Free Cougar in Texas: 3 (Rugged and Risque) by Calista Fox Page A

Reese.
    Slightly daunted, Reese had moved on to collect the ingredients she needed for the homemade hollandaise sauce she’d spent years perfecting. And then she’d stood next to Luanne Dunham at the boxes filled with imported Georgia Freestone peaches as they’d both tested the weight and texture and firmness of each piece of fruit.
    Luanne had handed two over and said, “Put these in your basket with the others. They’re just right.” She’d given Reese a smile and had added, “You make the best peach cobbler in Hill Country.” Then she’d turned away to continue her own shopping.
    Curious.
    Though her neighbors weren’t typically unfriendly—not by any stretch of the imagination—Reese found it fascinating they were so interested in her dinner ingredients. Clearly the fact she was cooking for two had them all wanting to lend a hand. Was it possible the residents of Wilder were trying to help her in the romance arena, following her public disgrace?
    The thought had warmed her heart.
    She’d returned to the B&B and had made preparations. Then she’d gone upstairs to primp and change into jeans that didn’t have hollandaise and peach flesh on them. She added a pale-pink sweater that sat slightly off the shoulders. Her stomach twisted with tension, but the more significant sensation coursing through her was exhilaration. Caleb’s blue eyes and sexy grin had flashed in her mind more times than she could count as she’d shopped, cooked and baked. And when she heard his Range Rover pull alongside the house by the courtyard, her pulse spiked.
    She’d shaved her legs and bikini area… Just in case. Thoughts of sex with Caleb had lingered at the forefront of her mind since she’d made her indecent proposal the previous evening. A notion that made her snicker. Reese Middleton making a bold move like that…who would have guessed?
    But he inspired her in ways that had lain dormant for too long. Not that she hadn’t done everything in her power to hold Tommy’s interest, but after being shot down so many times, at some point, a woman had to give up. Reese had no idea what had caused Tommy to lose interest, other than the fact that perhaps she’d just made life too easy for him, never asking for anything in return.
    She wanted something in return this time. Respect. Intimacy. Mutual admiration.
    Deep within her, she honestly felt she might have met a man capable of giving her those things. He might also be the one to restore some of the pride she’d lost because of Tommy—whom she refused to let spoil her good mood this evening.
    Bounding down the stairs, she was more than happy to leave her jangled nerves behind and embrace the potential that lay before her.
    Except that when Caleb came through the front door, she drew up short and gripped the post at the bottom of the staircase for support as her knees practically knocked together.
    “Whoa,” she said, the breath leaving her body on a hard rush of air. He carried in his strong arms a huge bouquet of flowers, all in white and soft, buttery yellow, with greenery as accents, to complement the decor of her B&B. “What the hell?”
    He laughed. “I was informed Ryan Bain had ordered the most ostentatious floral arrangement ever delivered to a Wilder woman. Now, really? You think I’m going to be outdone when it comes to romance?”
    Reese recalled Jess’ last over-the-top ensemble. This one beat it by leaps and bounds. “Holy Moses.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “No one’s ever brought me flowers like that.”
    Tears stung the backs of her eyes at a more painful thought. No man had cared for her enough—or had wanted to impress her enough—to go to the trouble of such a grand gesture.
    Caleb grinned. “Well, you know, I just wanted to make the point that you should expect flowers like this from a date. You deserve them.”
    He set the glass vase on a large, round end table. Then he reached behind him, extracting something from his back pocket. He