Page 13 of The Bargain Bride

“Are you implying Simon only wanted to be with me to get his hands on the ranch? Just because I'm not your type doesn't mean other men don't find me attractive.”

Speechless, Jared stared at her. Not his type? She would be stunned to know how his body reacted to her every movement, every smile, every breath. Not even her anger cooled his ardor. To the contrary, her flashing eyes and flared nostrils nearly sent him over the edge. Of course, he didn't want her to realize that.

Once again, he reminded himself how long it had been since he took a woman to bed. That was the only reason he could see for his over-the-top sexual interest in Beth Rawlings.

He started to tell her it wasn't true. He opened his mouth to admit the undeniable attraction he felt for her, but she leaped up from the table before he got a single syllable out. One of her hands grabbed a handful of the wedding dress and held the skirt high enough so she could walk without tripping, while the other hand held the bodice to her chest. She looked incredible, like a runaway bride.

“Go to hell!” she yelled.

She slammed the bedroom door hard enough to make the wall tremble. The painting hanging over the couch fell. Staring at the closed door, Jared counted his blessings that she'd gotten angry before something could transpire between them. She had no idea how close he'd been to kissing her breathless and sliding the gown off her slender body.

He gritted his teeth and reminded himself yet again that she was pregnant with his brother's child. If any woman was off limits, it was Beth. New plan: he would take numerous cold showers, dump her off at the ranch tomorrow, and return to Boston pronto. The quicker he got away from her, the better.

Chapter Seven

She slammed the bedroom door and leaned back against it, heart thundering in her chest. Damn Jared Wilder! He got under her skin like no one else she'd ever met. She cursed her bad luck once again that he had returned home just in time to step in and take his brother's place. It was obvious he couldn't stand being around her, and obvious he wasn't attracted to her in the slightest. It was too bad she couldn't say the same. Even a quick glance from him set her ablaze.

She had wanted to cover herself earlier when he barged into her bedroom unannounced. Silly urge. Jared wasn't attracted to her, so why should she bother to put a robe on? It hadn't been easy to stand there, back straight and arms at her sides instead of using them to cover herself. She was proud that she had stood her ground.

He still reminded her of a wolf in both behavior and physical appearance, and she envied his disturbing gray eyes. Only around three percent of the population had the color, according to the internet. As a child, she had thought his eyes were a hazy blue. Now, she knew they were an incredible smoky gray. They drew her in until she feared she'd be trapped forever, drowning in their beauty.

The fact he didn't shave every day added to the wolf image, as did his habit of growling deep in his throat when frustrated or angry. Damn, could he be any sexier? If he hadn’t become a doctor, he could be a movie star. She could picture him easily in the role of a werewolf.

She considered letting the wedding gown fall to the floor at her feet again, but she didn't want a repeat of their awkward confrontation earlier. Her gaze drifted to the door. She almost expected Jared to storm through it. Of course he didn't. Why would he? Jared had made it perfectly clear he didn't want her. Zero attraction. She had the opposite problem. One look at him and her mouth went dry, her skin tingled, and her tongue got tangled. She was a grown woman, but he made her feel like a silly schoolgirl without a clue.

She sat on the steps leading up to the champagne glass hot tub. With feet placed just one step below where she was sitting, her knees bent at an awkward angle. She lifted her skirt to expose her legs and bunched the material down between her thighs. Unladylike was what Delta called it when she sat like that at home, but it didn't bother her. She refused to pretend to be something she was not.

It was too bad Simon didn't have the same effect on her as Jared did. How could two brothers be so different? The sun and the moon.

The door flew open and banged against the wall. Once again, Jared burst into her room without knocking. This time, he didn't freeze or offer an apology. With a tight jaw and bunched shoulders, he looked like a man ready to pick a fight with someone bigger than him. His fingers curled and uncurled as if he was working hard not to make a fist.

“Some of the comments you made today were uncalled for and totally untrue,” he said.

She glared at him. “Like what?”

“You told Alice I wouldn't want you if you were naked and dipped in whipped cream. That is insane. I assure you that I am a normal red-blooded American male, and you are a stunning woman. Why wouldn't I want you?” His hungry gaze took in her bare legs. “And I happen to like whipped cream on my treats.”

Taken aback, she openly stared at him. Was he mocking her? Cheeks burning beneath his heated gaze, she felt more than a little self-conscious. Part of her wanted to put her knees together, cover her legs with the skirt again, and sit like a young lady. If she didn’t have what Delta called a stubborn spirit, maybe she would do just that.

“What do you want from me?” she asked. “What do you expect from me? I don't understand any of this. You swoop in and drag me off to get married without even a hello and—”

“It's going to work in your favor, so I don't know what you're bitching about. The ranch will be yours, and I'll be out of your life... if that's what you want.”

Her mouth went dry at the thought of never seeing Jared again. Thinking about it hurt, but she wasn't going to admit that. “Of course, it's what I want. Isn't that what you want? To never see me or the ranch again?”

“What I want is to be there for you and this baby.” He rubbed a hand over his short-cropped hair. A heavy sigh parted his lips. “That doesn't mean I have to get stuck in Montana. I can fly in every few weeks to check on you and the kid.”

Check on her? The guilt over lying to him was quickly replaced by embarrassment and anger. He obviously thought of her as an albatross around his neck. She lifted her chin and said, “Don't bother. I don't need a sitter.”

He gestured to her with a wry smile. “And there's the hostility.”

“Excuse me if I don't want to be one of your projects.”

His smile vanished. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“You have a hero complex, Jared. Maybe you should seek therapy and get some help for it.”

If a person could murder someone with a look, she'd be dead on the floor. She knew she'd gone too far before he spoke.

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