CHAPTER THREE

IVY HAD THOUGHT about the cowboy all night, like some hormonal teenager in the throes of her first crush. Or a stalker with a new obsession.

She jabbed the elevator’s button with her knuckle, tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for it to arrive. Worse than thinking about him? She’d sought him out. Had caught herself scanning the ballroom, the bar—even the hallway for God’s sake—more than a few times, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

There had been plenty of good-looking men there tonight, an abundance of pretty faces for a woman to ogle, but had she stared at any of the Montesano brothers—a trifecta of dark-haired, dark-eyed, handsome men? Or taken a few minutes to appreciate the beauty that was Kane Bartasavich, with his long hair and that hint of danger in his sexy grin?

No and no. She’d skimmed her gaze right over all of them in search of one green-eyed cowboy.

Yeehaw.

The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside. Chose the top floor. Mooning over him was complete idiocy of course. And a total waste of time. She’d given him the brush-off, and he’d respected that. Despite his initial persistence, he hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t attempted to talk to her again.

She’d figured that would be the end of it. That one of those too many times she’d glanced his way, he’d be pulling out the charm for some other woman. Men. Such fickle, sensitive creatures. She was sure that, after her rejection, he’d move on. Forget all about her.

He hadn’t. He’d watched her, just as much as she’d watched him. Throughout the night, she’d felt his gaze on her, warm as a flame, insistent as a touch. And when she’d made the mistake of meeting his eyes, even from across the room, those damn sparks she’d felt when he’d grasped her shoulders were still there.

The elevator dinged as it opened on her floor, and she walked down the empty hallway, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. She stopped at room 801, stared at the door. Biting her lower lip, she realized she’d forgotten to reapply her lipstick. Hadn’t even taken the time to check her hair. Crap. If those weren’t signs that she should turn her little self around and get back in the elevator, she didn’t know what was.

Except her body didn’t seem to be getting the message. Instead of turning, she raised her hand, curled her fingers into a fist. Instead of walking away, she knocked softly on that door.

He’d sent her running. And that would not do. It was demoralizing to realize she’d been such a coward. He was just a man. A gorgeous, confident, sexy man who was obviously interested in her. The day she couldn’t handle a man was the day they needed to take away her high heels and shove her into a pair of mom jeans.

She knocked again, louder this time. Shifted her weight from her right side to her left. The attraction between them was undeniable and mutual. There was nothing to be afraid of.

As long as she was the one in control.

The door opened and there he stood, in all his six-feet-plus glory. And my, my, my, what glory it was. Heaven had blessed the man, that was for sure. His shoes, coat, tie and hat were gone, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, the top three buttons undone. His hair was shorter than she’d realized, the conservative cut highlighting the strong line of his jaw.

She missed the hat. Wondered if she could talk him into putting it back on.

He skimmed his cool, green gaze over her, his lips curving into a cocky smirk. It took all her willpower not to bolt down the hall as if the hounds of hell were chasing her.

But then his lips flattened, his gaze lingered—not on her boobs or her hips, but on her mouth—before he raised his eyes to hers.

Not so cool, not so disinterested, after all.

Silly man. Did he really think he could one-up her?

She smiled. Oh, she was going to enjoy this.

“I didn’t order room service,” he said, nodding toward the champagne in her hand.

“On the house. Looks like it’s your lucky day, cowboy.”

“That so?” he murmured, the huskiness in his voice causing her scalp to prickle. “Funny, but it doesn’t feel that way.”

Ivy waved her free hand in the air. “All of that is changing. You, my friend, are about to have a reversal of fortune and in the very best way possible.”

“Because I get free champagne?”

“Even better.” She tipped her head to the side, her lips curving in an unspoken invitation. “You get to have a drink with me, after all.”

“Just you?” he asked drily. “Or you and that healthy ego you’re carrying around?”

Her smile was quick and appreciative and completely unembarrassed. “We’re a package deal.”

But when she stepped forward, he leaned against the door frame, all casual grace and stubbornness, blocking her. “To what do I owe this reversal of fortune?”

“Good karma?” She shrugged, didn’t miss the way he glanced at her breasts before yanking his focus back to her face. “Clean living, perhaps?”

He studied her. Looking for whatever answer he needed to hear to let himself get over her earlier rejection. Let him look. She kept her thoughts and her secrets well hidden.

“If you’re waiting for me to beg,” she said, her tone threaded with humor and a hint of nerves she prayed he couldn’t detect, “you’re going to be very disappointed.”

“I’ve never been into making people beg,” he told her. “For any reason. I’m waiting for you to tell me why you changed your mind.”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I’m afraid it does.”

“Most men wouldn’t question their good fortune. They’d either accept it as their due or run with it before that luck turned again.”

“Well, now, darlin’, here’s the thing.” Leaning toward her, he spoke directly into her ear, his words quiet, his breath warm against her skin. “I’m not most men.”

“I guess you’re not. But since it’s not enough for you that I’m here, that I’ve changed my mind, which is a woman’s prerogative as I’m sure you know, maybe I should just...change it again.”

A dare. A challenge. One meant to inspire him to let her off the hook. To accept what she was willing to give, no matter what her reasons.

Or watch her walk away again.

He shifted, bringing their bodies close but not touching. The urge to move back was as strong as the one to step forward. Doing neither, she tipped her head to maintain eye contact.

“I’m not asking for a lot,” he said. “Just the truth.”

Her laugh was part snort of disbelief, part oh-you-simple-man-you. “Ah, but the truth is the most powerful thing out there.”

Their gazes locked. She didn’t know whether to laugh or shout in frustration. They were at an obvious impasse. And how had that happened? Men didn’t argue with her, for God’s sake. They didn’t question her motives. Didn’t care about those motives, as long as they got what they wanted in the end.

I’m not most men.

That was why she was here, she reminded herself. What attracted her to him.

And wasn’t that coming back to bite her in the ass?

It didn’t matter what he decided, she told herself. Didn’t matter that she was holding her breath waiting, that her palms were growing damp. If she walked away, he’d be the one kicking himself for letting her go.

Her pride nudged her to get moving already. Reminded her that she wasn’t some pathetic woman in need of a man’s approval or his attention. She was strong. Independent. Brave enough to go after what she wanted.

Of course, her pride was also what had pushed her to come to his room in the first place.

Stupid pride.

“Your loss, cowboy,” she said, though she wondered if she wasn’t losing, as well. She turned, but before she could take a step, he snatched her wrist, held it loosely.

“Don’t.”

It wasn’t an entreaty, more like a command.

Looked as if she wasn’t the only one who refused to beg.