Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

against him, maybe even in several states.
    “Come on,” he said gently, taking her elbow. “Let’s just ease you down on the sofa, nice and slow.” He held her wine until she settled in, then handed it back to her. “Maybe the horse riding was too much for you. I shouldn’t have kept you out so long.”
    “No! I wanted to stay!” She felt her face flush hot, embarrassed that she’d sounded like a crushed-out teenager. She took a long, steady swallow of wine, then looked up, trapped in his gaze. “That makes two of us,” he said. “Unfortunately, Rascal didn’t agree.”
    Dan went to get his own wine, then came and sat beside her, taking her hand.
    “Gwen, sweetheart,” he said gently. “You can relax. It’s just the two of us here.”
    That’s precisely what she was afraid of. Him… Her…. And, eventually, no clothes between them. Gwen wasn’t sure if she was ready for this.
    “Let me help you with those boots,” he said, bending forward and gripping the left one. Gwen squeezed her eyes shut and lifted her leg, letting him take it off. She sighed with relief, realizing how much the boot had been pinching. “Better?” he asked.
    Gwen nodded numbly. This was the beginning of the end, and she knew it. First came the boots, then the shirt…next the jeans… Of course, he’d be taking his off too. Gwen felt woozy, the room suddenly whirling around her.
    Dan tugged off her other boot, studying her with concern. “I think maybe we’d better nix the wine,” he said, lifting the glass from her hand.
    “It’s okay,” she said, grabbing it back. “I like it,”
    Dan pushed back against the sofa and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Sweetheart, you mind telling me what’s going on?”
    Him calling her sweetheart was one of the nicest things she’d heard. Gwen knew she could get used to it. She could get used to a lot of things with this man. Some of them might take more practice than others. It wasn’t her fault that she was rusty. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m just recovering from the ride.”
    “Good,” he said, bringing his arms around her and pulling her close. “For a moment there, I was worried you’d grown tired of kissing.”
    “I’d never grow tired of that,” she said weakly as his mouth closed in.
    He kissed her gently at first and then passionately, pressing his firm chest up against her. Her world spun out of control as her wants fought with her reason. She needed him so desperately, simply had to have him. Yet something deep inside her was just as desperately afraid. If she took this next step and became intimate with Dan, how would she handle it if he somehow went away? Would she someday look back and wish they’d never been together at all? Would that prove one more memory that would simply cause heartache?
    Dan paused to stroke her cheek. His gaze was all smoke and fire, sultry and hot like a Santa Fe afternoon. “Honey,” he said, his tone growing gravelly. “You don’t know how much I love you, how much I want to be with you.”
    Gwen swallowed hard, steeling her courage. “I want to be with you too.”
    “I know you do, cowgirl. Believe me, I can’t wait.” He smiled at her and gently kissed her lips. “But I think that we ought to.”
    “What?” she asked with surprise.
    Dan took her hand in his. “Listen Gwen, I know this is all moving pretty fast for you. We’ve just admitted how we feel about each other. There are things we need to work out, like when we’ll see each other again and how we plan to manage our relationship.”
    Gwen’s heart leapt with joy. This wasn’t only about her trip to Santa Fe. Dan was talking about a future . He was so wonderfully understanding and kind, Gwen could scarcely believe she’d been blessed enough to find him. Overcome by emotion, love, and longing, she felt the tears spring from her eyes. “I’d like that very much,” she said, her chin trembling. “I don’t want this to be over.”
    Dan steadied her chin in his hand and moved in for another kiss. “Sweetheart,” he said, drawing closer. “We’ve only just started.”
    He kissed her then, over and over, with a tender passion that assured Gwen everything would be all right. Here was a man who loved her and would watch over her heart. She didn’t know where the next step would lead, but as long as it was a road that she and Dan could travel together, she was willing to take it.

    Hours passed, and their kissing turned to holding, then