Page 18 of In Bed with the Rancher

He reached out to take her wrist, but her words stopped him.

“Breakfast, remember?”

“No, I don’t remember,” he replied in a deeper voice as he tugged lightly on her wrist to get her closer. “I can only think about one thing. Kissing you again.” He drew her to him. “Even just a good-morning kiss.”

She wound her arms around his waist. “You know we shouldn’t. At the same time, you know I can’t resist you,” she whispered. She turned her face up to his and her big blue eyes were filled with obvious desire, making his heartrate quicken.

He leaned down to kiss her and with the merest contact, all his good intentions from last night were forgotten. He knew he shouldn’t be kissing her now, but when he’d finally fallen asleep last night, he’d dreamed about her, and woke up wanting her. He knew she would be out of his life soon and he wanted as much of her as he could have when she was beside him. And kisses weren’t binding.

Never breaking contact with her lips, he picked her up. She put her hand on his good shoulder while he carried her to a chair and sat with her on his lap, holding her close against him with one arm, cradling her against his good shoulder. His other hand slipped beneath her pink sweater to push away her lacy bra and fondle her breast, her softness making him ache with wanting her naked in his arms. He caressed her lightly. Every touch, kiss and whisper made him want her more.

She moaned softly as she settled in his embrace. Her kiss was fantastic, blazing hot. Her hands fluttered over him, making him want all of her. His hard erection pressed against her hip as he held her tightly.

When his hand slipped down to unfasten her belt, she caught his wrist and sat up. She was breathing as hard as he was. He felt on fire with longing and need, for all of her, and wanted to carry her off to bed, her naked body against his. But he saw the determined look on her beautiful face.

“We need to have some space here,” she whispered and he released her. She stood and walked away.

Pulling her pink sweater back in place, she turned to face him. “I think you know why I want to stop. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He stretched and took deep breaths as she left the room. He needed to think about something besides seducing her. Had he ever wanted a woman to the extent he desired Ava?

He looked out the window and tried to think about the storm. Was anyone out there somewhere, looking for him?

* * *

It was just lust, Ava told herself as she escaped down the hall. He was an incredibly sexy man—one who clearly wanted to make love to her. Her eager response to him was no doubt due to her being alone so much. And, she acknowledged, perhaps part of it was longing to stop some of the hurt over her broken engagement. It was a way to put an end to being so vulnerable.

She shut the door to her suite, and as she brushed her hair, she lectured herself to get it together and exercise self-control. When she heard a car, she looked outside. Recognizing Gerald’s pickup, she went to greet him.

With his hat pushed back to reveal his thick blond curls, Gerald was already inside, talking to her guest, as she entered the kitchen. He looked strong and cheerful.

“We’ve got spotty showers predicted all day, so the water won’t recede, but I thought I’d pick you two up and take you to my place. I’ll show Bill some of my horses. You two can spend the day with us today.”

When Ava started to protest, Gerald held up his hand. “We insist. Molly has already cooked a bunch of stuff, so get your raincoats, lock up and let’s go. It’s just drizzling right now so let’s go while the rain is light. I can’t go home without you.”

She knew he meant it and they were sincere about the invitation. She was relieved because it was a constant, sheer temptation to be here alone with her guest. Going to the Roan house would work better and she wouldn’t have to worry as much about what she was doing.

“Thanks, Gerald. I can drive to your place and then you won’t have to come out again later.”

“Naw, c’mon. I’ll be out for one reason or another, anyway, so I’ll bring you home. Do what you want here. I’ll have a cup of coffee while I wait,” he said, getting his coffee. The two men sat talking while she put away a few things. As soon as she finished, she went to get what she wanted to take with her and to put on her raincoat. She found an old slicker for Bill Smith. She still thought of him as a stranger, but she was beginning to feel that he was far from being a stranger to any of them.

“I’m ready,” she said when she returned to the kitchen and held out the slicker and an old cowboy hat for her guest. He stood to put them on and the way he slid on the hat, catching his tangle of black hair that fell on his forehead, she had the feeling he had worn broad-brimmed cowboy hats before, and that strip of pale skin on his forehead indicated that, too. In minutes they were in Gerald’s pickup on their way to Roan Ranch.

After a big breakfast with the family except the grandmother who had returned to her own house to catch up on her sleep, Bill Smith, Gerald and his seven-year-old son, Aiden, put on rain gear and left to go to look at the horses while Molly cleaned the kitchen and Ava read stories to their five-year-old, Megan.

The men and Aiden were back in time for a lunch of hamburgers, golden corn on the cob and homemade blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

“Well, Bill doesn’t have many more memories, but I’m sure he’s a rancher,” Gerald informed them over lunch. “He knows horses and is familiar with ropes, tack, tools and barns.”

“I have little glimmers of moments on horseback, moments in barns, but I don’t recall anything significant or helpful beyond knowing that I’m familiar with those things.” He addressed those remarks to Ava, then turned to Gerald. “I think you have some fine horses.”

“You’re right on that one,” Gerald said. “I do. Fine, expensive horses,” he added as he smiled.

After lunch the men left again and Molly, Ava and Megan had a quiet afternoon. Ava sat on the floor to play with Megan and her dolls while Molly got dinner ready. When Megan took a nap, Ava and Molly sat talking and later Ava watched Megan draw and color.

The men returned and while the kids went off to play, the adults sat down with glasses of iced tea and some cheese and crackers.

“We drove back to the bridge over Blue Creek,” Gerald said. “There’s no getting across it today and probably not tomorrow, either. Water is over the bridge, and for about a quarter of a mile approaching it on either side, the road is underwater. Now it looks like a lake down there with roads running into the lake. Doesn’t look promising for getting into town. Not until the rain stops and the water goes down.”

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