Free The - Cowboy’s - Secret - Twins by Dilesh Page B

voice.
    “Nothing serious, just a blowout,” Henry said quickly before Melissa could reply. “The spare was flat and Gordon just happened to be driving by so we hitched a ride home with him.”
    The last thing he wanted to do was worry his mother, but he wasn’t sure if Melissa would play along with his story.
    She did, not countering his story to his mother. “How were the boys?”
    Melissa asked. “Did they behave for you?”
    Mary’s face lit up. “They were absolute angels,” Mary said as Henry flashed Melissa a grateful smile.
    As Melissa and his mother disappeared into the house Henry headed for his office. He needed to call the garage about his truck and he needed to talk to Charlie to see how things had gone with Hank.
    The main thing he needed was some distance from Melissa. Even with the concern that somebody had shot out his tire, he couldn’t stop thinking about how nice her hand had felt in his, how the scent of her had dizzied his senses all morning long.
    He wanted her. He wanted her naked in his arms, gasping beneath him as she’d been on the night they’d shared. But she’d made it clear what she was looking for—that happily-ever-after and love forevermore nonsense. That definitely wasn’t what he’d be offering to her.
    Would she be interested in a night of passion with him with no strings attached, no promise of love or commitment? It was possible. He knew she wasn’t immune to the sparks that snapped in the air between them. He’d seen an awareness in her eyes when he got too close to her, noticed the way her gaze lingered on him when she thought he wasn’t looking.
    He sank down at his desk and realized it was much easier to speculate on how to get Melissa into bed than trying to figure out who in the hell was trying to kill him.

    “You’re perfectly safe here,” Henry said later that evening to Melissa.
    “The house has a state-of-the-art security system. Nobody can get in here without me knowing about it.”
    Melissa nodded and took a sip of her wine. Mary had just gone to bed, the boys were also down for the night, and Henry and Melissa were sitting in the living room with the glow of the Christmas tree lights the only illumination in the room.
    There was no question that the safety of her sons had been on her mind all afternoon and evening. How could she even consider moving here knowing that somebody wanted to do harm to Henry? Knowing that it was possible she or her boys could be casualties in whatever war was being waged?
    “I can’t seriously consider moving here until the issue is resolved, not that I’m seriously considering it anyway,” she said, giving voice to her thoughts.
    “But I want you to consider it seriously,” Henry said. He paused to take a sip of his scotch. “The special election is in February. Certainly by then I’m confident that Jimmy will be able to figure out who is hassling me. It would probably take you that long to make the move anyway.”
    “Hassling you?” She raised one of her eyebrows at him. “Honestly, that’s a pretty weak description for what’s happened just since I’ve been here. That tire blowout could have killed us both. The truck could have rolled and we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
    “I swear I won’t do anything to put you or the boys in danger,” he replied.
    She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. I plan on going home tomorrow afternoon.”
    “But it will be Christmas Day,” he protested. “You can’t leave tomorrow. You’ll break Mom’s heart.”
    She smiled at him. “Ah, first you try to bribe me with a job offer and now you’re using your mother to manipulate me. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
    He laughed and that familiar warmth shot through her at the pleasant sound. “I refuse to feel guilty if it forces you to stay a little longer. Besides, Etta will be making a traditional Christmas feast for lunch tomorrow and what difference does another day or two make?”
    “You just want