Free Cowboy Jackpot: Christmas by Randi Alexander Page A

she were a little more sober.
    "If you deposit those checks into separate accounts,
you should be safe from paying any more taxes. The amount of each one is under
the maximum gift tax exclusion."
    She smiled. "You know about all this?"
    "Just learned today." He cleared his throat and
shifted in his seat. "Since the tax debt will be fully paid on the money,
I don't feel that we're doing anything to avoid paying our fair share."
    She sobered. That had to be a difficult decision for him.
"No, you're right. But what if you do your taxes and realize you've
overpaid me?"
    He grinned. "Can I contact you?"
    She smiled. "I'd like that." She slid the envelope
into her purse. "Thank you. This is unexpected. I love all the effort you
went through to do this."
    "You're welcome." His eyes held an emotion that
made her breath catch. He looked away. "Just don't try to deposit those
checks until I can get the casino's check into my bank account tomorrow."
    She patted her purse. "I'm not heading home until
tomorrow afternoon."
    A look of worry crossed his face.
    ****
    "I don't want to think about that." A chill raced
through Boone. He'd just got her back, and he wasn't ready to let her go.
"Can we spend the rest of your birthday together?" He swallowed.
"In our suite?"
    She slung her purse strap over her shoulder as a sweet
expression filled her eyes. "I thought you'd never ask." Her voice
was breathy.
    He left cash on the bar and they strolled through the
casino. Her little hand in his felt too right. He'd missed this the few hours
they were apart.
    In their suite, he took off his hat, kicked off his boots,
and waited for her to set the pace.
    She set down her purse and hung the little gold-plated slot
machine ornament on their tree. Turning toward him, she held out her hand.
    Boone took it, watching the tree lights reflect in her eyes.
    "Bedroom?" Her sweet smile nearly broke his heart.
    "Yeah, bedroom." He let her lead him in.
    Housekeeping had been in and the bed was made.
    Pulling her close, he ran his hands up under her shirt,
caressing her back. "I missed you."
    Her eyes closed for a second. "I missed you, too."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Kiss me."
    He chuckled. "Don't have to tell this cowboy more than
once." He pressed his lips on her soft, warm mouth, breathing in the
essence of her.
    She sighed, and he inhaled her breath. His tongue did a slow
trace on her lips before easing inside her mouth.
    She lapped at his tongue, building heat between them.
    Her excitement drew on his, and heat flowed to his groin,
hardening his shaft.
    She slowed her manic kiss and stepped back. "I would
like a birthday gift from you."
    He blinked. Demanding? Hell, yeah! "Anything,
baby." And he meant anything.
    "I want you inside me. Right now."
    An earthquake of lust shook him. "As you wish,
ma'am." He tugged her shirt up and off her, unfastened her bra, sliding
the straps down her arms, and bent to kiss her nipple.
    "Oh, Boone." She sighed the words as she ran her
fingers through his hair.
    He suckled her other breast, the taste rocking him, raising
a desperation he'd never known. Kneeling at her feet, he unbuttoned and
unzipped her jeans and slid them down her curvy hips. "No underwear?"
    A little laugh escaped her. "I couldn't find them this
morning when I was stomping around yelling at you."
    He kissed her belly. He had her underwear in his pocket. He
might give them back. Someday. "You were magnificent, Gigi." He
glanced up at her. "A mix of anger and heartbreak that nearly paralyzed
me."
    "Cowboy." She brushed a wild lock of hair from his
forehead. "I'm glad it all happened the way it did."
    "You are?" After all she'd endured, how could she
be glad?
    "If I hadn't lost you…" She sucked in a breath.
"I wouldn't have realized how much you mean to me."
    "Aw, Gigi." He wrapped his arms around her and
pressed his cheek into her stomach. If his heart had any pull over his brain,
he'd never let her go again. He tugged her jeans off her and coaxed