Page 21 of In Bed with the Rancher

She had made one colossal mistake but couldn’t make another.

If she would just stay out of his bed, out of his embrace and stop kissing him, she might be able to avoid more terrible heartache. That was just good sense, so why was it so hard to do?

She knew the answer to that one. He was incredibly appealing and sexy. She wanted to make love with him. And she knew he desired her. From their first hours, sparks flew every time they were together.

She groaned and changed clothes. Maybe she could slip down to her gym and work out, so she could get some of the longing for him out of her system. If he knew where she was, she hoped he had the good sense to stay away. If they avoided each other more, there wouldn’t be that constant temptation to kiss. Right now, she needed to move around and get her mind off him. Wynn Sterling. From a wealthy old Dallas family. Beyond that, she didn’t know much about him.

She rushed around the room, changing to shorts and a red T-shirt, then put her hair in a ponytail and peeped out of her suite. She hurried past empty rooms to the basement. She didn’t know where he was, but she was glad they hadn’t encountered each other.

She rushed into the gym and he was across the room from her running on a treadmill. For just an instant, she started to leave, but she needed a workout. Evidently he had the same idea and probably for the same reason.

She thought about Molly telling him to take it easy. Running on a treadmill was not “taking it easy.” Well, she wasn’t going to stop him. Right now what she needed more was to cool down her body. She still tingled from their kisses and his hands on her.

That thought did it for her and she rushed to get on a treadmill as far from him as she could get. In minutes she was running. Unfortunately there was no way to get him out of her thoughts.

Wynn Sterling. Tomorrow she would take him home and he would walk out of her life. She had no future with him even if he wanted one because she wasn’t ready to risk her heart again. The pain from her breakup had been monumental, coming as it did two weeks before she was to become a bride. She wouldn’t trust her heart to anyone again. Not at this point in her life. And if she could keep her wits about her for another twenty-four hours, she wouldn’t go to bed with him because it would be much easier to say goodbye tomorrow.

After they parted she didn’t expect to see him again. He had another life, a real one, and he was going back to it and out of her life forever, she was certain.

They’d been thrown together by a storm, but she needed to get a grip, resist his appeal and let him go because there could be only one outcome to seduction—heartbreak. Her heart. If only she could do the sensible thing—resist him. One more day and then he would be out of her life.

* * *

“Wynn Sterling,” he said quietly as he ran. The name was meaningless to him. It didn’t jog his memory, sound familiar or seem right. He was as blank as ever about his identity, except he had been told that was his name and he was a twin. Sheriff Ellison had recorded the TV clip with his twin and they had replayed it several times for him. They were identical twins. It was like looking in a mirror to look at Wade Sterling.

He had been lost in thought about the name and that it did not trigger even a tiny memory when the door opened and Ava stepped in.

He was surprised that she had also decided to work out because he thought she was going to avoid him.

But he sure appreciated the way she had dressed. She was in a clinging red T-shirt and tan shorts. Short shorts. She had long shapely legs that were to die for. The sight of her dazzled him. He wanted her and tonight would be their last night together unless more rain came.

When he returned to his real life, he knew he wouldn’t see her. She didn’t want an affair and he could understand why, at this point in her life. He wondered what his family was like and how he fit into the Sterling clan. Would getting back with them jog his memory? What kind of relationship did he have with his twin? He had no family memories, but he hoped they were close. Were they looking for him now? Were they worrying about him?

Right now he couldn’t even speculate about the family that he might find at home. He couldn’t keep from feeling he would do better when he was home with his family. It had to help his memory to be in familiar surroundings with people he had known all his life.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ava and the vision of her distracted him from his thoughts. She excited him and she had the hottest kisses he could imagine. She had him on fire now and he was going to run until he stopped thinking about kissing her. He had a feeling he was going to have a long run. Was that why she was here?

That thought wasn’t conducive to forgetting their kisses, either.

He slowed and finally stopped, getting off the treadmill and moving to a stationary bike.

The bikes were behind her so he could watch her run while he pedaled and that was a delightful sight. She was a good-looking woman with a sexy ass, spectacular long, shapely legs that he could enjoy looking at for the rest of the day. He wondered if he’d get the chance to touch those gorgeous legs later and feel her smooth, soft skin. He shook his head as he pedaled faster. What was he thinking? He should leave her alone. Twenty-four hours and they would say goodbye.

He swore and tried to think of something else, but he didn’t have much in the way of memories. Instead, he was mesmerized by her blond ponytail swaying as she ran.

He groaned. He needed to get back on the treadmill because that view didn’t stir sexual images like the one from the bicycle did.

Tomorrow she would drive him home to Dallas. That meant nothing to him. He couldn’t envision his childhood home or where he lived now or any of his family. Instead, he had come to feel comfortable here with Ava.

As he ran, he remembered sitting on a porch and looking out over a fenced lawn. Beyond the fence was a drive and across the wide drive was a fenced pasture with horses. Did he own a ranch, too? Wynn realized he remembered something from his past and that pleased him and filled him with hope that his memory was beginning to return.

Before he could tell Ava, she left. Probably to go shower. That was not a thought to dwell on, either. It would mean more hours of running or riding a bike. Damn, he wanted her, but he didn’t want to cause her more pain.

Finally he left to go shower and clean up. Tomorrow he would tell her goodbye. The more he thought about that, the less he wanted to do it.

They both lived in Dallas. Could they continue to see each other? But he had no idea what he was going home to and what commitments he might have. He couldn’t keep from feeling that tonight would be his last time with her. Dejected, he left the suite to go find her and see if he could help with dinner.

When he walked into the kitchen, he drew a deep breath. She had changed into a clinging, short-sleeved red sweater that was tucked into the waist of her tight jeans. Her hair, golden and silky-looking, fell freely on either side of her face, and she took his breath away just to look at her. He wanted to walk up, wrap his arms around her and kiss her. He wanted to carry her to bed. His heart pounded. She was watching the door and probably heard his approach.

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