Tina Leonard - Archer's Angels

He just wasn’t showing it to “Clover.”

The way she was now brought out the beast in him. She had rattled the cage.

Pulling back to look at her, Archer said, “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“You went quiet on me.”

It was too quiet in his truck. In the bar, it had been loud and they hadn’t talked enough for him to recognize her. He’d also been scoping the door, not paying attention to her until she’d fairly propositioned him.

Switching the radio on to turn his mind from chivalry, she kissed him, reminding him of why they were in the truck.

“All right, then,” he said a moment later. “I take it that means yes. I’m in the mood for a swim. Hope you are, too.”

In February? Not likely, but if it meant getting him down to his boxers, then she would swim with polar bears in the Arctic.

He put his hand around hers, driving with his other hand. Clove closed her eyes, thinking about Lucy.

Just one baby.

A few minutes later, Archer parked the truck at a creek wooded with trees. He shone the headlights of the truck into the darkness for a few moments, then switched them to low. Putting the radio on a sexy jazz station, he said, “Now let’s dance properly.”

She went out the driver’s side behind him, sliding into his arms.

“God, I never realized a woman could feel this good,” he said. “You’re like satin.”

They danced together wordlessly after that, until the station went to commercial. Then he took Clove by the hand, leading her toward the water. “I was teasing about swimming,” he said.

“I’m brave,” she said softly. “I can handle it if you can.”

“Skinny-dipping in February? No, my plan is to keep you warm.”

She thought he would find a grassy spot for them to lie, but instead he walked with her, their fingers interlaced.

“This is one of my favorite places on earth. My brothers and I used to come here to swim after rodeos.”

He ran a hand across her bare shoulders. Clove shivered at the caress, her breath held nervously.

“You’re cold,” he said. “Come back to the truck.”

She wasn’t cold, but she followed him, anyway, enjoying his concern for her. He let down the gate of the truck bed, spreading a blanket for them. Turning off the truck lights, he crawled into the bed, pulling her up to join him. Then he covered them with another blanket and rested her head on his chest.

“You’re prepared for everything,” she whispered.

“No, I’m not. If I was, I’d have a bottle of champagne cooling in an ice chest,” he said. “See those stars?”

“Mmm,” she said, loving the feel of his chest and hearing his heart beat fast.

“One of those stars has your name on it,” he said. “What is the name of that star?”

“It’s a secret,” she whispered into his ear, straddling him to kiss his face.

“I like secrets,” he said, pushing his hands underneath her dress to run his hands over her bare bottom. “You have on no underwear,” he said with surprise. “You little daredevil!”

THERE WERE SECRETS and then there were secrets, Clove thought, quietly getting down out of the truck three hours later. She knew the town wasn’t far, and she wanted to be long gone before her cowboy awakened.

It had been a night she’d never forget. They’d made the truck rock like mad, and she’d learned that giving up one’s virginity was easy when the pleasure was that intense. They’d made love over and over again, hungry for each other. When he’d asked about birth control and offered a condom, she’d said she was fine.

At the final second, she’d confessed her virginity, hoping he wouldn’t hop out of the truck.

He hadn’t. He’d been quite tender and considerate of her.

She hurried, knowing Archer could wake up any minute and realize she’d left. It was a good thing she knew the real Archer, the grouchy one, or she would definitely have lost her heart to him tonight. What a tender lover! So romantic, yet so masterful. She got chill bumps thinking about it.

Thirty minutes later, she quietly let herself into her bedroom, closing the door. She took a shower, glad to be rid of the curls and the makeup. Snuggling into her covers, she smiled, thinking about Archer.

It was good to be herself again.

Only, tonight he’d changed her, made her feel beautiful. Given her appreciation of her woman’s body.

She would never forget him.

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