Page 2 of Chasing Liberty

“We both got carried away.” Her cheeks warmed, which was unlike her. She’d always been confident in her body and the things she could do with it.

“You were…different. Ravenous. Unquenchable.” His striking grin provoked deep dimples. “Are you regretting it?”

“Having great sex? No complaints here.” The soft hairs on the back of her neck lifted. “You and I had agreed to six months. Then we would divorce.”

“It’s only been four.”

“Four. Six. It all ends the same. I’ve thought this through.” A misbehaving curl dislodged itself from the messy updo and she played with the tendril. Why was she so nervous? “We announce the separation, I can have the papers drawn up,and you can sign them in two months. That meets Daddy’s absurd demands.” She rolled her eyes. Every time she thought of the ludicrous idea to make his daughters get married caused her temper to flare.

After she and Wyler had said “I do” at some Elvis chapel in Las Vegas, they’d sat in their wedding suite in a casino motel setting marriage rules while drinking whiskey from little bottles.

Rule One.If they had sex—and of course they would—he’d return to his bedroom in the Rose Bloom Victorian Manor where they decided they’d live when they got back to Sagebrush Pine.

Rule Two.Refer to rule one.

Liberty had never liked abiding by the rules.

The boundaries had been crossed once, twice, thrice…a dozen times.

They’d quickly become comfortable falling asleep together, and she’d wake up curled next to him with his arm slung possessively over her waist. It always led to morning sex.

Then there were the spontaneous lunches and dinners. He’d show up on training days at Sagebrush Rose with her favorite meals. Or, she’d come home to candlelight dinners. He knew how much she enjoyed eating. What Rose didn’t?

Just last night she’d been working late with a rider and horse and came home to a prepared bubble bath, lit candles, soft music, and her favorite jasmine bath oil. He remembered her saying how she enjoyed long, hot baths after a hard day.

Wyler had never been romantic, until they married.

He'd changed. Was sweeter. More affectionate. He texted a good morning message every day. Asked with interest about her day. Didn’t leave the toilet seat up. All the things a woman would want in a partner.

And it was very bad.

She’d started looking forward to seeing him. Excited to have conversations with him. Loved their sunset rides at Sagebrush Rose. Working with him on tasks at the ranch always had her laughing and made the time pass quicker.

So now it was time to put the exit plan into motion.

Their marriage was a sham so this should be easy.

After Sam Rose had stipulated that his daughters find husbands, or give up all claims to the family ranch, she thought she’d teach her daddy a lesson for meddling in her love life and marry Wyler, a hand at Sagebrush Rose.

Somehow her plan had backfired. Not only did her sisters think Wyler was the next best thing to sliced bread, but Sam had jumped on the bandwagon and treated Wyler like a son.

Well, she wouldn’t join the trend. She couldn’t’t fall for Wyler.

Point blank.

“Now is as good a time as any,” she stated adamantly. “I have a plan.”

He bounced out of bed and her eyes fixed on his bare ass. “Hold that thought.” He strolled toward the bathroom. When he came back, he grabbed his boxers off the floor and dragged them on then sat down on the end of the bed. “What’s the plan?”

Clearing the cobwebs from her mind, it took her a moment before she could focus. “Tonight is Freedom’s birthday dinner at San Marco’s Italian. I’ll pick a fight, make an appropriate scene, and to cap it off I’ll ask for a divorce.”

His gaze narrowed. “You’d want to ruin your sister’s birthday dinner?”

“I’ll wait until after she opens her presents and has a few drinks.”

“That’s definitely a Rose-thing to say.” He ran his fingers down his whiskered jaw. “Why do you get to be the one who ends things? Maybe I want to be the one who asks for a divorce.”

“Well, if it means that much to you…”

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