Page 23 of Jonathan

The buyer he would have to meet with personally. But the other things, the barn doors that need replacing, the water troughs, the tours that had been scheduled for tomorrow, all of them could be handled by someone else.

No one could fault him for taking personal time. And he needed it. Turning his head, he stared at the woman curled against him. Her naked body was aligned with his and it felt just damn right.

What he was afraid to confront, what he could not put out there, not even for himself, was the fact that this was not just physical. Not for him anyway. It had never been that way, not since he first set eyes on her.

Her argument echoed inside his head. It was just a fling to her, and he was going to have to try his best to change her mind. The fact that they were still making love without any form of protection was an indication that she was not telling the truth. She said he did not know her and perhaps that was true.

But from what he knew of her; she was not a woman who would carelessly and recklessly go to bed with a man several times without insisting on protection. He was sure of it. And that was what was giving him such hope.

Hope that at the end of it all, she would want to stay. Yes, she had her career, and he would never dream of standing in the way of it. But she could travel. He had the means and resources to make that happen.

The ranch had a helicopter and a private jet. She could have access to both. And he was not against going off with her whenever she had to be somewhere.

When the time came, he was hoping she would settle down and be a rancher’s wife. He heaved out a careful breath at the train of thought. Yes. All right, he was thinking long term. He wasthinking of giving her a ring and his name. he was thinking of standing before a group of people and pledging his life to hers.

And behind all of that, he was also thinking that this was absolutely crazy. He just met her. But it did not matter one damn bit. He had fallen in love with her, God help him.

It was not just the bloody sex, that in itself was a revelation and a freaking wonder. She destroyed him. Made him weak with a need so intense, it left him spinning. But he felt a connection to her since the initial meeting. A bond that had blossomed into something so intense that it was sweeping him away.

Using gentle fingers, light as a feather, he brushed the tendrils clinging to her forehead. He was going to try and keep his jealousy at bay. Inviting her to the event tomorrow meant that he would have to share her with every damned randy cowboy in the vicinity, including the itinerants that he had no control over.

They stopped in and did their job, mostly for a place to stay for a little bit as they wander around. Some had stayed because the wages were good and the living arrangements stellar. He provided for his men – had learned by example that a well-treated employee equaled a loyal one.

A few had tried to steal from him and learned the hard way that he was not a pushover.

Bending, he kissed her forehead, inhaling her scent. She smelled expensive and exotic. And she was going to try and resist the pull. But he was relentless and determined. Gathering her closer to him, he settled into sleep.

*****

She woke up with her face pressed against a muscular chest that smelled faintly of the outdoors and some tangy cologne. Arms like steel were clamped around her waist and she was half lying on top of a very hard and firm body.

Lifting her head slowly, she took the time to study the contoured features. His chin was firm and had a slight crease in the center. His mouth was wide, the bottom lip sensual.

His lashes - she smiled slightly and wondered if he realized they were long, darker than the hair on his head. He looked relaxed in sleep, strands of his hair touching his forehead.

A frown touched her brow as she continued to stare. He was not supposed to sleep over. That was not the plan. The sex was really good, but there should be boundaries.

And what the hell was he still doing here – at – turning her head, she realized to her surprise that it was almost seven in the morning. A jolt went through her when she turned her head and saw that his eyes were open.

“Hi.” His deep voice was husky with sleep and sexy as hell.

“Why are you still here?”

“Good morning to you too.” Lifting a hand, he brushed his fingers over her cheek. “I decided to sleep in.”

“Why?”

“So many questions – so early in the morning,” he chided.

“It’s not early.” She pointed out. “At least, not for you.”

“I wanted to see how you look first thing in the morning.” He was caressing her cheek and edging towards her neck. “And I was right.”

“About what?”

“You look sensational.”

Her heart thudded, and she felt herself going weak. He was weaving a spell on her and it was making her giddy and confused.

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