"Son of a bitch!"

She pulled the hood lever, unbuckled her seat belt, and got out of the car. In a fit of anger, she slammed the door. Gravel crunched under the heels of her six-hundred dollar Manolo boots as she stomped to the front of the car and fumbled with the hood release. The fact that she actually managed to open the hood pleased her more than it should have. After all, she hadn't the faintest idea what to do next.

She leaned over the engine as if expecting it to come right out and tell her what had gone wrong. God knew she'd paid enough for the little MGB that it should not only be able to tell her what was wrong, it should also be able to fix itself. "Well, shit," she said aloud. "You've got Triple A, you idiot. Use it."

By the time the tow truck arrived, Lexie's mood had gone from bad to worse. Blackberry to her ear, she instructed her assistant, Merilee, on how to handle one of her more difficult clients.

"Mr. Sanderson's been calling about the latest sales history," Merilee informed her. "He doesn't think we're doing enough to promote the book."

"Well, you just tell Mr. Sanderson that his last book never came close to the New York Time's Best Seller List, and he should be damned happy with the Double Day Book of the Month Selection. At least someone may read the damn thing and we'll both get paid."

She continued to pace, only pausing for a moment to glare at the tow truck driver and look pointedly at her watch. The man should have been here half an hour ago. She watched as he unfolded himself from the cab of the truck, then Merilee's voice intruded again.

"Don't yell, but he says that, in light of the current world situation, his book is relevant to the state of modern culture."

The state of modern culture? "Oh, Lord love a duck!" Her mild-mannered expletive elicited a grin from the tow truck driver.

"Tell the little prick he can find himself another agent. He was doing the backstroke in the bottom of a gin bottle when the cold war ended, so he probably doesn't remember it. Russia isn't the enemy anymore and I will not try and peddle one more James Bond wannabe spy story for him."

She stopped pacing and watched the hunky driver load her car onto the bed of the truck. Task completed, he turned to her and glanced pointedly at his own watch. Nice, a funny guy, but definitely a hottie. He had to be well over six feet tall, broad shouldered and lean hipped, forearms strong and tanned below his rolled up tee-shirt sleeves. Lexie held up her index finger indicating he should give her just one minute and he nodded, turning to walk back to the truck. My, oh, my, he looked as good going as he did coming. She snickered as her mind wandered into gutter territory. She wouldn't mind watching him come.

"Sweetie, I have to go now. I'm broken down somewhere outside of Podunk, Texas and...no, I don't know if there really is a Podunk, Texas. I have to hang up, the driver's ready to go. I'll call you tonight.">[? Lexie took note of the perturbed expression on the driver's face. "What? I've been waiting for you for over two hours."

The man tipped his cowboy hat back, scrutinizing her with startling blue eyes. "Well, ma'am, doesn't surprise me none. The directions you gave Triple A were a tad vague � 'somewhere between bum fuck and and can't get there from here' on highway eighty-three covers a lot of territory. I've been driving around looking for you for the better part of an hour and a half. And just so you know, there's no town in Texas goes by the name of Podunk. We're heading for Wilbur."

It took everything she had not to laugh. "As in the pig?" That earned her a blank look from cowboy guy.

"From Charlotte's Web? By E. B. White."

"I wouldn't know anything about a pig called Wilbur. Most folks hereabouts don't make a habit of naming an animal they plan on eating."

She might have known. "Do you think someone in Wilbur will be able to fix my car?" The cowboy shrugged. "Depends on what's wrong with it. That's quite a car. Any idea what's wrong with it?"

Lexie gave him a look. "I haven't the faintest idea. Seems like there's always something wrong with the thing, but I can't bring myself to part with it. I was driving along and it lost power. I coasted to the side of the road."

Cowboy guy grinned. "So you popped the hood thinking something might jump out at ya?"

She raised her chin, knowing she'd just been insulted. "I thought maybe something was loose somewhere."

Straight white teeth flashed a grin. "Well, I reckon there might be at that." He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. "Hop on in and let's get her back to the garage. If there's something loose, I reckon I got the tools to tighten her up. Cute bumper sticker, by the way."

Watching him walk back to the driver's side of the truck, she didn't doubt for a moment he had the right tools to tighten up just about anything. Lord, he was fine. His hair, longer than was fashionable these days, hung past his shoulders, slightly wavy but shiny with health. Her fingers ached to touch it. He possessed a strong jaw and a sharply defined nose that looked as though it had been broken a time or two. She could see where he'd shaved, but evidence of a five-o'clock shadow was already beginning to sprout. Laugh lines creased the outside of those intensely blue eyes. And his lips � she nearly groaned at the sight of those full, kissable lips. They didn't make men like this in L. A. and she mourned the loss. Some men naturally wore Levis as though they'd been born with them, and this one certainly filled out his denim in all the right places.

As for the bumper sticker that read I Brake For Mechanics, well, a former boyfriend had ordered it especially for her, since he spent an inordinate amount of time picking her up on whatever stretch of highway the little car left her stranded. "Yes, well, if nothing else, it's apropos".

Wilbur, Texas turned out to be a fifty-eight mile trip to the middle of nowhere, and she was pretty sure they'd left that vicinity an hour ago. As a town, it didn't have much in the way of bragging rights., near as Lexie could tell. The main shopping district consisted of a grocery store, an Ace Hardware, some kind of farm and feed store, and a Walgreens Pharmacy. At least she'd be able to buy a bottle of ibuprofen for the headache coming on strong.

Cowboy guy made a left onto a dirt road that dead-ended at Hawke's Auto Repair. He got out of the truck, walked around, and opened her door, offering his hand to help her down.Lexie smiled politely.

"Thank you, Mr.?"

"Hawke. Zachary Hawke." He nodded toward the building. "Inside's air conditioned, if you'd like to go inside and wait while I unload your vehicle. There's a soda machine, too. I reckon it may have some of that fancy bottled water in it."

"Thank you, Mr. Hawke."

"You're welcome, Ma'am."

As she headed for the office, and the cooled air, she swore she could feel his eyes on her. It took everything she had not to look back at him. Cowboy-mechanic guy was one fine looking man.

It took less than an hour for Zachary Hawke to break the bad news. He entered the waiting area wiping his hands on a rag. "When's the last time you had that thing serviced?"

Lexie frowned. "I'm not sure. My assistant usually handles that sort of thing for me. I could call her and ask." He shook his head. "No need. Your timing chain busted and you have a couple of bent valves. I'll have to order the parts. It'll take a few days to get it running again."

Lexie closed her eyes and groaned. Dollar signs flashed inside her eyelids. Why, oh, why, did she keep that damned car? When she opened them again she asked, "I don't suppose there's any place I can rent a car around here?"

Zach laughed. "No, ma'am, there surely isn't."

Lexie sighed, resigned to her fate. "Well, you best go ahead and order the parts."

"Like as not, it's gonna' cost you."

Another sigh. "Why am I not surprised? Next question: can you do the work?"

Zach shrugged. "Don't know why not. My uncle used to own one of these things. Taught me everything he knew about them."

Lexie laughed. "How lucky was I to find you out here in the middle of nowhere?" When he frowned, she bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I'm casting aspersions on your town and I know nothing about it. Please, order the parts. I'll put the whole thing on my American Express and be done with it. You do take AmEx?"

"I do at that."

Relieved, she stood up and stretched, groaning softly, her breasts pushing against the silky material of her blouse. "Is there a motel around here where I can stay?"

She watched as he stroked the soul patch beneath his full bottom lip. "No, ma'am, there isn't. Used to be a bed and breakfast, but I closed it down when I bought the place." He gestured in an unknown direction, as though she could see the place from inside the building. "I reckon you could stay in one of the upstairs rooms, though. I wouldn't charge you for it, seeing as how the repair's gonna' set you back some."

Lexie frowned. "I don't know �"

"Nearest town with a decent motel's pretty near seventy-five miles from here. Not sure if a taxi service would come that far a piece."

She sighed. "You're sure it won't be an inconvenience?"

Zach smiled. "Not at all. I kept the wireless internet, so you can use your laptop if need be. I'll drive you up there now if you'd like."

Following Zach up the wide staircase, Lexie couldn't help but wonder how he managed to keep such a large place so neat and clean. The antique furnishings glowed and the scent of lemon oil filled the air. "What a lovely home. You say it used to be a bed and breakfast? Why on earth did you shut it down?"

Zach chuckled. "Not much call for a bed and breakfast in Wilbur, Texas. Town did pretty well until they put the interstate through. You might have noticed it passed us by."

"I did notice that, yes."

She paused behind him as he opened the door and carried her luggage inside. It never would have occurred to her that such a place existed in little Wilbur, Texas. The room was a large, airy space with plenty of light and the largest four-poster bed she'd ever seen. "My goodness. A person could get lost in that bed."

Once again she heard the familiar rumble of his laughter. "That belonged to the fellow who founded the town, Benjamin Wilbur. This all used to be ranch land. Local talk is that Mrs. Wilbur didn't care much for her wifely duties, so she commissioned this bed so she and Mr. Wilbur wouldn't accidentally touch limbs while they slept."

Lexie laughed. "I don't expect that stopped Mr. Wilbur from claiming his husbandly rights."

The look he gave her sent shivers down her spine. "No, ma'am, it surely didn't. Eleven children were born in that bed." He set her luggage on the bed for her. "Feel free to look around if the spirit moves you. Fridge is pretty well stocked." He gestured to a small writing desk in the corner of the room. "You can plug your computer in over there if you need to email your assistant." Lexie nodded. She had already emailed Marilee, to have her cancel her appearance at the Romance Writers Conference in New Orleans, and was overjoyed when Marilee offered to go in her place. Now she could go online and chat with her about the specifics.

This trip was turning out to be a real adventure. A real Texas cowboy had rescued her and he'd offered her a place to stay while he fixed her car. Looking at him through hooded lids, she couldn't help but wonder what else he might have to offer.

Tall and lean, his dark hair held back with a length of soft leather, he was the epitome of what she imagined a real cowboy would look like, even though she saw no evidence of cows nearby. "Thank you again for all your help." When he turned a brilliant smile on her, she felt a familiar warmth pool between her legs. "Really, I don't know what I would have done without you."

He moved closer to the door, blue eyes crinkling as he grinned. "My pleasure, ma'am."

She felt her cheeks heat. "I...please, call me Lexie."

He paused at the doorway. "All right, Lexie. My friends call me Zach." Her breath hitched as his eyes moved across her body.

"Are we going to be friends, Zach?" It was a foolish question, really. A downright come on if she was to be honest with herself, but the man looked so good, she couldn't resist.

"Yes, ma'am. I think we could be real good friends."

The heated look in his eyes made a shiver run down her spine. He'd known exactly what she meant with her veiled question.

"Food's real good at The Roadhouse. I'd sure like it if you'd have dinner with me tonight." She smiled, capturing her lower lip between her teeth. "I'd like that."

"I'll back about six o'clock, then." He touched the brim of his hat and left her to her imagination.

Lexie scowled as she rummaged her suitcases for something appropriate to wear. She'd packed for the writer's conference, so most of what she'd packed tended to be on the casual chic side. She settled for a billowy silk, lemon yellow skirt that rode slightly low on the hip, pairing it with a sleeveless white eyelet top with hidden snaps in the low-cut vee neck. Three-inch wedge sandals that tied around her ankles showed off perfectly French manicured toes. A trifle cosmopolitan for Wilbur, Texas, but it would have to do.

The sound of boot heels on the stairs alerted Lexie to Zach's arrival. She checked her watch. Right on time. Another point in his favor. As he knocked on the door, she did a final check of her hair and makeup before calling out, "Come in." Further pleasantries died on her lips. Jesus, God, he looked good. His dark hair freed from its confining strip of leather, hung in a shining wave around his shoulders. A crisp white western-style shirt, trimmed in brown leather piping, accentuated his tanned skin. The Levis hugged his lean hips and legs as though the Lord himself put them there to entice. Her pussy contracted, sending a throb through her body that blatantly declared, "I want." Oh, this man was dangerous. "I can't seem to find my purse," Lexie dithered. Suddenly, she felt like a fish out of water. Would the locals think she was putting on airs dressed in silk and three-inch heels, with her manicured toenails? She looked at Zach to gauge his reaction. The look on his face made her knees weak. It was lust, pure and simple.

"On the desk," he said thickly, looking at her as though she were a sweet treat.

"Ah," she murmured, acutely aware of the flesh displayed between her skirt and top. She crossed to the desk.

"Don't bother," Zach told her. "You won't want to leave it on the table while we're on the dance floor."

Lexie turned, smiling. "We'll be dancing?"

His eyes told her they would be doing more than dancing, but he merely nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Seeing you like this, I'm fairly itching to hold you."

Heads turned as Lexie and Zach entered The Roadhouse. As though sensing her discomfort, Zach placed a possessive hand on the small of her back, guiding her to an intimate table out of the way of prying eyes. He seated her, and took off his Stetson, setting it on a vacant chair. Intense blue eyes studied her, and Lexie fought the urge to squirm in her seat.

"What?" she asked, nearly breathless from his scrutiny.

"You're beautiful. I can hardly take my eyes off you."

Heat crept into her cheeks and she had to look away. "Thank you."

"But I reckon you hear that all the time."

Lexie laughed softly. If she were to be honest, she'd have to admit she did. "On occasion, but I don't take it too seriously."

"Why not? It's the truth."

Her tongue snaked out to lick her upper lip "Because it's been my experience that people don't look beyond physical appearance, Mr. Hawke. They see a pretty face and think everything comes easy because of it."

Zach nodded. "I guess I can understand that. You want people to take you seriously and all they see is a pretty face."

"Exactly. It can be very discouraging because I really am very good at what I do."

"You're in publishing?"

Lexie nodded. "I represent authors."

A waitress appeared, handing them menus and a wine list. As the server walked away, Zach chuckled at her raised eyebrows. "Surprised they have a wine list?"

"I'm ashamed to say I am. Talk about not looking beyond the physical."

Zach grinned. "That's okay. Your secret's safe with me." He didn't bother to open the menu. "I always have the New York Strip, but they serve a nice grilled pork chop and I hear the chicken's good."

Lexie returned his grin. "I'm a steak girl, myself."

"Then I reckon we'd better order a bottle of cabernet."

"Sounds wonderful."

Dinner passed in a pleasant blur of conversation and wine. As it happened, Zach had read several of her authors. They both shared an interest in history, and he professed amazement when she confessed to a passion for fly-fishing. When the server cleared the table, they moved to the other room and took a seat in a small, curved booth. As soon the band started, Zach pulled her onto the dance floor and taught her the two-step. When the band began the open notes to Brad Paisley's Everything, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to melt into Zach's arms and close her eyes as the music transported them. And when she felt his lips graze the curve of her jaw, it felt right to turn her head and kiss him.

"Lexie," he murmured against her ear. "I really have a hankerin' to get naked with you."

Walking hand in hand up the stairs, it occurred to Lexie she had never taken a complete stranger to her bed. This was so not typical behavior for her. Why did it feel so right?

Zach opened the door and paused at the threshold. "You're sure? Because once I have your clothes off, I don't know that I'll be able to stop."

A nervous laugh escaped her. "I'm sure."

She preceded him inside and watched as he closed the door. He tossed his hat on the dresser and toed off his boots. Lexie reached for the top snap on her blouse, but he stayed her hand. "No. I want to undress you myself."

He removed his shirt, tossing it on the foot of the bed before taking her in his arms. His mouth settled over hers in a kiss both gentle and demanding. The play of his hands thrilled her, as he stroked her back and then moved to cup her ass, pulling her tight against his erection. When she did the same, an almost feral growl escaped him and the kiss went from tender to hungry.

Lexie gasped as Zach lifted her up, but her legs automatically curled around his waist. One hand went to her breast and the snaps holding her blouse together gave way. She hadn't worn a bra so there was no barrier between them and his mouth went greedily to her breast. An audible moan escaped her as he drew on her, taking her deep into his mouth. She uttered a murmur in protest when his mouth left her and he set her on her feet again.

"I have to get you naked." His voice held a note of barely contained restraint. Just the heat of his gaze made her shudder with anticipation. There would be no love making this first time. He intended to fuck her, and fuck her well, of that there could be no doubt. The white eyelet top slid down her arms and landed on the floor but Lexie could have cared less. Strong, callused fingers untied the drawstring of her skirt and it too hit the floor. Then nothing stood between them but a lacy white Rio thong.

She couldn't remember a time when she felt this powerful, this sexy, and this hot. She grabbed the waistband of his Levis and tugged him closer. Her fingers shook as she undid his belt buckle, flicked open the top button and slid the zipper down. He wore no underwear and she licked her lips in anticipation, prompting a lustful groan from him. When she slid her hand inside his jeans, pushing them down over his hips, he followed her lead and her lacy panties fell to her ankles. She stepped out of them, kicking them away as Zach did the same with his Levis.

Dear God, his body was perfection! Tall and lean, he possessed the muscles of a man that worked hard for a living. He didn't spend all day in the gym, but his shoulders and arms were defined and his abs made her want to lean down and run her tongue around each perfectly formed centimeter. And then, there was his cock. Long and thick, it stood proudly at attention, just waiting for her to reach out and take his length in her hand. And she would have done so, if Zach hadn't stopped her.

"Not yet. First we take care of you, darlin', because if you touch me now, I can't guarantee how long I'll be able to hold on." His fingers stroked her shoulders, her collarbone, and moved to tease her breasts. He laughed softly when her body shuddered with delight, and his hand nudged her legs apart. His finger immediately found her clit. "Mmm, hot and wet, just the way I like it."

Lexie moaned as a thick, blunt finger slid into her weeping cunt. He went to his knees to nibble at her belly and gave her another digit, thrusting deep. "Yes, oooh." Then she was flat on her back as Zach lifted her heels to the edge of mattress and spread her wide. She cried out as his fingers slid deep again, pumping in and out. "That's right. Make as much noise as you want, darling." His tongue lapped at her slit. "Nobody's gonna hear you but me. I aim to make you scream before I fuck you."

She didn't know how long it lasted, the exquisite torture to which he subjected her. His fingers moved in and around her pussy, opening her, examining her, stroking the delicate flesh. He followed each foray of his fingers with his tongue, licking, sucking, tasting. No part of her went undiscovered. He knew every fold of her pussy before his lips ever touched her clit, and when they did, she howled like a wildcat.

"Oh, God, please!" She literally begged him to fuck her, but he wanted more, and told her so. "Come for me, darling."

She moaned, thrusting her cunt against his mouth and he sucked her clit between his lips, drawing on it like a baby at its mother's breast. She felt it then, the intense heat, the surge of sensation deep in her womb. Jesus, she was going to come like a volcano!

"Oooh! I'm gonna�" Her back arched like a bow as his fingers thrust deep, sending her over the edge with the scream he'd vowed to wrest from her. Her body still shook as he lifted her to the middle of the bed. She reached for him, twining her arms around his neck as his cock nudged her. "Yes, fuck me."

Lexie inhaled sharply as his cock breached her entrance. To his credit, he eased himself into her inch by inch, giving her body time to adjust to the feel and size of him. She could tell by his clenched jaws what it cost him to hold back and she pulled him down for a languorous kiss.

She moved under him, testing the feel of him. "Mmmm, you feel good." She whispered the words next to his ear, then gently nipped the lobe.

He chuckled and drew back, thrusting into her. "That's right, just like that." His hips flicked again. "Oh, yes, that's good. Harder, baby, harder."

He needed no more encouragement. With the first murmured, "Harder," he pulled back, powering into her like a piston, seating himself deep, then pulling back to do it again. Lexie lifted her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as he slammed into her repeatedly. She felt impossibly full, like pulling on a pair of too tight gloves she knew would fit with just a bit of stretching. And Zach was stretching her, his hips rotating, stirring her deep inside, then resuming the long, rhythmic strokes that kept her moaning with pleasure.

Somewhere along the way, he found her sweet spot, the one place inside her that was guaranteed to send her into orbit. She yelped with surprise as his dick slipped across her G-spot. That had never happened before! She didn't even know she had one! But Zach must have known what he'd done because he adjusted his stroke and hit that place without fail, eliciting screams of pleasure she'd never known were possible.

"That's right, darlin'. I found it, didn't I?" Incapable of speech, her back bowed and her hands pounded the mattress. "Come on, darling. Come for me again. I want you to come while I'm fucking you like this."

His crooning words were her undoing, as he finally increased his pace, fucking her hard and deep as his own release came upon him. When her orgasm catapulted into the stratosphere, her body shuddered and bucked beneath him, her pussy contracting around his cock, milking him. As he slammed into her one last time, she arched against him.

He threw his head back, bellowing as he came, his cock spurting again and again, draining him completely. Collapsing on top of her, he nuzzled his cheek in the nook of her neck.

Dawn crept through the window as Lexie opened her eyes to find Zach watching her. "What time is it?"

"A little past five."

She groaned. "In the morning?"

He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am." He shoved the covers back and pulled her, protesting, from the bed. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Lexie grumbled good-naturedly. "It'd better be good, cowboy." She pulled on a pair of jeans and shrugged into a tee shirt. "Like you, naked by dawn's early light."

He grinned and she felt her heart go pitty pat. "Great minds, darling." He took her by the hand, led her down the stairs and out the door. Barefoot, they walked on a soft carpet of grass to the green banks of the river. Live oaks grew in profusion and the water gurgled over smooth, flat rocks in the middle of the waterway. "Oh, my," Lexie murmured. "It's beautiful."

He stood behind her, holding her against his chest, his arms wreathing her in his warmth. "I have a confession to make."

She tipped her head back, looking up at him. "What's that?"

"Your car's not really as bad off as I led you to believe."

Lexie turned in his grasp, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Really? Well, what's wrong with it?"

He had the good graces to look painfully contrite. "You ran out of gas." He tightened his arms around her, expecting her to storm away, cursing. Instead she laughed.

"No way!"

"Way."

"Oh my God. I'm so embarrassed. I'm so used to the damn thing breaking down, I never even thought� but why?"

"You looked so pretty and smelled so sweet; I just wanted to keep you around for a day or two. Only way I could think to do it was to make it sound like your car needed some serious work. Are you mad? I can fill her up and get you on the road right now if you need to get to New Orleans."

"Nah, Marilee can handle New Orleans. I think I need a little more diagnostic work done before I leave."

Zach laughed and leaned down to toss her over his shoulder. "Well, then come on, darlin'. Let's go look under your hood."