Page 3 of My Cowboy Temptation

“Stay here,” he says finally and starts to pull away, but not before he presses a kiss to the top of my head. Then he’s striding to the house, yelling out orders to the officers about getting prints and not messing up the crime scene.

My dad pulls up a minute later and wraps his arms around me and Everly, holding us tightly against him. “You two are coming back to the ranch tonight. No arguments.”

Not that we have much choice since our place is in shambles. But even if there was another choice, I would still choose to go to the ranch. To go home, where I would have all the familiar things around me. Including Brody.

Eventually we get permission to go inside and grab what we might need, but I don’t want to see any of the things inside, let alone touch them or take them back. It all feels tainted and gross. And the smell of the place. The stench of urine and human shit has me fighting back a wave of nausea.

Nothing. Nothing is salvageable. Not for me.

Coming back outside, I spot one of my dad’s men pulling away in my Bronco, likely at Brody’s or my dad’s orders.

“Come on. I’ll get you both home,” my dad says. He helps Everly into the truck while I look around, needing to see Brody’s face one last time before I go. I stop when I see him talking to an officer, his demeanor and posture declaring him a man of authority.

As if sensing my attention, Brody looks up and meets my gaze. It’s hard to miss the anger, frustration, and tenderness that war across his ragged but still achingly handsome face. He nods, as if to assure me he’s got this, before returning to the cop.

As my dad takes my arm and hoists me up next to Everly, I’m certain that no matter how much Brody denies it or pretends it’s not there, something very real is there between us.

Brody Dalton belongs to me as much as I belong to him.

Even if he doesn’t yet know it.

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