a perfect gentleman, but I could make you feel better, even if it was for just one night." Mike was ready to be slapped, when he saw her intent glare turn into a soft warm inviting smile.

"I want the Godiva." She all but whispered out. Knowing she would pay for this emotionally later, but right now her entire body was screaming take the Godiva, take the Godiva chocolate. That man on your bed is Godiva. Take him and eat him as if he was the best piece of chocolate ever.

"Excuse me? Godiva?" Mike felt a little perplexed and almost wondered if Colton was up to a very serious sick joke because this woman was tugging at his heart and he was scared, but he also wanted to make her feel better.

"Inside personal joke." Lou Ann knew she was confusing this man and if she didn't send a signal quick she would send him away. She slowly crawled out from under her quilt and gave a seductive come-hither look as she stood in front of him naked and the soft bedroom light from her table lamp was basking shadows across her body.

He swallowed hard and smiled as she stood in front of him. Her body was soft with curvy hips and with pink rosy nipples to match her lips that were a shade lighter. Her taut nipples showed her excitement and he knew he would need to enjoy her quickly or she might change her mind.

"Mike." Lou Ann put her hands on his tank top and pulled it over his head. She tossed it behind her and examined his chiseled chest and the trailing of a dark brown hair against his tanned skin leading to a more attentive part of him. "You are definitely Godiva chocolate. All I've had lately is the store bought milk chocolate." She pushed him back to a laying position on her bed and grabbed for his black boxer shorts that had bright red lettering in flames, 'HOT STUFF INSIDE'. With an internal chuckle at the wording, she pulled his boxers off and then stood between his legs with his knees bent and hanging over the bed. "I want Godiva." Then she tossed the boxers off onto the floor.

He could not help but to think how complicated this woman seemed, yet every touch lit him on fire and every word made him think hard thoughts and not only about his sexual parts. The fact that she was naked under her quilt was enough to make him realize she was no simple country girl.

As she started to rise up on top of him, she felt like a sexual prowess. She was not sure what was coming over her, she was a Sheba on the prowl.

He edged himself back on the bed and cleared his throat. He wanted to be the seducer, but this woman was like a leopard on the verge of attack and everything he planned for seducing her and taking care of her needs went out the door. He wanted her on him now. The taking care of could come later.

A moment of sanity hit him like a flash. "Shit, protection?" He hated to break the mood, but he was far from every ready to be a dad.

"I can't get pregnant." She reassured him and starting kissing his belly then ran her tongue across his chest and looked up. "Free and clear. You ok with that?"

He was not sure what can't get pregnant meant and normally he would wear a condom with any other woman, but this one he wanted to feel her completely natural. "Ok. I had planned just on taking care of you."

"This..." She wrapped her fingers around his large firmness and started to lower her mouth towards that direction. "Will take care of me just perfect."

Laying back from leaning up on his elbows and looking down at this incredible woman that had changed moods like a racecar doing a one eighty. He set one hand behind his head and looked up towards the ceiling as his other hand rested on the side of her head, holding on to her, to encourage more. As her warm mouth enclosed him, sexual desire began to build up as he felt the need to appease her. He wanted to make her feel better.

He knew nothing about this woman yet little tidbits of information here and there and each time he felt fascinated to know more. The fact that she was a hothead would usually turn him off, yet each time he was able to keep his cool and want to touch her.

Deep shallow groans escaped his lips as if he did not even realize he was the one making the noise. It snapped him out of the fantasy and he felt the need to get back in charge. He was the dominant one and never submissive. He loved it when women tried to please him, but only when he asked or commandeered.

She was engrossed in her emotions to devour this man and the groans he made only encouraged her on. She felt like a weight lifted off her emotionally and she had made the biggest step in her life to getting over Stanley. Not that she was even thinking of him at that moment, which was strange. Anytime she had tried dating, she always compared everything about her date to Stanley. This time she felt like she was on a new adventure yet one that felt so right and so comfortable and familiar to her love life before.

She looked up at his face just starting to lift off the bed and his eyes looking down into her eyes. His eyes were intent and almost fierce like. His jaw line seemed almost clinched. He seemed so strong and dark, yet so gentle in the same gaze. She felt him raise himself up to a sitting position as his other hand surrounded her head and lead her up off him.

His muscular abs showed not an ounce of flab. His biceps flexed as he gently raised her up to lead her to a kiss. She felt almost protected from any harm as she gazed at all his muscle and strength.

She breathed in as much air as she could right before his lips closed in around hers. His hand firmly grasped at the back of her hair, guiding her head into his as his other hand gently caressed her back. Before she knew it, he had her flipped over onto her back lowering her to the center of her bed.

He was almost too smooth in this move, which popped a question in her mind. How much of this was the here and now and how much of this had he had practiced at? Angel had mentioned 'Mike the ladies' man' several times but at that moment, it hit her. She was most likely another hit on Mike Johnson's list of attractive woman to score with. Lou Ann Rider was not a hit list kind of gal, but this one time she would take whatever she could get from this man and worry about walking around with her chin held high later.

As almost as he felt her hesitance by the way her body tensed, Mike spoke softly into her ear as he kissed her lobe. "You are one of a kind cowgirl. I want to make you whiney like a happy horse." Thinking to himself, where the hell, did that corny line come from. He wanted to reassure her, not think some geek was taking over. "You are incredible." Ok that sounded more normal. Then he dribbled kisses down her neck to her breasts where he took in awe her natural large breasts and taunt nipples. He had more than a hand full as he began to suck on her with his other hand caressing her belly and hip up and down in slow motions. Each time his stroke got closer to her sweet spot that held the treasure he was working towards.

The feel of his tongue on her breast and the soft gentle stroke of his hand had Lou Ann so ripe and warm she almost had an orgasm right there. She knew the first time would be so quick for her since it had been so long. She tried thinking up every thought imaginable to obtain her sanity but his hand gently began to stroke the inside of her thigh and slowly ease one leg open just enough for him to ease the palm of his hand over her.

His kisses began to lower and his tongue swept by her belly button and did a dip. Lou Ann giggled. She was very ticklish. It helped take the edge off for just a second, which relieved her since she wanted to enjoy this. This moment between them, that was happening right now, all night. She wanted this forever but knew this was a moment of enjoyment of fun in Mike's life. However, for her it was going to rip a whole in her heart the size of Texas. That would be for her to contend with for later. For now, she was in heaven.

"Ticklish are we?" A devilish chuckle followed and then his fingers separated her to prepare her for the fireworks encore of a lifetime.

All that came out was an incredible high-pitched girlie sound then her entire body shook as if she was experiencing an earthquake. "Oh! My! God!"

He looked up, kissed the inside of her thigh, and smiled. "Good huh?" As if, he had to ask. Her entire body's response to him was so enticing he wanted to give her a second before he entered her tight wet heaven.

His fingers gently massaged her as he trailed kisses up her thigh to her hip and across her belly. He looked up again. "I'm not done yet. You ok?" Three years could be a long time especially when you were married to the man. Mike wanted to make sure mentally she was ok, because physically she felt ready.

"Honey you are gonna ruin me for any other man." She was experiencing euphoria of bliss and wondered how he could want to make her any happier. He could end it right there and walk away and she would never forget what happened for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, she was not sure if any other man would be able to do what he just did for her.

The comment ruin me for any other man brought a wave of jealousy Mike had never experienced. He had never cared before after he had been with a woman, if she was going to be with another man. With this one he did. He did not realize until that moment how great Lou Ann and he could be together, along with Angel and Colton. He wasn't thinking marriage and kids but at least as far as couples go he did not want Lou Ann to see any other men; at least not while he was seeing her.

He was going to make her think he was the only man for her. He began laying kisses up her belly towards her breasts. He cupped one breast with his palm covering and fingers spread over. Leaning on one elbow, laying slightly on his side and partially on her he looked into her eyes before he claimed her on the lips. "I'm the only man good enough for you." Then his mouth covered hers with more emotion than he planned and he devoured her lips and let his tongue dance with hers.

With her chest, tightening from the last comment, she wondered if he was insinuating that she was his and only his. Did he mean that she could claim him as hers? Her head swirling in emotion, she had to remind herself that this was just great sex between two consenting adults. That the polite claiming of his and hers would end once he drove back into town and did not see each other again, until next time. Knowing that would eat a hole in her heart and she would be jealous the next time he came in and she would act like a bitch in heat.

Then he pulled away from the kiss and stared into her honey brown eyes with such love and affection. His hand stoked her belly and he kissed her nose with the sweetest gentlest kiss. He smiled then she felt him raise himself up onto her and lower his firmness on her lower belly. His grin turned devilish.

"Ready?" Then without waiting for her answer, he settled himself lower then laid a passionate kiss on her lips.

By the end of the kiss he had entered her and the pleasure of his firmness against her tightness had created such an elated ecstasy that they both let out a sound of pleasure at the same time then fell into a sensual pattern as she raised her hips just enough to heighten the sensations. She watched his muscular arms and chest in motion and felt like a fantasy had come to life. His movements were primal yet gentle as if not to hurt her.

His eyes focused on her, his mouth tightened as if he wanted to scream but did not. Then she felt a rush of warm wet fluid rush in her as he lowered himself on his elbows and moved into her as if to get every inch of him inside her. His release of breathe in her ears caused her to orgasm as he pulled out just a little then pushed in as far as he could go.

They lay for what seemed like hours but was only minutes. Lou Ann needed reassurance this was something more. She craved it but was not sure and she was not going to beg. She just laid there holding tightly with her arms wrapped around his back as she listened for his breathing to become normal. She wanted to remember each second for as long as she lived.

CHAPTER SIX

Mike woke to a soft alarm sound, a handful of breast and a very warm sexy body nestled up against his front side. Nice. He thought to himself. Was this how Colton felt, every morning he woke up? Pushing those thoughts aside and remembering the sexual experience of the night before. He started grinning to himself as Lou Ann tried to wiggle out from under his hold to turn off her alarm. She just barely clipped the snooze button with her nail tip, and then rolled over to face him.

"You are holding me hostage?" Laying a kiss on his neck as her face fit so nicely in the crook of his neck. She breathed in a deep scent remembering the love making from the night before and could go for another round.

"Your breakfast plans include dessert first?" Mike grabbed her hands and held them over her head as he crawled on top of her. His morning wood was not going away anytime soon and she looked good in the morning. Her puffy tear eyes were all gone and the golden honey brown eyes he liked so well were looking up at him with a morning haze.

"Can you cook?" Lou Ann figured they could get in another round and shower if he would help cook breakfast.

"Nope. But I can, follow directions really well. So how about a little dessert then shower? What time are Colton and Angel supposed to be here?" Mike started nibbling on her neck and then over to her breast.

"Less than two hours. I... Mmm, that's nice. I set the alarm early to keep you from leaving too early. Mmm... that's nicer." Squirming under his kisses, Lou Ann giggled. "Colton was really looking forward to you coming up here for the engagement and wanted me to cook breakfast. I cook... really... oh my!"

Mike knew he was nibbling on all the right places. She was easy to please. His fingers had wandered into her warm wet sweet spot and while his mouth lavished her breasts and neck. He knew it was making it hard for her to say no and he felt like he could not get enough of her. He figured what happened now would have to hold them off for a while.

"Honey, you keep all this up. I'll worry about cooking fast. Mmm...nice." Lou Ann began scratching Mike's back with her long nails and heard him moan as she massaged his scalp.

It was all progressing too quickly and the wave of pleasure hit her first. Too fast for her liking but it had been so long since before last night. He wasn't far behind, which gave her hope that, he too had not been with anyone as of late.

What had just happened was more intense than she could have every fantasized or ever dreamt of happening. She felt so emotionally open and as she lay under this man that she didn't want him to leave. Ever.

A tear rolled out of her eye just as he lifted his weight off her with propping himself up on his elbows and looked at her almost lovingly. She could feel her emotions starting to surface and she didn't want to blow it. This experience with this man was the best she had in a long, long time and she did not want to ruin the morning breakfast for everyone because she couldn't grow up and gain control of her emotions.

"You ok?" Mike wiped the tear away that had started to roll out of the corner of her eye with his fingertip.

"That was so incredible; you brought tears to my eyes." Lou Ann smiled and leaned up and gave him a peck.

Mike rolled off Lou Ann like a lazy cat content after a large bowl of milk. Lying on his back with his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling. "That was top notch babe! I'll wash you're back if you wash mine."

She took a deep breath and caught herself from saying something nasty to put distance between them. Instead, she envisioned them in the shower and she was ready for another bite of Godiva chocolate.

The shower took longer than they should have spent time in there. However, she was not complaining. Working an iron chef pace to get breakfast done, she would glance over at Mike trying to help her. He was cute and useless, for the most part, in her kitchen.

"Come in." She had promised Colton the works and in celebration of the engagement, she wanted Angel to think she had been slaving in the kitchen all morning instead of seducing her fiancé's best friend. Thoughts of the shower popped back in her head to the sound of Mike's voice to welcome and congratulate Angel and Colton.

It felt oddly comfortable the thought of the four of them together, but Lou Ann, mostly the romantic was now playing the part of a realist. Mike would be leaving after breakfast and she would be lucky to see him again until the wedding.

Pulling the homemade waffles out of the iron and pouring the next one. Lou Ann turned to see the look on her best friends face. She was lit up like a Christmas tree. The feeling of excitement for her took over the feelings of Mike. "Honey, how do you feel waking up being engaged? Are you ten shades happier to have your man?"

Mike and Colton stood next to each other and watched as the two incredible great looking women hugged and kissed on each other's cheek. As they hugged, Mike got visions of two naked women, felt awkward, and turned to his best friend. "Congrats, man. That was some party. You have a lot of great folks up here. Angel. Angel is quite the catch." Clearing his throat, he felt somewhat emotional for Colton but could not find just the right words to ease up what he was feeling for Lou Ann.

Colton gave his best friend the look of did you with Lou Ann? "How'd it go last night? With Lou Ann? Any problems?" He wasn't' sure but he could sense something between Lou Ann and Mike and he didn't want his best friend breaking Angels best friend's heart. Lou Ann had become like a sister in such a short time and after finding out about her history, he was worried Mike would seduce her and break her heart to keep himself from falling in love.

Mike thought back quickly to the night before, this morning and then the shower. He'll never shower by himself the same without visions of the hot brunette in a steamy shower with him. "Great. We had a great time last night. Hey, can I help with anything in the kitchen ladies?" Trying to escape the barrage of questions he was sure Colton was going to hit him with along with some type of brotherly safe sex statement. He was happy for Colton and knew he belonged in the marriage scene unlike himself who belonged in the singles scene. All though funning with Lou Ann could keep him out of bars and wasted time with bimbos. Shaking that thought, he went in the kitchen and started to pretend as if he knew what he was doing in the kitchen.

"So Angel, congratulations on the engagement. Colton has said so many great things about you. I was planning on a visit in a couple weeks when we take a winter month off at work. I was hoping on getting to know you better then."

Lou Ann froze at the sound of that. "A whole month!" She practically gagged it out in surprise.

Mike wasn't sure if that was a happy sound or a oh shit sound. Colton interrupted before Mike could explain.

"Yup. Fancy pants here, gets a whole month off every winter. The corporation he works for is a European International firm and they believe their employees need a whole month off during the holidays and after to recharge. But not Mike. He travels then hits the slopes, the ski bunnies keep him busy."

Both Mike and Lou Ann winced at the last part. He knew it was true but it was not an appropriate thing to be said right after all that just happened between Lou Ann and him. He saw her miffed look, and then she turned her back to him. He would find a secret moment to warm her up later.

Lou Ann was thinking she would be fine if she didn't see him again until the wedding, knowing that Angel would keep her busy helping plan the wedding. What if he came up and spent more time before the wedding? Could she handle her emotions then? However, the nagging comment of ski bunnies seemed to hold so much truth it was obvious to her. Mike was who he was and she was who she is. This was just a thing for him and she would need to stuff the romantic notions she had this morning out of her head.

"Mike, I've heard some great fun things about you and Colton's friendship. Why we would love it if you came up here and hung out for a while. Colton could use the male companionship away from the ranch and with the stock show coming up we could use the break before all the hard work and long hours start. Hey, you could stay at my place, since I plan on moving into Colton's now that we are engaged. How's that sound?" Angel was beaming with radiance and her talk was faster than Lou Ann's. Mike could see how these two were like two peas in the pod.

"Great." Mike looked over at Colton who seemed to be analyzing everything between Lou Ann and him. He walked over as Angel started to talk to Lou Ann about heading out to the Christmas tree lot for their trees later that day and Lou Ann seemed rather quite.

Mike slapped Colton on the shoulder and walked to his bag to pack everything up. Colton followed him to the other room away from the woman's holiday chitchat. "Don't worry man."

"Should I worry?" Colton helped him put the sofa sleeper back into its frame and put the couch cushions back on.

"Nope. Nothing but two adults forming a friendship. She's great, Colton." Mike knew Colton could sense the makings of something more than friendship but he figured he would play it off as nothing.

"Breakfast is served, men!" Angel bellowed out to interrupt what Mike was sure was a lecture from Colton.

"Great! I'm starved. I think I've worked up an appetite." Mike flashed a smile towards Lou Ann and watched her blush as she served eggs and waffles to everyone.

"Ooh Lou Ann you made my favorite cinnamon chocolate chip muffins. Did you put the cream in the middle like I love?"

"Of course. Only the best for my loved ones. Get used to my cooking Colton, because when Angel wants a good breakfast, she will drag you here. Not that, she isn't the next Rachael Ray of cooking herself, but breakfasts are my specialties." Winking at Colton, Lou Ann could feel Mikes gaze on her lips. He seemed fascinated with her lips and eyes always staring at them. She turned and winked at him.

Mike smiled back. He felt jealous that these three would be creating future memories without him. He did not know quite how to feel. He decided he needed to break the tension he felt internally with light conversation. "So you guys all go into the woods like riding hood, to find and chop down some Christmas trees?"

"Yeah, want to join?" Colton knew his buddy would be booking it soon. The man with the escape plan never went anywhere without the excuse to leave quickly, especially when any woman got his heartstrings and he looked like a puppet in Lou Ann's hands.

"I'd love to." Mike felt the awe and surprise from both Colton and Lou Ann, but he ignored them by diving into his breakfast with full hardiness.

After a moment of silence and several inquisitive stares, he had to speak up to their response. "What? I'd love to go. I'm a holiday kind of guy. I just need to be heading back into town by dinnertime. There's a 9 a.m. meeting with my name on it. Then I got to fly to Canada to work on my next deal." Mike smiled and took a bite of food. He felt the need to do some shocking of his own. Besides, it's not every day his best friend gets engaged and he can spend it with him and two very good looking women.

"Terrific. It's settled then. After breakfast, we can head to the tree farm. We'll take Colton's dually and get two trees. Unless you want a tree to take back to Denver, Mike?" Angel was so excited. The morning couldn't go any better if she planned it herself.

"Oh that's ok. I usually just get some Charlie Brown tree on Christmas Eve and get drunk by myself while I decorate it." Laughing as Mike remembered the years past that he got plastered on Christmas Eve decorating his own tree, wrapping gifts for his family, and then having to go to his mom's with a hangover.

Silence. They were all staring at him. Feeling sorry for him.

"You could always spend Christmas here, Mike." Angel was unaware if Mike had family back in Denver. She had never asked Colton.

With Lou Ann looking at him sadly, Mike cleared his throat.

"Don't feel sorry for him ladies, Mike has a huge family he spends Christmas with. A very loving family, I usually see every Christmas. How's mom gonna take the news when I don't come this year?"

"You know." Trying to imitate his mother's matronly voice. "Now Mike, that should be you getting married like Colton. Why can't you find yourself a good woman and settle down?"

Changing his voice back to a normal joking tone, he let out a soft laughter that caught Lou Ann's saddened look. His smile started to soften her resolve and then he spoke to Colton. "Thanks Colton. It will be unbearable without you to cushion the inquisition." Laughing Mike eased the tension. "So how big a tree do you ladies plan on getting? I think I'll need a second helping of protein to help with chopping down the tree."

"Chainsaw, buddy."

"What? That's not traditional. Come on Colton, I bet you a hundred I can chop down a tree faster than you."

"You're one."

Angel and Lou Ann started to giggle at the two, as their brotherly competition between them began to transpire.

Lou Ann got up and grabbed Mike's plate. "More eggs?"

"Yes please, and another one of Angel's favorite muffins. I think those are the best muffins I have ever had."

Mike felt so at ease here with his best friend and the two gorgeous women, in this feminine kitchen. This was not normal for him, nor was it like him to enjoy himself like this, in a foursome domestic setting. None of his other girlfriends had ever cooked him breakfast, but then he never gave them reason to. He was never there in the morning when they woke up.

Watching Lou Ann serve him, gave Mike a comfortable feeling. He could do this on Sunday's with his best friend. Enjoy the wives cooking and joking around. Then, Lou Ann handed him his plate and their hands touched, the feeling of excitement had not gone it had only intensified. He did not know what was coming over him but he felt excited and confused. "Thanks." He managed to choke out past his emotions.

Colton kicked him with his foot and gave him the 'we need to talk' look.

"So we worried for nothing about Lou Ann's dislike for cosmopolitan guys like you, Mike. But I see you guys are getting along just fine." Angel could tell something happened between the best friends but didn't want to push.

"Geez guys you make it sound like I hate all cosmopolitan guys. Mike if you knew me you would know that I tend to make fun of guys like you, in a fun sort of way."

She winked at him and then laid a sexy smile on her lips that made his groin tighten.

"She was the best hostess I've ever had." Winking back at Lou Ann.

"Thanks. Mike was the most perfect gentlemen I've have had the pleasure of taking care of." Thinking of other ways, she would not mind taking care of him. She knew her store bought chocolates would just not do anymore. She was looking at a future of celibacy unless Mike was willing.

Colton let it go for now but he was sure Mike had made his moves on Lou Ann. But then again she didn't seem like such an unwilling participant. It wasn't long ago he had thought that Mike and Lou Ann might make a great couple if they could both grow past their obstacles.

As Lou Ann and Angel cleaned up from breakfast, Angel tried getting information out of Lou Ann on what transpired between, them while the guys hung back in the living room catching up. Lou Ann didn't want to get emotional and she gave a smile. She waited a moment then spilled the beans as quietly and quickly as she could.

Angel beamed a smile back. Deep down her heart worried for her best friend. The thought of Mike being serious about Lou Ann was ok, but not if his intentions were heart breaking in the end. The tension that could bring to this newfound foursome would be trouble. Especially as hot off the collar Lou Ann could get with men.

Lou Ann knew Angel would like nothing better than, her best friend, getting together with her future husbands best friend. Deep down she would like it too, but wasn't sure how far Mike would take it before escaping out the back door. She knew her heart could not take it but she could not help herself. She was drawn to him and now that they shared the intimate moments, she only craved more. She wanted to show him how good she could be for him and she wondered how much he thought of her and his next trip up in a couple weeks. She quickly reassured Angel that she was a big girl and that was ok with the temporary fun.

Angel hugged her and whispered in her ear. "Even if it's more and you need me, I'll always be by your side."

Interrupted by the men coming into the kitchen with talk of who's more physically fit to chop the Christmas trees down quicker, the gals pulled apart and giggled.

Colton grabbed the hot chocolate and muffins for the road, leaving a kiss on top of Angels head as he left the room. Mike had wanted to do the same and had to stop himself so that he would not let their secret out of the bag. He knew they needed to talk and find a way to let their best friends know of what was going on between them. However, Mike knew he could not confide in Colton until he figured out what it was exactly he felt towards Lou Ann. It was not his typical hunt for fun; it was something more. It wasn't love, but what he was feeling was something he never experienced before and needed to watch his step.

Lou Ann bundled up and tossed Mike the coat he borrowed the night before. Angel had already followed Colton outside so Lou Ann laid a quick kiss on Mike's cheek. "Glad you're coming along." Only part of her wasn't because the longer he stayed the harder it would be on her.

"I can't think of anything better I would rather be doing today then spending it with you guys." Mike knew that sounded mushy, but hell she got all flushed and giddy every time he said things like that. He could tell she was the romantic type and he had thoughts swirling in his head how much fun it could be to woo her over.

As they walked out together, they noticed the snow was starting to fall lightly and Lou Ann knew a winter storm warning was broadcast for the following day. Anything in winter was possible in the high country. Tomorrow could mean today, tonight or blow right through and have sunny skies.

Mike breathed in the mountain air and could see how all this got into Colton's head, the air, the people, the scenery, Angel and the domestic thing. It had him, of all people, thinking how nice it would be to make this his life. Then Lou Ann nudged into him.

"Ready to chop me down a Christmas tree?" Just the romantic thought of a man chopping a tree down for her had her feeling warm and fuzzy thoughts of him helping decorate the tree then making love in front of it afterwards.

"Ready. You pick, me chop it down." He grunted and punched his chest like an ape-man.

Lou Ann could not help but smile a mile wide as Mike opened the back seat door to Colton's dually. "Do you want to ride with Angel or me in back?"

Lou Ann whispered in his ear. "You, but Angel is gonna want to talk wedding."

"I heard that." Angel tugged at Lou Ann's arm and then slipped in between them to the backseat. "I was thinking..." Just like that, wedding talk took off before Lou Ann was even buckled in.

Mike laughed. They were like two schoolgirls, giggling and gabbing about wedding stuff. He closed the door after Lou Ann climbed in but he sneaked in a little butt pinch to let her know he was thinking of her. The look she gave him had him warming up. Maybe they could ditch Colton and Angel after the tree thing and get in something before he had to get back to Denver. He climbed in the front of the truck passenger side as Colton started up his dually.

Mike had himself actually not wanting to leave and it scared him. Lost in thoughts about finding excuses to stay, spend more time with Lou Ann and what he was feeling, was surely an extreme case of lust that would pass. However, keeping it from ending badly and losing this new friendship in their foursome had him worried he was not even thinking straight. Next thing he knew he had flipped Colton's country station to rock and got punched by the two gals and Colton at the same time. He was definitely out numbered here.

Colton had seemed to lighten up with the 'what the hell are you doing with Lou Ann' looks by the time Mike and Lou Ann had walked out to the truck. Something told Mike that Angel must have been told while the gals were gabbing in the kitchen and Angel got Colton to lighten up. He was beginning to like the new relaxed Colton. Making Mike wonder, how relaxed Colton might be, if he committed to a long distance relationship with Lou Ann? And, if it could work without too much emotion or complication?

CHAPTER SEVEN

"You make a sexy snow angel." Mikes fingers began unzipping Lou Ann's white winter ski parka. Underneath she had on a soft pink fuzzy long sweater with matching leggings. Her nipples were peaked under her lace bra calling to him once he got her scarf and coat off.

"You need to leave, it's already five and the roads are starting to get slick." Lou Ann really wanted him to stay but she wanted him to get home safely. All the talk about Mike's next trip had her hopeful. He seemed happy to help with any wedding arrangements that they might need. He seemed as excited as Colton, which made Lou Ann wondered if Mike had ever been in love, engaged or even married before. She didn't know much about him, but she wanted to and that scared her. It scared her because with each passing moment she felt like she could live a thousand lives with this man. They were so alike in many ways, but so different. He was the first man in a long time that just brushed off her hothead temper with a sexy smile of silence.

"Getting rid of me? I thought once we got rid of the old married couple we could have some fun." Mike took off his loaned winter coat, shucked his boots, pulled his grey college sweatshirt over his head and unsnapped his worn denim jeans to expose a very firm and happy member of his anatomy as he slid off the same silly boxer shorts.

Lou Ann looked at him and wet her lips in anticipation while watching him undress himself. He was so sexy and confident that she wanted him. She did. But, they hadn't even waved goodbye but ten seconds ago, to Colton and Angel, and then he started all this. What if, Angel and Colton, came back for some reason? Her Christmas tree was waiting outside. Then deciding not to care, she watched with apprehended breath at this incredible man.

Thinking to herself, how he could always take her truck since it had new snow tires on it to make it safely home. "I don't want to get rid of you. I just want you to be safe. Want to drive my truck home? It has new snow tires on it." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and gave him a sexy gaze with her eyes.

Moving towards her in almost a stealth manner with his chiseled naked body, he grinned and lowered his voice. "So does my vette and I have driven in a hell of a lot worse. One more hour won't kill me." He already had her sweater off over her head, as he talked low and seductive. He unsnapped her bra in back and let her breast fall free. He sucked in a breath in awe of her breasts. He had always been a big boob man but hers were real. His hands reached out and grabbed the pair as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"You're the boss man. You stay as long as you want." Her response at a whisper as she ran her nails through his hair, his mouth covered her breasts and she felt his other hand slip inside her leggings to a warm spot between her legs.

She moaned softly and thought to herself of all the little moments throughout the day where he held her hand and gave her quick kisses. Did he want what she wanted? Did he want more?

She felt his hands surround her face as if he was reading her thoughts he kissed her so deeply as if to answer her questionable thoughts as to what this meant. It meant something to him. His lips and tongue were claiming her as if he wanted to brand her and she felt him lift her up and carry her into her room.

As he laid her on her bed, he gazed into her eyes. "I can't stay the night, but I want you Lou Ann. I can't get myself to leave; I can't get enough of you. You need to kick me out by seven or I could pay hell tomorrow." He pulled her leggings off and her socks and began kissing.

She didn't know if she could force him to leave, but she was sure going to enjoy the next two hours. She was going to love him, as she never did before. She felt a strong desire to convince him that he needed to come back and stay here again.

Catching their breath after the sweet success of yet another incredible moment, Mike glanced over at the clock and realized he needed to be leaving. He laid a kiss on her cheek, as her eyes were half open and her smile on her face said it all. The last time was the best by far. The last time held more emotion for both of them.

"I know this is a dumb question, and it's a little late to be asking, but what does 'can't get pregnant' mean exactly?" Mike had rolled the thought over in his head that morning wondering if he was leaving behind a pregnant woman. He wasn't ready to be a dad but he didn't want to be told too late that he was a dad either. Too late as in, a year later and then he had to get tested, to make sure it was his. He did not want that happening again to find out only he was not the dad. The woman just wanted his money. Then Lou Ann was worth two million more than he was and she sounded so confident she could not get pregnant. He wanted kids someday, but not today.

"It's complicated. I miscarried once in my first marriage. After several doctors and tests, it was confirmed that it was a false pregnancy and that I can't bear children. Something like a one in a million chance I could and well after three years of marriage and a lot of lovemaking, I never got pregnant." Lou Ann wondered if Mike thought she tricked him. He just didn't know that wasn't her style.

"Oh." That was all he could say. A one in a million chance and she can't bear children and his sensitive answer was 'oh'. God he sounded like a jerk.

Lou Ann felt a little hurt by his answer. Maybe he didn't know what to think or say. "That's ok. I've come to terms that if and when I remarry again that I can always adopt. I just hope my future husband doesn't get too bugged by it. I mean most men want to procreate one of their own." She smiled hoping that would help, but the look of horror seem to cross his face. That wasn't the reaction she was hoping for.

Mike was perplexed. Why did her talking about marrying another man dig deep into his gut and why did her feelings about adopting make him sad? As if she hit a nerve with the procreate thing. If he married her than he could never have a little Mikie to throw ball or Mikette for that matter.

"Mike, honey you ok? You look, I don't know puzzled?" Lou Ann figured that this was such a sensitive subject for any man let alone one she just met and shared such incredible experience.

"No. No. I'm sorry." He sat up and began getting dressed. All of a sudden, his emotions for her were too overwhelming and he needed fresh air to think. Think about everything that just happened here with her and how all this could play out. He knew he wanted to get married someday, and have some kids of his own and all of a sudden, he felt like analyzing the situation of her not being able to bare children.

Lou Ann felt the emptiness begin to fill her heart. She was not going to cry. It was time for him to go. She knew she let him know she was a no good woman when it came to children and once he left she would deal with that empty feeling all over again. She had dealt with it before with Stanley and he had helped her through it and now she needed to hold her pride and send him on his way home so that they could be, at least, good friends when he came back, for Colton and Angels sake.

"Mike?" She wanted to say something. She wanted him to tell her it was ok and that he thought she was great anyways and that she was still a great woman. All the things her Stanley told her over and over when she got bothered by it. Nothing other than his name and a question as to whether he could say anything came out of her mouth. She felt the sting in the back of her eyes and she got up quickly and rushed to the bathroom before he could answer.

He felt like a prick. A mean, insensitive, prick. He couldn't understand his reaction other than he felt more for Lou Ann than any other woman and he saw this as a way out of any commitment between them. It tore at his heart to watch her rush into the bathroom with glossy eyes. She was probably in there right now crying out her eyes. He stopped getting dressed, went to the bathroom door, and knocked lightly on it. "Lou Ann? Are you ok? I'm just really sorry for you. I mean I still think you're great and I'm sure you'll make a great mom someday."

Lou Ann wiped a tear away with a hand towel and smiled a little. She knew this was not a marriage thing between them. Just pure fast hard lust and the thought of not being able to bare his child should not bother her now. She tossed on her heavy robe and opened the door to a man that had a look of sadness in his eyes.

He reached out and pulled her close for a tight protective hug. "You are more woman than any man deserves and I'm sure you'll be a great mom." He kissed the top of her head and released his hug to hold her face in his hands. He gazed into her eyes for only a moment before he closed his own eyes and kissed her so passionately on the lips.

She was sure this was the good-bye; however, it was a great kiss. Deep down, she knew it was more like a: you're not my type and this could complicate things kiss. All the same, it felt so incredible the way her body reacted to his touch; the way her mind swirled with the idea of them together.

"I don't want to figure out just yet what happened here this weekend other than I hope you still want to see me again? I know I had an incredible time with you and with Colton and Angel. I think we have fun together."

His hands dropped from her face and sought out her hands and he held them as he gazed into her eyes awaiting her response.

"Yes. I agree. I think we are fun together." She felt better that they somewhat figured this out and that she knew she would look forward to seeing him again. She would probably make sure her hair had a few new highlights, a cute outfit and a fresh manicure before he came out again. All in anticipation. Hoping that her heart wouldn't swell ten times its size when he finally did break it.

He turned away to finish getting dressed. "I better get going. I don't want to but I have a ball breaker boss and a very needy client to deal with tomorrow. I hope my week goes well and I'm back from Canada by late Friday so that maybe I could see you next weekend. Maybe the four of us could go to dinner. What do you say?" Mike was having a hard time breaking away. He could see himself easily piss his boss off and use the road conditions as an excuse. Then maybe Lou Ann wanted a break. She seemed very cool since she went into the bathroom.

"Sure. That would be nice. Look, honey, you need to get going. You've stayed too late as it is. The winter storm has moved in quicker than they anticipated. You sure you don't want to drive my truck?" She needed to put distance between them. She felt the need to rip his head off or at least make it easy for him to not want to see her again, but in the same moment, she didn't want to make him mad. She wanted to see him again.

Lou Ann pulled away and headed for the kitchen to grab her keys. Mike followed behind as he grabbed his socks and shoes. "No that's alright. Look Lou Ann I do want to see you again. I'll be fine in the vette."

It was getting harder by the second for either of them to say their final good byes. Mike grabbed his keys and briefcase and headed towards the back door to his vette, stopping to talk to Lou Ann with his back to her. "I need to warm her up and I'll be back in to grab my overnight bag."

Lou Ann stood there staring at him. Wondering if this was it? As he went out the door, she hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a thermos and some hot cocoa mix. She filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to warm. She filled the thermos a third of the way with hot chocolate mix and grabbed a small paper bag and tossed in some of Angels favorite muffins that were left. Just as Mike came back in and shook off some snow that had accumulated on his head, he saw her in the kitchen by the stove looking sad.

"There are some mighty big snowflakes coming down." He shook the last out of his head and headed into the kitchen. Just as he was about to reach for her she looked down and turned away.

"I'm making you something to drink for the road and some muffins. The drive might take some extra time." She sidestepped him again as he tried to hold her.

"Lou Ann. Stop moving." He turned her around and held her tight in his arms. He tilted her chin up with his hand and saw the hurt in her eyes and he knew right there this was not a game for her and he would kick himself, if Colton didn't, if he broke her heart. He leaned into kiss her and she turned her head, and his kiss landed on her cheek.

The sound of the kettle whistle broke the tension that was mounting between them. He wanted to take the kettle, smash it against the floor, then take the woman in his arms, and make love to her all night. He had a job, a hard-earned career and he was not ready to throw it all away over lust.

Lou Ann pulled away and poured the hot water in the thermos jug. She tightened up the top, grabbed the muffins, and held them out to Mike. He took them from her hands and set them on the kitchen table.

"The top straw do hickey flips up and so you drink it that way." She was stalling but creating distance at the same time. She did not want him to go, yet the sooner he left the easier it would be.

Mike went back to her, grabbed her hands, and pulled her body next to his. He leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on her tight lips. "I'll call when I get home."

"Thanks" Then Lou Ann couldn't help herself and she flung her arms around him and laid the most passionate kiss she could muster on his lips; forcing his mouth open with her tongue. She felt a need to claim him and devour him. Then she pulled back and laid a gentle kiss on his chin, his neck and then she cradled her face in his neck where it fit so nicely and she breathed out a loud rush of air. "Bye."

"I will see you later." Mike grabbed the bag of muffins and mug in one hand and his overnight bag in the other. He turned and left knowing if he looked in her eyes, he might make the biggest mistake of his career.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Lou Ann was not sure, if it was a dream or if Mike had kissed her as if he loved her. His kisses were so passionate. She held her fingers to her lips and her knees to her chest as she sat in her front bay window seat watching the stillness of the night along Main Street. She had practically begged Mike to call and say he was home safe. It had been over five hours since he left and he had not called.

Her stomach was in knots and she hugged her knees tighter to reassure herself all was ok. She knew she had to be a big girl. She knew it would hurt when he left. She would not give up the last twenty-four hours for anything. Even if he never wanted anything to do with her again, she would not forget the last kiss he gave her. It felt as if he handed her his soul.

Doubting herself and what had happened between them she figured he just had not called because he wanted a way out.

The ringing of the phone jarred her out of her seat. Glancing at the caller I.D., she saw Mike Johnson Cell. "Mike! Mike, honey is that you? Did you make it home ok?" The sound of worry was strong in her voice. She just needed to hear his voice.

"I should have taken you up on the truck offer. It would have given me the best excuse to make it back up next weekend. The roads are worse as you get closer to Denver. I am about ten minutes away behind a plow truck. Remind me to send in a couple dozen doughnuts to those guys in the big orange plow trucks. If it wasn't for them I would have been in a snow bank or two."

His laughter and voice calmed her nerves. Did he say excuse to see her next weekend? "You had me worried." Worried you wouldn't want to see or talk to me again. "I'm sorry it was a tough drive."

A moment of quiet passed between them. Lou Ann was so relieved he was ok, but had no idea what to think of what happened between them being more than spectacular, yet she was sure he was going to break her heart.

"Lou Ann... I had a great time. I'm glad we worked past the tension the first few hours we spent together. I spent the whole drive home thinking of you and how badly I wanted to turn around and drive back, so I can crawl back in bed with you." Mike knew he was on thin ice here. He needed to watch how close he got, but he felt an urge to speak the truth. He owed her that, because he felt more in bed with her than any other woman and that scared him.

"Anytime Mike. Anytime you want to sneak up and crawl in my bed, the invitation is open." Feeling a knot in her stomach loosen up she started to breath normal.

"Anytime? I won't run interference with anyone else?" He knew nothing about this woman other than Colton's comments, but he felt like he needed to get to know her or he would be passing up the deal of a lifetime.

"Nope. If you couldn't tell it's been a very long time for me. Three years in fact." Lou Ann never got a chance to finish explaining the story of her feelings and her past husband. She never thought of Stanley again after the first moment Mike drowned her emotions in his passion.

They talked like that, on and off, whispering words of encouragement and talking about what fun things they could do during Mike's month off. He had plans for skiing and he suggested that Lou Ann be his ski bunny. An hour later, they hung up with the understanding they would call or email each other until he could make it up next.

Lou Ann did not know how she could sleep. Thankful her shop closed on Mondays or she would be screwed. She needed to hire an assistant to manage the shop, between its growing business and her helping her mom's flower business grow she knew she wouldn't have any time for Mike unless she hired someone.

Falling asleep with thoughts of solving her time crunch problem by hiring someone, someone she could eventually entrust to run the whole shop and dreamy thoughts of spending lots of fun bed time with Mike had her waken with a renewed sense of being. She slept good remembering the thoughts of Mike and how good he looked, and how well he handled her temper. No man seemed to turn her on so quickly, at least not since her Stanley.

Looking out her front bay window, at all the snow that had accumulated overnight, Lou Ann was in no hurry to get to her shop for paperwork day. She started the teakettle and spread out the Sunday paper on her old antique trunk that served as an ottoman or coffee table. She had never got around to reading the newspaper the day before and that was a Sunday ritual for her. She figured she would get in later to the office to start some much overdue paperwork and then call into the paper with an ad for help.

Just as she got her teacup ready, the whistle blew on the kettle. She dunked her tea bag as she walked and then sat on her couch cozying up to the fire she had built.

Once finished with the weekly ads, Lou Ann always went to the local section to catch up on news she never got around to watching on the television. However, this time she stopped herself and decided to pull out the business section instead. She had overheard Colton and Mike discussion an article that was to be published, about him in the paper. Sure enough on the second inside page, business section, top left was a picture of Mike and his upcoming success in helping the company he worked for grow to new heights. He was listed as one of Denver's, most available bachelors, 'but ladies beware this one's not looking for marriage' was a quote on the article.

Lou Ann could not help but grab her scissors to cut out the article out and read it again. Once done she slipped it inside a book she had started to read, laying it on the end table next to the couch and drank the last of her tea. She stared into the flames in her fire and thought about how wonderful her time with Mike had been, but also very shaky and unsure. She knew she shouldn't read too much into to their new found lust and maybe try to spend the next time they get together more about getting to know each other.

Knowing that come spring when Colton and Angel tied the knot, she wanted to be there to support them in growing their marriage and no matter what happened between her and Mike they needed to be friends first.

Setting her teacup in the sink, she turned to see Angel coming up her back walk and stomping off the snow from her boots at her back door. It was only ten a.m. and she wondered why she wasn't at the ranch.

"Good morning honey. How is the best looking engaged woman in all of Summit County this morning and why aren't you at work with your beau?"

Angel smiled at her best friend who was still in her purple flannel pajamas with coffee cups on them and the awful cowboy boot slippers she got her as a gag gift last Christmas. "Just rising and shining?" She could tell that Lou Ann was doing her normal Sunday routine this Monday morning, which led her to believe that Mike did not leave right after her and Colton did last night.

"Yeah. I didn't get to do my Sunday paper last night. You in town on errands?" Lou Ann offered a cup with a tea bag and hot water to her best friend.

"Errands are what I told Colton, but I'm here to catch up on all the juicy details from my best friend. Correct me if I'm wrong but those were serious sparks between you and Colton's best friend. And, might I add, what a hottie he is. Colton is all but fretting over Mike breaking your heart, but I told him you were a big girl and could have all the fun you wanted, and leave him high and dry as well. Therefore, we agreed to stay out of any tiffs you two might have until things got serious. I just hope it all works out, seeing as how great of a time the four of us have together, and you should have seen the way Colton lightened up in conversation of the possibility that Mike was more taken with you than any other woman he has ever seen him with, and then we decided to change the conversation back to wedding and I'm talking faster than a speeding train aren't I?" Angel giggled and put honey in her tea and began to stir. By now, she had set her winter coat and boots by the back door and was sitting at Lou Ann's table for a long conversation. Errands, smarrands. She would do a quick run to a couple places later to make it look like she was in town for that other than gossiping with her best friend.

One of the things Lou Ann loved best about their friendship is that they promised to never become cell phone best friends. When there was juice to spill they needed to do in it person. Lou Ann refilled her teacup with a fresh bag, honey and some more hot water. She refilled the kettle, set it back on the stove, and turned it on. She knew she was going to be talking with Angel for at least a good hour. "Honey you're not talking any faster than I can handle. Yes there are some serious sparks, and yes I'm just as worried as you two that anything bad could cause a riff on our friendship with the four of us, but I'm gonna take it one day at a time. I mean..." She paused and was not sure what she really wanted to say.

"Hey let's break out the last of those muffins you made." Angel was looking around to see where Lou Ann might have put them.

"Can't. I sent them home with Mike late last night for his long drive home. He refused to take my truck and by the time he left it was getting pretty bad on the roads." Lou Ann smiled a mile wide and watched as Angel's mouth dropped open.

"Spill it girlfriend and don't hold back on the good stuff."

Lou Ann confessed almost all but left some of the juicy stuff to herself. The more she talked about Mike the more she would blush and get all warm and fuzzy inside. She could hear herself tell Angel that it wasn't more than lust but deep down she knew she was falling in love and she didn't know how all this was going to turn out or even if Mike was at work now realizing how overzealous he had been. Deep down she knew the rejection was going to be soon and she would save face for her best friend's sake. But she knew, she wouldn't be able to hide her fears from Angel too long. It there was one thing Angel was good at was reading her like a book and talking sense into her.

Angel was very happy with the way Lou Ann was telling her about what happened with Mike. She knew that her friend deserved the attention and was overdue for all the orgasms she talked about having. However, she could also tell that Lou Ann was tampering down her emotions for everyone else and she was sure she had just fallen head over heels in love. Remembering all that Colton had told her about Mike she figured her only words of advice to her was to get to know the man as friends whether it is through e-mails or phone calls before his next visit. Then decide how hot and heavy she should play it.

Lou Ann could not have agreed with her more and decided that was exactly what she had thought as the best game plan.

They finished their tea and decided they both had a lot to go even though the roads were full of snow. They decided that Friday night would be a chick night. That left them with one-week right before Christmas and then Angel would be busy with Colton running the Stock Show for all of January.

CHAPTER NINE

"So your telling me that you share the same favorite color and that he has a really cute butt with a mole on it, but you have not a clue, as to what his intentions are or what his future plans are. Ok so you got to know him on a ground level darling, but what do we know about this man other than what Colton betrays him as?" Angel giggled over her strawberry margarita and pushed away the last of the beef stuffed burrito she could not finish.

Both women had been drinking for the last three hours and the tequila in the margarita has taken full effect. The night filled with a variety of conversations, but mostly about the hot men in their lives.

"Well I know he is on his way, right now, to spend the weekend with me and he has sent naughty emails as to what his intentions are and I'm all good with that honey!" Lou Ann shouted the last part very unaware of who had walked into the restaurant.

"You're all good with what?" Both women turned to see a very handsome Colton standing there waiting to hear what Lou Ann was shouting she was all-good with.

Once their giggles subsided, Colton scooted over next to Angel and turned to give her a quick kiss hello. He smiled and asked once again. "What are you all good with and how many margaritas have you ladies polished off?"

"Hmm... let's see was that four grandee margaritas Angel?" She winked at Colton to make him blush.

"At least and Mike's on his way up here. And Lou Ann is all good with that!" A moment of silence passed as the look on Colton's face turned to concern. "Oops, he didn't tell you."

Playing dumb Colton responded hurt. "No he didn't tell me. I thought he wasn't coming up till next week and I made reservations for Angel and I at the hot springs lodge tomorrow. Shoot. Well ok. Lou Ann you wouldn't mind keeping Mike busy for me would you?" He winked at Lou Ann and then the girls started to giggle and couldn't stop.

Lou Ann had felt a huge sense of relief that Mike had informed Colton as to some extent of what was going on between them and that they didn't have to hide their attraction from each other.

Just as the two gals were catching their breathe from the giggles, Angels eyes got huge and a smile crossed Colton's face just as a large firm hand landed on Lou Ann's bare shoulder that was exposed in her cute halter tie back top she was wearing. She didn't have to turn to look to see who it was. Just the feelings his hand put on her skin, she knew who was standing there and she turned ten shades redder and held her hand up to her face fanning herself. "Honey did it just get hundred degrees hotter in here or is there a hot man in the room?" Lou Ann winked at her friends across the table from her as Mike scooted in on the bench next to her.

"Just you hot women heating up the place." He kissed her bare shoulder. "Honey" in a teasing drawl, "Don't cha think you're a tad under dressed for the weather outside?"

"Oh, don't you mind Lou Ann she always dresses how the mood strikes her not the weather. Why once she wore a bikini top with jean shorts and a cute pair of boots with a fake fur leather coat to a bachelorette auction we had here in town last winter. Boy you should have seen the men's chagrins when she shed that coat." Angel boasted super-fast and then started to giggle at the memory.

"Yeah but I got highest bidder, don't you forget." Lou Ann bragged.

"Shit I would have paid highest bid to see you at that auction in that outfit." Mike grinned while laying his hand on her inner thigh under the table and began to caress her leg.

Colton was thinking he would not mind seeing Angel in the same get up but was not sure how to suggest it to her.

"Honey, do what you do best and you ain't gotta pay to see me in that outfit. I still got it in my closet. I'll just put it on for free." Lou Ann giggled.

"And what pray tell do you do that is best Mike?" Colton teased his best friend. Knowing full and well, what took place last weekend and what Mike had in store for Lou Ann. Colton had planned the hot springs lodge booking just as soon as Mike told him of him coming up to see Lou Ann again for the weekend. They both figured this way there would not be any interference from him or Angel so as Mike could try to sort out his feelings some more. He all but confessed love to Colton calling it the best lusting he ever had. Colton warned him to break it off nice, when he did. Mike had given him scouts honor, but then Mike had never been a boy scout like Colton.

"Come on ladies, I think there are people waiting on your table and you both need to be cut off." Mike grabbed Lou Ann's white ski parka and held it out for her to slip on.

Lou Ann took one last large gulp of her strawberry margarita. "Honey, it takes a lot more than four grandee margaritas to put me out of commission. Ain't that right Angel? I could drink half these men in town under the table. I'll have you know that I have a very high tolerance for alkeehall." Giggles broke out and the men smiled at each other as they guided their girlfriends out of the restaurant, leaving enough money on the table for tab and tip.

"Yeah, well chickee, that was back in our early drinking days, pre-professional chicks. Now four grandee's make you giddy and happy as ever. Just don't go pissing her off tonight Mike. She maybe a very happy drunkard, but she shoots off hotter than a popcorn pistol after a few drinks as well."

Then both gals fell against each other laughing so hard they didn't hear Colton asking Mike what the hell a 'hotter than a popcorn pistol' was.

Mike had parked his black F150 ford pickup up behind Colton's silver company dually in the parking lot and both men hit the auto remote open buttons on their truck as they guided each lady off each other towards the passenger side of the trucks.

"Be good you two." Angel shouted out to Mike and Lou Ann.

Lou Ann wiggled her fingers in a wave good bye through the windshield of Mike's truck to Angel as she was getting a hand up into Colton's company truck.

As Mike started to drive the short distance to Lou Ann's, she dropped her head in his lap behind the steering wheel and smiled up at him. Reminiscent of when Mike dropped his head in her lap not all that long ago. "Take me home cowboy, I think I'm drunkard."

"Cowboy? I thought I was your cosmopolitan man. But drunkard you definitely are." Giving his wording a country drawl, to emphasize the made up word 'drunkard'. He loved razing her about her country words just as much as she loved teasing him for being a cosmopolitan man.

The sex that night had intensified and Lou Ann was unsure if it was the buzz of the alcohol or Mike was more passionate and possessive after their lovemaking. Either way she had sobered up very quick after her first orgasm brought on by Mike's wonder mouth. She quickly returned the favor as to show she was all game tonight. No downtime for her. She wanted to savor every moment this weekend since next weekend would be Christmas and they both had plans with family that did not include with each other.

Mike had told her he had promised his mom a few days before and after Christmas but that, he could stay until Tuesday morning. However, no plans were made after that and she wanted to make the next few days unforgettable for both of them.

Lou Ann remembered the last moment before she fell asleep cuddled up next to Mike with his protective arms holding her close to his chest and her back to him. She remembered how incredible it all felt just falling asleep like this and if she could do this all the time how unbelievable it would feel. She listened to his slow breathing lulling her to sleep. A deep sleep filled with a fantasy of Mike and her, as husband and wife, living in her town and waking up in each other's arms.

The dream was slowly drifting in and out, as she began to smell coffee brewing and saw light peeking at her eyelids. Morning had come and glancing around her room Mike was already up. No wonder he was up. As she looked at her clock, it was eleven a.m. in the morning on Saturday and the tequila and great sex had given her the best sleep she had remembered in years.

Tossing on a cream fleece robe and the ugly cowboy slippers Angel gave her, Lou Ann padded into her bathroom to freshen her breath and clip up her hair. Glancing in the mirror, she saw a glow about her face and her eyes seemed brighter. She was always thankful she woke up looking decent in the morning as to not scare any future suitors off.

With almost a skip to her step she came up behind Mike dressed only in his jeans, bare feet and naked backside. She wrapped her arms around his bare chest and began to slowly, softly scratch her nails over his skin. The effect was goose bumps and a swift turn around to face her.

"No one has given me goose bumps like that since high school." He lowered his lips to hers for a morning kiss. Soft, sweet and lingering.

"Mmm, good morning." She licked her lips from the tingling sensation he always left and smiled up at him as their arms tightened in a lovers embrace.

"Afternoon is more like it. I kind of made plans for us today, but the morning one has past. I'm thinking we ditch all the plans and I'll just do things to you until you get goose bumps."

"What kind of plans?"

"Colton set us up for a romantic horsehide by carriage for evening. We talked of meeting them at the hot springs for a bit until then. What sounds good to you?"

As Lou Ann raised her lips to only an inch or two away from his, she whispered in a sexy voice. "Goose bumps and Godiva chocolate."

Mike pressed his lips against hers and opened her mouth by driving his tongue into hers with such force and passion it scared him. This was more than lust, but was it love?

Her mouth tasted minty and her scent was filling his nostrils that he knew they might not make it in time to meet Angel and Colton at the hot springs for a late lunch and dip in the hot pools. He knew it would mean a lot to Colton, since his best friend had mentioned them hanging out for a while Saturday.

Pulling his mouth away from hers he began to lick and blow on different sensual areas of her body, starting with her ear and neck then moving down towards her breast as he pulled her robe aside to expose a very taunt round nipple dressing up her perfectly voluptuous breast.

"Mike? What are you doing with the blowing thing?" Lou Ann giggled a little.

"I'm giving you goose bumps. Then I'm diving in for some Godiva chocolate and then we will dress quick, drive fast and meet them in an hour for a late lunch."

Just then, goose bumps speckled across her skin and her robe dropped with a single tug of her tie. Naked in front of a man that drove her wild, she began kissing his neck and ears as her fingers worked at his jeans. Yes! He was commando under his jeans. She eased her fingers inside his jeans and began to work her fingers around his thick, throbbing, finer point of anatomy, as she kissed him back with as much passion and intensity as he had only a second ago. She was not sure who was more adamant about seducing the other. She was only thankful they both seemed so passionate and possessive that perhaps he would let this be more. More than just a passing fling, or consensual sex. He would let it be the equivalent of first place in the county fair.

He lifted her up on her counter and gently laid kisses in between her thighs and looked up at her half lit gaze looking down at him with such intensity. He shimmied out of his jeans the rest of the way and then gently lifted her on to him supporting her bottom with his hands.

She wrapped her arms around him tight and moaned with satisfaction as he entered her all moist with desire. Her legs wrapped tight around him with her feet crossed at her ankles and resting right under his very tight muscular behind. Her hands felt the moisture from his body beginning to sweat, from the work he was putting into the pleasure he was giving her. The sensation of him slowly lifting and lowering her over him was driving both of them delirious with frenzied sensations. Sensing his sexual hunger with raged breaths and groans of pleasure, they began to work at a more quickened pace.

With a tightened grasp of his hands on her ass, she felt the rumbling in his chest as his body reacted to her tight swift orgasm. As if some electrical current spread through their body's one after the other and then a cool breeze brushed across their moistened skin. As if to awaken them to what was really going on here.

The sound of their raged breaths seemed to fill her house. There were no words for several seconds only the echoing sounds of two lovers catching their breath.

Mike slowly lowered her down and buried his head into her neck as he held her tightly. Letting her smooth skin and heavy breaths, soothe his raging heart. Feelings of uncontrolled emotion were working their way to the surface and he was not sure how to react to all this other than fight or flight. Neither of which he wanted to do to Lou Ann. He wasn't ready for commitment either. Knowing that she was possibly the best thing that happened to him in his life he could not help wondering how odd it would be for him to attach himself to this, situation.

Thinking about how excellent together, they are as lovers, now she wanted it all. The friendship, the closeness you feel when you can complete a sentence or thought for your lover. She wanted Mike Johnson to be her husband, lover and future father of their children. What he wanted she was afraid to ask for. Knowing he was a good times man. That he came into this thing they have, with more of a temporary attitude. She was sure she had him thinking she was ok with that. But she wasn't. She could not stop her mind from swirling with emotion that felt like it was barb wiring her heart. She was falling more in love with this man as every breathe from her orgasm.

CHAPTER TEN

Christmas had passed but not with fond memories of the weekend, they shared before the holiday. Not being able to see him over the holiday was tough, but he did not offer for her to come down to spend time and meet with his family, after he declined her offer to spend it with hers.

He did however make the weekend before filled with romantic moments and talk of what they should do together after Christmas. Mike expressed his love of skiing, which Lou Ann loved to do as well and while nuzzled in bed he asked her with sweet sincerity to be his ski bunny than began to tease her nipples with his tongue until she agreed.

Remembering Christmas Eve morning, she received a package express mail from Mike with wonderful gifts; sexy lingerie, expensive perfume very close to her favorite, a new release book by her favorite author, scented candles and a very gorgeous pair of garnet earrings. She felt elated that even after their wonderful weekend together, he found time away from his family obligations to shop and ship gifts for her.

She had gotten him a few things and left them wrapped under her Christmas tree since he was expected to be up the day after next to spend a whole week into the New Year with her.

Luckily a couple of the gals at her shop had wanted to pick up more hours and pay, so Lou Ann divided up her job as best she could other than payroll and bills and let them show her how well they could handle it. She was still set, on finding a replacement manager so she could work only when the mood suited her. This would allow her the time to help her mom with her new business and perhaps travel down to Denver to see Mike.

Waking up that morning feeling under the weather with flu like symptoms she was unable to keep her breakfast scrambled eggs and morning tea down. Lou Ann called into her shop and informed them she had the flu. To give all her clients to the other gals and she would check in as soon as she was up to it.

When she hung up her phone rang again and it was Mike calling from his place.

"Good morning gorgeous."

"Morning Mike."

"Hey, I finished my good son projects for my mom early. How about I head out this evening to see you instead of day after tomorrow?"

He sounded so chipper and happy she hated to break his mood. "Mike. I think I've got the flu. I would be no good. You stay and I should be better in a day or two."

"You sure? I could come take care of you."

"No. I'm all sweaty and I can't keep food down and tired. Really tired, more than anything." Lou Ann couldn't help to think that his suggestion of taking care of her was really sweet, but the last thing she wanted him to see was her all pale and pasty with a bucket under her mouth rushing to the bathroom then to once again wash her face and hair of any mess. That was not the way to woo a man into love with a woman.

"Oh, ok." Hoping he did not sound too disappointed in his voice. Maybe she had second thoughts about this whole more than consensual sex thing. "Well I've got a couple things here in Denver I had hoped to accomplish on my month off and quite frankly my closet could use a little overhaul, since I seem to visit the mountain country more than ever, I think I'll hit a couple sportsman places for some warm winter attire. But, if you change your mind, just call me. How about I call you tonight to check in on you?"

"That would be great. And Mike?" She could hear his disappointment and uncertainty in his voice.

"Yes?"

"That was a very sweet offer you made to come take care of me. But I really am scary looking right now, I'm afraid you might not want me anymore if you saw me in this condition."

"Oh. Oh! You thought I was in love with your hot sexy body and flaming tempered ways not your brain." He teased sarcastically.

"Yeah." She let out a small giggle and a huge sigh.

He said 'in love' and that was more admittance to anything, that they were starting something serious. As the pounding of her heart grew loud with thoughts of Mike, she knew she had to get better quick. He left her with sweet words of what intangible things he wanted to do to her once she was well. She knew she needed to get some more rest, because his promise of mind-blowing sex for a New Year's resolution had her warming with liquid at the thought of it all.

After hanging up the phone, she gathered enough strength to run a hot bubble bath and munch on some soda crackers.

It had been a long time since she had the flu and the first time since she remembered it making her nipples tender as if they were on fire. She placed a cold washcloth across her breasts as she soaked the rest of her body's weariness away.

Once out of the bath she put on her warmest pajamas, wool socks, cranking the heat up, she cuddled under her heavy blankets on her bed. She hadn't even raised the blinds from the night before and fell fast asleep in her darkened room.

Unaware of how long she slept she woke up to movement in her front room. Too tired to rise up she shouted out. "Who's out there?"

Angel peeked her head around the door, into Lou Ann's room, without fully opening it. "Hey sweetie. Mike called Colton and Colton sent me here to check on you. I peeked in earlier and you were out cold. It's almost night, do you want to get up and have some soup or something?"

"Thanks that would be great. I'll be out in a sec." Lou Ann slowly got up and realized she felt much better and had wished she had taken Mike up on his offer to come up earlier. She didn't want to get him sick and she didn't want him to see her all pale and flushed but she missed him badly over the last few days and couldn't wait to touch him again.

Scratching her wild head of hair and walking out her room still in her pajamas she smiled at her best friend who had; a fire going in the fireplace, hot water on to boil for tea, a bowl full of her mom's homemade chicken noodle soup, on a plate with crackers.

"You are the best, Angel and don't you ever let anyone tell you different." Giving her best friend a hug.

Watching Lou Ann grab the plate with soup and crackers and sit down on her couch in front of the fire, Angel smiled at her best friend getting comfortable. "You look ok. Are you feeling better?"

"Better yes, but this feels kind of like the flu and kind of like I ate something bad."

"Well no one else has complained about tummy problems from Christmas feast leftovers, but you never know. You want me to toss all the leftovers from Randy and Sheila's you brought back here?"

"Yeah. I hate to but... just in case."

As Angel made handy work with herself dumping out containers full of food from Christmas leftovers and setting them in the sink of sudsy water she had almost forgot to tell Lou Ann.

"So I almost forgot to tell you the good news."

"What's that?"

"Well when Mike called Colton all worried about you I overheard Colton instructing Mike that a quick way to a woman's heart is to take care of her when she is sick. Just like when Colton did for me when I got sick, earlier this fall. I had told him, that was the moment, I fell in love with him. And I quote Colton telling Mike, 'so if you want to show Lou Ann how much you love her without scaring her, get your ass up here tonight and baby her with your domestic caring skills.' End quote.

Lou Ann looked brightened with color in her cheeks as she looked over her bowl of soup while blowing on it. "Colton said that. How sweet. What did Mike say?"

"I don't know because I wasn't listening on the other line I was just hiding around the corner as they had a heart to heart talk about you two. I think Colton is torn between the older brother syndrome of you be good to her and the best friend talk of go get her, she's a catch."

"We'll that's good news. I mean that they are talking about Mike and me as a couple instead of sports or a new flavor in beer or the hot chick on some commercial." Lou Ann smiled and then took another bite of her soup. Either mom's famous get better homemade chicken soup was warming her soul or the news that Mike was talking to Colton like they were a couple. Most likely a swirling heap of both.

"That's not the good news. The good news is when they hung up I came into the room as if to busy myself and Colton drew me up in his arms for a romantic kiss and then whispered in my ear how he thinks Mike is in love with you. Isn't that fabulous? I mean I know you've got some serious feelings for him and you're worried that he might not, but now it's almost confirmed. This is so cool. The four of us like a couple group. I am so jazzed and the even better news..."

Just as Angel was talking a mile a minute and Lou Ann was trying to let it all sink in; they heard the sound of someone stomping snow off their boots outside her back door.

"Mike's here? Already? Wow he must have drove fast."

"Mike's here? Now? Shit I look awful." Lou Ann looked down at herself, then took a free hand and plumped her hair up a bit with her fingers to do away with any flat hair from sleeping.

"You look fine. But isn't it great he rushed up here to show you his love in domestic skills and take care of his sick lover. Oh Lou Ann this is so cool and well let me finish up these dishes and I'm outta here." Angel whispered quickly to Lou Ann as they watched Mike try to sneak in quietly and shut the door softly.

"Mike!" Lou Ann acted totally surprised. "You're here? I mean it's good to see you. I'm sorry I look dreadful."

Mike lowered a kiss on her forehead and dropped his duffel bag. "You look fine. Are you feeling any better since we last talked?"

"Much." They both stared at each other for a moment unsure what to say and Angel cleared her throat.

"So Mike, how's your month off from work going? Colton mentioned you were staying here this week. We are slammed with final preparations so maybe Lou Ann can find a way to keep you busy."

Without taking his eyes away from Lou Ann's, he answered Angel with, "I don't think that's a problem. Can I get you anything? It looks like Angel's got you all set for the moment. I need to freshen up from the drive and put my bag in your room and I'll be back to keep you company."

He laid another kiss on her cheek this time and walked down the hall.

In a soft but high pitch squeal, Angel jumped up and down. "See, this is so cool."

Lou Ann was lost in emotion. It meant a lot for him to come all this way knowing she was sick and needed someone to take care of her, but she didn't want to read too much into it. She was still waiting for him to drop the bomb and break her heart. With each passing moment they spent together, she imagined a life with Mike and the four of them. She could not imagine a life without him or she would start to cry.

As Mike got cozy up next to Lou Ann in front of the fire he just added logs to, Angel found that the moment for her to scat even though the dishes weren't all done.

"We'll guys I gotta run. Lou Ann call me." As fast as she talked she was out the door and gone.

Falling into Mike's arms while they watched the fire pop and crackle from dry wood, Lou Ann felt more in love with him at that moment. His hands gently caressed her hair and rubbed her arms as her back cuddled deeper into his chest.

In a barely audible whisper, she spoke out to him. "Thanks Mike."

"You're welcome."

As the fire kept burning they sat like that in silence holding each other and wondering to themselves what all this meant; love or lust, and where it was going so fast.

With the dwindling of the fire, he whispered into her ear he was hungry and could he get her anything. She told him she was much better. She sat back upright and watched the man that had taken her like a storm, move about her house as if it was his; adding logs to the fire, heating up some food and tea and then setting down to eat his meal as if he belonged there, in her kitchen, in her life.

Smiling over his shoulder at her with the feeling, she was watching him he asked her if she was sure she didn't want anything. Slowly she got up and set her blanket off on the back of the couch as she came into the kitchen and hugged him from behind. He rubbed her arm that hugged him and kissed it then took another bite of his food. As if, he was totally at ease with her.

It was an incredible moment as was the rest of their evening filled with emotional love instead of physical and the night settling into morning with gentle touches and caresses and constant offers of anything she might need. She wanted this to last forever but knew it probably wouldn't and when all the newness of this wore off she would be only a heap of sadness to be scrapped up and tossed away, yet she was going to savor every second they shared with happy memories.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Watching Mike drive off in his truck towards Denver, Lou Ann couldn't help reminiscing about how they spent the last week he had off from work. They went skiing twice, tried eating out at a few unusual places but mostly they found moments in unusual places to make love. But his time, dwindled from his month off from work and he warned Lou Ann about his work was always crazy right back in the thick of things. He would try to make it up in the following weekend or next, but there was no guarantee.

Not once did either of them admit undying love to one another. That still seemed like a touchy subject. It was as if they were in love, acted in love, she knew she was in love, but both were afraid to be the first to admit it. She knew she was but if she told him how she really felt then he would end it sooner if not abruptly. He was not something she wanted to give up just yet. He was like an intoxicating addiction she couldn't give up or face with the reality of it all. She wanted to hold out until the wedding so that nothing would disrupt her best friend's wedding.

The stock show was fast approaching and they had talked about her coming down and visiting him for a change and spending some time at the stock show. Mike forewarned her that he wasn't into all the cowboy hoopla but that he would tone down his cosmopolitan ways to hang with her.

Missing him already, she predicted he was just now getting on the highway out of town to head home. She could not help but wonder if the time they spent away from each other was only going to drive them further away or bring them closer from missing each other.

Mike had seemed so attentive and loving during the last week; almost like a husband would or at least a very serious boyfriend. However, out of fear they both never discussed their feelings. Neither one of them, came right out and said I love you. After each incredible intimate moment they would say things like; 'that was great, you're the best or I could do this with you forever.' They both would say how much they loved certain aspects in each other like; 'I love your ass or I love your eyes.' However, always after a very passionate moment of sex.

Angel had been checking in all week, along with Colton, from time to time, as they were busy with the stock show preparations. Both would question how things were going between the two and then when one or the other would get off the phone they would talk about how badly their two best friends were trying to get them married alongside of them. They would joke and laugh about it but neither one seemed willing to break the barrier.

Lou Ann knew it was her fear of being married and losing another man she felt so passionate about. Some days she figured it would just be easier to marry a simple countryman that already had kids or was willing to adopt. Not a man that if he was taken away from her anytime soon in the near future she would not be able to survive a second time. Mike made her feel just as crazy in love, just as her Stanley had.

She picked up the picture of the two of them together on the ski slope and saw what an incredible couple they made. His dark hair, glistening with sweat from skiing, and his blue eyes, almost crystallizing from the bright sun. His cheeks were rosy from sunburn. She remembered his fussing when she pulled him over on the slope to steal a kiss then applied a female facial sunscreen to his cheeks and bridge of nose. Looking around as if he hoped no men saw her do it. His arm in the picture was around her so protectively and she was trying to look like an adorable ski bunny in her matching white ski parka and white ski pants to her white bunny ears she put on for the picture as a joke.

Her mind started to wander with limitless possibilities for their relationship then her stomach did a flip-flop and she was reminded of the fact, she was ignoring herself that her flu was not flu at all, but was a possible pregnancy.

She tried to recall the specialist had said about her not being able to get pregnant due to her eggs not being that healthy but that there were cases of pregnancy that did occur in woman like her if the sperm was potent enough and the egg she was ovulating happened to be a better egg. After her and Stanley being married for three years and trying constantly to beat the odds, she figured she would never carry her own child. She would have to adopt.

The funny feelings she had dealt with in the last two weeks she was keeping to herself. She knew she needed to take a pregnancy test but she wanted Angel there and her best friend was so busy with work and Colton she figured she would promise herself to do it in the next two weeks. She knew that she might miscarry and didn't want to worry anyone at this time.

Getting up from her bay front window seat she had been sitting in doing all her thinking she put the photo of her and Mike down on her coffee table that looked like a trunk and went to get something to eat to settle her tummy.

As night approached Lou Ann had talked to several people in her life that she had somewhat ignored while Mike was in town. Her mom, Bee, was asking a million questions about Mike. Her Aunt Sheila wanted to know how serious it was and if they could all get together for a dinner, next time he was in town. All this made her think how wonderful Mike would fit in with her family. They all adored Colton and Mike was just like him but with a more city appeal. Although the last week he was here anyone would have mistook him for a local by the way he dressed and his laid-back attitude he acquired in a short time.

Walking around her home to flip off lights and lock up in her gaudy cowboy boot slippers Angel had gotten her she felt a little sad that Mike wasn't there. As if he read her mind, the phone rang and the caller I.D. read 'Mike Johnson'.

With a silly girl squeal shrilling out of her, lips smiling a mile wide, she answered the phone with a breathy "Hello handsome, miss me?"

"More than you know."

"Mmm... I miss you."

Their conversation went back and forth about the next time they could get together. He couldn't promise her this weekend due to a new needy client he just got a call about on his drive home. He did want to call her every night to say goodnight if that was all right with her.

Lou Ann assured him he was the only man calling to say goodnight and she would wait for his calls. Trying not to sound needy or desperate, she did however feel that very way.

The week went fast for both. Lou Ann had a lot of catching up to do with the girls that covered her job. They did a fair job, but not enough to her satisfaction. She had books to redo, displays, and inventory. She had also promised her mom to help paint the flower shop on the inside along with preparing what items to buy for Valentines, which was a little over a month away.

Every night Mike had called and every day she would send him a sexy email about what devilishly sexy things she wanted to do to his incredibly fine sculpted body. Each email she focused on a different part of his body until she got to the best part; his finer male antimony part.

By the weeks end, Mike told her to call after a package arrived that he sent for her to make up for the fact he couldn't make it this weekend.

Waking that Saturday morning, Lou Ann was a might miffed that she knew she was falling in love with a man that loved his career and a job that ate away all his free time with clients and travel. He wasn't going to make it this weekend and he was sending something to make up for it.

Thinking back when she and Stanley were married she was too busy in beauty school to notice and having fun hanging with Angel and Claire, a friend from hair school, on their free nights off. Angel's graphic design school was only a short distance from where Claire and Lou Ann attended Beauty College. So, she could always con her girlfriends into a fun outing to take her mind off the fact that her husband was out of town on business.

She had sworn she would never fall in love with a cosmopolitan traveling executive and here she was, faced with the same situation that used to drive her nuts.

Calling herself selfish for wanting him every waking moment all to herself she wondered if she asked Mike for his hand in marriage and begged him to quit his job and be with her all the time in her hometown would he do it. Deep down she knew she would never ask although she knew the money between the two of them they had enough to enjoy a nice life together for the rest of their lives, job free.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of her front door bell ringing. She opened it to find a federal express delivery woman standing there with an express box for her to sign for. She thanked her and wished her careful driving with the approaching winter storm that was starting to drop flakes the size of Texas on the road.

The box was from Mike, like she suspected, but she did not feel like opening it. She set it down next to their picture from skiing on her coffee table and went about getting ready for work.

The women at her shop were all a buzz about the upcoming storm and several late day clients had already canceled. Lou Ann took coffee orders from the gals so she could get some fresh air and think about her sour mood.

As she walked out of the shop, she saw her old high school pal, Joe Stellee, which owned the 'Bait Em' fish and tackle shop across the street from her salon. They chatted about the weather as they walked to the coffee shop together. Lou Ann told him about looking for a manager replacement for her so she could take some time off and he told her he would keep his ears open. Then he waited for her to get her two trays of coffees for the gals and offered to carry them for her back to her shop. Lou Ann always thought of Joe as the purely country gentleman type and hoped he would find himself a good woman soon.

As she thanked him for the help, she mentioned that she was looking for a gift to send a friend in Denver that liked to fish. Could he find something that an average fisherman would like, that could fit in an express mail box? Joe promised he would drop it by when he headed out for lunch later that day.

By one o'clock, half the shop was begging her to go home due to the snow accumulation and that almost all the clients had cancelled. Lou Ann tossed around some attitude then realized it was not her gals she was mad at it, was her new boyfriend. She sent all but one home incase two clients showed at once and headed into her small office in the back to do some paperwork.

By two o'clock, no clients had shown and the rest had canceled. Just then, she heard a knock on her office door knowing it wasn't Cynthia that had stayed to help because she would have just walked in. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Mike had made it up to surprise her so she checked her hair in a mirror and stood up with her arms folded under her chest. "Come in!"

"Hey I brought you something for your friend in Denver and I stopped at the Fed-X place in the copy shop and grabbed you a box. Their last pick up is in half an hour. Do you want me to take it over there for you?" Joe looked perplexed at Lou Ann with her look of definite disappointment on her face.

"Oh. Sorry Joe. I was hoping... never mind. Let's see what you picked out." Eyeing a set of handmade lures and spinners set nicely in a small travel tackle box, Lou Ann was pleased. "Oh that is perfect. He'll love it. You wouldn't really mind dropping this back over at the Fed-X place?"

"Not at all. Besides the roads are getting really bad. You sending Cynthia home? She looked like she was bundling up out there?"

"Yeah. I figured I could stay in case some insane person wants their haircut. Besides I've missed a lot of time from the shop and have a lot of catching up to do." Lou Ann started to busy herself straightening paperwork. Setting piles of paper into her filing cabinet and locking it.

"Yup, buzz gets around. You've got a new beau. Is this who you're moping around about? And who you had hoped was knocking on your office door?" Joe gave her 'the don't lie to me' look and leaned back against her office wall as if he had all the time in the world to chat.

"Oh Joe, you always could see right through me. Yeah, I'm bumming. The man works in Denver and can't make it up this weekend. Hey speaking of buzz you look like you need a haircut. You take this box to Fed-X for me and when you get back, I'll do a shampoo massage and cut for free. Deal?" Lou Ann couldn't help but wish that the man leaning against the wall in her office was Mike and that he was taking all the time she needed to talk. However, that was selfish of her. She knew what he was when he met her. A small part of her figured that when Mike dumped her she needed to grow up and look more for a man like Joe.

"That's a smoking deal to me. I'll send Cynthia on her way and wait out front until you finish writing a note to him. Just remember the office closes in half an hour. So don't write a note that is all mushy and lengthy." Watching Lou Ann start to write a note to her boyfriend he could tell she was hesitant with him standing there.

"Oh, this isn't serious. He's actually Colton's best friend. Angel's fiancé, Colton, that manages the Ralston Ranch. Hey have you met yet?" Lou Ann didn't want everyone thinking it was serious. There was nothing worse when everyone asks where the boyfriend is or what happened when he dumps her. Bringing on, more pain of rejection, that things never progressed. Nope she would lead everyone, including herself, that this was a pass the time thing.

"Colton Smith? Yup. Apparently, the man is a quite the fisherman like his friend. He stopped in the shop about a month ago. Said all his fishing stuff was in storage and Randy was taking him fishing, so I got to load the man up. Hey, I like these guys already. You gonna get this Mike guy to move up here?"

"Really it's not that serious."

"Uh-huh." Joe turned and walked out towards the front.

Lou Ann heard Joe tell Cynthia to scat before her cranky boss changed her mind. Then she heard a few bits of laughter and the door chime closed. She couldn't help but think how really great of a catch Joe was. He was a tad soft around the middle and way too shy for her hothead ways. She always felt like she could trample over the man and he would just stand there and take it. She figured, when he got back for his shampoo and cut, she would be charming and funny as all get out. She started to think she needed a backup plan and Joe could fit her package just perfect.

Deep down she knew there weren't those intense feelings like she had for Mike. Quickly she dropped a note to Mike, but made it very casual. She didn't want it to seem too mushy since she was still miffed he wasn't here and couldn't help thinking that this was the first of many weekends for him to not make it. She did however put a heart in front of her name and sprayed the note with her favorite perfume.

She peeled the label back then sealed the box closed. She filled out the shipping slip all while Joe waited patiently out front in case someone came in.

"This should do it. And thanks Joe." Handing the Fed-X package to him, she couldn't help to think once again as the package exchanged hands that maybe if things didn't work out with Mike maybe Joe could be the lucky guy. He was average cute with darker toned skin and brown eyes, but there wasn't that spark that drove her wild that she craved so badly from Mike. But then again she had read a spark between old friends could happen at any time.

By the time, Joe got back for his shampoo and haircut the skies were completely dark. Lou Ann went ahead, flipped the closed sign on her window, and locked the door. She figured the roads were just too bad and everyone seemed to have gone home or closed up shop early. She could not help thinking too bad Mike did not make it up since the roads would have kept him until at least Monday.

Joe sensed that Lou Ann was longing for her man or at least pouting he hadn't made it up to see her. She did seem more flirtatious than normal, but she could not pull the wool over his eyes. He saw a woman in love. He did his best to joke around and cheer her up, sharing some of the latest town gossip. He knew if he ever got a gal like Lou Ann he would be on his best behavior. Because as long as he has known her and Angel, he and every man in this town his age had a crush on those two. However, it was as if they were the untouchables. So best to be just friends and do the drooling when they were not looking was ok by him.

By the time, Lou Ann finished with Joe her business phone had been ringing and she kept ignoring the calls and then finally flipped it to the answering machine. She got the feeling it could be Mike but then maybe he would get jealous she did not answer at home and work and could wonder what she was up to.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The following morning Lou Ann woke with a sense of pride that she didn't rush to return Mike's calls. She wanted to make him wonder and wait. Although his messages did sound desperate as to where she was at and why she hadn't called back to him to say good night. She spent most of the night thinking about Mike and his luscious wicked ways but how she would be better off with a safe cowboy like Joe.

When the sun poked its rays through a crack in her bedroom drapes, she stretched naked in her bed with the aftermath of a very erotic dream of Mike. Remembering his strong supportive hands, wandering to her backside, as he lifted her just a little and let out a groan as his mouth claimed a kiss on the uppermost part of her thigh. The eagerness of what he was about to do next, had her moaning with anticipation.

In her dream, she wondered if it was of things to come or just an illusion of her romantic heart wishing for its most desires. His committed words of 'I love you.'

Knowing that they may never come, she lay savoring the dream, under her warm blankets, a moment longer.

She could not get Mike out of her head just yet or her heart. She knew it wouldn't be fair to Joe if Mike dumped her and she went running to him for condolence.

She heard the newspaper boy, hit her front door with the Sunday paper. She was sure the snow accumulation was too much, to just leave the paper on her bottom step of her covered front porch, like he normally did. She would have to remember to tip good next time she paid.

Slipping on a warm fleece robe, she went in search of her ugly cowboy boot slippers. Finding them tossed aside at the end of her bed she slipped her feet in and then padded out her room to the kitchen. She put on her kettle to warm water for tea and sat down to open the package Mike had sent.

Inside his box were a beautifully wrapped gift and a very sweet card. Mike had wrote a long note stating how much he would miss her and he hoped that the next time he got to see her she would be wearing the 100% raw silk red robe with nothing else but the new sheepskin slippers he would like to see her wear instead of the cowboy boot slippers. He had asked Angel and she had told him that was ok, since the slippers had been a joke anyways.

The thought of Angel and Mike actually talking about gifts for her warmed her heart. Maybe the man loved her more than she was giving him credit and maybe she should have called him back last night.

She tossed the cowboy boot slippers off to the side and slid on the new sheepskin slippers Mike bought her. They were very comfortable and just the right size. Her house was too chilly for the raw silk robe so she put it back in the beautifully wrapped box and set it aside.

The sound of the hot water ready in the kettle tossed her freight train thoughts off track. She had thoughts a mile a minute about Mike and she needed to hear his voice.

She picked up the cordless phone in one hand and dialed Mike's number, even though it was only seven am on a Sunday morning. Waiting for him to pick up she started to make a cup of tea with honey. She was about to hang up on the seventh ring when neither him nor the answering machine was picking up.

Out of breath Mike picked up just as she was about to hit the off button on her cordless. "Hey sunshine! Sorry. I was working out on my weights."

"Good morning yourself handsome. Mmm, you bulking up any muscles in particular?" Lou Ann already felt better hearing his voice.

She thanked him for the gift. Told him she already chucked the ugly slippers, but secretly was going to keep them in the back of her closet. She told him to expect a box on Monday at the office. Nothing sexy just a, 'I was thinking of you gift.' Now secretly wishing that she had sent a sexy I miss you gift instead of an impersonal fishing gear gift. But, once again, she had let her jealousy get the best of her.

He told her he got worried, then jealous when he could not reach her last night at home or work. However, he called Colton and ended up talking to Angel for over an hour about her. He apologized repeatedly that he was not there and told her how his work had combined the division he worked in with another. He still had a job, the other guy didn't. But now, he had twice the work. That next week was going to be killer and the weekend after that was spoken for.

She tried to keep her cool and reassure him it was fine but deep down she knew she was getting herself engrossed in a relationship where she took second place. She swore she would never do that again, no matter how much she loved the guy.

She reminded him his thousand-dollar suit he left in her bathroom, hung behind the door, from his first visit. Every time he visited, she would remind him to take it but he never would. Secretly she analyzed that it gave him an excuse to see her if something went awry. Which was ok by her, but then with mentioning it she hoped he would ask her to drive it down to Denver and he would catch stolen moments away from work in the morning and night to spend with her. He didn't. So she felt somewhat ignored that he could not find an ounce of time to see her in the next two weeks.

The phone conversation drifted in and out with Mike finally apologizing that he had to shower and get into work on Sunday. Lou Ann felt herself wanting to say that Sunday was relaxation day not a workday but refrained and left him with what seemed like a hollow goodbye.

Upon hanging up, she realized her tea was cold and her attitude was sour. She slammed the teacup in the sink and watched it shatter as she fell back against her cabinets crying, sinking to the floor. She spent a few pity me minutes on the floor then got up and threw the new slippers Mike had gotten her across the floor.

Feeling somewhat better, she had taken out her vengeance she went to her room and bundled up to go shovel snow on her front walk. With the way she was feeling, she would probably shovel the whole street.

Watching the small flakes falling, while covering her in a dusting powder of white, she began shoveling a path from her front door to the street. Then, worked her way out, each way on the sidewalk, to clear for folks walking by.

The scraping of the edge of the blade, against the concrete sidewalk, was somewhat melancholic to her sole. With each full load of snow on the blade, she tossed it off to the side making heavy grunts from the lift of wet snow. She visualized her troubles getting tossed aside with the wet snow.

She decided to busy herself with the things she loved to do in the winter, from chopping up her own wood, blazing a large fire in her fireplace, baking specialty muffins and reading a good book by the fire with a cup of hot tea on hand. And maybe, she would read the book Mike sent and maybe she would bake an extra dozen or two of his and Angel's favorite muffins to send out to Denver tomorrow federal express. Knowing that showing her love ones she cared was what always made her happiest.

By the fall of evening light, Lou Ann was pulling out her last batch of five dozen chocolate chip cinnamon cream filled muffins. She had the book Mike sent in one hand, engrossed in her novel, as she pulled the muffins out and set them on a hot pad to cool. She had spent her entire day doing what she loved and she could not be happier.

Thoughts of doing this same thing with Mike got her warm and fuzzy. The two of them, cooking in the kitchen together, or him in front of a roaring fire reading his favorite mystery as she served him with freshly hot oven baked cinnamon cream filled muffins and a hot tea. Him stealing a kiss or grab each time she tried to whisk herself back into the kitchen to cook. Then every now and then, he would sneak up behind her and wrap his strong muscular arms around her waist, and snuggle his mouth next to her ear for a nibble.

These, marital couple thoughts, were only making her warm with sensations that couldn't be filled. Deep down she wanted to push, knowing it would only push him away, but part of her wanted him to confess his love and need to be with her. The very same as what she felt.

She carefully packaged all the muffins in two separate boxes, one for Angel at her hotel in Denver and one for Mike to his place. She realized she did not have Mike's address. He had sent all his packages from work.

When she called Angel for Mike's address, Colton had gotten on the phone convincing her to take a break and come on down. They had an extra room at the hotel already booked and he had an extra key to Mike's place for her to do a little late night rendezvous surprise of her own.

Lou Ann told them she would leave in the morning if she got her shop covered. After several calls and a hurried packing, she laid down to try to get a good night's rest. Mike had not called and she felt frustrated that his calls seem to come later and later and were much shorter than the beginning. If her surprise did not come well received, she decided she needed to find the strength to break this off before she got ugly.

By midnight, no phone call came from Mike and she tried to rationalize that they had spoken briefly that morning. She picked up her book and began to read to ease her mind and to help lull her into sleep.

Before long, the book crushed under her body as she slept in a contorted shape. Her dreams were vivid, yet surreal, causing several night awakenings and a rough waking in the morning. She was not one to analyze everything she dreamt but if she did, she knew that her dreams had held some sort of significance as to where her current path would lead her. She needed to talk to Mike about the possible pregnancy and she needed to voice her needs and love to see where that took them. She knew she should prepare for a possible rejection and heartbreak. Sooner was always better than later and keeping all these feelings to herself were only making her suffer.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The drive had her belly in butterflies. Deep down it wasn't the only reason she had tummy twitters. The parking attendant at the stock show arena was nice enough to get her a very close spot to the entrance. It was early and the place wasn't too packed.

Once inside she noticed the place was abuzz with all kinds of booths, mostly pertaining to farming and the country way of life. There was a booth selling fake hair extensions and right next to it some new age foam bed.

Looking at the directory map, as to where the Ralston Ranch booth was and as to where she was at, she figured she needed to go one more row down and a few booths up. Angel had mentioned they got a larger booth this year, compliments of the tourism board from their county.

Just then, a pair of soft familiar hands covered her eyes and whispered in her ear. "Guess who!"

Lou Ann turned to see her best friend and all her jitters and fears instantly faded away. She felt so happy. "Honey, you are a sight for sore eyes. I was beginning to get over whelmed."

"Have no fear. We are just around the corner. Oh, girl it is so good to see you. I mean Colton is nervous being this is his first show and he won't let Randy or I do a thing. So I sent Randy and Sheila out and I told him I was going to get a drink, but really I needed a mental from my cowboy." Angel hugged her again. "I am so glad to see you. Maybe you can help ease some tension from Colton."

"Honey, I will help anyway I can. You know that. I don't even mind watching the booth while you take him to lunch." Feeling so much better, that she had decided to come up. Colton had mentioned on the last call, they had an extra hotel room and that he would slip her Mike's apartment key to give him a surprise. Deep down she wondered if it was such a good idea to surprise him at his place. Maybe she would try to call one more time before heading there. Give him some forewarning.

"What do you have in that paper sack with handles? I'm pretty sure I smell some of my favorites. Did you?"

"You know it, honey. Chocolate chip cinnamon muffins with cream inside. Only the best for my loved ones."

They rounded the corner of the booth and Lou Ann put on her usual charm that drives most men insane. With Colton, it always seemed to lighten a tense mood with a smile. Complimenting him over the booth and how handsome he looked and their booth being the best one she'd seen so far. She broke out the muffins and coffee; she had picked up on the way and poured Styrofoam cups full from the carafe. All of a sudden, all the tension began to melt off Colton as he ate his second muffin and gulped down all his coffee.

Angel sat next to Lou Ann on a bench in their booth and rested her head on her shoulder. "Thanks. You always know how to be there when I need you most."

"You're welcome." Knowing deep down she might need the favor returned all too soon if Mike wasn't happy to see her and if the tummy twitters was a pregnancy. However, she did not want to bother her with all this just yet. There was only two days left of the stock show and then she would spill the beans, and take a much need hiatus from all this. Maybe even drag Angel away for a girl weekend.

Dropping her luggage at the hotel to freshen up, Colton assured Lou Ann, that Mike would be cool with this. Deep down, she felt so nervous. This was her being aggressive in a relationship, which had never been confirmed on more than his terms. This was a first for Lou Ann. She had always been the domineering one in all her relationships except Stanley and that was what scared her most. She knew she loved Mike so much; she was willing to be less domineering and more submissive.

By the time, she headed to Mike's place it was eight p.m. and she assured herself he would be home soon. She had brought her new silk robe he bought her and planned on seducing him in it.

As she entered his high-rise secured apartment, she doubted herself big time. Colton gave her a key and passcode he used in the past. It got her in but she was feeling like an intruder.

Opening the door to his apartment and stepping inside she began analyzing all of it to herself. Now this place screams BACHELOR! What the heck, are you doing girl? Her self-talk was getting her frigid by the seconds. Her hands began to shake a little as she looked around touching things; his place full of dark leather, chrome fixtures, darkened walls of masculine colors and his artwork of an electric guitar lit behind a glass gallery box. This was not what she expected but then only a short time ago he was the most eligible bachelor and she wondered how many hot dates he entertained in this place. No wonder he never invited her down. This was a one-night stand pad.

Picking up his garment bag with his suit he had left at her place, she walked towards the room she assumed was his. Holy camolly! Thinking she could have an orgasm just sleeping in this room. It was unusually decorated, with naked art and figurines, high end quality bedding and abundance of pillows in dark shades on a huge four poster king size bed with only a night stand next to the bed.

Looking around she saw two more doors. One led her into the largest walk in closet she had only seen in magazines. No wonder he did not need his suit back. There had to be at least fifty suits hanging alongside a rack of shoes more than she had. There was a bench and full-length mirror in this room, that was for dressing, but bigger than her bedroom back home. Hanging the suit up, she walked out, flipped the light off and closed the door.

By now her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she was wondering what his bathroom looked like. She was past the intruder feeling and more of the 'so this is how he lives' notion. She told herself she could not change him or his ways, only profess her love and her situation with the possible pregnancy.

The other door, leading out of the room, was a double French door that was decorated in opaque glass and opened in the middle. She felt like she was making a grand entrance. Because as soon as she opened the doors a dim light came on and then slowly began to brighten a master suite bathroom that should be in a magazine. This place was grand. The granite floors spilled out to a sunken tub in the middle. There was a glass wall, behind it was the toilet, and then on the other side of the room were the double sinks and glass-enclosed shower made for two with its multiple showerheads.

She turned and stormed out shutting the doors behind. She realized that the lights dimmed off as she shut the doors. So she played with the doors for a second amusing herself opening and closing them.

Giggling to herself, she realized the man had to have a daily maid service because the place was spotless of any dirt, dust or mess. Then doubt entered her brain and she wondered if he was staying somewhere else. It was fast approaching ten o'clock in the evening and she was really beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea.

She grabbed his phone and called his cell phone from it. No answer. Ok one more hour and then she would go back to the hotel. Feeling incredibly shucked. As if, he had tossed her away without words just actions, but trying to keep her to the side until the wedding.

Being that the wedding was over a month away, she wondered what the hell she would do until then. She plopped herself down on his couch and began to think out a plan. Pregnancy test first after the stock show was over so Angel could be there to help her through. Then a trip to a warm tropical, spoil you rotten place. Then Valentines at her mom's shop would suck, but she did always love delivering flowers to all the old romantic couples in town she had watch blossom over the years.

Almost another hour had passed and it was as if she could not get herself to leave. She got up, looked in his refrigerator, grabbed a designer bottle of water, opened it up, and took a long drink. She was tired from her drive and her adventures at the stock show. She figured by the time she finished the drink she would head to the hotel.

She started walking around looking at the few photos he had out in chrome and black frames as she drank her water. She saw several of what looked like mom and pop photos and a lot of Colton. Even one of Colton and Angel. The one of her and him she gave him in a frame wasn't even there. Her heart felt like a vise grip. She was a fool. A very foolish woman and she took her last sip and tossed the bottle in the trash, next to his desk with a computer on it.

Contemplating on whether to leave a note or not she knew he would realize someone was there and Colton would let him know. However, she wanted to save face. So she began jotting a note on a legal pad with a pen stating she stopped off with Colton's permission to leave his suit and that she would be gone out of town for a couple weeks. That she would see him at the wedding. By the time she got to the see ya around part, it was great; the door had a key jiggling in it and two voices coming from the other side. One was Mike's, the other a giggling female.

As the door to his apartment opened, Lou Ann held her breath and tears began welling up in her eyes. She chastised herself for being such a fool and falling in love. Her hands went to her belly as a sharp pain pierced her gut and almost keeled her over in pain.

Amongst the dim lights of his apartment, she watched a very drunk Mike stumble in and a woman, she had been very close to at hair school, steer him in and shut the door behind her.

"Claire!" Lou Ann almost screamed out.

Surprised and shocked that someone was there Mike straightened up and turned around trying to focus his eyes on her. He wondered if this was a dream or? "Lou Ann? Is that you?" Taking a stumbling step towards her to hug her.

"Oh no you don't you... you... asshole. That is what you are. A heartless, mean jerk that played with my heart and tossed it in your paper shredder like... like..." Then her words were totally covered in sobs of tears and raspy breathe as she held her stomach doubling over in pain.

Claire rushed over to her after she pushed Mike's drunken butt on the couch. "Sit!" She pointed at him. "Lou Ann. What the hell girl. I can't believe it." She rushed over and hugged her until her sobs seemed almost manageable.

Mike sat bewildered wondered what the hell just happened. Then it dawned on him how this must all look to her. "Lou Ann I can explain."

"Explain nothing." She grabbed her purse and bolted out the door.

Without a word Claire shot out the door after her. "Lou Ann wait! Lou Ann!"

Contemplating the wait of the elevator or the fifteen flights of stairs Lou Ann crumpled against the wall crying while Claire came running up to her.

She looked so incredible beautiful. She could not blame Mike for falling for her. She remembered what a genuine fun loving person Claire was and figured that if she was going to be beat that this would be the gal to beat her.

Filling her ears with sobs and her hands over her eyes with wet tears, she could feel Claire's gentle touch on her arm and head, stoking her to calm down. Reassuring her it was a misunderstanding. However, her words seemed jumbled and her heart was not beating. She was sure of it. She felt frozen in time with only her wet tears and heavy sobs jarring her about.

Then she felt it. Mike's hand on her. "Lou Ann. It's not what it seems."

Then the two of them helped her up and into his apartment. Her body was limp and her steps stumbled. She felt so awful and wondered if this was all real or a dream. Similar to the nightmares she had foreseen nights ago of losing Mike. Tossing those dreams aside thinking they had been insecurities from deep within. Now she saw it as an unconscious foresight.

Once back in the apartment, Claire set Lou Ann down on Mike's couch and began to hold Lou Ann's head against her. Trying to reassure her, that she was only giving a Mike a ride home from the strip club, as he was too drunk to drive.

Claire told Mike to get some coffee going to sober him up and she would calm Lou Ann down. She spoke about working at the club restaurant side as a host and Mike was there with a business deal being closed. And, the Japanese client got him incredible drunk after the signing of the contract. She told her how she only wanted to get off early since she had to work at the hair salon tomorrow and Mike was a great excuse to drive home instead of calling a taxi.

By the time, Lou Ann felt like she could breathe again. Mike was walking back in the room with a tray of two cups of tea and a latte size mug of coffee. He set the tray down and handed both the ladies their tea and then picked up his coffee to drink and sat in the chair opposite of the couch looking like the worst case of abused puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen.

"Is this all true?" She whispered out staring at the man she loved so much but felt like he had ripped her heart out.

"Yes!" Both Claire and Mike answered at the same time.

Claire continued to tell her about running into Mike all week at the club with this demanding client and all he talked about with her was this incredible woman he was in love with named Lou Ann. She would never have guessed in a million years it was her.

Lou Ann just let Claire talk and Mike stare. She needed a moment to let all this soak in and she was in shock of seeing Claire. The last time she saw her was at Stanley's funeral. She felt awful she never returned calls to her but her entire year after Stanley died was a depressing drug induced year.

But more so, the shock that Mike admitted to a stranger his love of her before ever telling her. She was not sure if it was just his insecurity or guy way of bragging about a new woman. Saying he was in love to others was not the same as telling someone you loved them.

She listened to Claire talk about working at a salon in Cherry Creek upper class area but the tips weren't enough to cover her grandma's medical bills from her last surgery. That after the tip Mike left her tonight she would be out of debt and be giving notice. She talked about wanting to manage and someday own her own salon. She talked about Mike being the only friendly face she would miss from her stripper club.

Just then, Mike got up and went into his bathroom. He reached his bathroom just in time to lose the coffee and dinner he ate from earlier that night. He knew his stomach was reacting to the heartache of Lou Ann talking so nasty to him and what had just played out. He hoped she could not hear him throwing up. He felt like such a wimp holding onto the toilet and replaying the last week through his head. His absence of phone calls and focusing on getting this client deal sealed so he could spend some time with her. How it must have all seemed to her and then he was not sure if Lou Ann caught on to Claire talking about his admittance of love for a woman named Lou Ann.

He began to wonder if all this; his job and needy clients and style of job was worth losing Lou Ann. He could not believe how one incredible beautiful woman could make his heart so controlled by her strings of love and affection would take over him. He knew he had been fighting the puppeteer feeling all week. However, watching her cry and get so upset made him realize he never wanted to hurt her and that he needed to fess up his true feelings to her.

Letting some time pass, Mike flushed the toilet and shed his clothes to step into the shower to clean up. He needed to sober up before he went out there to Lou Ann. He decided that if she left while he cleaned up he would spend whatever time it took to track her down, profess his love, and wait to see what she does.

During the whole shower, he would ask himself questions; like how did she get in and Colton came to mind. Why his cell phone hadn't shown any calls recently. When he got out of the shower and tossed on some sweats and tee shirt he looked at his cell and noticed it wasn't working. He had been so busy all day not to notice that he hadn't received one cell call, only calls when he was in the office. If it had worked, he would have known she was here and would have taken a cab home.

Shuffling out of his room, he heard what sounded like two very excited woman giggling and hugging. Now that was a change from when he went in.

"Feel better after your shower?" Lou Ann asked sheepishly. She felt stupid and upset at herself for being jealous. But then, this hadn't been a normal relationship with standard boundaries and courtship.

"Yes." He looked down and then back into her eyes. The hurt seemed gone and he noticed they had warmed up some food and made more tea. Lou Ann had her shoes off and her purse on the coffee table.

Just then, Claire got up and stuck her hand out to Mike to thank him for the large tips he had left all week and that she looked forward to seeing him when she comes to work for Lou Ann.

Looking shocked, he looked at Lou Ann with a smile. "You hired Claire!"

"Yup. She's giving notice and finding a home health care aide for her grandma and should be up just in time for me to get engrossed with Valentines for my mom's shop. I think she will make a great manager and then I can take all the time off I want, when I want. That is if I have something or someone to keep me busy." She smiled at Mike and knew that his smile back was one of happiness.

Mike shook Claire's hand, and then Lou Ann gave her a huge hug goodbye. As the door closed behind Claire, Mike reached up behind Lou Ann, scooped her up, and twirled her around while kissing on her neck and ear.

"God woman. You scared me. I thought I lost you tonight."

Lou Ann turned around to face him, reached her arms up around behind his neck and pulled him in for a kiss so meaningful and tender. With the floor swirling under her feet she felt his desperate kisses searching her soul and his grip tighten on her to a point she could not breathe. Then she pulled away. "Worst yet. I was sure I lost you."

Then a tear rolled down her cheek and Mike wiped it away from her face. He scooped her up and carried her to his room looking down into her eyes, breathing deep and absorbing every inch of her face to memory.

No words were spoken as he laid her on his bed and slowly undressed himself, then began to undress her. She was not sure, but she thought she heard a small sob as his kissed her neck, then felt a wet flick of a teardrop, fall on her shoulder. She reached her arms around him, pulled him into her, and held him like that while he lay on her. Just breathing. They laid like that for several moments listening to each other breathe with his face nestled in her neck and her arms wrapped around him.

Then as if they could not feel any closer at that moment, Mike's hardened presence grew a bit bigger nudging her inner thigh then a profession of love in her ear astounded her. She whispered back. "I love you too."

"I love you Lou Ann. Don't you ever doubt it."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Whoa!" Lou Ann grabbed for Mike as she laid on her back staring up at the ceiling. Here it comes again, that feeling of the earth moving in a circular motion underneath her. Then her stomach tightened. Every morning she hoped it was not like the previous morning. She hoped the puking would stop. She could not ignore this any longer; she had to be an adult about this. Now that she could sense where Mike was coming from, she can only hope for his love, understanding and support.

Not quite awake Mike is in his usual morning status of arousal and wonders if Lou Ann is looking for some morning fun. "Mmm. You feel nice." He rolls over on his side to face her with his eyes still closed but his hands feeling for the luscious naked woman next to him he had devoured only hours earlier.

"Whoa! Ga! Omph!" Slapping her hand over her mouth, she shot straight out of bed and into his bathroom butt naked.

She barely made it.

"Lou Ann? Are you ok?" No mistaken there. He just heard his girlfriend puke. Thinking to himself that this was the first time, he professed love and considered her a girlfriend in a twenty-four hour period. In fact, he did not ever remember telling a woman he loved her, unless you count high school and the fact that his hormones let him say or do anything to get into a girls pants or just a touch under her shirt.

Rubbing his eyes to awaken himself he heard the toilet flush and went to his closet for a robe for her. Stopping on the way past his drawer full of silk boxers he slipped on a burgundy pair and let out a yawn as he stretched with his free arm up to the ceiling. Not meaning to take his sweet time, he just was not functioning at full tilt. Then he heard it again. That gagging sound and it almost made him want to do it himself.

Walking towards the bathroom, he hollered in without looking just as he heard the toilet flush. "Lou Ann? You ok in there? I grabbed you a robe. Can I get you anything?"

"OUT!" She screamed. She heard the main bathroom door close and got her naked butt up off the toilet room floor. She went and grabbed the robe he tossed on the floor and thanked God he had shut the door. She flipped the water on in his shower and then went and took a swig of water from the bathroom sink. She splashed several sprays of water into her face and then looked in the mirror. She looked ok. She just had a stomach that did not want to agree with her.

She had not meant to scream at him. She was madder at herself then anything. It had been this way all week, every morning. She would be awoken with the tummy twirlers that would send her to the porcelain throne then she would brush her teeth, shower, and feel ok to start her day.

Once she quickly showered to give herself a quick rinse she put the robe back on and slowly walked down the hall looking like the hurt puppy dog, she felt like, for yelling at Mike.

She saw his tanned muscular back, burgundy silk boxers and a pair of muscular legs from behind that could drive any woman wild. He was so fit and sexy. If she did not feel so off, she would have shed her robe and jumped him on the spot. He must have felt her staring.

With his back still turned to her. "Feeling better?" Then he turned with two cups of tea and a plate of toast and jam on a tray. He walked over to the bar height eating area and set the tray down then set in a chrome and black bar chair. Took a sip of tea, then he looked over at her as if he was waiting to see what kind of mood she was in. "I don't know a woman alive who could look that sexy after... you know."

She smiled at him sheepishly. "Humph. Thanks. I guess." Wondering to herself if while she puked some bug had not crawled up her butt. No, she knew. She was trying to put some distance between them as to save herself from any dreadful reality that he might not perceive this pregnancy well. She had put the inevitable off as long as possible. "You must have read my mind. Tea and toast always seems to cure an upset stomach."

"You still not totally over that flu? I hear this year it's taken some people almost a month." Mike started to eat a toast and a large glob of jam lay on the corner of his mouth.

Taking in a deep breath and wanting to walk over, lick that jam off his lip, and then move her kisses down she knew that it would lead to some of the most phenomenal sex and she would put this off once more. "Mike. We need to have a serious talk."

Taking a quick sip of tea to wash down his toast, he set his cup down and reached out to pull her in. "Ok. Why don't you come over here and sit on my lap and we can talk. Maybe rub a little while we talk. Maybe..."

Interrupting what could have been a very fun sexual moment, Lou Ann felt her temper flare. More mad at herself than anything. "Serious. So just shut up and listen to what I have to say."

"Ok." Feeling like a beaten dog he was sure this was about avoiding her and not being very attentive or perhaps that he hadn't said 'I love you' this morning, but shoot she did wake him up with the most absurd moment he had ever shared with a woman.

"Look I have wanted to talk to you about this since the last time I saw you. Since you never have the time to come up and see me and I feel that only in person is this appropriate. I don't have the flu. I never had the flu and the one in a million chances that my doctor told me this could happen, it has." A brief moment of pause tensed between them as she felt his look in his eyes go from all let's have sex honey to what exactly are we talking about. He still had not said a word and that was part of what she loved so much about him. He did not blow up. He would wait. Pause. Then nothing. He had not said a word.

"Am I not making myself clear? I have a hard enough time coming right out and saying this since I was told it would never happen. I am 99% positive I am having morning sickness." Nothing. Not a word. She stood her ground and put her toughest foot forward with her arms holding herself, she all but blurted out. "Pregnant! I think I am pregnant and it would have to be yours, since I haven't been with any other man for a long while." Say something she pleaded mentally. Anything.

His voice caught in his throat. For a fleeting moment, he felt happy, elated, and then realized they had only professed their love and he was not even sure if this was just high-grade lust for him. He did not know what to say. He felt trapped. His worst nightmare relived. Only the other woman that did this to him before was not three million rich. The other woman had all but refused a blood test, until he took one look at her baby and realized it was not his. Therefore, he got the blood test to prove it. However, the nine months of waiting and wondering was hell. He did not want to go through all of that again. He did doubt it was his but then he was not one hundred percent sure.

This time she was not a one-night stand. This time she was his best friend's, fiancée's best friend. She was a woman he felt himself falling in love with each passing moment they were together but she had promised him she could not and he felt betrayed. How could she do this to him? He was not ready to be a dad. Shit. He's never home to be a dad let alone a serious boyfriend.

"Say something damn it!" She all but screamed at him. She could tell his metal armor defense mechanism must be shutting him down. He did not even seem an ounce of happy. Deep down, she did. She felt like she finally could take the next step and get confirmation. She should have had her first period this week and it had not come.

"What do you want me to say? Have you gotten it confirmed?" He spoke in his coldest business like voice.

"No! I mean I am late and all the other symptoms are there and I wanted you or at least to be there with me when I take the test. So we could talk about it." She was not going to cry. She was happy and she was beginning to see where all this was really going. Where she thought it would go in the first place. "Besides I didn't want to ruin the wedding. I figured if I was then we could talk and then if I miscarry, which there is a high probability then it would only stress everyone out. Right now, is not the easiest time for Angel and Colton. They are stressed from the stock show. But it will be over tomorrow and they will be home day after next."

"What do you mean; high probability that you will miscarry?" He felt as if it was not even him talking that he was watching from afar and saw a man that wanted to take her and shake her and that was not like him.

"I just know that the one in a million chance I could conceive, it wouldn't go full term." A tear started to well in her right eye and she wiped it away with the robe. She took a deep breath and found some resolve to get through this, since it was obvious it wasn't going to go the way she had planned.

"Take a test!" Getting up from his stool, he turned his back to her and fought the tears that were welling up in his eyes. He had never cried in front of any woman other than his mom and he certainly was not going to look like a wimp now. With his back to her he took a deep breath and talked in a more calmer but cool voice. "I'll go down to the pharmacy down the street and get a test. Do you need me to pick you up anything else?"

"No." She all but whispered out. As she watched his perfectly sculpted backside take giant strides towards his room she slumped, onto a bar stool and took a bite of toast to settle her tummy. By the time, she ate two pieces and drank her tea he had grabbed his keys and stormed out the door without a word.

How could she have been so blind? Why didn't she just leave and head home? She could take her own test. She did not need him to raise this baby if it went full term. Thinking about how her, Angel and Claire all had that one common denomination in hand. They never knew their fathers. Nor had their mothers ever let them know. She would never do that to her child. She would always let the father have his time.

She trekked back into his room where her clothes laid all over the floor and looked at the big king size bed they had made love in only hours ago and realized this was really it. He did not want her to be pregnant and she knew she could not bring herself to terminate a baby that could be her only chance at motherhood.

She dressed herself and grabbed her overnight she had packed just in case with make-up, toothbrush and essentials. She brushed her teeth and tried to make herself look as sexy as possible, since this could very well be good-bye till the wedding and she was damned if she was going to look bad.

Just as she walked out of bedroom, she heard the front door knob turn. She held her breathe as he walked in and handed her a brown paper bag from the pharmacy.

"I need to drink a little more before I can pea. I think I am a little dehydrated from this morning." She spoke in a soft weak voice and knew he looked like he was drawing for a fight. She would not give him one. She walked to the kitchen, turned on the faucet for a big glass of water.

"There is fresh cold bottled water in the fridge. The water here doesn't taste well."

Civil. She will give him that. However, the cold tense stare from his eyes could have bored a hole in the back of her head as she went to his fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and drank it down as fast as she could. She stood at his kitchen sink for over five minutes with her back to him and not a word.

He could not help but wonder how all this would play out. Why she did not demand protection? Why he did not insist? She was the first woman that he had ever been this caught up in so quickly and he knew that she would be the last. He would never make this mistake again. He had nothing to say at that very moment since he needed a proof positive.

"I'll be back in a minute." She grabbed the bag off the counter and went to his bathroom.

What seemed like an eternity was only minutes. She walked out with a stick in her hand and before she could lay it on the counter on the flattened brown bag, he coldly asked. "What does it say?"

In her softest voice with eyes at slits to hold the tears at bay, she replied. "It will take a few minutes to register."

They stood opposite of each other at his breakfast bar and watched as the results slowly began to show. Lou Ann felt like singing and dancing. The inevitable happened and even if it didn't go full term she at least felt what it was like to have a life force growing within her. With her mind spinning with the possibilities she could be a mom, Mike's cold tone interrupted her thoughts.

"So? What do those lines mean? Are you pregnant?"

Trying to hold back the joy, knowing he was feeling a tad betrayed at that moment. "Yes. I am pregnant."

"What the hell Lou Ann? You told me you couldn't. That is so not fair. Not fair to me. Not fair to this child. I totally believed you when you said there was no chance at getting pregnant. I..."

His words got louder and meaner and Lou Ann's defense mechanism slammed into gear. She began bolting out words faster than a Talladega racecar. "Now you wait a minute. I never said could not or at least, I rephrased it that it was a one in a million chance. Well you listen hear honey, it was your happy little swimmers that made it happen, because I know, for a fact, my eggs aren't all that. And, while your raising your voice and acting all mean and nasty I am bubbling over with joy here. I might be a mom. Something I have always dreamed about and was told might never happen. You gave me the one in a million chance. And yet, here we are yelling at each other and the truth be told. You were in it for the good fuck. Love my ass. You just wanted to save your ass since you almost slept with Claire or at least tried to bring her back to your place. I definitely would not have picked you as my first choice at dad; I know plenty of real down home men that would give their all to this child. I may not have the sensations I have when I am with you but I know they will make a great dad. You... You..." She stopped to take a breath.

He stared at her through slits. Soaking in every word this time because the later of what she said hurt so badly and cut to the core of his worst fears. His child would be raised by another. His child. A product of his love for the woman, in front of him. She may have betrayed him but he was starting to wonder how much he loved her or would he just move on when she walked out of his life.

"Say something damn it! Quit just staring at me like your shooting me with a machine gun." She tried to lower her voice and started concentrating on her breathing because her side was beginning to hurt like hell and she felt like her bliss over the positive test was spiraling down into a black hole.

"You betrayed me. You made me think you couldn't get pregnant."

"I didn't think it could happen after all these years. I didn't..." She stopped herself from saying, betrayed him, because she wondered if she had. If she was being reckless, all these years with other men, just to see if there was a chance in hell, she could conceive. "Mike..."

"If this baby is mine you will not exclude me in any decisions or I will take your three million away from you." He would sue or force her through Colton and Angel to keep him in the baby's life.

Wondering if he meant he could force her to abort her entire resolve faded away. She needed to get out quick before she said or did anything else. Her entire life just felt like it shattered like a glass ceiling from above. He did not love her. He wanted to sue her. He only cared about his image and job.

She picked up her keys and overnight bag and walked towards the door leaving the pregnancy test on the countertop.

"And where the hell do you think you're going? I am not done discussing the options with you."

In a softened tone, of automated response, she spoke. "I gotta go. I'll call later." She walked out of his apartment. Hoping to God that he would chase her down, tell her he loved her again and say it will all be ok. He did not. She watched his apartment door as she waited for the elevator. She knew this was it. It was over between them just as it was getting good. She told herself to hold it together, get her things, and get out of town and home. Home to where she could let it all out and make herself feel better.

He could chase after her, but what good would it do. He still felt the need to grab her and shake her. He was not a violent man, particularly when it came to a woman but that woman had his mind swirling, his blood boiling and he finally felt like he could cry a river as soon as she closed the door behind her.

He stood up and at a simultaneous moment let out the loudest growl, then punched his cabinets above the breakfast bar. It was a moment of relief, but only a moment. He took off his shirt and headed towards his workout room in the spare bedroom. In only his jeans and tennis shoes, he began to pump iron to the workout rock songs he liked to listen to when he had stress to work out. And, he was stressed.

By the time Lou Ann had left the hotel, she had made some clear mental decisions. She would raise the baby if it went full term. She knew the chances of that were slim to none, but she could be hopeful. She would always let Mike have whatever terms he wanted and she would never bend the truth like that again, to him or any man.

She had mentally, put herself in his shoes and could see how he put his trust in her and she betrayed him. All for the inkling of a chance, she could get pregnant. She had done it with other men she tried to form a relationship with after Stanley and Mike was the first one since Stanley to make her feel so alive and in love again.

Getting in her old truck, it felt like a worn leather glove to her. She flipped in a Reba cd into her new stereo system she had gotten for Christmas from Colton and Angel. While Reba belted out 'I am a survivor', Lou Ann started to cry. She could not hold it in. Heading west bound on I-70, heading into the mountains; she knew she was on automatic pilot for the drive.

Half way home, she realized she needed to call him and tell her how sorry she was and that maybe she did betray him and deep down she loved him but could understand his feelings. She needed to let him know that she would not go against his wishes but that she did not even know if it would make it full term. It was too early to speculate, and she would see him at the wedding and by then things should be more definite.

As she pulled off the highway and took a frontage mountain road that she could easily get back on, she pulled off onto a shoulder area and flipped her cell phone open checking for a signal. She breathed in deep and she dialed his number. His answering machine picked up as she suspected it would and she began begging for forgiveness into the phone. By the third message, she had said all she thought he would want to hear and she flipped her phone closed and laid her head against the steering wheel to cry. She made her last call to Angel. She had to leave a message to her best friend that she never thought possible. Not wanting to talk to anyone but herself at that particular moment, she turned her cell phone off.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Wiping the sweat off his bare chest with a towel, he listened to her messages for the fourth time. He could not make out if she could lose the baby or if she would make herself lose the baby for him, to correct her wrongdoing.

Stepping into his shower to freshen up he realized how much he loved her, and losing her and the baby would be the last thing he wanted. Falling in love with her happened so fast and he had not even been sure it was love. He pumped iron until his muscles shook and realized he did. The pregnancy took him totally by surprise and he wished she had said something sooner. Not knowing how he would have responded any different.

Trying to decide the next step to make, he left Colton a message on his cell that Lou Ann and he had a terrible fight. That he had a crazy week ahead flying out to New York, but that once she talked to them about him not to blow a gasket. He needed a hand in all this. Never telling Colton the reason for the fight or the pregnancy, because he knew once he found out he would blow a gasket.

Trying to get some work done on his laptop his thoughts kept going back to Lou Ann. How badly he wished he had acted differently. He wished he had held her and kissed her and told her everything would work out. He wanted to have made love to her again that morning once she was feeling better, not staring holes in the back of her head while she drank enough water to pea on the pregnancy test.

Switching gears to a pile of mail he had on his desk he began to open and read what was mostly junk mail. Running credit card applications through his shredder located next to his trash bin he noticed a crumpled up piece of paper he did not remember putting it in the trash since the cleaning lady came on Friday. He pulled it out, smoothed the paper, and began to read a hand writing very similar to Lou Ann's. It stated she stopped off with Colton's permission to leave his suit and that she would be gone out of town for a couple weeks. That she would see him at the wedding. The note cut off at a see ya around sentence mid-way. He wondered if how long she had been waiting in his apartment for him and the thoughts that were going through her head. Was she planning to abort the pregnancy without even telling him? Then why would she say she was so happy he gave her the 'one in a million chance' at motherhood? How long was she planning to keep this from everyone for sanity sake?

Trying to clear his head and realizing he had not eaten anything all day except the toast he threw on his coat to head out to a local pub and catch a burger and beer. He figured, by the time he got back, he would try calling Lou Ann to talk to her. He had already made up his mind about some of the things he wanted to say but he knew he could not meet her up there at her place until the end of the week when he would be flying back in town.

By the time the stock show finished their last day, Colton and Angel were exhausted. Angel handed him his phone back and turned it on for him, telling him he had twenty-two messages since this morning. As he listened to his messages on their hotel bed, she went in to run a hot bath and unwind. Tomorrow would be just as much work tearing down, packing up and driving home.

About ten minutes past and Colton knocked on the bathroom door. "Angel, have you checked your phone today?"

"No why?"

"There are a few messages from Mike. Apparently, Lou Ann and he had a huge fight. He is worried she is going to do something stupid. She's headed back home and he has a six a.m. flight to New York, and he can't chase her down. Her cell phone is off."

"Could you hand me my phone. I am sure it's just Lou Ann being hot headed. She has always been the drama queen when she wants to push a man away. I'm thinking things have gotten a little too close for comfort that's all."

Colton grabbed her phone and handed it to her. "I don't know but Mike sounded like he was crying. Mike doesn't cry." Then staring down at her breasts starting to peak out from the fading bubbles in her bath he bent down on the bathroom floor next to the tub. "Want me to wash you up while you listen to your messages?"

"Mmm. That would be nice. How about you strip your clothes, climb in here, and wash my back. I would not want to waste the honeymoon suite we booked or this extra-large tub on myself. Water conservation and all."

Angel dialed in her phone message line and began to listen to her nine messages. The first few were from various vendors wanting to set up appointments. The last four were from Lou Ann. She was crying and babbling and then she heard it just as Colton climbed into the bath to snuggle up behind her.

"Hold it babe."

"What?"

"I gotta give you a rain check. It's Lou Ann." Just as Colton was totally submerged in the hot bath, Angel climbed out and wrapped a towel around herself. Turning to look at the man she loved more than anything, she knew she needed to get in touch with Lou Ann. "She's pregnant and Mike's pissed."

"Well holy hell. Damn him, what the hell was he thinking? He..."

Lou Ann pressed her fingers against his lips. "Shh. Remember we were going to stay out of it as much as we could. You enjoy your bath and I'll call Lou Ann. Then you call Mike when I'm done and then we need to finish up where we were starting to go." Giving him a wonton look.

Colton smiled at his blue-eyed beauty. She was always very level headed and sensible. He wondered how he got so lucky. He knew he couldn't have made it through his first major stock show without her there by his side, the whole time making him feel like he was doing an excellent job, even when he screwed up on a few things from time to time.

By the time the bath had cooled, Colton drained it and got out. All he had heard from the bathroom was Angel talking a mile a minute but it didn't sound like she was talking to Lou Ann. Throwing a towel around his waist, he walked out towards the bed, where Angel had her back to him and was sitting on the edge of the bed saying 'uh huh, uh huh, ok.' He began to rub her shoulders as he sat behind her and she put her hand on his to stop him, looked over her shoulder, and smiled sweetly at him. However, she had the look of concern.

He got up, slipped on his jeans, and reached for his phone. Just as he was about to dial Mike's phone, Angel stopped him.

"Ok. I cannot get in touch with Lou Ann. She is not home yet according to her last message she was half way home on the side of the highway trying to pull it together since it was sleeting rain out and she didn't seem able to think straight while she's driving. She is pregnant. She felt she betrayed him. She is feeling awful and she has not been able to reach Mike to talk to him. She's left him several messages. I called Shelia. Her and I are going to take Randy's truck and head on up that way tonight. I am sorry babe. I was really looking forward to some fun down time tonight. Forgive me?"

Colton stood with his butt against the hotel dresser letting this all soak in. Lou Ann and Mike were pregnant and his fiancée was going to drive up at nine o'clock at night on a three-hour drive to help her best friend in a sleet storm.

"You don't look happy?"

"I'm not. I don't want you driving in a sleet storm at this hour of the night. I am surprised Randy is letting you two go. Just wait a minute let me get a hold of Mike and find out exactly what happened and make his butt drive up there."

Angel tried to talk but Colton had already dialed Mike's number from his cell and held up a hand to her opposition. She slumped herself down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling praying to God that Lou Ann would make it home ok and that things would work out. Her heartstrings pulled tight, as she knew at this very moment her best friend needed her, the most. However, Colton was right about driving up in bad weather.

She listened to the man that she loved talk slowly and affirmatively to his best friend. She could hear Colton's deep breathing as he listened to Mike explain then as if out of nowhere a bull came charging at the red. "You need to quit hiding behind that job and using it as an excuse. You call whomever it is that you need to call and tell them you have a family emergency. You WILL haul your ass up the mountain tonight and you WILL find Lou Ann. She is apparently somewhere on the shoulder of the highway trying to pull herself together. I am not risking my future wife's butt in the approaching storm because you had to be such an ass to Lou Ann. Don't make me drive over there and beat your ass!" Colton slammed the phone down and looked at Angel on the bed. She had risen to a sitting position with still only a towel wrapped around her.

He slowly sat down next to her and she wrapped her arms around him turning to her side. "Tell me this will end well. Tell me you are not driving up there. Tell me how much you love me." Angel kissed him with passion and held him whispering in his ear how much she loved him.

Then Colton's phone rang. He rose up to answer and saw that it was Mike. He smiled at Angel with sincerity as he answered. "Yeah." A moment of silence. "Good choice. Call us when you find her." Then he hung up. "You need to let Sheila and Randy know that Mike is heading out right now to find her and that he'll call. Maybe you could have Bee wait at her place and call us if she shows up. Or would she go straight to Bee's?"

"I'll call Bee. She can leave Lou Ann a note at her place. Maybe Lou Ann has turned on her cell phone and is driving again. Let me try." Angel slipped off her towel and grabbed a long nightshirt. She could see the concern but also the hunger in her man's eyes. She had made whispering promises all day about the dubious things she wanted to do to him tonight since they were all done with the stock show and from here on out till the wedding it was easy street.

"Lou Ann? Are you ok?"

Colton listened in as his fiancée talked soothingly to her best friend as he lay back on the bed with his hands behind his head staring up at the ceiling in just his jeans and nothing else. He began to rub a hand over his naked stomach while wondering what had taken place and why Mike had chosen to lose it yelling at her. That wasn't like his best friend to yell at a woman. In addition, he was not very nice to him on the phone. If he was in that predicament, he could see himself getting pretty upset. Lou Ann had said she felt like she betrayed Mike. His thoughts were broken by the soft touch of Angel's hand rubbing next to his over his stomach.

"Lou Ann's better. She's almost home. The storm is more rain and lightning than anything, kind of freakish in January, if you think about it. Anyway, she is calling Sheila right now to talk to her and Bee on a three-way call. She promised she would let Mike in when he got there to talk. She feels awful. She is pregnant. But it's only the first month and in her condition it could be likely she might miscarry." Angel went on to explain to Colton Lou Ann's condition a little further. Telling him all about her desperation of not being the one thing she always dreamed of, a mom. That she is sure she betrayed Mike by telling him she could not get pregnant, when she knew there was a chance but that full term was an even greater challenge for her.

"Let me call Mike. I'll get him in a better mood before he gets to her place. I'm sure he is feeling bad right now and my yelling at him didn't help. It is not like him to be this irrational, but then again I think those two are in over their heads and they got there awfully fast."

"Yeah." With a deep breathe sigh, she looked over at the man she loved so much. "Kind of like we fell in love. Fast and deep. Scaring the hay out both our barns."

Reaching over he give her a ticklish jab and a light kiss. "Where the 'hay' to you get these sayings?" Holding up his hand to her mouth in a stop signal. "I don't think I need to know I'm about to marry a crazy lady. I'll make it quick to Mike, then you and I need to finish up where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted with our best friend's drama. Promise me we'll never fight their fights."

"Promise."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Who on God's green earth would drive in this crap? Lou Ann. A really pissed off Lou Ann. Mike kept grumbling to himself.

With the gritting of his teeth and white knuckles, Mike was glad that Colton had called to say Lou Ann had made it home ok. The storm he was in was a mix of rain and of all things lightening. Not a normal happening for this time of year, but all the same, it had Mike freaked. He had driven and flown in all types of weather. But the thought of having Lou Ann driving through this weather all while being upset over them and their future baby had his stomach in a million knots.

When Colton had called him to reassure him Bee was with Lou Ann at her house he sounded cold and distant. He couldn't blame him. Colton had been the first to grow up and realize what a man's responsibilities were. Mike just like to act like the older friend he just knew that Colton was the one that always made the more mature decisions.

Deep in thought over the last few hours playing repeatedly in his head Mike barely had time to react when a huge bolt of lightning shot out ahead of him on the highway. As his truck came around the corner of a mountain turn, he had no time to react to the huge pine tree knocked down over the highway. Trying to compensate for his trucks loss of grip on the wet slick roads, he headed for a ditch that rolled him down an embankment. He had just enough time to send a prayer to God that he wanted a second chance to tell Lou Ann he loved her.

Singing along to a rock song, Levi was glad he had four days off from his rotating firefighter shift. He was used to weird weather living most of his life in the mountain towns of Colorado, but this was truly odd for January. The flash of lightening he just saw was not something one would normally see this time of year and frankly, he was worried about mudslides or fallen trees.

Being almost fifteen minutes from home and the turn off he would need to take he slowed to be cautious. Then he saw it. The fallen pine tree. A very old one at that, looking by the size of its trunk base. Coming to a complete stop, Levi climbed out of his truck, grabbed his yellow rain slicker with hood, and tossed it on.

The rain was coming in sideways turning into sleet now. Taking in a full view of how the tree had fallen he would have guessed the root base was so old that between the lightening and lose mud gravel on the side of the mountain from recent new construction caused it to come down over the road.

Levi went back to his truck and opened his truck bed toolbox located. Inside he pulled out a box of road emergency flares. He figured both directions of traffic, needed to be forewarned. He grabbed his walkie-talkie phone from inside his truck and called in to the base at his fire station.

By the time, he called in and reported the location he had laid out flares for the traffic from his direction. He then pulled his truck up close to the fallen tree to help him climb over the fallen trunk of the tree over the road to lay out flares on the other side. This time of night, there should not be too much traffic particularly in this weather. However, Levi was a man of safety first and he did not have a woman to run home to, only a fridge full of cold beer, a pizza on the passenger side of his truck, getting colder by the second and a movie rental on the latest action release.

Just as he had laid his last flare on the oncoming lane, he headed back towards the tree trunk wondering how hard it was going to be to get back over. If anything, he would be stuck out in the rain until emergency road crew got there in about ten minutes. At least now no one would get in an accident or worse be caused to careen off the road as they came around that sharp turn before not having enough time to stop.

That's when he saw it. What looked like tire marks heading over the side of the embankment. He cautiously went to the edge of the road and that is when he saw a half emerged truck, front end into the river, down at the bottom.

Levi called in the truck and informed them he was going to attempt a rescue. He had all the water rescue gear in his toolbox in the back of his truck and his wench on the front was long enough to reach or so he had gauged it would be. Now, he just needed to get back over the tree trunk.

After several attempts and loud grunts, Levi made it. He hooked up his safety gear with life vest and safety lines. He attached himself to his truck wench and began lowering himself down the embankment with the wrench remote. He snickered to himself to lighten the moment how his house was outdated and junkyard thrift decorated but his truck was better equipped than some rescue teams have.

Once at the driver side door, Levi saw the man bleeding hunched over his wheel and in place only due to his seatbelt. Otherwise, he might have been tossed out. He didn't look too hurt, only unconscious. Levi radioed in the situation and they told him help was only minutes away. He was able to open the door and try to get the man's attention. After several failed attempts to awaken the stranger, he saw the cell phone clipped on the dash. Reaching in, his footing slipped on the mud on the embankment and he got the stranger soaked with water off his rain slicker.

He figured he could attach the extra safety line to this guy and get him up to his truck. The man looked to be almost six feet and a good one ninety in pounds. However, Levi easily matched his size and with all his fire training, he felt confident. He wanted to get this guy out in case the truck started to head down more into the river with all the mud.

He stuck the phone inside his zipper pocket on his vest and he hooked a safety belt around the man. No easy feat as the truck was leaning more towards the river on the passenger side and he didn't want to release the seat belt just yet in case the man went tumbling that direction. He was dead weight but had a weak pulse. Levi felt the need to hurry.

Once the safety belt was in place and hooked to the wrench line, he unhooked the man's seat belt with one hand while keeping a tight grip on his upper arm to keep his upper body from slumping towards the passenger side.

By the time Levi had the man halfway up the embankment the rest of the rescue team arrived and the truck had sunk some more into the river. The ambulance had not arrived yet so they laid the guy out on the back seat of Levi's dually as he drove another guy worked quickly to get the man hooked up to a breathing mask and assess his damage.

By the time they got to the emergency room, the man was stable but unresponsive. Levi had to wonder who he was. He was handed the man's wallet, in the emergency room, then informed he was stable condition. The nurse and he opened the wallet to start out the report and Levi remembered the phone he put in his safety vest.

Pulling it out and flipping open he started to scroll through the names. "Holly shit!"

Catching the female nurse's attention. "What?"

"This is Angel's fiancé's buddy. I'm sure of it. Look. There is Lou Ann's name under girlfriend. I heard a rumor she was dating Colton's best friend. And then the second number is Colton, then under Colton's girlfriend is Angel's cell number."

"Small world."

"You can say that again. Listen I am going to call Colton on this guy Mike's phone. Do you mind starting up all the paper work?"

"Nope. By all means get this man's family or friends here and he might respond quicker."

When Levi called on Mike's phone to Colton, he got a chilly hello. By the time, Levi finished explaining the man sounded like he was almost in tears. He told him that he would call Lou Ann and asked if Levi could get her down there to the hospital. That he was in Denver with Angel.

Levi reassured Colton, a man he only met in passing in town but heard great things, which he would take care of things until he could get there.

After hanging up the strangers phone, he wondered about how events of the day had played out and pissed him off had saved a strangers life. A stranger that was dating a woman he admired and watched blossom into an incredible woman from the young girl who used to baby-sit him as a kid.

After he had hung up with Colton, the nurse had gotten off the phone with Bee. She and Lou Ann would be there soon. Amazed at how fast things could work in a small town he headed towards the vending machines for a coffee and candy bar. Knowing he would still eat the cold pizza in the front of his truck but not till much later.

When Levi got back from the vending machine with a fresh coffee and a candy bar, he decided to check in on the stranger that had Lou Ann's interest.

As he approached the room, Levi saw Lou Ann and her mom Bee next to his bed and she looked torn apart. His gut tightened at the thought that he went through all this and the guy wasn't responding yet. He hoped for Lou Ann's sake he would and soon. She was not taking it very well.

Levi decided to leave them be and went back to the nurses' station with his cup of coffee and figured he should get the paperwork done so he could head on home to his cold pizza and beer.

Not but ten minutes went by and Lou Ann approached the nurses' station with questions of her own. They pointed out Levi with his back turned and she was relieved that he was the one to save her Mike. Now if Mike would only come to so he could thank the man himself.

"Levi."

Levi turned to see a red eyed Lou Ann with a puffy face from crying. He reached out to hug her and she accepted.

"Thank you so much for rescuing Mike. It was my fault he was in this horrible accident."

Levi didn't understand how she could be responsible. She wasn't there and the way the tree had fallen he probably didn't have time to react. He comforted her and explained all he could. She accepted his warmth of a hug for a short time then patted him on his chest with her hand and told him what an incredible man and hero he was. He felt somewhat valiant at that moment and took it all in.

By the time he got home, the rain had completely stopped and he was starving. He slid in his movie, popped open a cold one and took a bite of cold pizza and thought to himself 'all in a day's work.'

Lou Ann woke to the sunlight full in the sky, filtering in through the closed drapes of the hospital window. She sat up to straighten her spine, twisting her neck to work out a crick in her neck from trying to sit next to Mike. She had held his hand and rested her head, on her arm, on his bed, all night. She felt a gentle hand stroke her hair and she woke to Angel. Her heart all but ballooned and she stood just as Colton walked in.

The three hugged and Colton informed her that all the test came back clear. It was now up to Mike to wake up.

Colton handed her a coffee he just got from a machine. They whispered about the argument her and Mike had. Lou Ann confessed she felt awful and that she made a terrible mistake not using protection when Mike asked. She was selfish and would never forgive herself is he was not all right.

As Angel tried to calm Lou Ann's tears that kept coming with abated breath, Colton heard Mike stir. "Mike!"

All three clamored over to his bed and saw Mike struggling to open his eyes.

With a hoarse whisper, Mike reached for Lou Ann's hand to tell her something. "I was coming to tell you I'm sorry. I... I... love you."

"Oh God, Mike, I almost lost you. If it wasn't for Levi you might have drowned in that river. I am so sorry. I should not have left the hotel knowing about the storm. I guess I thought the distance would solve our problems and it only made things worse." She had him wrapped in her arms the best she could with the way he was hooked up to a monitor and IV. She laid gentle kisses on his cheek and neck. She had to keep from dripping her tears all over him.

"Lou Ann. It's ok? Isn't it? I mean..." Clearing his throat from the dryness from the oxygen tubes, he had in his nose. "I love you and we can work through this."

"Oh Mike! I love you to! Let's never fight like that again." Lou Ann kissed him on the lips just as he tugged at the oxygen tubes in his nose to pull them out.

"Good to have you in the here and now good buddy." Colton gently slapped him on the shoulder from the other side of the bed.

Mike looked at his best friend and fiancé, then back to Lou Ann and just realized he was the luckiest man in the world to have them.

"Yeah. So what the hell happened? I mean I remember a flash of lightening and a tree falling on the road but everything after that is fuzzy or unclear."

"Well..." Lou Ann proceeded to fill Mike in on how Levi, the local firefighter, found Mike on his way home from work.

Angel and Colton stepped away as the nurse came in to read his vitals and tell Mike that they would need him for observation for a while longer even though all tests came back clear. The nurse suggested that he be watched over, for the next 48 hours.

Mike took everything in and thought how ironic his life just changed with the flash of that lightening. Eerily like the oriental woman, that gave him the crazy manicure, predicted. Maybe she was not being mean to him after all. Just forewarning him of his future. Knowing now, he would try his hardest not to mess up like that again.

As the nurse walked out Mike looked deep into Lou Ann's eyes, saw the tiredness, and worry on her face. He was worried she had not slept and the scare of all this could affect their baby. Their baby. It sounded magical to his ears now. He knew he was the dad and he knew she would be his wife soon. Whither she wanted him or not, he would always be there for her now.

"You should have Colton and Angel, take you home. You look like you could use the rest."

"I'm not leaving until you are."

Just then, Colton and Angel walked back in. Angel gently hugged her best friend from behind. "You and I are leaving so I can get you home in bed. The two of you." She said it with domineering yet sweet as you can voice. Then she rubbed Lou Ann's belly with her hand.

Colton spoke up next but his voice was more of a 'don't you dare argue with me lady' voice. "Lou Ann, both you and Angel are exhausted and in desperate need of some real sleep. I want to stay here and have a conversation with Mike and then once he falls asleep to get his rest I'll pick Angel up at your place to take her home." Looking at Angel he all but told her what it would be with just the look in his eyes.

Angel and Colton had talked the whole drive up once morning hit. They had left Denver around five a.m. and left the whole mess of cleaning up to Randy and the crew. No one would let them stay after getting the news late last night. Even the ranch hands wished their prayers for Mike. A man they barely knew. Angel knew that had given Colton the necessary feelings of acceptance and family he had been looking for. Praying the whole way up to town, that Mike would make it, and even more so, that Lou Ann would carry the baby full term.

Angel had given Colton the whole low down and explained that a miscarriage could be likely, but that with all that happened they would all make it through together.

Lou Ann broke Angel's thoughts. "I want to stay with Mike."

Mike sat himself up the best he could. "Lou Ann, I need to talk alone with Colton and you need your rest. In a real bed. I won't be able to get back to sleep with you crunched up in that guest chair."

"Lou Ann you really need some rest. For you. For the baby. For Mike. As soon as he can get released, Colton will bring him to you alright?"

"Alright. I guess." She kissed him more passionately this time to give him something to think about in his sleep and in hers.

By the time Angel and Lou Ann had reached Lou Ann's house, they had a serious talk that left them both comforted with the fact that no matter what happened with the baby all four of them would be there for each other.

Inside Lou Ann's place, Angel made them both a cup of hot chamomile tea and they sat on Lou Ann's couch in silence.

After five minutes or so of quiet, Angel convinced Lou Ann to finish her tea and get into bed for some much needed rest and she would crash on the couch until Colton came to get her.

Not energetic enough to argue with her best friend, Lou Ann knew it was best for all to get some rest. However, her mind was swirling with what had happened in the last twenty-four hours and if she had to do it all over again, she would do it one hundred percent different. Well maybe ninety-nine percent. She knew that fate brought her and Claire back together again. Knowing that Claire would soon be taking over her shop for her was not only a God send for her but she sensed it was for Claire as well.

She put on some warm fleece pajamas and wool socks and climbed in under her multitude of blankets she liked keeping on her bed in winter. The weight of the blankets always made her feel secure and she needed it now more than ever.

Lou Ann woke to see she had slept like the dead for over fourteen hours. Looking around her room, she noticed how dark it had gotten outside and she jumped out of her bed. Walking into her living room, flipping lights on in halls and on tables as she walked she notice Angel was gone but replaced by Mike asleep on her couch. She stared at him in awe for a moment and then decided she should wake him. If for any reason to get him, back into her bed, and off the couch. Then, to tell him again, how much she loved him.

Stretching groggily, Mike smiled up at Lou Ann. She looked rested and peaceful. It made him feel so much better.

The talk Colton and he had was so mature and emotional that he had dozed like the dead for a few hours at the hospital and awoke to Colton asleep in the chair. He convinced the doctor's, to release him to Colton's care and then convinced Colton he was fine and take his fiancé home and deposit him on the couch. He had contemplated for a while until he fell asleep how he had wanted to crawl into Lou Ann's bed. However, he did not want to scare her or wake her so he fell asleep on the couch.

"Feeling better?" He had to ask even though he could tell she did.

"Much. And you? Can I get you something?"

"Some tea would be great. However, I can get it. I'm fine besides the bruise on my shoulder and ribs from the seatbelt, otherwise I feel great."

Lou Ann cringed at the thought of his bruising. She sat down next to him on the couch and gently lifted his shirt to see. The black and blue marks that were starting to appear brought tears to her eyes. "Oh, honey, I am so sorry."

Mike reached over and held her head in his hands, rubbing his thumb across her jaw and kissed her gently. "You have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I have a million things to be sorry about. But right now, I want to kiss you again and then take you back into that bed of yours."

In her bedroom he began kissing her so passionately, it felt like all the air, was being sucked out of her, and replaced with a force of happiness and delight. His lips tingled against hers, and their kiss turned into small nips of each other's lips with quick pecks on their lips. They both redrew and rested their foreheads on each other and sighed together.

Then they both let out a small easy laughter. Everything felt right and better.

Over the tea, Mike explained how he got fired from his job. Lou Ann was shocked he did not seem too upset, more relieved than anything. She mentioned how Claire would be up in the next week or two and after she trained her maybe, they could take a much-needed brake away somewhere.

Mike surprised her by getting down on his knee and holding her hand in his. "Lou Ann I don't have a ring right now but I want you to know my intentions. Will you marry me? I mean when you are ready. I want you to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You are the only woman that I have felt this way and can say I love you to. I have never told another woman, I love them. However, with you I want to for the rest of our lives. I love you, Lou Ann. Will you marry me?"

"Oh Mike! Yes! God I love you too!" She reached down and pulled him back up for another kiss as they sat on the couch. She wanted to turn things passionate but was in fear of hurting his ribs or shoulder. The kiss was real and it was full of impacted emotion. More than Lou Ann ever felt before in her life. This was the man for her and she was so glad things were turning out better than she had hoped.

"Yes? Thank God! Right now, I want to make love to my future wife." He stood up and guided her with his hand in hers, back to her bedroom. He could have easily seduced her on the couch but he wanted to make love to his fiancé and linger through the night holding her in his arms and kissing her and making love again if she so inclined.

She followed her future husband into her bedroom, soon to be theirs. That thought brought warmth to her belly and to her inner thighs. That and the fact, the man she loved so deeply, was now totally undressed in front of her naked. He was starting to let his magnificent large and masculine hands remove her pajamas then linger back up her legs.

They kissed tenderly and made love in a slow, tender fashion. Then he pulled her up in his arms so that her back was to his belly and his arms wrapped her up in all the love and affection he could give. Whispering in her ear how much he loved her, he realized he had never felt closer to another woman.

Whispering back her love to Mike, she smiled to herself inward and outwardly, Lou Ann knew that fate brought them together and love would let them grow old together. She said a silent prayer that their baby would continue to grow with their love and hopefully more children to follow. She felt totally comfortable and content to lay there but she was not sure if he needed anything.

"Can I get you something to eat or drink? I don't know if I can exactly fall asleep right now after sleeping fourteen hours."

Mike held her closer and did not reply.

"Oh my, Mike! You are ready to go again already?" Giggling like a girl, she could not help but notice his growing erection pressed into her backside almost pulsing and nudging for her attention.

"In a while we can eat. Right now I have an appetite for something else and then I'm sure I'll be famished."

Very happy to oblige she took the lead and rolled over to position on top of him.

"Thank you for loving me Mike!" She lifted her hips just enough to allow him to enter her deep inside her. A feeling she was sure she would never get enough of.

The love he was sharing with her now, was nothing like the love he was sure, he was ready, to give her for the rest of their lives, emotionally and physically.

EPILOGUE

With the wedding just days away, Angel had been informed by Lou Ann, that after the wedding, her and Mike were taking a long vacation in a new fully loaded RV they both just bought. That they are heading into Denver to pick it up today with only days before the wedding.

Angel felt confident all the plans were ready to roll, with all the last minute details handled by herself or Bee.

Lou Ann assured her that they would be back before the rehearsal night.

Mike and Lou Ann had made it past the first trimester of pregnancy and things were looking great. She was only showing a small pooch and after the wedding, they agreed to share the news with everyone.

Mike had other plans on their trip to Denver to buy their new RV.

After picking up their brand new fully loaded diesel motor home, they pulled in front of a superstore to load it up with housing essentials. While Lou Ann busied herself putting everything away in the parking lot of the superstore, Mike grabbed a map and located a phone number for the justice of the peace. He thought his idea of simple wedding bands and a justice of the piece from the super store was cheesy but then he did not want to wait any longer to marry his fiancé. Besides, he knew it would be a thing between him and Colton. Colton always saying he would be the first to get married. Now he would be the first married and first dad. A far cry, of a change from a year ago.

The day of the wedding rehearsal, Mike and Lou Ann showed up with weary eyes their way. It was not until the rehearsal BBQ dinner at the Ralston barn that everyone noticed they had on simple wedding bands on their fingers.

The wedding went off picture perfect and Angel asked Lou Ann if it was ok to announce her pregnancy and marriage to all during the wedding toast. Lou Ann told her nothing would make her more relieved.

As newlyweds experience, that time flies faster than a thunderbird, Angel and Lou Ann get so engrossed in the new life of being married and pregnancy together, their bliss almost blinded them to what their old friend Claire was dealing with. Always the stoic woman, Claire was not fitting in but not letting anyone know, other than her older friend, Joe, that is. Her wrong for her boyfriend, was treating her like a mistress and her sexy ways were getting the towns women flustered and the town men hot. One simple Joe has got it bad, but all he gets is the old brotherly affection. What will become of those two?

THE END

About the Author

Kat Von Wild

Like luscious liquid dreams, my stories pour from my flittering fingertips, creating a provocative experience, for your pleasure. Deliciously dark dreams dare me to be so bold. Stimulating warm trickling sensations like a waterfall gently washing over your soul. Simply enticing your desires, whether you be a man or woman, may you find yourself lost to the scrumptious experience I have presented to you.

Accept my offering of a moment in time to escape

Thank you for allowing me to offer you pleasure.

See what else I have to offer:

Erotica Short Romance

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Sizzling Erotica Romance Series Book One

A heart-warming, sultry experience, of a modern cowboy romance. Angel Morrison is a down-home country girl who has been given the heart wrenching task of looking for the replacement for her boss, Randy, who has been like a dad to her all her life. Randy's recent heart attack brought new meaning to everyone's life at the ranch. However, mostly for Angel whose only true dream is to marry the perfect cowboy, settle down, and start a family. The last thing she planned was to find a man like Colton Smith: a man, who still lived by the cowboy code, was easy on the eyes and tugged at her heart. Things heat up with Angel being the one to train him to do his job, however, he does not know whether to be mad as heck or turn the heat up. The complications get worse while having her as his only ally and learning that Angel was offered his job and is well trained for it. This causes one cowboy to take all his animosity out on his sweet Angel. It's not long before he realizes the best thing that ever happened to him just galloped away at a race horses. Can this cowboy win Angel's heart back?

Sizzling Erotica Romance Series Book Two

Opposites attract yet when the attraction is this hot, you just have to add fuel to the fire instead of putting it out. One simple down to earth cowgirl can't seem to work this cosmopolitan millionaire out of her system. His international experience did not prepare him for the way his body reacted to someone as sexy and explosive as her. Just when he thought the deal was done, she put him in for a surprise of a lifetime. Sometimes it takes best friends and old friends to make it all work out.

Sizzling Erotica Romance Series Book Three

Some woman just cannot help but fall for the dangerous badass. Some men think the only way to get the woman is to become that badass. All Claire wanted was a good man like Joe, after years of dating the dangerous ones. All Joe offered her was friendship. Little did she know that her sexy looks and sweet demeanor was all Joe could think about, yet he did not know how to go about offering himself to her. Watching Claire ride away on the back of a Harley with some other man tore at his heart. He figured the only way to get her back was to turn himself into one bad dude. All Claire wanted was her old Joe back. Sometimes it takes good friends and a lot of luck to make that Lucky Catch.

Book Four due out Spring 2011

This is collection of **erotic short stories** : Willing, Wanting, Wishing. All available in individual e-books. However, for your pleasure I have brought them together in one single e-book for your convenience. Willing is a sultry experience of strangers willing to make their pleasure happen. Wanting is the desires of an exotic woman who knows all too well how to pleasure herself, only wanting the pleasure of one man more that she is willing to sacrifice. Wishing is seductive collection of new experiences for a married couple that needed to rekindle their lust. They find the excitement they need in an unlikely place.

This collection of short erotica stories is written to have you wet and willing with each chapter. Like luscious liquid dreams, my stories pour from my flittering fingertips, creating a provocative experience, for your pleasure. Deliciously dark dreams dare me to be so bold. Stimulating warm trickling sensations like a waterfall gently washing over your soul. Accept my offering of a moment in time to escape. Thank you for allowing me to offer you pleasure.

Erotica Short Romance

A woman's desire to fulfill her husband's fantasies leads her down a sensual path of new foreplay. Escaping the restraints of limited imagination, she finds that the epitome of everyman man's dream of two women together, is an experience of sensual overload. Allowing her to experiment into levels of desire, which before seemed taboo to her. Unleashing her imagination and desire to new levels, while recreating the lust they had lost.

Each tantalizing chapter fills you with seductive sensuality, allowing your senses to warm. Leaving you filled with desire and lust to overcome.

Erotica Short Romance

Have you ever felt so sinful you could strip tease your way to fun at work? Maybe after hours, when everyone else is gone. With the beat of the music playing in the hip retail store and a pulsating vision of a gorgeous stranger she met earlier, Bell was able to do just that. Right down to her black lace bra, black lace thong, high heels and a sexy fedora. Little did she know what a peep show she was providing the stranger. With a flip of her hair, bend of her knees and a sexy fedora covering her bald wet spot aimed right at him, she was telling him she was willing.

This short erotica story is written to have you wet and willing with each chapter.

Erotica Short Romance

From the first sight of him, Jade wanted him, yet he was out of her grasp. Wanting him so badly she could do nothing more than fulfill her own wet fantasy with her sensual touch. With each wet self-induced orgasm, she knew she had to have him in person. A time and place would land her that opportunity. Would offering herself to him complete the satisfaction or drive her hungry for more. Could the man she lust and desire after be so bold in return?

Each tingling sensual chapter is written for your pleasure to leave you moist and ready for the next.

Erotica Short Romance

Some girls like it hot, but this one likes it wet and wild. Attraction to the bad boys can bring on a dangerous mix but this one has her man wet and wild. Some days it just pays to take care of the urge of a restlessness that can ache between your legs. This wild and restless one finds her man, but he almost gets away. Then like a hero, he rescues her in more ways than one, letting the heat turn up past scorching as they explore their sensations leaving them sated for more.

Erotica Short Romance

There is something about a man in uniform with the emblem of a hero, muscles so big and strong you want him to rescue you. Every woman fantasizes about a hero. Summer was about to meet hers. Until then, every sensual feeling encapsulates her body and allows her the physical feeling of self-pleasure. Then the moment they meet, her fantasy hero just became her sensual reality. Sometimes fantasy just warms the senses for reality and how sizzling it can get.

COMING SOON!

Three short erotica stories about men that make you want to melt. These are the short stories that ladies like yourself like to read; alone in a hot soaking tub or before your lover takes you in their arms. These men will have you warm and ready for a fast adventure of passion.

With each story you read, is it important to me that you take a moment to rate the book you read from where you bought it. This allows me the pleasure of knowing if your desires were filled and entices other readers such as yourself to read my stories. Thank you for your time.

