Page 2 of The Rancher's Addiction

Jenny looked at Elise.“Why are you so afraid of him?”

“I don’t know.He’s always affected me that way.He’s not going to dance with you.I’ve never seen him dance with anyone.”

Jenny shrugged.“That’s okay.”She turned to Nicole.“So, all I have to do is ask him to dance?Nothing else?”

“Nothing.I promise.”

Jenny nodded and handed Nicole her cup.“I’ll be right back.”

As she walked away, she heard Elise argue with Nicole but couldn’t make out the words because the music and conversations around them were so loud.

The closer Jenny got to Mr.McKenzie, the tighter her stomach got.What freaked her out was that it wasn’t fear affecting her, but lust—something she’d never had to deal with at this level—and it threw her.

Before she could grasp what that meant, she stood in front of him with only two feet separating them.Her gaze started at his worn boots, moved up his long, jean-clad legs, and then to the substantial bulge behind his zipper.Her eyes ran over his black button-down Western shirt to his wide, muscular chest and broad shoulders.She bit back her gasp when her eyes finally got to his masculine facade.

She could tell he spent many hours in the sun.She didn’t know his age.He was definitely older than her, but the brackets on the sides of his mouth and the squint lines around his eyes maybe put a few years on him, and he looked a bit younger than she first thought.

His black hair was cut close to his scalp, and his chin was square with a slight cleft in the middle.He had a large nose that fitted his face.It was crooked at the bridge, telling her he’d broken it at least once.

Her eyes landed on his lips, and she saw that they were full, with the bottom lip a bit plumper than the top, and she had several ideas about what he could do with them.

She finally came to his dark green eyes and inhaled.The fact that he was staring right back made her stomach tighten, and a red flush covered her face at being caught so blatantly staring at him.

Jesus, what was wrong with her?God, she’d never ogled a man in her life, so why did she have to start with this rigid, intimidating one?

“I ...I’m sorry.”

He didn’t say anything.His lips thinned a bit, and his eyes narrowed.

She waited for him to say something and sighed when he stayed mute.Jenny’s gaze went to the other two men who stood with him, and she could feel her blush deepen.She jerked her eyes back to him.She really wished they didn’t have an audience with the two men who stood with Mr.McKenzie, but she wanted to get this done.

“So, I’m new in town...”She stopped and took a breath.She wasn’t a person who beat around the bush.“I was dared to come over here and ask you to dance.”

His eyebrows rose.

“If you could just shake your head, it would tell her I asked.”

His eyes went over her shoulder, and then he scowled.

Jenny looked in the same direction and watched both women fumble and then turn away suddenly.She grinned.

Her smile fell when she turned back to him.“I’m sorry I bothered you...”

“I’ll dance with you,” one of the other men said.

The third man straightened.“I will, too, darlin’.”

“Oh, well, I was just supposed to ask him...”

“Do you know him?”the third guy asked.

She shook her head.“No.My friends called him Mr.McKenzie, though.”

The shorter men chuckled.

She gritted her teeth when the guy just stared at her.“Okay, I’ll take your silence as a no and stop bothering you.I hope you all have a nice night.”

A hand grabbed her upper arm before she took two steps away.

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