Page 38 of In Bed with the Rancher

Wade shook his head. “You don’t know the whole story. We have two personalities that are alike in different generations.”

“I’m not following you.”

“It isn’t just Wynn, Ava. My dad had a younger brother, Ethan. My parents and my older relatives have always said that Wynn is just like Ethan. So there’s one like that in that generation and one in mine. Ethan and Wynn had different parents, different siblings, different influences in their lives, but they turned out the same way. I don’t want to go through what my dad did raising Wynn. My grandfather had heart trouble and he died at sixty-three. I don’t know if Ethan contributed to his health problems or not. I just told this to Jack today and he said he feels the same way.”

“I can’t imagine that you would have a child who would be like your brother. I think you’re worrying unnecessarily.”

“I might be, Ava, but I’m sticking by that, so I wanted you to know right now. I’m not a marrying man and I don’t want kids. I’m not going to change.”

Ava felt as if ice water had been poured over her as she listened to his declaration about marriage and kids. Then she tried reasoning it out. She thought how little time they had been together and what a short time she had known him. They weren’t in love. This was lust and she knew that.

She looked into his eyes. They were in bed together, naked, they had made love, he was exciting, irresistible, handsome, sexy. Tonight she wasn’t going to worry about his determination to stay single all his life and to avoid having kids. Tonight that wasn’t a problem. Because she knew they couldn’t be in love in this short amount of time.

She knew something else, too. Their relationship would have to be brief or she would be in love with him.

She wanted to make love, wanted his kisses, but she would have to guard her heart and tell him goodbye very soon. The realization hurt, but the pain would be easier to bear in the short term. Wade was a wonderful, sexy man, but she had dreams for a family and he would never give her that.

Sadness replaced the trepidation she felt when he’d started talking to her. “That’s unfortunate for you, Wade, because you’d be a wonderful husband and dad. I can’t imagine you’d have a son like your twin or your uncle. You’re cutting yourself out of a family and children and to my way of thinking that’s one of the biggest joys in life.”

He lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked back at her. This time, his eyes shone with desire. “At the moment, I can think of another huge joy in life and we’re letting it slip away from us,” he said, starting to nuzzle her neck and then trail kisses on her ear.

His touch was like a balm. It turned her sadness and pain to longing and arousal. She met his kiss and felt that familiar yearning for his lovemaking. Tonight she wasn’t going to think about his views of marriage and children. She wasn’t in love and he wasn’t in love, and she was certain she could still tell him goodbye without being hurt. She let him kiss away all thoughts and even the worries he had just caused. For this night she would be in his arms.

She held him, running her hand over his smooth, muscled back and giving herself to his fiery loving. This time, words were nonexistent—everything was erotic feelings, with his hands and mouth all over her. She rubbed against him, kissed and stroked him with her hands and tongue, making him groan with desire. It seemed he’d never stop teasing and toying with her, never give her all of himself, which her body craved. Then, finally he had a condom and was on his back as he lifted her over him and she slid down for him to enter her. She cried out with pleasure, setting the pace as she rocked against him, then moving faster, as he caressed her breasts and pumped in her.

They climaxed together, his arms around her, with her sprawled over him, holding him tightly.

She didn’t know how long her explosive climax rocked her, but finally she slowed and then lay quietly on him, his arm around her while his other hand caressed her back, sliding over her bottom, her thighs and up again.

“So perfect,” he whispered, “so beautiful.” He kissed her lightly. “So sexy. This night is a dream come true.”

She held him, her ear against his chest, and she heard his pounding heart slow and finally reach a normal beat, and her breathing matched his.

At this moment, in his bed, in his embrace, lying on top of him, their warm, naked bodies together after fantastic sex, she tingled everywhere from his loving and she was satiated. At this minute, with him, there were no problems.

But with each calmer breath, the world, their lives and concerns and dreams, all began to come back. She heard his heartbeat, remembering his words. I’m not a marrying man and I don’t want kids. I’m not going to change.

She chased the worry away. She hadn’t known him long and they weren’t in love. She could get over him. All they had between them were hours at her cabin and a few intimate moments.

Or was she kidding herself? Was she taking a big risk with her heart again to be with him?

She shifted to her side and slid off of him. He left for a few minutes to rid himself of the condom and returned to stretch out beside her. Drawing her tightly against his side, he held her close while she tangled her fingers in the thick mat of curly, black hair across his chest.

Each time she started to think about what he had told her, she tried to shut it out of her mind and focus on his body and the loving they’d already shared. There would be time later to think more clearly about his declarations of no marriage and no family.

“A kiss for your thoughts. I don’t exactly have a penny with me,” he said.

“I was thinking how sexy you are,” she said in a lazy drawl. Tonight she was in his arms and she wanted to make love until dawn. She brushed kisses across his shoulder to his throat, then he shifted beneath her and his mouth covered hers in a hungry kiss.

He held her close. “Go to dinner with me tomorrow night, Ava. You took care of me after getting me out of the canyon and I want to take you out.”

“Thank you, that’s very nice,” she said. Then caution reared its head, a warning light in the darkness, making her question the wisdom of continuing to see him. Dinner would no doubt lead to more lovemaking afterward and that would just put another link in an invisible chain that could bind her heart to him. Only he would never love her in return. She heard the firmness in his voice when he told her he didn’t want to marry and he never wanted kids.

She did and she was certain she could never stay with a man who didn’t want children.

It was just dinner, another part of her brain reasoned. A chance for Wade to show his gratitude for her kindness and hospitality. And didn’t she owe him a note of thanks, too? Because of him, she was over her heartbreak with Judd.

She should be able to recover from whatever hurt she would feel when she and Wade parted later. Compared to the time she had spent with her ex-fiancé, she had barely been with Wade.

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