Page 24 of The Rancher's Vengeful Heart

"Warning duly no—-"

The rest of her words disappeared in his kiss, andoh wow.How was it that every touch of his lips made her swoon all the more? How was it that every stroke of his tongue felt as if he was claiming a part of her soul? And why couldn't she get enough of it...when in the past Xylan's kisses sometimes made her wonder if something was wrong with her?

Lucius barely found the willpower to pull away. Soft dark eyes met him, and just seeing her gaze free of judgment and resentment made him feel as if he had been reborn.

Never again.

His moment of cowardice was just that—-a fucking moment, and never again would he let fear cloud his mind.

His Tassinawasdifferent.

Because what she herself had said was true.

For better or for worse, Lucius was more than a little in love with her, and there was no turning back after this.

Chapter Eight

A MAJESTIC ARCHWAYgreeted them overhead, with the wordsWelcome to Foxtownwritten in an Old English script. And beyond it laid the theme park, and everything about the place filled Tassy with awe.

The last week of January in Jackson Hole was still the height of winter, but how was it that there wererealflowers everywhere, and they were of every shade of the rainbow?

Her gaze drifted to the park visitors, and just watching everyone go about their business was like seeing the Regency period come to life. All the gentlemen were dressed in tailored coats and breeches while the ladies sparkled with their jewels and gowns. Instead of four-wheeled vehicles, the lantern-lit roads were filled with an assortment of horse-drawn carriages: a lady held the reins of a pink-colored phaeton while a gentleman had just climbed up into his all-black curricle. A fancy-looking chaise was parked next to a landau, and was that a town coach bearing a ducal coat of arms?

"If we go in, we can do more than look."

Tassy realized belatedly she had been gaping the entire time and looked at Lucius sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Everything's just so...breathtaking. But you're right. It should get better once we're inside, and...um..."

Her voice drifted off when she realized the billionaire was leading her away from the admission gates for visitors. Weren't they supposed to line up—-huh?

Men dressed like palace guards opened a pair of gates upon seeing Lucius, and Tassy was startled when they immediately bowed in greeting.

"Welcome to Foxtown, Your Grace, milady."

Your...Grace?

She turned to him, asking in surprise, "You're a duke here?"

"The Duke of Windtowne, to be specific. It's included in the compensation package if you're one of the park's first investors."

Riiight.

Lucius made it sound so simple when she was pretty sure being one of the park's "first" investors also meant that he had bought stocks worth a hundred mil,at least.

Lucius smiled down at her, and she managed to smile back, albeit weakly. Millionaires, she was used to dealing with because of her work. But billionaires? And most especially, gorgeous billionaires who could also be moody and frighteningly unpredictable like Lucius?

His really,reallybad case of cold feet was just a taste of how he could so easily hurt her. It could only get worse from here, but since shedidremember more easily now that Lucius was the sign she had asked from God—-

It's all going to be okay.

Lucius and I might not be perfect, but God is...

And He never breaks His promises.

LUCIUS HAD BEEN PREPAREDto wait for an hour or so for his Tassina to get changed. But when he came out of the changing hall for men, it was to see her already dressed in a pale blue gown, her hair swept up in a chignon, and presently doing her best to ignore the attention she had attracted from the opposite sex.

The women he dated in the past reveled in being noticed. His Tassina clearly wasn't the same, and when Lucius stepped into her line of sight, the look of joy and relief on her beautiful face was one of the most precious things he had ever seen. It was the kind of look that a woman could only give to the man she belonged to, and even though the thought still had his chest tightening—-

Lucius knew it was the same for him.

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