Chapter 68 Feeling Alive Again
There was really no way to reply. It was all completely new to her. These were things that Evelyn had never told her about. She could see the cowboys helping each other. Western people seemed to simply be that way as a general rule, but it seemed a little bit odd that men who were competing against each other would give away their secrets. But it made sense when you thought about it from the perspective of it being the cowboys against the bulls; somewhat.
They arrived at the steak house in silence. It was packed, but someone recognized RJ and took them to a table as soon as they arrived. She considered how nice it must be to be favored that way, and then she realized that because she was with him, she was being favored as well. Lots of people looked at her and wondered what she had that this superhuman cowboy desired. She could read the disgust in the faces of some of the women as she passed them. It made her a little self-conscious, and it must have shown on her face.
“Don’t let it bother you, Alex,” he grinned. “Hope you don’t mind if I call you Alex. They’re just jealous that you’re so purdy.”
“No, I don’t mind. Thanks.” Again, she blushed. As they began to talk and laugh, she let go of all the insecurities she had been carrying around with her since she left Glendale. She didn’t know why she had held onto them, but it was obvious that they had a pretty strong hold upon her. RJ was able to melt each of them away with his easy manner and those piercing, blue eyes.
Every part of her was driving forward in uncontrollable desire. A part of her was telling her that what she was doing wasn’t right, but the other part was so eager to feel his touch that it was completely winning out. His honesty, his pure adoration, and his kiss had weakened her defenses, and she felt herself giving in. His lips on hers and his soft caresses with those incredibly strong hands sent tingles throughout her body. Everything about him thrilled her. Everything about him turned her inside out and exposed her. She was on top of the world when she was with him. She felt alive again. It was much the same as when she was on the back of a horse with the wind rushing past her face, but more intense and more personal. Every part of her body screamed out for him, and then it all stopped at the sound of Evelyn’s voice calling her to wake up.
“Come on, Princess. It’s time to get up. That must have been some dream. You didn’t want to let go of it.”
“Uhumm,” Alexandra replied in a sleepy voice. “It was. Why did you have to ruin it?”
“Just an ornery streak that runs through me,” she grinned.
“Somehow I believe that,” she replied.
“We’ve got work to do,” Evelyn said, turning away with her cup of steaming coffee. The sight and smell of it were luring Alexandra up out of her bed. “What time did you get in last night anyway?”
“I don’t know,” she said, sliding out of bed and taking the two or three steps that led from the bed to the stove and the hot coffee. “It was some time after midnight.”
“Sooooo?” Evelyn beamed.
“What?” Alexandra responded. She turned away from the coffee pot with a full cup and leaned against the counter.
“Must have been quite some cowboy,” she grinned.
“Now you want to pry,” Alexandra replied. “Never ask my business about anything until now.”
“You don’t have to tell,” Evelyn said. By giving up so easily, it made Alexandra want to tell.
“We just had dinner and took a little walk,” she replied.
“Must have been more than a little walk to be here after midnight,” she teased.
“We did stay in the restaurant for quite a while talking and laughing after we ate,” she answered. Two could play at this game, and she was determined to do well at it.
“Well, grab a shower and get dressed,” Evelyn said, rising from the table. “We need to get started pretty quick.”
“I had dinner with RJ Falls,” she blurted. She was about to lose her audience, and she had to tell her about her night.
“RJ Falls?” Evelyn asked. “You’re sure? You know that more than one cowboy has used a rodeo star’s name to get laid.”
“I’m pretty sure it was him,” she replied. “Everyone at the steak house thought so. They gave us a table as soon as we walked in, and he never said a thing to anybody.”
“Be careful with him,” she said.
“He is so sweet and those eyes,” she beamed. “Oh, and that smile, and he has such an easy way about him.”
“Yep. And I’ll bet more than one woman has fallen victim to that smile and those eyes,” Evelyn responded.
“But he makes me feel so free,” she protested. She refused to believe that anything about RJ was fake. He was real, very real, and honest. She could just feel it in him.
“Sure, you’ll feel free and you’ll feel incredible and everything will be perfect,” Evelyn warned. Her hand was on the doorknob, she turned it, and pushed the door open. She turned as she took a step down. “Then one day you’ll find him with another woman.” She turned to leave, hesitated, and turned back. “I hope that I’m wrong. I’m glad you had a good time last night.”
The mixed message that Evelyn sent her in that short conversation didn’t make her want to be careful. She knew what she was doing. She knew what she had felt, and she knew him. Evelyn didn’t know him. Evelyn hadn’t talked and laughed with him for hours. Evelyn didn’t feel the way that he touched her and the way that he kissed her. Besides, if he was just looking for a good time, then why did he break off their making out and head back to his motel room alone? He would have invited her back with him, right? It didn’t matter; he said that he would come see her later today. She would know then. His attitude would tell her. She slipped into the shower.
She couldn’t help touching herself tenderly as she showered and thought of his hands caressing her. The dream had started a stirring inside of her that she had left dormant for quite some time. The feel of his kisses, the touch of his strong hands, and the way that he looked at her all combined to make her feel so wanted and needed. The way that they talked so easily, like they had known each other forever, caused her to believe that she was more than just a one-night stand. For the first time in over a year, she believed that someone wanted her. She felt the tingling all over herself that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Though her face hurt from smiling so much the night before, she couldn’t help smiling as she got out of the shower and dressed.