Page 40 of At the Rancher's Pleasure

“If you want me to,” Sarabeth quietly replied. This time, he definitely heard her lack of enthusiasm.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, his chin on her head.

Sarabeth linked her arms around his neck. “Sure.”

There was that strange note again, something about the way she said the words didn’t ring true. Brett pulled back from her and saw the sadness in her eyes, coated with what he thought might be fear. And longing. Then a curtain dropped over her eyes and he couldn’t see beyond all that glorious blue. She had the ability to tuck her emotions away, and he didn’t like it.

But until he worked out his emotions, what he was thinking and feeling, he had no right to demand to understand hers.

Damn, it sure seemed like their simple, temporary fling was becoming increasingly complicated.

Brett could tell Sarabeth was nervous. Oh, she looked sensational dressed in a slinky knee-length black-and-gold-patterned cocktail dress that skimmed her svelte figure and showed off her amazing legs. Legs that had, Brett was proud to admit, encircled his hips a few hours ago.

Man, the sex, as it always was, was shockingly great. Hot, intense, inventive. Consistently exciting. But she was slipping away mentally, he reluctantly admitted as he watched her smile at the waiter carrying a tray holding champagne flutes.

She obviously didn’t want to be here but pride, and a healthy dose of stubbornness, had her dressing, putting on makeup and strapping on those stupidly sexy high heels. Brett understood her edginess. The last TCC function she’d attended had been as Rusty’s wife nearly two decades ago. He hoped she wasn’t worried about her appearance. As he’d told her earlier, she looked fantastic. He remembered her as a younger woman and she had the face and figure that had only improved with age...

Brett was about to excuse himself to go to her—he didn’t want her standing alone in a room full of strangers or one-time friends—but stopped when he saw her friend Jaynie approaching her. Sarabeth’s smile hit her eyes and a little of Brett’s tension eased.

This was their first official outing as a couple—whatever that meant—at a TCC function and he didn’t want her feeling embarrassed or awkward or uncomfortable. If Sarabeth was going to stay in Royal on a permanent or semipermanent basis, he wanted her to feel comfortable living and interacting with the good, and not-so-good people, of Royal.

He liked—such a tame, innocuous word for the swirl of emotions she pulled to the surface—Sarabeth and he wanted her to be happy.

Brett tuned into Clint Rockwell’s conversation with Jules, but most of his mental attention was still focused onher. Whoever would’ve thought that, a month after his aborted wedding, he would be having a blistering hot affairwith the ex-wife of one of Royal’s richest and most powerful men?

He could understand why people were fascinated by Sarabeth; she was incredibly beautiful, and her ability to hide her emotions and her reactions made people wonder who she was behind that serene facade. Because she seldom let people in, no one knew her pretty face hid a sharp mind, someone who had a better business brain than most men he knew. They’d be shocked if they knew she was, probably, as wealthy as her ex. They’d also be surprised to realize that she was a lot sweeter than her reputation, kind and funny and affectionate too.

Brett really enjoyed having her in his bed.

And in his life.

On the drive into town tonight, she’d told him she’d viewed some properties and he still wasn’t a fan of the idea. To be clear, the thought of her moving out gave him a severe case of heartburn, and he’d spent most of the day considering what her leaving his life meant.

After their encounter in his office, he’d saddled up one of his younger stallions and galloped him across his ranch until they were both dripping from the exercise. The ride cleared his mind and gave him space to think.

He’d come to a few conclusions sitting on the bank of the river snaking through his property...

Brett loved waking up to find her sprawled over him, her face buried in the crook of his neck, her arm flung across his stomach. Enjoyed seeing her curled up in the corner of his sofa, her glasses on her nose, all her attention on the book in her hands. And he relished riding his lands with her, sharing his hot tub on a cold winter’s night...

Yeah, he freakin’ loved the sex, but he also loved having her in his life.

He didn’t have to entertain her, mollycoddle her, constantly take her emotional temperature. She was strong and decisive and independent, and he appreciated being with a woman who was not only strong enough for him but who could also be, when he needed her to be, a pillar of strength for him. As he could be for her.

Despite them only being together a few weeks, theirs was a balanced relationship, and he didn’t want her to leave his life.

In fact, he wanted her to embed herself more deeply in his, wanted her to be the center of his world. He wanted her to stay...

Brett’s attention was pulled back to the present by Jules jabbing his elbow into his side. “Heads up. Rusty is heading in Sarabeth’s direction, and he looks like he’s loaded for bear.”

Brett’s eyes bounced across the guests and saw Rusty making his way across the room, an ugly smile on his face. Yep, that was his wanting-to-cause-trouble smile and she was in his sights.

He didn’t like bullies, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Sarabeth be Rusty Edmond’s target...

Nobody messed with what washis.

“So, how come I have to hear from the grapevine that you are looking for a house in Royal?” Jaynie demanded, handing Sarabeth a glass of champagne.

Sarabeth winced. Since she’d all but moved in with Brett, she hadn’t spent much time with Jaynie and she sent her friend an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I’ve been meaning to call you but—” She shrugged, heat touching her cheekbones.

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