Page 5 of Hometown Cowboy
Darby fiddled with some beading on her bodice. “You don’t mind that it worked out that way? You know, that Emma and he got together?”
Ryan frowned, then realised what she was getting at. “Of course not! Sure, I would’ve gone out with her if she’d been interested, I guess. But let’s face it—she wasn’t into me. I know when to quit while I’m ahead.”
Darby nodded and sipped her coffee. “Yeah. She and Gabe had it bad right from the get-go.” She finished her cup with a final flourish and slid off the table. She motioned behind her. “Would you mind helping me with a few of these buttons, then I’ll get out of your way. The darn things are so tiny, and I can’t get my hands around the back at the right angle.”
Ryan swallowed his mouthful of coffee with difficulty. He placed his cup down carefully as Darby spun to present her back to him. A line of tiny ball-shaped buttons went from her nape, right down the curve of her back, to the middle of her butt.
She wanted him to undo them?
Shit.
“How many?” He cleared his croaky throat as quietly as he could. Difficult, considering the lateness of the hour and how quiet his house was.
“I don’t know, maybe a dozen? The ones between my shoulders down to my waist. There’s no way I can reach them, and I can’t wiggle the dress around to undo them from the front. Emma insisted on making this thing like a damned corset, so the boning won’t let it move an inch.”
He touched one of the tiny buttons, mortified to see his hand shaking.
Seriously? He shook his hands out and tried again, relieved to see a bit of control return.
“Okay. I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee I won’t make a mess of it. These things are seriously tiny!”
Darby nodded and bent her head forward, exposing her neck fully.
“That’s okay. As long as I can get this thing off at home, it’s fine. I didn’t even think about it when Em decided on the buttons. She’s fine, she has Gabe to undo hers, and Amy has Simon. Me? I would’ve been in this thing forever if I wasn’t here.”
Ryan fumbled with the first one. His fingers wouldn’t do as they were told. He muttered and tried again, letting out a sound of triumph when one slipped through the tiny cord loop.
“This is torture, Darb. How is anyone expected to get this thing off fast? It’d be a total bastard if you were getting hot and heavy and needed it off in a hurry.”
Darby’s back twitched under his hands, a choked laugh escaping her.
“That’s not really something I have to worry about, is it?”
Another button complied and slipped through. Hell, why couldn’t he be doing this because she wanted him, not just because he was a convenient set of hands? “I don’t know why. You’re a gorgeous woman. You could have your pick of any number of guys.”
Darby’s shoulders started shaking. She shook her head and faced him. The shine of tears brightened her eyes.
“Darb? Heck, are you okay?”
A great peal of laughter bounced around the room. She shook her head again and swiped a hand at her face. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”
Ryan grabbed her jaw and made her look at him. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. It happens to be true.”
The stark disbelief on Darby’s face set his blood temperature soaring.
“What? You expect me to believe that nonsense?”
Ryan couldn’t help it, he stroked her cheek with his thumb.Stop touching her!“How can it be nonsense?”
Darby’s eyes hardened. A sadness he’d never seen swirled in their depths. “How could it be the truth coming from you—a man who’s dated every woman in town—except for me? It’s obvious to anyone looking that you find me unappealing. Yourlackof interest is extremely telling.”
His gut tumbled and fell to his toes. No… Surely not? She couldn’t mean…
Could she?
He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. Her indrawn breath at the contact sent yearning spiralling deep through him.
No. This wasDarby, for pity’s sake! He shouldn’t do this, shouldn’t go there. Shouldn’t evenconsiderwhat he was thinking of doing, but…