"Now you 're Southern. " He bit into the apple he held in his hand. "You 're all moved in? "

"Yes. And thank you for offering to let me stay here. It was very kind of you. "

Sam shrugged a shoulder as he took another bite of his apple. "I ain 't here much. But as long as you 're paying half the rent, stay as long as you want. "

"Thank you, again. "

"Oh, and I figure I 'll stay at Cynthia 's tonight. You can bring Curtis back if you want. "

She 'd never contemplated not bringing a man back home for the night. Once that had been the norm, but now, she couldn 't even imagine the man she loved coming home to her bed. No. That wouldn 't work. Not yet.

Curtis knocked on the door at seven o 'clock sharp. He 'd never found the need to change his clothes several times before taking a woman out, but this was different. This was Simone.

At first he 'd been excited at the opportunity to spend the evening with her. He 'd showered, shaved, and dressed in his best going out jeans. Then he 'd remembered his time with Simone.

They been so comfortable wrapped in each other 's arms. He 'd fallen short of telling her he loved her and he often wondered if it would have made a difference. Probably not. Women like Simone were told that too often. She probably didn 't know what the words really meant. That had caused him to change into casual clothes, sweats, and back into his going out jeans.

An anxious buzz zipped through him. What was he doing? This wasn 't going to end well. Oh, Simone Pierpont shows up in Nashville and claims she 's going to be independent and on her own. She gives a beaten woman some earrings and begs her best friend for a job. Was that really that heroic?

Curtis stepped down one of the front steps, and then another. This was silly. She was going to run him over the coals again and he 'd be the fool.

He was almost all the way down the steps when Simone finally opened the door. Her hair hung in a low pony tail over her shoulder. She was dressed in his sister 's clothes and she looked absolutely adorable.

The active male in him said to scoop her off her feet, throw her onto that waterbed, and forget the rest of the world.

But the logical man said to smile and keep his distance the rest of the night.

Somewhere in between those two Curtis made it back up the stairs and decided to forget the rest of the world, but to keep his distance at the same time.

Cynthia had said to meet them downtown, but by Curtis 's estimations she 'd started her own party hours earlier. The moment they walked into the club she ran to them, draped her arms over each of them and slurred her adoration for them both.

"C 'mon. C 'mon. Let 's drink. " She pulled them to her table where Sam already sat.

She fell down in the seat next to Sam. He put his arm around her and held her upright in the chair.

Curtis shook his head. Sadly, he saw many of his coworkers in this same light too often. This was how they forgot the stresses of their jobs.

"I 'll get us some drinks. Do you want a beer or a glass of wine, " he asked Simone.

"I would like an iced tea. "

He focused on her. "Iced tea. "

"Yes. Is that a problem? "

"Not usually. We 're out to let go of the week. You can 't do that on iced tea. "

She smiled, but it wasn 't a happy smile. It was one he 'd seen her use before. It was her smile that gave her power over anyone who challenged her. "I think I will be happy with the tea. "

He nodded and headed toward the bar.

Curtis placed his orders and turned to find Sam walking toward him. "How long has she been at it? " He nodded toward Cynthia.

"She was already toasted when I picked her up "

"What 's that about? "

Sam shrugged. "She 's just unwinding. "

"You 're getting her another? "

"O 'Douls. " He laughed. "At this point she 'll never know. "

Sam was good people, Curtis knew that. He could rest assured that Simone would be in good hands living with Sam.

Simone was well into her second iced tea when she thought she might explode. Sam and Cynthia had danced for nearly an hour, but she 'd stayed at the table and Curtis had never left her side.

"I have to use the ladies room, " she hollered over the music.

"C 'mon, I 'll walk you. It 's across over there. " He pointed to the back of the establishment.

"I 'll be fine. " She stood from her stool.

Curtis took hold of her hand. "I don 't trust a single one of those cowboys. You 're mine for the night and I 'm going to keep it that way. "

The statement was just that, a statement, and if she read too much into it she knew she 'd be setting herself up for disappointment.

Because she had no choice, and she had to get to the bathroom, she let him hold tight to her hand as they walked through the crowd. His words still rang in her ears. Did he not trust the cowboys or did he not trust her? She didn 't like the way he 'd put it to her. Did he still see her as someone who would ditch him there and go home with someone else? Well, he must have or he wouldn 't have said such a thing. Then again, why wouldn 't he think that?

When she walked out of the restroom he was standing there leaned against the wall waiting for her. His booted feet crossed at the ankles and his thumbs hooked through his belt loops made him lengthy and sexy. She couldn 't imagine there was another cowboy in that bar that could turn her head as the doctor with the deep blue eyes had.

"C 'mon. " He took hold of her hand. "You owe me a dance. "

"I cannot dance. " Her voice shook as much as her hands.

"You can, but let me teach you how we do it in Tennessee. "

He pulled her to the dance floor and slid his arm around her waist. Her entire body quivered as his hand settled against the small of her back. This was how it had all started. The hand, the gaze, her body pressed to his -the kiss which had followed.

She tilted her head and their eyes locked. He 'd felt it too, she was certain.

People moved around them but they stood there gazing at one another. His Adam 's apple bobbed in his throat. Was it true she could make him feel as overwhelmed as she felt?

Curtis pulled her closer. The anticipation of him kissing her was overpowering. She braced herself. If their lips met the entire earth would move.